AND THE WINNER IS ... ME?!? NO, COLIN FIRTH!

It's just lovely, isn't it? Nice promising cover for a good historical book. And intriguing title too. No, this is not a review of this novel. Why? Because I haven't read it. Not yet, at least! Are you curious to know why this cute picture of a book cover is here? Well, like it or not, I'm proud to introduce you ... my first win ever. Yes, I've just been informed that I won this book and I am immensely happy since I've never won a penny or a teddy- bear in my life!

Listen to this! One of my Net friends, Ms Lucy, hosted Michelle Moran, the author of Cleopatra's Daughter, in her wonderful blog ENCHANTED BY JOSEPHINE , on August 30, and linked to the event there was a givaway of an autographed copy of the book. I read the interview and commented convinced that, as usual, I wouldn't read that book without buying a copy at Amazon. No hope of winning, just commented to say I'd love to read Ms Moran's new novel. So, when on September 10th I checked Ms Lucy's blog to see who the winner was, no surprise at reading ... APRIL. The surprise was today when I found a comment signed by Lucy under my latest post - a bit out of focus but so welcome! - which said : "Maria Grazia!!! Did you see my post about the winner of Cleopatra's Daughter...??GO CHECK IT OUT!!!"

Now, Enchanted by Josephine is in my blogroll and I immediately know when something new is on. I've had a look at it this morning and commented the latest post I found there. How could it be that APRIL was ... MARIA GRAZIA? Very simply but unexpectedly, April has renounced her copy 'cause she had alredy won the same book from another blog! Great. Thank you, April. I'm so happy, as happy as a child blowing off candles on her birthday cake. I'm looking forward to having this precious gift in my hands. Thanks Lucy!

By the way, Enchanted by Josephine is organizing an interesting charming event. If you like historical fiction , On September 14th to September 18th, you are cordially invited to attend:

THE HISTORICAL FICTION BLOGGERS ROUND TABLE EVENT!!

But someone much more fascinating and talented than me won a very prestigious prize this afternoon and he really deserves it: our beloved Mr Darcy 1995, COLIN FIRTH, has just won the COPPA VOLPI at Venice Film Festival as the protagonist of the movie A SINGLE MAN. He plays the role of a gay teacher in this film directed by Tom Ford.

Congratulations MR FIRTH/DARCY!!!

SPOOKS AT WWI TIME

I got this DVD a couple of months ago but, as usual, I had to wait for some spare time to watch it. THE 39 STEPS starring Rupert Penry-Jones (one of my favourite SPOOKS and, definitely, my favourite Captain Wentworth) and Lydia Leonard was broadcast at Christmas time 2008 on BBC but, of course, living in Italy, I had to wait for the DVD to be released. I ordered it from Amazon UK though I read no positive review on the net (newspapers and magazines on line). They all compared this TV movie either to John Cuchan’s novel, on which it is based, or to Hitchcock’s 1935 version. After watching it just yesterday night, I think it is a pretty entertaining comedy. It seems more a parody of serious espionage films and, just for this reason, I find it really enjoyable. Maybe it is because I haven’t read Cuchan’s novel nor seen 1935 version by Hitchcock. Last but not least, Rupert Penry-Jones is dashing, adorable, as Richard Hannay!

The story starts in London, 1914. Richard Hannay, back from Africa, finds the city “cliquey, claustrophobic and class-bound”. He is extremely bored and spends the nights drinking at clubs. His life is unexpectedly changed into a mystery , a real exciting thriller, when one of his neighbours, Mr Scudder, seeks refuge in his flat claiming he is a British secret agent chased by German spies. Mr Scudder is discovered and murdered in Richard’s flat and he finds himself suddenly accused of being a killer and involved in a deadly conspiracy which not only threatens his life but the safety of the nation.
Forced into this bizarre turn of events, he escapes from London to Scotland hoping to uncover a German espionage ring.

As the police and the spies close in on him, he struggles to decode Scudder's secret notebook. Reluctantly he joins forces with a feisty suffragette, Victoria Sinclair (a character I particularly liked)

Victoria and Hannay don't hit it off, but they find themselves increasingly reliant on each other as they race to unmask a traitor and save Great Britain from invasion.

What I especially love in this movie is that it is thrilling, with quick turns, amusing, with spectacular natural settings (Scotland!) beautiful costumes/houses/cars, and … some very romantic scenes.

Here is my favourite one…

RELATED POSTS & SITES

HITCHCOCK'S MOVIE

BBC PRESS RELEASE

THE 39 STEPS BROADWAY MUSICAL

ENCHANTED BY SYLVESTER

The experience of reading and at the same time – but not simultaneously - listening to SYLVESTER or the Wicked Uncle has been a delight!

