Heroine, or not?

Today I was browsing Cafe Press's Jane Austen-themed t-shirts just for fun, and came across one that was supposed to just be a list of the JA heroines; it said "Elizabeth & Catherine & Elinor & Emma & Anne & Fanny," or something to that effect. I noticed Marianne was missing from the list, as she sometimes is, which led to my current musing upon the subject.

There seem to be two disputable Jane Austen heroines: Marianne Dashwood and Jane Bennet. Some people make a list of eight heroines, and include Jane Bennet. Some people, as I was mentioning above, make a list of six (one for each novel) and exclude Marianne Dashwood.

Elizabeth and Jane, P&P 1995

So I thought, well hey, here's something to post about. What do all YOU think? Are they heroines, or are they just general main characters?  It seems to me that generally Marianne is considered to be a heroine. If that's the case, do you think that Jane should be? I'm putting a poll on the sidebar to gather opinions easily that way; but I'd love it if you commented and joined in the discussion. :)

As for my  thoughts on the subject... "read on!"

I can see why people might not include Marianne, because it's kind of tricky having seven heroines for only six books, and really when you read Sense and Sensibility, Elinor does seem to be the main character. The narrative generally stays with her, and you get more of a look into her head than you do Marianne's--but of course that is more necessary, since Marianne generally speaks her mind.  But think--we know from the moment Lucy mentions it about the thing to do with Edward (surely there is not anybody reading this who doesn't know S&S's story?), even though Elinor never tells anybody; but we don't know what happened between Marianne and Willoughby before he left, or even if they were engaged, until she finally tells about it.

Elinor and Marianne, S&S 2008

I'm still inclined to consider Marianne to be one of the heroines, though. After all, the story is generally heralded as a story about the two very different sisters--one has the sense and the other the sensibility (or sensitivity, if you'd rather), and all that. In fact the original name for the novel was Elinor and Marianne, so it was obviously about both of them.

And as far as Jane Bennet goes, I've never considered her to be a heroine, nor have I considered her and Mr. Bingley to be one of the main JA couples (although if you want an even eight that is sometimes convenient). She's just Elizabeth's older sister, and Mr. Bingley is just Mr. Darcy's best friend. (Ha, that brings another element into discussion--I guess Col. Brandon and Mr. Bingley, then, would be the two debatable JA heroes.) Although they both play a major part in the story, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are still the ones it is about. And Pride and Prejudice wasn't focused on the sisters' relationship, although it did of course come into play, and one can compare Jane and Elizabeth with Elinor and Marianne.

But I'll stop rambling now, and let you get your word in. :)

Lark Rise to Candleford (Part 2 of 2)

Click here to read Part 1.

Season Two (2009) 

Final episode of Season 2

I think I probably like Season 2 better than the first one... or possibly about the same. I'm glad to see the Sir Timothy plot go, and it's nice to have Mrs. Arless gone besides for in the first episode. On the other hand, another character I don't care for makes an appearance and stays the whole time. I'll get to him later. However, this is the season where Minnie shows up. (I talked about her earlier.) So that definitely throws things up a few notches--Season 1 is a poor forlorn thing without her to lighten everything up. :)

I tend to like Dorcas better in this season, I think; as for Laura, my liking for her is always off and on and probably about the same as the first season--perhaps even a little less. Her taste in gentleman friends pretty much annoys me up to this point.

Main Characters from Season Two

James Dowland
Having grown up in Lark Rise as a boy, some of the time under Queenie's care, James left, made his fortune so to speak, and then comes back to Candleford to build a new hotel in his chain. Then he sticks around, of course, and seems to earn a lot of respect from everybody (originally they don't know he came from Lark Rise, ha, ha...) and even runs in a local political election (episode 3). And, as was entirely predictable from the beginning, there is A Thing going between him and Miss Lane. I... do not like him. I didn't like him from the beginning, but he did seem barely tolerable... then once episode 8 rolled around, and some after that, I was like... um. Now I really don't like you. But, I am attempting not to put spoilers in here... so if you've seen the show you probably know what I'm talking about. ;)

Fisher Bloom

This guy waltzes in in episodes 5-7 to build the clock that Mr. Dowland decides to present the town with. He's quite a pompous fellow, proud of living his life without ties, moving from place to place. And then of course he meets Laura, and he makes her all huffy but apparently she likes him and when he finally stops being rude to her they become a temporary couple. Well, she's hoping it won't be temporary. But when he finally leaves... let's just say my heart wasn't broken (although I did feel sorry for Laura, even if I thought she was odd to go for him in the first place).
This isn't everybody's opinion, I know. Some people think Fisher is a total romantic hero... but not I. I think he is an unkept, self-centered and rather arrogant fellow who could be called good-looking and has an interesting accent, but the last two don't make up for the earlier ones.
I was watching Return to Cranford recently, and suddenly realized that the same actor played Edward Bell in that. (The jerk brother of the sort-of heroine, you know. At least, the young lady who has the main romance in the story.) I despise Edward Bell and watching him actually made me think Fisher Bloom isn't so bad after all.

Nan Carter
This girl shows up in episode 9 and gets Alf Arless thinking of somebody else besides Laura (and meanwhile the latter may be just a tad jealous or regretful, or considering being so, anyways). I kind of like her okay at first, but then in the last episode (I think), she sort of changes and then annoys me a great deal, and I'm not sorry to see her have disappeared in Season 3.



I could mention Sydney here, but I think I'll wait for Season 3 since he's only in the last episode.

