#isabella “faithful” thorpe

[bethanydelleman]

Northanger Abbey Readthrough, Ch 8

Some hints that Isabella's affection for Catherine may not be all that it seems, starting with this, "Isabella having gone through the usual ceremonial of meeting her friend with the most smiling and affectionate haste" and then Isabella taking an entire three minutes to abandon her friend to dance.

I love this part:

She could not help being vexed at the non-appearance of Mr. Thorpe, for she not only longed to be dancing, but was likewise aware that, as the real dignity of her situation could not be known, she was sharing with the scores of other young ladies still sitting down all the discredit of wanting a partner. To be disgraced in the eye of the world, to wear the appearance of infamy while her heart is all purity, her actions all innocence, and the misconduct of another the true source of her debasement, is one of those circumstances which peculiarly belong to the heroine’s life, and her fortitude under it what particularly dignifies her character. Catherine had fortitude too; she suffered, but no murmur passed her lips.

This sentiment is so real, it's like assuring the waitress that you aren't at the café alone and your boyfriend is coming. Catherine wants people to know that she has a partner! She's not unselected and unknown. It doesn't matter that she may never see these people again, the disgrace is real.

Then worse (!) she finally sees Mr. Tilney again but she can't dance with him! The horrors! I love how Catherine doesn't fall for the "mistakes sibling for spouse" trope, which continues to happen in fiction to this day, but instantly realizes that Henry is with his sister.

Thorpe finally appears (ug) and he doesn't have any good excuse for keeping Catherine waiting. However, this reminds me of three other men:

of the horses and dogs of the friend whom he had just left, and of a proposed exchange of terriers between them

We know that Mr. Rushworth of Mansfield Park also annoyed a woman by talking too much of horses (his "sport" would include this) and dogs:

Maria, with only Mr. Rushworth to attend to her, and doomed to the repeated details of his day’s sport, good or bad, his boast of his dogs, his jealousy of his neighbours, his doubts of their qualifications, and his zeal after poachers, subjects which will not find their way to female feelings without some talent on one side or some attachment on the other Mansfield Park, Ch 12

Also, Sir John and Willoughby are arranging the exchange of some terriers:

Such a scoundrel of a fellow! such a deceitful dog! It was only the last time they met that he had offered him one of Folly’s puppies! and this was the end of it! Sense & Sensibility, Ch 32

Now I'm sure a big part of these quote aligning is just the era and being gentry, them with their fancy horses and fancy dogs, but both Rushworth and Sir John notably can't really talk to women, I think we can easily argue that Thorpe is in the same camp. And inconsiderate Tom Bertram delayed another woman from dancing with concern about horses:

He came towards their little circle; but instead of asking her to dance, drew a chair near her, and gave her an account of the present state of a sick horse, and the opinion of the groom Mansfield Park, Ch 12

The real problem here is that men are putting their concerns above doing a duty or a kindness to a woman. Sir John gets away with his devotion to hunting because he is very kind and accommodating otherwise, but John Thorpe, Mr. Rushworth, and Tom Bertram especially really show their selfishness and self-absorption in these scenes.

ANYWAY, joy of joys, Catherine is introduced to Eleanor Tilney, who seems like 10,000,000% more rational and genuine than Miss Thorpe:

Her manners showed good sense and good breeding; they were neither shy nor affectedly open; and she seemed capable of being young, attractive, and at a ball without wanting to fix the attention of every man near her, and without exaggerated feelings of ecstatic delight or inconceivable vexation on every little trifling occurrence.

Catherine does not immediately become friends with Eleanor, but engages in the very small talk that Henry spoofed back in Ch 3.

The faithless "faithful Isabella" reappears, but she's far too absorbed with James to really focus on Catherine, no matter what she claims. Both Catherine and Isabella refuse to dance with their partners more than once, though like Willoughby and Marianne, Isabella and James don't find new partners but instead talk with each other. Poor Catherine barely spends any time with Mr. Tilney as he got bored and danced with someone else.

Now, we know Catherine is already half in love with Henry at this point, but what is he thinking about her? He does seem to have sought her out and he asks her to dance again. This may just be polite, and he certainly feels that nothing is keeping him from finding another partner. I would say he probably enjoyed the first dance and is happy to see her again, but I doubt he's been dreaming of her...

#northanger abbey readthrough #ch 8 #northanger abbey #henry tilney #eleanor tilney #john thorpe #james morland #isabella “faithful” thorpe

[sensiblesense]

Throughout Northanger Abbey, Catherine is consistently described as a woman who is naïve and senseless. Through her journeys with Isabella, James, and John, she almost seems to be criticized by Isabella, a woman whom Catherine initially considers a friend, because she is incapable of recognizing what is apparently evident. Although Catherine has many opportunities to observe the flirtatious relationship between her brother James and Isabella, she is still unable to grasp the fact that they are, for lack of a better phrase, into each other. Catherine's innocence can also be seen through her interaction with Eleanor Tilney, Henry's sister. Catherine becomes immediately infatuated with Henry upon meeting him and unknowingly lets Eleanor in on her secret crush. Catherine believes she has received information from Eleanor about Henry without revealing her true motives. Through this interaction, it is clear to see how while Catherine is perceptive, she has not yet come to grasp how other people are able to see through her nearly invisible mask.

