#the Knightley character needs to learn too!!

[littlemyinvadeshighbury]

I think Emma, in any form or adaptation, is about growth, but not necessarily growing up. It's about learning to let loose while also learning that you can't always have control over a situation. You don't have to always be more uptight but you can't stay free falling without touching the problems you're causing. But like that just me prolly bc I'm literally odd

[bethanydelleman]

Do you think the Austen heroines will get along with each other? Who do you think will become close friends and whose personalities will clash? (please include secondary heriones like Jane Bingley, Marianne, Jane Fairfax, Miss Crawford etc.) in your analysis as well

To be honest, I think most of them would get along because of the societal demands of mixing and their solid moral base, but here are some predictions:

Best friends:

Marianne Dashwood & Fanny Price, both of them are super into poetry and rhapsodizing about the outdoors. Marianne can stand up to Fanny's attackers and Fanny can teach Marianne some temperance.

Elinor Dashwood & Jane Bennet, they both are carrying the family in times of need, both disappointed in love through no fault of their own. Elinor's clearer-eyed view of the world would help Jane take off those rose-coloured glasses, but Jane's love and hope would be warm to Elinor.

Elizabeth Bennet & Fanny Price, extrovert/introvert adoption. Elizabeth is delighted when Fanny finally starts to talk and it turns out she's super smart, but she would have kept her anyway.

Jane Fairfax & Fanny Price, in very similar situations and similar personalities, they get each other. Fanny is very worried about this Frank Churchill character.

Catherine Morland & Emma Woodhouse, a healthier and more equal version of the Harriet/Emma dynamic. And given social class, this is one that can be sustained long term. Catherine starts by admiring Emma and then catches up with her.

Harriet Smith & Catherine Morland, they would get so deep into novels together it'd be amazing. The fanfics these girls would write together.

Caroline Bingley & Emma Woodhouse, they would enjoy making fun of Miss Bates behind her back... they would make each other worse. Eventually Emma would look at herself in the mirror with disappointment.

Anne Elliot & Anyone, please anyone who is an intellectual equal. Do you see the people that she has to put up with? It's literal torture. I could see Fanny Price, Elizabeth Bennet, or Jane Fairfax.

Mentor/Mentee:

Catherine Morland & Anne Elliot, Anne is the oracle of all knowledge and Catherine admires her exceedingly. (Fanny Price would also work here)

Elizabeth Bennet & Anne Elliot, Elizabeth could learn so much from her! Anne would see through Wickham in a minute. They could play some duets too!

Georgiana Darcy & Anne Elliot... just send everyone over to Anne Elliot. She's the group mentor.

Instant Hatred:

Elizabeth Bennet & Emma Woodhouse, Emma would be too much like Darcy and Elizabeth would hate her snobbiness. They would likely become friends in time, but it would be after a good deal of dislike.

Marianne Dashwood & Emma Woodhouse, Emma is not impressed by the drama and HOW DARE YOU CALL MR. KNIGHTLEY OLD! Marianne doesn't like Emma's attitude.

Elizabeth Bennet & Mary Crawford, they are similar and their personality tends not to like each other. Also, Mary C would probably try to take a mentor role with Elizabeth (as one who knows about town) and Elizabeth would hate her for it.

Catherine Morland & Marianne Dashwood, Marianne is astounded by Catherine's ignorance, because it tends in a different direction than her own.

(Honestly, the most clashing personalities are Marianne Dashwood and Emma Woodhouse, someone like Elinor Dashwood, Anne Elliot or Fanny Price can put up with almost anything placidly)

Bonus: Miss Bates & Mrs. Jennings would LOVE each other. They would totally talk at the same time. Another older lady pairing that would work is Lady Bertram and Mrs. Allen.

Feel free to add!

[relativelydimensional]

A List of BL for Connie (P2)

we're back baybeyyyy @ceieon has watched most of her first list so the time has come again for me and @bansheeeeeeeeeee to rec some stuff. As always you can watch these in (almost) any order connie so enjoy <3

After the introductory list we're going for a more specific criteria:

shows for the post-Bad Buddy blues

more mature pairings, found family vibes, acts of service, and pouty rich boys

and shows for your interview with a vampire comedown (aka messy and possibly supernatural shows).

1. A Tale of 1000 Stars (2021 , Thailand)

Okay so you loved bad buddy which means you NEED to watch 1000 stars because it's made my the same guy, P'Aof, who we love and cherish. This show is about Tian, a spoilt rich boy who lives life on the edge until he learns he has heart disease and gets a heart transplant. His donor is a lovely volunteer teacher called Torfun, who is a literal angel and died in a car accident (rip torfun). Overcome with survivors guilt, Tian moves out to the rural village Torfun was working in to continue her work. The village is on the border of Thailand and thus is vulnerable to danger from militia/criminals/arms traders/generally not nice people, and is under the care of the forest guard headed by Chief Phupha, who is ridiculously hot for no reason. This is all very hallmark movie tbh, with Tian escaping the pressure of the city to find himself in the countryside and also he and the chief are the only two hot people so obviously they have to get together. Their dynamic starts out as very antagonistic and banter-y, but it quickly shifts into soft territory. It's just a really lovely story about two people who have gone through a lot, and find a home in each other. The pairing, phutian, is more mature than patpran, and the chemistry between Earth and Mix is sooooo palpable it kinda hurts to witness it. FUCK ME this show is JUST SO GOOD. Also drake is here <3

If you want: rural escapism, hot men in uniform, the MOST steadfast and romantic love story ever told, love at first fight, mature MCs who like each other and are assured and confident in their relationship, shirtless product placement, the perfect amount of angst, knightley and emma vibes, and there was only one mosquito net, this is the show for you.

Number of Episodes: 10. Length of Episodes: 1 hour. Watch on YouTube or Viki (but it's less fun :(((( ) .

2. Where Your Eyes Linger (2020, Korea)

(Imagine me in an alleyway with a long trench coat beckoning you towards me). Hey kid,,,, i heard you like bodyguard AUs and power dynamics,,,,maybe a little codependency on the side? I've got a few for you but how about this one to start? Its short, its korean and goddamn does it hit.

Tae-Joo is a pouty rich boy with a knack for getting into trouble, Kang Gook is his stoic and repressed bodyguard who protects him from everything. They're codependant; they go to the same school, both do judo together, hell they sleep in the same bed! Don't question it, the tropes are truely tropeing in this show and thats all we care about. This show is truely a BL speedrun. All together the runtime is less than 90 minutes, we know hardly anything about these central characters but who cares they're compelling. Small warning for ear stuff.

If you want: repression, power dynamics, forced proximity, INSANE chemistry, codependency at its finest, jealousy, and a nice low commitment watch, this is the show for you.

Number of Episodes: 8. Episode Length: 10-15 min. Watch on Viki

3. Moonlight chicken (2023, Thailand)

Note: please watch 1000 stars before this (and give yourself a good amount of time/shows between them).

Moonlight Chicken was P'Aof's next show after bad buddy and BOY was it a good one. Departing from adapting pre-existing novels, this is an original story written specifically for the actors Earth and Mix (as well as for specific side actors too!). Set in post-covid tourist town Pataya, Moonlight Chicken is about Jim, the owner of a struggling diner which is famous for selling hainanese chicken rice. One night he meets Wen and they spend the night together. I know you're not a prude like me but just a warning these two fuck in part 1 of ep 1 and after 1000 stars it can be a shock to the system (also more ear stuff so a warning for that). As their relationship progresses we learn more about both of their messy past relationships and how those relationships have shaped them. It's predominantly character driven so it makes for really interesting drama and nuanced critiques of queer identity in thailand.

ALSO there's a lovely side love story between Li Ming (Jim's nephew) and Heart, a lonely kid who has recently become hard of hearing and isn't supported by his rich/able-bodied parents. These two are honestly the highlight for me, it's a really sweet and understated friendship turned romance. It's also quite nuanced in its exploration of disability and the lack of services for disabled people. I was so suprised by the actors Fourth and Gemini who are so young but literally carry this whole show on their backs?? Sensational. I also wanna give a special mention of First and Khaotung who both look so pretty when they cry <3 Also mark pakin is here.

If you want: sexy one night stand which turns into something more, a more mature couple who work through their past relationship baggage, found family, a MC who is the guardian (but not parent) of an angsty teen, a VERY WHOLESOME and soft side couple, good disability representation, yummy commentary on the experiences of queer people in Thailand, and the single most hysterical line in BL history "isn't it difficult enough being poor? and now you're gay?", this is the show for you.

