Archive for 'Jane Austen & Austen Inspired'
by Amanda Grange
www.amandagrange.com
This ‘Diary’ series by Amanda Grange is a real treasure.
To observe Jane Austen’s Emma from Mr Knightley’s point of view is precious. It presents Mr Knightley in a surprising way, with a little more vulnerability than you might have assumed. Revealing insecurities that were only alluded to at the end of Emma.
Emma laments being doomed to blindness but this book accuses Mr Knightley of the same fault.
Mr George Knightley’s bachelorhood has always been a topic of conversation amongst the local ladies but he had never been inclined to change his position. However, recently he has begun to feel his isolation and finds himself envious of those around him happily coupled. There are suitable women within his social circle but cannot imagine any of them being the mistress of Highbury.
His days are spent managing his estate and evenings spent sitting with his much loved neighbours Mr Woodhouse and his daughter Emma. The Woodhouses and Knightleys were joined by marriage when Mr Knightley’s brother John married Emma’s older sister Isabella and Emma and Mr Knightley are doting aunt and uncle to John and Isabella’s much loved children.
If he finds no mistress of Highbury then Mr Knightley is happy in the knowledge that John’s eldest son will inherit. He is content to spend his days and nights just as they are.
His pleasant resigned life is shaken with the arrival of a much talked of gentleman, Mr Frank Churchill, son of his good friend Mr Weston. Mr Weston’s recent marriage to Emma’s governess Miss Taylor has resulted in a visit from Mr Churchill. It has long been discretely discussed that Mr Churchilll and Miss Woodhouse may make a good match. On meeting, the pair appear to be very pleased with each other.
Emma Woodhouse considers herself a matchmaker but her maneuvers to promote pairings causes no end of trouble. Mr Knightley, Emma’s greatest critic, is frustrated by her nonsense and is truly concerned about her lack of sense. His frustration seems only heightened by the influence of Mr Churchill on Emma. Shocked by the severity of his reaction to Mr Churchill, Mr Knightley begins to wonder if what he is feeling is really jealousy.
Another great diary from Amanda Grange. I recommend it to any Austen fan but beware because you are in danger of falling hopelessly in love with these Austen men.
by Carrie Bebris
ISBN: 0-765-31410-X
Published: 2006
www.carriebebris.com
A Mr and Mrs Darcy Mystery
I think my Austen collection is about to expand again. I’m delighted by how good so many of the Austen inspired novels are. Carrie Bebris has done a wonderful job of representing the Austen world. Add Austen to the pot, throw in some Agatha Christie and you have a great recipe for an entertaining series.
North by Northanger – A Mr and Mrs Darcy Mystery is set 1 year after Elizabeth and Darcy’s wedding. Elizabeth is still finding her feet as the new mistress of Pemberley. Elizabeth is feeling unsettled by the lasting influence of its last mistress and is tentative about making changes.
Lady Anne, Darcy’s mother, tragically died giving birth to Darcy’s younger sister, Georgiana. Between Darcy and Georgiana she endured many miscarriages and stillborns. Now Elizabeth is pregnant and although happy, her and Darcy are nervous.
While moving a desk, a letter from Lady Anne is discovered. Not a strange thing to find as it was Lady Anne’s desk being moved and yet it was strange because the letter was addressed to Elizabeth as the next mistress of Pemberley. The letter, written while she was in labour and just before she died, was hastily composed. Lady Anne was distressed by misplacing something she treasured and felt she needed to ensure the safe delivery of her baby. She begs Elizabeth to find it and have it herself for when she delivers her own babies. Now Darcy and Elizabeth have a mystery to solve as Lady Anne didn’t say what the item was.
An unexpected invitation to visit Northanger Abbey arrives. Frederick Tilney of Northanger explains that their mothers had been close friends and he wished to know Mr and Mrs Darcy. Their visit proves to be disastrous and threatens Darcy’s name, reputation and freedom.