This presentation of Catherine by Jane Austen allows for a satirical and comedic nature in the novel. In what I believe is just the start of some major character development, Catherine is completely oblivious to extremely obvious occurrences that are happening around her. Austen characterizes Catherine as a perceptive character but seems to emphasize how her perception is not like one might expect. She continues to take notice of everything that happens around her, yet initially is unable to recognize the significance of any of it. In a slow progression, the reader is able to notice Catherine's forward movement as she begins to notice her ill-temper towards John Thorpe. Although we have only read the first twelve chapters of Northanger Abbey, I have faith in Catherine's awareness of those around her and believe it will eventually lead to some sort of revelation in the end.

[novelmonger]

I watched every* Northanger Abbey adaptation so you don't have to

*Does not include written, audio, or theatrical adaptations. Excludes works that are merely "inspired by" Northanger Abbey, but not actual adaptations. Also I didn't watch the Spanish TV movie, because I wouldn't be able to understand it anyway.

Northanger Abbey (1987) starring Katharine Schlesinger and Peter Firth

Reasonably faithful adaptation (if you don't count the soundtrack, which sometimes veers into very '80s territory with saxophone and...was that an electric guitar?)

While all the actors are decent enough, none of them have a smidge of chemistry with each other.

Props for showing bits of 19th-century life we don't normally see in such adaptations, e.g. sedan chairs and the actual public bath of Bath (which seems to be more-or-less historically accurate?)

Everything feels rushed and smushed together, which is ironic because it's actually a couple minutes longer than the 2007 movie, which doesn't suffer from the same problem.

Absolutely terrible casting. Peter Firth was nowhere near charming and witty enough to be Henry Tilney, even if he is the only one out of all these versions to actually get to say his best line (the "intolerably stupid" one) in full. He comes across as such a serious, judgmental man that it's hard to understand what Catherine sees in him. And Robert Hardy is an excellent actor, but completely the wrong choice for General Tilney. He looks far too jolly, and works much better as Sir John in Sense and Sensibility, or even Cornelius Fudge in Harry Potter.

Kudos to them for finding a Katharine to play Catherine.

Wishbone s02 ep09 "Pup Fiction" (1997)

Obviously very truncated because they had to fit it into a half-hour children's show with a real-world framing story

They basically cut out all the marriage drama stuff and focus more on not letting your imagination run away with you.

Whether you enjoy it or not will mostly depend on whether you like Wishbone in general. (Personally, I'm ambivalent.)

Northanger Abbey (2007) starring Felicity Jones and J.J. Feild

The most watchable version (best acting, production value, faithfulness of adaptation, etc.)

Felicity Jones is perhaps "too pretty" to be Catherine, who is supposed to be rather plain, but she's very easy on the eyes and does an excellent job at portraying Catherine's wide-eyed wonder and naivety.

J.J. Feild is the perfect Henry Tilney. Suave, charming, with a cheerful twinkle in his eye as often as not, it's so clear to see why Catherine falls for him, as well as why he becomes so attracted to her way of assuming the best of everyone. Alas, he doesn't get to say the wonderful line about those who don't read novels being "intolerably stupid," but he shines in all the scenes where he teases Catherine. I also think he did the best job at portraying the gentleness mixed in with the anger when he rebukes her for assuming the worst of his father.

Excellent casting for most, if not all, of the supporting characters. Liam Cunningham makes for a very intimidating General Tilney, William Beck is exactly what John Thorpe should be, and Carey Mulligan, though I will always see her first as Ada Clare from Bleak House, was the perfect choice for Isabella.

The biggest downside to this adaptation is that some of Catherine's dreams and imaginings are rather sexual in tone. If memory serves, she even has a dream where we see her from behind, standing completely naked in front of a man. It's unnecessary and adds a strange sort of voyeuristic note to the movie that I didn't appreciate.

We get to see more of Catherine's siblings, which is very fun.

Does the best job at capturing the satirical tone of the novel, mostly through music and the narrator

Northbound webseries (2015-2016) by Oh For Cute! Productions

Of the two (yes, two) modern-day adaptations on YouTube, I think this one did the best job at capturing the essence of the novel. It's set forth as the vlog of Catherine Morland, a girl heading out from Fullerton, Virginia, to New York City. Instead of Northanger Abbey, she goes to North College in NYC, where she meets Henry and Eleanor, then finds out that their father is a history professor, and decides to take a class from him.

All the videos are fairly short, so it's kind of impressive how easily a coherent story can be told through them. Due to the format of the series and it being an indie production, the audio/video quality is fairly low and the actors aren't exactly Hollywood-tier (some better than others). But it kind of lends a sense of authenticity to the series, like it really is just a vlog by some random girl relating her adventures in New York.

Catherine is cute and pretty, but in a normalish sort of way that I think is very fitting for her character. She's very relatable. I wasn't sure about Henry at first, but he has a certain "dashing heartthrob" quality about him, and a great sense of humor, that are very fitting for the character. A lot of the characters are very relatable or feel like people I've met in real life, especially because of the modern setting.

Worth noting: In this adaptation, James Morland is Jamie Morland, Catherine's sister. She still has a romance with Isabella, and has much more of a presence in the story than James does in the original.

Oh my gosh the modern-day version of John Thorpe is so creepy and ick. It put the character in perspective so well for a modern audience, more so than scenes of him tearing through the streets in his fancy carriage or whatever. Like...I knew a guy in college exactly like him, though thankfully his attentions weren't turned on me *shudder*

The chemistry was really good between all the actors, so even when some of the lines felt a little too scripted, it was super believable that these people would be friends (or what have you).

