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Archive for the 'Jane Austen Films' Category
A Pride and Prejudice Christmas Song-What Jane Austen Sent to Me
Posted in Jane Austen Films, Jane Austen's World, Mr.Darcy, Pride & Prejudice 1995, Regency Christmas Traditions, tagged Jane Austen Christmas Carol on December 20, 2020| 11 Comments »
Inquiring readers, I first read Pride and Prejudice when I was fourteen years old. The novel was a Christmas gift from my parents. One of the first Christmas songs this Dutch girl learned in English was "The Twelve Days of Christmas," a song that was popularized in an arrangement by Frederic Austin in 1909. We all know the tune, but do we know the words as Jane Austen wrote them? After singing the song, please stay to answer a few questions.–Enjoy & Merry Christmas! Vic
On the first day of Christmas, Jane Austen sent to me
A HERO named Mister Darcy
On the second day of Christmas, Jane Austen sent to me
Two wise Bennet girls, and
On the third day of Christmas, Jane Austen sent to me
Three various suitors,
On the fourth day of Christmas, Jane Austen sent to me
Four Bingley dances,
On the fifth day of Christmas, Jane Austen sent to me
FIVE S.I.N.G.L.E GIRLS!
A HERO named Mister Darcy!
On the sixth day of Christmas, Jane Austen sent to me
Six accomplished women
On the seventh day of Christ mas, Jane Austen sent to me
Seven days at Hunsford
On the eighth day of Christmas, Jane Austen sent to me
Eight charms of Wickham
On the ninth day of Christmas, Jane Austen sent to me
[Verse 10]
On the tenth day of Christmas, Jane Austen sent to me
Lydia eloping
On the eleventh day of Christmas, Jane Austen sent to me
Lizzy's eyes a' opening
On the twelfth day of Christmas, Jane Austen sent to me
L C's condescensions
Now, Gentle Readers, I shall pose a few questions. How do you respond to Pride and Prejudice? How are you disposed towards a few characters? (Your opinions are most welcome.) As you can see, I favor the 1995 Firth/Ehle film version of P&P! So, don't be shy in sharing your thoughts.
L C's condescension: In your estimation, what is the most memorable Lady Catherine de Bourgh's condescending statement?
Lizzy's eyes a' opening: What events changed Elizabeth's attitude towards Mr. Darcy? Which one stands out in your mind?
Lydia eloping: How old was Lydia when she ran off with Mr. Wickham? What, in her naivete, did she hope her life would have been like with him, away from her family?
Nine ladies dancing: Think of the ladies Austen mentioned in Pride and Prejudice. Which women would have most likely danced at the Netherfield Ball?
Eight charms of Wickham: Can you name Mr. Wickham's charms, be they true or false, as Austen described them?
Seven days at Hunsford: How did Lizzy spend her days at Hunsford? What memorable scenes occurred during this time?
Six accomplished women: Who first mentioned six accomplished women? How did the conversation come up and where?
Please name all the five single girls and their primary characteristic (in your opinion).
Four Bingley dances: This phrase refers to an event at the beginning of the novel.
Three various suitors: Name all the suitors you can think of in the novel. Who had three? Who are they?
Two wise Bennet girls: Who are they? How would you personally describe them?
A HERO named Mister Darcy! Why are we so mesmerized by Austen's most memorable hero? What are the characteristics that make him stand out to you?
After this C.E. Brock composite image of Pride and Prejudice, I've added my own observations to a few of the questions. Thank you for participating. May you have a lovely holiday season. Please love and take care of each other in your family, your neighbors, and your community.
Lady Susan and Reginald De Courcy: "The Spell is Removed"
Posted in Jane Austen Films, Jane Austen Novels, Jane Austen's World, tagged 2020 JASNA AGM, Kate Beckinsale, Lady Susan, Love & Friendship Movie, Reginald De Courcy, Theresa Kenney on November 18, 2020| 17 Comments »
The JASNA AGM recently closed its workshops to online viewing. It was held virtually in early October. One workshop that resonated with me was Professor Theresa Kenney's discussion of Reginald De Courcy as the hero in Lady Susan, an epistolary novel written by Jane Austen in 1794-95, when she was 19 to 20 years of age. I had the pleasure of viewing some pages of the manuscript during the exhibit about Jane Austen's Life and Legacy in 2009 at The Morgan Library in New York. It was the first time that I saw Jane's handwriting on a page close up and I felt as thrilled as a teenage groupie seeing her heart throb idol in person. As soon as I returned home I read the novel.
Seven years later, two friends and I saw "Love and Friendship," in which Kate Beckinsale played the conniving Lady Susan Vernon. Needless to say, after viewing Professor Kenney's AGM presentation, I rewatched the film and was struck by its faithfulness to Austen's novella. It helped that the script took advantage of entire swaths of Austen's dialogue in letters written by the main characters.
Professor Kenney in a talk entitled "Abjuring All Future Attachments: Concluding Lady Susan" spoke about the youthful Austen's experimentation with Reginald as the hero. His status is not at first obvious. We know about him largely through the strong women swirling around his life and who write about him: his sister, Catherine Vernon; his mother, Lady De Courcy; Catherine's widowed sister-in-law, Lady Susan Vernon; and Lady S's confidant, Mrs. Alicia Johnson. These main characters reveal much about themselves as they write their true opinions of others behind their backs against the polite, entirely false conversation they engage in when speaking in person.
Deceptions and manipulations abound:
The central character is beautiful, mature Lady Susan, the daughter of a peer, widow of Vernon (no first name), who must find refuge after her dalliance with the very much married Mr. Mainwaring, in whose house she was a guest. And so Lady S appeals to the only available persons left to her, the reluctant Catherine Vernon, whose marriage she attempted to block to her brother-in-law, Charles Vernon. Catherine is no fool and has taken Lady S's measure:
"…if I had not known how much she has always disliked me for marrying Mr. Vernon, and that we had never met before, I should have imagined her an attached friend…She is clever and agreeable, has all that knowledge of the world which makes conversation easy, and talks very well, with a happy command of language, which is too often used, I believe, to make black appear white.- Catherine Vernon to Reginald De Courcy. Letter, VI
Reginald De Courcy, Catherine's brother, having heard no good news about the beautiful widow, and influenced by his sister and mother, is disposed to dislike her, that is until he meets her and she wraps him around her little finger.
And so the fun begins, Austen style:
According to Prof. Kenney, Reginald's character is more akin to Marianne Dashwood, Edmund Bertram, Harriet Smith, and Edward Ferrars, who fall violently in love with the wrong person and then miraculously recover a short time later to find a love worthy of them. Kenney termed this phenomenon "shifting affections." Young Reginald is easily influenced in falling in love with the wrong person. At twenty-three he is quite young and still malleable, a fact not lost on the opportunistic Lady Susan or on his mother and sister, who are alarmed. Catherine writes to her mother, Lady De Courcy:
My dear Mother,—You must not expect Reginald back again for some time. He desires me to tell you that the present open weather induces him to accept Mr. Vernon's invitation to prolong his stay in Sussex, that they may have some hunting together. He means to send for his horses immediately, and it is impossible to say when you may see him in Kent. I will not disguise my sentiments on this change from you, my dear mother, though I think you had better not communicate them to my father, whose excessive anxiety about Reginald would subject him to an alarm which might seriously affect his health and spirits. Lady Susan has certainly contrived, in the space of a fortnight, to make my brother like her. … I am, indeed, provoked at the artifice of this unprincipled woman; what stronger proof of her dangerous abilities can be given than this perversion of Reginald's judgment, which when he entered the house was so decidedly against her! – Letter VIII
In the next letter, we gain a good sense of Alicia Johnson, Lady Susan's confidant and partner in the devious plans intended to ensnare her unsuspecting victim.
My dearest Friend,—I congratulate you on Mr. De Courcy's arrival, and I advise you by all means to marry him; his father's estate is, we know, considerable, and I believe certainly entailed. Sir Reginald is very infirm, and not likely to stand in your way long. I hear the young man well spoken of; and though no one can really deserve you, my dearest Susan, Mr. De Courcy may be worth having. – Mrs. Johnson to Lady S, Letter IX
This novella is filled with strong women. Two who will move heaven and earth to protect brother and son, and two who behave like a pair of rats intent on devouring the last piece of cheese in an alley. Interestingly, we only hear directly from Reginald in three letters. For much of the novel we see him only through the words and opinions of others, but some of those words are revealing. When his father sends him a letter of alarm due to Lady S's increasing influence over him, Reginald tries to soothe him.
The father emplores him in Letter XII:
"I hope, my dear Reginald, that you will be superior to such as allow nothing for a father's anxiety, and think themselves privileged to refuse him their confidence and slight his advice. You must be sensible that as an only son, and the representative of an ancient family, your conduct in life is most interesting to your connections; and in the very important concern of marriage especially, there is everything at stake—your own happiness, that of your parents, and the credit of your name."
To which Reginald answers:
"My dear Sir,—I have this moment received your letter, which has given me more astonishment than I ever felt before. I am to thank my sister, I suppose, for having represented me in such a light as to injure me in your opinion, and give you all this alarm…I entreat you, my dear father, to quiet your mind, and no longer harbour a suspicion which cannot be more injurious to your own peace than to our understandings. I can have no other view in remaining with Lady Susan, than to enjoy for a short time (as you have yourself expressed it) the conversation of a woman of high intellectual powers."
He goes on in a quite lengthy letter to blame his sister's prejudice for not forgiving Lady S in opposing her marriage to Charles, and is convinced that the world has injured the Lady by questioning her motives, etc. etc. Yet Austen gives this hero short shrift in the narrative. We know very little about his thoughts and reasons for his actions, including being manipulated by Lady S. into feeling bitter towards Frederica, her young daughter, and thinking the girl worthless, even when it becomes clear that she "brightens" in Reginald's presence.
In other words, Lady S has completely ensnared her sincere young man. He is as gullible with Lady S as Harriet Smith is with Emma, and just as changeable. This shifting of affection and lack of self-knowledge, as Prof. Kenney terms it, defines these characters, who are vastly different from Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy or Anne Elliot and her Captain Wentworth.
To be fair, Lady S does see some of Reginald's good qualities (besides his inheritance). She writes to Alicia Johnson:
"Reginald is never easy unless we are by ourselves, and when the weather is tolerable, we pace the shrubbery for hours together. I like him on the whole very well; he is clever and has a good deal to say, but he is sometimes impertinent and troublesome."
She also understands her sister-in-law, Catherine, very well: "[Frederica] is in high favour with her aunt altogether, because she is so little like myself, of course."
The Spell:
The letters ping pong back and forth, with Lady S only baring her true motives to her like-minded friend, Alicia. Mrs. Johnson's husband, Mr. Johnson, has forbidden her to consort with Lady S, whom he has banned from his house, but Lady S still has Reginald, who is now set on marrying her.
Interestingly, Reginald is the hero in this tale, a weak one to be sure. His main redeeming quality is that when he learns of Lady S's dalliance with Mr. Mainwaring his blinders fall off. We hear from him twice more and can feel his wrath in two scathing, but youthfully passionate letters:
"…I write only to bid you farewell, the spell is removed; I see you as you are. Since we parted yesterday, I have received from indisputable authority such a history of you as must bring the most mortifying conviction of the imposition I have been under, and the absolute necessity of an immediate and eternal separation from you…"
and later:
"Why would you write to me? Why do you require particulars? But, since it must be so, I am obliged to declare that all the accounts of your misconduct during the life, and since the death of Mr. Vernon, which had reached me, in common with the world in general, and gained my entire belief before I saw you, but which you, by the exertion of your perverted abilities, had made me resolved to disallow, have been unanswerably proved to me; nay more, I am assured that a connection, of which I had never before entertained a thought, has for some time existed, and still continues to exist, between you and the man whose family you robbed of its peace…"
Screen shot of Love and Friendship, with all females delighted at the results of Reginald's and Frederica's marriage.
The Spell is Removed: Young Reggie grows up!
A few more plot strings remain to be tied. Lady S is an execrable mother. She bullies Frederica and presses her to marry Sir Charles Martin, a dimwit, albeit a rich one. Frederica resists, raising her mother's ire. Catherine, who loves the girl and pities her situation, takes her in. Lady S, it is obvious, loves no one but herself. She has, in the words of Prof. Kenney, "no time for romantic nonsense." Her motherly instincts are for show only, and after a few months of separation her letters and attentions to her daughter peter out.
