Sunday 31 August 2014

Jane Austen Week: Wrap Up and Link Up

To think this week has already come to an end!



After all the planning and writing, I gotta say it has passed pretty fast.

When I first got the idea I was a little daunted by it all - but this will definitely not be the last blog party I make. It was way too much fun!

I hope you have enjoyed this week as much as I have, and thank you to all who has commented. It was lovely hearing your thoughts and meeting fellow Austen fans. 

And a special thanks to the ones who took the time to answer the tag. I really loved reading your answers.

Below is a list of the answer posts:

Heidi at Along the Brandywine

Joanna at The Squirrel's Diary

Jessie at So Much More Than They've Got Planned


Apart from that Heidi has also posted reviews of Persuasion - one for the book and one for the 2007 adaption.


I think that got it all covered.

But it's been great to share my love of Austen with all of you, and as I have barely scratched the surface this week you can be sure to find many more posts on Austen on this blog in the future.

Answers to the Games


The answers for the "Who said it?"-game

1. “A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.”
Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice

2. “The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!”
 Marianne Dashwood in Sense & Sensibility

3. “It is always incomprehensible to a man, that a woman should ever refuse an offer of  marriage!”
Emma Woodhouse in Emma

4. “If this man had not twelve thousand a year, he would be a very stupid fellow.”
Edmund Bertram in Mansfield Park

5. “Next to being married, a girl likes to be crossed a little in love now and then. It is something to think of and gives her a sort of distinction among her companions.”
Mr. Bennet in Pride & Prejudice
 

6. “Now I must give one smirk, and then we may be rational again.”
Mr. Tilney in Northanger Abbey



7. “You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope.”
Captain Wenthworth in Persuasion



8. “What are men to rocks and mountains?”
Elizabeth Bennet in Pride & Prejudice



9. “I do not think I ever opened a book in my life which had not something to say upon woman's inconstancy. Songs and proverbs, all talk of woman's fickleness. But perhaps you will say, these were all written by men.”
Captain Harville in Persuasion


10. “Oh! Do not attack me with your watch. A watch is always too fast or too slow. I cannot be dictated to by a watch.”
Mary Crawford in Mansfield Park


11. “Men of sense, whatever you may choose to say, do not want silly wives.”
Mr. Knightley in Emma



12. “The person, be it gentlemen or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
Mr. Tilney in Northanger Abbey

13. “It is not everyone, who has your passion for dead leaves.”
Ellinor Dashwood in Sense & Sensibility


That's the answers... the scores are:

Heidi........250 points
Naomi......120 points




And here are the answers to the "Guess the supporting character"-game:


1.


Jane Fairfax from Emma (2009)


2.

Mrs. Allen from Northanger Abbey (2007)


 3.

Georgiana Darcy from Pride & Prejudice (1995)


 4.

Mary Crawford from Mansfield Park (2007)


5.

Isabella Thorpe from Northanger Abbey (2007)


6.

Maria Lucas from Pride & Prejudice (1995)


7.

Lucy Steele from Sense & Sensibility (1995)


8.

Harriet Smith from Emma (2009)


9.

Elizabeth Elliot from Persuasion (2007)


10.

Mrs. Dashwood from Sense & Sensibility (1995)


And the scores are:

Naomi....160 points
Heidi......140 points

Thanks for playing Naomi and Heidi. I hope you had fun.







Saturday 30 August 2014

My answers to the Tag

As the title so fittingly says, this is my answers to the tag I posted earlier this week.


When and how did you first get acquainted with Jane Austen?

Well, I recall hearing Pride & Prejudice mentioned as some big classic, but the story didn't interest me until the 2005 movie was released and I heard a bit about the plot and suddenly wanted to see it.

Around the same time my mother bought the book, but as I wasn't that good at English back then I only managed to read the first few chapters before I gave in.
Luckily a good friend of mine had the book in translation and offered to lend me it - and, as you say, the rest is history.

I was drawn in by the story at once, and I clearly remember reading Darcy's letter for the first time and how everything I thought I knew about the book was turned upside down.