I absolutely 100% want to be in Catherine's friend group (after the end, when the Thorpes are no longer around). They're all such lovely people, and seem fun to hang around.

The Cate Morland Chronicles webseries (2016) by Apple Juice Productions

Unlike Northbound, this one has Catherine in her twenties, trying to figure out how to be an adult while also being a huge nerd. Cate is running a vlog, but it's a bit more "official," because she runs a fan blog for, among other things, the cult classic TV show The Mysteries of Udolpho. She gets a job as a journalist, and continues the vlog for work. Shortly after she gets her new job, she has the opportunity to interview Henry Tilney, the actor for one of the lead roles in Udolpho. They're immediately and obviously attracted to each other, and the story evolves from there.

The setup for this series was much less relatable than Northbound, even though the characters talk about various fandoms (real as well as the fictional Udolpho show). I mean, many of us have gone through struggles like the Northbound Catherine, trying to find our way as adults and as college students. But how many of us have been journalists who have the chance to interview our teenage movie crush? And then fall in love with them for real? And end up in a relationship with them? And have it all captured on video and put up on YouTube for the world to see? It broke my suspension of disbelief more than once in that respect.

While the camera and mic quality was better than Northbound, the Cate Morland Chronicles generally seemed to have a lower quality of actors. Cate was probably the best, and Henry was pretty good too. But a lot of the supporting actors just didn't feel natural - especially James and Eleanor, I thought. It was like the difference between a high school play and a college play.

Probably as a result of the acting itself not being the best, a lot of times the chemistry between characters suffered. This was especially a problem between Cate and Henry. There were a lot of videos where I found it hard to buy that they were falling in love. The best ones by far were the road trip videos.

Oh yeah, and they had Henry and Eleanor not be siblings for some reason? She's his publicist instead. And yet they're super close, so that Eleanor can go along to Henry's house with him and Cate, and so they can preserve that fake-out moment when Cate first meets her and thinks Eleanor is Henry's girlfriend or something. So they had to have this whole thing where Eleanor explains that they have a brother-sister relationship, when everything would have been so much easier to explain if they'd just...actually been siblings, like they are in the original.

This is more subjective, but I found Cate to be kind of annoying at times. I just found her to be less likeable than the Northbound Catherine, kind of exhausting actually. I think she had a bit too strong of a personality to be Catherine Morland. To put it in Northanger Abbey terms, she actually seems to be perfectly set up to be the heroine.

Hopefully this information will help you decide which, if any, adaptations you want to pursue yourself.

#northanger abbey #adaptations #clearly my faves were the 2007 movie and northbound #despite their flaws i think those ones captured the spirit of the book best #i should probably mention i was predisposed to like the 2007 movie because jj feild was in captain america: the first avenger #not sure why i did this little project honestly #northanger abbey is my second-favorite austen novel after p&p #but everyone seems to ignore it #so i guess there were few enough adaptations that it wasn't too daunting of a task #i really wanted to assess audio versions of it as well #but the one i'm most interested in (the radio drama with emma thompson) is only available on audible :(

[skgway]

1823 July, Tues. 22

7

12

1/2 hour in in the stable talking to the plasterer, and afterwards in the cow-house – Letter from M– [Mariana] (Lawton) dated yesterday,

“last Tuesday in coming downstairs my foot slipped and I fell down and sprained my right shoulder, till Saturday I was unable to use my arm at all, and even today I feel writing painful. xxxx has been my amanuensis but I am fearful of her, acting that part to you, lest you should fancy me worse than I really am” –

She thinks I “have exaggerated” her “feelings” on the subject of my last letter, “more than” her “letter warranted” – She seems to keep to her old opinions, yet so modifies them, that as she observes “to enter more upon the subject could do no good, therefore we had better drop it” –

She adds ‘I have never doubted your faith tho I have your prudence’ Wishes me to be circumspect. ‘I have a feeling on the subject which no earthly power can remove, and great as the misery which it would entail upon myself might be, I would endure it all rather than the nature of our connection should be known to any human being’ 

She had before observed that when she complained of my attentions to Miss Maclean I had owned they were foolish. I really don't remember this  – Both Isabella and Charlotte told her last summer I did Mrs. M[ilne] harm –

Letter also from Miss Henrietta C– [Crompton] (Esholt hall) Disappointed at my not going – The Gilbert C– [Crompton]s still there – To stay till tomorrow – 4 pages the ends, under the seal, and the top of page 1 crossed – Miss Fawkes of Farnley speedily to be married to Sir Edward Barnes, governor general of Ceylon – She is to go out with him almost immediately –  

“young Kaye is soon to marry Miss Arbuthnot with £60,000 – Accomplished and pretty, but I should hope weak for accepting him” –  “Pray read ‘Quintin Durward’ it is charmingly interesting, I think superior to Peveril”

The C– [Crompton]s are going to woodend – They are to be at Leeds as today to see the exhibition –  “Dr. Camidge has had a serious dispute with Mr. Greatorex where or how he is to stand” at the approaching musical festival –

Wrote the above of today, and went down to breakfast at 9 1/2 – At 10 3/4 in spite the perpetual showers (very rainy all last night) set off to H–x [Halifax] – A heavy shower at the top of the cunnery lane lasted till I stopt at Mrs. Wilcock’s door – Went in for 2 or 3 minutes to ask Miss Pickford if she would allow me to drive her to Haughend – (George rode Percy) – The Priestleys and Astleys, 2 Miss Butlers staying in the house, and Mr. John Edwards of Pyenest, all assembled in the drawing room soon after our arrival –

