The Jane Austen action figure is finally on sale at Archie McPhee.

Update: Direct link now working! w00t!

Thanks to a certain Janeite Spy for the heads-up.

We received some more definitive information from Focus Features about the U.K. and U.S. release dates.

The film will be shown at the Toronto Film Festival in early September, as we previously reported.

U.K. release date remains September 16. (See the post below this one for information on advance screenings.)

U.S. release date is November 18 in selected cities (no information on which cities have been selected as of yet) with additional cities opening on November 23 and more cities nationally on December 2 and 9.

Harry Potter fans in nonselect cities apparently will get a few weeks’ reprieve.

Alert Janeite Robyn let us know that members of the WT Club will have the opportunity to score advance screening tickets for P&P3 in the U.K. Sign up at the Working Title Films site.

The site also has pics of Keira Knightley from the Hamburg screening. Looks like she’s letting the Domino cut grow in.

ETA: Peterborough Today has an article about the invitation-only advance screenings for extras in the film.

ETA II: The Sun has a blurb about the movie, which proves once again that the Oscar hype has begun.

Sheenagh Pugh, author of The Democratic Genre: Fan Fiction in a Literary Context, will be on BBC Breakfast to discuss the book on Monday, 1 August, sometime between 8:40 and 9:10, unless bumped by a breaking news story. The book is a discussion of fan fiction as a literary genre, including Jane Austen fan fiction.

There might be a chance to send in text messages or e-mails to respond to the piece, or use this link.

Thanks to Alert Janeites Jessica and Cinthia, we learned that the P&P3 official movie site now lists the U.S. release date as November 18.

Yes, that’s the same release date as HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE. Because naturally there would be no crossover in the audiences for the films.

*bangs head on desk repeatedly*

In other news, contactmusic.com reports that Keira Knightley lurrrrved working on the film.

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY loved working on the new movie adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE because she felt like she found the sisters she always longed for.

The PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN beauty grew up with older brother CALEB in real life – so she was delighted to play ELIZABETH BENNET, who is one of five sisters in JANE AUSTEN’s tale of love and class in nineteenth century England.

The 20-year-old says, “It was fantastic fun being in a group of so-called sisters. We all had such a giggle it was surreal.”

And apparently there was a screening of the film in Hamburg, Germany, at which Ms. Knightley made an appearance.

P.S. Spelling mistake still on official site. V. obvious to Firefox user who proofreads for a living.

Screencap:

Can you see it now?

P.P.S. Just changed the “post slug” on this post, which changes the URL, if anyone linked to this post anywhere. Sorry about that. It’s a Google thing.

Alert Janeite Julie wrote to tell us that the soundtracks for S&S2 and MP2 are available on iTunes. MP2 is available by song at 99 cents each or as a full download at $9.99, but S&S2 only by song, which means the full soundtrack costs $20.79. We must pay for our convenience, we suppose.

We previously posted about Persuasionesque, an i-mix put together by Friend of AustenBlog TeresaAF for convenient downloading. It is not a true soundtrack of P2, but is a collection of versions of many of the classical and folk pieces used in the film (and we enjoy ours very much indeed).

A study has revealed that women find British men the most romantic compared to men of other countries. Naturally such findings cannot be expressed without reference to everyone’s favorite misunderstood romantic.

Despite chilly male characters in classic British novels, such as Mr Darcy in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Dr David Nias, a clinical psychologist at St Bartholomew’s hospital, London, said an emphasis on romance was rooted in the country’s culture. “Following all our history and tradition, the caricature of the English gentleman still applies,” said Nias. “We are romantic in a quiet way.”

Awww.

Sydicated advice columnist Amy Dickinson of “Ask Amy” recommended that a teenager in a sticky social situation read Emma and absorb the lessons therein.

Dear Amy: I’m 15, and in my group of friends I am the person they go to with love problems.

I have two friends, “Emily” and “Rory.” I set them up, and they started to go out. Apparently she really likes him and he likes her. But then almost a week after I set them up, Emily slept with another guy and didn’t tell Rory. Emily said she was just getting things out of her system, but then she did it again two more times. Now she says she’s going to stick with Rory, but I really don’t believe her. Rory and I have been friends for seven years and I want to tell him what Emily did.

About three weeks after I set these two up, I started to have feelings for Rory. Now I don’t know what to do. I don’t think Emily cares for him the way I do, and she hasn’t ever been exactly faithful to any guy.

Now I have to give Emily and Rory advice to keep them together. What should I do?

Advice Goddess

Dear Goddess: Please leave the heavy lifting to the experts. It’s time to put your advice-giving career on hold.

Don’t even get me started on the horrifying prospect of 15-year-olds having sex. But I know that’s not your question.

I’m going to recommend some summer reading. Pick up Jane Austen’s “Emma,” which is a cautionary tale about matchmaking with similar elements to your story. If you can’t manage reading a classic novel from the 19th century, rent the movie “Emma,” starring Gwyneth Paltrow.

If you can’t handle the English accents, rent the movie “Clueless,” a wonderful California version of “Emma,” which will convey the message you need to hear.

