Christina from Book Addict! The random number generator landed on your comment! Congratulations, Christina. Please send me your address. Thank you all for placing such fun and creative comments. Laurie Viera Rigler and I enjoyed reading them.
Showing posts with label Laurie Viera Rigler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laurie Viera Rigler. Show all posts
Saturday, May 8
The Winner of the Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict is ...
Christina from Book Addict! The random number generator landed on your comment! Congratulations, Christina. Please send me your address. Thank you all for placing such fun and creative comments. Laurie Viera Rigler and I enjoyed reading them.
Saturday, April 24
Book Giveaway: Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict
Gentle readers. The paperback version of Laurie Viera Rigler's Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict is out. Who can resist the striking blue and purple cover? Readers who live in the US and Canada are eligible to win. All you need to do is leave a comment. Here is the topic: You meet a Regency miss who has mysteriously appeared in your living room. She is all discombobulated and upset at her situation, and doesn't know where she is or how to get back. What's the first thing you will teach her to help her live in the 21st century?The contest is open until mid day May 8, EST US. The winner will be announced in the afternoon of May 8.
Friday, March 5
Follow Friday: Jane Austen Addict
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Follow Friday is a tradition begun by Laurel Ann that I shall continue. My first selection is Laurie Viera Rigler's website, Jane Austen Addict. This site has more bells and whistles than my budgerigar's cage. Laurie, the author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict features videos, a blog, a chatroom, information about her books and tours, and all sorts of what nots. I love the purple and blue cover of the new paperback version of Rude Awakenings, and her many tidbits of information.Wednesday, July 22
Winner announced in the giveaway of a copy of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict
Congratulations go out to Laura's Reviews. You are the lucky winner of a signed copy of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler. Please contact us by July 28th to claim your prize at janeaustentoday at yahoo dot com.A big thank you to author Laurie Viera Rigler for her interview and answers to our readers questions. The turn-out was great, and our thanks to you all for participating.
- Read the original interview of author Laurie Viera Rigler
- Visit Laurie at her website and blog Jane Austen Addict
- Read Vic's review of Rude Awakenings
- Read Laurel's review of Rude Awakenings
Cheers, Vic & Laurel Ann
Wednesday, July 15
Book Give-away & Interview with Laurie Viera Rigler, Author of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict
Gentle Readers: Austen-esque author Laurie Viera Rigler’s new book Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict was just released in June by Dutton. Please join us for an interview as Laurie chats about her highly anticipated new novel.
Thanks for joining us today Laurie. Your bestselling debut novel Confession of a Jane Austen Addict received rave reviews from critics and fans. Your second novel Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict is a mirror story to Confessions. What was your inspiration in developing Jane/Courtney’s story, and how were influenced by your first novel?
First may I say how happy I am to be here on Jane Austen Today, which is one of my favorite blogs? Thanks for inviting me!
When I was writing Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, I knew that if my twenty-first-century protagonist, Courtney Stone, was taking over the life of Jane, a nineteenth-century gentleman's daughter in Regency England, then Jane had to be taking over Courtney's life in twenty-first-century L.A. I thought about including that mirror story in the first book, but it just didn't work—Jane's journey in the modern world was a very different journey, and I knew it had to be its own book.
As for how the first novel influenced me, I was pretty sure how Rude Awakenings would end (that is, who Jane would end up with), but I had absolutely no idea how she would get to that point. For me, not knowing is the most fun part of writing—I have no idea what's going to happen next, and how the story unfolds is a constant surprise.
Time travel is an important element in your story requiring readers to “suspend disbelief” and just go with the story as the two characters, Jane Mansfield from 1813 and Courtney Stone from 2009, swap bodies, and lives. Have you always been a fan of time travel, or did you embark on this writing journey because of your "vision" of that four poster bed as you stood in your kitchen? What plot elements of time travel did you use to make Jane's/Courtney's experiences more believable?
I've long been fascinated with the idea of time travel—is there anyone who hasn't fantasized about traveling to another time and place? And is there any Janeite who hasn't wished to go to Regency England?
What particularly fascinates me are the "many worlds" or "parallel worlds" theories of quantum physics in nonfiction works by such visionaries as physicists Brian Greene and Michio Kaku. And in fiction I love the work of novelist David Ambrose, who wrote "The Man Who Turned Into Himself" and "Superstition," two books that will definitely twist your mind into pretzels!
I think of my stories more as tales of parallel realities rather than time travel stories per se. But then again, that view is really a matter of reader's perspective. I didn't consciously make use of any of the conventions of time travel literature in my stories. For me what makes any story believable is my own willingness to believe in it—as the writer I make that leap of faith, and as the reader as well.
The bottom line is that it really was my vision of Courtney awakening in that four-poster bed in Regency England that started me on the journey of writing Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, and consequently Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict.
When you wrote Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict did you also have the idea of writing a mirror story for Regency heroine Jane Mansfield time traveling into Courtney Stone’s technology infused world of 2009? How did you decide which plot elements were best to flesh out Jane's/Courtney's new life? Like dancing, modern courtship rituals, or taking a car vs. a carriage.
When I was writing Confessions I realized that Jane's mirror story had to be its own book. I had no idea how the plot was going to unfold, because I don't work from an outline, but I did make a list of what I thought would be most jarring about our twenty-first-century world to a gentleman's daughter from Regency England, and a lot of that list did find its way into the book. Certainly modern courtship rituals and so-called sexual freedom were high up on that list, because I thought these aspects of contemporary life would be even more challenging for Jane to adjust to than mere technology.
Research was obviously an important element in developing a believable and accurate experience for your heroines during both eras in each of the novels. What resources did you use to inspire your historical and modern interpretations? Did you unearth any surprise discoveries or revelations that inspired your plots or characters?
Even before I started writing my first novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, I was an avid reader and collector of books and articles about Jane Austen's world. Although Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict is almost wholly set in twenty-first-century Los Angeles, it's written from the first-person point of view of a lady from 1813 England, and thus my research of her time had to be extensive. All the work I put into researching the first book, which takes place almost entirely in Regency England, really paid off, but the research didn't end there. One of my most frequently consulted resources in writing Rude Awakenings, aside from Jane Austen's own texts, was my online subscription to the Oxford English Dictionary, because my protagonist's language, both spoken and inner monologue, had to be authentic to the period. It also had to have an arc as she becomes more familiar with, and indeed begins to access from Courtney's memories, the modern lexicon. I got so deeply immersed in the language that I created my own mini-glossary of words that I used in the novel, along with a notation as to whether they had the same meaning then as they do now, and if not, what they did mean. What surprised me was how many commonplace words we use in our modern world that either were not used at all in Jane Austen's day, or had a different shade of meaning.
Jane Austen has obviously inspired your writing life. She chose to write about what she knew, “two or three families in a country village.” Were you influenced by her simple scope and emphasis on character development? Aside from inspiring two books, how has she influenced your own world? Are you indeed the biggest Austen addict of us all?