Sir John gave me 3 franks, for Mrs. Norcliffe tomorrow and for Miss Henrietta C– [Crompton] and Mr. Marsh on Thursday – Gave Mrs. H[enry] P– [Priestley] Mr. Marsh’s letter to read, and she instantly and handsomely gave me her name as a subscriber to Miss King’s poems – Lady A[stley] would have done the same, but Sir John, on reading the letter thought there was a particular etiquette to be attended to in these sort of applications – That he, as member for the county of Wiltshire, ought to have been applied to at home (at Everley) –

The printed names of the subscribers he knew well – Knew many of the people mentioned intimately – If Mr. Marsh applied to him, he would be happy to put his name down – Would be happy to do anything to oblige him – I might hint this when I wrote – Sir John had said I might hint this, before I asked his permission (it was granted) to tell Mr. M– [Marsh] that, if the thing was named to Sir John) I knew he would be a subscriber – The recent but worthy baronet took some pains to assure me, there was a certain etiquette in these matters, as member for the county, necessary to be attended to – He knew I was aware of this etc. etc. –

At this moment (5 p.m.) I am quietly smiling at all this importance – It might be a subscription for raising a Wilshire corps of volunteers, or for some great concern of vital consequence to the interests of the county and its members; instead of a 5-shilling subscription to a small volume of poems, published for the benefit of a poor girl and her family, reduced to indigence by agricultural speculations! ‘Tis but a little trait, but yet how biograph of Sir John! 

On coming away, it was more than I expected to hear lady A– [Astley] invite me to Everley with seeming cordiality – I might visit Mr. Marsh – Winterslow was only (16 or 20 miles I forgot which) distant from them (the A– [Astley]s) and they would be very happy to see me – They are not to have Haughend till the 11th of next month; of course, therefore, I expressed my hope of seeing them again –

The 2 Miss B– [Butlers] are vulgar looking girls – Miss A– [Astley] seemed much at home with them – Appearances made no very individual distinctions between them – I suppose his contested election cost Sir John £70,000; and he has 12 or 14 thousands a year – Lady A– [Astley] said to me when I dined there, “Sir John is of a very old family – They were barons in the time of tilts and tournaments” – Does not the present importance of the house of Everley restless upon the manners than the money of the family? Perhaps their county is yet but young – But they are very civil to me, and little ween this ink shed of my pen –

From Haughend drove to Mill-house – Gave Mrs. W[illiam] H[enry] R– [Rawson] the letter to read she said something about hoping I was not begging for a subscription – There were so many subscriptions – With their family . . . . . . . but, seeing it was only 5 /. [shillings] said she never thought of my asking for anything less than a guinea, and handsomely enough gave me her name – Wanted to give me the money but this, of course, must be paid when the book is received – Saw 8 of the children (there are 10), and drove off to Thorpe –

Gave Mrs. J[ohn] Priestley the letter to read – She hummed and ahed, asked what Miss King – If she was related to the Kings of Wakefield – It was a long way off – Many charities at home – Of course, I agreed – Said it was quite enough if she had taken the trouble to read the letter, and instantly turned the subject – Which must have been a relief to her, as she had turned red, and might have hammered and stammered a little longer but for my ready consideration –

I guessed their dinner was waiting – and after staying a few minutes drove off – Made no remark on the subject to Miss P– [Pickford] marvelling, however then, as now, that she never once named the thing, or made the least offer to subscribe – How can this be? They say, or I fancy Miss P– [Pickford] has seven-hundred a year – She must be poor – Perhaps all she can spare is given to her friend Miss Threlfall – Yet not 5 /. [shillings] for an occasion like this! Many people can do what I think I could not – I know the value of money as well as most; but ‘tis the dross of gold, and may it never draw its dirty line along my spirit! –

Talked a little of Miss Threlfall as connected with beauty, flirting sentimentality, etc. Real refinement of sentiment perhaps almost peculiar to the lettered mind – At all events I could not concede it to a flirt – Wondered Miss Threlfall had never married. ‘She must have had some good offers’. Miss P[ickford] made no answer. I did not like to look full in her face but soon after said, ‘Forgive me, it is a very odd thing to say, but you are the last person in the world I should ever have thought of marrying. Tho you are very agreeable and I like your society I cannot fancy you making anyone happy in married life.’ ‘I forgive you,’ said she. 

‘Have you’, I asked, ‘any objection to my making such a speech?’ She answered ‘no’. ‘I thought so’, said I. Convinced by her manner it was the thing to suit her, and persuaded that the connection between her and Miss Threlfall is most probably what I have all along suspected. The persuasion struck me. I laughed and said, ‘I can outwit you. I have more worldly nous than you.’ Said she, ‘I often think so.’ We smiled and parted. She must guess to what I alluded –

She had told me Doctor Macbride was not happy he married because he was young and his wife coquetted. In fact, he is a lettered man of fine and warm feelings which his wife cannot emulate or return. His good principles make him try to be happy, but he cannot. His wife is odd like a gentlewoman but not stylish not talenty. Her oddity is not of the gentle feminine king [kind] – 

Got home at 3 after setting down Miss P– [Pickford] at Mrs. Wilcock’s door – Talking to my uncle and aunt – With the latter in the stable for a little while – Came upstairs at 4 3/4 – Wrote all the last page and so far of this which took me till 6 –