Favorite Episodes
5 - This one is just quite interesting in general. It's the one where Fisher Bloom shows up (and even though I don't particularly care for him it's still intriguing). Ruby Pratt and Miss Lane have quite a bit of discourse in this one, and in one particular scene where they are sitting on a bench outdoors it always amuses me to compare their very serious conversation with emotional undertones, to Pride and Prejudice (1995) where the same to actresses sit as Harriet Forster and Lydia Bennet, giggling and being generally boisterous and silly. Heehee.
6 - I enjoyed this one because it was very interesting. Miss Lane is sick and Laura and Thomas have to manage the post office all by themselves, and there's a bit of mystery thrown in, and Fisher is still in the plot.
12 - If you watched the end of episode 11, you'll be wanting to see what happens in this one as soon as possible. This is where a new character comes in--a little boy named Sydney, who, for reasons I cannot explain without spoiling things, stays with Miss Lane supposedly temporarily. But I'll talk more about him later.  Anyways--this episode concludes season 2, and ends happily with a wedding, which always pleases me.
I found episode 3 to keep my interest quite well but I don't know if I can call it a favorite.

Least-Favorite Episodes
1 - The series actually starts out with a Christmas special; I got to it right during Christmastime, too, so I was greatly looking forward to it. It turned out a lot different than I thought it would, though. In some parts it was nice and Christmassy, but the other parts of it seemed more suited to Halloween. It felt unusual for Lark Rise and just... weird. Really weird. Creepiness. Up until the end I expected things to be if not rationally explained at least not confirmed as a fact, but... haha. But there is snow and nice Christmas trees, and as my sister pointed out, Miss Lane has a very pretty robe.
4 - Ugggghhhhh. This is without a doubt one of my least-favorite episodes in the entirety of the series. I usually like the episodes that have Margaret Ellison in them, but in this one some things happened that I thought very out of character and I was quite angry. Plus the 'guest' for this episode annoys me to no end. I sometimes get annoyed at modern themes like atheism and evolution getting stuck in this show. And I am quite annoyed at Miss Lane for reading Darwin and thinking herself open-minded in so doing. *rolls eyes* Anyways. This one, for me, was just a lot of ugh-ish-ness, but at least Thomas and Margaret end up engaged at the end.
8 - Enter risque plot to do with James Dowland. Eh-heh. This episode was interesting I suppose, but not in a pleasant sort of way. I'd watch it for the sequence, though, if I was having a Lark Rise-a-thon.
10 - Enter more risque plots, only to do with Pearl Pratt, of all people! Some of it makes me laugh but in general I don't appreciate it and the rest of the story isn't that interesting.

Recognizable actors

Oliver Dimsdale as George Ellison

I've only seen this fellow in one other movie, which was He Knew He Was Right, as Louis Trevelyan, the main character. Didn't like his character. He was Margaret's brother whom she hadn't seen for years because of a disagreement between him and their father. 

Samantha Bond as Celestia Brice Coulson

This is a period drama actress with whom I am well acquainted. I've seen her in Mansfield Park (1983) as Maria Bertram, a Poirot (Agatha Christie) episode, Emma (1996, A&E) as Mrs. Weston, and for anybody who might be interested she's also in Downton Abbey. 

Celestia is a woman who waltzes in out of, evidently, James Dowland's past... but he gets rid of her as quickly as he can. :P The episode she's in (8) is... cough... not my favorite.

And as I mentioned earlier, Matthew McNulty, who played Fisher Bloom, was in Return to Cranford as Edward Bell.

Season Three (2010)

Season Three is my favorite. I never was quite sure why, but I think I've ascertained that a large part of the reason is probably that Miss Lane does not have any romantic interests in this season. (The men always tend to annoy me.) Also, Mrs. Arless is nonexistent, Minnie becomes even more likable and her plot more interesting, and there is the addition of Sydney, another character I like. Thomas Brown and Margaret are married which is sometimes fun but sometimes irritating, and my favorite beau of Laura's is introduced. ("Favorite" does not necessarily mean I like him very much, just that I like him better than her others. But we'll get to him.) 

Main Characters introduced in Season 3

"It is one of your 'one weaknesses'!"

Sydney
(Or Sidney, as it was spelled in Season 2's subtitles...)
This is a little boy who is under the care of Miss Lane and lives at the Post Office during seasons 3 and 4. (He actually comes in during the last episode of Season 2, but this is mainly where he starts. Besides, the actor changes after that one episode.) He actually doesn't annoy me, and little boys in television shows often do. :P He's not the rough-and-tumble sort at all. He's more of a smart, nerdy kind of kid but it doesn't have all the plot of feeling left out and people not liking him that generally comes with this, so that's nice. And he's always polite. Rather grave and silent at the beginning... but that's okay with me. 

Daniel Parish 

Ah, Daniel. The journalist who waltzes into Candleford one day (the first episode, in point of fact), tracking down Emma Timmins for a story he's doing.  I never can decide whether I like him or not. I kind of half-like him except that he seems pompous at the beginning, and then I don't like him (because a certain Happening in the first episode), and then gradually I find myself liking him again. At the end of Season 3 (the last couple episodes), I do like him. Suddenly I feel like, hey, what he's saying sounds like me. Plus... I find him rather handsome sometimes. Haha. Not that I am the swoony sort, as you probably hopefully know. :D
But anyways, sometimes he annoys me. In Season 4 he's annoying in a couple episodes... so yes, my opinion of him varies a great deal. But as I said, he's definitely my favorite of Laura's suitors (the most suited to her, indubitably) and I find their romance interesting. Some people think she should have ended up with Fisher... but I'm always like, no way. Nope. Daniel is better. Duh. I mean, he gives up a big, important journalism position and instead starts a newspaper in Candleford on his own, which would be more work and obviously a lot less money and future. Fisher, on the other hand, was like, eh, well, I was going to marry you, but I don't want to be tied down to you so I'm gonna skip town. Bye-bye. 

