Summertime
is a beautiful season and what better way to spend it than sitting back in the
sunshine with a good book. There are hundreds of summer reading lists out
there, but for fans of Jane Austen and classic literature, we’ve compiled five
incredible stories that are bound to tickle your fancy.
They
are all easily purchasable for Amazon's Kindle, making them perfect to take
away with you. However, particularly if you're buying while abroad, it's wise
to make sure you're using the right tools to keep your details. Check out this
post by Secure Thoughts on Kindle security for more information.
“So
each had a private little sun for her soul to bask in…” —Thomas Hardy
If
you desire a little heat, a summer flirtation, or an escape to bask in your own
private sun, this whimsical collection of original short stories is inspired by
all things summer. In collaboration with some of Meryton Press’s most popular
and award-winning authors, this anthology debuts other promising and emerging
talent.
·In
KaraLynne Mackrory’s “Shades of Pemberley,” Mr. Darcy, with some fantastic
assistance, discovers Elizabeth Bennet in a most unlikely place.
·Karen
M. Cox’s “Northanger Revisited” modernizes Northanger Abbey at a
fictionalized Georgia seaside.
Reading: The Memory of Midnight by Pamela Hartshorne
Historical novels are my best favourite kind of books, as well as classic literature. The Memory of Midnight is the one I'm reading at the moment. It is a thrilling mystery story by Pamela Hartshorne, taking place both in Elizabethan York and present-time York, dealing with two distant eras and parading two different heroines, both prisoners of the past, bound by love and fear.
This book was a gift from a good friend of mine living in York and it has a special dedication from the author to me on the first page. I don't expect you to remember, but Pamela Hartshorne was my guest here at FLY HIGH! to present her first historical novel, Time's Echo, back in September 2012. I had read, liked and reviewed her novel and she kindly accepted to be interviewed.
My friend met her in York - where they both live - at the presentation of this second novel and got a signed copy for me. And here I am, half-way through The Memory of Midnight. I have been loving it so far!
Happy Christmas Time, everyone and all! It'll be a happy time, I'm sure, especially for my fellow period drama fan friends.
Aren't you as excited as I am to know we'll find these very precious gifts under our Christmas trees?
I'm thinking of Downton Abbey Christmas Special which airs on ITV 1 tonight, 25 December, in the U.K. (season 4 premieres in the U.S. Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014). Are you ready for the two- hour special episode?
Shirley MacLaine will be back as Cora's mother and Paul Giamatti will join the cast as her brother. The episode will also feature James Fox as Lord Aysgarth, Guy Williamsas King George V (the grandfather to reigning Queen Elizabeth II) and Oliver Dimsdale as the Prince of Wales (Edward VIII, Queen Elizabeth's uncle).
(Guest post by Maria
Kruk, an author for Books.so)
The
treasury of English literature is full of many remarkable authors and
authoress. In particular, the names of Jane Austen, George Eliot and Bronte
sisters still hold popularity in literature and, more notably, in
cinematography. In the 19th century female writers could undermine
their male opponents in some way, which is probably associated with women
feature of overacting and perceiving life events more closely. In very deed,
the problem of a woman state in the society was widely discussed in the
Victorian Age.
(by guest blogger Marcela De Vivo) England is full of literary history and culture, much of which
is not only available via the printed word, but can also be visited as popular
travel destinations.
For those who are interested in classic British literature, who
might be planning on visiting England in the near future, it’s worthwhile to do
some research on what locations are inspired by classical writings, and then
plan to visit them accordingly.
Whether you’re a fan of Shakespeare, Charles Dickens or Agatha
Christie, there’s probably a touristy destination for you based on your
favorite British classic novel.
Just a snippet to lead you to the latest post on My Jane Austen Book Club, my Austen-dedicated blog. Angelita Williams has written a lovely post about how reading Jane Austen can help young people (and not only them!) to cope with dating. She suggests to read Emma, Persuasion, Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice, of course!
I've had some spare time to catch up with and read some interesting blogs and articles today. Well, better to say I've neglected some duties and chores (I was really fed-up of correcting and assessing tests and questionnaires, I've been doing that for days!) and I've spent some time reading good stuff online this afternoon. I'd like to share with you the best posts I've found.