Reginald leaves to lick his wounds, but his mother and sister are always looking out for him, as well as Frederica. The author writes in her conclusion, "Frederica was therefore fixed in the family of her uncle and aunt till such time as Reginald De Courcy could be talked, flattered, and finessed into an affection for her." And, so, Austen demonstrates that Reginald, a hero with the same weak qualities as a Mr. Bingley or Edward Ferrars, is managed by the real power in the family – the women, although, he has in his favor the quality of realizing his deficiencies and, more importantly, he has a heart.
De Courcy and Frederica marry. And so I ask you fair reader: Who had the happier union? Reginald or Lady S?
Inquiring reader, I hope I have persuaded you to read or reread Lady Susan, a novella that surprised me on the first and second reading. I didn't think that I would like reading a book that consisted of letters, but was so enthralled with the story that I read it in one sitting.
Just think. Jane Austen wrote this novella during a creative spurt in her early life. In 1794-95, she wrote Lady Susan and in 1795 she wrote Elinor and Marianne, the epistolary version of Sense and Sensibility. In 1796, she began writing First Impressions, the precursor to Pride and Prejudice. What a fertile period for a budding author! And what creativity! At 19, 20, and 21 years of age she laid the groundwork for two great novels and one experimental foray into the many complexities of what makes a hero. While, like Mr. Darcy, Reginald has great wealth, which, according to Prof. Kenney gives him alpha status, he is a bit of a wuss, masterfully controlled like a puppet by female relatives. In the end, Lady S is hoist by her own manipulative petard. She has no recourse but to marry Sir Charles Martin to maintain face and a fortune. Uggh. What a fitting ending.
Austen's three novels, written in such a short time, laid much of the foundation for her greatness. She would rework them over the years, with only one, Lady Susan, published posthumously years after her death. After a lifetime of reading her works, including her Juvenilia, I remain in awe of her immense talent.
Lady Susan, Jane Austen, Project Gutenberg Online Book
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/946/946-h/946-h.htm
Lady Susan, Jane Austen, Librivox Audio
https://archive.org/details/lady_susan_0811_librivox
"Love and Friendship," Amazon Prime movie
Lady Susan: List of Characters: Austenprose
Lady Susan: List of Characters
Emma. 2020, The Movie
Posted in Emma, Film adaptation, Jane Austen Films, Jane Austen's World, tagged Emma 2020, Tony Grant on March 4, 2020| 23 Comments »
Inquiring Readers,
After experiencing years of an Austen drought on the large and small screen, we are treated to two adaptations within a half year–Sanditon and the newly released Emma.
Emma film poster on a London bus. Photo courtesy of Tony Grant
Emma, the film will air in theaters in my region on March 6th. Sadly, I won't see the film until late next week, but my British friend Tony Grant has reviewed it. He writes in part:
My thoughts were, will Autumn de Wilde's Emma get Austen's subtleties concerning the different relationships right? Will the actors be any good? All is lost if they can't cut the mustard. What might we get out of this Emma that speaks to us in 2020? Will the film tell Jane Austen's story well?
The film begins, focusing in from an expansive bucolic scene of green pastures and wooded areas to an iconic 18thcentury mansion, Hartfield. We hone down to a gothic styled greenhouse and enter to a scene of peace and calm and meditative background music as Emma, played by Anya Taylor Joy, slowly, carefully moves, almost like floating in a dream, examining her blooming red roses while servant girls hover, secateurs poised ready to snip the stem of any flower Emma thinks fit. Anya Taylor's eyes look and roam and pierce us to our souls. Oh! those eyes. She pauses, she considers, she moves on and decides, "That one." And the flower is cut. This opening scene is very clever and says in this silent dreamlike ballet of a scene all that Austen says in the opening words of her novel.
Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her."
The film is lit brightly and the colours, not just of the costumes, but of the scenery too has a pale pastel sheen, which can only be achieved through the cinematography.–-To read the rest of Tony Grant's review, click this link to London Calling, his blog.
In anticipation of seeing the film, I've been reading Robert Rodi's take on Emma in Bitch in a Bonnet: Reclaiming Jane Austen from the stiffs, the snobs, the simps and the saps. (Yes, he's that sarcastic, but witty, wise, and fun.) I particularly liked this passage, which shows Emma's animus towards Augusta Elton shortly after she paid Mr. Elton and his new missus a visit:
Eventually Mrs. Elton return the visit, and Emma has plenty of time for her options to coalesce. And she really, really, really does not like this chick. Not. One. Little. Bit.
Rodi then goes on to quote this Austen passage:
"The quarter of an hour quite convinced her that Mrs. Elton was a vain woman, extremely well satisfied with herself, and thinking much of her own importance; that she want to shine and be very superior…"
Rodi does not stop there, but I paused at these words for a long moment. The qualities Emma dislikes about Mrs. Elton are the same qualities she possesses. Augusta, of course is different from Emma. She's coarse, grasping, and aggressively power hungry, whereas Emma is the well-bred young lady described in the movie's publicity: a well meaning but selfish young woman [who] meddles in the love lives of her friends.
The comic characters in Emma are among Austen's finest, and I look forward in revisiting them in this film, especially in the forms of Miranda Hart as Miss Bates and Bill Nighy as Mr. Woodhouse.
Although I won't see the film for some time, please feel free to leave your opinions if you have them.
Meanwhile, enjoy Tony Grant's review at the top of this blog!
Earning the right to complete Sanditon: Originally a competition for Austen's Nephews and Nieces, by Chris Brindle
Posted in jane austen, Jane Austen Films, Jane Austen Novels, Jane Austen's World, Sanditon, tagged A Memoir of Jane Austen, Anna Austen Lefroy, Chris Brindle, Jane Austen Continuation on February 29, 2020| 6 Comments »
Inquiring Readers:
Chris Brindle, who lives in Colchester, England, is a prolific writer of music and books, and also a producer. Chris has written the following post (a compilation of information on his website and from the emails & materials he sent me.) He postulates that as Austen was dying in 1817, she deliberately wrote 'Sanditon' as a challenge and inspiration for other people in her family to finish, particularly her niece Anna (Lefroy) and nephew James-Edward (Austen-Leigh). Here, then, is Chris's article.
Steventon Rectory. Image Wikimedia Commons
Sanditon was Jane Austen's last, partially completed, novel of around 24,000 words, written in 1817 between January 27th and March 18th. Jane's niece Anna, the daughter of Jane's eldest brother James, had been brought up in her youngest years at Steventon where her aunt, who was 18 years older, also lived. Anna remained at Steventon with her father until she married Ben Lefroy at 21. After a brief interlude, Anna moved back to Hampshire to live two miles away from Jane, then living at Chawton.
Jane Lefroy's biography pages by Chris Brindle in his book Hampshire, Vol 2, pp. 72-73. Image courtesy of Chris Brindle. His book is available via Amazon.
Anna was surely the first 'Janeite' and harboured a life-long ambition to emulate and honour her aunt. In March 1845 she inherited Jane's manuscript in the will of Jane's sister Cassandra, and set about writing her continuation [of the unfinished novel], which is of similar length and is similarly unfinished.
By the time Austen put down her pen and finally her pencil, she had introduced all the characters that the story needed—apart maybe for a good villain, as Lefroy realised in her continuation, when she invented Mr Tracy as one of Sidney Parker's friends (friends Austen told us would join Sidney at the Hotel). I don't believe Austen intended Sir Edward Denham to be a villain, rather just a sexually frustrated character answering to Lady Denham's will, who, as dowager, controlled Sir Edward's estate.
When Austen realised she was dying, I believe she worked out a way in which her books and letters would not die with her, but would live on as the next generation took up the baton as her literary heirs. Her book and letters were her children and she wanted them to live forever.
This is the lyric in my 'Song For Jane Austen'–YouTube link
When did you realise that your life would soon come to its end ?
Did you always know your life would be so short ?
What is a life, what is it worth ?
Is it what you leave behind you at the end ?
Your books and letters were your children
Left to others to inspire, and maybe carry on your work
Do you die if a little bit of you will live in others ?
Or memories of you will still remain ?
How do you spend your last few moments on this earth
When your journey has to come to its end
One last display of brilliance in three tiny booklets
Your sketches on a canvas for others to fill in
Your gift to God and to the world
And those you leave behind you at the end
In your pain you left us biting satire
A town built on sand in need of hope
But you left us characters who could save it
If in our imagination we could see how they would cope
May the Lord look on you with grace and favour
For this was the world you created
Reaching out for your future
A century or more away
When your pain was most intense
And your time was running out"
Anna Lefroy, whose mother died when she was two, was largely brought up with Jane at Steventon in her early years. Thus she most probably earns the right to be known as Austen's first fan. Anna's life was devoted to an effort to emulate her aunt. We know most about Jane's approach to writing from the exchange of letters between her and Anna, as Anna sent the latest piece of dialogue to Jane for her comments. From the letters it was clear that Anna had no idea how to plot a novel, or to start with a strong enough idea to drive an interesting story, so Sanditon was most probably written as a starting place for Anna to complete the novel.
In 1817 Anna was starting a family and had no time to write. In any case, Anna would need to earn the right to be Austen's literary heir by being a published author. Thus, after Jane's death in 1817, all the letters and manuscripts went to her sister Cassandra. To keep Austen's memory alive, it would be for Cassandra to decide who should get what. Anna Lefroy inherited the unfinished manuscript of Sanditon on Cassandra's death in 1845.
I tell this story in my Documentary (YouTube link) and how, although Anna failed to complete Sanditon (Click here to read her unfinished text), her half brother James Edward Austen-Leigh went one better and wrote the first biography of Austen. A Memoir of Jane Austen put the life of Austen together with her fiction and made her a mega-star. It was the competition that Austen created between her nieces and nephews that made the Memoir happen. (Click here to read the Memoir.)
I came to realise what Sanditon actually was when writing the illustrated story of the life of my great great great grandfather R.H.C. Ubsdell (1812-1887), the Portsmouth miniaturist, portrait painter and early photographer. Ubsdell had a studio and art gallery in Old Portsmouth opposite the theatre. He painted portraits of Jane Austen's sailor brothers Charles and Francis (Frank) and the miniature of Anna Lefroy, delivered to her in the Autumn of 1845. He probably also drew the disputed portrait in graphite on vellum of Austen (the property of Paula Byrne) as an 'identikit reconstruction' for Anna Lefroy circa 1845 (probably to serve as a frontispiece for her intended completion of Sanditon together with her own portrait.)
'Unseen' Portrait of Jane Austen (Paula Byrne), Miniature of Charles Austen, and miniature of Anna Lefroy. Images courtesy of Chris Brinkle.
These illustrated books, entitled Hampshire, are available on Amazon. Click on this link to view the books.
A page in Hampshire, a book by Chris Brindle. This one discusses the history of the church and Rectory at Ashe, a village close to Steventon. Image courtesy of Chris Brindle.
I think it is only when one puts the Lefroy continuation together with the Austen original that one truly understands why Austen wrote Sanditon. My conclusion comes from studying the life stories of Austen and Anna Lefroy, and Anna's diary and life story that her daughters copied out. (One copy was kindly lent to me by descendant Helen Lefroy). So perhaps one cannot complain if ITV chooses Andrew Davies to write a very modern 'Love Island' 'take' on the book. Having invested our time in a couple of episodes, most people will probably want to know how it ends.
Sanditon, the ITV/PBS Masterpiece television mini-series
Davies does little more than take the names of some of the characters, however, whilst ignoring most of the content of Austen's original fragment, niece Anna Lefroy's continuation, and the financial relationships between the characters that Austen very clearly outlines, and which Lefroy clearly understood. Austen's story should be about property speculation and money, inspired by her time in London with brother Henry, when the bank of which he was a partner, Austen, Maude & Tilson was collapsing because of their ill-considering loans.
Davies and the production studio also fail to present the main character properly–a South Coast English seaside resort in its earliest stages of speculative development. Trafalgar House (Tom and Mary Parker's house) is not part of 'New Sanditon', a bold new development on the cliff, instead in the TV show it is stuck down in a very squalid looking village.
The other thing that is unsatisfactory about the ITV/PBS Masterpiece production is that it ignores the actual history and real-life detail of the development of the English seaside resorts such as Brighton, Worthing and Southsea. It wasn't an accident that Austen chose the setting of an English Seaside Resort, because she saw that this was a character in its own right. From its infancy, Sanditon would grow up over time. Therefore, for any future 'completer' there would be so much actual historical detail of the financial machinations to draw upon.
Chris Brindle's works and productions
I am very gratified that people looking for something more authentic have been viewing on YouTube my original solution to the completion clues that Austen and Lefroy left, my 2014 Play:
