My favourite Austen's is PERSUASION. It is her last novel and the one whose protagonist I most sympathize with. Have a look at the right column of my blog: I AM ANNE ELLIOT. I've never met a Captain Wentworth, or, better, I've never re-met him after a long separation ... a Wentworth maybe lost forever in my past. Perhaps this is why I love this story and each time I'm moved at the two protagonists' delayed but intense final gratification and happiness. Tonight, surfing the Net, I've found this video with Greg Wise (do you remember Willoughby 1995?) reading PERSUASION. I listened to him and ... loved being persuaded by this handsome man!
Do you want to try? Take 15 minutes off, make a cup of good long coffee, sit , relax... and enjoy the reading!
(CLICK ON THE LINK UNDER THE PICTURE)
Excellent reading, wasn't it? Now let's see how this beautiful finale, written by Jane Austen in the last years of her short life, was interpreted and transformed in two Tv adaptations , BBC 1995 and ITV 2007.
BBC 1995 PERSUASION ( ending)
ITV 2007 PERSUASION
ENDING PART I
ITV 2007 PERSUASION
ENDING PART II
Fascinating post Maria! I wondered where I recognized Greg Wise from when I previously saw a clip of him reading from North and South. That was a good reading too! I didn't realize he was also an actor is Sense & Sensibility.
ReplyDeleteI really love the version of Persuasion with Amanda Root and Cieran Hinds. Although Rupert Penry Jones plays a very good Wentworth, he seems somehow too pretty for the role. As for the actress who plays Ann, maybe its not her fault, as the script did veer a bit away from the book, but she seemed too breathless and weak compared to Amanda Root. Although she certainly would have been breathless after that silly marathon they made her run! And I simply HATED that kiss! It was so excruciatingly slow in coming! He didn't seem to bend at all and it was like her lips were trying to grab him. It made me laugh and cringe at the same time!
The endings were interesting though. I thought that Amanda Root's character would have done well on a ship with her mate, (although that was an unusual place to be for a woman of her time.) The other ending where the Captain surprises her with a gift of her own house, is very satisfying too.
To sum up, I enjoyed both versions until that unfortunate part which I mentioned and after that it was no contest!
@phyllis3
ReplyDeleteThank you for your interesting contribution phyllis. You are right, no contest, we can equally like both adaptations. As for the kissing scene in the 2007 version, I loved it instead and found it extremely involving and touching. Have you seen the tear slowly falling down from Anne's eyes?
I really like Persuasion, although my favourite Austen book is P&P. I know it's most of people favourite, but I trully love Lizzie. And I took the test, I AM Elizabeth. I've already seen Greg Wise reading both Persuasion and N&S. Very nice indeed! I haven't seen neither of the adaptations, but I'll try to find them. Problems of South America... Have a nice week!
ReplyDelete@Luciana
ReplyDeletedo you think Lizzie and Anne can get on well together? I think so! ;-)
Soooo romantic. I hated it when she was persuaded by that woman. And the scene when the Captain is writing the letter is fantastic. I read the book a long time ago. Does it say that Anne Elliot was not pretty? Because neither of the actresses are.
ReplyDeleteUn beso
@Elvira
ReplyDeleteIn the first chapter of PERSUASION, Jane Austen writes : "A few years before, Anne Elliot had been a very pretty girl, but her bloom had vanished early; and as even in its height, her father had found little to admire in her, (so totally different were her delicate features and mild dark eyes from his own), there could be thing in them, now that she was faded and thin, to excite his esteem. He had never indulged much hope, he had now none, of ever reading her name in any other page of his favourite work."
This is Anne from her father's point of view. He had only eyes for his Elizabeth, while ignored Mary and Anne.
So, her introduction was not that of Venus! But she has many other qualities, of course.
Gracias por tu comentario. Un abrazo fuerte.
I watched the '07 version of "Persuasion" for the first time last night. The actors are much better looking in my opinion (Rupert Penry-Jones is swoontastic) but Amanda Root really conveys such a great Anne in the '95 movie. I like both adaptations.
ReplyDeleteThe kissing scene at the end of the '07 version made me laugh and squeal at the same time. I was saying, "Just kiss her, dang it!" They stretched that out as long as possible knowing us female viewers would be on the edge of our seats! (But come on... he could've bent down a bit, right!?)
@Nat
ReplyDeleteYou're right! But I liked the scene just because of that. They had waited so long for the fullfilment of their dream that ...it would have been a pity to cut the blissed moment short! Then guess what my thought was when I saw blond Wentworth/RPJ apparently reluctant to bend: "It seems he wants still to punish her for her past rejection and for the long years of his agony (as he writes in his letter)."
Thanks for commenting!