Favourite Jane Austen book?

Pride & Prejudice will always have a special place in my heart, it being my first Austen book and all, and it is my general favourite.

But...as a work of litterature I think Mansfield Park is the best.

And Northanger Abbey is no doubt the funniest one.


Favourite heroine?

Ellinor Dashwood  is a heroine I could really identify with when I was younger, and there are many similarities between her and my disposition.

But I have also always admired Fanny Price for her quiet strength and wished to be like her.


Favourite hero?

I find it hard to single one hero out for I love them all in different ways.

However, I really love Henry Tilney with his easy going and humorous manners.
He is so funny and sweet, and really loyal towards Catherine - that is not something to be taken lightly.


What makes Jane Austen special to you?

There is not one single thing I could point out and say: that is it!
I think it is a combination of so many things.
Firstly her stories are sweet, thought through and gives a good and humorous look at society back then - I really love her subtle way of making jokes.

But what I love most about her, is the great characters she creates and how they really come to life on the pages and act like real human beings with all their flaws and virtues.


What is your favourite adaption of a Jane Austen work?

I think the P&P 1995 is true perfection and the most faithful adaption of the book ever!

I also love the 2009 version of Emma. I am still amazed by how they managed to turn a book I had no special feeling for, into this great and beautiful adaption that I could watch on repeat.



Friday 29 August 2014

The Ultimate Jane Austen Adaptions

I have seen quite my share of  adaptions of Austen's works, and as every Janeite I have my list of favourite adaptions.

In the following I am collection a guide to all the adaptions I have seen:  what was good and bad about them and which one is the ultmate adaption of that particular book.



Pride and Prejudice

1995: My opinions on this adaption should be quite clear, considering I am a member of the P&P 1995 forever club. The actors are brilliant, the plot follows the novel down to the particulars and due to the length there is plenty of time to show all the plotlines and characters. The costumes are gorgeous, the music beautiful, the dance scenes lovely. I could go on forever. 

The only "bad" thing I can say about it is that I don't think the actress playing Jane is prettier than the one playing Elizabeth, something that was really underlined in the book, but that is just a pet peeve of mine. 




2005: This was actually the first Jane Austen movie I ever saw, and when I saw it first I loved it. Today i still have to say that it do contain some beautiful scenes, the locations are gorgeous and the music is brilliant.

But that cannot outweigh all the historical inaccuracies and the many flaws in decorum and etiquette. I also think the plot is really rushed to squeeze it all down to 2 hours and as a result the characters are outlined more harshly than they should be. 
Actually I am not able to see it as an actual adaption of the novel Pride & Prejudice today; I see it more as a romantic movie in a semi historical setting where the plot and actors have some similarities to those in Austen’s work.




The ultimate adaption: 1995 FOREVER!!! Was there ever any doubt? I don’t think they will ever be able to make a new adaption nearly as good as this one.




Sense & Sensibility

1995: Something I really love about this version is that it manages to keep the light mood the book has, despite it being a very emotinal story. I also think the acting is brilliant - from the leads and down to the minor characters the casting is so good. The music is a story in itself - so pretty. And I gotta say I am impressed how much of the plot they managed to press down to 2 hours without it feeling rushed.

At the same time they have cut out smal parts of the story and some of the minor characters.  I understand why it was done but it is still a shame. And then there is the general opinion that the actors were too old to play the characters, though it never bothered me.




2008: In this version I think the actresses playing Ellinor and Marianne in particular do a great job. The fact that it has all the characters is also in favour of this version. (Including Miss Steele's older sister was the best descicion ever made!) 

But despite it being a 3 hour series it still omits a lot of the story in favour of scenes that wasn't even in the book, or scenes from the book completely altered. The general mood of the story is also very dark, underlined with a lot of scenes showing bad weather. And then there is the thing with the highly inappropiate introduction scene, which after my opinion has nothing to do in a Jane Austen movie.



The ultimate adaption: Definitely the 1995 version!! No further explanation needed.