Anyways. Moving on.

Favorite episodes

Well, it's rather more hard to divide these for this season because I like a larger portion of the episodes more than I do in some of the other seasons. Plots I found particularly interesting were 1, 11, and 12... I also enjoyed 2 and 5. And I pretty much liked any of them for the most part, besides...

Not-so-favorite episodes

2 - Well, part of this one is okay, and important to the story (to do with Daniel). But the other part is not okay. Queenie's superstitious nonsense is always weird, but really this one gets too witchcraft-y and I don't approve. Also, the plot is just a dud in general and once again makes Thomas look like an idiot and combining good opinions with rather odd ones... ugh.

4 - This one is interesting but a bit heavy to be one I like to re-watch much.

6 - This one is fine too, but it can get a bit annoying. 

Recognizable actors

As in Season 2, I just recognized a couple...

Hattie Morahan as Enid Farliegh

As soon as this character showed up, I said "It's ELINOR!" Hattie Morahan played Elinor Dashwood in the 2008 Sense and Sensibility, and I'd never seen the actress on anything else so it was rather exciting. ;) Her plot did surprise me a bit, but I don't want to spoil it so I'll keep mum. ;) Anyways, she's a seamstress who ends up helping Miss Pearl with a big project while Ruby is gone. Hmm, I never did talk about that part of Miss Ruby's story... oh well.

Anyways, this was episode 8.

Rosie Cavaliero as Mrs. Mullins

This actress played Mrs. Plornish in Little Dorrit. It's funny to see the Plornishes both on the show, but at different times. ;)  Mrs. Mullins is one of the characters in LRTC who randomly pops up and she's supposed to have always been around, we've just never seen her before, and we never see her again. (She's in episode 10.) 

Season Four (2011)

Season 4 is probably my second favorite... well, no, I'm not exactly sure. I'm kind of neutral about it. There are no episodes I particularly love, or that I particularly hate. The main problem with Season 4 is that it is only half as long as it should be--with 6 episodes. Then they just... stop. I mean, the ending doesn't exactly leave you hanging but it could easily continue further, and it seems like they're trying to tie it up fast. And why? I guess they stopped half-way through just so they could concentrate on Downton Abbey. (Nonono. Stick with Lark Rise, peeps.) I would have liked to see Laura's wedding, or at least have her engaged. (I like proposal scenes. Sniff.) But no. 

Anyways. 

Main characters from Season 4

Gabriel Cochrane 
This is the only new main character in this season.  Swamped in debt, his business is taken away and in the depths of affliction (he recently lost his adored wife, who as it turns out... well, plot spoilers there) he lands in Candleford and works as the new blacksmith for Miss Lane. (It would seem the forge was not in operation during seasons 2 and 3, haha. There was another blacksmith in Season 1. Are we just supposed to assume he was still there? I can't remember if it was explained in Sesaon 4 or not...) And of course, he's the romantic interest for Miss Lane in this season--and the one she ends with. In this series it seems like her beaux always end up leaving town (which Gabriel was about to do, haha) so who knows what would have happened if the series had continued. :P

I don't really like him all that much... but he was better than James Dowland. ;) 

I call him Allan Woodcourt just about as often as Gabriel or Mr. Cochrane, because that was the character he (Richard Harrington) played in Bleak House.

And then Sydney and Daniel Parish are still here. 

Episode Preferences

Like I said, with this season I pretty much like all the episodes the same. Except for 3; I don't care for that one. It's... odd. (And it has creepy Mr. Guppy person. Er, that is, he played Mr. Guppy in Bleak House. In this he is a clergyman. Of a sort.) And I get a little bit tired of 5 if I see it too often. My favorite is probably 6, because it's the last episode of the series and though it shouldn't have ended, the ending is sweet and the episode is interesting. (I especially like the part where Minnie gets engaged. Awwww. Oh that's right! There is a proposal scene. How nice.) 

Recognizable Actors

Well, in this season it's just one, besides for the main characters--Burn Gorman, who as I said, played Mr. Guppy in Bleak House. And he's even creepier on this one. *shudders* (The character's name is Reverend Marley, by the way.) Haha, I remember I was watching most of this season when it was playing on TV, and when I saw the "coming next" at the end I said out loud to myself "Oh noooo! It's Mistuh Guppyyyyyy!" (Yes. I am a nutcase. Thank you for noticing.)

Other Stuff

Costumes
Kind of hit and miss. There are some I really like, and others are just all right. (Plus, of course, since everybody in Lark Rise is rather poor, their clothes are never very interesting.) Laura and Margaret Ellison/Brown probably wear some of my favorite outfits. I quite adore this one pictured-- it might have been from the batch Dorcas gave Laura when she first came to Candleford, that she said she wore when she was younger.


Music
Ha, this is also rather hit and miss. The main theme is... well, catchy. But I can't say I really like it (though I don't dislike it either). Some of the music on here is very fun, especially when some random person on the show is playing it... as for the background themes, they vary. There are some that particularly annoy me after a while when they come up (especially in seasons 1 and 2, I think) and others that I always like. My favorite episode for music is season 3, episode 11, I think it is. It's the sort of sentimental-sounding fiddle music theme for one of the characters I guess--but I can't say who because if you haven't seen the whole thing you shouldn't know yet that that person will be there. ;)

Content Advisory
In a nutshell, I wouldn't recommend this show to Younger Folks. While most of the time it's discreet, it does deal with a lot of subjects that are... awkward, and designed for adult viewers. And sometimes it is a little more suggestive than even I like; but I am very picky about such things. There are some episodes, of course, that would be appropriate for younger viewers, but a lot that wouldn't, in my opinion. So I would just advise exploring it before letting your children or younger siblings watch it with you if you are a picky person too. :) I believe the show would be rated PG.

