I finished sewing the dresses for Larisa, who is playing Lydia in P&P, in the nick of time. The lame pattern had these cute, inefficient draw strings at the neck and the empire waist…. that just produced a gaping hole with white skin showing on the back.  So I sewed the cord in place, chopped it off and put in a zipper.  Whew.  No ivory skin beaming forth.   I also made a green gown that had four handmade roses on it… which were also finished the night before the show.  WHEW, again.  The cute lavender dress kept blowing open in the back because the snaps and hooks wouldn’t hold up to Larisa’s flamboyant movements.  So I added some hooks and the squeezed them all tight with pliers…. and the dress stayed shut… but was very difficult to get off!

There is some sort of anti-family-photo regulation with the shows, so only the staff photographer can take any pictures.  So we’ll have to wait for those, which are always fabulous, by the way.  I just hate waiting.  AND I forgot my camera for before and after the shows… so I have no pictures.  But, alas, another dad posted pictures on facebook and I lifted one so you could see just the top of the cute lavender dress:

This is post-production hair that has been flattened by matching bonnets, by the way.  And that is Matt, aka Mr. Darcy…. and Hannah, aka Kitty, in the background.

So the Friday night show was a packed house and they had to bring in more chairs.  With such a lively crowd, the cast was also lively and the show was fantastic, if I do say so myself.  Larisa’s portrayed the giggly 16-year-old, Lydia, who runs away with Mr. Wickham…. the floozy.  But I must say, she portrayed her quite vivaciously and was the true comedy relief of the show…. bouncing, smiling, fluttering, primping, swaying, flirting, and on and on.  Makes a mama proud…. well, her ACTING ability…. not the floozy part.  )

by Charlotte Bronte

This was an okay book, but definately nowhere near as good as Emma. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t a page turner in the slightest, although the last volume did pick up a little bit. I really didn’t understand Jane’s character at all during her time with Rochester. I failed to see any redeeming qualities regarding him. If you compare him with Mr. Darcy of Pride & Prejudice fame, the dullness is even more obvious. You can completely understand why Elizabeth hates Darcy, as much as you can completely understand how and why she eventually falls in love with him. He ends up being a thoroughly charming man. Mr. Rochester, on the other hand, seems dull in comparison, and I rarely believed that Jane loved him. Her thoughts and actions really didn’t prove her amorous feelings for her master. I can put it down to the social climate of the time, but I haven’t had this doubt over a character from a classic before. Albeit, I’ve not read that many classics yet, so we’ll see how I take with the next heroin I read.

I had such high hopes for my little patch of web-based wonderment, but needless to say I have left my poor blog rather neglected these last few months. Aside from being too tired for much of anything when I get in from work, I have not had the best of luck with my health.

Al managed to get a blog written about my brush with the NHS reasonably soon after it happened, but for the benefit of those who haven’t already read or heard all about my ordeal, the ins and outs will follow. At this point you might be thinking that “ordeal” is too strong a word for me to be using, but as one who had never had anything more serious than food poisoning before this all happened, I have to admit I probably acted like a bit of a sissy and found it all quite traumatic.

But anyway, you won’t know what I’m on about unless I get on and just write it, and it’s already been a good couple of months since it happened, so here goes.

I woke up normally, it was a Tuesday morning and it was one of my days off so I had stayed in bed a bit longer than usual. Al had already got up and gone to work, so I had the flat to myself and planned a day of housework. Not long after I was awake I noticed a pain in my tummy, so slight that I wouldn’t even call it a pain – more a discomfort. But anyway, I tried to ignore it and put it down to girl pains. I did some washing, some tidying up and made a start on dinner (we were planning to use the slow cooker for the first time, so I had to get it all done early), and just put it out of my head. Just after lunch when the pain hadn’t budged, and if anything had gotten worse, I started to worry. With dinner and all the jobs taken care of I settled down on the sofa with a glass of water and tried to rest and relax.