Emma

1996(movie): I really liked the visual in this movie, from the locations down to the dresses and hairstyles it was just beautiful. Among the actors I particularly liked the one playing  Mr. Knightley and think he did a great job portraying him. There were also a lot of small funny moments and remarks that while not in the book were still very enjoyable.

It was easy to see though, that it was a Hollywood adaption, they sadly changed the dialogue in some scenes (Knightley's proposal for instance) in order, I think, to make it more romantic for the viewers.
Also, the movie didn't have time for all the nuances of the book, leading to the characters being exaggeratedly played and some of the dialogue being way too direct in order to save time. 




1996: When I watched this one I was surprised how good it actually was. The characters are cast beautifully and really well played, and it is very true to the plot in the book.

However, many of the plotlines feel quite rushed through and that is really a shame for it flattens the story a bit. And I don't think the ending scene would ever have taken place like that in the Regency time period (though I may be wrong).





2009: How do I describe this adaption in a way that does it justice? It is simply brilliant! I love the way it really deepens the characters and make us see beneath the surface of them - partly due to the script and partly to the wonderful acting performances. It keeps the tone light and follows the dialogue and plot very closely to the book, but manages to never leave you bored or waiting for the plot to proceed. And did I mention the wonderful soundtrack?

Some might say that Emmas manners and way of holding herself is a bit too modern for the time - and that is completely true, though it is mostly in the first episode, and something I barely notice later on.



The ultimate adaption: 2009!!! Again, was there any doubt? I love that version to the point that if I had to choose between reading the book and watching the series, I would choose the series. (A dangerous thing to say, I know, but that is how much I love it.)




Mansfield Park

1983: This is by far the adaption that is  most faithful to the book. It follows the plotpoints and the dialogue in all details – and due to the length it actually has time for it all and avoids rushing some of the plotlines. The actress playing Fanny does a splendid job – she really hits the right combination of sweetness and complaiance without making the character flat. And Lady Bertram – she is just hilarious. I think the only actor I didn’t like was the one playing Edmund – he looked far too old.

However I didn’t really feel the story as in the book, and as it often is the case with BBC dramas from the 80’s it is more like a play being recorded than an actual movie so it felt a bit drawn out at times.



2007: This adaption really managed to make me feel the story. The actors did a good job of showing their characters with more nuances, just as they are described in the book.

On the other hand it is very different from the book. It leaves out the huge passages including the whole Portsmouth part, changes the ball to a picnic and depicts Fannys character quite differently than in the book. 



The ultimate adaption: THERE ISN'T ONE!!! None of the 2 adaptions managed to capture the mood of the book as well as staying true to it. We really need for someone to make a new adaption of this one.



Northanger Abbey

1986: This adaption is just plain disturbing. Firstly they have completely misunderstood the whole "parody" aspect and made it as an actual Gothic romance. Then they have added characters and scenes that are not in the book - something I find really unnecessary. I watched it one time and that was enough.




2007: What I really like about this one is the way it catches the light and satiric mood of the story. Many of the authoress’ remarks are included, and Catherine’s character is really depicted very well. Also I have never seen a better Mr. Tilney (and I don't think I will).

On the other hand there are a few scenes I don’t think belong in a Jane Austen movie and because they weren’t even hinted at in the book it bothers me greatly. They also make some of the scenes switch places (not a major sin, but still...)





The Ultimate adaption: The 2007 version is definitely the best, and I think with just a few adjustments to the script it could have been the best one ever.




Persuasion


1995: This adaption is beautifully made and it is very true to Austen in its depiction of the society and manners. It follows the book quite well and I really like the 2 actors playing Anne and Wentworth.

It can, however, be a bit confusing at times if you are not well known with the story, because you have to read all the characters thoughts from the acting - I had no problem doing it, but it kind of removes a layer of the story that way.  





2007: In this adaption I think the actors do a tremendous job - I especially like all the supporting characters. It also manages to get a lot of Anne's thoughts into the plot which gives a much better insight to her character. Not to mention the beautiful piano theme.