Conclusion (haha)
So, would I recommend this period drama? Is it worth it?
Yes, I do think so, if you want to get into a whole series. I didn't think so before I actually watched the whole thing, but now I am converted. The only things I would warn against are above.

Anyways, I really enjoyed it and will continue to in the future. :)

Soooo what about you? :D

Many, many thanks to Miss Laurie for use of her LRTC screencap stash! They did work as great motivation. :)

Lark Rise to Candleford (Part 1 of 2)

For quite some time I regarded Lark Rise to Candleford to be a so-so period drama... something I didn't mind watching on occasion, but which wasn't really that spectacular; not to be compared with other things. So far, though, I'd only seen a few random parts of episodes from Season 1, then later a few more random ones from Seasons 2 and 3 (mostly 2) when they were playing on TV (I watched it if I remembered, which I usually didn't), and finally most of Season 4 when it was playing on PBS. Then the series ended, and I didn't look into it further. By Season 4 you're pretty much supposed to know all the characters, and I didn't... which made it less interesting in general.

Then, one day, back in November, I didn't have anything at home to watch, and I was at the library, so I did something I rarely do: I browsed the DVD shelves, just to see if I might find anything interesting. Browsing DVD shelves at the library is rather like looking for flowers under a whole bunch of weeds in a garden. Weeds with prickles on them, so you don't want to touch them, you know. I knew I'd probably miss anything new to watch, and as a blogger and someone who mainly watches period films is there really much of anything good that I don't know about?, so I was mainly looking for something good I hadn't seen in a long time and had quite forgotten about. Then I saw two seasons of Lark Rise sitting there. So I read the back covers... I knew some of the story from Season 2, so I looked at Season 3, and found that it looked unfamiliar. I checked it out, brought it home and watched it, starting with Episode 1, of course... and then another, and then another, and suddenly I found to my surprise that I was hooked. I was loving it. I didn't want it to end yet at the same time I wanted to find out what would happen, and... well, you know that old dilemma.

After I'd finished Season 3, I got Season 4 again, just because I was rolling with the story, you know, although I'd seen all those episodes before. (Only now they actually made sense.) Then I started afresh with Season 1... it was checked out at the library, so I would curl up on the sofa in the living room with my brother's laptop on the coffee table and watch the episodes that way, using this delightful channel on YouTube. (My brother's laptop has a nicer widescreen than the main one. Like I really need to mention all that.) There were tons I hadn't seen from Season 1, although it was fun to recall the bits I did see. And I think it had been another case of my happening to see the bits that are exactly the things I don't much care for in the series, so I thought it was all the same and formed an unfavorable impression. It's strange how that often happens. But anyways, I watched quite a bit of Season 2 the same way before getting that DVD set from the library... but it was quite sad by the time I'd gotten to the last episode. For a while, you know, I was experiencing new and never-before-seen-by-me period drama, which is nice after a long time of having to re-watch things.

But it isn't all over. Because now I get to review it. (Well, it will be half review and half long-winded babbling about all the characters.) Although a fan of Lark Rise now, there are still things about it that I don't like and things I wouldn't recommend. Also the episodes can be very hit-and-miss. Season 3 is still my favorite, and it's not just because that's what got me hooked, as I suspected originally. I've figured out some other reasons why I like it better... but I will get to all that in due course. I'm not going to review this one season as a time, because if I was going to do that, I'd probably review Season 1 and then stop. So what I did was write it as one big long (long, long) post, and then because of its horrible longness I am dividing it up into two parts and this one will cover the main characters & season 1. (I wanted to split it up with the first post having the first two seasons, and the second having 3 and 4, but that would make the second post a lot shorter.)

Characters
I'll start by talking about the main characters... and by "main", I mean the ones that are pretty much in the whole series (at least three seasons). There are some other characters that are only in certain seasons, so I'll get to them later.

One thing I like about this show is the abundance of recognizable actors. (Of course, if I hadn't seen so many other period dramas they wouldn't be recognizable, but... anyways.) So I'll talk about that at the bottom of each rambling. ;)

In Candleford

Laura Timmins
In the beginning at least, Laura is the main main character, or the heroine of the piece. Like most of the characters in this show, I have like-dislike emotions regarding her. (That's a less drastic version of "love-hate", you know.) She can be quite annoying at times, and frankly, not very relate-able. That's not to say I don't have anything in common with her, because I do, somewhat. Sometimes. And sometimes I do like her... and I'm usually on her side, anyways. I wish her good and not ill. Her taste in young gentleman is not always the wisest, however. But I'll get to talking about her beaux later on.
But here, I haven't talked at all about Laura, I've just rambled on about what I think of her, and not very well at that. Laura is 16 at the beginning of the series, leaving her boisterous home in Lark Rise to live in Candleford and work at the post office, under the supervision of her mother's cousin, Dorcas Lane, who runs the post office. She is very wide-eyed and unused to everything at first--Candleford is a high-class town in comparison with the village of Lark Rise, though it is a small one. Gradually she becomes accustomed to it and learns to love her new life, though she continues to stay connected with her family and friends in Lark Rise.

