The First Lawnmower

"The fashion for the great sward, which required a dozen men constantly scything, was promoted by the 18th-century English designer Capability Brown for the oh-so-rich landed gentry. The invention of the lawn mower in 1832 enabled ordinary people to appropriate for themselves the lawn as a symbol of wealth and it has been with us ever since."

Highclere Castle with park lands designed by Capability Brown. Grazing sheep cropped the lawns, but they left behind droppings.

• From "Ask the Master Gardener."
• Icons of Invention: The First Lawnmower
• Capability Brown and Humphrey Repton

Trifecta! The King's Speech Wins Royally at the Oscars!

His Royal Firthness won the oscar, as did director Tom Hooper and writer David Seidler. Congratulations, Mr. Darcy!

Colin Firth accepts his Oscar for the King's Speech, 2011

Tom Hooper (Director) and Colin Firth

Livia and Colin just before the 2011 Oscar Ceremony

David Seidler (writer), Colin Firth, and Tom Hooper (director)

WELL DESERVED!!

The main damper put on the evening was that Helena Bonham-Carter and Geoffrey Rush did not win.

Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Helena Bonham-Carter

Jane Austen Character Throwdown: Who is more irritating?

Some of Jane Austen's characters are too irritating for words. Who, in your opinion, would be the most irritating character if you had to invite one of these women to a close family gathering? (We'll deal with the males at another time.)

Mrs. Bates and Miss Bates 

Miss Bates, Emma: She cannot stop chattering and few can get a word in edgewise. Emma, who has been brought up better and embodies the rules of etiquette, can almost not stand her, forcing Mr. Knightley to remind her of Miss Bates's very reduced circumstances and uncertain future. No topic is too trivial for Miss Bates to lengthen and expound upon for endless boring minutes.

Mrs. Bennet has another attack of the vapors

Mrs. Bennet, Pride and Prejudice: I think it is safe to say that Mrs. Bennet is one of the most famous irritating characters in literary history with her continual spasms, vapors, and nerves. Conversations that should remain private are made public or are overheard in her loud voice. She can be notoriously insensitive and often embarrasses her family with her artless statements.

Mrs. Palmer always looks on the bright side

Mrs. Palmer, Sense and Sensibility: An incessantly cheerful airhead, she always sees the good in others or a situation. Mr. Palmer checked out of his marriage ages ago, ignoring his wife's talent for regurgitating inanities. Her altered Pollyanna perception of the universe makes her turn everything into a glad and happy world. Even Elinor Dashwood felt guilty for not liking her more.

Most irritating character
	Miss Bates
	Mrs. Bennet
	Mrs. Palmer
pollcode.com free polls

A Persuasive Resemblance: Mrs. Croft and the Countess of Glengall

I found the resemblance uncanny.

Countess of Glengall, 1804, detail, by Sir Thomas Lawrence

Fiona Shawl, actress could be the direct descendant of The Countess of Glengall, 1804 (painted by Thomas Lawrence)

Fiona Shaw. Image @Naxos Audio Books

Jane Austen fans will recognize Fiona as Mrs. Croft, the admiral's sensible lady. Mrs. Croft childless state inspired one of Jane Austen's more caustic remark: "A lady, without a family, was the very best preserver of furniture in the world."

Mrs. Croft (Fiona) and Anne Elliot (Amanda Root) in Persuasion 1995

The image of the Countess of Glengall is currently being shown in the Thomas Lawrence exhibit, Regency Power and Brilliance, at Yale Center for British Art.

1805 Regency Mirrors

Look how beautiful.

Pair of Regency convex mirrors. 1805. Image @Mallett London New York

The Empire circular convex mirror was introduced from France, where they had been made as early as 1756. This style of mirror became so popular under the heading ‘Mirrors’, in Sheraton’s 'Cabinet Dictionary' (1803), that they are the only style mentioned. Convex mirrors were said to “strengthen the colour and take off the coarseness of objects by contracting them”...learn more about these mirrors at Mallett of London New York. 

