RA FRIDAY - A TIP , PLEASE , RICHARD?

Welcome to my weekly RA rambling. More rambling than ever  in this hot weather! I hope you can forgive me. And when  I sound too cryptic ,  just look at the pictures!

1. A tip, please!

I've had very little time to enjoy RA moments this  week. After a great weekend in Rome for the Fiction Fest including Strike Back screening, I started summer courses at school and ...summer exploded!

This hot,  wet weather knocks me down. My will is completely annulled and my strength totally reset to zero. I so much prefer cool weather, it makes me feel livelier and more energetic … and even smarter. I feel thick and stupid as thinking is a such an effort to me these days! Exaggerating? Not at all. I’m working but early in the morning,  fortunately. I couldn’t bear to give my lessons, otherwise.

Well, I wouldn't be able to  do it, more precisely. Sweating and suffering like this,  I started wondering… “the lovely man must have such strong will”! Do you remember Richard telling about shooting the first two series of Robin Hood clad in black leather in Hungary in summer ? I can barely imagine what he had to suffer! Then in South Africa playing John Porter? How did he find the strength to act, horse-ride, sword –fight, run with a huge gun in his arm, jump and fall, and so on? Strong will must he have. I’d ask him for tips to resist and react but … he’s better engaged now. He’s probably on holidays. A tip, please, Richard?

2. Spreading the love

Lunarossa surrendered to John Thornton's charm. And she says I am to blame! (Read her post here) What did I do? I ‘ve just been writing about my interests on my blog for a couple of years . Among my interests, Victorian literature,Mrs Gaskell, period drama , hence … RA!!! I bet enthusiasm can be contagious. But what of the said interests convinced lunarossa to watch N&S and then to read Gaskell’s novel? Mmmm… I didn’t ask her.

As for me, instead, I did everything myself a couple of years ago. Nobody to blame. Nobody introduced me to N&S , nor warned me against the risks I was running ordering that DVD from Amazon to use it in my lessons… Not that I complain, mind you.

As I’ve often said, RA’s world has remarkably enriched and enliven my life as well as to follow his career has become one of the most enjoyable passtimes in my otherwise dull & serious , hard - working life. A very pleasant game.

So, lunarossa discovered N&S , JT and RA thanks to me?!? I’m proud of spreading the love, though only to just one more.

3. “Maria(n)? What is this all about?”

Yeah! This is what I was thinking of! But I'm going to discuss ... different matters!

I'm sure you've heard. All that frenzy. Rumors. Spooks forum’ s on fire. Blogs and sites  franticly discussing the same issue all over  … clips on Ututbe  (here  & here but beware there are spoilers for series 9) … hypothesis, suppositions, guesswork, anger , anxiety. I simply want to stay out from all that . I want to keep a detached attitude .

I told myself: "Think about this! Didn’t we overcome and survive Lee’s flirty games, Paul’s lies and betrayal, Guy’s  ultimate crime of passion  and unfair death (oh, Guy.. we miss you!) , John Mulligan’s deceiving charm, Percy’s gambling and his  lascivious habits, Lovelace’s mischievous behaviour and vile rape, John Porter ‘s  missions to kill "?

Richard with  his career has made us strong enough to bear other betrayals and forgive his characters for their flaws and even crimes! We are ready to find the good in them as much as he usually does. We are not going to forgive Spooks scriptwriters, though!

Analyzing the roles he played in his career, apart from JT or HJK (and JS ? and what about JP?)  he has never again played the romantic lead, never interpreted the model man or hero! Neverthless, he’s got lots of supporting fans and admirers. So, what if he  ******* in Spooks 9 ? Richard will be a convincing ******* Lucas. If… but only if…they decided he has to be (and in that case, I hate them!)

4.  Reading The Sunne in Splendour

Dickon. Richard the Kid. I mean Richard III is still a young boy, the protagonist of this novel is still a kid in the pages I'm reading . The Sunne in Splendour  is a very interesting , engaging reading . I'm reading it  after reading  good reviews and hearing positive opinions . Knowing how much RA  wishes to adapt this novel in a series makes me imagine what that would look like. It’d be stunning . Richard Plantagenet is still a kid in the part I’m reading now so it is impossible to figure him out as Richard Armitage. But the fascinating medieval setting , the bloody war, the strong well-written emotions have already stirred my fantasy.

An incredible medieval saga. I wish Richard can make his dream come true soon. And I'll go on reading,  meanwhile. (936 pp!)

5. Waiting for The Convenient Marriage

I have often discussed what an awesome narrator/ actor RA is in his audio-works ( here for example) . It's surprising how he can catch your total  attention and make you tingle, shiver, swoon or smile using his velvet voice. I haven’t listened to all of his audio works yet. But to most of them, yes! I don’t think I will succeed in listening to the complete Lords of the North ( maybe I’m not that obsessed after all? No, just a question of time!) but I’m going to read and listen to The Convenient Marriage. It’ll be my third Heyer book and I hope it’ll be great fun like Sylvester and Venetia.

That's all for now.
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND, DARLING GIRLS & LADIES!!!