and my Documentary filmed in Hampshire in the same year that tells 'The Story Behind Sanditon':
Austen left us so little of Sanditon that I think rather than rushing ahead and inventing new story lines I thought it might be better to look at Austen's characters in more detail, using as many of her actual words as possible, and thus my idea for a musical was born. This built on the duet 'Blue Briny Sea' that I had written for the original stage show (filmed at Chawton Great House) https://youtu.be/2gmrFrEdMBg
and 'Song For Jane Austen' (filmed in Bath) that I had written for the 200th Anniversary of Jane's death:
My first script for the musical was a grand stage musical with a cast of 19, which I then reduced to an actor musician musical performed by 11 players that I produced and filmed at 'The Other Palace' Theatre in London in July last year:-
In this musical the songwriter for a modern 21st Century Pop Band persuades the members of her band to take on Austen's words, the characters in Austen's novel, tell the story behind the novel, and reflect on what the novel means to them '200 Years Later'. The carriage ride from Willingden to Sanditon then becomes this song as Tom & Mary Parker and Charlotte Heywood give their respective views on the resort:
Whilst an Austen story with modern popular music might seem a strange mix, another example of a musical doing very well on tour in the UK at the moment is "Pride & Prejudice" (Sort Of ), which features the Pride & Prejudice story told by the Bennet's servants, but in broad Glaswegian with added karaoke songs!
Everything I've done has been on a tiny budget driven by my fascination for the subject matter. I'm currently working on plans to develop the big stage production in the amateur sector. More details can be found on my website www.Sanditon.info, which I've updated.
On my website you will find the links to
The texts of both the Austen and Lefroy fragments of 'Sanditon' (An entirely different perspective opens up if one asks oneself line-by-line, why did the author include 'that bit'? (If you read the Austen fragment in this way, Austen clearly leaves so many plot openers and clues in her work for future 'completers' to solve. This is probably what is most unsatisfactory about the Andrew Davies / ITV dramatisation in that Davies chooses not to solve any of Austen's clues and just 'does his own thing'.)
My 2014 Film of The Play of Jane Austen's and Anna Lefroy's Sanditon.
My 2014 Documentary filmed in Hampshire & Berkshire with piano music by American Composer and JASNA delegate Amanda Jacobs
My 2019 Musical "200 Years Later" Jane Austen's 'Sanditon' The Pop/Rock Musical as premiered at 'The Other Palace', Victoria London on 26th July 2019
Additional information from other sources
Continuing Jane Austen's unfinished novel Sanditon, by Kathryn Sutherland, OUP Blog, Oxffod University Pres's Academic Insights for the Thinking World, September 14th, 2019. Retrieved February 29, 2020: https://blog.oup.com/2019/09/continuing-jane-austens-unfinished-novel-sanditon/
Jane Austen's Fictional Manuscripts, Sanditon, The Edition, No accession number, King's College, Cambridge. Retrieved February 29, 2020: https://janeausten.ac.uk/edition/ms/SanditonHeadNote.html
A filmed play of Jane Austen and Anna Lefroy's Sanditon by Chris Brindle, Reveries Under the Sign of Austen 2, Ellen and Jim, March 2, 2017. Retreived February 29, 2020: https://reveriesunderthesignofausten.wordpress.com/2017/03/02/a-filmed-play-of-sanditon-by-chris-brindle/
Anna Austen Lefroy: A believer in True Love, by Icha, Becoming Jane Fansite, posted by The Jane Austen Centre, July 16, 2011. Retrieved February 29, 2020: https://www.janeausten.co.uk/anna-austen-lefroy-a-believer-in-true-love/
Chris Brindle
Chris is a writer (see www.Ubsdell.com) and in 2014 produced a play, short film and documentary that completed and told the story of Jane Austen's last unfinished novel Sanditon. Read more of his biography at this link.
On IMBD
Sanditon, Episode 7: Good Grief
Posted in Jane Austen Films, Jane Austen Sequels, Jane Austen's World, PBS Movie Adaptation, Sanditon, Sense and Sensibility, tagged Sanditon Episode 7 on February 17, 2020| 53 Comments »
At the regatta: Diana, Lady Campion, Charlotte, and Mrs. Parker
As popular television fare goes, Davies' Sanditon is quite entertaining. In the first 16 minutes of Episode Seven, so many dizzying plot developments are introduced, that they left this viewer's head spinning. By the end of the episode, everything but the kitchen sink had been thrown into the mix to keep viewers hungering for more. (The last episode is a doozy, but we'll get to it next week.)
Davies' sledge -hammer approach felt so heavy handed at times, that (honestly) I ran to my bookshelf to retrieve Pride and Prejudice. Reading Austen's delightful, familiar words gave me a sense of calm. I put down the book and continued to watch the episode.
As certain characters in Davies' Sanditon reveal their distasteful ambitions, such as when Clara Brereton told Esther Denham about her sexual gymnastics with Sir Edward on the drawing room floor after burning Lady Denham's will and divvying up her fortune (as that lady lay dying), I reached for my first glass of wine, but I am getting ahead of myself.
Let's face it. Austen did not hesitate to create nasty characters. Think of Sense and Sensibility. Fanny Dashwood, John's wife, is a piece of work plotting to oust Mrs. Dashwood, John's stepmother, and his stepsisters from Norland Park almost as soon as the elder Mr. Dashwood was buried. Her machinations were despicable, but under Austen's skillful pen, Fanny's method to drive them out was masterful, awesome, ruthless, and nuanced. John, her husband, is a manipulated fool and yet a willing conspirator in disregarding his father's express desire for his stepsisters' and stepmother's future security.
We felt the Dashwood women's pain and grief. We understood their pride and anger as they chose to leave an impossible situation as soon as possible. We felt for Marianne Dashwood when she fell for Willoughby, a flawed but smooth-talking and handsome character. Readers knew, along with Colonel Brandon, that he had gotten a virginal girl pregnant and then abandoned her to a life of shame.
Elinor Dashwood, a sensible character, at first had difficulty seeing through Lucy Steele, a conniving little witch. When Elinor finally figured her out, she was trapped into listening to information about Edward Ferrars that felt like knives stabbing her heart. More than once I wanted her to bitch slap that girl, but Elinor has more class than me.
Who can forget Fanny Dashwood's mother? She was an outspoken battle-ax and manipulator of the worst sort, whose conversation provoked Marianne to defend her sister with a truthful artlessness that was bold and threw caution to the wind.
The difference between Austen's villains and Davies' is that Austen laid a careful groundwork for their motivations and behavior. The dark undertones of conflict between Willoughby and Colonel Brandon resonate with us. The secrets the two men withheld from Marianne, and the complexity of their love and longing for her add to the suspense of the plot—who will she choose? Which choice makes sense to the heart of a young girl? Which is the more mature, sensible choice? How do experience, suffering, and maturity add to a character's growth and understanding?
In Davies' Sanditon, secondary characters and villains tend to be one dimensional, almost cartoon-like. The main protagonists, Charlotte and Sidney, are given more complex motivations, which I appreciate, especially in this episode as they attempt to overcome their misunderstandings and grow closer. Their longing for each other is palpable, as Lady Susan and Young Stringer notice.
Now, let's examine the salient plot lines in this second to the last episode.
Stupid is as stupid does
While Lucy Steele's devised her trap for Elinor with evil genius, she kept her plans to herself until she approached Edward. Clara Brereton is just plain dumb. She lords it over Esther, who is unable to hide her emotions for her stepbrother. A gloating Clara reveals that she and Edward found the will, agreed to 50% of the cut, then burned it. Seeing Esther's disbelief, she adds salt to the wound to reveal that she and Sir Ed sealed the deal with a quickie on the drawing room floor. Charlotte Spencer, the actress who plays Esther, stepped up her acting chops and gave a superb performance throughout this episode. We feel her pain, her horror, and then her understanding of the situation.
Most of all, we (I) cheered her hard slap to Clara's face. Then, when Clara figures out that Esther is still a virgin, she says,"No wonder he was so keen to take his pleasure elsewhere." We (I) wished that Esther had knocked her unconscious to the floor. (I've been watching too many Marvel movies.)
As for Clara, she's no Jane Fairfax. Her situation as Lady D's dependent companion is precarious. Falsely confident, she assumes the mantle of the victor prematurely. Jane Fairfax kept silent until all the dominoes fell safely in place before Frank Churchill revealed their romantic bond. Clara, who has just as much to lose, could not stop herself from gloating.
A vengeful phoenix arises from the ashes and swoops on her victims with talons outstretched
Esther, in her misery, pays a final visit to Lady Denham. Her confession to the comatose lady is revealing. She says:
You should know there's not a single person alive who holds you in the least affection. Not Edward, Clara, not me…"You will die unloved, and Edward, my Edward—she holds Lady D's hand—"Truth is, he's betrayed us both. He betrayed us when he and Clara lay with each other on the drawing room floor. He betrayed us when he and Clara conspired to burn your will and share your fortune. I truly hope that you find happiness in heaven, because this earth has become a living hell."
Hours or days later, Esther sits waiting in the hallway as Sir Ed awakens from a couch just outside of Lady D's bedroom. He yawns and says,
I did not know it was going to be this drawn out [or] I would have been in bed."
Esther replies sarcastically,
Perhaps you would have been more comfortable on the floor."
He shoots her a curious look. Then, wonder of wonders, the unfortunately named Dr. Fuchs runs towards them.
Her fever broke!…She may yet recover altogether!"
While Clara blanches, as if the ghost of Northanger Abbey has come to attack her, Sir Ed's collar grows three sizes too small.
Somewhat later, he and Clara simper up to Lady D, who's still abed. Sir Ed says unctuously,
Words cannot express our belief. Dr. Fuchs has our eternal gratitude."
Lady D, holding a glass with a milky substance, says,
Why? If anyone deserves credit, it is the ass who restored my strength."
Austen created the running joke of Lady D's milch asses, from whom that wealthy widow planned to make much money. Davies and his team hardly used that funny material, an opportunity missed.
Clara adds timidly,
We have kept constant vigil."
A steely-eyed Lady D then gives the two of them her what for.
Mmmm. Well, you can dry your eyes. Dying is highly disagreeable…although it has to be said there is nothing like imminent death to focus the mind. I have under-estimated the boundless depth of your venality."
The two blather and bluster, but Lady D waves them off.
Enough, you feeble parasites…Get out, and needless to say, I shall be laying a new floor in my drawing room, since the old one has been indelibly stained!"
Gentle readers, who'd have thunk a wood floor would become such an important character in a mini-series? Oh, the drama! Sir Ed is disinherited. Clara is banished to London post haste. And Esther appears to be the sole remaining heir to the Denham fortune. At this point, I poured my second glass of wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and munched copious amounts of Utz Party Mix, which contains not one wholly natural ingredient as far as I can tell.
Turbo recap of the rest of the story
Tom Parker is beside himself when he gushes that all the beau monde in London have traveled to Sanditon. He greets Lady Susan with an obsequiousness that is cringe worthy. When he tells her that Sanditon has the finest situation on the south coast, she pooh-poohs the idea,
Oh, shush. Never mind all that. If I gave a fig about the sea, I'd have gone to Brighton." (A delicious cut.)
It turns out that she's come to continue her conversation with Charlotte, which, to my mind, was nothing more than artless chatter at a fancy ball from a simple girl from a simple farm near an undeveloped town. One can never divine the whims of the rich and famous, so we'll have to take Lady Susan's word at face value.
She and Charlotte chatter, and the lady's keen observation tells her that she's in love. Her discernment also tells her that Lady Eliza Campion, one of the richest women in the country and an old connection to Sidney Parker, stands in the way of Charlotte's happiness. Lady S, a kind busybody, will see to that. She'll find a chink in Lady Campion's armour and put a stop to her designs on Sidney Parker. Anything for a friend she's known for all of two hours.
Charlotte, upset at seeing Lady C, turns away from the assembled company and encounters Young Stringer in the woods. We learn this late in the series that his first name is James. James Stringer. Had Davies and his team meant for Stringer to be a likely love interest for Charlotte, we would have learned this important fact earlier. In the course of their conversation, James realizes that while he yearns for Charlotte, she yearns for someone else. Like the stoic man he is, he holds his feelings to himself and lets her go. C'mon, James! Fight for your woman!
We then see the three Parker brothers strolling towards the regatta. As they converse, we learn that Sidney has loved Eliza Campion for a decade and that his broken heart drove him to the West Indies. (Another bit of news that comes late in the series.) Sidney only says that it's a strange feeling to want something that is impossible and to find that it's suddenly in your grasp. For once Arthur sounds intelligent and says that while he admires Sidney's spirit of forgiveness, if it were him, he would never trust that lady again.
As a quick aside, Miss Lambe, who has been strangely delegated as a secondary character in the background, shows signs of deep depression. Arthur Parker visits her and insists that she join them in the festivities. She goes unwillingly, but it is obvious that he has a crush on her.