But I feel they have made the adaption a bit too "modern". The, at times, shaky picture was quite distracting, the manners of the characters seemed too informal and the general mood in the movie was just too bleak for my taste.
Then there's the fact that I felt like they rushed or minimised each scene that didn't center around Anne and Wentworth, which gave a slighly warped impression of the plot. And the whole ending scene was just confusing.




The Ultimate adaption: It must be the 1995 version. I think both versions are really good, but the 1995 just feels closer to the style of a Jane Austen adaption. 



So there you have it...my highly biased opinions on the different adaptions.

What do you think of the adaptions in existence?
Which ones do you prefer?
I am eager to know!




Thursday 28 August 2014

Pemberley piano cover

Today and tomorrow is in the sign of period dramas and one thing I generally love about period dramas is the music.

When I hear a beautiful piece of music in a movie I always end up spending a lot of time finding the sheet music so I can play it myself.

I have been so lucky as to find a collection of sheet music from some of the Jane Austen adaptions, and have been playing it most vigorously lately (getting in the mood), so I decided to share a cover I made of the Pemberley theme from P&P 1995.








Another game: "Guess the supporting character"


It's time for another game!!
This time I have made some captions of supporting characters in some of the Jane Austen adaptions.

The rules are simple: guess the name of the character and the period drama it is from. 
You get 10 points for each correct answer.


1.




2.



 3.



 4.



5.



6.



7.



8.



9.



10.




The answers and scores will be up Sunday.


Wednesday 27 August 2014

Sisters in Austen — A Guest Post by Heidi



Rose, thank you so much for having me! I enjoyed working on this!

 
Our heroine, Jane Austen, had one dear older sister, Cassandra, about three years her senior. Here’s a quote about her friendship with that sister:

“Jane would have been full young to profit from the instruction of masters at Oxford (she can hardly have been seven years old when she went there), and it must have been more for the sake of her being with Cassandra than for any other reason that she was sent. …On the same principle, she went to school at Reading soon after the Southampton experience. 'Not,' we are told, 'because she was thought old enough to profit much by the instruction there imparted, but because she would have been miserable without her sister'; her mother, in fact, observing that 'if Cassandra were going to have her head cut off, Jane would insist on sharing her fate.' ...They were not exactly alike. Cassandra's was the colder and calmer disposition; she was always prudent and well-judging, but with less outward demonstration of feeling and less sunniness of temper than Jane possessed. It was remarked in the family that “Cassandra had the merit of having her temper always under command, but that Jane had the happiness of a temper which never required to be commanded.’” from Jane Austen, Her Life and Letters by William Austen-Leigh and Richard Arthur Austen-Leigh

Looking at her six completed and published books in the order in which they were fully finished, Jane Austen had (according to my count) seventeen sets of sisters.  

In Northanger Abbey (with its tone of thorough humor), we learn that Catherine Morland, “…with all these symptoms of profligacy at ten years old…had neither a bad heart nor a bad temper, was seldom stubborn, scarcely ever quarrelsome, and very kind to the little ones, with few interruptions of tyranny.” When Catherine is unceremoniously packed home from her visit to the Abbey, her next youngest sister displays a trait sisters can carry off with distinction—curiosity: “Sarah, indeed, still indulged in the sweets of incomprehensibility, exclaiming and conjecturing with youthful ardour… “I can allow for his wishing Catherine away when he recollected this engagement,” said Sarah; “but why not do it civilly?” And there are also the three Thorpe sisters, though the eldest, Isabella, figures most prominently in the story.

In Sense and Sensibility the sister theme comes to the forefront. There is the frozen Lady Middleton and the giggling Mrs. Palmer; the vulgar and disagreeable Miss Steeles; and of course, Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret Dashwood. And here cometh forth the influence of an older sister! First from Elinor here and then Marianne: “Do you compare your conduct with his?” “No, I compare it with what it ought to have been; I compare it with yours.” Then Marianne in a flow of self-reproach, “…you,–you above all…have been wronged by me. I, and only I, knew your heart and its sorrows; yet, to what did it influence me?—not to any compassion that could benefit you or myself.—Your example was before me: but to what avail?—Was I more considerate of you and your comfort? Did I imitate your forbearance, or lessen your restraints, by taking any part in those offices of general complaisance or particular gratitude which you had hitherto been left to discharge alone?” and then, “You are very good.—The future must be my proof. I have laid down my plan, and if I am capable of adhering to it—my feelings shall be governed and my temper improved.”