I popped in my trusty Pride & Prejudice DVD (don’t worry it was the BBC dramatisation, not the dodgy film with Keira Knightly) and again tried to ignore it. By the time Al got home from work I was sprawled all over the sofa and couldn’t lay still with the pains, and it seemed it was still getting worse. We put in a call to NHS Direct (although I’m sure Al thought that unnecessary) who told me it was most likely a minor stomach bug that could be treated at home. They told me to drink plenty of water, try to have some dinner, take some pain killers and pop a hot water bottle over my stomach. We did all of these things, and while the paracetamol/hot water bottle did bring me some relief, it was short-lived and soon the pain was back to being unbearable.

Al later told me that at this point he thought I was putting it on a bit, and was wanting to make the most of being looked after. I’d say I was pretty hardcore, having spent the whole day so far ignoring a steadily worsening pain! He suggested we just go to bed, thinking that I’d sleep it off. And while he somehow fell asleep despite my tossing and turning, I found it impossible to even get comfortable. He barely stirred when I had to get out of bed late in the night and started vomiting, but after a while even he found it difficult to sleep through my tears. I was in utter agony, and had never felt pain like it. We called NHS Direct for a second time, and when they told us that there was a 4 hour wait for a call back Al decided it was time to go to A&E. He got himself dressed and me into mismatched pyjamas and off we went. I was in the car a total of about 30 seconds before I began vomiting again and continued to do so for the entire 10 minute journey from our flat to the hospital (I know, yuck, luckily we had the sense to bring a bowl with us).

On arrival at A&E at Southampton General I was shortly seen by a nurse who didn’t even really examine me before concluding there was something really wrong. And so at about 3.30am, a full 18 hours after I first noticed the pain, I was placed in admissions in A&E.

And so my saga shall end there for today. I’d like to say that it’s a deliberate move by me to build tension and suspense, but really it’s just because I’ve already been writing this for a while and I’ve tired myself out. It is now time for a little sleep and a Lemsip.

Goodnight, readers.

via Vanidad Julio 2009

I love you. Most ardently.

Mr. Darcy, Pride & Prejudice

Okay, I have been trying to read less P&P fic, with mixed results. I have still read several new stories. Here are the latest reviews that I’ve added to the P&P Fic page:

Novels

A Judge of Their Characters by Lucrezia — 4.5 stars out of 5

Another gentleman leases Netherfield Park instead of Bingley. He takes an interest in Jane, but his motives are much more sinister. A fascinating, non-stop mystery story featuring the characters we know and love from P&P, and some new ones too.

The Suitors by Lucrezia — 4.5 stars out of 5

Sequel to A Judge of Their Characters. The mystery from the first installment continues, moving on to Hertfordshire, where yet another sinister gentleman takes up residence at Netherfield. If it wasn’t an ebook, I’d say it was a page-turner — truly a great P&P mystery.

Fair Stands the Wind by Maxine B. — 4.25 stars out of 5

What if Darcy was the second Darcy son, the one who was sent off to the Navy at the tender age of nine? When a very different Darcy travels to Hertfordshire, he meets an Elizabeth Bennet who is altered by the encroaching illness of her father and threats of an impoverished future. We get a fun variation on all of P&P’s characters in this well-written and fascinating love story.

Happily Ever After by Pamela St. Vines — 4 stars out of 5

After Elizabeth’s rejection, a distraught Darcy suffers a fever in London and loses his will to live. Knowing the reason for Darcy’s despair and running out of options, Georgiana writes to Elizabeth to ask whether she would be willing to visit his bedside. She does, and the two begin again in London. A sweet, low-angst story.

It Was Bliss by Zuki — 4 stars out of 5

A modern Pride and Prejudice with a whole new interpretation on the story. What if Darcy and Elizabeth meet in college, and Elizabeth wakes up in his bed after too much party punch? The two might come to an understanding sooner, but the implications for Darcy and Elizabeth’s families are very different. A nice, cute story that uses Darcy and Elizabeth’s characters, but takes them to an entirely different place.