The regatta is a letdown. There's a sandcastle competition, a fisherman's boat race, and a gentleman's rowing race that James Stringer and his crew win. Tents provide food and drink, but I see nothing that would attract the beau monde to return a second time.
Before the rowing competition, Sidney and Charlotte make goo goo eyes at each other on the boat as he practices his strokes and shows her how to row along with him. (I do so love symbolism.) Eliza Campion watches them from the banks, jealous and suspicious. After the race she makes a pitch, telling him she never lost hope and that fate is giving them a second chance.
Sir Ed fails in his quest to woo Esther back and share her fortune. The once confident man is drunk and disheveled as he encounters Clara with her packed bags at the docks. He tells her off harshly and brags that he's still a gentleman and titled. "Yes," she says, "but I had nothing to lose…You're alone and unloved."
After a revealing conversation with Sir Ed, who spoke in derogatory terms about Esther, Lord Babbington hurries to see her. He tells her that he can't forget her and that he has her back, always.
I feel I could spend a thousand years in your company and still not have enough."
Esther begins to cry.
You…know nothing."
He replies,
I think you've been his prisoner for too long."
The background music swells in my head as he continues talking to her in this romantic vein.
In the last scene, Sidney approaches Charlotte.
I thought you and Mrs. Campion would be heading back for London," she says.
She's already left. I decided against joining her. On reflection, I realized I would rather be here…I believe I'm my best self—my truest self when I'm with you."
The music crescendos. My heart's a flutter. Perhaps from the wine, but it might be that all this romantic stuff is making me feel all puddly inside.
Next week: the conclusion. Or is it? (Gentle readers, those of you who binge watched this series, please include no spoilers in the comments. Thank you!)
Sanditon, Episodes One & Two Review: PBS Masterpiece: as inspired by Jane Austen's last unfinished novel
Posted in Jane Austen Films, Jane Austen Novels, Jane Austen's World, PBS Movie Adaptation, Sanditon, Sea bathing during the Regency era, tagged Andrew Davies, Sanditon review on January 13, 2020| 36 Comments »
Sanditon on PBS Masterpiece exceeded my expectations in some respects and not in others. It seems that a mixed reaction to this mini-series is not unusual. Many viewers in the UK loved it. Many did not. Some loathed it. Reading and hearing the opinions of my Janeite friends overseas, I approached reviewing this series with some trepidation. I had an extreme reaction to Episode One at first, then viewed all the episodes in two days' time. Seeing them back to back gave me a new perspective.
First, I wondered why Andrew Davies, the writer, used so little of Austen's actual material. In my copy of Sanditon, the unfinished manuscript is 75 pages long. Austen completed the first draft of 11 chapters and began the 12th, where both Sidney Parker and Miss Lambe made their first appearances. Before that, the readers knew them only through conversations from other characters. Mr. Davies admitted that he devoted half of Episode One to Jane Austen's plot as he did not think there was enough "story material" in her manuscript for more. Persuasion's length was 24 complete chapters. Could Davies not have stretched Austen's excellent material to two episodes? Instead he tossed aside the complex themes she was developing in favor of straightforward cinematic storytelling, which explains why so many Janeites were disappointed with the series.
As I watched the mini-series, I realized that it wasn't an Austen adaptation. This televised tale was inspired by a tantalizing beginning that Austen did not complete. Davies used the unfinished novel merely as an outline for his plot. In online interviews he spoke about modernizing the story and sexing it up. In his foreword to the official companion book to the series, The World of Sanditon, Davies was forthright about rushing through the first three episodes as he worked against a deadline. He states:
I'm thrilled with what we have achieved: a period drama that feels utterly fresh and modern – Jane Austen, but not as you knew her."
If you keep this statement in mind, you will watch the series for what it is and what it was meant to be – entertainment with many references to Jane Austen's other novels and characters.
Rose Williams, who plays Charlotte Heywood, is adorable. She resembles an adolescent Austen heroine. Fresh-faced, yet wise and well-read, with a young-sounding voice, she has the qualities that I imagined for Charlotte Heywood and Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey. (Ms. Williams is 25 years old, but she looks and sounds much younger.)
I've read of complaints about Charlotte's hair as being inauthentic in this series. At the assembly ball, however, and at formal gatherings, her hair and its accessories are appropriate for the occasion. I think that by keeping her hair loose and wild during walks, seaside outings, and less formal times, Davies is reminding viewers of her humble country origins. As a guest of the Parkers, she would have help from servants for formal occasions but would most likely be left on her own at other times.
Crystal Clarke as Miss Lambe, a woman of mixed-race, is given the delightful name of Georgiana, reminiscent of Mr. Darcy's sister. Austen's introduction of a West Indies heiress is a new development in her novels. The topic of mixed races and fantastic wealth achieved on plantations in Antigua is one she must have known well through her sailor brothers. I love the developing friendship between Georgiana and Charlotte.
I've not been as bothered by the music mentioned by some. Sanditon is located along the coastline of Sussex, a rural region, and the setting is not as fashionable or royal as Brighton, where fancy orchestras could find ample work. The folksy music complements the rustic, unfinished streets and buildings in Sanditon and supports the more modern treatment Davies sought.
The photography is lovely, the sets are lush, and I love how the costumes identify people by their wealth and status. Charlotte's clothes are simple and homemade, although she owns more dresses than I though her parents with 11 children could afford. Miss Lambe, Miss Denham, and Clara Brereton wear clothes of a finer quality, and so forth.
Now we get to the part that I find problematic. I know Davies wanted to sex up the plot, but, really, a hand job? I was not amused. What if I wanted to introduce my young nieces to Jane Austen? How would I have explained that scene?
As to the nudity, male and female beaches were separated at the time. Both sexes knew the demarcation lines and where or where not to walk or swim. Charlotte happening upon Sidney Parker rising out of the ocean full frontal naked caused me to laugh, not out of embarrassment, but because the audience manipulation was so obvious. Jane Austen was no prude. A country woman, she had probably witnessed sex among animals, nursed her male relatives back to health, and helped family members and neighbors with birthing, but she was never crude. Ever.
Young Stringer, the foreman, is a likable character, but I thought almost from the start that he was created to be a "second stringer," someone to throw us off in the romance department. His background and ambitions are suited to someone of Charlotte's station, but Sidney Parker has been cast in the role of hero, and so Young Stringer's purpose seems likely to go nowhere.
Theo James's performance as Sidney Parker was quite good. He is a darkly handsome hero, one whose sparring with Charlotte in the first two episodes reminded me of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth.
To sum up this review, Davies chose to follow his own instincts in developing this miniseries If viewers watch the first two episodes of Sanditon on their own merit and not as an Austen adaptation, they'll enjoy the experience.
Sanditon for streaming and binge watchers
The debut episode of the series will begin streaming on the MASTERPIECE PRIME VIDEO CHANNEL on January 12, with new episodes debuting Sunday of each following week. On February 23, fans can binge-watch the program in its entirety.
The subscription rate for the PBS MASTERPIECE Prime Video Channel is $5.99/month with an Amazon Prime or Prime Video subscription. Every purchase helps supports public television for all.
See sidebar for links to PBS, a description of the full cast, and a link to the companion book.
Links to Music
Regency Music: Lords of the Seventh House
The Locahber man behind celtic tunes in ITV drama Sanditon, The Press and Journal
At the Seaside in Regency England: A Poem from "News from Worthing," 1807
Posted in Jane Austen Films, Jane Austen's World, PBS Movie Adaptation, Sanditon, Sea bathing during the Regency era, tagged #PBS Sanditon, Bathing machines, Circulating libraries, Robert Bloomfield, Sea dippers, Worthing on January 1, 2020| 4 Comments »
Happy New Year! Are U.S. Austen fans ready for the countdown to Sanditon on PBS? Only 11 days remain until this eight-episode mini-series based on Jane Austen's final novel fragment airs on Sunday nights. You can also stream each episode. The subscription rate for the PBS MASTERPIECE Prime Video Channel is $5.99/month with an Amazon Prime or Prime Video subscription. On February 23, you can binge watch the entire series. The DVD is also on sale.
Now, on to the poem, written by Robert Bloomfield "In a Letter from a Beast of Burden to Her Brother Jack." It's a lovely early 19th century description from a beast of burden to her brother about her "work" in a seaside resort.
Brother Jack I am going to inform you
Of things that ne'er enter'd your head,
And I hope the narration will charm you
Wherever you're driven or led;
For it grieves me to think of your hampers,
And the cudgel that thumps you behind;
To have none of my frolics and scampers,
My labour's as light as the wind.
On a fine level form'd by the tide,
The beach and the ocean between,
Fashion here tells young lasses to ride
On the best walk that ever was seen,
The sands, brother Jack, that's the spot
Where the ladies exhibit their graces;
There they push me along till I trot,
'Midst a circle of giggling faces.
Not one of the party stands idle,
For, when I move just like a snail,
One half of them pull at my bridle,
And t'other half push at my tail.
Then up, full of frolic and glee,
One will mount, and will scold, and will strike,
And ride me knee-deep in the sea,
Where I stop—just as long as I like.
For what are their tricks and manoevres?
They may pull me, and haul me, and teize,
But I plague them as they plague their lovers,
O, I like to do just as I please!
Don't be envious—Hark what I tell—
You would never do her for a prude,
Because Jack, you know very well,
You were always inclin'd to be rude;
And if you should set up your braying,
And give them but two or three staves,(willow sticks?)
You would stop all the children from playing,
Or frighten them into the waves!
Sometimes a sick lady will ride me,
More tender and delicate still,
And employ a poor boy just to guide me,
Where I cannot go wrong if I will;
Then back through the town gently creeping,
We stop at some library-door,
Where, nonsense preferring to sleeping,
She loads me with novels a score.
And, dear Jack, by the bye, I've long guest,
Tho' good ladies I've no wish to spite 'em;
That 'tis we bring these book in request,
And that some of our family write 'em.
But who'd go to boast about that?
No, I'll finish by telling you true,
That at Worthing we all might grow fat,
And keep the best company too.
So love to you Jack till next season,
I'll be happy as long as I can;
For an ass that complains without reason,
Becomes—just as bad as a man!"
Published 25th May, 1807.
By Laurie and Whittle,
No. 53, Fleet Street, London
Image detail. One can see the chaos in the background with asses that were uncooperative. The maid on the ass is obviously stuck and unhappy. Chaos reigns, which the onlookers love. Notice the woman at the middle, who is about to be bounced off her ass. Cruikshank (?) shows her bare legs with high stockings. Women in that era did not wear underpants. Ooh la la! The muslin cloth of the woman's white dress front and center indicates how thin it is as evidenced by her nipples. She is trapped in her position until the ass decides to move. Hah!
I especially like the reference to circulating libraries, which abounded in resort cities.
Many scholars think that Worthing, a seaside resort Jane Austen visited in 1805, could have been the inspiration for the town of Sanditon twelve years later.
This interesting article, "Could Worthing have been the inspiration for Jane Austen's Sanditon?," by Donna Fletcher Crow, Jane Austen UK, July 24, 2019, and downloaded 12/31/2019, is reproduced on the site by the author's permission.
About the author: "Donna is a novelist of British history, and a traveling researcher who engages people and places from Britain's past and present – drawing comparisons and contrasts between past and present for today's reader. "
Bloomfield, Robert. "News from Worthing. In a Letter from a Beast of Burden to Her Brother Jack," Published 25th May, 1807, by Laurie and Whittle, No. 53, Fleet Street, London. Credit Line: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Cartoon Prints, British. https://www.loc.gov/resource/ds.03595/. Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication. (Color cartoon)
The rich and wealthy collected color cartoons. People not as flush in the pocket as purchased black and white cartoons, as shown in the following print from Yale University:
Bloomfield, Robert, "News from Worthing: in a letter from a beast of burden to her brother Jack (from the Monthly mirror for April, 1807). Cruikshank, Isaac printmaker., Laurie, Robert and Whittle, James, publisher, 1807. Digital collection: Lewis Walpole Library. Downloaded 12/31/2019 at this link.
In addition: Jane Austen's World links to
Articles about Regency Seaside Resorts
Bathing Machines
Sea Dippers and the Invention of the Bathing Machine
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: the book, the graphic novel, the movie
Posted in 19th Century England, Austenesque novels, Film adaptation, Jane Austen Films, Jane Austen's World, tagged Lena Heady, Lily James, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Quirk Books on February 6, 2016| 23 Comments »