I could never presume to be the biggest Austen addict of us all, but I can say that I don't see myself giving up Jane Austen any time soon. She is an endless source of wisdom, comfort, and entertainment in my life, which is why being an Austen addict is one of the healthiest addictions I can think of. I get something new out of reading Austen every time I close one of her books. I learn something new about myself, about the people in my life, about human nature and all its beauty and flaws and potential for greatness, about the human heart and its capacity for love and growth and change. That is how Jane Austen has influenced my world, aside from inspiring me to write both of my novels. For that, and for all of her delightfully entertaining stories and enduring words of wisdom, I will always be grateful.
In conclusion, now that you have charmed us with Jane and Courtney’s stories, can you share any future plans for books? Will you stay with the Jane Austen theme, or venture abroad?
Although plans for my next novel are in too early a stage to talk about just yet, I hope that what I love best about Jane Austen will always inform and inspire my writing.
Thank you again Laurie for joining us today. Both Vic & I had a great time reading Rude Awakenings, and wish you all the best with your new novel.
Contest Now Closed: Win a signed copy of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict personally inscribed to you by author Laurie Viera Rigler. Just post a comment asking Laurie about her writing experience or tell us what you think would be the biggest challenge for a Regency era woman in our 21st-century world. The contest is open to continental US residents only and will end on midnight eastern time Tuesday, July 21st. A winner will be drawn and announced on Wednesday, July 22nd.
Read Vic’s review of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict at Jane Austen’s World
Read Laurel Ann’s review of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict at Austenprose
Purchase Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler
Thanks for joining us today Laurie. Your bestselling debut novel Confession of a Jane Austen Addict received rave reviews from critics and fans. Your second novel Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict is a mirror story to Confessions. What was your inspiration in developing Jane/Courtney’s story, and how were influenced by your first novel?First may I say how happy I am to be here on Jane Austen Today, which is one of my favorite blogs? Thanks for inviting me!
When I was writing Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, I knew that if my twenty-first-century protagonist, Courtney Stone, was taking over the life of Jane, a nineteenth-century gentleman's daughter in Regency England, then Jane had to be taking over Courtney's life in twenty-first-century L.A. I thought about including that mirror story in the first book, but it just didn't work—Jane's journey in the modern world was a very different journey, and I knew it had to be its own book.
As for how the first novel influenced me, I was pretty sure how Rude Awakenings would end (that is, who Jane would end up with), but I had absolutely no idea how she would get to that point. For me, not knowing is the most fun part of writing—I have no idea what's going to happen next, and how the story unfolds is a constant surprise.
Time travel is an important element in your story requiring readers to “suspend disbelief” and just go with the story as the two characters, Jane Mansfield from 1813 and Courtney Stone from 2009, swap bodies, and lives. Have you always been a fan of time travel, or did you embark on this writing journey because of your "vision" of that four poster bed as you stood in your kitchen? What plot elements of time travel did you use to make Jane's/Courtney's experiences more believable?
I've long been fascinated with the idea of time travel—is there anyone who hasn't fantasized about traveling to another time and place? And is there any Janeite who hasn't wished to go to Regency England?
What particularly fascinates me are the "many worlds" or "parallel worlds" theories of quantum physics in nonfiction works by such visionaries as physicists Brian Greene and Michio Kaku. And in fiction I love the work of novelist David Ambrose, who wrote "The Man Who Turned Into Himself" and "Superstition," two books that will definitely twist your mind into pretzels!
I think of my stories more as tales of parallel realities rather than time travel stories per se. But then again, that view is really a matter of reader's perspective. I didn't consciously make use of any of the conventions of time travel literature in my stories. For me what makes any story believable is my own willingness to believe in it—as the writer I make that leap of faith, and as the reader as well.
The bottom line is that it really was my vision of Courtney awakening in that four-poster bed in Regency England that started me on the journey of writing Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, and consequently Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict.
When you wrote Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict did you also have the idea of writing a mirror story for Regency heroine Jane Mansfield time traveling into Courtney Stone’s technology infused world of 2009? How did you decide which plot elements were best to flesh out Jane's/Courtney's new life? Like dancing, modern courtship rituals, or taking a car vs. a carriage.
When I was writing Confessions I realized that Jane's mirror story had to be its own book. I had no idea how the plot was going to unfold, because I don't work from an outline, but I did make a list of what I thought would be most jarring about our twenty-first-century world to a gentleman's daughter from Regency England, and a lot of that list did find its way into the book. Certainly modern courtship rituals and so-called sexual freedom were high up on that list, because I thought these aspects of contemporary life would be even more challenging for Jane to adjust to than mere technology.
Research was obviously an important element in developing a believable and accurate experience for your heroines during both eras in each of the novels. What resources did you use to inspire your historical and modern interpretations? Did you unearth any surprise discoveries or revelations that inspired your plots or characters?
Even before I started writing my first novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, I was an avid reader and collector of books and articles about Jane Austen's world. Although Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict is almost wholly set in twenty-first-century Los Angeles, it's written from the first-person point of view of a lady from 1813 England, and thus my research of her time had to be extensive. All the work I put into researching the first book, which takes place almost entirely in Regency England, really paid off, but the research didn't end there. One of my most frequently consulted resources in writing Rude Awakenings, aside from Jane Austen's own texts, was my online subscription to the Oxford English Dictionary, because my protagonist's language, both spoken and inner monologue, had to be authentic to the period. It also had to have an arc as she becomes more familiar with, and indeed begins to access from Courtney's memories, the modern lexicon. I got so deeply immersed in the language that I created my own mini-glossary of words that I used in the novel, along with a notation as to whether they had the same meaning then as they do now, and if not, what they did mean. What surprised me was how many commonplace words we use in our modern world that either were not used at all in Jane Austen's day, or had a different shade of meaning.
Jane Austen has obviously inspired your writing life. She chose to write about what she knew, “two or three families in a country village.” Were you influenced by her simple scope and emphasis on character development? Aside from inspiring two books, how has she influenced your own world? Are you indeed the biggest Austen addict of us all?
I could never presume to be the biggest Austen addict of us all, but I can say that I don't see myself giving up Jane Austen any time soon. She is an endless source of wisdom, comfort, and entertainment in my life, which is why being an Austen addict is one of the healthiest addictions I can think of. I get something new out of reading Austen every time I close one of her books. I learn something new about myself, about the people in my life, about human nature and all its beauty and flaws and potential for greatness, about the human heart and its capacity for love and growth and change. That is how Jane Austen has influenced my world, aside from inspiring me to write both of my novels. For that, and for all of her delightfully entertaining stories and enduring words of wisdom, I will always be grateful.
In conclusion, now that you have charmed us with Jane and Courtney’s stories, can you share any future plans for books? Will you stay with the Jane Austen theme, or venture abroad?
Although plans for my next novel are in too early a stage to talk about just yet, I hope that what I love best about Jane Austen will always inform and inspire my writing.
Thank you again Laurie for joining us today. Both Vic & I had a great time reading Rude Awakenings, and wish you all the best with your new novel.