You may think I'm biased since I know the two talented lady writers, authors of the two brilliant pieces but I'm not. So, if you don't trust the objectivity of my words, just click on the links and check yourself!
I just want to share a link to a guest post narrating an awkward meeting with Mr Darcy in person - in the person of Colin Firth - in my page dedicated to the British actor here at FLY HIGH I know I have been neglecting it for a while but I've just added this lovely blogpost: Kim Izzo, Canadian journalist and writer, met Colin Firth in order to interview him, during The Toronto Film Festival some years ago.
She shares the memories of that moment, which was a bit embarassing but unforgettable, at my Jane Austen-dedicated blog, My Jane Austen Book Club.
Read Meeting Mr Darcy by Kim Izzo and get a chance to read her debut novel, The Jane Austen Marriage Manual. There's a giveaway contest! (Deadline May 23)
It is one of those periods in which life becomes so demanding that blogging becomes... difficult if not impossible. I haven't had time to post anything on FLY HIGH since last Wednesday and only posted giveaway winners' names and a guespost on My Jane Austen Book Club. I can't complain, that's quite enough if I think of the many other things I've been doing. I just wanted to reassure you that I'm working and really active, only not on the blogging front. I can't be online that much and I have got very little spare time left for my reading and reviewing activity. That's a pity but ... this is my job!
Teaching literature, as you know - teaching in general - can be rather engaging and time-consuming. Lesson-plans to prepare, tests and papers to correct and assess are the most time-consuming activities and not the only ones! This year I've got 6 different classes, with 3 different syllabuses: language and grammar (intermediate and upper - intermediate levels) as well as literature from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.
Today I’m blogging about the literary trail of my recent journey through England, that is, about all the places I visited linked to authors or literary works. My friends and I visited places someway connected to Lewis Carroll, The Brontes, Shakespeare, Jane Austen and the legendary Robin Hood.
The choir stall which is thought to have inspired Lewis Carroll
1. 1.Ripon and Lewis Carrol - Our first day in Yorkshire was spent visiting York , as I told you before (HERE) but in the evening before going back to our lovely B&B in Easingwold, we made a stop in Ripon to visit the cathedral. Our guidebook funnily described it as a squat medieval building, and the idea of a squat cathedral made us laugh all the time all through the week. It was actually rather “squat” if observed from the outside and from the main entrance, but it looked beautiful and seemed to soar into the sky, as any Gothic cathedral does, from the inside. The literary connection is with Lewis Carroll, whose father was a Canon here from 1852 to 1868. In one of the choir stalls – completed in 1494 by Ripon woodcarvers - the carved figures represent a griffon chasing a rabbit whilst another rabbit hides down his hole. This is believed to have inspired Lewis Carroll while writing his Alice in Wonderland (1865)
Good morning and happy Sunday everyone! Just a snippet to inform you that, though I haven't been blogging here on Fly High these days, I've been preparing this blogpost for My Jane Austen Book Club about dancing and balls in Jane Austen's time, novels and adaptations. I had fun looking for and re-watching all the videos I added. I hope you'll like them too. Click on the link below and enjoy. MG
Do you like re-watching old period dramas for the umpteenth time? Do you like finding links and similarities between stuff you read or watch? I'm almost a maniac. I'm always there noticing analogies, similarities, links and connections while watching or reading. I did the same this last weekend re-watching P&P 1995 and seeing for the first time "12 Men of Christmas". It hadn't been planned as a comparative watching but it came out like that.
Mr Darcy's Obsession is her latest book just coming out in October for Sourcebooks. Abigail Reynolds is a lifelong Jane Austen enthusiast and a physician. In addition to writing, she has a part-time private practice and enjoys spending time with her family. Originally from upstate New York, she studied Russian, theater, and marine biology before deciding to attend medical school. She began writing From Lambton to Longbourn in 2001 to spend more time with her favorite characters from Pride & Prejudice. Encouragement from fellow Austen fans convinced her to continue asking ‘What if…?’, which led to five other Pemberley Variations and her modern novel,The Man Who Loved Pride & Prejudice. She is currently at work on another Pemberley Variation and sequels to The Man Who Loved Pride & Prejudice. She is a lifetime member of JASNA and lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two teenaged children, and a menagerie of pets.