Inquiring readers, 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,' the movie, has finally arrived. Almost seven years ago I had a blast reviewing Seth Grahame-Smith's audacious novel, 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies', and suggested a few satirical book plots of my own. Click here to read JAW's review of Seth's tome, which retained 15% of Jane Austen's words and embellished Jane's plot a wee bit by adding hordes of ravenous zombies that had overrun Regency England. For those who are eager to see the cinematic version of 'Pride and Prejudice' melded with Shaun of the Dead, may we suggest that you read the parody book before viewing the movie?
Quirk Books has asked me to recall some of my favorite scenes from the book. I invited my good friend, Hillary Major, to trip down memory lane with me. She had read Seth's book front to back in 2007 and recently reacquainted herself with the plot by way of a fabulous graphic novel based on the book.
When I first read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, I was struck by the wit – the humorous juxtaposition of Austen's words with Graham-Smith's pulpy additions, as when Miss Bingley asserts that an accomplished woman "must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, dancing and the modern languages" as well as being "well trained in the fighting styles of the Kyoto masters and the tactics and weaponry of modern Europe." As I re-familiarized myself by reading the graphic novel version of the book, I found much of the wit retained through the dialogue and (infrequent) captions. The graphic novel, of course, fleshes out the combat scenes and does a particularly good job of capturing the sorry stricken – from the former residents of Mrs. Beecham's Home for Orphans to lamp oil salesgirl Penny McGregor to an undead Madonna and a certain longsuffering bride. The graphic novel pulls out the fun and the horror in the action sequences but also raises my curiosity about how the movie will put these scenes into motion.
But really, how interesting are zombies as villains? What's their motivation? Yes, yes, I know, it's a truth universally acknowledged: brains and more brains. Still, there's a certain sameness and routine to a zombie enemy. Zombies are really only dangerous in numbers – unless you happen to be an unfortunate messenger or a cook, which Lizzie Bennet most emphatically is not. My favorite parts of the book (and graphic novel) jump out not because of how they deal with the scourge of unmentionables but because of the way they showcase Lizzie as a total badass, armed not just with rapier wit but with actual dagger and katana.
Lizzie's competence, strategy, and skill in the deadly arts are singular from the beginning; we first see her "carving the Bennet crest in the handle of a new sword." When Lizzie and her sisters first jump into action at the Lucas' ball – responding to Mr. Bennett's shouted command, "Pentagram of Death!" – it's a stirring moment. (Darcy takes notice.)
But Elizabeth Bennet is a warrior worthy of an enemy greater than brainless zombies – thus, we meet Lady Catherine, commander of ninjas. Lady Catherine de Bourgh has always put the cat in catfight, and this comes to literal life in her final confrontation with Lizzie. Who hasn't applauded Lizzie's refusal to promise never to become betrothed to Darcy and wished the statement were punctuated by a punch in the Lady's face? Here, the verbal showdown is prequel to a martial arts battle, one that takes place in the Bennets' own dojo. Lady Catherine gets in a few good blows early on, but Lizzie comes back with a dagger thrust, and soon Lady Catherine is flying through the air, breaking rafters. In the midst of all the "flying about" in a leaping, kicking, katana-wielding martial arts fantasy of a fight, Lizzie descends (from an unbroken rafter) at a key moment and batters away her adversary's sword, leaving Lady Catherine at her mercy. Lizzie lets her live, knowing she has been "bested by a girl for whom [she has] no regard," showing more mercy than Catherine would have offered her (or than Lizzie shows the ninja retainers). It's this throwdown and victory over Lady Catherine that truly sets up the ending of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, of Lizzie and Darcy fighting side by side.
For my part, gentle readers, I shall never forget how Charlotte Collins, nee Lucas, slowly turned into a zombie after being bitten by a ghoul. Lizzie promised to remain true to her friend, but as the poor woman's physical condition deteriorated, it was hard for visitors not to notice her unfortunate appearance or the fact that she was wont to nibble on her hand. One really has to laugh at some of the more ridiculous scenes and one can't help but wonder how the exuberant young Jane Austen, who wrote the 'Juvenilia,' would have reacted to this mashup of her most famous novel.
The powers that be in Hollywood took seven years to find a Lizzie (Lily James) and Darcy (Sam Riley) worthy of becoming skilled zombie fighters trained by the finest masters in the martial arts. To my way of thinking, Lena Heady's turn in playing Lady Catherine de Bourgh with an eye patch is worth the price of admission alone.
While I understand that many Jane Austen fans will refuse to see the film, some of us in our Janeite group can't wait to see it. Love or hate the idea, feel free to let us know your thoughts.
Unleashing Mr. Darcy: Hallmark
Posted in Jane Austen Films, Jane Austen's World, tagged Cindy Busby, Hallmark Movie, Ryan Paevey, Unleashing Mr. Darcy on January 22, 2016| 25 Comments »
As part of Winterfest, Hallmark Channel is featuring a made for TV movie, Unleashing Mr. Darcy, Saturday, January 23, at 9:00 PM. It's a modern interpretation of the Lizzie/Darcy love story starring Cindy Busby and Ryan Paevey. So far, only Clueless has managed a modern reinterpretation of a Jane Austen novel to my satisfaction. Let's see what you all think of this film.
Here's a link to Hallmark's website: Click here. I don't subscribe to cable, so I won't be seeing it!
I agree with some of you – from the trailer, this movie does not look promising.
A Look Back: Pride and Prejudice 2005 and Clueless 1995
Posted in Jane Austen Films, Jane Austen's World, tagged Alicia Silverstone, Amy Heckerling, Clueless, Joe Wright, Keira Knightlhy, Matthew Macfadyen, Pride and Prejudice 2005 on December 13, 2015| 53 Comments »
I'd like to share my thoughts on two Jane Austen movies before the end of the year: Pride and Prejudice, 2005 and Clueless, 1995.
Pride and Prejudice 2005 premiered in November ten years ago in the U.S.. I recall watching the film with two members of our Jane Austen book club. The three of us felt less than "whelmed." We usually eat dinner after a movie and discuss the film in detail. I recall very little discussion other than sharing our sense of disappointment. Keira Knightley seemed too thin and modern as Lizzie. Matthew MacFadyen was no Colin Firth, not his fault, I suppose, but damning in our eyes.
Ten years later, my opinion of the film has changed somewhat. I have come to appreciate that Joe Wright was trying to reach an audience much younger than the members in my book club. That he targeted his audience correctly is proven by the numerous fan clubs that sprang up around the film, the tens of thousands of creative and interesting icons that were created to represent P&P 2005 characters, the many discussion forums and blogs that dedicated reams of information about the film and its actors, and the many nominations the film received at award shows (although I find Keira Knightley's Academy Award nomination for best actress perplexing). One cannot fault the film's cinematography and music, which were lush and gorgeous. Has England ever looked more romantic? – its ancient, gnarled oaks, sweeping vistas, misty fields lit by rising suns, and grand houses never looked lovelier on film.
Let's not forget that PROPOSAL scene in the rain. One cannot deny the chemistry between Keira and Matthew. Pure unrequited lust sprang off the screen.
There was also a lovely scene in which Lizzie rotates on a swing in an archway as the seasons of the year swirled past. While this scene was short, it provided a unique visual of the passing seasons.
Finally, finally, this film delivered an actress as beautiful and sweet as the Jane Bennet of my imagination! I will be forever grateful to Joe Wright for hiring Rosamund Pike for the part and pairing her with the first true puppy-like Mr. Bingley.
Film directors are not expected to follow an author's vision religiously. After all, film is a visual medium, whereas the author relies on words to stimulate our imaginations. BUT. Please. Did Jane Austen really mean for the Bennets to live in a moated manor house, with pigs, geese, and cattle meandering through a muddy courtyard?
While I adore Donald Sutherland as an actor, at 70 he was more suited to playing Mr. Bennet's elderly uncle than Mrs. Bennet's husband. He also interpreted Mr. Bennet as still having the hots for Mrs. Bennet, despite her irritating personality, a modern POV, to be sure, but surely not in keeping with what we know about Mr. Bennet's huge disappointment with his wife's foolishness (and with himself for choosing such a ninny)?
While Lizzie was definitely a tomboy compared to her sisters, did she HAVE to be shown walking barefoot or slogging through the fields and dragging her hems through mud and dew so often? Austen, in demonstrating Lizzie's loyalty to Jane, devised a scene where Lizzie walked through 3 miles of wet fields to be with her sister. This caused Miss Bingley to note with disdain that her petticoat was six inches deep in mud. The Bennets, while upper class, were not super rich. Cloth was not easily obtained or cheap. Clothes were made, remade, reused, and worked over, until the cloth became so threadbare that it was used for cleaning. So, for Lizzie to be shown muddying her hems in so many scenes makes no sense. Her gowns would need repeated washings, which, with the strong lye soaps of the day, would have degraded the cloth too quickly for practicality. She would surely have pinned her dress and train up, exposing only the petticoat, or worn a shorter day gown, as so many commoners and country folk did. Perhaps I am being too much of a stickler, but these lapses in logic affected my experience of the film the first time around and they still do.
One more rant. It's become de rigueur in historical films to dress dowagers in the richly made, old-fashioned clothes of their younger years (think of Violet, the dowager countess in Downton Abbey and Judith Dench as Lady Catherine de Bourgh in this film). We get that. My mom still wears serviceable but outdated clothes from the 1980s, but can there be any excuse for dressing Miss Bingley in a nightgown for the Netherfield Ball and arranging her hair in a 1960's updo?
In my opinion, this 2-hour adaptation of a 200+ page novel falls short when compared to the 1995 six-hour P&P. In 2005, Wickham was given very short shrift, as were the younger Bennet sisters. The scenes moved too fast, though I suppose this suited director Joe Wright's intent, since he was targeting an audience that can barely remember life before fast-paced electronic games, instant messages, and music videos.
My final beef is with the alternative American ending. Mr. Wright insulted many serious fans of classic literature across the Pond with the final dialogue between Lizzie and Darcy, which lowered their romance to the level of a Barbara Cartland novel.
I still don't like P&P 2005 half as much as P&P 1995. Yet, despite my misgivings, P&P 2005 has held up relatively well and I think younger viewers still prefer this adaptation to P&P 95. The second film on my mind is Clueless, which premiered several months ahead of Pride and Prejudice 1995 in the U.S., and which also targeted the young theater goer.
Amy Heckerling's 90's take on Jane's meddlesome Emma is as fresh and funny today as it was then. It's hard to choose which is more ridiculous: the slang of the 90's valley girl airheads, the over-the-top fashions, the conspicuous consumption of LA teen culture, the banality of Cher's high school education, the immature boyfriends, or the neutered adults.
Who can forget Cher's mugging, where she resists lying down on the ground in her designer outfit, even with a gun to her head? Or how Heckerling turned Frank Churchill into Christian, a disco-dancing, Oscar-Wilde-reading, Streisand-ticket-holding-friend-of-Dorothy cake boy?
As Dion reminds Cher, "He does like to shop and the boy can dress." Cher's classic reply to Christian's being gay? "Oh, my God, I'm totally buggin'!" Then there's the girls' inability to drive in LA, where driving is as essential as breathing. Those scenes are still classic and not to be missed.
Amy Heckerling did a smart thing in reinterpreting Emma. She brought Jane's heroine over to California and gave her a different name, and moved her from a dull, country town and dropped her in the center of Beverley Hills, the Mecca for consumption-driven materialists.
Like Emma, Cher is motherless. Whereas Emma's mama died a natural death, Cher's mom died from the complications of liposuction on a plastic surgeon's table. Both Cher and Emma are rich, bored, and meddlesome. Cher babies her father, much as Emma caters to Mr. Woodhouse. In Clueless, Cher's father, a lawyer, is more dynamic than Mr. Woodhouse. One senses that he tolerates Cher's mothering more than needs it. The love between them is palpable, and Cher's kindness to one and all is genuine and sweet. These traits save her shallow character.
There are many similarities between the Emma characters and Clueless characters, and it's fun to guess in the film who is who. You can tell from my excited tone how much I like this cinematic take of Emma. Clueless is a broad satire that seldom delves below the surface. The film is a feel good movie designed to give the viewer a rollicking good time.
Clueless has the same energy, sense of fun, and satiric take on human foibles as Jane Austen's Juvenilia. I wonder if Amy Heckerling, having lumbered through all 400+ pages of Emma, turned to Jane's juvenile stories for inspiration? They are filled with zany plots and joie de vivre. I wonder if she decided to meld the boisterous tone of Jane's youthful stories with the more layered and complex plot of Emma. Meld? I think not. I think Amy gleefully tossed Emma's subtext aside in favor of a bit of fun.
I am curious, gentle readers, about your take on both films. Do you agree or disagree with my assessments? Please let me know.