Contest Now Closed: Win a signed copy of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict personally inscribed to you by author Laurie Viera Rigler. Just post a comment asking Laurie about her writing experience or tell us what you think would be the biggest challenge for a Regency era woman in our 21st-century world. The contest is open to continental US residents only and will end on midnight eastern time Tuesday, July 21st. A winner will be drawn and announced on Wednesday, July 22nd.Read Vic’s review of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict at Jane Austen’s World
Read Laurel Ann’s review of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict at Austenprose
Purchase Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler
Thursday, July 2
Winner announced in the giveaway for copy of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict
Congratulations to Miss Remmers. You are the lucky winner of a copy of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler. To claim your prize, please reply by e-mail to Vic and Laurel Ann at janeaustentoday at yahoo dot com with your full name and address. Shipment is by USP to continental US addresses only. Please respond by July 9th. Thanks again to all of our participants. Your responses were amazing.Cheers, Vic & Laurel Ann
PS Please note email correction: janeaustentoday at yahoo dot com
Thursday, June 25
Win a copy of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict
SWAG ALERT!Today, in celebration of its official release date, we are offering a chance to win a free copy of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler.
This new novel is the parallel story to her best selling Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, where we met Courtney Stone, a LA singleton addicted to Jane Austen who is mysteriously transported back to Regency era England and into the body of Jane Mansfield. This time around we meet Jane Mansfield, a 19th-century Gentleman’s daughter who wakes up in Courtney Stone’s modern and technically infused LA world.
To qualify, please leave a comment stating why you are a Jane Austen addict and how you feed your need for more Jane. The contest is open through Wednesday, July 1st and the book will be mailed to continental US addresses only. Winner to be announced on Thursday, July 2nd. Good luck and happy reading!
This new novel is the parallel story to her best selling Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, where we met Courtney Stone, a LA singleton addicted to Jane Austen who is mysteriously transported back to Regency era England and into the body of Jane Mansfield. This time around we meet Jane Mansfield, a 19th-century Gentleman’s daughter who wakes up in Courtney Stone’s modern and technically infused LA world.
To qualify, please leave a comment stating why you are a Jane Austen addict and how you feed your need for more Jane. The contest is open through Wednesday, July 1st and the book will be mailed to continental US addresses only. Winner to be announced on Thursday, July 2nd. Good luck and happy reading!
Visit Laurie's website Jane Austen Addict to learn more about her books and view a new book trailer.
Tuesday, June 9
Get ready for Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict
17 days and counting until the release of Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, the highly anticipated parallel novel to Laurie Viera Rigler's bestselling Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. This time out we experience Jane Mansfield's story, a Regency Miss who takes a fall from her horse in 1813 England and wakes up in 2007 in the body of LA singleton Courtney Stone. Don't miss out on all the transitional hilarity as Jane must deal with iPods, TV and all sorts of modern contraptions! Pre-order your copy today to assure delivery on June 25th. Vic and Laurel Ann were honored with advance copies and can share that Rude Awakenings is fun and quirky and hilarious! Publisher's description
Laurie Viera Rigler’s debut novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, was a hit with fans and critics, and a BookSense and Los Angeles Times bestseller. Its open-to-interpretation ending left readers begging for more—and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict delivers. While Confessions took twenty-first-century free spirit Courtney Stone into the social confines of Jane Austen’s era, Rude Awakenings tells the parallel story of Jane Mansfield, a gentleman’s daughter from Regency England who inexplicably awakens in Courtney’s overly wired and morally confused L.A. life.
Here is a clever preview video for your enjoyment!
Thursday, November 6
Announcing: Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler!
GREAT NEWS FOR JANEITES EVERYWHERE!While snooping about on Amazon.com tonight, I had a wonderful surprise when I discovered that the title of Laurie Viera Rigler’s sequel/parallel story to her popular Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict would be Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict. I immediately wrote to Laurie who is traveling in Tennessee and confimred my discovery sharing my excitement and enthusiasm for her new novel. Imagine my delight when I found the cover posted on her agent’s web site. Hurrah! Isn’t it beautiful? Here is the blurb from Laurie’s literary agent, Marly Rusoff & Associates, Inc.
RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT by Laurie Viera Rigler, Publisher Dutton, June 2009. The eagerly anticipated sequel/parallel story to Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.
Laurie Viera Rigler’s debut novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, was a hit with fans and critics, and a BookSense and Los Angeles Times bestseller. Its open-to-interpretation ending left readers begging for more-and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict delivers. While Confessions took twenty-first-century free spirit Courtney Stone into the social confines of Jane Austen’s era, Rude Awakenings tells the parallel story of Jane Mansfield, a gentleman’s daughter from Regency England who inexplicably awakens in Courtney’s overly wired and morally confused L.A. life.
For Jane, the modern world is not wholly disagreeable. Her apartment may be smaller than a dressing closet, but it is fitted up with lights that burn without candles, machines that wash bodies and clothes, and a glossy rectangle in which tiny people perform scenes from her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice. Granted, if she wants to travel she may have to drive a formidable metal carriage, but she may do so without a chaperone. And oh, what places she goes! Public assemblies that pulsate with pounding music. Unbound hair and unrestricted clothing. The freedom to say what she wants when she wants-even to men without a proper introduction.
Privacy, independence, even the power to earn her own money. But how is she to fathom her employer’s incomprehensible dictates about “syncing a BlackBerry” and “rolling a call”? How can she navigate a world in which entire publications are devoted to brides but flirting and kissing and even the sexual act itself raise no matrimonial expectations? Even more bewildering are the memories that are not her own. And the friend named Wes, who is as attractive and confusing to Jane as the man who broke her heart back home. It’s enough to make her wonder if she would be better off in her own time, where at least the rules are clear-that is, if returning is even an option.
You can also read a preview of the story line on Laurie’s web site. I am so excited for this book and can’t wait to read it. Check out Laurie’s first novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.Congratulations Laurie, and best wishes! Laurel Ann, Austenprose & Vic (Ms. Place, Jane Austen's World
Saturday, July 26
Seen on the Blogosphere: Jane Austen Centre Sale and Other Sundry Matters
Oh, how lovely! The Jane Austen Centre Gift Shop is having a sale. Please click on this link and look at all the wonderful JA offerings at 10% off if you spend 60 pounds!Every week, the Jane Austen in Vermont ladies write a roundup of Jane Austen news. They found this new blog from Australia, Rethinking Jane Austen. Welcome on board, Jane fans Down Under.
Have you joined the Jane Austen Society of America? If not, you might consider doing so. At $30 per year it is a bargain. As a member you will receive JASNA News three times per year and Persuasions, a wonderfully thick magazine filled with erudite articles about Jane Austen. In addition, you can attend the annual 3-day annual meeting, which is in Chicago this year. (See sidebar for details.) No, I won't be going, unfortunately (or fortunately). I had a paper accepted at another conference being held on precisely the same dates in Little Rock, Arkansas. Vocation vs. avocation? Oh, dear. Since my pup eats loads of kibbles and bits, I had to choose vocation.Contests and free giveaways galore on this site! There are two consecutive contests on this site at this time. Goodness, what a cornucopia of book giving.