If she made it all the way down to CLUELESS, we suspect it’s pretty much a hopeless case.

In an interview with The Age, Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club, discusses why she brought together Jane Austen and science fiction in her book.

“You are always being told as a writer to write what you know, which actually I find very tedious, but in this case the s-f community is something that I know and love. I’m so struck by the obvious and perhaps not very deep – or perhaps very deep, I haven’t decided! – similarities between s-f readers and Austen fans. The attachment to their literature is so profound that it’s not enough to read and enjoy the books, these particular texts also bring about communities.”

You don’t say.

According to contactmusic.com (we hasten to add, hardly an unimpeachable source), Donald Sutherland dreaded playing Mr. Bennet in P&P3.

Veteran actor DONALD SUTHERLAND is dreading playing MR BENNET in the first big screen version of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE since 1940 – and insists he simply can’t be bothered with the project.

The DON’T LOOK NOW star will appear as part of an illustrious cast of actors in the movie – including KEIRA KNIGHTLEY and DAME JUDI DENCH, but he is already fed up even though the film is only in the early stages of production.

Sutherland, 70, says, “I probably have everything to lose and nothing to gain.

“I am too old, too busy and too Canadian for this.”

Early stages of production? We suspect this is a repeat.

We direct your attention to a comment in a previous thread by an individual rejoicing in the name of T-dawg.

P&P3 will be shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. There will be a Gala (sold out) as well as tickets for other screenings. However, Americans and Canadians wishing to see this are well advised that they should buy tickets now from TIFF, seeing as tickets are not guaranteed and are allotted by lottery.

Word to the wise and all that.

Also, KeiraWeb.com now has a P&P promotion page with all kinds of information about the upcoming film, including opening dates for different countries, links, and other information.

Joe Wright thinks empire dresses are ugly.

Joe Wright thinks empire dresses are ugly.

Joe Wright thinks empire dresses are UGLY!

Thanks to Alert Janeites Selena and Jen, both of whom sent us the link to the production notes from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (PDF file), this costume geek was able to learn of the infamy described above.

Another early decision for the director was the approach to wardrobe, in tandem with costume designer Jacqueline Durran (Vera Drake). He explains, “I find empire line dresses are very ugly, so I did some research. Although the novel was published in 1813, Jane Austen wrote her first draft of Pride and Prejudice, then called First Impressions, around 1797. So we used the fashions of the earlier period, where the waist on dresses was lower and more flattering.

Curiously, the producers of the 1940 P&P thought the same thing, but they changed the setting to the 1840s, resulting in silly Gone With the Wind crinoline dresses. There’s nothing wrong with setting the film in 1796, but they did have a few pretty dresses then, too.

Also, if you’re so damn-fired concerned about “realism,” then how the heck does a man whose fortune is a mere £10,000 per year afford an estate like Chatsworth?

Here endeth the editorial.

In general the synopsis, etc. all sound basically okay except for a few things here and there, which is to be expected. But as a fun parlour game, let’s see how much of the commentary about “gritty realism” shows up in the reviews, with the syncophantic press parroting the company line.

Also, a different Alert Janeite named Jen wrote to let us know that extras in the film (Jen appeared in the scenes at the Meryton assembly and some scenes in the village) have received invitations to a screening of P&P3 on July 30 in Peterborough, near where the Meryton filming took place. Admission is by invitation only.

In other P&P3 news, Wendy Mitchell of indiewire.com saw a screening and liked it in spite of herself.

We received word today that The Democratic Genre: Fan Fiction in a Literary Context by Sheenagh Pugh will go on sale August 1. In this book, Professor Pugh, a lecturer at the University of Glamorgan and a renowned poet, concentrates on the fan fiction of several fandoms, including Jane Austen. From Professor Pugh:

I wrote this book to show how fan fiction fitted into a long tradition of canon writing and how it had evolved today. Friends within the community, and many writers I didn’t know, gave me their co-operation, which is why I’ve been able to quote so much, not only fiction but writers’ observations on how they work.

I’ve discussed all manner of fandoms, including Austen, Hornblower, Blakes 7, Discworld, The Bill, Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Holmes and others too numerous to mention. Gen, het, slash, metafic, fan poetry, serial stories, drabbles. If you want to read about the workings of the Live Kennedy Universe, J K Rowling’s attitude to fan fiction or the effect of the Trousers of Time on character death in Discworld fic, it’s here. As are parallels between the way profic and fanfic writers use drabbles, play intertextual games and discuss male vulnerability.

Disclaimer: the Editrix is one of the authors quoted in the book. Dorothy has a space on the bookshelf all ready for it, with a little vase of fresh flowers beside. We are trying to ascertain if the book will be available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, so stay tuned.

Alert Janeite Laura sent us links to several other upcoming books of interest: nonfiction, paraliterature, audiobooks, and more. Jane is hot right now! (more…)

Fiona McCade writes about confinement, Jane Austen-style, at scotsman.com.

WHEN I WAS about 17, I realised that I had read all but one of Jane Austen’s works. This was a bit of a blow to my youthful sensibility, because I couldn’t bear to think that I’d never have the joy of discovering another Austen book afresh. So I decided I’d save that final novel and assiduously avoid ever finding out about the plot or the characters until I was good and ready to read it.

