Guest Post by Melody and Amy Dashwood: Sisters and Jane Austen

Good afternoon, ladies! Though perhaps you aren’t reading this in the afternoon, and it’s possible not everyone reading this is a lady, too. Okay, then… hey, y’all. Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Melody and Amy, best friends in real life, sisters in spirit, two nuts in a case who email each other way too often, obsessive Janeites and diehard fans of P&P.  It’s so exciting to be around to see Pride and Prejudice’s 200th birthday, and positively riveting to take part in this celebration. We’re here today to discuss with you Sisters and Jane Austen. And Pride and Prejudice, of course. Yes, well, you have probably apprehended that much. 

Book Tag (Yet Another Period Drama Blog)

I found this tag at Yet Another Period Drama Blog about reading books. Now, I'm not that big of a reader, but I do enjoy reading when I get a chance of it. Well, here are my answers!

Calling all Les Miserables Fans!

My good blogging friend Miss Amy Dashwood from Yet Another Period Drama Blog is hosting a Les Miserables Concert Comparisons event this week! I have not seen any version of Les Miserables, but I may watch a version one of these days. If you're a fan of Les Miserables, I recommend you check out Amy's blog this week!

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 God Bless,

Vote for me!

Yet Another Period Drama Blog is holding a Period Drama Button Contest and the finalists have been selected! One of my buttons was selected:

You can vote for my button in one of the polls at Yet Another Period Drama Blog. I ask that you vote for me, but vote for the one that you like ;-).

 God Bless,
 

Yet Another Period Drama Blog's Period Drama Button Contest

Miss Dashwood from Yet Another Period Drama Blog has a new contest for creating a period drama button with a funny saying. I thought I'd take a try at it:

Picture from Cranford, lyrics from Funky Town

Picture gotten from here

Picture from Emma, quote from Downton Abbey ("Well, so what? I have plenty of friend I don't like." - Lady Violet)

Picture from Pride and Prejudice, Quote from Northanger Abbey

Picture from Sense and Sensibility, Quote adapted from Lark Rise to Candleford

I am also going to slowly upload these onto my Tumblr page


 God Bless,
 

Happy Birthday Jane Austen (Yet Another Period Drama) - Tag

Note: I meant to publish this during Yet Another Period Drama Blog's Happy Birthday Jane Austen Week, but was unable to. Sorry for the delay.


Miss Dashwood from Yet Another Period Drama Blog is holding a Happy Birthday, Jane Austen Week. She has a very lovely tag that I am taking part in.

1 - What was the first JA novel you ever read, and who introduced you to it?

The first Jane Austen book I've ever read was Pride and Prejudice. My mom introduced me to the 1995 miniseries (she had never read the book). I knew I was supposed to read it for school, but one day I found a copy in Borders (oooh! Why did Borders have to close?!) featuring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth from the 1995 miniseries on the cover (in fact, it's pictured above!), so I bought it and read it before I was supposed to read it.

2 - Which is your least favorite JA novel, and why?  (Everybody posts about their favorites... I want to know what's at the bottom of your list!)

I don't dislike any of her books, but probably Persuasion was my least favorite. It didn't have as much satire that other Jane Austen novels have. It was still okay, but just not my favorite. I liked Anne Elliot as a heroine, but I kind of resented Captain Wentworth: he just seemed to purposely cause Anne pain throughout most of the book.

3 - Who do you think is the funniest character JA ever created?

Hmmm... Something to think about...

I would probably pick Henry Tilney for his wit. 

For "silly funny", probably Mrs. Jennings: she can get on my nerves a little, but she means well and can be amusing.

4 - Which JA villain[ess] do you love to hate?

I greatly dislike Willoughby from Sense and Sensibility. He truly is a scoundrel!

5 - What's your favorite JA quote?

There are so many! I loved this quote from Sense and Sensibility:

"How soon he had walked himself into the proper resolution, however, how soon an opportunity of exercising it occurred, in what manner he expressed himself, and how he was received, need not be particularly told. This only need be said;—that when they all sat down to table at four o'clock, about three hours after his arrival, he had secured his lady, engaged her mother's consent, and was not only in the rapturous profession of the lover, but, in the reality of reason and truth, one of the happiest of men." (Chapter 49)

Where other authors would have gone into over mushy, romantic language, Jane Austen didn't get into it. She didn't need to rely on the mushy language to tell her story.

6 - If you were to "start" someone on JA, which book would you recommend to them first and why?

Probably Pride and Prejudice, since it is so popular and my favorite. After Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility since you could find similarities between the two. 

7 - What is your absolute favorite JA film adaptation and why?

Definitely the 1995 miniseries of Pride and Prejudice, since it was what introduced me to Jane Austen.

8 - If you could authorize a new film adaptation of one of JA's novels, which would it be and why?

Though I haven't finished it (so much to do, so little time to read) or seen any adaptation of it, definitely Mansfield Park. Every other Austen adaptation has at least one adaptation that is good, but not Mansfield Park. Even the new Northanger Abbey is okay, though not perfect. So in short, Mansfield Park then Northanger Abbey.

9 - Which JA character do you most identify with?

Elizabeth Bennet (duh!). In my years of reading, I have never found a character that I have related to more.

10 - If you could have lunch with JA today, what question would you most like to ask her?
"So, what do you think of the books that have been coming out lately?"

11 - Is there any one thing that you think could have been improved upon in one (or all) of JA's books?  What is it and why?

I did wish that there was more satire in Persuasion because that is what I love in Jane's other books, but there wasn't as much in Persuasion.

12 - If you could have lunch with one of JA's characters today, who would it be and why?

Besides Elizabeth Bennet? I wouldn't mind having lunch with Marianne Dashwood: maybe she could help me with the piano? (I could use the help! hehe)

13 - (optional) Why is Miss Dashwood so fond of asking "why"?
 "Why?" happens to be a very interesting question, of course! We can always answer what something is, or how something got there, buy "why" really gets to the root of the entire situation!

God Bless,
 

Two Lovely Jane Austen Birthday Events!

 There are two blogs holding events for Jane Austen's 236th Birthday, and of course I will participate in both of them to the best of my abilities during Finals Week. I encourage you to check both events out!



First, there is Yet Another Period Drama Blog's Happy Birthday Jane Austen Week. There will be book and film challenges and special posts about Jane Austen.

And recently, I found out about Between the Covers's Event for Jane Austen's Birthday. Read more about it here. There will be contests, quizzes, and special posts about Jane Austen. Eva-Joy who runs Between the Covers made lovely scrapbook pages for different Jane Austen characters!

 God Bless,
 

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen! Event

Miss Dashwood from Yet Another Period Drama Blog will be hosting an event for Jane Austen's Birthday! Visit her blog to find out more!

God Bless,