When stress is the last thing that Elizabeth needs, their blessed life is thrown into turmoil.
Carrie Bebris writes a wonderful tale that combines Jane Austen with Agatha Christie’s mystery and I loved it. The characters are so familiar that it feels like they have stepped straight out of Austen’s books and although I guessed the culprits early on I was still surprised as other mysteries were solved.
Now I have only to look forward to reading the other novels in this series.
Thank you Carrie Bebris
Emma 1996 Movie
Every time I watch this movie I am struck by how well Gwyneth Paltrow portrays Emma and all her foibles.
1996 gave us two adaptations of Emma – one for cinema and one for TV and I have to admit to admiring them both equally. I can’t separate them.
Having said that, I may have a tiny preference for this one for reasons of loyalty to fellow aussies Toni Collette and Greta Scacchi.
Gwyneth’s Emma is lovely and sweet. A little different from the novel, where you take longer to warm to her.
Emma can do no wrong in the eyes of those around her and becomes self-important, considering herself queen of her domain. She thinks she knows what is best for all those around her but as she arranges her players she soon learns the error of her judgement. She learns the difference between true kindness and condescending to be kind.
The acting is wonderful and sure, each convincing in their characters. Even those in love with Ewan McGregor will want to slap his face. One of my favourite characters in Emma is Jane Fairfax and I thought Polly Walker was mesmerising.
Overall a lovely adaptation of Austen’s Emma.
by Amanda Grange
ISBN: 9780709086161
Published: 2008
www.amandagrange.com
Another treasure from Amanda Grange. I am well on my way to a new author crush. I love these books about the Austen men. Jane Austen never gave us any scenes that involved just men. She had never observed men without the influence of women in the room, so therefore didn’t write about them. I’m so glad Amanda Grange did.
This diary spans a time of 20 years unlike Darcy’s Diary which was just 2. Colonel James Brandon’s character, when entering Sense and Sensibility is obviously still very affected by his tragic past. This diary gives us some insight into that past and how the Colonel became the outstanding man that he is.
It outlines his troubled relationship with his family and the devotion to his first love. His first love Eliza, a ward to his father, is forced to marry Brandon’s brother, the heir of the Brandon estate. His brother is selfish, cruel and indulgent and while James is abroad, Eliza is cast out by his brother.
When he returns to England, he is now Colonel Brandon. He seeks out Eliza and finds her dying and with a child. The Colonel cares for Eliza in her last days and takes on little Eliza as his ward. He raises Eliza as best a single man can. She is as romantic and headstrong as her mother was and he indulges her too much. Eliza is allowed on a holiday with a school friend and her father to Bath. While in Bath she disappears. Brandon searches for her in vain and after several months is losing hope of recovering her.
During this time, he is introduced to a family, recently moved into Barton cottage, owned by his friend, Sir John Middleton and on his estate, Barton Park. Mrs Dashwood has lost her husband and the Dashwood estate was passed down to his son by his first marriage John Dashwood. John Dashwood offers no assistance to his stepmother and 3 stepsisters who are forced to accept the charity of their cousin, Sir Middleton.
From his first meeting Miss Marianne Dashwood, he is taken with her spirit and beauty. For the first time since Eliza, he has feelings for a woman again. Unfortunately, Miss Marianne does not believe in 2nd attachments and is also very much in love with a much younger man, the dashing John Willoughby.
Another beautiful book by Amanda Grange. It is wonderful to spend more time with the characters from Jane Austen’s books. So often, I have finished her books and wished I could spend more time with the people she wrote.
by Amanda Grange
ISBN: 0709078609
Published: 2005
www.amandagrange.com
I’m glad Amanda Grange has written quite a few Austen inspired novels because I’ve not had my fill of her!
Discovering more about Fitzwilliam Darcy through his diary entries gives the book a personal, intimate touch. We know so little about the Austen men because her books only involve them as they related to her female characters. Amanda Grange has done a wonderful job of presenting Darcy and I am just as in love with him as Elizabeth Bennet.