Novella

A Time Remembered by Kathy Taylor — 4 stars out of 5

Darcy arrives in Hertfordshire a month after he is expected. He encounters Elizabeth during an accident in the countryside, and gets to know her as she recovers from a head injury. A nice, light story with a lot of happy Darcy & Elizabeth moments.

I was at work today, busy minding my own business and getting work done, when I happened to walk by the Twilight table (an entire pine table devoted to the plethora of Twilight related merchandise; I think this table wins the award for longest display in the history of the company). As I walked passed the table I caught of glimpse of something awful.

Now, let me preface this by saying that I actually have read the entire Twilight saga and did enjoy the books. They’re no Pulitzer Prize-winning novels, but for what they are they aren’t bad. Compared to some things teens are reading these days, they’re actually pretty good. That said, they have gone way overboard with the merchandise tie-ins. I mean, do we really need Twilight rubber stamp kits or a Bella and Edward perpetual calendar? Are the door hangers really necessary? Or the Twilight jewelry box? (I will admit, I kind of like the mini trunk.) For the most part I’ve become immune to the ridiculousness of the merchandise on this table. However, today something new caught my attention.

They are now marketing copies of Romeo and Juliet, Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights with Twilight-themed covers. The cover of Wuthering Heights even mentions that it’s Bella and Edward’s favorite book. My initial reaction to this discovery was indignation. How dare they use these classics to make more money from Twilight fans? Is nothing sacred? Have they no shame?

But then one of my co-workers pointed out that perhaps this is a good thing. And the more I think I about it, the more I realize maybe he’s right. Twilight Teens will buy nearly anything that has anything to do with these books. I’m sure many of them have already read Wuthering Heights just because it’s mentioned several times in the series. So why not market the books to these teens specifically? It’s introducing three great classics to an audience who may never have bothered to read them in the first place. Pride & Prejudice is my favorite book ever, and if this means more girls will discover it, then what’s wrong with that?

So, while I still think the Twilight merchandise is getting WAY out of hand, I can’t begrudge them this marketing ploy. If it gets teenage girls to read classic literature, so be it.

And you want to know what’s really bad? Once I took time to look through the books, I realized I really liked the format of the book. And the covers actually look kind of cool. Which sadly means I’ll probably end up buying them before too long. Even though I already own copies of all three. Don’t judge me.

Yesterday, I was looking up videos on the internet (specifically YouTube) because that’s what I do when I’m bored.  I found some of the Zombies singing “Gotta Get a Hold On Myself” live from 1966.  I thought it odd because that wasn’t one of their greatest songs (chart-wise.  I like it just the same.).  Though odd, I’m not saying it was a bad find.  I like the Zombies…

The main point of this though is that the same uploader had some videos of Peter & Gordon, with “in memory of Gordon Waller’ written in the description box.  I didn’t understand that.  Then later I found out that Gordon Waller had died in July.  I didn’t find out until 9 October!  What’s wrong with that?  I mean, Peter & Gordon were one of the more popular groups of the 1960s.  One would think that the death of one of them would garner more media coverage.  Granted, not a ton of media coverage to the point where it becomes overbearing, but still, enough that would be informative for the public. 

To-day, I get to watch “12 Angry Men” for my Saturday movie.  I made a list of the movies, and I will type them up and post them in the pages.  Which should be up there^.  My CD for this week was “The Great Buddy Holly”.  I was surprised to find on it a track entitled “Midnight Shift”.  I know that song from the album “Too Much Fun: the Best of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen” by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen (obviously).  That was an interesting musical connexion.

Yester-day, one of my Facebook friends had a note about “My Life According to The Beatles”.  It was a note in which one had to answer question using only song titles from one particular artist.  Although not being tagged (I’m usually not), I copied it and filled it out, replacing the Beatles with the Zombies.  (That was a rule anyway.)