Did nothing in the evening – Came upstairs at 9 at which hour Barometer 1 1/2 degree below changeable Fahrenheit 57 1/2º – Rainy day – Fair and tolerably fine in the evening (vide the last line of page 74) –

At 9 1/2 sat down to write – Filled 1/2 a sheet to Mrs. N– [Norcliffe] to ask if she would have 1/2 a bed to spare for me in her house in Petergate, during the festival, and told her the news I had this morning from Miss Henrietta C– [Crompton]. Then wrote 3/4 of a 1/2 sheet to Mr. Marsh – the following is what I have written about the subscription 

“Shibden Thursday 24 July 1823 

My dear Mr. Marsh – I received your letter on Sunday, and an only assure you, it is one of the most unlikely things in the world, that I should think any application you write can or will make, “impertinent” in any sense of the word. It will always give me real pleasure to do anything that can at all oblige you; more particularly when an obligation is, in fact, conferred on myself, thro’ the satisfaction that one always feels in doing the good, however small, which may be in our power – 

As far as I am individually concerned, your simple request would have been enough; but I can say this much for myself alone, and am sorry to add, that my intercourse with my neighbors is too limited, – too infrequent, – to give me any claim upon them in behalf even of so meritorious a young person while she is so distant and unknown –

I had a letter from Miss Marsh the other day, in which she mentioned having got you 48 subscribers – The paltry addition I can make, might not be named even with the widow's mite – But will you put down my uncle’s name and my aunt’s for one copy each, and my own for two copies?” –––– 

Unless my mind changes, I shall not trouble my neighbors much about subscriptions, however small – I shall explain the thing to Mrs. Henry Priestley – To Mrs. W[illiam] H[enry] Rawson, I shall probably never name it – It will be forgotten or if thought of at all, Mrs. R– [Rawson] with all her family may be well enough pleased to save her 5 /. [shillings] so easily –

#anne lister #anne lister code breaker #frances pickford #mariana lawton #shibden hall 1823

[aion-rsa]

Best Jane Austen Adaptations on Screen So Far

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With Emma and Sanditon making waves (seaside resort pun!), we're listing up the best screen adaptations of Jane Austen's work.

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It is a truth universally acknowledged that every Jane Austen novel must be adapted an infinite amount of times and we will be grateful for all of them. (Yes, even the Pride & Prejudice & Zombies film, the best part of which was not the movie itself but a supercut of Matt Smith as Mr. Collins eating scones.)

There have been a lot of adaptations of Jane Austen's six major novels and some of her other works, including the recently-released Emma starring Anya Taylor-Joy. These are the ones we recommend watching.

Best Pride and Prejudice Adaptations

Easily the most adapted of Jane Austen's works, Pride and Prejudice is a foundational work in the broader romantic comedy genre and in so much of our mainstream storytelling. People tend to have opinions about which of the P&P adaptations are the best. (Who is the best Elizabeth? Who is the best Darcy? Which is the most faithful? Does it matter?) Here are the ones we think are worth checking out...

Pride and Prejudice (1995)

There’s nothing more iconic Austen than BBC/A&E’s 1995 miniseries adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, starring Jennifer Ehle as proud Elizabeth Bennet and Colin Firth as prejudiced Mr. Darcy. The six-part serial was adapted by Andrew Davies, who would go on to pen many more Austen adaptations, and was the project that shot Firth to stardom. The scene of Firth’s Mr. Darcy coming out of the lake, long shirt soaked through, has been riffed on countless times (a personal favorite? St. Trinian’s), and for good reason. Mr. Darcy has never been so begrudgingly sexy.

Bridget Jones' Diary (2001)

An adaptation of the book of the same name which is a contemporary reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones’ Diary has Colin Firth reprising the Mr. Darcy role (here, Mark Darcy) alongside Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones, a 32-year-old woman looking to stop smoking, lose weight, and find Mr. Right—who most definitely is not snooty barrister Mr. Darcy.

Written by Richard Curtis (Love Actually), Andrew Davies (screenwriter of the 1995 Pride and Prejudice), and source material author Helen Fielding, this script has it all: romance, comedy, and plenty of heart. The film spawned two sequels—neither of which are as good as the original, but neither of which is terrible either.

Bride & Prejudice (2004)

This Bollywood-style contemporary adaptation from Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) stars Aiswarya Rai as Lalita Bakshi, a young Indian woman who lives in Amritsar with her parents and three sisters. When Lalita and her sister meet British-Indian lawyer Balraj (Naveen Andrews) and well-off American Will Darcy (Martin Henderson) at a wedding, strong feelings ensue. A great cast and a fresh cultural setting make this adaptation a must-watch.

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Basically a masterpiece, Joe Wright’s first feature film has a great cast (Kiera Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Rosamund Pike, Carey Mulligan, Jena Malone, Judy Dench, Talulah Riley, and Donald Sutherland), but it’s the director’s interest in getting the setting right that makes this adaptation special. Using his trademark long shot, Wright invites viewers into the world of the Bennets: from the homey, organic mess of the Bennet house to the cheerful chaos of a dance hall, Pride and Prejudice has never felt so lived-in.

Lost in Austen (2008)

If you like your Austen with a speculative fiction twist, might I recommend Lost in Austen? This 2008 ITV miniseries stars Jemima Rooper as Amanda Price, a huge Jane Austen fan who gets pulled into the world of her favorite Austen novel and must make choices accordingly. This four-part story doesn't totally stick the landing, but it's well worth the quick watch for its humor, creativity, and meta fun, as well as to see Gemma Arteron as Elizabeth Bennet. 