It is my first Georgette Heyer ’s novel and I admit that I approached it partly prejudiced (romances!), partly curious, but completely unaware of what expected me. I didn’t want to read much about the writer nor the about the plot before starting. I carefully avoided any review or comment on the book. Then I did something I had already tried with “Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen addict”: I put aside my academic way of reading and went back to when I read just for pleasure. It is not that simple: old habits are hard to remove, but I succeeded again and I owe Mrs Heyer several happy hours in these late summer days.
I AM sorry, it is happening again. I tend to write more about my feelings and emotions before/ while/ after reading or watching something than just write a “prim and proper” review . Maybe I’m too self-focused – and this is not good – but it is just my way of analysing myself, knowing myself, through literature and cinema. I only hope you don’t mind it too much or that it doesn’t disturb orthodox reviewers too much.
Now, back to the point! This story contains all the romance, humour and satirical traits of an Austen’s book but it is a witty novel of manners set in the Regency Era but published in 1957. With its unique juxtaposition of light-hearted romance and meticulous historical accuracy, it succeeded in convincing a “ disbeliever” like me!

THE PLOT

Wealthy Sylvester, Duke of Salford, is looking for a wife and has very particular requirements. Phoebe Marlow is suggested as a possible bride to Salford by her grandmother who is also his godmother. Sylvester doesn’t remember Phoebe though he has already met her at a ball .He, finding her dull and insipid, hadn’t even recognized her the second time they met. Phoebe, instead, found him so arrogant and insufferable that she decided to model the villain of her gothic novel on him: she makes him her Count Ugolino, the wicked uncle in THE LOST HEIR. Not the right premises for a good match, apparently- or just the opposite?

So, when Phoebe’s father and her step-mother want to force her to marry Sylvester and he arrives at Austerby to propose, she runs away with her life-long friend, Tom. But fate throws Sylvester on their way to London. Phoebe and Sylvester, stuck by the snow in the same lonely country inn for a week, begin to understand each other better. But, unfortunately, Phoebe's novel is published and soon all of fashionable London recognise Sylvester as the villainous 'Count Ugolino'...

A CURIOSITY

(from Austenprose – Read Laurel Ann’s review HERE)

In 1816, less than two years before the events in the novel take place, a strikingly similar scandal occurred that both delighted and horrified ‘society’. Taking her revenge against Lord Byron after their affair ended badly, Lady Caroline Lamb published Glenarvon – a Gothic novel featuring satirical depictions of well-known society figures and, in particular, a bitter, thinly disguised portrait of Byron himself. Although the novel was published anonymously (and became wildly popular), Lamb had her Almack’s voucher rescinded and was exiled from fashionable society. Phoebe would have been aware of the furore – would probably even have read the book – and she would have known of Lady Caroline’s fate.

THE WRITER
With her wit, her page-turning writing ability, and her genius at bringing characters to life, Georgette Heyer still brings new admirers to her novels more then 30 years after her death. Have a look at this site dedicated to this so-much loved writer. Click HERE.

There is also a perpetual challenge going on. If you are interested, you can take part in it. Just click HERE.

THE AUDIOBOOK

It consists of 4 CDs , total time 4:51:46 . It is, of course, an abridged version of the original novel. It is not Richard Armitage’s first experience as a reader. He has also featured on BBC Radio 4’s The Ted Hughes Letters - giving an excellent moving performance - as well as recorded several audiobooks among which THE LORDS OF THE NORTH and others linked to Robin Hood series 1 and 3. ( I’ve posted about these audio-materials HERE, HERE and HERE) . For more information about SYLVESTER recorded version read THIS at Naxos Audiobooks site.

DON'T WORRY! I'M NOT GETTING BIG HEADED!

I don't know you ... but receiving an award a day I really risk to get big - headed! I'll try not to boast too much but I've been nominated ... SUPERIOR SCRIBBLER by Michelle Magill at Torch Under The Blankets.

Thank you so much Michelle for awarding me this Superior Scribbler award – I’m enthusiatic and extremely glad to pass it on!

Here are the rules for this award:

1. Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends

2. Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.

3. Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.

4. Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we’ll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!

5. Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

Here are my 5 Superior Scribblers!

1. FLORES Y PALABRAS (Elvira)

2.MEET ME IN THE DRAWING ROOM (Kathleen)

3.TABLE TALK (Ann)

4. ENCHANTED BY JOSEPHINE (Ms Lucy)

5. READING , WRITING, WORKING, PLAYING (JaneGS)

Till very soon for a less self -celebrating post. But no need to worry! I'm not getting big headed!