My Life According to the Zombies

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Pass it on and include me. You can’t use the band I used. Try not to repeat a song title. It’s a lot harder than you think! [No it's not.] Repost as “my life according to (band name)” Pick your Artist: The Zombies!

I’m assuming that cover songs are OK.

Are you a male or female: “Road Runner”

Describe yourself: “Hung Up on a Dream”

How do you feel? “I Want to Fly”

Describe where you currently live: “Walking in the Sun”

If you could go anywhere, where would you go? “Memphis”

Favorite form of communication: “Conversation Off Floral Street”

Your best friend is: “She’s Not There”

You and your friends are: “Friends of Mine”

What’s the weather like: “Smokey Day”

Favorite time of day: “Sometimes”

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called? “Leave Me Be”

What is life to you: “It’s Alright With Me”

Your current relationship: “Whenever You’re Ready”

Your fear: “Changes”

What is the best advice you have to give? “Don’t Go Away” or “Tell Her No” I can’t decide…

Thought for the Day: “Is This The Dream”

How you would like to die: “Wings Against the Sun”

Your soul’s present condition: “Gotta Get a Hold On Myself”

by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

This book cannot be faulted. It has the two most perfect ingredients – the classic literature of Jane Austen, and zombies. How can you NOT love this book!?

Not only are the added unmetionables a work of literary genius, but the tone of the book is brilliant. At times, it felt as if you were reading Pride & Prejudice, but then the tone of the written voice would change so subtely, but so effortlessly, it was as if Austen had written the words herself:

“He found her as handsome as she had been last year; as good natured, and as unaffected, thought not quite so chatty.”

I’m a zombie fan so there’s no way I couldn’t not like this book. I’d still recommend it to everyone and anyone though, such a breath of fresh air!

Finally back on the ball, I’ve come across some interesting covers the past few moths that I thought I’d throw out here. The first is this amazing new cover for one of Penguin’s backlist titles, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Newest Penguin cover for classic backlist

I have to say, it was never one of my favorite books, but this is a brilliant re-emergence of a classic literary work! It’s very modern, pop culture-esque look and feel. I’m a HUGE advocate for breathing new life into these brilliant works of old, and this is a wonderful way to grab the attention of a new generation. Modern adaptations are fun and all, but you can always make an old house look great with just a fresh coat of paint!

Television and Books collide

Now, this one is a bit selfish. I’m a giant fan the new show, CASTLE (Mondays, 10pm EST), both for its premise, its incorporation of the book world, and most importantly, and, of course, the ever amazing Nathan Fillion. So when I walked into Borders and found this book on one of the table displays, I knew I’d be leaving the store, book in hand.

If you’re unfamiliar with the show, it’s yet another cop show (don’t turn away yet, it gets better!), but there’s this comical author, Richard Castle, that the lead detective has been saddled with as a semi-permanent ride-along. He’s constantly getting in the way, obviously, but his great delivery, not to mention best-selling fame, make each case an hour of entertainment and joy. Kate Beckett, the dynamic detective stuck babysitting Castle, is just the thing he’s been looking for to write his new mystery series starring Nikki Heat, the lead character inspired by the red-hot cop! And to make the show even more enticing, guest appearances have already been made by the Mystery Mad Men themselves, James Patterson, Stephen Cannell, and Michael Connelly!

So to discover Hyperion actually published Richard Castle’s latest book!? You better believe I bought it!

Apparently Seth Grahame-Smith didn't go far enough

Okay, so I know we’re all sick of Vampires, and we’re even MORE fed-up with Pride & Prejudice adaptations. But honestly, can you look at this and NOT want to find out more? As if adding the swarming undead to the original manuscript wasn’t enough, now we’re turning one of literature’s favorite leading man into one himself? This may just have to get a little further investigation by yours truly…

I’ve already reviewed one story by Linnea Eileen Smith, who posts Jane Austen-inspired stories at her Desert Musings website. I liked No More Tears so much that I went and read several more of her stories. She is a very good writer with an ability to treat Austen’s characters with complexity and compassion. I’ve given all of these stories the same rating — the points lost are only because the stories would benefit from more editing. (Please forgive me for this, but I admit that I am a grammar snob, and the stories contain a good deal of homophone errors.) Here are my reviews of the individual stories, which have been added to the P&P Fic page.

