JABA tag!

Find the tag for the Jane Austen Birthday Assembly here.

1. How did you meet Jane Austen?
She waltzed into my life one day and said "Hello, Melody. I am going to take you captive." And so she did.
Haha, that's not actually a cop-out answer, it's just that I'll be going in to Great Detail about that later. Stay tuned. :)

2. In which order did you first become acquainted with and read Jane Austen's novels?
Well... I can't quite remember what order I became acquainted with them, but it was something like this:
1. Sense and Sensibility
2. Pride and Prejudice
3. Emma
4. Persuasion
5. Northanger Abbey
6. Mansfield Park

And those were all through watching the adaptations, haha. Although I started/poked through the first four on the list before I actually settled down and read them, so that was becoming acquainted with them too.
This is the order in which I read them (only abbreviated this time):
1. P&P
2. S&S
3. Emma
4. MP
5. Persuasion
6. NA

3. Rate Jane Austen's major novels from your most favorite to your least favorite and tell why.
Okay, so let's get one thing settled right now. With Jane Austen, there is no such thing as "least favorite". There's not-as-favorite-as-the-rest, but I like them all so very much!
Secondly, this is a very hard question. It fluctuates. (Well, my favorite is always my favorite, but as to the rest there are such thin lines between them...) It's something like this--
1. Pride and Prejudice
2. Emma
3. Sense and Sensibility
4. Northanger Abbey
5. Persuasion
6. Mansfield Park

Now, P&P, S&S and Emma are always in my top three. It's just that Emma and S&S switch around from time to time. NA and Persuasion also switch around. Mansfield Park is always at the bottom... but I DO like it. Really, I do. And I love Fanny, and if you don't like Fanny, you don't want to get into a discussion with me about it. Just sayin'. :D

As to Why... well, because. That's why.

4. Which Jane Austen hero/heroine couple is your favorite and why?
Umm... uuuummmm... um? Okay, okay, I'm going to have to say Emma and Mr. Knightley. And because they're so cute. (Heeheehee.) I just love their story. I adore the love story in P&P, but I have to say that I've been "into" Emma and Mr. Knightley's the most in the past.

5. Which hero/heroine couple is your least favorite and why?
LEAST favorite? Here we go again. I like them all in their own ways. But... I'll have to go with Fanny Price and Edmund Bertram. I'm sorry! Truth be told, if there was a good adaptation with a nice, redeeming speech of Edmund's at the end and finishing the love story off nicely and sweetly, I might like them a lot better. As it is, I just spend most the story feeling sorry for Fanny, and thinking that Edmund needs to become sensible. Okay, so they're cousins. But that was normal back then. And that doesn't mean he had to go for Mary Crawford, of all people, and keep getting past it when he found anything out against her, just like it was suddenly wiped from his memory when she acted all sweet to him again.
Not that I don't like Edmund in his own right, and that I wasn't happy when they finally got to their happy ending. (But I wanted it to be more descriptive... but don't go pointing fingers, people who say there isn't enough romantic stuff in Miss Austen's novels. She wrote three proposals very well, and as for the other three... she made up for them not being there quite nicely with everything else.)

6. Have you read any of Jane Austen's Juvenilia works? Which ones?
I've started Love and Freindship twice or thrice, and fully intend to read the whole thing someday. ;) I've also read The Three Sisters, which was quite amusing. I'm almost reluctant to read all her minor works, because I know after I'm done with those I won't have anything left by her that I've never read... haha.

7. If you could change the name of one of Jane Austen's characters who would it be and why?
Probably Mr. Darcy's first name. Fitzwilliam just doesn't go with him, and if you're trying to do All First Names for the couples you always don't want to with Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. And I don't really like just calling him "Darcy", although I do it sometimes.

8. Have you ever introduced someone to Jane Austen?
Not exactly. I've 'cultivated' a few people who didn't know very much about her, though. But I daresay that someday I shall. :)

9. If a new film about her life was made, which actress would you want to play Jane Austen?
No comment. Er, that is, I have no idea. Nobody has got her right so far, and I daresay nobody ever will. They could do something a lot better than Becoming Jane and Miss Austen Regrets, though, and I do wish they would.