Number of eps: 8. Episode length: 1 hour. Watch on YouTube

4. We Best Love: No. 1 For You (2021, Taiwan)

TAIWAN IS IN THE HOUSE BABY! I can't believe we haven't recced you a Taiwanese show yet....although no I can believe it because these guys don't mess around and their shows can be kinda full on. This is a nice starter though, nice and short with only 6 episodes, great tropes and chemistry that'll knock your socks off. The premise is simple – Zhao Shu Yi is another pouty rich boy who has been in a hearted one-sided rivalry with Gao Shi De who he HATES because he's always ranking second to him in school/sports. Gao Shi De on the other hand is in a one-sided unrequited situation with Shu Yi, and is only #1 in anything so his crush will notice him. When Shu Yi is heartbroken bc his two besties just got together and he had a crush on the girl, Shi De uses it as a prime opportunity to get closer with him....by blackmailing him into being his little servant around uni..... Because this show is Taiwanese it goes kinda hard with the manipulation and toxicity hahahah but trust its way less toxic than a lot of other BLs. Delicious tropes are everywhere in this one, and the rivalry aspect will certainly help heal the wounds left by bad buddy. Small warning for someone singing in ep 4.

If you want: academic rivals to lovers, power dynamics, forced proximity, jealousy, there was only one bed (actually it was two singles but they pushed them together), acts of service, a tsundere MC and a pining but confident love interest, silly fun times with a side order of toxicity, and a second season I deleted from my mind bc i hated it so much, this is the show for you.

Number of Episodes: 6. Length of Episodes: 23 min. Watch on kisskh

5. Our Dining Table (2023, Japan)

There has been a distinct lack of cosy japanese shows on this list so far and for that I am sorry. But let me offer you this soft domestic treat as a reward for your patience. Yutaka is a lonely introvert who has some family trauma. One day he's minding his own business eating his lunch in the park when a ridiculously cute child accosts him and eats his lunch. The kid's older brother/guardian is very apologetic but asks Yutaka to come back to teach him how to cook rice balls. Truely this concept could only happen in Japan where its apparently not dangerous to invite random dudes who give your kids rice balls in public parks over for dinner. Anyway this show is found family at its finest, soft and low stakes with cute characters and a nice slow burn. It's very reminiscent of other japanese shows, specifically cherry magic, where the introverted MC connects with his love interest but is also forced to connect with the lovely other people around him. Also idk where they found the little kid playing Tane because he just so chaotic and cute it makes me wanna scream.

If you want: found family, acts of service, domesticity, a shy MC coming out of their shell to their partner, a rough around the edges but fond love interest who is the guardian of a young child, youngest child trauma rep, a hot older dad, and the universal japanese BL love language of rice porridge, scarves, and tamagoyaki (japanese omelettes) this is the show for you.

Number of episodes: 10 + a special. Length of episodes: 23 min. Watch on KissKH or Billibilli.

6. Midnight Museum shut up its BL (2023, Thailand)

Between March and April of 2023 I was INSANE about this show, it was all i thought about, it was all i talked about, it was all i read about. It OWNED ME. The show is about Khatha, an immortal loser who literally can't use facetime bc he's such a grandpa, who runs a museum for cursed artefacts. He meets Dome, who mysteriously looks like Khatha's "brother"/lover/little bud from many centuries ago. Also every ep we're looking at a new artefact and also there's an evil cult that may or may not be related to Dome's lookalike. GOD, how do I even explain the plot to you? Half of this show is set in the eponymous museum but the other half is set on an asteroid??? Some of it is a period romance, and some of it is a detective show. THE christian god figures as a semi-major character? Everyone is hot but absolutely NOBODY is fucking its insane.

I'm going to be clear with you, this show is not good. Does the plot make sense? no. Is it well paced/written? Debatable. Is it acted out by some of gmmtv's best to such a sensational level you can't look away? YES. Give this one four eps and i promise you'll be as crazy as me, as soon as the monster of the week format dies down gmmtv pulls out all the stops. Nanon and Tay are personal faves throughout but Tor and Gun are also sensational in their acting and commitment to the queerbait. I think this could be a good one for the IWAV comedown because it's steeped in gothic homoeroticism and its supernatural too.

If you want: hot people, queerbait at its finest, supernatural lore that barely makes any sense, monster of the week turned conspiracy theory, proof that god himself wants to fuck Gun Attaphan, all your problematic faves, and evil Nanon Korapat tag teaming it with Gun in the olympic sport that is serving cunt, this is the show for you.

Number of episodes: 10. Episode Length: 46 min. Watch on YouTube

7. Only Friends (2023, Thailand)

You were there when we were watching this so I know you remember how insane we were when it was on. This show also covers the interview with a vampire comedown criteria in that it's full of sad and toxic gay people. This show is truely just a big old slutty mess and i enjoyed every second of it. plenty of yummy pairings, hot people and depending on what order you watch this list in some familiar faces too. Plot? It barely has one. But why is this some of the best written character focused tv ive watched?? Everyone has a fatal flaw and acts according to that. Mew is a virgin. Top is a manwhore. Boston is a sociopath. Nick is a literal criminal. Ray is a slutty alcoholic. Sand is into indie music. They may make bad choices but we understand why so it's not annoying. It's sensational and you simply cannot look away but for the love of god you will need to wear earphones. There's also some delightfully racy Drake based sex scenes and also a lesbian side couple who are the least problematic people here.

If you want: MESS, that one friend group where everyone's fucking, a demi MC that makes me feel so seen, a slutty sociopath manipulating everyone, the most wet and pathetic mark pakin you'll ever witness, more mess, serious breeches of privacy laws, ships that are so toxic you feel you shouldn't be rooting for them but the chemistry is too good, and lesbians that don't get indie films, this is the show for you.

Number of episodes: 12. Episode Length: 40 min. Watch on Youtube.

Bonus: Our Skyy 2: Bad Buddy x 1000 stars (2023)

If you're considering watching this rn I am assuming you watched 1000 stars (and loved it). I know you're gonna watch this anyway so I just want to make sure you're going in with enough context. So this is the second season of Our Skyy (the first of which came out in 2018). Our Skyy is an anthology series which is a collection of specials for preexisting GMMTV shows. It's essentially pure fanfic.....except it's made by the same people who made the original shows. It's fanfic-y because it never makes any sense, it routinely features silly plot points like body swaps, time travel, curses, magic babies, etc. The great thing about ourskyy is we get to see more of our faves, the other great thing is because it has such crack fanfic energy you can take it or leave it canon wise. Anyway you're in for a damn treat with this one because it's a crossover ep between patpran and phutian and i am FERAL.

If you want: pure fanfiction of our two fave p'aof pairings hanging out, fanservice upon fanservice, more secret dating and chaotic horniness from patpran, domestic disputes and petty banter from phutian, fix-it fic levels of CLOSURE for both couples, heaps of recreations of different scenes, fanboy patpran having gay crisises about meeting both Tian and Phu, and another rooftop scene which makes me SOB this is the show for you!

Number of Episodes: 4. Length of Episodes: 1 hour. Watch on YouTube.

[dragonseeds]

it’s always so interesting to me that i rarely see discussions about the pseudo-incest in emma, esp with reference to the (suggested) imagery of mr. knightley at 16 holding her as an infant. the complexity of their relationships is so fascinating: emma herself being in an incredibly privileged position with no need to ever marry or worry for her future; the acknowledged difference in life experience and resulting power imbalance, which emma continuously disregards, creating some of their spiciest tension; the specter of grooming, inescapable from a modern pov, though knightley asserts that he didn’t know he was in love with with her until he got jealous of frank churchill, and yet we see how he does shape her, teach her, guide her, berate her, even if it wasn’t sexual—and they are both fully aware of this, playing into and with it, dissecting it, joking about it. underneath all of that is their very clear love and respect for each other, the depth of their connection: aside from being old friends (with emma at 21 and him at 37), they are already family; they always were. the evolution of their relationship feels perfectly natural, but at the same time there is an awkwardness to it—a slight discomfort if you examine it too closely, which i like.

i think the general acceptance of emma and knightley despite their age gap and his adult presence/influence on her during her youth comes from emma infecting the narration. she is comfortable with it (like her father, she does not like change unless she’s directing it and even then lol) and with him; her perspective, which is seemingly shared by all of the other characters, presents him as the moral center of the novel. his own actions reflect this, hinting at a self-awareness of how easy it would be for him to be petty or cruel, etc. there’s also emma herself: charming, clever, stubborn, proud, extremely manipulative and high-handed—young but certainly an adult and an extremely wealthy one. we’re not meant to worry about emma, so much as what she’ll do and what the consequences will be for people less fortunate than her—and that comes from the brilliant construction of her character and voice: this is also something emma knows (learns) about herself. i also think emma generally tends to be cast older than she should be in adaptations and that very much informs people’s reactions: they look closer in age than they are and become more palatable.

