Sorry for bringing in a metaphor from another fandom, but we feel a bit like King Theoden before the Battle of Helms Deep right now: knowing that we are hopelessly outnumbered by the evil army of Uruk-hai attempting to destroy civilization as we know it. Yet we battle on, in the face of hopeless odds, and we fear we have no Aragorn (or even a Henry Tilney) to fight at our side. Le sigh.

Baz Bamigboye fires off the first round in the publicity war for BECOMING JANE with a fluff piece about Anne Hathaway’s cricket skills in the Daily Mail.

Not only that, she plays a mean game of cricket, too, hitting a six with ease in a scene in the film which also stars James McAvoy, who’s very good as a young lawyer who initially gets Ms Austen’s goat by being pompous and ill-mannered.

*clutches head in hands, wills it to not explode*

Anne went directly from filming the hit The Devil Wears Prada into preparations to portray the novelist who gave us Pride And Prejudice and five other classic novels, all of which are cleverly alluded to in director Julian Jarrold’s beautiful movie, written by Kevin Hood and Sarah Williams.

Yes, because a silly girl like Jane Austen couldn’t have made up six whole books out of her purty little head! Oh no! She was influenced by her own life only! She never left her little village, what did she know of the big wide world? What could she have to say to us 200 years later?

The Times is not to be left out of the torturing-the-Editrix fun and games, with a blurb in their roundup of upcoming films of 2007; further indication of how the studio will be rolling with their publicity.

Another Brit project with its eye on the prizes is Becoming Jane (March 9), the story, purportedly based on fact, of how Jane Austen’s romance with a young Irish lawyer shaped her sensibility and fuelled her fiction. The American actress Anne Hathaway makes a compelling author; and as her suitor, Laurence Fox, son of James, proves that dynasty still has impressive legs. Be warned: the ending is a three-hankie blub-fest.

Just kill us now.

Thanks to several Alert Janeites who sent us these links - Amo, Jessica Irene, and Franka.

Several Alert Janeites sent us a link to an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer about Pamela Aidan, the author of the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy (reviewed for AustenBlog by MJ Ryan). Every correspondent mentioned that the article stated Ms. Aidan met her husband when he wrote to her in response to her first postings–as Mr. Darcy!

We’re still sitting here waiting for Henry Tilney to write to us…hrmph.

Thanks to Alert Janeites Julie T, Katie, and Jessica Irene for sending the link!

In a list of books that “An Anonymous Publishing Insider” claims that one “should not bother” to read is Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park.

Why you shouldn’t read it Whilst Austen’s other novels are full of flighty and fabulous females Mansfield Park heroine Fanny Price is righteous, meek and dull. In the face of dubious morality our hero Fanny simply wrings her hands in a worried manner. Readers will have a hard time feeling empathy or even interest. And that’s despite the fact she cops off with her cousin. Mansfield Park does, however, hold the comedy honour of having spawned endless discussion in online forums, amusingly named The Fanny Wars.

Bluffers guide Plain, poor, do-gooder Fanny is sent to live with well-off but entirely unpleasant cousins, the Bertrams when her own family’s fortunes are wrecked by her father’s drinking. Vice, vacuous libertines, and carefully tended gardens, threatening to go to seed, await her in their lavish mansion. Remember the bit about gardens - you can hold it up as a laboured metaphor for the creeping wildness of the family. Fanny’s virtue and chastity come under fierce attack from suave neighbour Henry Crawford, unfortunately they are saved by her equally dreary cousin Edmund. Plus, they’re all rich on the back of slavery, scum.

We disagree with this very strongly, despite our continuing Issues with Edmund Bertram. Mansfield Park can be a difficult novel to enjoy. We find most of the characters unlikable, and the story is perhaps a trifle preachy. However, we studied the book pretty thoroughly this past year in preparation for the JASNA AGM, which featured MP as the theme, and while it is not our favorite, we cannot say it (or any other Jane Austen novel for that matter) is not worth reading.

Also we suggest that readers forget Edward Said and look at the single slavery reference in the novel, as well as other themes and images of imprisonment and restriction, in relation to the plight of dependent women in Jane Austen’s society. That might lead you down some interesting paths, especially when you read Emma in the same light.

Thanks to Alert Janeite Julie T for the link!