Novels

A Mother’s Favorite Wish by Linnea Eileen Smith — 4.25 stars out of 5

Due to precarious circumstances, Elizabeth Bennet is raised as (Quasi-spoiler warning: Although the author seems to consider this a spoiler, I don’t really agree since it is information given relatively early in the story and hinted at the very beginning. So as not to upset anyone, highlight the following white space if you’d like to know who it is) Anne de Bourgh. Despite not wanting to succumb to her mother’s favorite wish, she and Darcy consider courtship and eventually marry, but circumstances are complicated when they visit Bingley at Netherfield. A very interesting story and a whole new take on the character of Elizabeth Bennet.

By Order of Their Births, First by Linnea Eileen Smith — 4.25 stars out of 5

Georgiana is the first-born of the Darcy siblings, and Mr. Darcy is her younger brother. The Bennets also have a son, Robert, who is brother to Jane, Elizabeth and Mary. When the Darcys travel to Hertfordshire to visit their friend Bingley at Netherfield, Darcy and Elizabeth become fast friends, and Georgiana is attracted to Robert, but unwilling to consider him due to her inflated pride and his inferior connnections. An intriguing story because it provides a unique Darcy-Elizabeth courtship in addition to a gender-switched Pride & Prejudice plotline involving Georgiana and Robert.

The Sister She Always Wanted by Linnea Eileen Smith — 4.25 stars out of 5

Elizabeth visits Pemberley the summer before she does so in the original P&P and encounters a different member of the Darcy family. She and Georgiana become fast friends and Georgiana later travels to Netherfield with Darcy to see her close friend and correspondent. Darcy and Elizabeth slowly realize that they are attracted to each other, but neither of them acts on it because each is aware that it would be an unsuitable match. An enjoyable story giving a viewpoint of how Darcy and Elizabeth see each other with a smaller amount of Prejudice but a greater amount of Pride.

Novella

The Unexpected Entail by Lineea Eileen Smith — 4.25 stars out of 5

After the sudden death of Mr. Collins, a search is conducted to find the heir of Longbourn. Unexpected violence during the recovery of Lydia after her elopement with Mr. Wickham makes the identity of that heir even more critical. A very interesting, well-written story.

I’ve been procrastinating on starting my homework, that which you could fully learn the details of from my previous post, so I was rereading some of my older blog entries.  In doing so, I’ve realised that I have neglected to inform you internet readers of some stuff.

Two stuffs…

First, regarding the Saturday XXX: 15 August 2009 entry.  Therein, I typed something about not know what to do about the prospect of not going to Oberlin college.  Well, now that’s certain.  Upon closer inspection, it was deemed too expensive.  Still, I think it’s a cool college (from what little I saw), and I still have the shirt, and it can still be spelt OBErLiN and 0.140.  But, alas, the costs…

Thursday, I remind you if you have read my previous posts or I tell you, had you not read them, I went to the campus of Concordia University Wisconsin, in Mequon.  I was surprised to find out when I went there that I had already been accepted.  Once I returned home at 11p.m., we realised that the letter conveying the same information had been sent that day.  (I also stayed up until 2:22a.m. doing homework, paramount among the list, reading 16 chapters of Pride & Prejudice; that style of language was stuck in my head during school the next day…)  CUW is at the top of the list now.  Actually, it’s the only one on my list because it’s the only college to which I’ve been accepted, to date.   The campus is really neat too.  It’s just off of Lake Michigan.  But enough about that…

