and now for the rant inspiring side of the meme
I was hoping to catch up before my birthday in *squints* forty minutes (though I guess I can give myself until 8:10, haha), which seems fairly unlikely. But, more!
Day 16: Which is your least favourite film adaptation?
This won't surprise my f-list, but would surprise pretty much anyone else:
The 1995 Pride and Prejudice mini-series. Yeah, I’m going there. it’s not the worst by any stretch of the imagination. It’s more engaging than the 1979 mini-series and more accurate than the 1940 or 2005 films, a pretty good production in itself and a reasonably competent adaptation and, dear Lord, I hate it so much.
There are a few things that really rub me the wrong way, definitely. Very little before or since can equal my burning hatred of brooding, gloomy, scowly, agonized, vaguely Byronic Darcy, where the original smiles, or picks fights because he likes arguing, or retreats into his turtleshell of awkwardness. I think rearranging his letter and cutting out the final line (“I will only add, God bless you”) was a monumentally poor choice, that we really didn’t need Wickham flirting with eleven-year-old Georgiana, that Mrs Bennet and Mr Collins are ridiculously overwrought, etc etc.
But there are enough good things that I’d probably have the same qualified enjoyment I do of the 2005 ones if it weren’t for people treating it like it was the one true adaptation of ultimate destiny, and especially Colin Firth’s Darcy. There’s so much that is distinctly altered from the novel, or made up out of cloth, to make him a more appealing alpha male romance hero (TM), down to dying his eyebrows, and yet people go on and on and on about how completely faithful it is and how Colin Firth’s Darcy is exactly Austen’s and how could anyone else’s Darcy improve on it??? I don’t know, maybe one that SMILED ONCE IN A WHILE.
AND it’s pervaded popular consciousness so much that every discussion, every article, every subsequent adaptation is enormously influenced by it and the fanon it spawned. And then people go and criticize Austen for things that Andrew Davies invented. Uggggh, it’s like that ship that isn’t that bad, really, but you end up despising it because the shippers are so obnoxious.
Tumblr tags:
#i hate this like a dozen lieumons #not actually colin firth's fault though #i blame andrew davies for everything #and especially for his shitty fanon #~darcy is so dark and brooding~ #ewww keira knightley elizabeth shouldn't be thin #jane is a willowy golden beauty #hurst is always drunk and caroline always wears orange and georgiana is a fragile waif #and darcy randomly throws his clothes off to go swimming and agonizes as he fences #mrs bennet is always shrieking and her name is fanny and the gardiners are middle aged and elizabeth constantly quirks her eyebrow #NO HE MADE IT UP #ALL OF IT #it's like if you ask something about the star wars movies #and someone answers with well in the expanded universe... #only a million times more irritating
Day 17: What's the moment that made you sad/cry while reading?"If your abhorrence of me should make my assertions valueless, you cannot be prevented by the same cause from confiding in my cousin; and that there may be the possibility of consulting him, I shall endeavour to find some opportunity of putting this letter in your hands in the course of the morning. I will only add, God bless you."
Damn it. ;_;
Tumblr tags:
#my ambivalence towards the 1995 took a dive towards dislike when they left this out #WHY #how could anyone think that was a good idea
Day 18: What's the moment that made you happy/smile while reading?"Darcy had walked away to another part of the room. She followed him with her eyes, envied every one to whom he spoke, had scarcely patience enough to help anybody to coffee; and then was enraged against herself for being so silly!"
<3 <3 <3 <3
#this is for everyone who goes on about how elizabeth never actually falls for darcy #she just develops a dispassionate appreciation for his character #and his house #nope nope nope #why do the adaptations always omit this scene #it's so cute! #i just imagine her staring longingly at him as she pours some poor neighbour's cup to overflowing #flawless otp
Day 19: What's the moment that made you laugh while reading?
Too many to count"One of Edward’s mistresses was Jane Shore, who has had a play written about her, but it is a tragedy and therefore not worth reading."
Day 20: What's the moment that made you mad while reading?“What sort of a girl is Miss Darcy?”
He shook his head. “I wish I could call her amiable. It gives me pain to speak ill of a Darcy.”
Honestly, there are a lot of options for this one, and it was down to this vs. Mrs Norris. Wickham won out by sheer grossness.
Tumblr tags:
#ngl i'm pretty pissed at elizabeth in this scene too #maybe you might have noticed at some point that it's a little weird for a perfect stranger to be saying all this? #but no it's just a sign of how wonderfully special you are so you don't notice anything #and hey there was truth in his looks! #wow how about no
Day 21: What is your favourite Jane Austen-related photo?
“Selections from my Austen collection,” a photograph by Tumblr/dreamwidth user anghraine.
Seriously, though, it just makes me happy whenever I run across this picture (even if it is missing my annotated/Norton critical editions and my shelf of meta Austen literary criticism). Most of my goals in life have failed! My goal of owning every introduction to Pride and Prejudice that crosses my path has not!