Read my interview with Abigail Reynolds on My Jane Austen Book Club and you'll have the chance to receive a copy of Mr Darcy's Obsessiondirectly from Sourcebooks. The giveaway is open to US and Canada readers only. The winner will be announced next Wednesday October 6th. Don't forget to add your e-mail address!
My latest post on My Jane Austen Book Club: Talking Jane Austen with Jane Odiwe, author of Lydia Bennet's Story and Willoughby's Return. Leaving a comment you'll have the chance to win a signed copy of her latest publication! The giveaway is open worldwide! The winner will be announced next Wednesday 29th September. In this interview Jane presents her beautiful illustrations of Austen's world and her next novel that will be released in February 2011, Mr Darcy's Secret!
Time to announce the winner of Meredith’s giveaway. Have you read her interview? If you haven’t, just take a look at it HERE. She’s a very pretty talented young woman and … one of my very special blogger buddies ! Since she writes Austenesque Reviews, she’s granted you a new copy of Jane Fairfax by Joan Aiken . This time I only entered the commenters who added their e-mail addresses as asked in the presentation of the giveaway. I’m sorry for all the others if they meant to be entered anyway. Thanks to Meredith for being my guest and offering all of you this great opportunity.
Among
1. Terri
2. Marie Burton
3. Felicia
4. Nancy
5. Luthien 84
6. Lori Hedgpeth
7. Alisha
8. Mary Simonsen
9. Tv and Book Addict
10. Melanie teabird
The winner is ….
FELICIA!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!
2. MY LATEST AUSTENESQUE READ - BETH PATTILLO, MR DARCY BROKE MY HEART
I’ve been having such frantic days recently that I really needed an escape into romance and optimism. I definitely found the delight and relief I was looking for in the pages of this lovely novel by Beth Pattillo, MR DARCY BROKE MY HEART. For those who have made Jane Austen’s Mr Darcy their model hero, it may be a bit disappointing. But beware you haven’t your Mr Darcy near you already , without realizing that . Watch carefully around you instead of dreaming about meeting one!
Tonight I want to invite you to re-read my favourite pages from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Last Wednesday 16 December, it was Jane Austen’s birthday so let’s go on celebrating her.
Elizabeth has now definitely formed her opinion of Mr Darcy, not at all a positive one. She absolutely hates and despises him:
first of all he said she is just of tolerable beauty, he didn’t want to dance with her at Meryton, he cheated Wickham on inheritance matters, influenced Mr Bingley in his decision to turn her sister’s Jane down. What more does she need to think he is the last man in the world she would want to marry?
But totally unexpected Mr Darcy’s proposal comes … Listen to Dominic West reading it.
Now the same scene from the 1995 BBC adaptation starring Colin Firth as Mr Darcy
and Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth
If you are, instead , a fan of the 2005 film adaptation maybe you want to see Mr Darcy's first proposal under the rain again. ( click here )
Matthew MacFadyen and Keira Knightley
How would you react if you were Lizzie? Just the same? Definitely not in that way? Don’t cheat … we know more than Elizabeth about Mr Darcy ! So, to be precise, what would do if you were her, knowing what she knows, thinking what she thinks of him?
It wouldn't be fair to neglect someone as important and dear to me as Jane, Jane Austen , on her birthday. She was born on 16th December 1775 .I owe so many immensely pleasant moments just to her, to her talent and wit. I've "met" her when I was only 14, I read her Pride and Prejudice and, since then, her books have never left my bedside - table. Her Captain Wentworth and her Willoughby, her Darcy and her Mr Knightley have made me daydream; I have loved (and still am fond of) her heroines Emma, Lizzie, Marianne, Elinore, Lady Susan, Catherine Morland among the others.
I loved reading her novels, studying them at university and now I'm so glad and proud when I can teach about her or read her works with my students! Jane has been a constant presence in my life so I just wanted to celebrate this unforgettable day in this little corner of mine in the blogosphere. You can find many posts on FLY HIGH dedicated to her and I think you'll find others from time to time: she's my favourite writer and a woman I highly appreciate and admire.