The chairman of Harbin Pharma Group Sanjing Pharmaceutical Shareholding Co committed suicide while under investigation on suspicion of taking bribes, the company said Monday, adding that the death would not affect its operations.
Liu Zhanbin managed to escape from the custody of police officers and jumped out of a third story toilet window to his death on Sunday, the company said in a stock exchange filing yesterday.
Liu claimed he wasn't feeling well after breakfast on Sunday, according to the company. Police took him to a hospital in Xunke County in Heihe City for a health check.
Sanjing Pharmaceutical said it was notified by the People's Procuratorate of Heihe City in Heilongjiang Province that the police had opened a case on Liu last Friday. Earlier media reports said Liu was being investigated for taking bribes.
Liu Fengchun, director and general manager of Sanjing Pharmaceutical, will temporarily perform Liu Zhanbin's duties. Sanjing Pharmaceutical said this won't have a major impact on business operations.
Liu Zhanbin, born in 1963, had worked as vice general manger of Harbin Pharmaceutical Group Holding Co and chairman of Sanjing Pharmaceutical since February 2012.


text:
Paradise Winds
Members of the Paradise Winds started performing together in 2005 at Arizona State University while pursuing masters and doctoral studies in woodwind performance at the Herberger Institute School of Music. Since that time, they have appeared in a variety of classically- and unusually- oriented concerts at ASU and abroad, and with surrounding area ensembles, such as The Phoenix Symphony, Arizona Opera, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Arizona, Symphony of the West Valley, West Valley Symphony, Symphony of the Southwest, and the MusicaNova Orchestra. As chamber musicians, members of the Paradise Winds have assisted on countless graduate and faculty recitals at ASU School of Music and have appeared with the Arizona Contemporary Music Ensemble, Fountain Hills Chamber Players and the Mill Avenue Chamber Players as well as in the Second Sunday Concert Series, the King of Glory Concert Series and with Classical Revolution-PHX. (Photo: Jacques Barbey)
Nikolaus Flickinger, a sought after free-lance oboist in the Phoenix Metropolitan area has been playing and performing with MusicaNova Orchestra for the past 6 seasons. He also is a regular sub with the Phoenix Symphony, Tucson Symphony, and Arizona Opera. Nikolaus also plays with the Phoenix Opera, West Valley Symphony, Symphony of the Southwest, Mill Avenue Chamber Players, and the Paradise Winds. Before coming to Arizona, where he received his Master's degree from Arizona State, he attended the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He enjoys teaching his wonderful private studio, and is the founder and owner of www.obonik.com where he specializes in handmade oboe and English horn reeds.
Joshua Gardner was appointed Lecturer of Music at Arizona State University in August 2011 and is Director of the Performance Physiology Research (PPR) Laboratory at ASU. Dr. Gardner received Bachelor's degrees in Music Education and Clarinet Performance from the University of Kentucky and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Arizona State University. He has recorded for Summit Records and has been featured on American Public Media's Performance Today. In addition to performing and teaching, Gardner has a strong interest in woodwind pedagogy and research. He is currently exploring the use of ultrasound for quantified research and performance diagnostics. As part of the PPR Lab, Gardner often mentors student research initiatives. Current student projects range from examining embouchure force dynamics using thin-film force transducers to investigating tongue movement during saxophone performance using ultrasound imaging.
Stefanie Harger Gardner is on the faculty at Glendale Community College and maintains a large private clarinet studio in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Previously, she served on the faculty at Northern Arizona University and GateWay and Mesa Community Colleges. Dr. Gardner completed Bachelors, Masters, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Clarinet Performance at Arizona State University, studying with Robert Spring. She has an active performance career performing with several ensembles, including Arizona Opera, Phoenix Symphony, Symphony of the Southwest, Paradise Winds, Mill Avenue Chamber Players, and the Fountain Hills Chamber Players. Gardner is a frequent soloist with many high school, college, and community bands and won the 2006 Concert of Soloists Concerto Competition at ASU. In addition to performing and teaching, she has a strong interest in woodwind pedagogy. In 2012, Gardner won first prize at the International Clarinet Association Research Competition with her study, "An Investigation of Finger Motion and Hand Posture during Clarinet Performance," where she collaborated with the Center for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing at ASU to study hand posture and finger motion during clarinet performance using the CyberGloves® motion capture system. Recently, Gardner performed at the 2014 ClarinetFest in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the 2013 ClarinetFest in Assisi, Italy and the 2013 International Double Reed Society Conference in Redlands, California.
A versatile performer, educator and concert curator, Joseph Kluesener maintains a diverse career. Kluesener is Second Bassoonist and Faculty at Wintergreen Summer Music Festival (VA), and has performed with the United States Air Force, The Phoenix Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Kentucky Symphony. Kluesener is heard on American Public Media's Performance Today with Paradise Winds. Abroad, Kluesener has performed at Aveiro International Music Festival (Portugal) and was Artist/Faculty at Saarburg Serenaden (Germany); nationally, in conferences of the International Viola Society, North American Saxophone Alliance, International Clarinet Association and the International Double Reed Society. In 2014, Kluesener was appointed Artistic Director of Fountain Hills Chamber Players (Fountain Hills, AZ) and is co-founder and event curator for Classical Revolution PHX. An Adjunct Faculty in the Maricopa Community College District, Kluesener also maintains a private studio. Kluesener received Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from Arizona State University, and two Bachelors of Music cum laude from University of Cincinnati. (Photo: Nicole Marino)
Patrick Murphy is currently Artist Coordinator at the groundbreaking Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ. He has previously served on the faculty of the Crane School of Music and the State University of New York at Potsdam. He completed his doctorate from Arizona State University in 2013, and holds degrees from The University of Michigan, and the Crane School of Music where he studied saxophone with Timothy McAllister, Donald Sinta, and Eric Lau and composition with David Heinick. Performances throughout North and South America include tours spanning Ecuador, Peru, Michigan, Illinois, Tennessee, and Arizona. He was the last saxophonist to perform with the New World Symphony in The Lincoln Theater, and the first saxophonist to perform in the Frank Gehry-designed New World Center in Miami, Florida. He has performed with the Chicago Symphony, The New World Symphony, Scottsdale Arts Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfonica de Trujillo, the Orchestra of Northern New York, the Brevard Symphony, and the Northern Symphonic Winds. 2015 is proving to be an exciting year; he was recently invited to perform as soloist with the Doha Wind Symphony in Doha, Qatar, and to give master classes at the American School of Doha. He will also premiere new works throughout the year including Elizabeth Kennedy Bayer's work Slender Man, for saxophone and electronics.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Connor Dantzler (born February 23, 1994), of Damascus, Maryland, is an accomplished youth American amateur athlete. In 2000, at the age of six, under the tutelage of his father Mark Dantzler, he won his first junior national title in his age bracket. By 2012, Dantzler had won US national championship titles in judo, jujitsu, and powerlifting and earned awards as an AAU All-America and Athlete of the Year.