Of course, Pride and Prejudice (along with S&S) is probably the first book to come to mind when talking of Austen, confidantes, and sisters. Besides the presence of all five Bennet sisters—the love, loyalty, and steadiness of Jane and Lizzy’s friendship is a strong thread through the book from beginning to end. When Charlotte announces her engagement to Mr. Collins, there is a restraint between her and Elizabeth who “felt persuaded that no real confidence could ever subsist between them again. Her disappointment in Charlotte made her turn with fonder regard to her sister, of whose rectitude and delicacy she was sure her opinion could never be shaken.” I won’t begin to list off all their conversations, but here’s one later reflection of Lizzy’s: “How despicably have I acted!” she cried.—“I who have prided myself on my discernment!—I, who have valued myself on my abilities! who have often disdained the generous candor of my sister, and gratified my vanity, in useless or blameable distrust…” The Bingley sisters (unlike the Steeles) are always quite in accord in their scheming while the Lucas sisters (primarily Charlotte and Maria) seem to get along well, too.

And so we come to Mansfield Park. Here there begin to be sisters in pairs (and trios!) right and left. First we have the Ward sisters—for most of the story known as the indolent yet well-meaning Lady Bertram, the sharp, bustling Mrs. Norris, and the fully occupied Mrs. Price. There are the Bertram sisters: Maria—selfish, strong-willed, and careless of everyone else’s feelings—and Julia, also selfish and sometimes petulant, but less spoiled. There is Mrs. Grant, lenient and easily swayed; and Miss Crawford, the real villainess of the piece, hiding a sordid mind under a charming sweetness. And then there are the Price sisters. First Fanny, quiet and subdued, yet firm in what she believes, struggling to live by her convictions while desperately desiring to please those she loves. And it is with her next youngest sister, Susan that her mentorship role really appears. In a comfortless situation, Fanny steps in as a mediator. Later, “She gave advice; advice too sound to be resisted by a good understanding, and given so mildly and considerately as not to irritate an imperfect temper, and she had the happiness of observing its good effects not infrequently...” She goes on to be a “renter, a chooser of books” for “Fanny longed to give her (Susan) a share in her own first pleasures.” For Susan’s part, “Fanny was her oracle. Fanny’s explanations and remarks were a most important addition to every essay, or every chapter of history. What Fanny told her of former times, dwelt more on her mind than the pages of Goldsmith; and she paid her sister the compliment of preferring her style to that of any printed author.”

In Emma the marriage of Emma’s sister Isabella to John Knightley is one part of what brings Emma and Mr. Knightley so regularly together—providing a common ground of love and interest between them. The sisters are very like one another, and Emma is always “quick in feeling the little injuries to Isabella, which Isabella never felt herself.” There are the Miss Martins—whom we never meet directly, but who readily appear as being most gracious and generous; and there is Mrs. Elton—regularly touting the wonders of her sister’s establishment at Maple Grove while Emma, in a refreshing contrast, would never dream of doing so in reference to her own sister’s establishment (and connection with Donwell Abbey).

Last, but not least, comes Persuasion with its two sets of sisters: the Elliots and the Musgroves. Henrietta and Louisa Musgrove—pretty and pleasant, favorites at home and abroad—are always viewed by Anne Elliot as being “some of the happiest creatures of her acquaintance; (yet she) envied them nothing but that seemingly perfect good understanding and agreement together, that good-humoured mutual affection, of which she had known so little herself with either of her sisters.” Elizabeth Elliot is haughty, indifferent to her sisters as individuals and most certainly as friends. Her other sister Mary—while always fancying herself ill and complaining of petty matters—is still “not so repulsive and unsisterly as Elizabeth, nor so inaccessible to all influence of hers (Anne’s).” And then there’s Anne. Living without bitterness, loving her sisters in spite of themselves, ready to go wherever needed when asked for, always ready to gently share her wise counsel, guidance, and judgment—Anne shines out stunningly.