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (2012)

Who knew Austen was so well-suited for the vlog style? Hank Green and Bernie Su, apparently, who were the creators behind this Emmy-winning adaptation, which reimagines Elizabeth Bennet as a mass communications grad student still living at home with her parents and two sisters.

The story is told chiefly through a series of vlogs (as well as through supplementary social media accounts for the world’s characters, making this a transmedia storytelling experience). In universe, Lizzie (Ashley Clements) begins a vlog series chronicling her life as a thesis project, an event that just happens to coincide with the moving in of a wealthy medical student Bing Lee (Christopher Sean) and his even wealthier friend, William Darcy (Daniel Vincent Gordh), next door. Told in real-time over the span of year, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries was a truly special storytelling experience, and is still well-worth watching even without the real-time aspect.

Best Emma Adaptations 

While slightly less well-known than Pride and Prejudice, Emma has had its fair share of on-screen adaptations. The story of the spoiled 21-year-old Emma Woodhouse, Emma follows Emma on her matchmaking adventures, which are more the ego-driven meddling of a bored, rich girl with too much time on her hands than anything else. With Emma, Austen set out to tell the story of an unlikable protagonist, but Austen never intends for us to root against her, making Emma’s realistic journey of self-growth that much more cathartic.

Clueless (1995)

If you’ve seen one Emma adaptation, it’s probably this one. A contemporary retelling of Emma Woodhouse’s story, Clueless’ reimagining of Emma as bratty Beverly Hills teen Cher is downright genius. Starring Alicia Silverstone in the main role and Paul Rudd as ex-step brother and unassuming love interest Josh, Clueless is more than just one of the best Austen adaptations out there—it’s one of the best teen comedies of all time.

Emma (2009)

If you’re looking for a faithful miniseries adaptation of Emma, we recommend this 2009 version. Starring Romola Garai as Emma, Jonny Lee Miller as Knightley, and Michael Gabon as Mr. Woodhouse, and written by Sandy Welch (who also gave us the glorious North & South adaptation), this four-part serial will give you more bang for your buck than any of the feature film adaptations.

Emma Approved (2013)

From the web series company that brought you The Lizzie Bennet Diaries comes this similarly-structured Emma adaptation. Recontextualizing Emma Woodhouse as a young lifestyle coach and matchmaking entrepreneur, Emma Approved comments on YouTube/influence culture in insightful, empathetic ways. While not as good as its predecessor, Emma Approved is still a delightful adaptation worth the watch if you're into this form of storytelling.

Emma. (2020)

Bright, colorful, and at times absurdly pretty, this highly-stylized adaptation of Emma highlights the comedy of Austen’s classic tale without sacrificing any of the drama or romance. Anya Taylor-Joy delivers a masterful performance, as we watch Emma go from the rigidly-controlled noble to a more empathetic, thoughtful version of herself, but it’s Bill Nighy and Miranda Hart in supporting roles who really get to chew the scenery.

Other Best Jane Austen Adaptations

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Emma Thompson. Kate Winslet. Hugh Grant. Alan Rickman. Need I say more? Written by Emma Thompson and directed by Ang Lee (his first English-language feature film), this faithful adaptation of Austen's Sense and Sensibility is a classic. Whether you're a fan of the film or simply a cinephile, I highly recommend checking out Thompson's "screenplay and diary" chronicling the making of this film.

Persuasion (1995)

If you're going to go for an adaptation of Austen's final novel (published after her death), try to find this 1995 made-for-TV film. Starring Amanda Root and Ciarán Hinds as Anne and Captain Wentworth respectively (not to mention Killing Eve's Fiona Shaw as Mrs. Croft!), Persuasion is not the story of two people coming together for the first time, but two people reuniting after eight years apart. We mentioned 1995 was a good year for Austen fans, yeah?

Mansfield Park (1999)

Mansfield Park doesn't get a lot of love when it comes to the adaptation, but this 1999 film starring Frances O'Connor and Jonny Lee Miller is one of the best Jane Austen-inspired films out there. A looser adaptation of the novel that also incorporates elements of Jane Austen's life into the story, Mansfield Park has all of the swoon-worthy romance, sharp social commentary, and relatable female protagonist you could want from an Austen adaptation.

Northanger Abbey (2007)

Andrew Davies is back at it again with this 2007 television movie, starring Felicity Jones as protagonist Catherine Morland (Carey Mulligan also pops up as friend Isabella Thorpe). One of the OG stories about fandom, Northanger Abbey follows young, naive Catherine as she visits Bath, becomes the object of two men's affections, and begins to confuse real life with the kind of things that might happen in the Gothic romance novels she obsessively reads. If you've never engaged with this most meta of Austen's works, we recommend checking out this adaptation.

From Mansfield With Love (2014)

If you're a fan of the vlog diaries adaptation format (if you can't tell by now, I am), then I also recommend this endearing adaptation of Mansfield Park. Created by Foot in the Door Theatre, what this production lacks in budget, it makes up for in heart. From Mansfield With Love reimagines the story of 19th-century protagonist Fanny Price to modern-day Britain where Frankie Price is working as a housekeeper at a hotel owned by the Bertrams. In an effort to keep in touch with her brother Will, she begins to send video diaries chronicling her life at Mansfield and with the Bertram family, in particularly with friend Edmund. Austen has never felt so real.

