Cambridge University Press has set up a dedicated Web site listing the books they have published about Jane Austen, including the new Cambridge editions of Jane Austen’s novels. Nonfiction and criticism available include the Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen, Jane Austen and the Fiction of Her Time by Mary Waldron, the new second edition of Jane Austen: A Family Record by Deirdre LeFaye, and Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen by Fay Weldon (screenwriter of P&P1), all of which currently reside in the Jane Austen Memorial Library and Reading Room at AustenBlog World Headquarters. (Well, only the first edition of the LeFaye–but it’s one of our favorites.)

Brenda Blethyn, who plays Mrs. Bennet in P&P3, has persuaded (tee-hee) the film’s distributors to donate the proceeds of the September 5 premiere at the London Odeon to Barnardo’s, a charity that benefits abused children.

Brenda said: “I have been a supporter of Barnardo’s and the vital work that it does for disadvantaged children for many years and I was determined that the funds raised from the premiere should go to the charity.

“The film is set in the sumptuous world of English country houses and genteel surroundings, and yet so many children in the UK are still living in poverty.

“I think it’s important that people remember this and that funds raised from the premier should help to give children in the UK a better start in life.”

Tickets for the premiere are available for £50.

Our thoughts are with all feeling the effects of the damage wreaked by Hurricane Katrina.

Think about sending the American Red Cross a few dollars or donating blood. They need all the help they can get.

Alert Janeite Mandy wrote to tell us that the very popular P&P retelling, The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy by Mary Street, has been reprinted and is available via Jane Austen Books. The book is No. 251 in the current catalog (scroll down on the page linked) and costs $33. Only 500 copies are available, and Jane Austen Books is the only place in the U.S. to get it, so make haste!

We can speak from experience that Jane Austen Books is a reliable bookseller, so order with confidence. You cannot purchase books online, but they do take phone and fax orders as well as mail order.

Alert Janeite Erandika wrote to tell us that the full U.K. and Ireland site for P&P3 is up and running. It includes some short clips from the film (click on “Pride” and “Prejudice” and then a character name; also click on the links to different characters that pop up at the bottom of the page). There are also screensavers and wallpaper to download. Some of the clips are new, but we cannot tell you which ones as we haven’t the patience to wait for them to download.

Dialup and Flash = NOT perfect together. Grr.

Proofreader’s Corner: They spelt “Prejudice” correctly in the page title, which is still misspelt on the U.S. site, but they should have taken the “test” out, unless this is still a test. Is it?

ETA: GAH! Miss Proofreader McSnarkypants forgot the link. It’s there now.

All the newly-minted Matthew Macfadyen fans (and those who have liked him all along) will be interested in Matthew Macfadyen Online, a fan community with more than 800 members all prepared to gush along with you!

Found in our site stats…a Polish language Jane Austen fan community.

The San Jose Repertory Theatre will put on a stage production of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE from November 30 through December 16. Tickets are available now.

(Via Mercury News)

<Theoden> And so it begins. </Theoden>

The president of the Jane Austen Society of North America, Joan Klingel Ray, has some harsh words for the new film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

Prof Klingel Ray thought that the film’s deviations from the 1813 novel were a step too far. She said the rustic look of the film and the obsession with pitting the action against the elements ensured that the film felt like an adaptation of a Brontë or Bridget Jones novel. “The film is full of sexual imagery which is totally inappropriate to Austen’s novel,” she said. “In one scene a wild boar, which I assume is supposed to represent Darcy, wobbles through a farm with its sexual equipment on show. Also much of the action takes place against tempestuous weather which simply isn’t in the novel. None of this is Jane Austen. The passion in Pride and Prejudice is more of a linguistic affair. I read an interview with the writer when she said she was trying to be honest but honest to whom. I feel the whole thing has been de-Austenised.”

Andrew Davies, screenwriter of P&P2, is loyal to his Darcy.

Andrew Davies, who wrote the screenplay for the renowned BBC adaptation, last night concurred with Jane Austen aficionados and said: “Matthew Macfadyen is a brilliant actor, but I cannot imagine him being as good as Colin Firth.”

Jennifer Ehle, however, summed it up quite well, we thought.

Ehle said: “I remember when we were about to make our version of Pride and Prejudice, there were so many letters to The Times and other newspapers saying how dare the BBC spend money on remaking this when the definitive film version already exists with Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson. So you never know. Nobody owns Pride and Prejudice. It’s out there in the public domain, and it’s good that people are taking a fresh look at it.”

We agree with Professor Ray’s take to the extent that if filmmakers and writers want angst and atmosphere, see the Brontës, not Austen. There is nothing wrong with taking a good critical look at the film (and it’s so good to finally see a review that isn’t enchanted with the freaking “gritty realism”), which after all is using Jane Austen’s popularity to sell the agendas of the writer and director, but we find the whole “competition” thing rather silly. No matter what any of us think of the film, we’ll still have the book, and that is the most important thing. However, we hate for those who will be introduced to Jane Austen through the film to be brought to expect something different from the “light, bright and sparkling” delight that Jane gave us.