The diary spans a time of just under 2 years. Darcy is a single man of great fortune and is satisfied with his life. His valuable time is spent caring for his sister Georgiana, running his estate, Pemberley and maintaining suitable connections. When Darcy decides to surprise his sister by joining her at the seaside, he is horrified to discover that she was about to elope. Her seducer was someone he intimately knew and despised, George Wickham. Wickham was only after his sister’s fortune but had convinced her that they were in love. Darcy was lucky to have arrived in time to save his sister from ruin. After seeing Georgiana safe again, Darcy meets with his friend Charles Bingley to help him find a home to lease for himself.
Bingley’s choice is a grand home in Hertfordshire and settles at Netherfield. It is here that Bingley and Darcy meet the Bennet sisters. Despite her unfortunate connections Darcy finds himself drawn to the feisty Elizabeth Bennet, who it seems has been sent to test him.
From here Amanda Grange treats us to the familiar scenes from Pride and Prejudice but told from Fitzwilliam Darcy’s point of view.
What a wonderful book is Darcy’s Diary. I enjoyed it so much I’ve added to my bedside table Colonel Brandon’s Diary, Edmund Bertram’s Diary and Mr Knightley’s Diary.
Thank you Amanda Grange.
by Syrie James
ISBN: 978-0-06-134142-7
Published: 2008
I am scrambling now to read a Jane Austen biography, to remind myself that this tale of her life is fictional. I wish so much that it were true. The content of her work feels so real to me, that I truly believe, some must have been actually witnessed by herself. Given my belief, I easily fell into this lovely FICTIONAL memoir of Jane Austen.
A chest, bricked into a manor house attic, is discovered during repair work. The contents of the chest, manuscripts and a ruby ring, prove to be fantastic as they are memoirs written by Jane Austen. Written in the last years of her life, they relate events involving herself and a gentleman she meets at Lyme, Mr Frederick Ashford.
The charming Mr Ashford inspires feelings and expectation in Jane that she had long since stopped hoping for. They meet only briefly and rarely but are both effected by the deepest of connections. Their acquaintance inspires Jane to pick up her pen again, not having written for 10years and she revisits her beloved novel Sense and Sensibility. Having always had to imagine the feelings of a woman in love, now she can write with authority on the subject and it brings truth to her characters.
I loved this book and after returning it to the library will be purchasing a copy for my Austen collection. Blending real facts with the imagined gives this book a feeling of truth and you will have to keep reminding yourself that it is a story only. If you don’t like the assumptions made by books narrated by true historical figures, then this isn’t for you. I felt very comfortable with the way Syrie James presented Jane and felt she was true to the woman who shared so much of herself through her books.
I wasn’t going to include this as a task but have since changed my mind -
I had read Pride and Prejudice again just before I joined the challenge so I’m hoping I can get away with adding this review as a task.
I wrote my review at the end of July and click here to read it.
Hope you like it.
by Sally Smith O’Rourke
ISBN-13: 9780758210388
(Re-Print) Published: January 2009
First Published: April 2006
I was feeling pretty ordinary this week, so decided to self-medicate with a nice romance novel and to kill two birds with one stone, I chose a Jane Austen inspired book for the Everything Austen Challenge. I’m so glad I picked this book up from the library, it was like soaking in a warm bath and was just what I needed. Sally Smith O’Rourke has written a lovely, uncomplicated fantasy romance.
Eliza Knight is an artist from New York and is looking to add a standard lamp to her unit decor. Her shopping trip results, like so many good shopping trips do, with no lamp but her bringing home a beautiful 200 year old antique vanity for her bedroom. While inspecting some damage on the vanity, she moves the wood backing and two letters fall out.