10. Pretend you're having a weekend party at your very own country house, which Austen characters (up to five) would you invite and why?
Wow. That's a tough one. Well, for starters I would invite Elizabeth Bennet and Henry Tilney so they could make everybody (including myself) laugh and be fun to converse with. Plus I've always just found putting Elizabeth and Mr. Tilney in the same story to be an amusing idea. I wonder what would come of it? Emma would never be allowed to come, so I can't invite her. Who else... okay, Mr. Knightley. Mr. Darcy might come since I've invited Elizabeth, but then he might just stand around and not talk much, because he does not converse easily with strangers, and though I think it would be quite interesting to meet him, Mr. Knightley would probably be easier to talk to. And get along better with Henry Tilney, because since they'll probably be the only two men in the party they must get along.
Who else... well, I could invite Mary Crawford just because she might feel quite put out when the gentlemen don't take notice of her, because I think they are both much too sensible. Henry Tilney might tease her, but inside he would be laughing at her and she'd probably figure that out eventually. It would amuse me. It would also be interesting to see her and Elizabeth interact, because it's been said that Mary is Lizzy gone wrong. But in the end, she might annoy me too much. So never mind her.
Okay, I just need to invite two more people and be done with it. Well... perhaps Anne Elliot, so that she could be in some agreeable company for once, poor thing. But for a good Jane Austen group I think I need somebody besides heroines and heroes... well, let's just say Mrs. Jennings. She's a good soul, rather hilarious, and her matchmaking attempts would be interesting.

11. In your real life have you ever attended a Jane Austen themed event, party or ball? Or have you hosted one yourself?
I hosted a Jane Austen party for my birthday a couple years ago. (You can read about that here.) I've also attended two Regency-themed balls... they aren't Jane Austen-themed exactly, but it's that sort of dancing and most people who can dress in Regency fashions do so.  And a lot of people do know about Jane Austen there, as you might imagine

12. Suppose you were given the opportunity to ask Jane Austen two questions: one in connection with her real life and one about her stories. What would they be?
Such is always the case... I make up a question, and then once I go to answer it, I'm like... ehhhhh?
Okay, well, in connexion with her real life I would ask her about the seaside gentleman... although I suppose that would be too audacious, but you know, this is make-believe.
In connection with her books... I would probably ask what the general hair and eye color and heights of her heroines and heroes are. Hahaha. Is that too much to be one question? ;P Well then, just limit it to heroines. Or just hair and eye colors of heroines, because she talks about height more often than hair color in her books... but then, perhaps she might not know. Well, I would take a good long time and come up with some question I have while reading her books. Like whether Mr. Darcy knew that Elizabeth overheard his "tolerable" speech, or even meant her to...

Sorry no pictures, everybody... heh. I did not feel like taking the time.

JABA: JA Fanfiction Short Story Contest

Listen up, Janeites and writers, here is your chance of a lifetime!  Well, perhaps not quite.  But it may be of interest to you. Have you ever wondered what happened to some of the characters in Jane Austen's novels who never really had an ending?  What became of Elizabeth Elliot... did she ever marry?  What is Georgiana Darcy's story?  Well, my dear friends, here is your opportunity to decide.  To play Jane Austen.  To make up an ending for any unmarried Jane Austen lady that you choose. I'd better quit rambling in this fashion and give you details.  I think I'm better at rambling than details, so the details will probably be rambles too, but here goes.