- First, if you leave a question for Laurie Viera Rigler about her book, Confession of a Jane Austen Addict, then you will have a chance to win her book as well as receive a personal answer from the author. Don't forget to join our chat with Laurie on August 12th. We'll provide the chat room link a half hour before the chat starts on Tuesday evening.
- Laurel Ann is giving her copy of Maya Slater’s new book Mr. Darcy’s Diary to a reader who leaves a comment on this post.
- Last but not least, Gwyn Cready, author of Seducing Mr. Darcy, writes about a unique offer on her post. Click here to find out about it.
Posted by Vic, Ms. Place
Wednesday, July 2
Seen on the Blogosphere
Austenprose and Ellen and Jim Have a Blog Too are cowriting book reviews of the new Oxford World's Classics reissues of Jane Austen's novels. Their diptych review is of Sense and Sensibility, the first of Jane Austen's novels to be published. In honor of these new Oxford editions, this blog is running a contest in which the winner gets to choose their favorite Jane Austen book as a prize. Click here to enter the contest.
Jane Odiwe's Blogspot features the scenes and settings from Jane Austen's novels and movie adaptations. She intersperses her posts with her drawings and paintings. Nicely done, Jane! And congratulations on getting your book, Lydia Bennet's Story, published with SourceBooks in October.
Click here to read the exchange of letters between Lucy (Ms.Place) and Lydia Wickham (Jane).
Girlebooks is now offering free e-texts of Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea. You can choose several ways to download these books - as an Adobe PDF document, plain text, kindle format, Microsoft reader, or eReader PDB. As the site says, "We publish ebooks by the gals. But much more than a simple ebook resource, Girlebooks aims to make classic and lesser-known works by female writers available to a large audience through the ebook medium."
Austen Blog features an interesting post about Meryton. The comments are just as informative and are definitely worth reading!
Book Club Girl spoke recently on Talk Radio with Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict author Laurie Viera Rigler . Click on the widget to listen to the interview.
Posted by Ms. Place
Jane Odiwe's Blogspot features the scenes and settings from Jane Austen's novels and movie adaptations. She intersperses her posts with her drawings and paintings. Nicely done, Jane! And congratulations on getting your book, Lydia Bennet's Story, published with SourceBooks in October.Click here to read the exchange of letters between Lucy (Ms.Place) and Lydia Wickham (Jane).
Girlebooks is now offering free e-texts of Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea. You can choose several ways to download these books - as an Adobe PDF document, plain text, kindle format, Microsoft reader, or eReader PDB. As the site says, "We publish ebooks by the gals. But much more than a simple ebook resource, Girlebooks aims to make classic and lesser-known works by female writers available to a large audience through the ebook medium."Austen Blog features an interesting post about Meryton. The comments are just as informative and are definitely worth reading!
Book Club Girl spoke recently on Talk Radio with Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict author Laurie Viera Rigler . Click on the widget to listen to the interview.
Posted by Ms. Place
Posted by Ms. Place
Monday, May 26
Jane for President
Oh, my. The second ad for Jane for President is off and running! You can watch it below. If she doesn't win our next election, I simply don't know what state our country will be in. Go Jane! Thanks Laurie Viera Rigler for coming up with such a zany yet sane idea.
A safe and happy Memorial Day to all.
Posted by Vic, Ms. Place (YouTube embed updated)
Friday, May 23
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict Contest Winner!
Congratulations to Aynike for being the lucky winner of a new paperback copy of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler in our contest. Please contact us via e-mail, since you did not include your e-mail address with your post, and a new copy of the book will be shipped to you.
We are anxious to know your opinion of the hilarious Courtney Stone and her exploits in Regency England, so please drop us a line after you finish reading.
Posted by Laurel Ann, Austenprose & Ms. Place, Jane Austen’s World
We are anxious to know your opinion of the hilarious Courtney Stone and her exploits in Regency England, so please drop us a line after you finish reading.
Posted by Laurel Ann, Austenprose & Ms. Place, Jane Austen’s World
Wednesday, May 7
Candidate Jane
“From politics, it was an easy step to silence.”
If you love Jane Austen, why not vote for her? Did Laurie Viera Rigler have a crystal ball when she wrote this post several months ago about this movement? Click here for a funny Jane for President campaign video. It is less than two minutes long.Thursday, May 1
Another Contest? You Must Have Landed in Jane Austen Heaven
Yes, inquiring reader, we are offering another contest yet again with another prize. This one starts today, May 1, and will end on May 18th. All you need to do to win Laurie Viera Rigler's new paperback of the Confesssions of a Jane Austen Addict is to view the cast list of Cranford from Radio Times, and play Six Degrees of Austen Adaptation Separation. For example, Judi Dench played Lady Catherine de Bourgh in P&P 05, one degree of separation. Please your comment below, and we shall collect them. At midnight on May 18th, we will draw the winner!
Cranford related posts are starting to roll in. I would like to direct you to an excellent biopic of Elisabeth Gaskell on Jane Austen in Vermont. Very well done, ladies! This review is just in from Ellen Gray in the Philadelphia Daily News and it is favorable. Cassandra Austen, Jane's beloved sister, died in 1845. One wonders if she read some of the installments of the Cranford Chronicles.
Cast list from Radio Times
Cast List from Radio Times
We hope you have fun with this contest! We are curious to know how close (or far away) these actors are to a Jane Austen connection, and can't wait to see what you come up with.
Cranford related posts are starting to roll in. I would like to direct you to an excellent biopic of Elisabeth Gaskell on Jane Austen in Vermont. Very well done, ladies! This review is just in from Ellen Gray in the Philadelphia Daily News and it is favorable. Cassandra Austen, Jane's beloved sister, died in 1845. One wonders if she read some of the installments of the Cranford Chronicles.
Cast list from Radio Times
Cast List from Radio Times
We hope you have fun with this contest! We are curious to know how close (or far away) these actors are to a Jane Austen connection, and can't wait to see what you come up with.- Cranford will air on PBS's Masterpiece Classic Sunday, May 4th at 9 pm EST.
- Need to purchase a mother's day present? The paperback version of the Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict is now available in book stores.
- Look for Mrs. Elton to make an appearance on this blog soon!
Sunday, April 27
And the Winner of the Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict Contest is ....
Maggie, who will receive a new Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict paperback. Maggie, please send Laurie Viera Rigler your mailing address at laurie at janeaustenaddict dot com. Maggie's suggestion of writing a letter was so appropriate, but so were all the other comments. Thank you everyone for participating in Laurie's fun contest. Read comments here.I am still waiting for the winner of Rita Abrams' and Josie Brown's CD of Pride and Prejudice the Musical to send me her mailing address. I will wait one more week, JaneEyre5381, and then will draw a new winner. Rita and Josie are still featuring a complete and fabulous song on their site each week.
Tuesday, April 22
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict Contest
Inquiring readers,The "Ten Ways to Cope Without The Complete Jane Austen Series" contest is coming to an end. If you've got a suggestion to add to the list, please enter it as a comment. (Click on the link.)