Cheer From Chawton: A Jane Austen Family Theatrical Will be Featured at the 4th Annual Jane Austen Festival, Greater Louisville

"Cheer from Chawton: A Jane Austen Family Theatrical" is a one-woman show about Jane Austen that will be performed at the 4th Annual Jane Austen Festival, July 9 & 10 at Historic Locust Grove.

Jane Austen (Karen Eterovich) arrives in style in Bath

The Greater Louisville Region of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) is pleased to announce that Karen Eterovich of NYC will perform her one-woman show called "Cheer from Chawton: A Jane Austen Family Theatrical" at the 4th Annual Jane Austen Festival.

Ms. Eterovich recently performed "Cheer from Chawton" at the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, England to rave reviews. "Eight members of Greater Louisville Region went on a Pride & Prejudice Tour and also attended the first weekend of the Jane Austen Festival in Bath this past September, but Ms. Eterovich performed the next weekend so we did not get to see her performance, said Bonny Wise, Regional Coordinator." "We are very pleased to introduce her to our festival," she continued.

Ms. Eterovich also wrote the play which is based on the life of the legendary novelist, Jane Austen, and highlights Austen's contributions to the world of literature, her relationship with her family and her adventures as a "flirtatious butterfly" in rural England. Eterovich created the piece after performing in a play about Jane Austen. Austen is best known as the author of Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, & Emma but others include Mansfield Park, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey.

Tickets for "Cheer from Chawton" are $10 in addition to the $10 admission fee of the festival. Other activities include a Regency Style Show, Regency Emporium, music, entertainment such as a duel between gentlemen, a fencing exercise, a ladies archery competition, shadow puppets and more, as well as workshops and a Grand Ball.

The festival is sponsored by the Greater Louisville Region of the Jane Austen Society and held at Historic Locust Grove located six miles from downtown Louisville at 561 Blankenbaker Lane. Advance reservations begin June 1. Order at this link.  www.jasnalouisville.com

Journal in honor of Sense and Sensibility

Like all Janeites I'm celebrating the bicentenary of Sense and Sensibility on my blog, Jane Austen in Portuguese, and also with my handmade journals. 

These two notebooks are based on C. E. Brock's illustrations (from my Jane Austen's collection) and they portray the Dashwood sisters and their boyfriends. Here I must apologize to Colonel Brandon's fans, but there is not a unique romantic illustration of the colonel! Not in my book or in my opinion.

On Etsy: Elinor and Marianne

Posted by Raquel Sallaberry, Jane Austen em Português

Jane Austen Fashion Throwdown

Which outerwear would you prefer to wear? A spencer, a short military style jacket, or pelisse, which was longer.

Short spencer jacket

Walking dress with pink pelisse and parasol

Walking dress with blue pelisse and shawl

A longer pelisse.

Which jacket do your prefer?
	Short spencer jacket
	Longer pelisse
pollcode.com free polls

Sir John Soane's Renovated Rooms

Sir John Soane's rooms to open after £7 million restoration.

Rendering of Soane's bedroom

The private apartments of the London architect Sir John Soane are to be opened to the public for the first time since his death more than 170 years ago, after a £7million restoration which will take three years.

Soane's model room

A public appeal was launched today to raise the final £500,000 needed for the transformation of the rooms in the Soane Museum, which was established by Sir John at his home in Lincoln's Inn Fields, Holborn. Read the rest of this article at this link.

• Sir John Soane's Museum
• A home fit for a genius: Sir John Soane's Museum

Friday Follow: Dames a la Mode

For the 18th and 19th century fashion conscious, click on this link to find fashion plates of the 18th and 19th centuries on Dames a la Mode. Click on links on the sidebar. Enjoy!

