Alert Janeite Maisy sent us a link to a post at the IMDB stating that the “agent breakdown” went out “last week” (the post is dated January 9), which means casting for the series will start very, very soon if it hasn’t already. Wonder if they’ve been reading up on viewer opinions here? Hmmm.
Jessica Irene attended a booksigning by Pamela Aidan, author of the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman series, at Third Place Books Lake Forest Park, Seattle, Washington, on January 17, 2007, and was kind enough to send AustenBlog a report and photos. Click on the thumbnails to see larger versions of the photos.
Pamela started the evening with asking for shows of hands of how many present were Jane Austen lovers. The audience of about 35 women raised their hands. She asked how many felt P&P was their favorite; most raised their hands. Then she asked how many felt Persuasion was their second favorite, and about a third raised their hands (I raised mine as well, though Persuasion is my very first favorite). She then told us that we were in good company, that this was exactly the way she felt, this love for Darcy and Elizabeth; she had first read Jane in high school and had “fallen in love”, seeing Jane’s novels as her “comfort books”. In 1995 she saw the A&E version of P&P, which she said started a “Jane Austen revival and explosion” and she felt she “could not get enough of the film” and “wanted more”. (more…)
Alert Janeite Zoe sent us a link to an article listing the hardest novels to film. No, Jane Austen’s novels are NOT included on the list.
While many novels can be almost directly translated to screen, especially pre-20th century novels such as Jane Austen’s gossip columns, more recent novels can prove difficult.
*brushes dust off Cluebat, fondles it lovingly*
Perhaps if Jane, like J.D. Salinger or Jasper Fforde (who probably should be on that list as well), were actually around to prevent filmmakers from adapting her novels–or at least keeping them on their toes when they do–know-it-all film writers would understand that her novels are much, much more than “gossip columns.” Just saying.
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