I'll put all of your names in a hat and draw one at midnight EST on Saturday, April 26. On Sunday, April 27, the winner will be announced here.
I will send the winner a signed copy of the new paperback edition of my novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.
In the meantime, I've got another idea to add to #2 on my list: After you watch the Ang Lee/Emma Thompson Sense and Sensibility, watch it again with the DVD commentary by Emma Thompson and Lindsay Doran, producer of the film. The fun starts when the Columbia logo comes up on the screen, and Emma Thompson says something to the effect of how tired her arms got holding up that torch for so long. I laughed a lot and learned a great deal about what went into making the film.Thank you, Ms. Place, for reminding me of how much fun that DVD commentary is. Many thanks to everyone for your fabulous suggestions, and good luck to all!
- Laurie Viera Rigler
Sunday, April 13
Ten Ways to Cope Without The Complete Jane Austen Series
Inquiring Readers, Our fifth and last guest blogger for The Complete Jane Austen on Masterpiece Classic is Laurie Viera Rigler, author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. Laurie needs no introduction. She has written a best seller, was a guest blogger on Remotely Connected, and contributes timely and interesting posts to her own website. In this post, Laurie addresses the withdrawal symptoms we are all feeling now that the wildly successful PBS Jane Austen series is over. When you reach the bottom of this post, you will have an opportunity to win a paperback copy of Laurie's book. All you need to do is add you own ideas to this list! (Please note: Contest is over as of 4-26)
What? No more weekly doses of Austen on PBS? Fear not, my fellow addicts. Help is here. All you need to do is follow this ten-part program.
Re-reading Austen's six novels (or reading them for the first time) will of course play a big role in this program. Ah, but what accompanies each read will make your experience even sweeter.
1. Try Northanger Abbey for your first post-Masterpiece read. Why Northanger Abbey? One reason could be that it was the first of Austen's novels to be accepted by a publisher—who then couldn't be bothered to publish it. Idiot. Thumbing your nose at such stupidity is one reason to read it first. Another, even better reason, is that NA's a fun way to shake off the post-Masterpiece blues.
After you read the book, see what it's like to be Catherine Morland, the heroine of Northanger Abbey. How? Drive or walk around your city or town and pretend you are seeing it from the point of view of someone who has never been there and finds it fascinating and exciting. See? You're experiencing your world like Catherine experienced the city of Bath. If you're hard pressed to find something exciting or fascinating about your world, go into the nearest flower garden and learn to love a hyacinth. Or just think about how a young woman from the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century might respond to some of the modern technological wonders you take for granted. Like hot showers, for example. Flush toilets in every house. Mascara. Tampons.
Then, top off your newfound sense of wonder and appreciation for your world by firing up your DVD player with the 2007 adaptation of Northanger Abbey* starring J.J. Feild and Felicity Jones. There. Aren't you feeling better already?
*Ready for more? Try the 1986 adaptation of Northanger Abbey. Though it's unpopular with a lot of Janeites, you might, like me, find it entertaining.
2. Read Sense and Sensibility.
After you close the book on Elinor and Marianne, imagine what happens next. (We all know these characters are real and keep living their lives after the books end, don't we?) Here's a fun situation to ponder: What happens the first time Edward and Elinor go to London and have dinner at Edward's mother's house—and are sitting across the table from Lucy and Robert? What do they talk about? Imagine Elinor sitting in the drawing room after dinner with Mrs. Ferrars and Lucy. And here's another one to consider: Should Marianne, or Mrs. Dashwood, ever confront John Dashwood about his broken promise to help them financially? If you were to write that speech, what would you have Marianne say? Or should the Dashwood ladies let John's own guilty conscience do all the work?
Now that you've survived all those Dashwood/Ferrars family reunions, reward yourself with a screening of the Ang Lee/Emma Thompson Oscar-winning Sense and Sensibility (1995)* And while you're at it, order yourself a large pizza, chocolate cake, and/or a trough of margaritas. Yes. This program is definitely working.
3. Read Pride and Prejudice.
After you read the book, imagine that you are Elizabeth experiencing your first visit to Rosings as Mrs. Darcy. (Lady Catherine has cooled down by now and consoles herself by hoping that her nephew will be so fortunate as to become widowed at a young age and redeem himself by taking a second wife, i.e., Anne de Bourgh.) Amuse yourself by observing the gyrations of Mr. Collins when he and Charlotte join the Rosings party for dinner. As Elizabeth once said to Mr. Darcy, "Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can."
But wait, there's more. It's time to watch the Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle P&P mini again (one can never watch it too many times), and/or the 2005 movie with Keira Knightley, depending on whether your idea of Mr. Darcy is Colin Firth or Matthew MacFadyen or both. The 1995 mini is a great excuse to have a pajama party (where I grew up, we called them slumber parties). And one is never too old to have a slumber party. Send the kids away for sleepovers and banish any curmudgeonly significant others. Then, bring in lots of goodies, because five hours of viewing requires a great deal of fuel. There's all that fencing and swimming and dancing and taking refreshing turns around the room. I'm getting exhausted just thinking about it. No matter which film you watch (or even if you watch both), be sure to buy the soundtrack of the 2005 film and play often. It's stunning.
4. Read Mansfield Park.
Even if you're a reader who can't quite warm up to Austen's heroine Fanny Price (I feel your pain, but do give her some time; she grew on me after awhile), you can have a lot of fun thinking about how this book could have ended but didn't. For me, that's the most fascinating, thought-provoking aspect of Mansfield Park. As Patricia Rozema, director of the controversial 1999 adaptation of Mansfield Park, put it in her screenplay, "It could have all turned out differently, I suppose. But it didn't." With that in mind, imagine what would have happened if Edmund had married Mary Crawford, and if Fanny had given in and married Henry Crawford. Happy marriages? Reformed rakes? Or a disaster?
As compensation for the lack of a truly satisfying Mansfield Park film (see below)*, you get to watch the lovely 2007 BBC mini of Sense and Sensibility instead. I know, it's Sense and Sensibility, not Mansfield Park, and you just saw it on TV, but who cares? It's worth seeing again. It'll make you feel good. And isn't that what this program is all about?
*I'm one of the minority of Janeites who liked the 1999 Patricia Rozema adaptation of Mansfield Park, but I liked it more as a story inspired by Mansfield Park than as an adaptation per se. Rozema's rendering of Fanny Price is more like the director's idea of a young Jane Austen than the protagonist Jane Austen wrote for Mansfield Park. And Rozema's vision of the story's subtext is pretty dark. But then again, the book itself is perhaps the least "light, and bright, and sparkling" of Austen's works. By the way, there is a fascinating article on this film by Kathi Groenendyk in JASNA's journal Persuasions. As for the latest adaptation that aired on PBS, it has such a truncated version of the story that one wonders how anyone who didn't read the book could figure out what's going on. Mrs. Norris, Fanny's main nemesis, has mysteriously turned into a bland creature. And Fanny Price looks entirely too 21st-century and wears cleavage-baring day dresses (none of this is the fault of the actors, but still). As for the 1983 BBC mini, the heroine is more faithful to the book than its companions. However, while the principal actors are unquestionably talented I couldn't quite see some of them in their roles. And it's got that static, video-on-a-stage feel of early BBC productions that I find challenging to watch.