Second, this is more recent.  I stated something about writing down every single song that pops into my head during the schoolday and then listening to it when I get home.  I either know too many songs, or my school is very prone to musical phrases.  So, I’ve stopped doing that.  One day, I had nineteen songs written down before lunch.  If it would’ve continued at the same rate, it would have been thirty-eight for the whole day.  That’s over an hour of listening to music.  Instead, I’m trying to absolve my Zune programme of “unknown” last-played dates.  Presently, I’m listening to “the Ultimate Peter & Gordon”.  I’m also still actively persuing my Zombies Gold Listener Badge.  I’ve passed three thousand plays. 

There are my Sunday updates.  Now, I just have to drag myself through my homework.  I can’t wait until I have some sort of job without homework.  Mind you, I’m not thrilled to get a job.  It’s just better than a lot of homework.

To-day’s a German holiday: The Day of German Unity.  Or Tag der Deutschen Einheit.

On Thursday I didn’t have school so I went on a college visit to Concordia University Wisconsin (in Mequon).  It was pretty fun.  The campus is really cool.  However, I had to stay up until exactly 2:22a.m. Friday morning in order to finish reading Pride & Prejudice for my AP Englisch class. 

To-day, I went shopping in Valparaiso, or as it was printed on a receipt I once got “Valparaisio”.  I got some Moleskine notebooks (because other notebooks I carry around always disintegrate in my pocket).  I’m supposed to feel like a stereotypical intellectual now I do believe.

As part of my film-a-week regiment, I watched “The Blue Max” from 1966 with George Peppard, of A-Team fame.  It’s a super long movie.  It’s musical length.  But there isn’t much singing.  At least the singing isn’t integral to the whole of the movie. 

I must regret to inform you, enigmatic internet reader, that both this week and last week I have not updated the AESW list.  I’ve had an exorbitant amount of homework, which has left me no time to pursue my own interests.  My own lengthy interests at least.  I also, for the same reasons, have not translated much of Heimat either.  I looked it up on Amazon, and as far as I can see, it hasn’t been translated… yet. 

So, to bore you with the multiple examples of my homeworks, which I’ve yet to compleat (sic). 

For Englisch, I have to develop an oral report on the yeoman, or yeomen, see I don’t even know, in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.  I must also finish my reading journal for Pride & Prejudice.  In Government, I have a take-home test (because no one got an A on the in-class test) over the Constitution and Amendments.  Also, I have to fill out a packet of worksheets for chapter 4.  See, it’s boring, isn’t it?

I will finish those project eventually though.  Ironically, I’ve started yet another.  For every week until I don’t have any left, I am going to listen to a new album.  “New” in the sense of: I have not listened to it yet.  I have a shoebox, literally bulging, with CDs that I have not listened to.  I counted 41, and since then, I’ve listened to one song of one CD and added three more CDs.  A result from my shopping: the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine”, “With the Beatles”, & “Beatles for Sale”.  “With the Beatles” is actually in my basement in record form.  I bet that’s worth a few hundred dollars. 

I’ve also developed an aspiration to learn to play (and ‘prerequisitely’ buy) a mandolin.  For various reasons.  A guy from Cowboy Feng’s Space Bar & Grille has one, so did one of Seals & Crofts (I can’t tell them apart), and there’s a German swing song that is titled “The Man with the Mandolin”.  I also just want to learn a new instrument (which would be good if I go to Concordia, since there is a piano class).  ‘Tis my goal before I graduate college to learn to play the piano.  I just started finger-picking on guitar.  I watched a five-minute or less video about it on YouTube; I’m an expert now.

New P&P fic reviews have been added to the P&P Fic page. Whoo!

Novels

Traveling by Post by Gaby A — 4.25 stars out of 5

Elizabeth and Darcy do not meet at Pemberley, but instead meet several months later when they both, for various reasons, end up traveling to London by post. They eventually reach an understanding by different means as Jane struggles to forgive Mr. Bingley for his previous abandonment. A neat and sweet love story.