Image @Dames a la Mode

Gambling in Regency England

Romances set in Regency England often depict the characters gambling, whether it be in gaming hells, at White’s, or even the hallowed halls of Almack’s. Regency people wagered on everything, card games, horse races, cock fights, and feats of daring. One story had the patrons at White’s taking bets on whether a man who collapsed on the doorstep was alive or dead. Entire fortunes were lost at the gaming tables, ruining families, and leading the gentleman involved to “put a period to his existence.” ... read the rest of the article on  Harlequin Blog

Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Let the Voting Begin

The Jane Austen Made Me do It! short story contest has ended. You have until February 28 to vote for your favorite story. Click here on the Republic of Pemberley site to read the stories. Click on this link to vote. There are 87 submissions! As you can imagine, reading them will take time!

Ten finalists from the entries will be chosen by popular vote right here at The Republic of Pemberley, and one lucky Grand Prize winner will be selected from the Top Ten finalists by the Ballantine Books editorial staff and Laurel Ann Nattress, the editor of the anthology.

Mr. Darcy in a Heineken Commercial

Oh, dear. Oh, my. Mr. Darcy's Heineken commercial is a bit dependent on, er, hunting.

Heineken Darcy

A crazy commercial video, but only one minute long - and fun! Would you be tempted to purchase this ale after this commercial? (We hope you can access it.)


Graham Rose - Heineken from The Ant Company on Vimeo.

Posted by Raquel Sallaberry, Jane Austen em Português

Jane Austen Throwdown: Dances

Jane Austen loved to dance, and she included many dancing scenes in her novels. In which of her gatherings would you have liked to dance?

Bingley and Jane at the Meryton Ball, P&P 2005

The Meryton Assembly: Lizzy's first impression of Darcy wasn't the best, but Jane fell in love with Bingley there and the Bennet ladies enjoyed themselves immensely in this relaxed and public gathering.

Netherfield Ball, P&P 1995

The Netherfield Ball: Lizzy finally danced with Darcy, but her family made fools of themselves. The private setting must have been splendid and the supper ball truly delicious.

Emma having fun at the Crown Inn, Emma 2009

The Ball at the Crown Inn: Emma and Frank Churchill arranged this ball, where Emma discovers just what a knight Mr. Knightley is when he comes to the rescue of her friend, Harriet. The Crown Inn offered a ball room for such assemblies, and I am sure that Emma spared no expense and overlooked no details to make the event a success.

Fanny dances with Henry, Mansfield Park, 1999

Fanny's Coming Out Ball: Not only did Fanny price receive two necklaces for the amber cross that her brother William gave her, but she was the star of the night. Mansfield Park must have been a most beautiful setting for this special evening.

Catherine speaks to Henry Tilney in the lower rooms

The Lower and Upper Assembly Rooms in Bath: After Catherine Morland is introduced to Henry Tilney, his sister Eleanor, and the Thorpes, she can dance to her heart's delight in impressive rooms designed for social gatherings.

Dancers, Rowlandson. 1799

(I have not included the dance at the Musgroves, where Anne Elliot played the pianoforte and watched her Captain Wentworth flirt with the Musgrove sisters, or the party the Dashwood sisters attended with Lady Middleton in London, where Marianne was snubbed by Willoughby. Both scenes were too painful for words.)

In which gathering would you have liked to dance"
	Meryton Asembly
	Netherfield Ball
	Ball at the Crown and Inn
	Fanny Price's Coming Out Ball
	The Lower and Upper Rooms in Bath
pollcode.com free polls

Any Human Heart Features A Number of Jane Austen Character Actors

Any Human Heart, the new mini-series that will be shown on Masterpiece Classic for the next three Sundays, features a variety of actors who have starred in Jane Austen film adaptations.

Matthew MacFadyen

as Logan Mountstuart in Any Human Heart

as Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice 2005

The man with the deep sexy voice, as I think of Matthew, gave Colin Firth's portrayal of Mr. Darcy a run for his money. Many young fans prefer Matthew's interpretation as the iconic Jane Austen hero. I, for one, like them both. As Logan Mountstuart, Matthew once again delivers a shaded performance. While I could not like his character (who can respect a man who abandons a son for his lover?), Matthew's sensitive portrayal of Mounstuart tugged at my heartstrings.