• To rehash what I've said above, this is a short story contest, and the tale is to be Jane Austen "fanfiction," finishing up the story of one of the ladies in Jane Austen's novels. (So they should be single.) It could be someone like Nancy Steele or Mary or Kitty Bennet... it could be Isabella Thorpe or Mary Crawford... hey, it could even be Robert Martin's sister, if you like. There are a lot of possibilities out there so I'll let you think of some instead of listing them all. (But feel free to use any of the ones I've listed, too. We wouldn't mind. Not that it would improve your chances of winning or anything, it would be the same either way--um, anyways. I should stop while I'm... whatever I am.)
• As for word count, it may be any length you like as long as it is not more than 1,500 words. ;)
• The contest is open as of now, and we will be accepting entries through December 18th. The contest closes at midnight--we'll say any time zone, so I guess that means Pacific, since they get midnight the latest. (I need to quit stating the obvious, I think.)
• To submit your entries, we have come up with a Plan. It's called the Anonymous Submission Plan. Well, obviously you can't stay incognito from the person you're sending it to, but the person you're sending it to will send it to me anonymously, and so none of the judges (there are more than one, but I'm getting to that) will know who wrote what until after the decision has been made.  You will direct your entries to Miss Elizabeth Bennet: her e-mail address is elizabeth.bennet.elegance[at]gmail[dot]com.  
• With your story, please include which novel the character you're writing about is from (we'd figure out out soon enough, but it's nice to know ahead of time), the title of your story, and your pseudonym. That is, you get to make up a Jane Austen Character pen name... just for fun. The judges will see that, so I recommend you not choose anything obvious. ;)  Remember that Miss Elizabeth is supposed to know who you are, though. Just don't include it in the document (if you're attaching a document--pasting into an email would be fine too). 
• Now for the judges. I shall tell you up-front that the judges will be myself, the renowned blogger and Janeite Miss Laurie, and the brilliant and illustrious authoress Miss Amy Dashwood. 
• What we'll be looking for (besides the obvious Best Story and Good Writing) is something that has a Jane Austen-y feel to it (I don't recommend you actually try to write like Jane Austen as far as style goes, because that would be impossible... but it could still be Jane Austen-ish), faithfulness to the original story (you may take some liberties including making up brand-new characters, of course, but we don't like things in the already-existing story-- carefully crafted by Miss Austen herself!-- to be changed, at least not... you know... drastically), and general accuracy to the time period. As to the storyline itself... well, you may do anything you choose! It could be sentimentally sweet or ridiculously hilarious... whatever suits your fancy.
• Oh, and as to style. You may do anything you like there, too; you may want to consider going epistolary style--that is, writing a story that is made up of letters (as in missives... epistles... you know, mail). Most of Jane Austen's early works are written this way, and it's sometimes easier to make things shorter this way (it could even be one letter!), because the narrative doesn't have to be as detailed. But then, the novels you are continuing aren't that way, so... well, it's completely up to you!

If you have any questions, do leave me a comment.  

Oh, la! I almost forgot. The winner will be announced on December 20th. Her award will be fame and glory... that is, the winning story will be posted for everyone else to read and enjoy. Oh, and the winner will get a button to proudly display on her sidebar.

So for now... happy writing! I really look forward to seeing what you come up with!

12-22-12: This contest has been concluded. You can read the results here.

Jane Austen Birthday Assembly!

Oh yes, my friends, Jane Austen's Birthday (which is almost like a national holiday for us Janeites) is right around the corner once again! And this year there is to be a Grand Assembly hosted by Miss Laurie, along with Miss Elizabeth Bennet and myself. I'm quite excited! We have lots of fun things in store for you, so be looking out for the posts, starting on December 13th. Click here to read about the event a little more.

Spread the news with these buttons!

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I do hope you all will participate! It's going to be splendid! :)

How North and South is Not Like Pride and Prejudice

I have often heard it said that North and South is like Pride and Prejudice. I do not agree with this. I have also heard it said that North and South is like a darker version of Pride and Prejudice. I do not agree with this, either (although it is indeed darker). And I shall endeavor to explain why, as I have now just finished North and South (hereafter to be abbreviated to N&S, and Pride and Prejudice will be P&P) and therefore have sufficient knowledge of the story. I never trusted myself to try and write this post just based on the movie, you know.

(If you do not know these stories already, here is your spoiler warning.)

First of all, I shall list what I believe people base their comparison on, then I shall address the points, and then mention other differences.

Similarities (or what people might consider to be similarities):

1. The general storyline of both is something like this: a man and a woman meet, are not really impressed with each other in their own ways, but the man grows to love the woman and the woman to become more displeased with the man, then he proposes, is rejected, but continues to love her and eventually she finds out what a good guy he his and they finally come to an understanding intending marriage.

2. The heroine is prejudiced and the hero is proud.

3. There is also another man in the story from whom the heroine receives an offer of marriage, which she of course rejects.