According to Waveguide, BBC Four will rebroadcast P&P2 in September, ten years after it was first broadcast, along with a documentary (probably a rebroadcast of the tenth anniversary P&P2 documentary).

Thanks to Paul from KeiraWeb.com for the link.

KeiraWeb.com has scans of two new articles featuring P&P3, with lots of pictures. In the article from Film Now, Miss Knightley compares and contrasts the experience of filming P&P with filming DOMINO. We very much liked the photo of Lizzy with her hair down and wrapped in a pretty shawl; that’s more how we think Lizzy Bennet should look! (We were also much amused at the photos of Miss Knightley as Domino wearing a leather motorcycle jacket, ripped jeans and a negligently draped scarf, as we had a similar outfit back in the 1990s. That was a way cool outfit.)

In the Empire article, director Joe Wright talks about how he set out to “reinvent the costume drama.” We were not aware it required such, but there you go. The last page includes a review of the film; looks like no smooching. (Shouldn’t Mr. Collins be contemptible?)

Also, the Yorkshire Post has an article about the filming that took place at Chatsworth.

About a month ago, we posted about advice offered by “Ask Amy” in which a teenager fond of matchmaking and giving advice to her friends was advised to read Emma. It appears that we were not the only ones who noticed:

Dear Amy:

As president of The Jane Austen Society of North America, I compliment you on what Emma Woodhouse would call your “capital performance” in suggesting to the “Advice Goddess” that she read “Emma.”

Indeed, it is a truth universally acknowledged that despite being a spinster-writer from the 18th-century English countryside, Jane Austen knew a great deal about male/female relationships. Your writing, “Don’t even get me started on the horrifying prospect of 15-year-olds having sex,” reminds me that Jane Austen actually dealt in “Pride and Prejudice” with the problems of a 15-year-old having sex.

Not every 15-year-old has Mr. Darcy to ride to the rescue. This is why a good dose of Jane Austen or even Jane Austen “lite” (the films) is always good for you!

Joan Klingel Ray, Ph.D.

Jane Austen’s current popularity proves that her favorite theme — love (both familial and romantic) — is timeless.

Thanks to Alert Janeite Kathy for sending the link!

Alert Janeite Kirsty sent us a link at Working Title Films’ site to download a voucher for September 12 preview screenings of P&P3 at various U.K. locations. You must register with the WT Club to download the voucher.

Alert Janeite Kimberly sent us a link to purchase an American Library Association poster of Keira Knightley holding a copy of Pride and Prejudice to encourage reading! Huzzah! A bookmark and keychain are also available.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that an editorial of good quality must be in want of a Jane Austen reference; or so freelance writer Neely Steinberg believes. In today’s “My View” column in the Boston Metro, Steinberg brings the romance of Lizzy and Darcy into the twenty-first century:

Close your eyes and try to imagine the following: Mr. Darcy, the memorable character from Jane Austen’s famous novel Pride and Prejudice [sic], sitting atop his finest steed with a cell phone in hand. Instead of asking the lovely Elizabeth Bennett[sic] in person if she’d like to attend dinner at his glorious Pemberley estate, he grabs his Blackberry and texts her a short message: “I want 2 c u 2nite, stop by ltr if u can.” Minutes later, he receives a response from Miss Bennett[sic]: “will be there w/Jane @ 9, c u soon.”

This is not the first Jane Austen plug Steinberg has made. In late July, we were delighted to read an editorial about Marianne (or “Maryanne”, as Steinberg chooses to spell it) Dashwood being a frontrunner for the modern-day woman leading to the destruction of her own romance. Unfortunately, we cannot reproduce the text here for our readers, due to a certain Underling/Reporter having already taken out the recycling bins this week.

To read the article, you must have Adobe Acrobat reader, which is available for free online. The editorial is on page 8.

Writing a story in the first person is the purest form of character study. The writer does not even have the comfort of authorial omniscience to fall back upon; she must soldier on with telling the story despite her protagonist’s personal quirks (such as pride and vanity) through which the events of the story must filter.

Amanda Grange is not the first intrepid author to shoulder the task of retelling Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy’s point of view, nor is she the first to employ first person or even the journal format. Previous such attempts have resulted in works that ranged from quite good to puerile nonsense, but Darcy fans may rest easy, for Darcy’s Diary is an enjoyable journey into the mind of one of the most popular characters in literary history. (more…)

Paul from KeiraWeb.com writes to tell us that the screening of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE at the Toronto International Film Festival will take place on September 11 at 6:30 p.m.

Debbie Jordan writes a column about Jane Austen’s novels for TriValleyCentral.com. Ms. Jordan is clearly attempting to lure nonJaneites into reading her novels, an endeavour we heartily applaud, but we were a trifle startled when the author refers to Mr. Knightley by his Christian name!

The element that sets “Emma” apart from Austen’s other novels is the fact that there is no class conflict between the wealthy neighbors who’ve known each other since Emma was born. The book tells the story of Emma’s often comic meddling in other people’s lives as George gently tutors her in the responsibilities she will one day assume as lady of the manor-his manor!

Brave indeed!