Haley Atwell

Haley Atwell as Freya Deverell

as Mary Crawford, Mansfield Park 2007

Haley Atwell looks absolutely stunning in 1930's costume. Jane Austen fans will recall her portrayal of Mary Crawford in the unfortunate 2007 version of Mansfield Park. I say unfortunate, for I found that particular film adaptation particularly lacking (especially Billy Piper tomboyish representation of Fanny). I did, however, like Haley, who was perfect for the part of the sophisticated woman that Fanny Price could not like. Unfortunately, Haley's lines were few and far between, largely because the film was too short. Thankfully, she is given a much larger role in Any Human Heart as Matthew MacFadyen's love interest. When those two actors are together, magic happens onscreen.

Jim Broadbent

as an older Logan Mountstuart

as Colin Jones (with Gemma Jones and Renee Zelwegger) in Bridget Jones's Diary

Any Human Heart revolves around the character of the older Logan Mountstuart, played by Jim Broadbent, one of my favorite character actors. Jim's connection to Jane Austen is peripheral. He portrayed Bridget Jones's father and has acted opposite a score of actors who starred in Jane Austen film adaptations. I have always thought that he would make an excellent Mr. Woodhouse or Mr. Bennet, but I doubt we will see another version of Emma or Pride and Prejudice soon. Any film that features Mr. Broadbent is worth watching, and his role, while largely quiet, is extensive and he appears in all the episodes from start to finish.

Charity Wakefield

as Land Forthergill

as Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility, 2008

Charity had the unenviable task of following Kate Winslet in playing Marianne Dashwood, the histrionic sister, in the 2008 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. While she is not classically beautiful, the camera's lens loves Charity's large eyes and dramatic features. She also looks fabulous in a classic 20's bob. Charity appears in only one episode of Any Human Heart, but her character is important in forcing Logan to think more seriously about his writing career and giving him his first major heartbreak.

Tom Hollander

as the Duke of Windsor after his abdication as King Edward VIII

as Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice, 2005

Tom Hollander's role as the Duke of Windsor comes at a propitious time for viewers who have seen (or who intend to see) The King's Speech. In this mini-series he is shown after his abdication as King Edward VIII, and he plays the former king as a petty, self-centered, and self-serving man. While I think he was perfect for the part of David, I had a small problem with his casting as Mr. Collins. Oh, he played that part to a tee and his proposal to Lizzy Bennet was unforgettable, but Jane Austen described Mr. Collins as tall, which Mr. Holland most certainly is not. However, his lack of height added comic relief to his dance scenes with Keira Knightley's Elizabeth, and so I have decided in the future to overlook this casting faux pas.

Samuel West 

Samuel West as Peter Scabius

Samuel West as William Elliot in Persuasion 1996

In Any Human Heart Samuel West plays Peter Scabalius, one of Logan's two childhood friends, and a successful author. Jane Austen fans will remember Samuel as William Elliot, Anne's unsuccessful suitor, who was less than a gentleman towards the Elliots and in particular towards Mrs. Smith.

PBS Masterpiece Classic will feature Any Human Heart on February 13, 20 & 27, 2011 at 9pm. Click here for details. 

On a different note, I urge anyone who is as addicted to PBS as I am, to contact your representatives and request them not to cut their funding. 

The Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Film Conspiracy Theory

Deluxe Edition

I was expecting another announcement about Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the film.These publicity releases have become as predictable as snow in winter and rain in spring. Sure enough, another P&P&Z film report popped up on my Google reader this morning.