An Inducement Into Matrimony by Jen P. — 4 stars out of 5

After Wickham learns that Darcy singled out Elizabeth by dancing with no one but her at the Netherfield Ball, he accurately predicts that Darcy is in love with her. To exact his revenge, Wickham assaults and rapes Elizabeth in the woods. Darcy finds her and offers marriage for her protection and the two elope. An interesting and enthralling story, but sometimes I felt like the characters weren’t quite as developed as I wished them to be.

How Can I Face Your Father by Erinmarie — 4 stars out of 5

While visiting Derbyshire with the Gardiners, Elizabeth loses her footing and falls from one of the peaks. Darcy, who is traveling early to Pemberley on horseback, witnesses the accident and takes an unconscious Elizabeth to his home to recover. A nice, romantic story, rendered a tad mushy by profuse expressions of emotion.

Novella

The Worst That Could Happen by Ellen G. — 4.25 stars out of 5

Mr. Bennet passes away quietly in his study shortly after Elizabeth’s return from Kent. Mr. Collins takes the unfortunate advice from Lady Catherine to have the removed immediately from Longbourn. Darcy is shocked when he encounteres the family as they struggle with their grief and lowered status. A nice story and a quick read.

Short Stories

November 27th by Judy-Lynne — 4 stars out of 5

The day after the Netherfield ball goes much differently when Darcy overhears a conversation between Elizabeth and a servant on the benefits of marrying for love. A little story with a pleasing, speedy resolution.

]]> http://skorpionhive.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/saturday-xxxvi-26-september-2009/ Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:39:03 +0000 dbrauer43 http://skorpionhive.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/saturday-xxxvi-26-september-2009/

Well, I pretty much said everything on Wednesday or yester-day.  So, all I really have to say to-day is how much homework I have to do.  Won’t that be interesting?  Nope.  Well, I’ll explain to you anyway.

I have to read pretty much half of Pride and Prejudice before 2 Oct.  We have reading journals, a stupid idea, to do after every four chapters.  I don’t like having to do the reading journals.  I think they are stupid.  I’d like the book a lot more if I didn’t have to do the reading journals.  I’d like it more if I didn’t have to read it for a class either.  But, alas!  I must.

I also had to write a rough draft for an essay on responsibility, duty, or obligation.  Yay.  Not. 

Then, I get to read a chapter on politics.  Again, no fun at all.

That’s all for just one class.  For government, I have to memorise the Preamble to the Constitution.  Couldn’t they come up with a better word than “Preamble”?  If the first part is the Preamble, then logically the rest would be the amble.  It doesn’t sound very distinguished. 

I probably should write more so that I can stall and waste more time on not doing homework.  But it’ll still be there anyway.  Ugh. 

I wish this were more interesting, but my life isn’t interesting; ergo, nothing that I type at present could be very interesting.

I know you’re excited — here are my opinions on some recent P&P fic I’ve enjoyed. These have been added to the P&P Fic page.

Novels

All That This Entails by Noell S. — 4.25 stars out of 5

After Elizabeth’s return from Kent, Mr. Bennet unexpectedly inherits a dukedom. The Bennets, now wealthy and titled, become the talk of the ton and Darcy and Bingley, each who have sworn that they will win the hearts of the ones they love, face some serious obstacles. A really nice story that is relatively low on angst.

His Brother’s Keeper by Ellen G. — 4.25 stars out of 5

What if Georgiana had actually eloped with Wickham? Darcy finds himself reeling from the scandal and in need of an heir to prevent Pemberley from going to the Wickhams after his death. At Hertfordshire, he realizes that he desperately wants to breed with one Elizabeth Bennet. A very good story, but with a lot of explicit sex.

