Other important stuff (aka The Lizzie Bennet post)

I don't know if I talked about it before, but one of the 'things' that I enjoy is reading, and though it came somewhat late in life, I do enjoy Jane Austen.  I usually have at least one month a year where I do an intensive Austen-a-thon.

For audio books, I use Librivox.  All the books are done and there are several readers available so you will find someone who suits the voice in your head.

I watch all the many tv and movie versions of the novels, and cry because each one misses something vital and important to my inner vision of the novels.  I have a 'best of' cast list for Pride and Prejudice that to my great surprise, has somebody from each cast in it.  I will say that the A&E version of Pride and Prejudice and the Emma Thompson version of Sense and Sensibility are the best of the lot.

Or they were till I came across Lizzie Bennet in the spring.  I heard about the Lizzie Bennet Diaries earlier this year but did not really watch till they were about 23 episodes in.  I do remember a very strong regret that I couldn't see the rest yet, and then promptly put it away and did not watch again till they were in mid 40th episode.  I won't be forgetting again.

In case you haven't seen it, do check it out.  It does take time to watch them all, but so does reading the book.  Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Sit back, get your knitting, your coffee, and enjoy all 4 hours.  (will be over 4 shortly).  They aren't done yet.  It's only midway.

These, spare, clean, short vingnettes capture everything I look for in the story. And more.  They are so very spare that they focus on what I think most of us felt before, even casual fans like me, something deep and absolutely vital to our understanding of the character, perhaps the core of why Elisabeth Bennet is, after all these years, the most vital character in English literature.

And once you have, go and read this absolutely bang on critique of what is special, illuminating, why this Lizzie Bennet is a breath of fresh air to stale adaptations.

Despair of Translators

What she says.  No Darcy yet.

Before you know it, you will be, like me, waiting for your 3-5 minute clip each Monday and Thursday, wishing in between, that Tuesday and Wednesday would go a little faster.

Its not so bad on the weekend.  On the weekend, you can, if you need a boost, watch all of the Lydia episodes, or watch all the Maria Lu episodes, or the question and answer shows, or even go back and spend a nice chunk of knitting time watching the whole thing again.  There are ways to stave off the madness.

But Tuesday and Wednesday?  They could be a whole lot shorter.