4. The hero has a relation who disapproves of the match and at some point has a confrontation with the heroine.

5. The heroines both have an ailing mother who complains a lot.
6. There is a chapter in N&S called "First Impressions" which was P&P's original title.

7. The heroines are both named Elizabeth. (JOKING, I’m joking…although apparently that’s what whoever made this wallpaper/background thought!)

And now I shall address each one of those. Except 7, of course.

1 and 2—These are the ones that probably most everything is actually founded on; the others, I was just trying to think of any possibilities that people could consider. But you will notice that when I wrote the story themes in that description I had to use very general terms. This is because the stories are so unlike each other. This very general storyline is, I daresay, very popular, and these are not the only two authors who have used it. (Although the Janeite in me must point out that Jane Austen did it first. :D)

But anyways. First of all, if a comparison is to be made, I’d have to say that Margaret Hale’s sentiments were actually much more similar to Mr. Darcy’s than Elizabeth Bennet’s, which points out a dissimilarity to begin with. Margaret, we must understand, was brought up as a gentleman’s daughter even though her father is in reduced circumstances; although he was never a gentleman of leisure, his profession was one of the ones accepted by The Gentry, and she had been brought up as a little girl with her rich relatives during the school years in London. When she came to Milton she found what she perceived to be a deal of vulgarity, as Mr. Darcy probably thought about some of the people in Hertfordshire. Margaret found Mr. Thornton himself not to be as polished as she liked, although mostly she was prejudiced because he was a tradesman, or one could also say she was being prideful to look down upon them. Mr. Darcy did not actually find Elizabeth herself to be what he felt was beneath his notice—it was her family.

Also, the sentiments of Elizabeth and Margaret were quite different. What I said in the description there was not actually quite true on Margaret's account; she did not really grow to dislike Mr. Thornton more before he proposed. She had a little esteem that sort of went off and on, and if anything she might have thought a little better of him at that point than she did to begin with.

Speaking of which, the characters of the heroines and heroes are just so completely different from each other in the two stories. Especially Elizabeth and Margaret. Waaaaay different personalities going on. Since their temperaments and outlooks on life are so different, it's another thing that makes the stories differ.

And about the pride and prejudice thing. The fact is, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth both exhibit both traits themselves, and though some people attribute pride to Mr. Darcy and prejudice to Elizabeth, they both have a their share of both. Think about how Mr. Darcy was prejudiced coming to “an assembly such as this” in Meryton. (It’s obviously pointed out that he is proud, so I need not go into that.) He was also prejudiced as to Jane Bennet, believing that she did not really care for Mr. Bingley, rather because that is what he expected. Elizabeth was not really prejudiced about Mr. Darcy until he slighted her at the Meryton ball, which was a founded prejudice, if you ask me. Then she heard the untruth concerning Mr. Wickham and believed it. (You don’t see anything like this in N&S—if anybody is ever mistaken about the other, it is Mr. Thornton mistaken about Margaret and her brother, so there again we have the heroes and heroines not matching up between the two stories.) Then think of her reaction to his proposal. Remember that “had not your pride been hurt by my honest confession of the scruples that had long prevented my forming any serious design”? Or when Elizabeth herself said “I could more easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.” There, Elizabeth herself just pointed out that they were both proud in their ways. Although she was half-joking there, and did not think pride was an admirable trait. That doesn't mean she didn't have it, though.

But back to what I was saying before. As for Mr. Thornton, I would have to say he didn’t demonstrate much prejudice, although he could be called proud in his way.

One could try to draw a similarity between Mr. Darcy saving Elizabeth’s honor by settling the affair with Lydia and Wickham and Mr. Thornton saving Margaret’s honor by making sure there was not an inquest in the affair with her and her brother (though he did not know it was her brother) at the station. Well, those were not at all the same when you get down to the technicalities. For one thing, in P&P Elizabeth became even more attached to Mr. Darcy after he did that for her family (for her, in point of fact); in N&S Margaret’s true feelings are rather unclear, but what she feels the most in the situation is mortification that Mr. Thornton should know that she lied. They’re just completely different situations. Mr. Darcy did it for Elizabeth with the full knowledge that it was because he loved her and wanted to save her from scandal; Mr. Thornton tried to convince himself first that he's doing it not for her sake really, but because of what he 'used to' feel for her (heh, heh, heh...) and finally he decides upon using his friendship with her father as an excuse. (Yeah, he's doing it for Mr. Hale. Uh-huh.) However, Mr. Darcy knew Elizabeth was blameless, whereas Mr. Thornton all along was tormented by the probability that Margaret was not at all blameless.

