Jane Austen

[azalea]

Originally posted by Lótiel


Ah, Mr Darcy! I just love him! And Colin Firth playing him too! Anyone who has seen the TV-series? Have the DVD at home, love it!

Of course! It was so well done, practically perfect! I swoon every time I see Mr. Darcy walking up to Pemberly all wet and Eliza is standing there...ahh! Colin Firth has mentioned that it has been hard to go on to other things because of his success playing Darcy (I guess when you play a role so well, people have a hard time appreciating you in other roles, or something like that).

[Linaewen]

What version may you be talking of? Or is there only one version, unlike Jane Eyre?

Unfortunately, I had already read a synopsis of the book before I read it 'properly' (the first time I only read a few chapters, and didn't like it), so I kind of knew what would happen. Plus someone also posted in the 'What are you reading now?' thread about how they loved Darcy. *Pointed look*

For anyone who's read Jane Eyre, how similar do you think Rochester from JE and Darcy are? They are both enigmatic and ambiguous, but in the end one finds out their true nature and how really lovely they are; through their actions etc. Both also had a skeleton in the closet, which distresses their beloved.

Oh, and that you Zales & Lótiel for your answers. Very insightful and appreciated!

[Lótiel]

Originally posted by Linaewen
What version may you be talking of? Or is there only one version, unlike Jane Eyre?

It´s a BBC 6 episode 5 hours long serie with Colin Firth(Bridget Jones´Diary) and Jennifer Ehle. I couldn´t get it in Norway, but I bought it when I visited Glasgow a year ago. Me and some of my friends have P&P evenings quite often. We see the whole film(5 hours!) eat a lot of food, snacks and chocolate, perfect evenings.

[Falagar]

I think I'm going to read 'Pride and Prejustice', just because of this thread.


...though I started "The History of Norway" not long ago, 5 long books, so it may take some time before I get to it.

[dawningoftime]

One thing that I had always wondered was why Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst made such a big deal out of Elizabeth's petticoat being dirty when she went to see Jane. A few weeks ago I was reading in the Jane Austen Journal that to have cleanliness literally was next to godliness.

[sun-star]

Originally posted by dawningoftime
One thing that I had always wondered was why Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst made such a big deal out of Elizabeth's petticoat being dirty when she went to see Jane. A few weeks ago I was reading in the Jane Austen Journal that to have cleanliness literally was next to godliness.

And it suggested that she didn't care about looking "respectable" to meet them, which would have been an insult to their pride. They probably expected her to take ages getting ready, worrying about being good enough to go to their grand house - and she turns up not at all interested in anything but Jane.

The BBC version is so good - maybe the best adaptation of any classic novel ever . Colin Firth gets all the credit, but I thought Jennifer Ehle was underrated - she got the spirit of Lizzy just right, for me.

[Lótiel]

Originally posted by Falagar
I think I'm going to read 'Pride and Prejustice', just because of this thread.


...though I started "The History of Norway" not long ago, 5 long books, so it may take some time before I get to it.

You should! It´s great, but quite a girlnovel. You can learn quite a lot about what girls like though. (girls like Mr.Darcy...)

"The History of Norway" is great, it´s the one by Karsten Alnaes(or whatever he´s called)? I read a couple of the books to prepare for history in 2. and 3. grade of videregaaende(high school).

[Linaewen]

I don't think Falagar would have a problem with 'girl novels'.

Originally posted by dawningoftime
One thing that I had always wondered was why Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst made such a big deal out of Elizabeth's petticoat being dirty when she went to see Jane. A few weeks ago I was reading in the Jane Austen Journal that to have cleanliness literally was next to godliness.

That's odd, because I always wondered about the opposite. I thought that perhaps they didn't make as much fuss as I expected. I mean, her clothes were in a pretty sad state when she saw them, to them indicating her lack of pride in her appearance, and respect to them as their guests I suppose.

[Lalaith_Elf]

i've only read pride and prejudice at the moment but i loved it..... which is suprising for me

[Falagar]

Originally posted by Lótiel
You should! It´s great, but quite a girlnovel. You can learn quite a lot about what girls like though. (girls like Mr.Darcy...)

"The History of Norway" is great, it´s the one by Karsten Alnaes(or whatever he´s called)? I read a couple of the books to prepare for history in 2. and 3. grade of videregaaende(high school).

That's what I'm doing now, reading it to prepare myself for 2nd class in videregående (isn't that the same as college though? Depends on the country I guess).

Originally posted by Linaewen
I don't think Falagar would have a problem with 'girl novels'.

You're hinting at something?

Actually found Pride and Prejustice, Sense and Sensibility and Enigma in my book-case today, while looking for Snorre's Heimskringla/Kongesagaer (which I didn't find ).

[Lótiel]

Originally posted by Falagar
That's what I'm doing now, reading it to prepare myself for 2nd class in videregående (isn't that the same as college though? Depends on the country I guess).

It´s a great idea to prepare yourself for that course, you get so much more out of it if you do. I really loved history in 2nd 3rd grade and was fortunatly very lucky with my teachers. I guess videregaaende is sort of a mix between high school and college, perhaps more like college. But when I think of my friends who spent a year in USA they all went to the last year of high school instead og the norwegian 2nd grade.

[dawningoftime]

Originally posted by sun-star

What was the name of the book you were reading? I'm always on the look-out for more books about Austen.

The Name of the book is Jane Austen: The World of her Novels by Deirdre Le Faye

[Mercutio]

If you like Austen and the BBC Pride and Prejudice (with Colin Firth), you'll love the book "The Making of Pride and Prejudice." It talks about filming, sites, actors, interviews, costuming, writin the script, etc.

[sun-star]

Originally posted by Mercutio
If you like Austen and the BBC Pride and Prejudice (with Colin Firth), you'll love the book "The Making of Pride and Prejudice." It talks about filming, sites, actors, interviews, costuming, writin the script, etc.

There's a similar one for the BBC adaptation of Emma, written by the same people. I've got both books, and one of them is signed by the scriptwriters or producers or something

[Mercutio]

Cool. Which Emma version do you guys like? The one with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam or the BBC one with Kate Beckinsale and Mark Strong.

Looking from the books, I like the BBC one better.

[dawningoftime]

I like both of them. If you combined both of them you'd have the perfect movie. The BBC is more accurate to the book, but the Gwenyth Paltrow version has the spirit.

[sun-star]

Originally posted by dawningoftime
I like both of them. If you combined both of them you'd have the perfect movie.

I agree. The BBC one was a little odd at times, but I thought Kate Beckinsale was a better Emma than Gwyneth Paltrow.

Has anyone seen the black and white version of Pride and Prejudice (from the 1940s, I think)? It's a while since I saw it but if I remember correctly they changed the story a lot - now that's a brave film-maker!

[dawningoftime]

oh my word, I saw that. That was really bad. Made it look as if Lady Cathrine actually approved of Lizzy, but was arguing with here just so she could see if Lizzy would make a suitable wife.

[Mercutio]

I saw that version. It was good, I think Mr. Knightley was the perfect mix of Northam's version (light and friendly) and Strong's (brooding, confused about his feelings). But he seemed to old for the part!

[BeardofPants]

Okay, so I've started reading P & P, and I'm loving it! It took me a while to get into it, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I just got up to the bit where Lizzy turns down Darcy's marriage proposal. Classic stuff! Mrs. Bennet, my god, how can that idiot have managed to birth someone so ... sensible... like Lizzy. I hate her!