BITTERSWEET LATE SUMMER SEASIDE DAYS

Like every year in September, before starting a new school year, I 'm spending few - but very few! - days at the seaside. It's always the same place, not far from my town, just a couple of hours' drive. These are the legendary shores where Ulysses met the enchantress Circe so it is impossible to remain indifferent. The nature and the sea here are wonderful. I'm reading , relaxing, walking on the beach as usual but, especially, I'm little by little surrendering to the fact that these are and will be INDEED my last few holidays for a long time !

I'm reading Jane Austen's LADY SUSAN and enjoying it much. It is both in my EVERYTHING AUSTEN CHALLENGE list and in the AUSTENPROSE's Soiree. But I'll tell about all this in another proper post as soon as it finishes. At the same time, I've started reading SYLVESTER by Georgette Heyer in the morning and listening to the abridged audiobook version recorded by Richard Armitage in the afternoon. You can't imagine what a delight it can be listening to his amusing reading, to his velvet voice while  looking at the blue sea in front of me...But I'll tell also about  this in another proper post.

So what am I going to post about today? I just want to tell you I can't be blogging as much as I 'd like to in the next few days, then I want to show the nice garden in my temporary home here at the seaside to you (see pictures above), as well as tell you that I'm having a good time, not to worry , and that I'll be back home next Monday.

Then ... emmm... what was it I wanted to tell you, too ? YES! Ive been awarded again. This is funny indeed:

Jane GS at Reading, Writing, Working, Playing nominated my blog for the Zombie Chicken Award. I particularly like the motivation of this amusing recognition :"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken – excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all."

Now I am supposed to be spreading the love by choosing 5 blogs I appreciate and let them receive the Zombie Chicken Award:

1. THE KERR FAMILY BLOG - In order to return Jenny the honour of receiving an award and because we share many little passions and fondnesses. She is one of the nicest and most talented women I've met blogging.

2. STEPHANIE'S WRITTEN WORD - Because Stephanie is a great woman and has given all of us Janeites the opportunity to revive our love for Everything Austen suggesting the Challenge many of us have been taking part in the latest weeks.

3. MISS BLUESTOCKING - June's blog. It's a nice place to reflect on reading and writing fiction as well as period drama.

4. LIVING ABROAD - Antonella is one of my first blogging mates on blogspot and I love her way of posting about her life in York as an Italian mother, wife and translator .

5. LIFE IN ITALY - Reverse destiny for Kathryn, who is an English woman living in Italy. I love her blog and her comments, too!

THROUGH THE CENTURIES: GUNPOWDER, TREASON AND PLOT

This is my last entry for the section Through the centuries in the Period Drama Challenge. Now I have to start thinking what to post for the second section, VICTORIAN MIST. I've got lots of DVDs set in the Victorian Age. I just have to choose... that's not easy though.

GUNPOWDER, TREASON AND PLOT is one of the latest addition to my DVD collection. It is a two – part miniseries broadcast by BBC in 2004 and now available on dvd.
It is loosely based upon the lives of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, and her son James I. I usually love teaching about this period in British History, not only because it is the historical background of Shakespeare's latest years.

The writer Jimmy McGovern (same author as recent BBC series MOVING ON) tells the story behind the Gunpowder Plot in two parts, each centred on one of the monarchs.
Directed by Gillies MacKinnon and filmed in Romania with a key Scottish crew, the first film dramatizes the relationship between Mary, Queen of Scots, played by French actress Clémence Poésy, and her third husband, James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell played by Kevin McKidd. Scottish actor Robert Carlyle stars as James I in the second part of the series, which concentrates on the Gunpowder Plot (1605), planned by Guy Fawkes, to blow up the Houses of Parliament in order to rid the nation of a Protestant monarch to be replaced by a Catholic. Despite the rampant insincerity to historical accuracy this is enjoyable, well acted and well written. Clemence Poesy as Mary Queen of Scots is particularly good, and it is her story, making up the first half of dvd, that is the best. Kevin McKidd is the other remarkable protagonist as the Earl of Bothwell you won’t resist his rough lust! Though the second part is less emotionally involving, Robert Carlyle as James I is convincingly nauseous. He really is believeable as the creepy, unpleasant king.
I loved this. Although, to be fair, I loved the first part more than the second. I'm more interested in Mary than in James. If you can overlook the annoying historical inaccuracy and appreciate it as well acted, well written drama then you can get much fun from this dvd.

You’ll find lots of information about this historical drama HERE.