Then Mr. Thornton goes on to explain to Margaret that all his feelings are passed, of course, and that he didn’t really do it for her—pretty much the exact opposite of Mr. Darcy. (Although in the book we see that all along Mr. Thornton loved Margaret and this time, so HE who lied too… ahem. Oh Mr. Advocate for Truth, take a look at your own self.)

Furthermore, a big part of the story in P&P is that Mr. Darcy was struggling against his own better judgment to lower himself enough to actually acknowledge his feelings for Elizabeth. In N&S it wasn’t this way at all; Mr. Thornton knew that Margaret probably considered herself above him and if he hesitated in his affection it was because he felt she could never care for him.

They both deal with social class, yes. But it’s on a different plane entirely. P&P is all about The Gentry. N&S has a great deal to do with tradesmen manufacturers.

As for the rest of the story, it is all so different. Not only is it “darker,” it’s just… different. Margaret’s family situation, for starters. Mr. Thornton is a great friend of Mr. Hale and pays kind attentions to Mrs. Hale when she’s ill and all that. The main driving force in the story, I would say, is how Margaret adapts to living somewhere and being with people totally different than what she had experienced so far, and facing lots and lots of change in her life that forces her to lose the simplicity of her former existence. There isn’t anything like that in P&P at all; I would say the they-don’t-like-each-other-oh-wait-now-he-likes-her-but-she-doesn't-like-him-but-then-she-discovers-she’s-wrong-and-it-ends-happily is a bigger deal in P&P.

Now that almost makes it seem like I’m bashing P&P or something, but trust me when I say I’m not trying to do that AT ALL. P&P is my favorite book, my favorite story in the world. I much, much prefer it to N&S. I like the “Light & Bright & Sparkling”-ness of it. It’s so cleverly devised and wittily written, and not at all cheesy or silly, as somebody who gets the wrong impression from very little knowledge of it might think. I greatly admire N&S and think it’s a marvelous and clever story, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But I couldn’t have a steady diet of it. It’s much too heavy and could be tiring if one has an overdose of it. I cannot imagine having an overdose of P&P. ;)

I wish I knew whether Elizabeth Gaskell liked Jane Austen… I haven’t been able to find out. Does anybody know? I know that Mrs. Gaskell was actually acquainted and friends with Charlotte Bronte, who is infamous for not liking Jane Austen, but I suppose it does not necessarily follow that Elizabeth Gaskell doesn’t like her. One CAN be friends despite one liking Jane Austen and the other disliking her…

…or can they?

Kidding. Sort of.

And now, since I have run out of rambles, I’ll move on to point number 3.

Mr. Collins and Henry Lennox are two very, very different matters. Mr. Collins is a wife-hunter and—well, we all know what he is. Icky. Henry Lennox, on the other hand, is a respectable young man whom Margaret actually likes—but not in that way. He would annoy her as a husband. Also, he is not a wife-hunter at all; it’s one of those cases where a man doesn't believe in thinking about marriage until he's 'made himself', but then meets with a woman who changes his mind. Unfortunately for him, he has to be disappointed.

Now, personally I don’t much like Henry. He rather annoys me. I think I would like the book’s Henry a great deal more than the movie’s, but… still can't say I exactly like him. But anyway, he is not at all repulsive. Like Mr. Collins.

4 - We all know how different this is. I just stuck that in there for fun. The reason Mrs. Thornton confronted Margaret was not at all similar to why Lady Catherine visited Elizabeth. I don’t even need to explain if you know the stories.

And as for 5… Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Bennet, two very different cases. Mrs. Hale did complain a lot about Helstone when they lived there, but of course regretted it later on when she had Milton to deal with. And Mrs. Hale really WAS ailing, whereas Mrs. Bennet was what they call a hypochondriac.

Number 6 is not anything to dispute, just a trivia fact.