[knightley--phillip]

Character Name: Phillip Knightley, the Duke of Thornwood Hall

Title/occupation: Duke of Thornwood Hall

Magick Status: Mundus

The Duke of Thornwood Hall shocked everyone when he announced his intentions to marry last season. 

It was high time that one of the most eligible bachelors on the ‘ton settled down. And he found a marvelous bride in Isabela Madrigal. What a marvelous match, with such a handsome husband and beautiful wife — and both so accomplished too. Now, all of London waits for the new heir of Thornwood Hall to be born! 

That’s how it is on the outside, at least.

In reality, Phillip has his own definition of what marriage is — and that certainly means he’s still sleeping around. He and Isabela have been trying for an heir for a year now, to no avail, and yet there are whispers that there are some children around the ‘ton who share Phillip’s eyes. He gambles and he drinks and he’d rather spend a night at the gentlemen’s club than with his wife. Phillip’s not the only one ruining his family’s good name, though.  The Dowager Duchess drinks a little too much  There are rumors about one brother and another on active military duty with a waiting and increasingly impatient wife in the wings. The Knightley name is one slip away from scandal — 

So imagine Phillip’s relief when he learned he had a younger cousin, unmarred by any gossip and very accomplished at that. What’s one more head at Thornwood after all? Never mind that it’s been years since anyone’s heard from Uncle Francis, and never mind that Phillip cannot actually recall if he had children — this young lady could be the saving grace their family name needs.

[thatscarletflycatcher]

One of the things that makes me real mad is when people judge characters and even real people by today standards. Yes, by today standards, Brandon and Marianne is weird. But not for Austen times, I bet she saw a lot of couple like this in her times.

And being sincere, the only thing that bothers me with Marianne and Brandon is that Marianne is in her late teens. Had she been older, the age gap wouldn't have bother me one bit, I have seen couples nowadays with age gaps like this.

I'm also not too hot on Marianne being a teen, I just think that for the purposes of the novel Austen sort of wrote herself into a corner, one that is more glaring to us and that (my guess) probably was just a bit of a stretch then. Because she needs to link Willoughby, Brandon, and young Eliza and do it in such a way as to provide a dramatic backstory with disappointed love for Brandon... and make Marianne silly but in a way that is forgivable and allows her to be moderately sensible at the same time. That more or less forces her to introduce such a large age gap between him and Marianne. I think something similar goes for Emma and Mr Knightley for the wisdom factor. You cannot have a 25 year old sort of life coaching a 21 year old and it not looking ridiculous.

I think there is an awareness in Austen herself of Marianne's age being A ProblemTM, because she goes so much out of her way to say "see? He is not a creep, he's not after her, he's not jealous".

Ultimately what the story is trying to convey is some wisdom/moral/lesson about what to look for in a partner, and one should read the book with that in mind. It's as if you read beauty and the beast and said it's problematic because it encourages bestiality. The beast being a beast is not the point, learning to love beyond appearance is. The author is dead, but not THAT dead.

[iamthenightcolormeblack]

My Experience with Jane Austen Part 2: Reading the Books

In part one I laid out which books I read, which ones were my favorites and least favorites, and the adaptations I've seen. Now I'd like to talk about my reading experience.

Disclaimer: I’m not an expert, just a casual reader sharing some observations, feel free to correct me if I get some details wrong. Out of the books I’ve read I’m most familiar with Pride and Prejudice.

Let's face it. Reading Austen can be challenging and I understand why some people dislike Austen.

It's easy to perceive her novels as "boring" because on a surface level, not much happens. The characters are well-off people (in the upper half of society) who spend their time at home or traveling between social calls and it's easy to dismiss their conflicts as "first world issues." Settings are often indoors, reflecting how "confined and unvarying" the lives of the rich (especially women) were. The plots often move forward through dialogue or conversations rather than big dramatic events. The focus on marriage can also make the stories feel like antiquated relics of the past and can be hard to relate to.

The writing style is also different. There isn't much dialogue at times because Austen slips in lots of very subtle commentary or prefers to describe a character's external appearance or characteristics. Often big events like proposals are described briefly after they happen rather than during, which can make the story feel rather "dry." The books are narrated in third person and sometimes there is unreliable narration (Pride and Prejudice) where we get characters' multiple points of view, but all narrated in the third person as to give each one credibility and prove that it's hard to trust others. Austen's writing style means that readers have to fill in the blanks with their imagination. For example, she doesn't give exact physical descriptions of her characters, often relying on general characteristics like "tall," "handsome," or "amiable." In my previous reviews of Pride and Prejudice adaptations, I explored that intentional ambiguity as a big reason why the character of Mr. Darcy is alluring--because the reader forms a personal connection with the character by sketching his portrait alongside Elizabeth. The characters (their physical appearance and some of their motivations) are purposely mysterious and while it gives the reader lots of opportunities for engaging with the text, without historical/literary context for "filling in the blanks" it's easy to see the characters as stiff mannequins in strange clothing rather than human beings.

Austen as a romance writer: Her romances don't always match up with our perception of what a romance should be. Some people start Austen expecting intense emotions and outbursts of passion but become disappointed when presented with formal courting and stately dances instead. Emotions are often veiled behind dialogue and for a first-time reader it can be challenging to see a romance developing. Most of the time readers have to rely on the clues given by Austen (descriptions of characters "blushing," looking "pale," or losing their composure) to detect the stirrings of love, but on a first reading it's difficult to do so when one's trying to figure out the plot and the characters. Finally, the dialogue can't always be taken literally; lots of people, including me, were disturbed when Mr. Knightley said he loved Emma since she was 13, but it was actually a joke made in response to something she said.

Her books are products of their time, and I sure am not an expert in Regency era economics or social norms. Sometimes the implications of certain actions can be lost on a reader if they don't know about the social norms of the time (I had no idea that Darcy following Elizabeth around, alone, on her favorite walk at Rosings was a sign of his love for her). Differences in social class are also very subtle and while one can generalize the characters as all "well-off" people, they are separated by many levels of hierarchy and their ideas about social position and status affect how they interact with others outside of their station. Darcy looks down upon those whom he perceives to be below him, and while Emma wants to make an advantageous match for Harriet, Harriet's lower social position means that Emma's schemes are not likely to work.

Because of the unique quirks within the novels, the reader is required to go beyond the surface level of plot and appearance and read between the lines to understand character motivations and actions. Without historical context (Regency era society having little social mobility, women having few legal rights and needing to make good marriages to secure material comfort) or literary context (the Enlightenment, 18th century Gothic novels referred to in Northanger Abbey, the birth of the novel, early Romantic writers just to name a bit) reading between the lines is nearly impossible.

So why do we read Austen? Below are my personal reasons.

The novels feature female heroines that have dignity and self-respect. It's significant that the stories focus on women who are trying to live according to their own values and speaking their own minds rather than acquiescing to societal dictates. Elizabeth Bennet is revolutionary in part because she wants a marriage based on mutual admiration and respect between two partners who know each other well, rather than an economic arrangement for a home. One could go on forever about how Austen is a feminist, but, the characters don't act like modern day feminists--they are still people of their time. However, it's easy to assume "feminist" heroines have to have "aggressive" characteristics (rebelling, fighting, defiance) in order to be labeled as "feminist." Importantly, Austen's women are allowed to be vulnerable (they cry or struggle with their emotions) without that being a shameful thing. We also see different types of personalities celebrated: Jane Bennet, who is kind to everyone, is seen in a positive light rather than shamed for seeing good in everyone. Anne Elliot, who is regarded as "old," becomes more beautiful as she gets older and has a second chance of love. Emma Woodhouse is spoiled yet confident and assertive and "not likely to be well-loved" (paraphrase of Austen's commentary on Emma). Fanny Price is a shy person but still achieves her happy ending. Her heroines are real people who have flaws and get opportunities to learn and grow so that they can make their aspirations reality.