Dorcas Lane
As aforementioned, Dorcas Lane runs the post office. She's a single lady and therefore Quite Independent. She inherited the post office from her father, although I'm sure it could not have been passed down to a more deserving and capable person than she. She loves it and the community wholeheartedly and finds herself satisfied with her life--most of the time. She has a little tendency towards meddling, although it all comes from an earnest desire to help people... also, she is sometimes accused of meddling when half the people come to her for advice, plain and simple, and she can scarcely avoid it. She can't be expected to just act like a hired counselor--give her advice and then forget all about everything; she really cares about these people and what's happening to them.
As much as I admire Miss Lane in many ways, sometimes she does infuriate me. She can be rather high and mighty at times, and it's like she can make assumptions about other people and try to help them and all that, but when they try to do it with HER... well, she bites. As my mamma often says, she can "dish it out but she can't take it". And besides for that she is a bit of a know-it-all, and quite opinionated. (And the opinions themselves sometimes annoy me--especially her more 'liberal' ones. When it comes to her reading Charles Darwin, I agree with Thomas. Oh wait, haven't talked about him yet...) I must say I like her best in her vulnerable moments. Oh, and she has a good sense of humor, and be quite funny with all her announcements that such-and-such is her one weakness. Let's see, how many can I think of that she mentioned? Food, baths, picnics, clothes... I think that's just from the first few episodes. Next time I watch the series I should keep a real list.
Other parts I've seen Julia Sawalha in: Mercy Pecksniff in Martin Chuzzlewit (1994), Lydia Bennet in Pride and Prejudice (1995), Jessie Brown in Cranford (2007); and apparently she did the voice for Mouse in the animated/cartoon Kipper movies I used to watch. Ha, ha, ha. Now I want to watch them again. :P By the way, it's rather amusing to compare Dorcas Lane to Lydia Bennet. That is, it's amusing to try to compare her to Lydia Bennet, and fail miserably.

Thomas Brown
Thomas is the mail-carrier. Well, the main one; Laura has a few "rounds" of her own after the first few episodes. I have mixed feelings about Thomas, but for the most part he annoys me. He is sooo moody and has absolutely no sense of humor. (Well, on second thought, let's change that to 'very little'.) He has very strong convictions about things, which I do respect in a lot of ways; I don't agree with the Church of England but a lot of his sermonettes are Biblical and I agree with some things. He always sticks up for what is right. But on the other hand, some of it is just ridiculous, and there lies the problem... I think that the general idea is supposed to be that he and his opinions in general are ridiculous, when really it is blended and people who know better can discern which things are which, but everyone else probably just views him as one of those crazy Christian fanatics. (It's supposed to be comical, you know.) I admire his character for being devout, but I don't admire him for being unreasonable as he can be. And as I said... major mood swings. Man, that guy is a straight melancholic. I can be quite moody myself, but Thomas is the extremity. Eh-heh.

I do like him and Margaret (his sweetheart/fiancee/wife, depending on where in the series you are) together. I think that she's the only sort of person that could have been right for him... but that being said, it makes a nice romance.


Minnie

Minnie doesn't come in until the second episode of Season 2, but I'm going to talk about her anyways, because she's one of my favorite characters. She's the maid at the post office, and she's so FUNNY. One of those people, you know, who don't mean to be funny, but they are. She's not the brightest crayon in the box, I must say that... but she has a good heart, never means any harm, and is a true and loyal friend. That is, you wouldn't want to trust her with a secret, but she'll stick up for you if necessary. (Unless it is too frightening to do so. :P) Anyway... she's hysterical. Her looks, her way of talking, her facial expressions, the things she says, her density, her flustered-ness... oh, and I love it when she hears a new word and tries to say it. "Persisterence" is my favorite, and I never can conquer the way she says "extraordinary".
Now, when she first appears she can be rather annoying. But stick with it, because she improves. And like so many of the characters, I like her best in the 3rd season.
It's fun watching her and Dorcas Lane, who is constantly working at instructing Minnie, and sometimes she doesn't understand half of what Miss Lane is saying. Their random little conversations and exchanges often amuse me.
"Mum... is frivolous bad?"
"On the contrary. Frivolity is essential. When we begin to take ourselves too seriously, we are headed for trouble."
"Do I take myself too seriously, mum??"
"Not often, Minnie. I think you are safe."
I haven't actually seen this actress in anything else, but apparently she played Mary Bennet in the infamous Lost in Austen, which amuses me to contemplate. Also a random person in Oliver Twist (2009).

Pearl and Ruby Pratt
The Misses Pratt are seamstresses who have a shop just down the street from the post office. They are sisters, unmarried, and can be very snooty and uppity and gossip quite a bit... I definitely like Ruby better, although she seems pretty much as bad as Pearl in the beginning. Gradually as you get to know her character better, though, you can see that she's better when she's not so much under her sister's influence. Pearl has some moments where you feel sorry for her, but other than that... ehh. I don't like her.
The two of them are always matching, which, I think they explained once, is somewhat of a publicity stunt. As it happens, though, I think a lot of the dresses they wear are hideously outlandish and the things they actually sell people are nicer.
Victoria Hamilton played Ruby, who was also in P&P95 as Harriet Forster. I've also seen her as Harriet Musgrove in Persuasion (1995), and she's been in a few other period dramas I haven't seen.

Margaret Ellison/Brown
I'm not sure whether to put her in Lark Rise or Candleford, because in the beginning she lives in Lark Rise, I think... she's the daughter of the rector, so it's sort of both while he's living. But once she gets married she lives in Candleford. Anyways, for the most part I like Margaret, except for in a few episodes... in at least one episode, I think they did some things with her that were out of character. But anyways, she's a nice lady, and as I said earlier, the only sort of person who could get along with Thomas (though they do have their problems sometimes... usually his fault though).
The last time I watched the 2011 Jane Eyre, I noticed this actress (Sandy McDade) as Miss Scatcherd, which was a very small part... and she's much more suited to a nice lady like Margaret Brown than a harsh schoolteacher.