Now have a look at this clip with two exciting moments in the conflictual passionate relationship between Mary, the Queen, and Bothwell, one of her faithful chancellors.

RELATED POSTS AND SITES

THE STUART DYNASTY , my post on LEARNONLINE

THE GUNPOWDER PLOT

CECILIA AND VIVALDI

These days I’ve been reading an Italian book that has recently won an important prize here in our country, “Il Premio Strega”. It is a melancholic, but beautiful, short novel by Tiziano Scarpa, STABAT MATER. It is set in Venice at the end of the 17th century but it really seems not to have time or space . Unfortunately, if you are not Italian or can’t read Italian, you must wait for a translation which has been planned but not yet done.

Now, I’d suggest to you to start the music in the player here below and, only after doing that, read my short review.

You’ll understand why. Hope you'll enjoy it.

It’s night, the orphanage is plunged in silence, darkness and sleep. All the girls sleep, apart form one, Cecilia, 16 years old. During the day she plays the violin in the church, behind the impenetrable thick grating which gate the believers out of her life , impeding them even to see the girl's face. At night she feels lost in her deep solitude, gets up and secretly gets to her hidden place where she writes to the most intimate but at the same farthest person in her life: the mother who abandoned her in that asylum, the Ospedale della Pietà di Venezia.
Music is to her a routinely habit as many others, a dull repetitions of sounds. But Cecilia feels and writes: “The world wants us to be silent”. In her lyrical and philosophical nocturnal reflections she has also another addressee, her own Death, who appears to her as a black-snike haired woman she doesn’t fear at all.

But one day things start slightly and slowly changing: a young music teacher and composer arrives to substitute old Don Giulio. He is a young priest, with a big nose and copper hair. His name is Antonio. Antonio Vivaldi.

Thanks to her complex stormy relationship with music, Cecilia will find her way with an unexpected choice of rebellion, freedom and self-determination.

Good story, isn't it? And very well written, too.
I’m stunned at the writer’s ability in feeling such distant (to him) desperate loneliness and conveying it to us with so much strength and sympathy.
I particularly liked these lines among others: ( my translation from Italian ) “Since I was born I’ve had to do what I’m told in here, so all the things which counts to my heart, I must be able to put them in the small spaces left, in the small empty cavities left by chance”. This is writing to her: completely alone at night, on pieces of papers already written shrivelled and thrown away by the nuns or the girls ... in the small white spaces left... to a mother always dreamt about and never really experienced.

Related posts & sitesSPEAKING OF VIVALDIby Ms Lucy at ENCHANTED by JOSEPHINE

SWAPPING LIVES & TIME TRAVELLING

EVERYTHING AUSTEN CHALLENGE- Task 3

“Today’s women are no less desirous of love, and marrying for love, than they were in your time. But they, like so many women before them, simply fear it is an unattainable goal. And thus they settle for what fleeting plasures they can find, creating an endless cycle of pleasure, despair, ad infinitum. Human nature is the same today as it was in your time. The only difference between today’s world and your world is that people have more choices now than they did then.” ( RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, p.265)

This Everything Austen Challenge has revealed a very pleasant and enriching experience to me. I must again thank Stephanie ( at STEPHANIE’S WRITTEN WORD) for this great adventure! Two days ago we were just discussing here on my blog the topic of dating and courting today respect to Jane Austen’s time and the discussion was brought about by Laurie Viera Rigler (HERE) , author of the book I’ve just finished as my third task for the challenge: RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.
This is my first Austen-based book, never read one before, only the original novels by Jane. So I’m not an expert of the genre. RUDE AWAKENINGS is the sequel of Laurie’s first novel, CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, which I didn’ t read. What was this first experience like? Great pure amusement which reminded me the same kind of hilarious reaction I had after skeptically approaching LOST IN AUSTEN when the DVD got to me last September (or was it October?). I mean, I studied Jane Austen’s novels at university after reading some of them (only P & P and S & S) in my adolescence and that brought me to read them ( and every other novel ) professionally, because of my job (teaching literature). This is why I was rather skeptical toward Austen based fiction or adaptations. So, in order to read this novel for the challenge, I had to go back to the time I use to read just for fun day and night and leave apart the “professional tools”. Anyway, I was truly involved in the narration of the story, since Laurie knows Austen quite well and it is a pleasure to recognize that background while smiling at the entertaining series of misunderstandings, blunders, weird situations her time – travelling protagonist, JANE MANSFIELD, finds herself involved in . Jane wakes suddenly up in 2009 in Los Angeles but she is an English girl living in 1813, fondly in love with Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. She is completely misplaced and shocked, her body even is a stranger’s one: she looks at herself in the mirror and sees a nice blondie everybody calls Courtney Stone!
Reading this novel I thought of LOST IN AUSTEN many times. There are many analogies between the stories, though I think CONFESSIONS has got more : In CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, a twenty-first-century Austen fan Courtney Stone awakens one morning in 1813 England as a gentleman’s daughter, Jane Mansfield—with comic and romantic consequences. In RUDE AWAKENINGS as I told you, Jane, the gentleman’s daughter from 1813 England, finds herself occupying the body of Courtney in the urban madness of twenty-first-century L.A. Since in LOST IN AUSTEN an Austen fan, Amanda Price (Jemima Rooper in the photo on the left) swaps her life with Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of her favourite novel…I think it is obvious that I was always drawing comparisons while reading.