A unique take on the universal conflict of humans versus society: Austen's characters are bound by social norms of etiquette as well as a value system that idolizes wealth and connections above all else. Persuasion is a great story in part because it focuses on how Anne Elliot learns to follow her heart and avoid being "persuaded" by others (and by society) to follow a path that will not make her happy. She's had to live with the regret of following the well-intentioned but harmful advice of others (Austen notes that Lady Russell values social connections too highly) over her own feelings and judgment, nearly losing her chance to be with Wentworth. The romances are significant in that they reinforce the dignity and self-respect of the female heroines. To a certain extent, Austen's stories are realistic in that marriage is necessary for material well-being in a patriarchal society that provides few ways for women to provide for themselves. But most importantly, she also sees marriage as a means of affirming self-respect and dignity of the women. It's one of the few parts of their lives over which they have any control because they get to choose whom they marry (for the most part, unless the marriage is arranged). Their wish to marry for love is revolutionary because they dare to aspire for something more than wealth. They want their future partners to be their equals, someone who they can love and respect (or be totally honest with them) and who will provide the same in return. This line from Emma (the 2020 movie adaptation) sums it up: "I have none of the usual inducements of women to marry. Fame I do not want. Fortune I do not want. Consequence I do not want."

The difference between outward appearances and inner character is a fascinating theme that appears in several Austen novels, most notably Pride and Prejudice, where Wickham and Darcy are foils of each other ("one has got all the goodness, the other all the appearance of it"). A lot of the villains in Austen's novels are those who deceive others about their motivations or lie for their own advantage. A common trait these villains all have is that they have a charming outward appearance that masks their true natures; they don't look ugly nor are they unpleasant (ex. Wickham having great social skills, Willoughby following the trope of the knight rescuing Marianne as the damsel in distress but leaving behind many broken hearts, Mr. Elliott being charming and knowing exactly what to say and how to act but actually a swindler). In contrast, the "good" characters are honest, even at the cost of social displeasure, use manners/etiquette to show respect rather than deceive people, and act selflessly to prove their worth (actions speak louder than words). It can be summed up this way: "don't judge a book by its cover."

Psychology: Austen very effectively described hindsight bias when sarcastically commenting on how the village of Meryton turned on Wickham after the elopement with Lydia, when previously they regarded him as an "angel of light." She also understands how easy it is to manipulate peoples' minds through confirmation bias (Wickham telling Elizabeth all the dirt about Darcy, which she eagerly takes because she hates Darcy so much). She also knows that emotions can override people's judgment: "angry people are not always wise." It's fun seeing how her people are social animals who make flawed judgments based on first impressions/emotions.

The secondary characters: Mr. Collins the clergyman is the most famous and he's so funny because of his arrogance in spite of his low social position (he keeps worshiping Lady Catherine instead of respecting God). Another great one is Sir Walter Elliott, a nobleman who is vain and constantly checks himself in the mirror (the most obvious social criticism). Also Austen understood how women insult each other: through passive aggression (ex. Caroline Bingley and Louisa Hurst talking negatively about Elizabeth behind her back). Austen's female bullies use their talent and "good breeding" to intimidate or shame others.

The romance (no explanation needed): "You pierce my soul. I am half-agony, half-hope. I have loved none but you." I love how the couples learn about each other through many spirited conversations and become slowly fascinated with each other until they realize they are in love and then have a conflict between formality and their growing passion...or they fall back in love with each other...or they are friends who slowly realize that they are more than friends...okay I'll stop talking nonsense I've been trying so hard to be semi-scholarly

Tags: @talkaustentome @austengivesmeserotonin @austengeek @princesssarisa @appleinducedsleep @colonelfitzwilliams

[ladybirdwithoutdots]

I was just thinking about the fact Emma 2020 is clearly told from Emma's protagonist-perspective but Mr Knightley is the one character whose pov you see indipendently from her (or when she can see him) since his first scene, so he essentially is treated as co-protagonist by the narrative. Even his yellow riding coat seems to be a nod to Emma's own yellow ensemble but at the same time, it does place him in a co-lead role and there is even a parallel between Emma's scene with Harriet and his own scene with Robert Martin. One is meddling in Harriet’s personal life manipulating her, the other is accidentally finding himself on the side of a Harriet/Robert supporter, lol.

Notice for example that the only scene Harriet gets that is just about her (meaning not something functional to Emma's story or that Emma can see too) is the one in the end between her and Robert because it's the moment she gets rid of Emma's bad influence and makes her own choices following her own feelings, which signals her own character growth.  

For Mr Knightley it's a bit on reverse because he has a different character arc: he starts as an independent character from Emma but as the story progresses, while he's still independent, he also realizes how much he needs her and the thought of losing her brings him despair, and from that moment (the aftermath of the ball), everytime you see him again it's about Emma. His character arc is about realizing how much being alone and independent isn't enough for him anymore..everything he was sure of before is challenged, and he understands and admits he actually needs Emma more than he could have ever imagined when he met her. In fact, in the end it's part of his independence he is willing to give up to be with the woman he loves. There is something foundamental Mr Knightley learns, and it's also part of understanding Emma's loneliness better than he ever did before.

A lot of things about Mr Knightley kind of represent an epiphany of sorts. There are phrases from the beginning that are foreshadowing of his own journey and his character arc. You could say he has to eat his own words too sometimes, lol. For instance, in his first scene with Emma he teases her about people crying at Miss Taylor's wedding: in the end you see him moved to tears at his own wedding^. And of course there is the infamous "I want to see Emma in love and with some doubt of a return" that backfires so much 😂.

I think it's a clever way to highlight his own character arc from the book too. In the novel, you think he's very independent mostly at the beginning (*) but with time, you realize in retrospect how much he needed Emma and why he spent so much time with her and her father. He's ok alone, he's a dynamic, independent and kinda energic person, but Donwell is empty (love the movie shows how much it's preserved but only his room is *home*. Cue the dust sheets covering the furniture in other rooms) and deep down a part of him longs for a companion, someone whom he can share his life with. He doesn’t realize that or admit it at first, in a way he thinks he’s independent and unaffected by some things but he realizes that he isn’t. Deep down he wanted to marry and have kids like his brother, and he could've easily found himself a wife but he was already in love with Emma without realizing it, somehow ‘waiting’ for her without knowing he was essentially doing that (it’s the same for her, they both subconsciously put their feelings away because they think the one person they really want isn’t interested about them that way). It's the discovery of his own loneliness, and how much he loves and needs Emma, that helps him understand her and her own loneliness (that she compensated with the match making and trying to find a friend in Harriet after the loss of Miss Taylor) even better.  (*) (the beginning of the novel also coincides, for me, with the only time in the story where I do remember he’s older than her. By the time I get to the end, the more I realize he needs Emma and loves her, the more I forget about this aspect and he seems to be..younger. Funny enough, that’s also a moment in the story where Austen tells you that he comes across as young to Emma herself. The way she subtly hints that HE is the love interest is delightful btw.) 

I must say, Emma has a similar journey about romance and marriage.  At first, she thinks it isn't for her and she tells herself that she doesn't want to marry, when really the thing preventing her is mostly duty towards her father. I think a lot of people misunderstand her character to ostensibly try to make her a modern feminist heroine, which isn’t a bad thing per se but often it ends up erasing a good part of her own character arc and what still is a very important point. The thing is, Emma does have a romantic heart that she tries to express through match-making by finding a companion for her friends, because in that moment it's the only way she feels she's allowed to experience romance too. Emma thinks she’s free but she really isn’t, psychologically at least she is trapped in a cage where her father’s needs are the priority no matter what her heart wants or may want. This aspect is important because at the beginning of the story, she's naive and an unreliable narrator of herself and her feelings. In the end, when her delusions shatter she realizes she isn’t as immune to some things as she thought she was, and she had always been in love with Mr Knightley. You could argue that it’s not so true Emma isn't interested about romance or marriage... she is, with the man she loves. She simply isn’t ready at the beginning, nor she thinks she is allowed to have what she wants.  In fact, she does a 180° about the whole "I don't want to get married" thing when he asks her to marry him, and she is pained by the idea that they wouldn't be able to marry asap because of her father. You'd think it wouldn't make a big difference for her either way given Mr Knightley would still be with them every day like be always was, and she could still preserve their routine that was so dear to her; but it's not enough for her anymore. Acting as friends only isn't enough anymore. That's why she's pained by the idea she may not be allowed to marry him asap: she longs to have a companion, to have an intimacy she wouldn't be allowed to have with him without being married. And when he does find a perfect solution so they can be together, she's conflicted about his sacrifice but also incandescently happy that they can marry sooner than she thought they'd be allowed to. The point is, part of Emma's coming of age arc is discovering her own sexual agency too, and the fact she finds herself wanting things she didn't think she even wanted before. Austen is subtle like you'd expect her to be in context but that’s what she implies in the end, in the most dignified way sure but she does that in the way Emma's feelings about marriage completely change when she knows she's in love and he loves her back.