In Lark Rise

Robert and Emma Timmins (& family)
These are Laura's parents. For the most part, I don't really care for Robert; too opinionated and generally irritating, although I like him all right some of the time. (Dear me, what a broken record I am.) I like Emma for the most part, although as a sister of mine pointed out, she can be rather irritating in Season 4. (And other times... just not as much.) She is a sensible woman, which is something I greatly admire in the Lark Rise crowd... but then, she's not annoyingly sensible, if you know what I mean. And she certainly has her faults and all that, but anyways.
About the children, I don't have much to say... Edmund is the only one who really has anything to do with anything, and that's in the second half of the series. It's funny to see how young he looks at the beginning, after watching the later seasons.
Brendan Coyle, who plays Robert, was in North & South as Nicholas Higgins (and his character was actually similar to Robert's in some ways), and I know he is in Downton Abbey although I've only seen a few clips of that. Claudie Blakley--Mrs. Timmins--is one of those actresses I see popping up all over the place: Camilla French in He Knew He Was Right (what a character!!), Charlotte Lucas in the 2005 P&P, Martha in Cranford, and those are only the ones I've seen to date. 

Queenie and Twister Turrill
Twister is an old coot (or, as Queenie would call him, a "duffer") who isn't really quite right in the head a deal of the time, and is just an odd one in general. And he complains a lot. And is very touchy. And is very fond of liquor, a trait which I greatly anti-admire. Queenie I like for the most part, except when she's being superstitious and pagan. (Which by the way, Dorcas, does not "only mean rustic faith".) There are some bits concerning that that I do not condone, but fortunately it isn't too often. She keeps bees, which I don't seem to notice in the later seasons... she's a sort of mother to anyone who needs one, having a past and present with taking care of children who need it at the time. She's an interesting character, and as long as she's around I actually find Twister tolerable most of the time.
I've seen Linda Bassett in Our Mutual Friend as a woman named Abby, and in Sense and Sensibility (2008) as Mrs. Jennings. 

The Arlesses 

Caroline Arless drives me nuts. That's all there is to be said. Well, scratch that, I have more to say. She can be sort of funny sometimes, but it's often in a way that irritates me, and her coarseness and general annoying-ness and, well, stupidity, outweigh it if you ask me. And even if not, it's again with the over-fondness for ale. (Actually, any fondness for ale would gain my disapproval but she is even worse.) I find it rather amusingly satisfying that that is what got her in debt, though. Heh, heh, heh.
Ahem. Anyways.
Needless to say, I was glad when she left after the first episode of Season 2 and didn't come back until the end of the series. (She's also gone briefly in Season 1.)
On the other hand, I do like her son Alf, who fortunately was able not to be too much influenced by her while being brought up, it seems. He's a nice fellow; honorable, considerate and rather happy-go-lucky, except when his circumstances get to him and he feels depressed, which isn't all that often considering. He likes Laura in the beginning, although she just wants to be friends with him, even though she seems to come close to considering him a couple times. As for his other romances, there's one in Season 2 where I kind of liked the girl at first, but then she got annoying and I was glad she didn't reappear. As for Seasons 3 and 4... heehee. *smiles mysteriously* Well, I won't give away anything, but I do consider that romance to be very cute.
Mr. Arless is only in one episode... and I like him tolerably some of the time. It is annoying that he keeps leaving, though. He should stay and take care of his family; and with that woman, they need it.

Now I've finished with the main characters, and we can proceed.

Season One (2008)

I saw bits and pieces of the first few episodes of this when my mom was watching it a few years back; but the problem was, what I happened to see was too much of Mrs. Arless and too little of the people in the Post Office. When I watched this season thoroughly, I had already seen seasons 3 and 4 in their entirety, and was curious to see how the characters and situations would evolve. It was quite fun, and I liked a good portion of it, although I still prefer most the other seasons to this one.

Main Characters from Season One

Sir Timothy and Lady Adelaide Midwinter
After a while, I got tired of these characters and the drama involved with them. It's also not quite the thing, because the drama is... not quite the thing. Sir Timothy, though married to Lady Adelaide, still seems to have feelings for his former sweetheart--Dorcas Lane. And spends a bit of time in her company (which most of the time is excused as business), so the wife gets jealous, and all that. As for Lady Adelaide, sometimes I liked her all right, and other times she annoyed me too. I did feel sorry for her, though, and while Dorcas was not entirely blameless, she had a much better sense of propriety than Sir Timothy did--and also a better consideration for Adelaide's feelings. In the last episode she was very rash about things, which did annoy me... but of course it all turns out all right. (It always does, you know.) And Sir Timothy finally realizes what his duty is. (Although technically, why did he go and marry somebody else to begin with, if he was still interested in Miss Lane? And somebody who doesn't seem to be his "type", at that... not clever.)
Oh, but I do think Midwinter is a very romantical surname. I must remember to use it sometime.

Zillah
Zillah is the maid at the post office in the first season (before Minnie). I do not like her. Old bat.
Oh, ahem. Did I just type that out loud?
But I don't like her. She is annoying. I comforted myself, though, that since she was so old, she would probably die by the end of the season. They had to drag it out as long as possible, though....
I recognized this actress when I recently watched the 2001 version of Nicholas Nickleby.

Phillip
Argghhhh. This guy is Laura's beau during this season, and he annoys me too. He's a bit of an arrogant numskull, and I thought Laura a bit stupid to take so long to realize it herself. I suppose she was just interested in him because he was interested in her--but she eventually discovers that there's more to a person than how they act when you're together.