Mansfield Park has the negative reputation of being disliked by more of Jane Austen's fans than any of her other novels. I've read somewhere that "Fanny Wars" have broken out in internet discussion forums. This novel themes are very different from those of Jane Asuten's other books, which can be easily summed up into one sentence: Sense and Sensibility is about balancing emotions and thought, Pride and Prejudice is about judging others too quickly, Emma is about growing into adulthood, and Persuasion is about second chances. The theme of Mansfield Park, on the other hand, cannot be so easily described. Is it about ordination? Is it an allegory on Regency England? Is it about slavery? Is it about the education of children? Is it about the difference between appearances and reality? Is it about the results of breaking with society's conventions and good manners? Any, or all of those themes can, and have been recognized in Mansfield Park.
The main problem for most of the novel's detractors is the heroine, Fanny Price. She is shy, timid, lacking in self-confidence, physically weak, and seemingly—to some, annoyingly—always right. Austen's own mother called her "insipid", and many have used the word "priggish". She is certainly not like the lively and witty Elizabeth Bennet of Pride and Prejudice. But Mansfield Park also has many supporters, whose admiration and loyalty can be attributed to the depth and complexity of the themes in the book and to the main character—a young woman who is unlike most heroines found in literature.
One thing is certain, this novel is not like Jane Austen's others. The girl-gets-boy plot of her other work is mostly absent here, and the heroine's success in finding love is treated briefly, quickly, and for many readers unsatisfactorily. Only in the final chapter Fanny gets the love she deserves.
Jane Austen 's Mansfield Park was published on May 4, 1814 and it was Austen's third published novel; though, as with all of her novels, her name was not attached to it until after her death.
RE - WATCHING MANSFIELD PARK 1999 & 2007
Before wrapping - up my beloved EVERYTHING AUSTEN CHALLENGE ( taking part in it was great fun!) , I've re-read Austen's Mansfield Park and especially re-watched comparatively its 1999 film adaptation , starring Frances O'Connor ( as Fanny Price) and Jonny Lee Miller (as Edmund Bertram) and its 2007 ITV adaptation with Billie Piper (Fanny) and Blake Ritson (Edmund).
I must confess , my mind was caught into a dizzy confusion seeing both EMMA 2009 's Mr Knightley and Mr Elton propose and kiss Fanny Price! In fact, Jonny Lee Miller played Edmund Bertram in 1999 and Mr Knightley in 2009, while Blake Ritson was Edmund in 2007 and Mr Elton in 2009. But I want to be immediately clear: my favourite Edmund Bertram is my favourite Mr Knightley , Jonny Lee Miller.
Now, while I loved re-watching the 1999 film version - though not always accurate if compared to the original text - I realized I didn't like 2007 ITV adaptation so much ( I thought I liked it when I got the DVD from Amazon last year!) once I had compared it to the oldest version. And that for several reasons, among which:
- its fast pace, which makes many parts of the novel disappear abruptedly
- no irony nor wit
- Billie Piper is not convincingly shy or insecure, her look is too modern , her characterization too free and easy to convey the real Fanny Price
- Hayley Atwell 's Mary Crawford loses the match if compared to wonderful Embeth Davidtz in 1999 version
- Blake Ritson's Edmund reminded me 2009 Mr Elton's stare from time to time and I tended to ... laugh!
SCREENCAPS FROM THE 1999 FILM VERSION
SCREENCAPS FROM ITV 2007 ADAPTATION
THE GAME OF THE PROPOSALS
Yes, I know. This is not the first time I propose this game to you, but, you see, these are the best moments in these movies and I love watching, re-watching and comparing the emotions they convey. I'm an incurable romantic, you are right. Be patient with me and take part in the game only if you really feel like or if you are as romantic as I am.
CLIP 1 . MANSFIELD PARK 1999 - Final scene
CLIP 2 . ITV MANSFIELD PARK 2007 - Final scene
No doubt the more recent version gives us a very lively finale. While, have you noticed how much Jonny/ Edmund's final revelation of his feelings resembles Jonny/Mr Knightley's declaration to Emma? Try to compare the two ones. Do you agree with me? So, what's your favourite adaptation? Do you also think MANSFIELD PARK is the least enjoyable among Jane Austen's novels? What about Fanny Price? Do you like her?
Now before leaving you to your reflections, I wanted to thank STEPHANIE for hosting such a wonderful challenge!
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