Day 16: Which is your least favourite film adaptation?
This won't surprise my f-list, but would surprise pretty much anyone else:
The 1995 Pride and Prejudice mini-series. Yeah, I’m going there. it’s not the worst by any stretch of the imagination. It’s more engaging than the 1979 mini-series and more accurate than the 1940 or 2005 films, a pretty good production in itself and a reasonably competent adaptation and, dear Lord, I hate it so much.
There are a few things that really rub me the wrong way, definitely. Very little before or since can equal my burning hatred of brooding, gloomy, scowly, agonized, vaguely Byronic Darcy, where the original smiles, or picks fights because he likes arguing, or retreats into his turtleshell of awkwardness. I think rearranging his letter and cutting out the final line (“I will only add, God bless you”) was a monumentally poor choice, that we really didn’t need Wickham flirting with eleven-year-old Georgiana, that Mrs Bennet and Mr Collins are ridiculously overwrought, etc etc.
But there are enough good things that I’d probably have the same qualified enjoyment I do of the 2005 ones if it weren’t for people treating it like it was the one true adaptation of ultimate destiny, and especially Colin Firth’s Darcy. There’s so much that is distinctly altered from the novel, or made up out of cloth, to make him a more appealing alpha male romance hero (TM), down to dying his eyebrows, and yet people go on and on and on about how completely faithful it is and how Colin Firth’s Darcy is exactly Austen’s and how could anyone else’s Darcy improve on it??? I don’t know, maybe one that SMILED ONCE IN A WHILE.
AND it’s pervaded popular consciousness so much that every discussion, every article, every subsequent adaptation is enormously influenced by it and the fanon it spawned. And then people go and criticize Austen for things that Andrew Davies invented. Uggggh, it’s like that ship that isn’t that bad, really, but you end up despising it because the shippers are so obnoxious.
Tumblr tags:
#i hate this like a dozen lieumons #not actually colin firth's fault though #i blame andrew davies for everything #and especially for his shitty fanon #~darcy is so dark and brooding~ #ewww keira knightley elizabeth shouldn't be thin #jane is a willowy golden beauty #hurst is always drunk and caroline always wears orange and georgiana is a fragile waif #and darcy randomly throws his clothes off to go swimming and agonizes as he fences #mrs bennet is always shrieking and her name is fanny and the gardiners are middle aged and elizabeth constantly quirks her eyebrow #NO HE MADE IT UP #ALL OF IT #it's like if you ask something about the star wars movies #and someone answers with well in the expanded universe... #only a million times more irritating
Day 17: What's the moment that made you sad/cry while reading?"If your abhorrence of me should make my assertions valueless, you cannot be prevented by the same cause from confiding in my cousin; and that there may be the possibility of consulting him, I shall endeavour to find some opportunity of putting this letter in your hands in the course of the morning. I will only add, God bless you."
Damn it. ;_;
Tumblr tags:
#my ambivalence towards the 1995 took a dive towards dislike when they left this out #WHY #how could anyone think that was a good idea
Day 18: What's the moment that made you happy/smile while reading?"Darcy had walked away to another part of the room. She followed him with her eyes, envied every one to whom he spoke, had scarcely patience enough to help anybody to coffee; and then was enraged against herself for being so silly!"
<3 <3 <3 <3
#this is for everyone who goes on about how elizabeth never actually falls for darcy #she just develops a dispassionate appreciation for his character #and his house #nope nope nope #why do the adaptations always omit this scene #it's so cute! #i just imagine her staring longingly at him as she pours some poor neighbour's cup to overflowing #flawless otp
Day 19: What's the moment that made you laugh while reading?
Too many to count"One of Edward’s mistresses was Jane Shore, who has had a play written about her, but it is a tragedy and therefore not worth reading."
Day 20: What's the moment that made you mad while reading?“What sort of a girl is Miss Darcy?”
He shook his head. “I wish I could call her amiable. It gives me pain to speak ill of a Darcy.”
Honestly, there are a lot of options for this one, and it was down to this vs. Mrs Norris. Wickham won out by sheer grossness.
Tumblr tags:
#ngl i'm pretty pissed at elizabeth in this scene too #maybe you might have noticed at some point that it's a little weird for a perfect stranger to be saying all this? #but no it's just a sign of how wonderfully special you are so you don't notice anything #and hey there was truth in his looks! #wow how about no
Day 21: What is your favourite Jane Austen-related photo?
“Selections from my Austen collection,” a photograph by Tumblr/dreamwidth user anghraine.
Seriously, though, it just makes me happy whenever I run across this picture (even if it is missing my annotated/Norton critical editions and my shelf of meta Austen literary criticism). Most of my goals in life have failed! My goal of owning every introduction to Pride and Prejudice that crosses my path has not!