Biography
Dantzler discovered powerlifting as a youth while searching the internet with his father for other sports to complement his judo training. As a teen, he earned World and Pan-American gold medals in the sport. He appeared in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" at the age of ten. In 2005, he made a guest appearance on ABC's The Tony Danza Show. In 2010 Dantzler earned the Joel Ferrell Memorial Award for Outstanding Performance, "…an award that recognizes outstanding athletic accomplishments and sportsmanship at the AAU Junior Olympic Games". In 2011, he set an American record in his age category at the Collegiate Powerlifting National Championships as a high school student.

Dantzler volunteers as a youth instructor to boys and girls in his hometown of Damascus, MD. Since becoming a national judo coach at his father's dojo in 2010, his students have won individual junior national championship titles. The President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition named Dantzler a recipient of the Community Leadership Award  for mentoring junior athletes. Dantzler's past work in the community was reflected in other notable honors, including the PARADE All-America High School Service Team, Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, the Good Samaritan Medal, a US Senate commendation, and two State of Maryland Governor's Citations.

Connor Dantzler's past articles on the benefits of fitness and sports appeared in Natural Muscle Magazine, Real Gainz Fitness Magazine, USA Judo Magazine, USJF Judo Magazine, and Muscle and Brawn.

References

1994 births
Living people
People from Damascus, Maryland
American powerlifters

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


learn, and to contribute to the growth of the organization.
Projects : Order Booking, SMC Tool.
Environment : VBA , MS SQl.
Developing new applications, components & functionality to existing systems.
Designing, developing, testing & configuring for a LEO Wizard.
Movement of wizard from development environment to testing environment.
questions. At the end of question session player will get the certificate based on the score.
This macro is created to send completion mails through outlook. Based on the user input the Cc data will automatically picked and the attachment also will get attach in the mail.
The main use of this macro is to reduce the accuracy issue.
Languages Known : HTML5 ,Excel Macro, VB Script.
best of my knowledge and belief and shall be responsible if any discrepancy found.