So: six books and seventeen sets of sisters! Some of them loyal, loving, and longsuffering; some controlling, selfish, and impatient; some quiet; some sparkling and witty. Each one distinctly different and unique—and each one captured and described with the same skill, the same clear-sighted humor and honesty, the same delightful genius.

________________________________________________________

A big thanks to Heidi for taking her time to contribute with this wonderful post.
Be sure to check out her blog at Along the Brandywine for more of her writings.



Tuesday 26 August 2014

In Defense of Fanny Price

Fanny Price have always been one of my favourite heroines, so big was my surprise when I via the internet learned that many Janeites see her as a timid, weak-willed pushover and consider her their least favourite heroine.

I don't think her character is like that at all, so ever since I have always wanted to do a defense post for her, and show why she is in fact a heroine we could learn a lot from.

Firstly many think that Fanny is way too obliging to her relatives, and while that may be true to a certain extent you have to look into her background to understand why she is that way.


Brought up in a poor family and then suddenly sent to live with wealthy relatives, gratitude has been strongly impressed on her - both by her own family and then for 8 years by her aunt Norris, who always sees her as worth less than her cousins.

It is always made clear to Fanny that she is not her relatives' equal, both verbally and in their behaviour towards her.

And so several years of people treating her as less important eventually leads her to thinking it is true:
"Though Fanny was often mortified by [Maria and Julia's] treatment of her, she thought too lowly of her own claims to feel injured by it" - Chapter 2
Can you imagine a young women of 18, in all those years that should build her character led to believe she is worth less than her companions, and at the same time told how grateful she should be for them taking her in?

Of course her self esteem is low, and of course she will be eager to help and please her companions to make sure they don't find her lacking in gratitude. That is quite a normal reaction, but it does not mean that she is a weak character.


For one thing she is smart and perceptive - she was the only one in the family who figured out the connection between Mr. Crawford and Maria, and saw Mr. and Miss Crawford's characters for what they really were.

She also has good moral principles and a strong sense of right and wrong.

When Tom and Mr Yates decided to perform a play and chose "Lover's wows" Fanny was strongly opposed to the idea, not just because of the acting in general as Edmund was, but because she was appalled at the content of the play:
"She ran through [the play] with an eagerness which was suspended only by intervals of astonishment, that it could be chosen in the present instance. Agatha and Amelia appeared to her in their different ways so totally improper for home representation - the situation of one, and the language of the other, so unfit to be expressed by any woman of modesty, that she could hardly suppose her cousins could be aware of what they were engaging in."  - Chapter 14

And most important of all her traits - she has the courage to stand up for her convictions - even when under a lot of pressure.

Let me show 2 examples of that.

The first one is the case with the play. As shown above Fanny found the play highly improper and therefore when her cousins wanted her to be a part of it she immediately declined. Even when they kept on pressuring her, and her aunt Norris even called it an act of ingratitude - something she has always worked very hard to avoid - it couldn't change her mind.

That requires quite a bit of strength to have to oppose her entire social circle, and stay firm - something even Edmund didn't manage to do.

The other example is when she turns down Mr Crawford's proposal.

Now, when people analyse Pride & Prejudice they always point out how much strength it must have taken for Elizabeth to turn down Mr. Collins - the man that could save her family.

With that in mind, think of how much more strength and resolve it must have taken Fanny to turn down Mr. Crawford. I mean, not only was her and her family's situation much worse, but he was also much richer and considered a most eligible match by all amongst her.

On top of that, when she had made her decision everyone turned against her - Sir Thomas censured her heavily, but even after that when she was crying and thinking herself the most ungrateful creature in the universe, not once did she consider changing her decision.

She shows the firmness of her resolve most clearly when Edmund is trying to make her reconsider:
"'Oh never, never, never; he never will succeed with me.' And she spoke with a warmth which quite astonished Edmund, and which she blushed at the recollection of herself, when she saw his look, and heard him reply, 'Never, Fanny, so very determined and positive! This is not like yourself, your rational self.'" - Chapter 35   
I think that passage really shows her inner strength - something that only shows when she is challenged on her values and beliefs.