Love and Friendship (2016)

Austen in the style of Armando Iannucci (this film is actually written and directed by indie filmmaker Whit Stillman), Love and Friendship is an adaptation of Austen's epistolary novel Lady Susan, which follows the recently-widowed Lady Susan (Kate Beckinsale, having so much fun) in her efforts to secure advantageous marriages for both herself and her daughter.

Sanditon (2019)

The new kid on the block, Sanditon just wrapped up its first (and hopefully not only) season on PBS. Based on the unfinished Austen novel, it follows country gentlewoman Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) into the relatively more exciting world of Sanditon, a fishing village with aspirations of being a seaside resort.

While Sanditon isn't without its indulgent plotting, it is beautiful to look at, and includes some memorable performances from Theo James, Charlotte Spencer, and a massively underutilized Crystal Clarke, playing a rare character of color in Austen adaptations. More than anything, it's interesting to see Andrew Davies (yep, he's back) extrapolating out Austen's unfinished novel. Perhaps, fittingly, we most likely will never find out what happens next in this on-screen adaptation.

What is you favorite Austen adaptation? Let us know in the comments below...

Kayti Burt is a staff editor covering books, TV, movies, and fan culture at Den of Geek. Read more of her work here or follow her on Twitter @kaytiburt.

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[hollywoodages-blog]

Nicole Kidman Height Weight Measurements

New Post has been published on http://hollywoodages.com/nicole-kidman-height-weight-measurements/

Nicole Kidman Height Weight Measurements

Nicole Kidman Biography

Nicole Mary Kidman was born on 20 June 1967 is an Australian-American performing artist and film maker. Kidman’s achievement parts were in the 1989 element film thriller Dead Calm and TV thriller smaller than expected arrangement Bangkok Hilton. Showing up in a few movies in the mid 1990s, she came to overall acknowledgment for her exhibitions in the stock-auto hustling film Days of Thunder (1990), the sentiment dramatization Far and Away (1992), and the superhero film Batman Forever (1995). Other fruitful movies followed in the late 1990s. Her execution in the musical Moulin Rouge! (2001) earned her a second Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and her first designation for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Kidman’s execution as Virginia Woolf in the dramatization film The Hours (2002) got basic praise and earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress, the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama and the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival. Kidman’s other outstanding movies incorporate the wrongdoing parody show To Die For (1995), for which she won her first Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, the sensual thriller Eyes Wide Shut (1999), the ghastliness thriller The Others (2001), the epic war dramatization film Cold Mountain (2003), the dramatization Dogville (2003), the political thriller The Interpreter (2005), and the epic recorded sentimental show Australia (2008). Her exhibitions in the show Birth (2004) and the thriller The Paperboy (2012) earned her Golden Globe designations for Best Actress and Supporting Actress separately. Her execution in the 2010 show Rabbit Hole, which she likewise delivered, earned Kidman further honors, including a third assignment for the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 2012, she earned her first Primetime Emmy Award assignment for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her part in the biopic Hemingway and Gellhorn. Kidman has been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF since 1994.[6] and for UNIFEM since 2006. In 2006, Kidman was made an Order of Australia,[8] and was the most generously compensated performer in the movie business in that year. As a consequence of being destined to Australian folks in Hawaiʻi, Kidman has double citizenship in Australia and the United States.[10] Kidman established and claims the creation organization Blossom Films.

Nicole Kidman Personal Info.

Full Name: Nicole Mary Kidman

Nick Name: Nic, Nicole Urban

Family: Dr. Anthony David Kidman – (Father) Janelle Ann Glenny Kidman – (Mother) Antonia Kidman – (Sister) Connor Cruise – (son) Isabella Cruise – (daughter) Sunday Rose Urban – (daughter) Faith Margaret Urban – (daughter) Keith Urban (husband) – (singer) Tom Cruise (ex-husband) – (actor)

Education: Nicole Kidman went to Lane Cove Public School and later North Sydney Girls’ High School, Sydney, Australia yet dropped out in 1984 to fill in as a back rub specialist to help her gang. She ,then, went Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne, Victoria and at the Phillip Street Theater, Sydney. She at last went to Australian Theater for Young People, Sydney, Australia.

Date of Birth: 20 June, 1967

Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Religion: Roman Catholic

Ethnicity: White

Nationality: Australian

Profession: Film producer, Spokesperson, Singer, Actress

Measurements: 34-23-36 in or 87-58.5-91.5 cm

Bra Size: 32B

Height: 5′ 11″ (180 cm)

Weight: 128 lbs (58 kg)

Eye Color: Blue

Hair Color: Red

Dress Size: 04

Shoe Size: 09

Friends: Naomi Watts, Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger, Jim Carrey, Keith Urban, Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor, Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, Iain Glen, Lachlan Murdoch, Sarah O’ Hare, Adrien Brody, Deborra-Lee Furness, Jude Law, Ian Thorpe, Rupert Murdoch, Sydney Pollack, Robbie Williams, Mel Gibson, George Clooney, Anthony Minghella, Ed Harris, Sandra Bullock, Baz Luhrmann, Tobey Maguire, Jack Nicholson, Julianne Moore, Dylan Hartung, Gwen Stefani, Lars Von Trier, Delta Goodrem, Lauren Bacall, Cate Blanchett, John Leguizamo, Stephen Daldry, Meryl Streep, Shirley McLaine, Daniel Craig, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, Marlon Holden, Carrie Underwood, Ronnie Dunn, Catherine Martin (nickname – C.M), Sean Penn, Simon Baker, Rebecca Rigg, Trace Adkins, Jerry Flowers, Chris McHugh, Dann Huff, Robin Wright-Penn, Justin Niebank, Jenny McCarthy, Brad Paisley, Kimberley Williams-Paisley, L’Wren Scott

Boyfriend/Dating History:

Tom Cruise (1990-2001) – She wedded Hollywood performing artist Tom Cruise on Christmas Eve 1990 in Telluride, Colorado. Tom and Nicole embraced two kids – one girl “Isabella Jane Cruise” (born 22 December, 1992) and one child “Connor Cruise” (conceived on 17 January, 1995). The couple got authoritatively separated in August 2001.