5. Read Emma.
After you finish the book, play a little game called "Emma, Reformed Matchmaker." You'll need to play with a single friend (preferably a single friend who would like to be in a couple). Each of you sits down and writes a list of qualities that your friend's perfect, future mate should possess. Do not reveal what is on your lists until both of you are finished writing. Now share. You may be surprised to find that your lists differ greatly. When you read your friend's list, refrain from exclamations of horror unless one of the items on that list includes "must be incarcerated in a maximum security prison." Now, give your list to your friend to take home with her. Tell her she is free to cross out whatever she doesn't like on your list and keep whatever she does like. Or burn the whole thing. If she cares to share her final list with you, you may keep your eyes open for appropriate candidates and discreetly point them out to her. That's "point them out," not shove them in her face. Remember, you are "Emma, Reformed Matchmaker." If your friend doesn't care to share her final list, then graciously wish her all the best in finding her dream partner and promptly change the subject. Then, take her to Ford's (or local emporium of your choice) to buy a new dress. Or draw her picture. Without a potential mate watching the proceedings. See? You're a better, happier human being already.
Now that you've had a successful run at self-improvement, Jane Austen-style, you deserve to have an Emma film festival. That's three very clever films indeed: The Kate Beckinsale/Mark Strong-starrer, the Gwyneth Paltrow/Jeremy Northam movie, and the brilliant Clueless, starring Alicia Silverstone and directed by Amy Heckerling. Three fabulous films means you get to invite at least three friends over to have a viewing party or slumber party. And stock up on provisions, for a private screening of three films, without sitting down to supper, [would be] pronounced an infamous fraud upon the rights of men and women.
6. Read Persuasion.
After you finish the book, amuse yourself by imagining whether or not Mrs. Clay will indeed become the next Lady Eliot. If she does, will Anne and Frederick, or any of her family, ever visit Sir William and Lady Eliot? How will Mary's health survive it? Or Elizabeth's pride? Or on a pleasanter note, will Capt. Wentworth allow his wife on board his ship? If so, what exciting places will Anne visit?
Watch the lovely, 1995 adaptation of Persuasion starring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds. Optional: the 2007 version of Persuasion. Although Austen's story is compressed into a scant 93 minutes in the latest version, this one is also worth watching, particularly if you love Rupert Penry-Jones as much as I do. Besides, the DVD restores the small but significant bits that were cut from the PBS broadcast.
7. Join the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) and mingle with fellow Janeites at local and national meetings. I know what you're thinking, and yes, the rumors are all true. It's a cult. We have a secret handshake. We aim for total world domination. Okay, you can stop sweating now. I'm kidding. Really. JASNA is a community of warm, welcoming, fun-loving people who love Jane Austen and love getting together and talking about their favorite author with like-minded people. Like you. There are local reading groups (think Jane Austen Book Club, but usually with more than just the six Austen novels), regional get-togethers with fascinating speakers, entertainment, and delicious food, special screenings for members, and annual general meetings (AGMs) in a different city each year with talks and panels and workshops and English country dance lessons and a banquet and a Regency ball. At my first AGM I thought I'd died and gone to Austen heaven.
8. Watch a film that's so life-affirming and joyful that it merits a place of its own on this list: Bride and Prejudice, Gurinder Chadha's Bollywood-meets-Hollywood tribute to Pride and Prejudice. It's way better than a year's supply of antidepressants or a gallon of Absolut martinis. Hint: This one merits a party or at least inviting one friend over to watch with you. First, order in Indian food. Then, before popping in the DVD, unearth floaty scarves from your wardrobe or nearest accessory emporium, and keep them on hand to wave around while you dance along with the various musical numbers. Be sure to buy the soundtrack and play it in your car or on your iPod while commuting to work the next day. I feel better just thinking about it.
9. Now that you've got that Indian groove thang going, try English country dancing. Then you can watch all the movies set in Jane Austen's time again, and at the ballroom scenes you can dance along. There are many places to learn English country dancing, and from my experience, the people are friendly and welcome beginners, and there's no need to bring a partner with you. Some dance societies hold regular dances and even annual balls. In Southern California, check out Vintage Dance & History. Nationwide, go to the English Country Dance Webring and the Country Dance and Song Society.
10. Finally, take a trip back in time to Regency England. No, I haven't lost my mind. I have, however, written a novel that will transport you to 1813 England. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict is the story of a modern L.A. girl and Austen fan who wakes up one morning as an Englishwoman's in Austen's time. As of April 29, Confessions comes out in paperback, which means the fare to Jane Austen's world becomes even more affordable.
Win a free paperback copy of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict!
If you have another item or two to add to this list, the folks at Jane Austen Today and I would love to hear your suggestions, and I'm sure the readers of this blog will thank you. Just enter your suggestions as a comment below, and we'll enter you in a random drawing. The winner gets a copy of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.
What? No more weekly doses of Austen on PBS? Fear not, my fellow addicts. Help is here. All you need to do is follow this ten-part program.
Re-reading Austen's six novels (or reading them for the first time) will of course play a big role in this program. Ah, but what accompanies each read will make your experience even sweeter.
1. Try Northanger Abbey for your first post-Masterpiece read. Why Northanger Abbey? One reason could be that it was the first of Austen's novels to be accepted by a publisher—who then couldn't be bothered to publish it. Idiot. Thumbing your nose at such stupidity is one reason to read it first. Another, even better reason, is that NA's a fun way to shake off the post-Masterpiece blues.After you read the book, see what it's like to be Catherine Morland, the heroine of Northanger Abbey. How? Drive or walk around your city or town and pretend you are seeing it from the point of view of someone who has never been there and finds it fascinating and exciting. See? You're experiencing your world like Catherine experienced the city of Bath. If you're hard pressed to find something exciting or fascinating about your world, go into the nearest flower garden and learn to love a hyacinth. Or just think about how a young woman from the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century might respond to some of the modern technological wonders you take for granted. Like hot showers, for example. Flush toilets in every house. Mascara. Tampons.
Then, top off your newfound sense of wonder and appreciation for your world by firing up your DVD player with the 2007 adaptation of Northanger Abbey* starring J.J. Feild and Felicity Jones. There. Aren't you feeling better already?
*Ready for more? Try the 1986 adaptation of Northanger Abbey. Though it's unpopular with a lot of Janeites, you might, like me, find it entertaining.
2. Read Sense and Sensibility.After you close the book on Elinor and Marianne, imagine what happens next. (We all know these characters are real and keep living their lives after the books end, don't we?) Here's a fun situation to ponder: What happens the first time Edward and Elinor go to London and have dinner at Edward's mother's house—and are sitting across the table from Lucy and Robert? What do they talk about? Imagine Elinor sitting in the drawing room after dinner with Mrs. Ferrars and Lucy. And here's another one to consider: Should Marianne, or Mrs. Dashwood, ever confront John Dashwood about his broken promise to help them financially? If you were to write that speech, what would you have Marianne say? Or should the Dashwood ladies let John's own guilty conscience do all the work?
