Sunday, August 18, 2013

Austen - By The Book | guest post from Cecilia Gray

Maybe you're going to have to write a P&P essay in the upcoming school year, and cliffs notes are so TL;DR... Or, maybe you don't want to actually have to read a classic (ugh, reading, amirite?), but still want to be able to impress your friends with how well-read you are... But before you go falling back on the good ole' "I'll just watch the movie" thing, there are a few things you should know - and Cecilia Gray's got you covered.



I am not a Jane Austen purist. Not by a long shot.

Adapt her. Rewrite her. Reimagine her. Vlog her. Mash her up with a Bollywood number. I don't think you need to read Jane Austen's original works to love her. You can love her by her movies or her many and varied inspirational spin-offs.

However, I don't want anyone who reads a mash-up or watches a movie to get the idea that they're quoting the real thing, so lo and behold - my breakdown of the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie - By the Book - for Austen fans who haven't quite made the leap to her purely written word.




Cecilia Gray lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where she reads, writes and breaks for food. She also pens her biographies in the third person. Like this. As if to trick you into thinking someone else wrote them because she is important. Alas, that is not the case. She is rather enamored of being contacted by readers and hopes you'll oblige at cecilia@ceciliagray.com and http://ceciliagray.com


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17 comments:

  1. That was the perfect first post for Austen in August! loved the video, will definitely be checking out Cecilia Gray's channel!

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  2. I loved that! I have to admit I really did enjoy most of those artistic changes...except for the cheesy Mrs. Darcy at the end ;) Great start to Austen in August!

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    1. The thing I like most about this version (and I've come to like it, though I thought it was crap in the beginning) is the artistry of the filming. It really is beautifully shot.

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    2. (That's why the UK ending is better!)

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  3. What an awesome video! Great way to start Austen in August!!! I'll be checking out her channel.

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  4. This was so much! Cecilia is the awesomesauce ;)

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  5. That was so funny, I particularly liked the explanation of how inheritance basically all comes down to whether or not you have a vagina.

    The scene with the letter is one of the things I don't like about the 2005 version, but now I won't be able to see it without thinking of the serial killer approach! This covered most of the things that I thought made no sense in this film aside from Lady Catherine's midnight visit to the Bennets.

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    1. Ugh, the letter scene DROVE ME OUT OF MY MIND! Yes, creepy serial killer approach, BUT ALSO - he just walks in unannounced? AND ALSO - is she wearing a dressing gown? They both look rather unkempt, actually... BUT BIGGEST ALSO - it fades from full daylight into full dark, and she's just standing there, staring at herself like a crazy person? UGH.

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  6. Oh yes! I love what she did with the movie.

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  7. I can't believe I have read all of Cecila's books and didn't know she did this! Shows I should click on the links instead of just put them on my posts! That was totally fantastic!!

    Heather

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  8. Loved this video! Yeah, I guess it does boil down to them having vaginas.

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  9. I loved seeing the differences between the movie and the book. And, as you pointed out at the end, there are no passionate kisses in the book! We have to use our imaginations (or watch the movie).

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  10. You know I thought I wouldn't like vlog's about books but I just loved this one, very entertaining. :-)

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  11. Very interesting. The Keira Knightley version is my favorite P & P movie.

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  12. Thanks for the vlog, it was great :)

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