We are fond of a good haiku, and David M. Bader has written a book that boils down the greatest works of literature to three lines, including Pride and Prejudice.

Single white lass seeks

landed gent for marriage, whist.

No parsons, thank you.

Insert your own Mr. Darcy/Nirvana joke here.

We need to turn our mind to Northanger Abbey via haiku, then chant Henryyyyyy…Henryyyyyyy…

Peterborough Today has an report on the special preview screening of P&P3 for the film’s extras, filed by “foot soldier” Mark Pearson.

And so, when on Saturday morning co-producer Jane Frazer welcomed us to the private showing, six weeks before its national release, at Showcase Cinema in Boongate, Peterborough, I was delighted.

She told us: “This showing is in gratitude to the hard work and laughter we shared in Stamford last summer.

“We are extremely proud of the film, and we hope you enjoy watching it, as much as we did making it.”

Also, an article in the Herald on Foley artists, who provide sound effects, mentions the film.

Still star struck enough to balance his 11-stone weight on a pair of sling-back kitten heels, Chiles took himself to Shepperton studios where Peter Burgiss, a footsteps virtuoso, put him through his paces for impersonating the delicate tread of Keira Knightley in a new Pride and Prejudice production. Ah well, cinema is nothing if not make-believe.

Finally, DVD Times tells us that the DVD for THE INTERPRETER contains a trailer for the film. But we’ve all pretty much downloaded it by now, haven’t we?

The Editrix’s v. exciting birthday weekend c’est fini, and we have a bit of a backlog of news about the only subject that seems to interest anyone around here anymore. Not that we’re bitter or anything. A trifle weary of the hype, perhaps; but nose to the grindstone and all that.

Alert Janeites Kerstin and Sonja of Jane Austen Freunde were fortunate enough to obtain passes to an advance screening of P&P3 in Hamburg. Their reviews have now been translated into English. From Sonja’s review:

It was also clear that the film would simplify and abridge, not least because of the movie theatre format. But the abridgements have been made with great care. Naturally, some things have also been made simpler to make the film more suitable for Hollywood, but this has also been done with a sense of proportion.

And Kerstin said:

The audience also definitely liked the film. There were applause during and after the film and I think that this version will again produce some more Jane Austen fans!

That’s the kind of thing we like to hear!

Alert Janeite Julia sent a tip that Jeffrey Wells’ column from hollywood-elsewhere.com talks about the building Oscar buzz, including P&P3.

Word is Just Starting on Pride & Prejudice, and While It May Not Be The Second Coming…: “I think when it comes to your Oscar forecastings you can’t ignore this one,” a New York journo told me this morning. “Focus has pushed it back to November so it will get more attention, and it deserves a look. It’s quite good with has a top-notch cast. I think Matthew Macfadyen is gonna get lots of attention as Mr. Darcy, and Brenda Blethyn looks like Supporting Actress material as Mrs. Bennet.”

For those readers who think November cannot arrive soon enough, Alert Janeite Cindy sent a link to a site where one can purchase a copy of the script for the low-low price of $14.88. Be sure to read the FAQ, and be aware that this is not a shooting copy but a reproduction, and also remember that scripts change during filming and films change in editing, but it could be a fun collectible item.

Joanna Briscoe writes about the film in Times, and has clearly read the production notes and is onboard with the “gritty reality” thing. Curiously, she also writes:

But Austen was a novelist for whom the Napoleonic wars were merely glimpsed through the drawing- room window

Yes, because we are certain that Jane Austen never spoke to two of her brothers, who were naval officers in the Napoleonic Wars. Hard to believe she was able to write so convincingly about the Napoleonic-era navy in Mansfield Park and Persuasion. Sheesh.

(Use bugmenot.com if you need a password to read the article.)

And finally, proving that the crack AustenBlog staff leaves no stone unturned in our quest to bring our readers all the news on P&P3 that’s fit to blog, we have an article from the increasingly hilarious contactmusic.com that tells of a problem encountered by Brenda Blethyn during filming. We hope that morsel finishes off your daily meal of P&P3 news with a flourish; or a buzz, as it were.