Now that you've survived all those Dashwood/Ferrars family reunions, reward yourself with a screening of the Ang Lee/Emma Thompson Oscar-winning Sense and Sensibility (1995)* And while you're at it, order yourself a large pizza, chocolate cake, and/or a trough of margaritas. Yes. This program is definitely working.
3. Read Pride and Prejudice.After you read the book, imagine that you are Elizabeth experiencing your first visit to Rosings as Mrs. Darcy. (Lady Catherine has cooled down by now and consoles herself by hoping that her nephew will be so fortunate as to become widowed at a young age and redeem himself by taking a second wife, i.e., Anne de Bourgh.) Amuse yourself by observing the gyrations of Mr. Collins when he and Charlotte join the Rosings party for dinner. As Elizabeth once said to Mr. Darcy, "Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can."
But wait, there's more. It's time to watch the Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle P&P mini again (one can never watch it too many times), and/or the 2005 movie with Keira Knightley, depending on whether your idea of Mr. Darcy is Colin Firth or Matthew MacFadyen or both. The 1995 mini is a great excuse to have a pajama party (where I grew up, we called them slumber parties). And one is never too old to have a slumber party. Send the kids away for sleepovers and banish any curmudgeonly significant others. Then, bring in lots of goodies, because five hours of viewing requires a great deal of fuel. There's all that fencing and swimming and dancing and taking refreshing turns around the room. I'm getting exhausted just thinking about it. No matter which film you watch (or even if you watch both), be sure to buy the soundtrack of the 2005 film and play often. It's stunning.
4. Read Mansfield Park.Even if you're a reader who can't quite warm up to Austen's heroine Fanny Price (I feel your pain, but do give her some time; she grew on me after awhile), you can have a lot of fun thinking about how this book could have ended but didn't. For me, that's the most fascinating, thought-provoking aspect of Mansfield Park. As Patricia Rozema, director of the controversial 1999 adaptation of Mansfield Park, put it in her screenplay, "It could have all turned out differently, I suppose. But it didn't." With that in mind, imagine what would have happened if Edmund had married Mary Crawford, and if Fanny had given in and married Henry Crawford. Happy marriages? Reformed rakes? Or a disaster?
As compensation for the lack of a truly satisfying Mansfield Park film (see below)*, you get to watch the lovely 2007 BBC mini of Sense and Sensibility instead. I know, it's Sense and Sensibility, not Mansfield Park, and you just saw it on TV, but who cares? It's worth seeing again. It'll make you feel good. And isn't that what this program is all about?
*I'm one of the minority of Janeites who liked the 1999 Patricia Rozema adaptation of Mansfield Park, but I liked it more as a story inspired by Mansfield Park than as an adaptation per se. Rozema's rendering of Fanny Price is more like the director's idea of a young Jane Austen than the protagonist Jane Austen wrote for Mansfield Park. And Rozema's vision of the story's subtext is pretty dark. But then again, the book itself is perhaps the least "light, and bright, and sparkling" of Austen's works. By the way, there is a fascinating article on this film by Kathi Groenendyk in JASNA's journal Persuasions. As for the latest adaptation that aired on PBS, it has such a truncated version of the story that one wonders how anyone who didn't read the book could figure out what's going on. Mrs. Norris, Fanny's main nemesis, has mysteriously turned into a bland creature. And Fanny Price looks entirely too 21st-century and wears cleavage-baring day dresses (none of this is the fault of the actors, but still). As for the 1983 BBC mini, the heroine is more faithful to the book than its companions. However, while the principal actors are unquestionably talented I couldn't quite see some of them in their roles. And it's got that static, video-on-a-stage feel of early BBC productions that I find challenging to watch.
5. Read Emma.After you finish the book, play a little game called "Emma, Reformed Matchmaker." You'll need to play with a single friend (preferably a single friend who would like to be in a couple). Each of you sits down and writes a list of qualities that your friend's perfect, future mate should possess. Do not reveal what is on your lists until both of you are finished writing. Now share. You may be surprised to find that your lists differ greatly. When you read your friend's list, refrain from exclamations of horror unless one of the items on that list includes "must be incarcerated in a maximum security prison." Now, give your list to your friend to take home with her. Tell her she is free to cross out whatever she doesn't like on your list and keep whatever she does like. Or burn the whole thing. If she cares to share her final list with you, you may keep your eyes open for appropriate candidates and discreetly point them out to her. That's "point them out," not shove them in her face. Remember, you are "Emma, Reformed Matchmaker." If your friend doesn't care to share her final list, then graciously wish her all the best in finding her dream partner and promptly change the subject. Then, take her to Ford's (or local emporium of your choice) to buy a new dress. Or draw her picture. Without a potential mate watching the proceedings. See? You're a better, happier human being already.
Now that you've had a successful run at self-improvement, Jane Austen-style, you deserve to have an Emma film festival. That's three very clever films indeed: The Kate Beckinsale/Mark Strong-starrer, the Gwyneth Paltrow/Jeremy Northam movie, and the brilliant Clueless, starring Alicia Silverstone and directed by Amy Heckerling. Three fabulous films means you get to invite at least three friends over to have a viewing party or slumber party. And stock up on provisions, for a private screening of three films, without sitting down to supper, [would be] pronounced an infamous fraud upon the rights of men and women.
6. Read Persuasion.After you finish the book, amuse yourself by imagining whether or not Mrs. Clay will indeed become the next Lady Eliot. If she does, will Anne and Frederick, or any of her family, ever visit Sir William and Lady Eliot? How will Mary's health survive it? Or Elizabeth's pride? Or on a pleasanter note, will Capt. Wentworth allow his wife on board his ship? If so, what exciting places will Anne visit?
Watch the lovely, 1995 adaptation of Persuasion starring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds. Optional: the 2007 version of Persuasion. Although Austen's story is compressed into a scant 93 minutes in the latest version, this one is also worth watching, particularly if you love Rupert Penry-Jones as much as I do. Besides, the DVD restores the small but significant bits that were cut from the PBS broadcast.
7. Join the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) and mingle with fellow Janeites at local and national meetings. I know what you're thinking, and yes, the rumors are all true. It's a cult. We have a secret handshake. We aim for total world domination. Okay, you can stop sweating now. I'm kidding. Really. JASNA is a community of warm, welcoming, fun-loving people who love Jane Austen and love getting together and talking about their favorite author with like-minded people. Like you. There are local reading groups (think Jane Austen Book Club, but usually with more than just the six Austen novels), regional get-togethers with fascinating speakers, entertainment, and delicious food, special screenings for members, and annual general meetings (AGMs) in a different city each year with talks and panels and workshops and English country dance lessons and a banquet and a Regency ball. At my first AGM I thought I'd died and gone to Austen heaven.