It's also interesting to notice that, in a way, just like Mr Knightley understands some things about Emma better in the end when he discovers his own vulnerabilities, Emma also does start to fully understand and respect Harriet's feelings for Robert and his for her only when she herself realizes her own love for Mr Knightley, and thus she understands that marriage isn't necessarily just a matter of convenience like she thought it was. 

(ps: I headcanon Emma as demisexual/demiromantic, btw. I feel like a lot of things about her make even more sense when you think that beside the lack of experience, she is someone who needs to be in love and share a strong bond with a person to fully understand and want some things. The moment at the ball when she’s dancing with Frank but she’s completely distracted by how attractive she finds Mr Knightley is one of my favorites. She’s generically able to appreciate people’s beauty from an aesthetic perspective such as noticing someone has pretty eyes or hair etc, but when it comes to real attraction Austen is all about Emma finding Mr Knightley hot because it’s him, not really because he has this or that physical feature she finds pretty.)

[quoteoftheweekblog]

QUOTATIONS - P.D. JAMES’ ‘THE SKULL BENEATH THE SKIN’ (FIRST PUBLISHED 1982)

First sentence:

‘There could be no doubt about it, the new name-plate was crooked.’ (James, 2015, p.3).

On Courcy Island:

‘Even the most diligent search of maps and charts will fail to discover Courcy Island or its Victorian castle lying off the coast of Dorset, since both have their reality only in the imagination of the writer and her readers.’ (James, 2015, p.2).

‘ “And I can’t imagine anything very terrible happening on Courcy Island.” ‘ (James, 2015, p.31).

‘ “Oh God, please don’t let anything terrible happen on Courcy Island.” ‘ (James, 2015, p.65).

On private detectives:

‘ “ ... an unsuitable job for a woman?” ‘ (James, 2015, p.11).

‘To arrive for a country-house weekend accompanied by one’s private detective was permissible for royalty, but in any less elevated guest showed a lack of confidence in one’s host, while to bring one incognito might reasonably be regarded as a breach of etiquette.’ (James, 2015, p.24).

On ‘Emma’:

‘ “Thank you, Mr Knightley.” ...

“I’m afraid I’d make a poor dancer in my present state, and if I had to cast you as any character in ‘Emma’ it certainly wouldn’t be poor Harriet.” ‘ (James, 2015, p.117-8).

On life:

‘ “Look, darling, don’t let’s quarrel.” ‘ (James, 2015, p.42).

‘Perhaps only the rich and successful could indulge the morbid fear of dying. Most of the world needed its energies to cope with living.’ (James, 2015, p.155).

‘Of all the things that human beings did together, the sexual act was the one with the most various of reasons.’ (James, 2015, p.388).

‘ “If your doctor tells you to go abroad at once you can always settle for sunny Torquay instead. If your solicitor suggests you go abroad, you’d be wise to make for Heathrow immediately.” ‘ (James, 2015, p.417).

‘She thought: even in the midst of death we are in life, and the petty concerns of life don’t go away.’ (James, 2015, p.420).

On Remembrance:

‘ “Is that the War Memorial?” ...

“In memory of the men of Courcy Island

who fell on the battlefields of two world wars

and whose bones lie in foreign soil.

1914-1918

1939-1945 ″‘ (James, 2015, p.173).

‘ “It’s for remembering the good chaps who’ve gone. Once a year. For two minutes. You wouldn’t think that was too much to ask.” ‘ (James, 2015, p.174).

‘ “Armistice Day isn’t to do with peace. It’s to do with war, and remembering one’s dead. A nation that can’t remember its dead will soon cease to be worth dying for.” ‘ (James, 2015, p.175).

On murder:

‘Murder, the unique and ultimate crime, was seldom the most interesting forensically or the most difficult to sove.’ (James, 2015, p.222).

‘ “It’s a fallacy to suppose that a small circle of suspects, all known to each other, makes a case easier to solve. It doesn’t; it only makes a failure indefensible.” ‘ (James, 2015, p.230).

‘ “This is a story-book killing: a close circle of suspects, isolated scene-of-crime conveniently cut off from the mainland, known ‘terminus a quo’ and ’terminus ad quem’.” ‘ (James, 2015, p.233-4).

‘ “ ... Agatha Christie ... is a poor preparation for the real thing.” ‘ (James, 2015, p.242).

‘ “There are facts. There are suppositions. There are beliefs. Learn to keep them separate, Sergeant. All men die: fact. Death may not be the end: supposition. There’s pie in the sky when you die: belief.” ‘ (James, 2015, p.259).

‘ “We mustn’t forget the butler. I regard the butler as a gratuitous insult on the part of fate.” ‘ (James, 2015, p.261).

‘ “There’s never a good reason for people to kill each other, even in happy families.” ‘ (James, 2015, p.302).

On Dalgleish:

‘ “The name Commander Adam Dalgliesh mean anything to you, Sergeant?” ‘ (James, 2015, p.327).

REFERENCE

James, P.D. (2015 [1982). ‘The skull beneath the skin’. Amazon.com [E-book]. Available at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Skull-Beneath-Skin-Cordelia-Mystery-ebook/dp/B002RI91JO/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= (Accessed 7 November 2021).

[itspileofgoodthings]

Can you talk about what you think Elizabeth Bennet's strengths and flaws are? Same question for Darcy, Knightley and Emma Woodhouse please!!

Elizabeth has the ability to take things lightly and find the humor in them always—a saving grace for her. But despite her sharp wit and ability to see through folly and artifice she doesn’t have the greatest insight into people. Or, it takes her a while at least. Part of that is her age but tbh I think it’s a character thing too. She sees so much so correctly; she does not always see people and their motivations and hearts the most clearly. Empathy is something she has to learn and then practice.

Idk if this is his best quality but my favorite quality of Darcy’s is his fairness and generosity. Somehow those are almost the same thing in him? Most of us are so pinched and narrow in both our fairness and generosity and Darcy actually gives SO MUCH ROOM to people in both places. He is a fundamentally generous man in all senses of the word. (Love that Lizzy knows and says this at the end of the book.) Which is why his good opinion once lost etc. is kind of fair. Yes we all need to practice forgiveness and maybe Darcy sometimes doesn’t but the good opinion once lost is not necessarily incompatible with true forgiveness. He could forgive you and pray for your soul and still go out of his way to avoid seeing you. His flaw, IMO, is that he thinks he shouldn’t have to communicate or discourse about himself and that the misunderstandings that occur are fine or just par for the course when often they can cause problems. (He works on this with Elizabeth obviously but I imagine it’s a recurring problem in their marriage where sometimes she has to be like “okay, TALK to me” and then he would because he’s the best.)

Emma’s greatest strength and weakness is that she is intensely relatable and human and FUNNY! I mean, no. But kind of!!! I love that Emma is simply too curious about things and people and too easily distracted by FUN things to always have time for serious things. It’s somehow a strength (she ISN’t self-serious, not really, she doesn’t truly hold herself above others, she’s too curious and messy for that) but also a weakness (sometimes she doesn’t know when to stop meddling etc.)

Knightley is honest to the CORE. A man of truth and integrity. Also so generous and charitable and PRACTICAL. Flaws? He has none. Just kidding. I mean …… idk. Sometimes he actually probably IS too soft-hearted where people he really loves are concerned. But …. Not really a flaw.

[mostlymovieswithmax]

Movies I watched in March

Thought I’d chronicle the films I’ve been watching over the March period, from the 1st to the 31st, and how I’d rate them. If you’re looking for something to watch, perhaps this will help. A lot of these movies are available on streaming services also.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - 10/10

I hadn’t watched this in a couple of years but I was blown away. Peak Scorsese.

Rushmore (1998) - 7/10

Not the best Wes Anderson movie for me but still fun.

Lion (2016) - 8/10

I discussed this at length on my podcast: The Sunday Movie Marathon. Great movie!

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - 10/10

Now this is one of the best Wes Anderson movies. I discuss this more on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Fantastic, funny and I watched it twice because it’s so much fun.