If you were comparing the mini-series of N&S with P&P, you might say that something happened at the beginning of the heroine's acquaintances with the heroes to immediately promote a dislike, but as this is not the way it was in the book of N&S, I say it can't be counted. ;)

In short, the stories themselves are so very, very different and have traits all their own that though a few comparisons can be made, it is not sufficient to make them similar enough to be mentioned hand-in-hand as I have seen done.

There now. That, everybody, is my opinion. Do any of you agree with me? Of course, you may tell me if you disagree too, although that will provoke me to argue my case and I do so hate debating. :P

(I am only teasing. Do not mind me. I mean, I do dislike debating, but I'm not forbidding you to say you disagree. Haha.)

Mistuh Bennet! Have you HEARD the NEWS?!

Hey, look! It’s Richard Armitage! Yeah, over there!

Kidding.

Sorry. 

But we had to get your attention some way.  So kindly look back here, and forgive us for fooling you—oh, wait, you’re wondering what the “we” is all about?   “We” refers to Melody and Miss Dashwood, and Melody and Miss Dashwood have an announcement to make.  Which may very possibly include ice cream, so we would like to have your attention.

(Note: There will probably not be ice cream.) 

We would like to announce the formation of a musical club, with regular meetings at yours or mine—erm, whoops, wrong club.  We would actually like to announce the formation of the P&P95Forever Club, and you are all invited to join.

Now, right about now some of you are probably clasping both hands to your hearts in a squeal of utter joy at the thought, some of you are glaring and scowling most ferociously, while others of you are saying, “Wait, what?  The P&P95Forever Club?  What’s that?”  Let us endeavor to expline, or if you aren’t accustomed to our Eliza Doolittle method of speech, we shall explain (while the rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain). 

Last year, Miss Dashwood wrote a seemingly innocuous review of Pride and Prejudice (1995), hereinafter referred to as P&P95 so we don’t have to bother with italicizing it.  In the aforesaid and abovementioned review, she made a brief joke about how she did not think Colin Firth smiles enough as Mr. Darcy, and hoped that the members of the P&P95Forever Club would not come at her with their DVDs at the ready.  A joke, nothing more than a joke.  (After all, she's a child, only a child.) Melody read the post and left her usual lengthy comment, in which she only laughed a little over "the Club thing," but tucked the title away in her brain, and at some later point (we are not sure when) mentioned to Amy that a P&P95Forever Club would in all seriousness be quite a marvelous thing. We agreed to begin a blog together, but not just any blog. No, this one would be extra-special—it would be a clubhouse, a place for fans of P&P95 to congregate and learn more about their favorite mini-series. 

In June 2012, the great task began. Together, we began organizing our information, deciding how much to include and where to find our facts. We began collecting quotes, looking up dance instructions, researching the actors’ other works, organizing links, et cetera and so forth. Believe us when we say it was a lot of work. (And perhaps you will accept this as a partial excuse for our lack of posts lately.)

And now, finally, the P&P95Forever Club is opening its doors.  We do not think it is necessary to explain that we think P&P95 is the definitive adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and that we will stick to this opinion with our last breath, unless the BBC makes another, better, truer-to-the-book adaptation which is highly unlikely. We realize that not everyone shares this opinion, but hey, if you don’t, you are under no pressure to join the Club.  But if you do agree with us that P&P95 is the best on earth (excellent taste you have, by the way) we invite you to join the Club (visit the Become a Member page) so we can send you a member button.

If you are a relative newbie to P&P95, do not despair!  One of the purposes of this new site is to provide fans with everything under the sun that they might wish to know about P&P.   At the P&P95Forever Club you will find everything from trivia facts about the production to pages and pages of screencaps to information about those lovely dances in the ball scenes.

This blog, however, is not intended to be a stagnant one-visit website.  No, indeed, for we intend to keep it hopping with new posts, games every week, polls and throwdowns and perhaps even opportunities for you to make an appearance! 

So please, go explore the blog!  And while you’re there, have compassion on our poor nerves and leave a comment.  This is the express wish of our esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and besides which, it adds greatly to our own happiness. 

See you there!

 ~Miss Dashwood and Miss Marianne