8. Watch a film that's so life-affirming and joyful that it merits a place of its own on this list: Bride and Prejudice, Gurinder Chadha's Bollywood-meets-Hollywood tribute to Pride and Prejudice. It's way better than a year's supply of antidepressants or a gallon of Absolut martinis. Hint: This one merits a party or at least inviting one friend over to watch with you. First, order in Indian food. Then, before popping in the DVD, unearth floaty scarves from your wardrobe or nearest accessory emporium, and keep them on hand to wave around while you dance along with the various musical numbers. Be sure to buy the soundtrack and play it in your car or on your iPod while commuting to work the next day. I feel better just thinking about it.
9. Now that you've got that Indian groove thang going, try English country dancing. Then you can watch all the movies set in Jane Austen's time again, and at the ballroom scenes you can dance along. There are many places to learn English country dancing, and from my experience, the people are friendly and welcome beginners, and there's no need to bring a partner with you. Some dance societies hold regular dances and even annual balls. In Southern California, check out Vintage Dance & History. Nationwide, go to the English Country Dance Webring and the Country Dance and Song Society.
10. Finally, take a trip back in time to Regency England. No, I haven't lost my mind. I have, however, written a novel that will transport you to 1813 England. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict is the story of a modern L.A. girl and Austen fan who wakes up one morning as an Englishwoman's in Austen's time. As of April 29, Confessions comes out in paperback, which means the fare to Jane Austen's world becomes even more affordable.Win a free paperback copy of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict!
If you have another item or two to add to this list, the folks at Jane Austen Today and I would love to hear your suggestions, and I'm sure the readers of this blog will thank you. Just enter your suggestions as a comment below, and we'll enter you in a random drawing. The winner gets a copy of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.
Sunday, March 9
Jane in 08: Should Jane Lead Us?
That's the interesting question Laurie Viera Rigler answers on her blog. Yes, our beloved author died almost two hundred years ago, but who says that should disqualify her from running? After all, one of the U.S. presidential candidates (whose name shall go unmentioned) has practically one foot in the, er, well, this is a family friendly blog, so we won't go there. Laurie, the author of the bestseller 'The Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict', has graciously given us permission to reproduce the speech she gave on March 5 at the Whittier Library in California. Jane in '08
by Laurie Viera Rigler, author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
[This is how I started off my talk at the Whittier Public Library's Jane Austen series on March 5, 2008:]
In all the excitement of the recent releases of The Jane Austen Book Club movie and Becoming Jane, and now that we are well into Masterpiece Theatre's Complete Jane Austen, one might be tempted to say that 2008 is turning out to be the year of Jane Austen, perhaps even more so than 2007. But let's not forget that 2008 is also an election year. And with all the hoopla and fuss over should it be Obama, Clinton, or McCain, I submit that it should be Jane.
Sure, she's been dead for almost 200 years, but that doesn't seem to stop Masterpiece Theatre, Hollywood, Bollywood, authors like me who are inspired to write books because of how much we love her, and readers like me who continue to read and re-read her six novels incessantly.
And most important, who is better qualified to run the country than she?
Let's talk about character:
If we go by the assumption that there is a little bit of the author in each of her characters—well, at least in each of the characters she likes—than who can lead the country better than someone who has the wit and intelligence of Elizabeth Bennet, the diplomacy of Anne Eliot, the prudence and strength of Elinor Dashwood, and the stay-the-course steadfastness of Fanny Price?
Let's talk about experience: People like to say that Austen never left the south of England, that she led a circumscribed, uneventful life. But in all fairness, it would be pretty hard for her to take a Grand Tour of Europe—supposing she were able to afford it—during the Napoleonic Wars.
Just because one doesn't write about war doesn't mean one is ill-informed about war. Aside from being very well read herself, Jane Austen had two brothers who served in the Navy and fought in those wars, and a cousin, Eliza de Feuillide, who married a French count who got guillotined during the Reign of Terror.
As for that uneventful, quiet life, it's not like Jane Austen was a recluse. She loved to socialize, to dance, to be in company. She traveled many times to London and lived in Bath.
And she may not have married, but she was hardly sheltered. Just read Lady Susan, one of her minor works, and see how sheltered you think she was. For Jane Austen, staying single was a choice. She had at least one proposal that we definitely know about, and very likely more. Being a single woman was a brave choice for a woman of Austen's time, especially for a woman like Jane Austen, who was not exactly flush with money.
So, we've got character. We've got experience. We've got courage.
Let's talk about special interests.
Some people think that Jane Austen panders to special interests—in particular, the special interests of women. After all, her stories are all about bonnets, pretty dresses, balls, and who gets to marry the rich guy.
Right?
Wrong.
But are not these stories rife with handsome men in knee breeches and women in beautiful gowns? Does that not pander to the special interests of the fairer sex?
Well yes, I suppose, if you are to take the movies to be the same as Jane Austen's novels, which they are not. The novels were actually quite spare of period detail, as Jane Austen wrote them for her contemporaries, who already knew what a barouche-landau was and what type of waistline the latest gowns had. Of course, we women love the eye candy the movies provide, but so should the men, considering all those heaving bosoms in all those low-cut empire waisted dresses.
Just to illustrate for you the difference between the movies and the books, let's take Sense and Sensibilty as an example. In the book, Edward Ferrars is plain. In the movie, he is Hugh Grant.In the book, Colonel Brandon is grave and solemn and singularly un-dashing. In the movie, he is Alan Rickman.
Am I complaining about any of this? Absolutely not.
Willoughby, granted, is a beauty in both book and film, but then again, he is the villain of the piece.
As for Jane Austen's allegedly overly zealous interest in female finery, I beg to differ, for she relegated such pursuits to her silly, superficial female characters, such as Mrs. Elton with her overly trimmed dresses and her fishing for compliments, ditzy Mrs. Allen whose main joy in life was dress and shopping, and the vacant Lady Bertram, whose main purpose was to sit on a sopha all day nicely dressed.
How many discerning men might have laughed knowingly had they read this passage in Northanger Abbey:
"It would be mortifying to the feelings of many ladies, could they be made to understand how little the heart of man is affected by what is costly or new in their attire…Woman is fine for her own satisfaction alone. No man will admire her the more, no woman will like her the better for it."
Even the empty-headed Mrs. Allen in Northanger Abbey acknowledges that "Men commonly take so little notice of those things." Said she; "I can never get Mr. Allen to know one of my gowns from another."
Indeed.
If Jane Austen were indeed pandering to the special interests of women, then how come
T.C. Boyle, Michael Chabon, Paul Auster, Gregory Peck, and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat all love Jane Austen?
Apparently they know something other men may not know, which is that Jane Austen's genius speaks to all of us, not just women. Her stories have universal resonance, because they are stories of self-knowledge and self-discovery. They are witty social satires, and they are commentaries on the follies and flaws and majesty of human nature.
And yes, each of her books is all wrapped up in a love story—not an overly sentimental one—but one with a happy ending.
And who, male or female, can resist a happy ending? Doesn't this country need a happy ending? Doesn't this country need a lesson on how to become a better human being, especially when that lesson is wrapped up in such an agreeable, amusing package?
I submit that it does.
Visit Laurie Viera Rigler's interesting, informative, and interactive blog here. Order The Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict here. Posted by Ms. Place
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