Inception (2010) - 10/10

Discussed on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Best Christopher Nolan movie for me, Inception is just breathtaking.

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004) - 5/10

This might be Anderson’s weakest film (at least from what I’ve seen) but it’s still not as bad as a lot of directors at their worst.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) - 10/10

I was really on an Anderson binge in March. The Royal Tenenbaums is one of the most wholesome movies I’ve seen and certainly one of his best films.

Rome, Open City (1945) - 4/10

This was filmed in Nazi-occupied Italy and from that premise, the film enticed me. Despite having some interesting qualities, I do feel that initial pull is most of what the movie has going for it.

The Prestige (2006) - 7/10

I showed this to my brother and for what it’s worth, he enjoyed it. I do think this is one of Nolan’s weaker efforts but considering how much I like it, that speaks a lot to Nolan’s filmography as a whole.

Nostalgia (1983) - 10/10

I watched Nostalgia three times in the space of a week and reviewed it on The Sunday Movie Marathon. It’s phenomenal.

Kangaroo Jack (2003) - 1/10

Another one I watched for the podcast. Kangaroo Jack is truly terrible and it upset me a great deal. Avoid this movie.

Stalker (1979) - 10/10

Another Andrei Tarkovsky movie (director of Nostalgia). I watched this again during the day before my second watch of Nostalgia and while it’s hard to compare such different movies, I enjoy Stalker more. It’s a staple of Russian cinema for a reason.

Four Lions (2010) - 5/10

Watched for the podcast. I didn’t really gel with this comedy but it would certainly appeal to someone who enjoys the humour, as my co-hosts did.

Revolutionary Road (2008) - 6/10

This Sam Mendes joint was a tad too melodramatic but still boasted some great performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Metropolis (1927) - 6/10

This silent film is a staple in cinematic history. Its themes are as painfully relevant today as they were in the 20’s, yet despite that I found a lot of it to be intensely boring. After it hit the hour mark, I started playing it at 1.5x speed.

Crimson Peak (2015) - 4/10

A lot of great set design and costumes and colours, yet the story itself was madly uninteresting.

Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind (2004) - 10/10

Who doesn’t love a good movie written by Charlie Kaufman? I reviewed this on The Sunday Movie Marathon and after a third watch, it is as fascinating as it is gut-wrenching.

Godzilla (2014) - 3/10

If you wanted to see Godzilla fight a bunch of monsters for two hours, then this is not the movie for you. There’s maybe about ten minutes total of on-screen Godzilla action and considering that’s really all anyone’s watching this for, it’s amazing the titular sea lizard occupies so little of the movie.

Prisoners (2013) - 10/10

Brilliant mystery thriller by my favourite director, Denis Villeneuve. Discussed on the podcast.

Eraserhead (1977) - 7/10

David Lynch’s debut feature film went down in my estimations this time around. You can listen to why on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Still, Eraserhead is a very good movie.

Raiders of The Lost Ark (1981) - 6/10

The first Indiana Jones movie proved to be a fun romp and Harrison Ford plays the character beautifully. I’m just not a big fan of Spielberg and his average verging on pretty good but rarely ever great movies. Perhaps on a second watch, I may enjoy this more.

The Seventh Seal (1957) - 9/10

Watching this movie again was so much fun. So far, it’s my favourite Ingmar Bergman film. It’s a celebration of life and love, with an underlying sense of dread as death looms ever-present.

Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom (1984) - 5/10

I can tell why this generally looked on as the weakest in the trilogy. Harrison Ford is still great but the movie dragged a lot and felt more like a bunch of things happening for the sake of it rather than a fun action/adventure.

Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989) - 7/10

The Last Crusade was a lot of fun and maybe it was Sean Connery’s inclusion, or perhaps the bottle of wine I drank through the movie elevated my enjoyment. But alcohol aside, I still believe this to be the best in the series.

Justice League (2017) - 2/10

People really weren’t kidding when they said this was bad. I watched this in preparation for the Snyder cut and I was not happy. This took years off my life.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) - 3/10

Barely any better and double the run-time of the original. I discussed this on The Sunday Movie Marathon and I was certainly not impressed. Better luck next time, Zack!

The Truman Show (1998) - 10/10

Brilliant movie and one I would highly recommend for a stellar Jim Carrey performance. This was another recommendation for the podcast.

Eighth Grade (2018) - 7/10

I was impressed with Bo Burnham’s debut feature. This is a coming of age story centred around a young girl growing up in the modern world and how it can affect the youth of today. Burnham shows a deep understanding of youth culture and a real knack for filmmaking.

Bad Education (2019) - 8/10

A real “yikes!” movie. If you want to learn a bit about the embezzlement that took place in an American school back in the early 2000’s, you need not look further than this tight drama with fantastic performances from Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney.

Twelve Monkeys (1995) - 8/10

One of the only movies where the time travel makes sense. I recommended this for The Sunday Movie Marathon and it’s pretty great.

Ready Or Not (2019) - 7/10

Despite a premise that is not wholly original and a super goofy third act, Ready Or Not is gory, violent fun with a lot of stylish art direction.

Dead Man (1995) - 3/10

Recommended on the podcast. I really did not get a lot out of Dead Man. It’s a very slow movie about Johnny Depp going through the woods and killing some people on the way, but it’s two hours long and hugely metaphorical and sadly it just didn’t connect.

Misbehaviour (2020) - 6/10

A big draw for me in Misbehaviour is Keira Knightley; I think she’s a great actor and I’m basically on board with anything she does. I’d been wanting to see this for a while and I was shocked to see just how relevant it is (being set in 1970) to the world we find ourselves in today, where women are still fighting to be heard and to be treated equally. While the film is not spectacular, I still got a lot from its themes, so recently after the murder of Sarah Everard and how women are being treated in their protest.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb (1964) - 7/10

I was surprised at just how hilarious this early Kubrick movie is. While I can’t say it floored me or took any top spots, it’s still a great examination of the military and how they respond to threats or try to solve problems and the side of war we don’t often see in films: the people in the background sitting in a room making crucial decisions.

Taxi Driver (1976) - 10/10

Wow! I can’t believe I’d never seen this before but I’d never really had access to it. Taxi Driver is a beautifully made movie with so much colour and vibrancy. De Niro puts on perhaps his best performance and Paul Schrader’s timeless script works miracles.

Sleepy Hollow (1999) - 5/10

Classic Tim Burton aesthetics in a pretty by the numbers, almost Supernatural-esque story eked out over an hour and forty minutes.

Seaspiracy (2021) - 6/10

Everyone’s going crazy over this documentary and I agree it tackles important issues we’re facing today surrounding the commercialization of the fishing industry, but a lot of what’s presented here is information already available to the public. The editing feels misplaced at times and the tone is all over the place. Nonetheless, it’s still quite fascinating to see good journalism being done in a way that exposes this side of the industry.

Pirates of The Carribean: The Curse of The Black Pearl (2003) - 8/10

Super fun and a great first instalment in a franchise that sadly seems to have peaked at the first hurdle.

My Octopus Teacher (2020) - 8/10

Great cinematography and a lovely premise, this documentary has garnered an Oscar nomination and I can see why.

The Sisters Brothers (2018) - 8/10

A really solid western I was happy to watch again. It’s a shame no one really talks about this movie because it is excellent with stunning visuals and great performances.

Pirates of The Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) - 5/10

A strangely massive drop in quality from the original. If I didn’t like the whole concept of this franchise so much, I might have had a worse time.

Reservoir Dogs (1992) - 8/10

On a second watch, Tarantino’s first feature is still wildly impressive.

Life of Brian (1979) - 7/10

This is perhaps my third time watching Monty Python’s Life of Brian and it’s still incredibly funny, however it never manages to measure up to its predecessor (and one of my all time favourites), Monty Python and The Holy Grail.

[bethanydelleman]

Don’t Read Pride and Prejudice Again (Try a Different Austen)

I have written promotions for the other novels, but no one needs encouragement to read P&P. So if the lessers must rise, the greatest must fall. So here is EVERYTHING WRONG with Pride & Prejudice. (To be clear, this is satire! I love P&P)

The proposal scenes are totally unbalanced. We get every single CRINGEWORTHY word of Mr. Collins’s terrible proposal, we get exactly one line of Darcy and then “he spoke well” but what did he SAY Miss Austen? Cruel authoress! and absolutely nothing from the cutest couple: Jane and Bingley. (Want the outpouring of the main character’s heart? Try Persuasion)

Too many coincidences! Unless Mr. Darcy is a Time Lord (love you, Doctor Who), there is no way he can always show up at exactly the right time. He arrives when Georgiana is about to elope, comes one day early so he can run into Elizabeth at Pemberley, and walks in THE VERY MOMENT when Elizabeth reads the letter from Jane about Wickham and Lydia. And I’m not even going to get into how very convenient it is that Elizabeth’s estranged cousin knows Darcy’s aunt. Try harder Jane Austen! (To read a book without coincidences, try Mansfield Park).