The Good Brother by Daniella Harwood — 3 stars out of 5

After the Ramsgate fiasco, Darcy decides Georgiana needs a trustworthy woman around the house and therefore marries Anne de Bourgh. They enjoy a friendly but unconsummated marriage. When a sickly Anne befriends Elizabeth Bennet, Darcy starts to imagine a different sort of marriage. A very interesting and compelling story, but unfortunately some awkward prose detracts from the enjoyment of it.

Short Stories

Hunsford, Interrupted by Meg E. — 4.25 stars out of 5

Elizabeth is out of sorts on medicine when Darcy proposes at Hunsford. The two have a hilarious exchange instead of an argument, and end up with a better understanding of one another.

Jeg må ønske mig den film i julegave. Eller selv købe den. Det er sikkert og vist! Nogle der sælger den???

Hvorfor er det lige, at jeg har sådan en lyst til at læse Stolhed og Fordom, eller bare se filmen? Suk!

Bright Star came just in the nick of time for me. After seeing a string of lackluster films (Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself and Love Happens), I was being to lose hope in the films that were receiving wide releases. That is, until writer and director Jane Campion’s film provided me with a renewed faith.

I had a feeling this film would be worth seeing and included it one of my “Films to Get Excited About” posts. I’ve always had a soft spot for British romantic period pieces (that’s probably why I wrote a shot-by-shot analysis for my film class on Pride & Prejudice), particularly ones about 19th century poets, so I knew I’d eventually go see it. I’m glad I did.

The film is set in 1818, close to London. Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) is a budding fashionista for her time. We see her creating beautiful gowns and sewing difficult fabrics (see picture to the right—apparently Fanny made the first dress with a 3 layer ruffled collar, quite an exhausting maneuver) to fill her time. That is until the enigmatic poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) takes up residence in the house of Charles Brown (Paul Schneider—who I almost managed to interview. See it here), his close friend and Fanny’s neighbor. The animosity between Mr. Brown and Fanny is evident from the beginning with Mr. Brown’s resentment probably stemming from a bit of unrequited love and Fanny’s by Mr. Brown’s insults, such as when he comments that “She only knows how to flirt and sew.”

This, however, does not stop Fanny from trying to get close to the handsome Mr. Keats by learning all about poetry. Fanny’s interest in him sparks Mr. Keats’ fancy and soon the two become inseparable, despite Mr. Brown admonishments and Mr. Keats’ lack of fortune (the life of a poet was not a very lucrative one). Soon, there love affair becomes so ardent that Fanny is inspiring Mr. Keats’ poems, such as the eponymous “Bright Star,” and they cannot seem to endure being apart. Eventually illness, and not finance, is what star-crosses these lovers.

The elegance of this film has much to do with Jane Campion’s (known for the Academy award-winning and magnificent film The Piano) directorial ability. Her subtle use of the camera reveals gorgeous and thoughtful mise-en-scènes that speak far more than words. At one instance Mr. Brown is sitting in a chair contemplating and the camera lingers for more than necessary adding to the solemness of the moment and to the gravity of the situation. We can easily see the anguish that this man is feeling. Campion invades this private moment and creates an image without the use of words. Plus, the costumes and set are impeccable. They are romantic and fitting of the time with just a touch of refinement.

What’s more, the script is beautifully crafted with words from Keats’ actual letters enmeshed into it. This beautiful line in the film: “I almost wish we were butterflies and liv’d but three summer days. Three such days with you I could fill with more delight than 50 common years could ever contain” was from one of the many letters Keats wrote to Fanny. One of my favorite quote of Keats, “there is a holiness to the heart’s affections,” is even included in the film as dialogue. This precision to historical accuracy juxtaposed with expert dialogue manipulation are what make the film memorable. Not to mention the stellar performances given by Cornish, Whishaw and Schneider. This trio is flawless in their very understated portrayals. A single, gentle kiss between Cornish and Whishaw in the film was far more passionate than a sex scene in any other film.

I cannot say anything but wonderful words about this film. All I know is, after seeing this film (and reading some of his letters) I am slightly in love with John Keats.