Way back in the dark ages of the P&P&Z film publicity rumor mill (2009), a bidding war was announced for a film based on the book. Then Natalie Portman signed on to play Elizabeth and co-produce the film. She dropped out as star but would stay on to co-produce. In October 2010, it was announced that P&P&Z was totally dead in the water. Miraculously, Scarlet Johannsen's name (along with Bradley Cooper's) popped up, reviving the film's future. Scarlett must have balked, for in December Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy turned up as the possible new actors. (Or did they?)

David Russell, director, and Natalie Portman - First Iteration

The director revolving door was equally active. David Russell signed on first. Then he quit, and Mike White (Year of the Dog), took up the cudgel before dropping it a few weeks ago. Now Craig Gillespie is set to direct. Big Whoop. Who's up next? Curious minds want to know.

Mike White as the director contender

Recently one report stated: “Filming is to start some time in 2011.” Yeah, and the moon is made of blue cheese. Does anyone SMELL a conspiracy here? What if …. P&P&Zombies never gets made. What if … all these announcements are part of a publicity shell game meant to keep the name of P&P&Z out in public view? Think about it. The announcements for Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy included such qualifiers as “possible”, “rumored”, “battling for”, “may tackle”, “under consideration”. Hah! We I wasn't born yesterday, P&P&Z movie publicity machine. Cynic is my middle name.

Anne Hathaway, JamesMcavoy, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

I mean, think about it, Quirk Books has been nothing short of BRILLIANT in publicizing its Jane Austen mash ups, and P&P&Z, its first mashup, skyrocketed to success, due in part to their strategic marketing. P&P&Z first came out with much fanfare and pre-publicity as a trade paperback; then as a deluxe edition with color illustrations; then as a graphic novel; then with a prequel and now a sequel. You get the drift.

In 2009 the book everywhere: book stores, novelty stores, toy stores, museum shops (I kid you not) – any place where books were proudly sold. (Although I never saw it in the self-help book section at Lowe's.) Bloggers were sent free copies of each new edition, along with posters and bookmarks, and the like. It seemed for a while that the entire universe was dripping with P&P&Z paraphernalia. Comments like this one - “I am like 100 pages into this book and it is epic” - tempted young males who ordinarily would not have touched a Jane Austen novel with a live taser to purchase P&P&Z in droves.

Jane Austen Mashups at the 2009/10 Jane Austen exhibit, A Woman's Wit, Morgan Library, NYC

It seemed that everywhere you turned, the P&P&Z cover with a zombified portrait of Marcia Fox stared you in the face. With lightning speed, other classic authors were receiving similar mashup treatment, and a new era in low brow literature was born.

New books are publicized for only a short time and then they are replaced on the shelf and never heard from again, or they become a best-seller and get restocked until they lose their cache, or they become a classic (and are rarely heard from again except for assignments from high school teachers). But P&P&Z is managing to reinvent a life of its own, spinning off spin-offs and spinning spin. And so my conspiracy theory is this: What if there never was a movie planned? What if this is all this movie hype is just a ploy to keep the buzz around P&P&Z going and keep fans salivating for more? Here's one choice comment from a would-be viewer about the so-called upcoming film:

“[Jane Austen is] the kind of writer that takes a chapter to say what most would say in a paragraph. My god I hate that bitch! LOL. So the idea of watching her characters get brutally munched on by zombies really does it for me!”

Witness the caliber of critical thinking skills in that astounding sentence. Jane is surely rolling in her grave.

I can only predict with any certainty that more announcements about this movie will be made. Whether P&P&Z will ever be filmed - now that is the question.

Gillespie is set to direct...?

The Movie Announcement Timeline

• Bidding for P&P&Zombies

• Natalie Portman to Star in P&P&Zombies

• P&P&Zombies Totally Dead

• Scarlett Johansson in P&P&Zombies

• Mike White: Top Contendor to Direct P&P&Zombies

• Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy in P&P&Zombies

• Craig Gillespie is the Newest Director of P&P&Zombies

Gentle Readers: Every once in a while I shall stand in the Hyde Park speaker's corner and rant. Thank you for tolerating my indulgence. Images from the articles.