For a strong heroine, Elizabeth Bennet faces almost no real difficulties. Elinor Dashwood has to deal with her father’s death, but Mr. Bennet just goes on living. Fanny Price must stand strong after rejecting a proposal, but Elizabeth has her father and sister's support after rejecting Mr. Collins. Anne must wait 8 years to be reunited with her true love, Elizabeth waits like 5 weeks. Catherine Morland must travel alone all the way home and wait six months for Henry’s father to approve their marriagr, Elizabeth always travels accompanied and marries as soon as she wishes. Emma has to spend weeks convincing her father that marriage to Knightley is a good idea, Mr. Bennett consents before his daughter even talks to him. It’s easy to be strong when nothing bad ever happens to you, Elizabeth! (You want real strength, read Sense & Sensibility, Elinor is a paragon or Mansfield Park)

Darcy is the least likeable leading man in existence. He makes fun of the Bennets behind their backs, he’s arrogant, he’s snobby, he’s a know-it-all, and he thinks he has the right to make decisions about his friends’ love lives. He is so terrible at flirting that Elizabeth spends half of the book thinking that he hates her. Okay... even I can’t go this far when Rochester and Heathcliff exist. Let’s just say Darcy needs some serious work at the beginning. (If you want a really lovable leading man, try Northanger Abbey. Henry Tilney forever!)

Pride & Prejudice is not long or conclusive enough! I need far more pride and extended prejudice. Why can we not learn the fates of Georgiana, Kitty, and Mary? Why only two measly weddings at the end of the book? I know Jane Austen is capable of three! (For a longer book that leaves every single eligible character married, try Emma)

Good heroines are passe, anti-heroines is where it's really at! Elizabeth Bennet being nice and good is boring. (Try Lady Susan for delicious evil)

Pride & Prejudice, not as good as you thought!

Don’t forget Emma, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, Sense & Sensibility, Persuasion, and even Lady Susan.

[nothingmancy]

hung aloft the night - chapters 2 and 3 dvd commentary

let's get into it...

I think every AU version of Quentin needs (and can have, which is fun!) the Fillory series as a component of his personality. this is true in my teacher/single parent AU too!! here I imagined it would be more literally Alice in Wonderlandish in public perception. canon-wise obviously Plover's whole deal is Lewis Carroll directly fused to C.S. Lewis but my ideas....were about vibes...... how many AUs can I write before me working this in as a slight riff is like annoying

not to repeat myself from my last silly commentary but another essential component of queliot is the "I'm going to tell you something deep and dark and personal. Ready? Okay" which translates pretty conveniently for Eliot infodumping about vampires. there also needed to be a sense of playfulness even though Eliot is telling him kind of dark stuff, and then subsequently Quentin in chapter 3 is just taking notes, because he's a nerd

I meant to create a sense that this was different from the Magicians' universe's magic. I thought probably too hard about how to portray the vampires and greater universe because I wanted Gothic fiction vibes! I wanted this one to be more like, Creature Mythos with an emphasis on Mythos. you know, folklore!! like Ms. Swift said......

I went back and forth a lot on how, uh, sheltered? to make Quentin, which comes up for the first time in this chapter with his greenness when it comes to drinking, so I'll discuss it here.......but essentially underlying all my choices is my thesis that in this version of reality he would have literally no close friends other than Julia and then James. pondering his Big Virg-osity reminded me of the Atonement behind the scenes story where it was really important to Joe Wright that Keira Knightley's character was a virgin for the Themes even though some like historical expert came to the set and explained that high society girls in the time were REALLY fucking. but I think my choice is more artistically sound on account of Quentin Coldwater and also that whole story is embarrassing for Joe Wright and making Quentin an incredible virgin is not embarrassing, it's emotionally resonant. BUT ANYWAY TO GET BACK TO THE POINT, what I ultimately wound up going for was that Quentin's lack of potential for interaction with even different points of view and literally no Google/internet + general repression + Quentin's specific, somehow more painful since people certainly fucked in the 1880s, repression + almost no friends = the guy in this fic. again I will continue to talk about this.

also to bring it back to stuff in the chapter, the unicorn line is about Quentin being a virgin thus attracting unicorns, bit copyright to my fiancé

it's funny to have Eliot be the introducing mentor/expert/audience explainer, canonically and otherwise, because he's Eliot. he's 19(0) and he's never learned how to fuckin read. that number is not literal I never decided how old eliot is EXACTLY in this fic, what am I a math nerd???

equally as much as Quentin is just a guy hanging out adjacent to a fantasy story (things happening to him, etc.), Eliot is a somewhat more agential guy just hanging out next to a fantasy story. What I imagined was that they were loosely associated with power-hungry vampires, but mostly these last several generations both he and Margo just kind of drink blood, con people, and hang out. obviously Margo would be a little more involved and aware of what other people are up to which I hope?! is apparent later in the fic.

[onewomancitadel]

Hi, I’m the same anon asked about the aesthetics/armor and character development stuff from a while ago! Thank you for replying to my ask, makes me happy that you’re active enough to reply with us folk who are genuinely interested in all this. This isn’t really another ask or anything, but I was rewatching The Chorus Trilogy from Red vs Blue, and it made me realize how perfect “Felix moments/allusions” would be for Knightfall.

Like I said, I think that them having aesthetic changes to reflect how close they are getting to one another would just be top notch storytelling, and it would only take a few tweaks to have Jaune’s armor look a lot like Felix’s armor does, just add some more plates/pouches on the front and put some black/orange paint on it and it would look SO CLOSE. I think it would also be a bitter irony if, if Jaune ever manages to beat Cinder in a fair fight in Canon, he says something like Felix said to Tucker like, “I guess at the end of the day, if we both know that I’m stronger than you and I’m better than you, than that’s better than killing you will ever make me feel.” It would be such a good way to show how far he’s come as a Huntsman and person.

Aside from that, keep up the good work, I’m eagerly waiting for Chapter 10, and can’t wait for how the drama you write will pull at my heart-strings. Have a nice day!

Hi again! Lovely to hear from you!!! I'm glad you liked my reply! I'm always happy to receive asks and chat, my blog is a really great place for me to never shut up. I have a terminal case of Talks Too Much, it's a consistent character criticism I receive IRL so I try to minimise it. But yeah always happy to talk about the ship or anything really, especially romance, romance all the time. I have a lot of fun.

Oh yeah I was into RVB for a long time because my older brother watched it. I downloaded RVB episodes and put them on my iPod Nano to watch at school lol.

Yeah nah I wouldn't really go for a Felix-like design because he's so overtly villainous, like he's committed to the cause, unlike Locus, who even gets a living redemption. I see you, Miles!

Personally the orange lining on the hood (and armbands) to match Cinder is already enough for me, the lining is a significant detail because Ruby's red cloak and Summer's white cloak are such defining features.

Also Tucker/Felix is not romantic... so I'm not sure that really works either, their relationship is very depressing and sad and involves betrayal, so I don't like that in my romance for Knightfall, and if Jaune is at a point like that emotionally (where he's not trying to kill her, which he's already past) I think there is some potentially really interesting complicated emotional dialogue, I mean even in their first confrontation together he's emotionally challenging her, he's not condescending, meanwhile that quoted line is condescending. I don't like condescension in my romance personally, I mean even in an Emma/Mr. Knightley scenario, he speaks to her frankly when he chastises her (in fact the chastising is what makes them equal).

I think Jaune was just getting comfortable in his character arc where he was a healer/support/Paladin properly after learning from Cinder vengeance really wasn't worth it (are you gunna let her die, too?) and he's just had a major disruption to his identity because of her again. He killed when he's supposed to heal, Penny brushed away his hands and made him reach for the sword. You know depictions of Joan of Arc in art often depict her with a sword, but specifically in a motion of nonviolence.

It's a really major shift in his character and imo why him using the shield/sword combo in V4/5 was related to his vengeance for Cinder, and then he started using the shield more and kitted it out in V7. I think they work as sword and shield together... but she's made him use his sword again.