Even Edmund, her closest fiend, is surprised at how firm she is underneath, and that is something I think illustrates her entire character - on the outside she is sweet and obliging and people think she will put up with anything, but inside she has a core of morals she won't change and when attacked on that front she surprises everyone with how strong she actually can be.

That is what I admire about her most and one of the best reasons why I think she is anything but weak.


I might have been a bit carried away by this - it is hard to stop when you get started on a subject as this.

But what do you think about Fanny Price as a character?
Do you agree/disagree with my arguments?
Let me know in a comment.   
  




  



A game: "Who said it?"

What better way to start a party than with a game?

So here it is...

The rules are simple: guess which Jane Austen book the quotes are from, and what character said it.
You get 10 points for each correct answer.

1. “A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.”

2. “The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!”

3. “It is always incomprehensible to a man, that a woman should ever refuse an offer of  marriage!”

4. “If this man had not twelve thousand a year, he would be a very stupid fellow.”

5. “Next to being married, a girl likes to be crossed a little in love now and then. It is something to think of and gives her a sort of distinction among her companions.”
 

6. “Now I must give one smirk, and then we may be rational again.”


7. “You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope.”


8. “What are men to rocks and mountains?”


9. “I do not think I ever opened a book in my life which had not something to say upon woman's inconstancy. Songs and proverbs, all talk of woman's fickleness. But perhaps you will say, these were all written by men.”

10. “Oh! Do not attack me with your watch. A watch is always too fast or too slow. I cannot be dictated to by a watch.”

11. “Men of sense, whatever you may choose to say, do not want silly wives.”


12. “The person, be it gentlemen or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”

13. “It is not everyone, who has your passion for dead leaves.”


Just leave your answers in a comment and I will return with the answers and scores this Sunday.


Monday 25 August 2014

Jane Austen Week: Kick-Off and Tag

The day has finally come: the start of the Jane Austen Week.

I can't even express how excited I have been - this being my first blog party and all - but I am rambling now, off to the action.
 

As mentioned earlier I created a tag - because what kind of a party would it be without a tag?



Well, here are the questions:


When and how did you first get acquainted with Jane Austen?

Favourite Jane Austen book?

Favourite heroine?

Favourite hero?

What makes Jane Austen special to you?

What is your favourite adaption of a Jane Austen work?


I know it's kind of short but wouldn't want to overwhelm anyone.

If you end up answering it just leave a comment with the link so I can read your answers. (If you don't have a blog of your own you can also just answer it directly in the comment)

We have an exciting week before us. There will be games, opinionated posts about Austen' works, and hopefully lots of comments - it will be fun to hear what you all think.


Saturday 23 August 2014

A Summer Update

You may have noticed I have been absent from my blog for a while. (And then again - you may not. My posting has been a bit sporadic lately)

This time I had a good reason - I finally had my long awaited and thoroughly deserved summer vacation.

2 weeks away from everything, and when the weather changed from really hot to normal and windy I ended up spending this vacation reading.

I managed to read most of the Divergent trilogy, The Princess Bride and a couple of Agatha Christie mysteries, and I've gotta say up until now I didn't think there was such a thing as reading too much but after this vacation I think I found the limit.



One good thing about it being windy was it made cloud watching really fun, I completely burned out my camera's batteries just taking pictures of clouds. (This one is my favourite) 



Our local beach is part of a heath area where cows and horses walk free in the summer, so it is not unusual to have to share your beach spot with a few of them.

 
 

When I finally tired of reading I turned to my other favourite vacation pursuit: jigsaws. When I had solved all the ones we had, we went to the local charity store for a new batch so I wont run out for a while.



Our dog enjoyed all the extra space and every time there was the slightest ray of sun you could find her sprawled on the lawn.
  
"My house" aka my bedroom



That was a bit of what I have been doing lately.

Before I finish remember the Jane Austen Week starts this Monday so don't forget to drop by to check it out.


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