Then the question arose of when the best time for this indulgence would be – how long to hoard this prize?

For the teenage me, the answer was easy. The ideal time to read Persuasion would be when I was pregnant, because when you’re pregnant, you just lie around and do nothing for nine months, don’t you?

Alert Janeite Cordelia sent us a link to an entry at the Open Writing ‘zine that is a Douglas Adamesque take on how Jane Austen got her ideas.

Jane often reminded her sister that she was free to write her own stories, which would be better than commenting critically on her own work. She was particularly incensed by the pettiness of some of her remarks.

“I don’t think Daneford-Yersley is a good name for this family you’re writing about. Sounds too, well, pretentious,” said Cassandra.

“So you would call them …?”

“Something much more simple, say, Robinson or – I know! – Bennet. That’s it: Bennet. That would fit in very nicely, I think. Certainly not Daneford-Yersley. People would laugh at that.”

[. . .]

That is why instead of Edward Batbroke we have William Collins, instead of Baroness Mountkreisen we have Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Sir Denzil Potts became plain George Wickham.

It’s hard to explain, but amusing. Just go read it. After all, for what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours and laugh at them in our turn?

The fantasy of women worldwide: Mr. Darcy serves them coffee.

British heart-throb COLIN FIRTH has taken time out from acting to serve up coffees in global cafe chain Progreso – and his temporary career change is all in the name of fair trade.

The LOVE ACTUALLY star is a director of the high street coffee shops, which aim to solve the trade crisis that currently plagues coffee growers all over the world.

And Firth is happy to get involved and whip up a cappuccino, although he leaves his London customers unfazed at being served by a celebrity.

He says, “Having (my PRIDE AND PREJUDICE character) MR DARCY serve the coffee is a practical way of using my profile without giving everyone ear-ache.

“People seemed to think there was nothing more normal than having me serve their cappuccinos and espressos.”

Ha!

For those of you who can’t get enough P&P3, Alert Janeite Marybeth wrote to tell us that she has started a Yahoo Group specifically for discussion of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE 2005.

Alert Janeite Marybeth sent us a link to an interview with J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter novels and Friend of Jane, in which she mentions Jane Austen.

Zoe Brennan for The Sun – If you could choose to be anyone in history, who would you be and why?

JK Rowling: Anyone in history?

Yeah.

JK Rowling: Oh gosh. You see, the people I admire most, people like Jane Austen, I do not think had particularly happy lives, so I would not really want to live their lives. Then you could be selfish and choose to be someone like Henry the 8th who lived for pleasure, but I would not want to do that either.

To be honest with you, I am a very happy person, I can’t think of anyone I would rather be at the moment.

Well, we like to think Jane’s life was not exactly terrible, but she probably would have liked a bit of Ms. Rowling’s dosh.

Alert Janeite Sophia J also sent us a link to the following quote by J.K. Rowling.

Jane Austen is the pinnacle to which all other authors aspire.

Pretty much, yes.

P.S. For those who have read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Ginny Weasley is Anne Elliot. Discuss.

We have posted this link in the past, but newer AustenBlog readers may not have seen it, and we would not want anyone to miss it.

The Alberta Burke Notebooks at Goucher College is a fascinating site for Janeites. Mrs. Burke was a lifelong collector of Austeniana. From the 1930s through 1973, Mrs. Burke kept notebooks in which she pasted articles about Jane Austen and anything to do with Jane Austen in popular culture–including many articles about P&P0, the Broadway musical version of P&P, etc. There is also correspondence with dealers from which she bought letters written by Jane Austen, first editions of the novels (Emma, uncut and in boards, for £135, and a first edition of NA for SEVEN POUNDS. We are not making this up). She bequeathed the notebooks to the Julia Rogers Library of Goucher College, which has imaged the notebooks and other materials and placed them online.

Mrs. Burke’s husband, Henry, was one of the founders of the Jane Austen Society of North America.

Be warned, one can spend hours browsing this fascinating collection!

Paul from KeiraWeb.com has given us a treasure! He captured the segment from the television programme “Flog It!” that was filmed at Chawton, showing some of the Austen memorabilia, including first editions of all the novels–both an uncut, unbound edition of S&S and all of Edward Austen Knight’s copies of the novels, bound for his library, much as Mr. Darcy would have done for the library at Pemberley. There is also a letter written by Jane, the table where she wrote, and other items. The host gets all the history spot-on, which is nearly unknown on these types of shows–we usually end up throwing at least one soft item at the telly when there’s something on about Jane.

The files are on the main page at KeiraWeb.com in two parts, or here are direct links:

Part One (4.5 Mb)
Part Two (6.5 Mb)

PLEASE REMEMBER TO RIGHT-CLICK AND DOWNLOAD THE FILES TO YOUR OWN COMPUTER! Even the gerbil on the wheel that powers the computer at AustenBlog World Headquarters had no objection to the downloads, and the time spent is worth it. The files will play in Windows Media Player, or Paul suggests downloading the VLC Player, which plays many different media types.

Many thanks to Paul for the lovely treat!