Best Of: Jane Austen and Proposals

 This was my first Reader Question that I answered. It came to me from Melody (who has been so good as to guest post during this week) who asked "Why exactly do you think Jane Austen didn't write proposal scenes in Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, and Sense and Sensibility?"

From the post: 

So, to answer the question directly, I think that Jane Austen didn't write a proposal scene for either Northanger Abbey and Sense and Sensibility because it simply wasn't necessary (it needed not to be particularly told). In Northanger Abbey and Sense and Sensibility, we as the reader know that Henry Tilney loves Catherine Morland (though she was kicked out of Northanger Abbey by General Tilney) and we know that Edward Ferrars, despite his engagement and supposed marriage to Lucy Steele, loves Elinor Dashwood. So, I think that by the end, we the reader can assume that if Henry Tilney or Edward Ferrars arrived to speak to Catherine or Elinor, that there could only be one reason why: to propose. There isn't a doubt in the mind of the reader that the hero holds a very, very high regard for the heroine, so there is no need to get into a lengthy proposal scene.

Read the Full Post

---

 God Bless,

Best Of: Defending Susannah Harker's Jane Bennet

This is an ongoing topic among all fans of Pride and Prejudice (whether they be fans of the newer version with Keira Knightley or the older version with Colin Firth). The debate: whether or not Susannah Harker was a good/pretty Jane Bennet. Here is my take on the topic:

From the post

There are countless comparisons between Pride and Prejudice 1995 and 2005 (I myself have only seen half of the 2005 movie). But there is something that fans of both the 1995 and 2005 versions of Pride and Prejudice commonly say...

Susannah Harker is not pretty like Jane Bennet is supposed to be.


Either that or some say that Rosamund Pike looked more like the Jane Bennet they pictured while reading Pride and Prejudice. Now, don't get me wrong: I like Rosamund Pike... Not necessarily her Jane Bennet, but I did like her as Lady Harriet Cumnor in Wives and Daughters. But between Susannah Harker and Rosamund Pike as Jane Bennet, based on looks I think that Susannah Harker was a better/more accurate Jane Bennet.

Read the Full Post

---

 God Bless,

Best of Elegance of Fashion: The Scarlet Pimpernel Review

UK DVD Box Art

Ah, the time that I first watched The Scarlet Pimpernel. I had heard good things about it and I think those good things were deserved. Really, this is an underrated movie in the media today and is definitely worth a watch. See what I said about it! (Make sure to leave comments in the review).

From my review:

So, here is the long awaited review! Why did I watch The Scarlet Pimpernel? Well, I noticed a lot of my blogging friends really enjoyed The Scarlet Pimpernel. I didn't know very much about it (I did know that it was a precursor to Zorro -- by the way, I enjoyed the 50s Disney series of Zorro), but everyone that I had mentioned that I hadn't seen it to said that I would really enjoy it. So finally I got to watch it on Youtube. And now, my long awaited review.

SynopsisDuring the Terror of Paris, many members of the aristocracy are sent to the guillotine, but a number of them are saved by someone called The Scarlet Pimpernel. The true identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel is Sir Percival Blakeney, a man who pretends to be a fop (or in other words, a dandy) in order to conceal his identity as the Scarlet Pimpernel. He falls in love with an actress named Marguerite St. Just, the sister of a man that he defended in a fight. Marguerite's "friend", Citizen Chauvelin, wants to become the head of national security and is certain that the capture of the Scarlet Pimpernel will get him the position.

Read Full Review

---

 God Bless,

Best of Elegance of Fashion: Bleak House Review

Back in June of last year, I watched Bleak House for the first time. I had heard good things about it on other blogs, and since it was on Netflix, I watched it. See what I said about it! (Make sure to leave comments in the review).

From my review:

And how's this for my 500th post? This movie was recommended to me by Melody from Regency Delight ~Jane Austen, etc.~ quite a while ago. Finally! I got to watch it on Netflix! I had seen previews of Bleak House on other BBC DVDs, but I didn't know much about Bleak House other than it had something to do about wills. I also saw that there are a number of people on the blogs that really like it. So one day, I saw it was on Netflix and finally gave it a try.

SynopsisThe case Jarndyce and Jarndyce has been in the courts for generations. There are multiple wills that say who will inherit a large fortune, but no one knows who is the rightful heir. Esther Summerson, an orphan raised by a Miss Barnaby, is taken into the care of John Jarndyce, a kind, older man with two wards, Ada Clare and Richard Carstone. Meanwhile, Lady Dedlock, wife of Sir Leicester Dedlock, holds a secret from her husband which has attracted the interest of unscrupulous lawyer, Mr. Tulkinghorn.

Full Review

---

 God Bless,