Know what's scorching, and what's not, in the health and fitness subject. Adults are advisable to do at the very least a hundred and fifty minutes of average-depth physical exercise every week to attain substantial well being benefits, and enhance to 300 minutes for extra extensive benefits. UniActive's Swim for Fitness Program delivers the Illawarra's most complete swimming coaching program. Our range of classes present basis health, stroke growth and correction and specialist coaching for Open Water and Triathlon swimming, and are appropriate for for casual swimmers by way of to athletes targeted on competition.


MyBB Community Forums - In what way does upgrading affect my current themes / templates?
MyBB Community Forums > Community Archive > Archived Forums > Archived Development and Support > MyBB 1.6 > 1.6 General Support > In what way does upgrading affect my current themes / templates?
Full Version: In what way does upgrading affect my current themes / templates?
I hate to sound like I'm new to this but it's just been a long time since I've updated. I've just spent the last two days straight customizing my themes / templates. If I update to 1.6, how will this affect the work I've done? I searched for similar threads but none addressed this specific aspect.
Well, themes from older versions won't work, because 1.6 adds a lot of new features that aren't present in the older themes.
What are you updating from, 1.4?? It would probably have been far better to spend two days customising your theme and templates after you'd upgraded, but nevermind... they won't be totally broken, you'll just need to revert some templates to default and add some CSS to the theme.
Actually I just check my version and it says 1.6.0 but I installed back in August 2010 and haven't worked on it until this week and haven't updated. I thought the most recent version came out in December that's why the OQ. Didn't realize current is only 1.6.1.
Oh, well you asked about upgrading to 1.6, not 1.6.1, very big difference... 1.6 > 1.6.1 only reverts 3 templates to default, other than that, nothing will change, but make sure you backup your database first.


Ben Affleck shared an article about how he's not going to be Batman anymore, but there were people who believed it wasn't true. If that's not enough for them, maybe this will convince them. The actor was seen on Jimmy Kimmel Live this past week, and he tells the talk show host the reason why he's passing on the torch to Matt Reeves, the new director for the upcoming The Batman film.
Kimmel then reiterates what he said and asks his team to hoist the Batfleck cape away, marking the end of Affleck as Batman.
Has this convinced non-believers yet?
Affleck has directed critically acclaimed films like Argo and The Town, and he teamed up with DC writer Geoff Johns to help come up with a script. It's pretty perplexing to hear that the two weren't able to create something they could believe in that would be great on the big screen.
Ben Affleck had a major part as Batman in two DC Extended Universe films, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. He also made a cameo appearance in Suicide Squad. It just seems that the actor is tired and done with his role as the Caped Crusader.
Matt Reeves' The Batman film is scheduled to hit theaters on June 25, 2021. The director/writer wants to add more of Batman's detective skills along with having a rogues gallery. The film is expected to shoot early this year.
The post Ben Affleck quits Batman because he couldn't make it work appeared first on Nerd Reactor.


Cook up something delicious in the Lodge 12″ Cast Iron Camp Skillet. This 12" diameter cast iron skillet is perfect to use over an open fire, on the grill, or at home on the stovetop or in the oven. The skillet comes pre-seasoned for immediate use and features an assist handle for easier serving. Sauté, sear, fry, bake and stir-fry in this versatile skillet. Enjoy years of use and savory cooking with the Lodge 12" Cast Iron Skillet.


The Faroese Glaucoma Study. Epidemiology, genetics, and heredity Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG), a potentially blinding eye disease, is a relatively frequent disorder, especially among the elderly. Glaucoma is characterized by a particular degeneration of the optic nerve. The person-related and socio-economic impact of the glaucoma diseases is substantial. A preliminary study has been conducted and a database has been established including all live and deceased patients with a diagnosis of POAG from the 70-year period 1947-2013. Diagnostic mutation analyses on DNA from 10 persons by sequencing the most common POAG gene, myocillin have been performed and did not show any mutations so far. The project aims at determine the prevalence, familial pattern, clinical types, and mutational spectrum of glaucoma in the population. Besides the scientific results, the study will provide a better knowledge to improve glaucoma care in the Faroe Islands. Furthermore, the introduction of a structured follow-up will allow for the introduction of a quality-control program. The study will assemble clinical data during routine visits at the out-patient ophthalmic department during twelve consecutive months. Within this time it is expected that all live glaucoma patients resident in the Faroes will be diagnosed or controlled once or twice at the Eye department. The patients will pass an eye examination with a uniform set of measurements to determine the stage and type of glaucoma. After information and consent from the patients a blood sample will be taken for enrollment into the molecular genetical part of the study. All blood samples will be stored in the Genetic Biobank and DNA samples sent to a specialized glaucoma laboratory in Iowa for molecular genetics analyses. The genealogical and molecular genetics results are of special interest due to the unique genealogical composition of the population. We expect to identify families with a high risk for the development of glaucoma. In these families early intervention will be able to reduce the risk of blindness. In accordance with earlier ophthalmic genetic work it is also expected to discover rare and novel glaucoma genes.


Imagine- what if you had access to a simple yes-or-no answer to any question you wished to ask? A demonstrably true answer. Any question... think about it.
The universe holds its breath as we choose, instant by instant, which pathway to follow; for the universe, the very essence of life itself, is highly conscious. Every act, though, and choice adds to a permanent mosaic; our decisions ripple through the universe of consciousness to affect t the lives of all.
Perhaps the most important and significant book I've read in the past ten years.
…particularly timely… a significant contribution to understanding and dealing with the problems we face today.
Overwhelming! A masterpiece! A lifetime work!


text:
Ars Femina Online Frauenbibliothek
Genesis of the Erotic Discourse
The Muslim erotic discourse grew out of the desire of the guardians of religious conduct, the theologians and legal experts, to answer the question that at some time or other the Muslim believer is led to ask: How should one make love when one is a Muslim? What are the rules that regulate what is permitted and what is forbidden in the act of copulation? The erotic discourse is religious because it is an attempt by the sheikhs, imams, and qadis — the religious authorities vested with the responsibility for guiding and channeling the acts of the believer — to clarify for him the conduct to adopt toward one of the most mysterious areas of creation: sexual desire. It is a very rich literature.[1]
I have concentrated my analysis on two works that are particularly popular, because they are available for a pittance in the streets and bookshops of the old sections of the Muslim cities. They are: the book of Shaykh Sidi Muhammad Nefzawi, entitled The Perfumed Garden,[2] which sells for the equivalent of forty cents; and How An Old Man Can Regain His Youth Through Sexual Potency, which costs about sixty cents and is the work of the »savant of the century, unique in his time, the honorable Mawla Ahmad Ibn Sulayman, famous under the name of Ibn Kamal Pasha, who died in the year 940 of the Hegira.«[3] The first book was written in the twelfth century, and the second in the fifteenth.[4]
The aim of this literature was essentially religious. The purpose of the authors was to serve the umma, the Muslim community. The first book (The Perfumed Garden) resulted from an order. What happened was that a vizir, after having become aware of a first version of the work, commissioned the author to rewrite it. The vizir commented to a blushing and disconcerted Nefzawi, whom his emissaries had found in southern Tunisia: »You are not the first who has treated of this matter. ... I swear by God that it is necessary to know this book. It is only the shameless bore and the enemy of all science who will not read it.«[5] And it was as one of the faithful, called upon to carry out a privileged task, that Nefzawi asked for God's help in beginning his work:
I forthwith went to work with the composition of this book, imploring the assistance of God (may he pour his blessings on his prophet, and may happiness and pity be with him).
I have called this work The Perfumed Garden for the Soul's Recreation.
And we pray to God, who directs everything for the best ... to lend us His help, and lead us in good ways.[6]
The second author, Mawla Ahmad Ibn Sulayman, who wrote his book thanks to the encouragement of Sultan Salim Khan, had a natalist objective:
I have written this book, but my aim in doing it is certainly not to play a part in inciting debauchery or encouraging sin; my aim is not to help the voluptuary who violates the commandments and makes licit what Allah has declared to be illicit. My aim is to come to the aid of him whose desire does not result in the achievement of that which is permitted and which is the source of populating the earth and increasing the race — an idea which expresses the counsel of the Prophet (may peace and prayer be with his soul): Copulate and reproduce yourself, so that I may be proud of you before other nations.[7]
While the first writer asked God to help him contribute to the scientific knowledge of the believer on the subject of copulation, the second stated his wish to help the believer to be fulfilled within »what is permitted« and thus contribute to the multiplication of the members of the umma and carry out the natalist wish of the Prophet. Both works include a detailed table of contents to facilitate their use and to increase the benefit that the believer could draw from them. It goes without saying that the two documents are addressed to a male reader, despite the fact that the obsessive subject of the two works is woman, her body, desires, wantonness, and mysteries.
This woman is depicted as an omnisexual woman, a creature whose most prominent attribute, which determines her whole personality and behavior, is her sexual organs, called in Arabic al-farj, whose »proper meaning,« according to Nefzawi, is »slit, opening, passage; people say 'I have found a (farja) in the mountains'»[8] — that is, a crevice, a crack.
From the fact that this woman is described through the characteristics of this crack, which is not only an autonomous force but also a determining force for the whole female personality (Chapter 5), arises the question of how she can be satisfied. What kind of copulation does she require? How does she reach orgasm and under what conditions (Chapter 6)? From the answers to these questions emerges the outline of the man who has the power to satisfy this woman-crack. It is a man fashioned in the image of the one whom he is intended to satisfy, to fulfill, to serve. Like her, he is omnisexual, defined and determined by a phallus-shaft, corresponding to the vagina-crack (Chapter 7).
‹ Part I zum Titel The Omnisexual Woman in Action: Subversion of the Social Order ›


This exercise in excess is owned by Rick Nielson of the band Cheap Trick, who played it during many years of touring. The instrument is cumbersome and heavy, but the intent was clearly more theatrical than practical. In Nielsen's words, "This guitar still gets more applause than I probably ever will."