Favorite Episodes
1 - This one is fun because it's the very first.
5 and 6 are both interesting and don't annoy me for the most part.

Not-So-Favorite Episodes
2 - Minus the annoying bits with Mrs. Arless and the people she owes trying to find her and all that, this wouldn't qualify as a least-favorite episode; some of it is quite interesting. So I just skip the bits I find distasteful.
3 - This one was rather irritating in general, but the plot with the maid for Amos and his son was a bit... ehhh.
4 - Mr. Smallweed from Bleak House is in this one, as a villainous character... and it is just not a very enjoyable episode.
8 - I think I can call this one a "least favorite". It is one in which Miss Lane forces me not to like her (and she wears the most low-cut dress I've seen on her in the series, haha). The schoolteacher, around whom the episode revolves, gets on my one nerve, and her romance with him is quite ridiculous. (And in real life he was like nine years younger than her, hahaha...)


Recognizable Actors

Claire Skinner as Mrs. Macey
Mrs. Macey is actually in two episodes and plays a prominent role in one of them. She is the other mail carrier until she leaves before episode 3, and Laura eventually takes over her rounds. There's some interesting story involving her... a mysterious past, muwahahaha. Anyways, I recognized her at once as Fanny Dashwood (half-sister-in-law of the Dashwood sisters) from the 2008 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. Oh, and I've heard her as Isabella Thorpe in a radio adaptation of Northanger Abbey. She was pretty good.

Peter Wight as Amos (or "Old Amos")
This fellow appears mainly in one episode (Episode 3, mentioned below), but he makes an appearance in one or two others. I've seen him in Jane Eyre (1997) as the clergyman, Our Mutual Friend as Mr. Wilfer, P&P 2005 as Mr. Gardiner, and Persuasion (2007) as Admiral Croft. ("Such a number of mirrors... there is no getting away from oneself.")

Peter Vaughan as Reverend Ellison
In general I like the roles this actor plays, although he was dreadfully annoying on here. He's... the type who is controlling and wants to have everything his way, and is an old toad while he's at it. *cough*
I've seen him in The Moonstone (1997) as Gabriel Betteredge, Our Mutual Friend (1998) as Mr. Boffin, and Lorna Doone (2000) as Sir Ensor Doone.  He's also in quite a few other period dramas I haven't seen.

Philip Davis as Mr. Ashlow
Yick. This fellow's best known to me as Mr. Smallweed in Bleak House (2005), and I can't say his character is much better on here. I've also seen him on Nicholas Nickleby (2002). 

Stephen Campbell Moore as James Delafield
He shows up in Episode 8, and annoys me greatly. So does Dorcas Lane, because she has a brief romance with him. (Ugh.) Anyways, I've seen him in He Knew He Was Right as Hugh Stanbury... I also see from IMDb that he was on Amazing Grace as James Stephen, whoever that was--I can't even remember.

Jason Watkins as Constable Patterson
He's actually in Season 2 as well. I forgot to include a picture of him... but he was Mr. Plornish on Little Dorrit.

***
Click here to read Part 2!

This and That About Mansfield Park 2012 (play)

I'd heard a while back that there was some production of Mansfield Park coming out in England, but hadn't heard of it since; today I stumbled across a video with clips from it, which pleased me mightily! and I thought some of you might like to see it too.

And now I must comment on a few things...
1:12 ~ They called Fanny strong-willed! Yay. I like them. Mrs. Norris and Sir Thomas don't seem very striking, but the quotes are coming out of the book I think, so that's good. Henry Crawford seems to do tolerably... Fanny too, although she looks less like Fanny than she did on the poster.
1:38 ~ Aww, one of my favorite scenes from the book! Fanny does tolerably but I don't much care for Edmund. He seems like a modern guy dressed in Regency attire (and probably not enjoying it).
2:10 - 2:20 ~ Ugh! Edmund! Don't be an idiot!
2:20 ~ "Nevah, NEVAH!" Squeal!!! I've imagined Fanny saying that before. Ahhh, I do love Fanny. She knows he's a jerk even though everyone else is too stupid to realize it... :P And honestly, the way they try to pressure her into marrying him, appealing to her sense of duty and honor... argh!!! It makes me want to go do something drastic to them. Or jump into the story and make myself a nice supportive friend for Fanny. Sigh.

Well, it doesn't really seem like the greatest thing ever, but if I lived in England I'd have tried everything to be able to go. To see a professional Jane Austen play at a theater!! Are there many felicities in the world superior to that? ;)

Mary and Edmund, foreground; Fanny, background

There are also some cast interviews on the theater company's channel. The Mary Crawford actress seemed to have a pretty good understanding of the story, I think, even if I didn't quite agree with all her opinions (although she made good points). She would do Mary well, I think. And as for the Fanny actress-- well, it was a short interview, but at the end she was asked if she thought Fanny should end up with Edmund or Henry, and she said "Definitely Edmund! Definitely Edmund--no question." And I was like, okay. YOU PASS. And she understands that there is a lot more to Fanny than people generally realize. She seems to be in everything better suited to the role than either of the actresses from the newer movies. I don't think her looks were exactly suitable... but give me her over Billie Piper any day.

Oh, I do wish they'd filmed it!

Now I'm rather in a mood to read the book again. I intend to sometime soon-ish, anyways... which, knowing me, should probably indicate sometime by the end of the summer. :P

I saw a review of it here, in case anyone's interested. Oh, and this one is good and much more informative without being annoyingly professional. (I tend to prefer the personal reviews, heehee.)

So what do you all think? :) I'm really glad someone decided to do this play... Mansfield Park definitely deserves more attention! BBC needs to follow suit!