One letter was sealed but the other was open and reads:
“May 12th 1810. Dearest Jane, the Captain has found me out. I am being forced to go into hiding immediately. But if I am able, I shall still be waiting at the same spot tonight. Then you will know everything you wish to know. F. Darcy.”
The unopened letter was addressed “Jane Austen – Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Chawton Great House.”
Could the letters be real? Was Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice a real man?
The letters are found to be authentic, so Eliza is now the owner of, not only two Jane Austen letters but also her bedroom vanity. Being the owner of these items is not enough for Eliza, she has to discover more about the real Fitzwilliam Darcy. Why is he a mystery? Why is there no mention of him in history? Were he and Jane Austen lovers? Why did Jane Austen’s family destroy so many of her personal letters after her death? Eliza determines to find answers to these questions and her life is forever changed by the attempt.
Let this book pamper you and take you on a lovely journey into Jane Austen’s time. The story moves along at a pleasant pace and I never felt the need to skip ahead. It is not a book that I would want to pick apart and look at the details too closely. I simply accepted the characters as presented and was comfortable with the way Jane and Darcy were depicted. The Man Who Loved Jane Austen is a peaceful book and was just the presciption I needed for my maladies.
For task 5 I read ‘The Man Who Loved Jane Austen’ by Sally Smith O’Rourke.
What a great name this author has and she also wrote a lovely book.
My review is here.
Task 4 Completed – 2008 BBC Mini-series Sense and Sensibility Review
I have been eagerly awaiting the 2008 BBC version of Sense and Sensibility to become available in Australia and at last I’ve seen it. The opening scene immediately distinguishes it from previous adaptions and certainly made this Austen fan sit up wide eyed. Visually it is absolutely gorgeous and I’m going to say I love it far too much in the following review.
I was delighted with this version and the way it has picked up on parts of the book that have until now, not been translated to film. The actors are terrific, solid and you feel convinced. As much as I adore the Emma Thompson film version I feel this adaption is more true to the book. It certainly has time to address more as it is a mini-series. I am torn between my favourite Elinors now, Emma Thompson swept me away in the film and I am a huge fan but closer in age to Elinor, Hattie Morahan portrays Elinor Dashwood beautifully and I am sure it will be her face I visualise when I read the book from now on. I did find myself thinking about Emma Thompson a lot while watching it and I think it is because the two actresses’ voices are uncannily similar.
Dan Stevens is my Edward from now on. He plays the part so close to my idea of Edward that it felt like I’d just put on my comfy slippers. I respected Hugh Grants’ portrayal but I was never completely convinced.
One of my highlights and it probably won’t make sense to everyone, was seeing Mark Williams waltz into Barton cottage as Sir Middleton. I adore this man and his quirkiness. Anyone who can get me to sit through an entire series on steam engines (Mark Williams on the Rails) just because of his infectious manner of delivery, makes it to my honours wall.
I would say the only part of this version that didn’t sit comfortably with me was the actor who played Willoughby, Dominic Cooper. It certainly has nothing to do with his delivery, he was brilliant but it is simply that I visualise someone different, taller and more charming. It’s hard to be impartial when I’ve already got such a vivid feeling about how my Austen men should be. Please don’t let this form a negative opinion of Dominic Cooper because I’m sure he will make many melt, just not my taste I guess. I can’t see the sexual appeal of James McAvoy either and yet as an actor he is fantastic.
The scriptwriter Kevin Hood did an amazing job. He’s written a period drama with a contemporary style and delivery and I’m sure this version will recruit many new Austen fans to the fold.
Love it, love it, love it, love it, just in case you weren’t convinced.
My name is Michelle and I've been an avid reader since I was a kid. With my head stuck in a 'Famous Five' book, I was never hindered by bed time thanks to my trusty torch. I live in Australia with my beautiful family. My tastes cover many genres but I do have a passion for Jane Austen and Austen inspired works. My site is full of these works and I hope my collection is of use to fellow lovers of Austen.