Have you seen LOST IN AUSTEN? It’s such fun!

I know many academic would turn up their noses at this kind of readings or TV series but I am convinced that reading as well as studying literature must be a pleasure. This is my philosophy even when I teach Austen or Dickens or Shakespeare to my students: they must contrast and compare those stories to their own experience and amuse themselves as much as they can. Not always an easy task, mine!

Warning you that there are huge spoilers in this clips, I invite you to see my favourite scenes from LOST IN AUSTEN. Are you ready?

RICHARD ARMITAGE STRIKES BACK: ONE MORE JOHN!

WARNING:Mmm…I’ve tried to resist but I couldn’t! So those of you who are not interested, or can’t understand or even disapprove my “one weakness”, or worse consider me “sole out”- “fixated” - “off my head”, please... DON’T GO ON READING!

What's the matter with me? Nothing. I’m wonderfully OK! Only, I’ve been reading about STRIKE BACK and wanted to share. What about fixation and craziness, then?

"Ay… There’s the rub!"

(W. Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act III, scene i) ...

RICHARD ARMITAGE’ s present project!

Yes, I know. "Here she goes again!" But... I just wanted to share what I know with those of you who are interested. He’s now in South Africa on the set of a new 6-part TV series due for broadcast on Sky1 and Sky1HD in spring 2010.

Many of Richard’s fans were eagerly waiting for his return in a costume drama but it seems 2010 will be a year in uniform for him. Military uniform. In fact, he will be shooting CHARLIE  next July  and in it he will be an allied British soldier fighting in Italy during WWII ; then, this STRIKE BACK is also a military story based on CHRIS RYAN's best seller. A former SAS soldier turned novelist, Chris Ryan was also the co-creator and technical consultant for ULTIMATE FORCE, one of Richard Armitage's early TV series. The TV series of Strike Back is based on his 2007 novel and is written by Jed Mercurio, whose previous work includes Cardiac Arrest and Bodies. Ryan is an advisor on the series.

So after being ...

-  sweet, loyal, caring, shy JOHN STANDRING in SPARKHOUSE

·broody, charming, unforgettable JOHN THORNTON in NORTH AND SOUTH









handsome, brilliant, effortless, confident – but unfortunately mischievous- JOHN MULLIGAN in MOVING ON

Richard will be JOHN PORTER in this new series!

THIS IS BRIEFLY THE PLOT. Two soldiers: one a celebrated military hero and the other a broken veteran living in the gutters of London. Their paths last crossed nearly twenty years ago. Now, amidst a hostage crisis in the Middle East, their lives are about to collide again. And the Strike Back is about to begin. John Porter ( Richard Armitage ) was involved in a hostage raid in Lebanon in 1989. The raid went disastrously wrong; several Regiment men died. John spared the life of a Lebanese fighter and blames himself for the deaths. Struggling to come to terms with the past, John has hit the bottle and is sleeping rough.Colonel Peregrine Collinson was involved in the same raid. Unbeknownst to his colleagues, it was Peregrine's fault that the mission went wrong. He was awarded a Military Cross and is heralded as a military hero for something he didn't do.After the disastrous raid, the lives of the two men couldn't have been further apart. Until now. A hostage crisis in the Middle East draws the enemies back together again. Who will be the hero this time?

KEY CAST LIST

Richard Armitage as John Porter

Andrew Lincoln as Hugh Collinson

Jodhi May as Layla Thompson

Orla Brady as Katie Dartmouth

Dhafer L’Abidine

as Hakim Al Neseri

Fenar Mohammed Ali

as Hassad

Nicola Stephenson as Diane Porter

 (John's wife)

Laura Greenwood as Alexandra

(John's  daughter)

Toby Stephens (only episodes 5/6)
as Arlington

David Harewood  as Tshuma
(only episodes 3/4)