Anyway I don't think it's his armour that needs to change, he's already had black/white/orange going on for a while, the question would be if Cinder gets white in hers. I don't think they need to go really ham, the metallic stuff and celestial symbolism is necessary to get right (if Cinder stays gold/her whole performative schtick is ongoing I think that's probably an indicator of not-canon, other than like, every other gross indicator) so as long as she's silver to his gold it's fine. If she goes warm blue/warm purple/silver then it works, he actually doesn't need to change bizarrely enough.

Onto the last point: thanks for enjoying the fic, that means a lot! Feel free to leave a comment on AO3 if you feel like it... *twiddles fingers*

Hope you have a lovely day. Also hope my reply isn't offputting but I had to be honest about how I like my romance lol, and I am generally honest (and hopefully kind!) on my blog. <3 <3 <3

[dramionediscussion]

Ok, so, after finding Austen inspired Dramione work (and because of the 2020 version of Emma and... the new Bridgerton series, too), I began to think that while Pride & Prejudice is the more popular book to use as a basis for a Dramione story, Emma and even Persuasion can work just as well-- though maybe as sources for something more loosely inspired. I find myself wanting to read a fic with a swotty Hermione that's Emma-levels of meddling in people's lives/orchestrating stuff because she's sure she knows better. Draco isn't exactly a Mr. Knightley but he can be the one who tries to dissuade her from her scheming (maybe she's cooked up a plan to pair up their classmates as a part of the effort for House Unity. Maybe she tries to pair up Harry with someone when that someone is actually into someone else). The characters don't have to be an exact equivalent of their Emma counterparts but they are all within Hermione's sphere of influence or people she thinks would defer to her authority (as resident swot or Head Girl, maybe). It'll probably be a good idea to use the story to explore prejudices against the supposed House of "bad guys" in HP, the Slytherins, since Emma is about coming to the wrong conclusions about people, learning to humble yourself, and discovering what you want in the end. Or maybe, if it's them in their early 20s - they're partners in a Wizarding matchmaking service... (who needs Amortentia when you have the Brightest Witch of Her Age™? And, of course, her partner with the pureblood connections, savory or otherwise.)

As for Persuasion, maybe it can be done in Reverse? Draco is Anne and Hermione is Wentworth. This will entail building a history for them at Hogwarts, i. e. they used to have a secret relationship and then things went sour because he was "persuaded" to break it off. (I think this can work as a post-war fic with flashbacks or an alternate universe with no Voldemort. ) Years later, the Malfoys, no longer as rich as they once were, have to rent out the Manor to anyone who needs a posh location for an event. The latest shindig: a Ministry gala which Hermione is spearheading. And then the story takes off from there...(hmmm... is there already a fic like this somewhere and I just don't know about it? ^^). If it's Hermione who's in Anne's shoes, maybe she and Draco part ways because she was persuaded by her friends to break up with him because of his past. Heartbroken, he travels the world to get over her and then comes back to Wizarding Britain successful and sought after. She thinks she'll just try not run into him but he is apparently the person she needs to help save her friend's (Ron's? Harry's? Ron and Harry's) business, etc.

I'd try writing the above if I could but I need more talent. Haha. I only find myself thinking about inspiration for stories in general. (I'd love to read more fairytale inspired Dramione fics...) I'm just thinking about Draco & Hermione, really.

Established storylines aside, it's fun to think of the "what ifs..." /"what if this happened instead of this" and the many ways Draco and Hermione could end up together. :)

Oh very interesting!!! We do see way more Pride and Prejudice inspired dramione than any other story! I think your version of an Emma inspired dramione will be amazing! I want it!

- Lisa

[ladybirdwithoutdots]

I think I’m the only one who actually dislikes Emma and Harriet’s scene in the movie where the latter tells Emma “I refused Robert Martin because of you”.

I need to preface this by saying that neither adaptations, let alone the book (where Emma indeed cares about the girl, but she still happily parts ways with her in the end, and never really considers Harriet an equal to her and Mr Knightley tbh), could ever really convince me that Emma and Harriet are friends.  The new movie 'upgraded’ that relationship A LOT, and for a good reason: they put the spotlight on that and Emma’s relationship with Knightley more than on things like Jane/Frank because the movie is very much about ‘Emma.’ and HER personal character’s growth and Harriet is useful for that purpose, too. However, even this movie still doesn’t convince me that she and Harriet are ‘best friends’.. and this scene makes it worse for me because it does emphasize all the issues I always had with their relationship in the book too.

I think it’s because, in that scene, it comes across as her making Emma feel like the bad guy who is stealing her man (and Emma thinks that too!) because she knows Emma has more chances than her. My problem is that I cannot really feel so bad for Harriet there, and I find she’s at fault as much as Emma is, maybe even more than her. Here’s the thing: were Harriet a real friend for Emma - in the realest sense of what a friend truly is, which is someone who knows you well and cares about your feelings TOO, and not just about what you can do for them -  she should’ve realized, noticed the hints, taken into consideration, the fact Emma maybe had feelings for the man too, especially given how much Harriet seems to interpret HER own interactions with him as hints that he wants to marry her, and yet I’m supposed to believe she is so oblivious about Emma and Knightley’s much deeper feelings. She supposedly spends time with Emma and her family, which includes Mr Knightley, but she never notices a thing. I can understand her not noticing Mr Knightley’s attraction and feelings for Emma (even though one should try very very hard to not notice it! Especially in this movie!) for Mr Knightley isn’t her friend. But Emma’s feelings should matter to her a bit, she should notice things about Emma.

Their relationship never really recovers for me because even their last scene, their reconciliation, while it’s cute and all, still doesn’t resolve their issues. It’s great that Emma tries to be a good person and a good friend in the end, you really see her changing for the better and you really see her trying and doing everything so that Harriet gets her happy end too, and only then Emma gets her own happy end. But I would’ve loved that scene between them much more if Harriet had said something, anything, about Emma’s own wedding too. I wish there was a hint from Harriet’s part that she was happy for Emma too. Instead, that whole scene is just about what Harriet wants and needs and what Emma still needs to do for her. Only her. Where’s Harriet’s side in this friendship? Where is her being there for Emma and acknowledging her feelings as valid too? Where are Harriet’s concerns for Emma too?   I’m not erasing Emma’s flaws and bad actions here. I’m not making her a victim. Emma is wrong and it’s good for her that she tries to be a better person and learn from her mistakes. However, the fact Emma was wrong (and she’s the protagonist. and she’s rich and she got the best man lol) doesn’t mean her feelings and happiness must be irrelevant to someone who is supposed to be her friend still.

IMHO, Autumn de Wilde humanized Harriet, and her character has much more dignity here than in the novel and other adaptations, but she also emphasizes her ‘blindness’ and her faults (and an issue in the Emma/Harriet relationship that I see in the novel too) all the more. I find her overdramatic and immature reaction (for me, especially when she seems to want to blame Emma for the fact she refused Robert Martin, when that actually was still HER choice and it’s bad SHE let Emma influence her IF she really cared about the guy)  when she realizes Emma is in love with Mr Knightley is emblematic and while it’s a big change for the novel, it’s consistent to their book energy for I find it believable that had book Harriet realized Emma’s feelings for Mr Knightley, she’d indeed get very disappointed about her ‘hero’ becoming ‘the villain’. To me, it makes the point that she kind of had always treated Emma like a God whom she loved and admired only because she was mentoring her and was trying to help her, but Harriet has no critical thinking about Emma and this ultimately dehumanizes Emma. Proof in the pudding is the fact she’s constantly trying to get her favor and please her with pretentious comments such as when she tells her no one plays the piano better than her. Harriet doesn’t see that her friend treats Jane bad. And she’s right there with everyone when Emma acts bad with Miss Bates, but she doesn’t care, doesn’t notice her friend is doing something wrong that is very bad for her. The only moment where Harriet has a negative reaction for something Emma does is when she realizes Emma wants the same guy she wants. Btw, all the people in Emma’s life do what Harriet does. I always thought that,  saved for Mr Knightley, Emma doesn’t really have real friends. She has admirers, which is a completely different thing. For all the flack Mr Knightley gets for criticizing Emma (from himself too, people always forget that he feels bad about it),  I think by noticing her flaws too, and loving her in spite of them, he actually is the only person who effectively treats Emma as a human and he pays attention to her and who she really is beyond perfect appearances. The others seem to care about Emma apparently but it’s only on a surface level and it’s always limited, IMO, to what Emma does or can do for them.