On Rereading Pride and Prejudice

It's quite pathetic, really, that I've been a fan of Jane Austen for pretty much exactly four years now (well, my indoctrination was four years ago, haha), P&P has been my favorite story ever since I saw the 1995 adaptation (which was the second story I was introduced to), and I only just finished reading it all the way through for the second time.

Sometimes I think I am more of a bookworm in theory than in practice....

Anyways. I enjoyed it a great deal, of course; it did take me a while to get "into" it, but I suppose that is because I really am soooo familiar with the story. But there is always something fresh to learn or be reminded of, and that's always fun. Plus I found that when I actually read more at a time I could more easily get involved.

For a long time I've been holding out on deciding between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Knightley--I'd read Emma twice, and P&P only once, I would say; well, I no longer have that excuse. Buuut... I still can't decide. It is true that my respect for Mr. Darcy was refreshed upon rereading P&P, and for the last half or so of the story I could 'feel' it all from his point of view actually better than Elizabeth's. (Well, I guess I might have donei t on purpose. :P) My admiration for Mr. Darcy, though, is just different from that of Mr. Knightley. The love stories are so different, too, and both so compelling in their own ways.

Also, it is hard to take into consideration that what one should be comparing is the heroes from the books, movies completely excluded. Because frankly, I think for a lot of people who adore Mr. Knightley, Jonny Lee Miller's portrayal has something to do with his popularity. Don't get me wrong--I don't think it's just because of the movie that he's such a great hero, because I happen to think the representation was perfect. JLM just got Mr. Knightley to a T.  The adaptation understood him... they took what was in the book and expanded on it without taking away from or adding to it.

And you know what? I can't say that for Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy. At all. (And don't even speak to me about Matthew MacFadyen's. He was a nice guy, and I have to say I kind of liked him... but NOT as Mr. Darcy. He is not Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy, and therefore not mine.) I have a high respect for Colin Firth's portrayal--it has been my old friend these three years and a half at least. (I mean, hello, I'm a co-founder of The P&P95Forever Club!) But I don't think the actor really understood the character; the portrayal only showed some aspects of his character and we can only see half as much as we can in the book (while some things, such as the un-smiling-ness, actually gives us the wrong impression). There is really so much more to Mr. Darcy, peoples. If you've forgotten, go read the book again. Live the story from his point of view. His character is a little hard to decipher, and we don't have exactly an abundance to go on... but that makes it so interesting!

In short, I do hope that someday, somebody like BBC will make another full-fledged adaptation of P&P in which Mr. Darcy's portrayal will do as much for his reputation, as JLM's did for Mr. Knightley's. Also, it would be fun to see actors who are actually the right ages. :D

Anyways. If I can actually make myself do it, I intend to write a post all about The Real Mr. Darcy (which may have a great deal of what-Colin-Firth-did-not-get thrown in). I will talk about such things as how he smiles more than in any of the movies, and that he actually has a sense of humor. How he is gentlemanly and considerate, and how we must remember that since most everything is from Elizabeth's point of view, besides the few hints Jane Austen chooses to give us, the unprejudiced eye might have understood him better and thought well of him towards the beginning, too.

And hey, if you would be interested in reading such a post... do let me know. It might encourage me to put my shoulder to the wheel. :P Also if you express an unfavorable opinion of Mr. Darcy, that might encourage me in a different way. Heh, heh, heh.

Something I noticed this time 'round that I failed to last time, is Jane Austen's amusing way of spelling (and capitalizing) things differently when she feels like it. In some editions you probably won't be able to see this, because they'll be 'correcting' things right and left. But it was Phillips the first couple times, Philips after that, until towards the end where it changed back to Phillips again. Sometimes it said "De Bourgh", other times it said "de Bourgh." At first I thought that it might just be a capital D when it said "Miss De Bourgh", but later on it had it the other way. And there were some other, commonplace words too... I used to think that when it said "choose" it had been corrected/updated, and when it said "chuse" it was Jane Austen's original; but this time I noticed that Jane did it both ways. There were a couple other words, too, that were spelled differently; sometimes even on the same page.

Just another one of Jane Austen's intricacies. ;)

However, I will have you know that Lizzy is always Lizzy, and is never, ever Lizzie. Also Bennet. One T. (Don't look at me like that. If I am a wild Beast who is always reminding people of the correct way to spell Austenian words, I cannot help it. It is not my own fault. :P)

And now, as I have run out of things to say and have rambled on for quite long enough anyways, I shall end with a list of quotes I scribbled down, which I did not scribble down the last time I read it.

~~~
"Mary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how."

"Mr. Darcy walked off; and Elizabeth remained with no very cordial feelings towards him. She told the story however with great spirit among her friends; for she had a lively, playful disposition, which delighted in any thing ridiculous."

"From all that I can collect by your manner of talking, you must be two of the silliest girls in the country. I have suspected it for some time, but now I am convinced." -Mr. Bennet

"To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love."

"Mr. Darcy is not to be laughed at! That is an uncommon advantage, and uncommon I hope it will continue, for it would be a great loss to me to have many such acquaintance. I dearly love a laugh." -Elizabeth

"Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can." -Elizabeth

"It is a rule with me, that a person who can write a long letter, with ease, cannot write ill." -Miss Bingley

"I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book!" -Miss Bingley

"Far be it from me, my dear sister, to depreciate such pleasures. They would doubtless be congenial with the generality of female minds. But I confess they would have no charms for me. I should infinitely prefer a book." -Mary

"A scheme of which every part promises delight, can never be successful; and general disappointment is only warded off by the defence of some little peculiar vexation."  -Elizabeth