The Ellsworth, Maine American tells us that the first recorded mention of sponge-cake is in a letter written by Jane Austen in 1808.

No one seems to know exactly when sponge cakes first appeared on the dessert table — the first mention recorded was in a letter written by Jane Austen in 1808 (and yes — she liked them).

The full quote, if anyone is interested, is: “You know how interesting the purchase of a sponge-cake is to me.”

Several readers have sent in Jane sightings that are small, but prove that she is a permanent and important part of the cultural landscape.

Alert Janeite Sarah wrote to tell us:

Someone at the New York Times must be an Austen fan. The inside headline on a talent developer in today’s arts section was “The Force Behind the Fresh Faces of “Lizzie’ and ‘Darcy’”. (The person profiled created the shows “Lizzie McGuire” and “Darcy’s Wild Life”). You
can’t see this on the web, since it is the inside headline, but it’s in the print edition.

In a similar story, the Editrix has a friend who, like many P&P2 fans, often watches her tapes of that film. One day her toddler son repeatedly asked to see a “Lizzie” tape, then protested when she put in a Lizzie McGuire tape. Turned out he wanted “Lizzy”–P&P2!

Alert Janeite Allison also wrote to tell us about a Jane Austen reference in a mystery, It’s a Mod, Mod, Mod, Mod Murder by Rosemary Martin (Signet, 2005). Here is Allison’s description:

It’s 1964, and a young innocent, Elizabeth Bennett, is shortening her skirts and putting on her go-go boots to impress her boss, top executive in a recording company.

“You see, my mother, a true Jane Austen fan, had taken advantage of marrying a man with the last name of Bennett and had named me Elizabeth after the main character in Pride and Prejudice. Being a thoroughly modern woman [the joke is, of course, that she isn’t], I had gone by Bebe since I turned twelve,” says the heroine, who rooms with a swinging stewardess and is clueless about the latter’s activities in the Mile-high Club. “You mean you got together with a group of people who’d all been to Denver, the Mile-high City?” Bebe asks.

There’s no other reference to Austen in this cute murder mystery, and no apparent reason to drag dear Jane into it, except that perhaps it gives an aura of wholesome innocence to Bebe as she races to solve the murder of the front singer of a British pop band.

It sounds to us a little like the “Jaine Austen Mysteries;” we only read the first, but it really had nothing to do with Jane (no I) Austen except for some bad jokes about the main character’s name and an echo of the plot of P&P that we are not entirely sure was intentional.

Jane Austen truly is everywhere!

Alert Janeite Alison wrote to tell us that Classic FM radio in the U.K. is giving away tickets to a special preview screening of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE on September 4 at various locations across the U.K. See details at the link above.

Alison warns that one must present oneself at a cinema on the list in person with the printed voucher from the Web site. They will not give out the tickets via e-mail or phone and each person will only be issued two tickets. Also she said that it took her a while to explain what she was talking about, so be prepared to deal with uninformed personnel, and be polite, as Jane would wish you to be!

We suggest that you take advantage of this great offer as soon as possible, as the tickets will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.

In other P&P3 news, Alert Janeite Erandika sent a link to an article in the Telegraph about the stately houses used as locations for the film. We confess to being a trifle taken aback by the comments about Longbourn:

And what we get is not, as expected, the flower of England wrapped in celluloid. We get houses on Viagra - Chatsworth as Darcy’s Pemberley, Burghley as Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s country seat - but we also see the Bennet family and its surfeit of unmarried daughters squawking and giggling in an intimate, wonderfully chaotic, atmospheric house. This is a place where dresses are made in the kitchen, ducks and pigs snuffle in a muddy farmyard, old retainers look almost too arthritic to work, the paint is scuffed and the daughters’ bedroom walls are daubed with découpage, the 18th-century equivalent of the bedroom poster. A modern-day estate agent surveying the scene would raise an eyebrow and note: “In need of renovation.”

[. . .]

So while the Bingleys and Darcy inhabit houses of immense sophistication, Groombridge becomes the home of a family on the slide. The property had to be mussed up to reflect the shabby chic of the book’s Longbourn. “I would describe it as faded grandeur,” says Jill Todd, the house manager. “It took a number of weeks to change the house for gentry who were falling on hard times.”

We were amused by the commentary on Chatsworth:

Chatsworth, Derbyshire, as Darcy’s estate, Pemberley. A perfect choice, as the house - still owned by the present Duke of Devonshire - is designed to be seen across the Capability Brown parkland, its classical stone finery sitting in the bosom of the Peak District National Park. The 175 rooms are stuffed with marble, gilt, painted ceilings, alabaster carvings and statues, which Elizabeth Bennet ponders (lingering longer than she should on the naked male statues). Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire, one of the Mitford girls, has always believed that Jane Austen modelled Pemberley on Chatsworth.

Many thanks, as always, to our alert readers for sending in these links.

It looks like U.K. Janeites will have a Pride and Prejudice-full September this year!

Paul from KeiraWeb.com sent us the date of the broadcast of the tenth anniversary documentary about P&P2. It will be shown on September 13th at 10:35 p.m. on BBC1.