Keith Urban (2006-Present) – Kidman wedded to New Zealand nation artist Keith Urban on 25 June, 2006 at Manly, New South Wales, Australia. She brought forth her first little girl, Sunday Rose Kidman Urban on 7 July, 2008 in Nashville, USA. On 28 December, 2010, she had her second girl, Faith Margaret Kidman Urban by means of surrogacy at Nashville, USA.

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  Known For: Nicole Kidman best known for her movies like, Moulin Rouge! (2001), The Hours (2002), To Die For (1995).

Active Year: 1994 (present)

Favorite Food: Chocolate, Pizza

Favorite Drink: Apple Martinis

Favorite Movies: The Wizard Of Oz (1939), Gone With The Wind (1939)

Favorite Bands: Gorillaz

Favorite Singer: Lenny Kravitz

Favorite Books: War and Peace (Leo Tolstoy published in 1869), Portrait Of A Lady (Henry James published in 1881)

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Place: Australia

Favorite Sport: Swimming

Favorite Perfume: Angel by Thierry Mugler, Eau du Sud by Annick Goutal

  Official Twitter: Twitter Account

Official Facebook: FB Account

Nicole Kidman Filmography:

Filmography

Film

Title Year Bush Christmas 1983 BMX Bandits 1983 Wills & Burke 1984 Windrider 1986 The Bit Part 1987 Emerald City 1988 Dead Calm 1989 Days of Thunder 1990 Flirting 1991 Billy Bathgate 1991 Far and Away 1992 Malice 1993 My Life 1993 Batman Forever 1995 To Die For 1995 The Portrait of a Lady 1996 The Peacemaker 1997 Practical Magic 1998 Eyes Wide Shut 1999 Moulin Rouge! 2001 The Others 2001 Birthday Girl 2001 The Hours 2002 Dogville 2003 In the Cut 2003 The Human Stain 2003 Cold Mountain 2003 The Stepford Wives 2004 Birth 2004 No. 5 the Film 2004 The Interpreter 2005 Bewitched 2005 Fur 2006 Happy Feet 2006 The Invasion 2007 Margot at the Wedding 2007 The Golden Compass 2007 Australia 2008 Nine 2009 Rabbit Hole 2010 Just Go with It 2011 Trespass 2011 Monte Carlo 2011 The Paperboy 2012 Stoker 2013 The Railway Man 2013 Grace of Monaco 2014 Before I Go to Sleep 2014 Paddington 2014 Strangerland 2015 Queen of the Desert 2015 The Family Fang 2015 Secret in Their Eyes 2015 Genius 2016 Lion 2016 How to Talk to Girls at Parties 2016

  Television

Title Year Skin Deep 1983 Chase Through the Night 1983 Matthew and Son 1984 A Country Practice 1984 Five Mile Creek 1985 Archer 1985 Winners 1985 An Australian in Rome 1987 Vietnam 1987 Watch the Shadows Dance 1987 Bangkok Hilton 1989 Saturday Night Live 1993 Hemingway & Gellhorn 2012 Hello Ladies: The Movie 2014 Big Little Lies 2016

Search Terms:

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#bio #bra cup size #bust #dress #eye color #facebook #father name #filmography #google + #hair color #height #hips size #horoscope #mother name #movies #nick name #Nicole Kidman #profession #profile #shoe size #tv #twitter #waist size

[bethanydelleman]

Northanger Abbey Readthrough Ch 25

Catherine might have missed like 99% of Henry Tilney's flirting, but she has an inkling it has happened, maybe, "He had—she thought he had, once or twice before this fatal morning, shown something like affection for her."

Which is why I love this meme so much:

Again, Catherine touches upon Marianne Dashwood behaviour but she just can't really commit, "But now—in short, she made herself as miserable as possible for about half an hour, went down when the clock struck five, with a broken heart, and could scarcely give an intelligible answer to Eleanor’s inquiry if she was well." However, by the end of the evening and with Henry being kinder than ever, she has recovered. she had nothing to do but to forgive herself and be happier than ever; and the lenient hand of time did much for her by insensible gradations in the course of another day. She does indeed bounce back quickly!

Catherine reflects that in England at least, the type of villains described by Mrs. Radcliff must not exist. She doesn't go so far as to pardon France and Switzerland from containing such evil, but she's pretty sure about her own country. She also believes that while Henry and Eleanor may not be perfect (never!), she's certain that General Tilney has some "specks" in his character. Well you've come a long way girl, we won't ask for more just yet.

Murder was not tolerated, servants were not slaves, and neither poison nor sleeping potions to be procured, like rhubarb, from every druggist.

Quick, someone tell Shakespeare!

Now Catherine's thoughts return to Bath, but she has no news. Her faithful friend has proved unfaithful again: But Isabella had promised and promised again; and when she promised a thing, she was so scrupulous in performing it! Oh Catherine...

Not as bad as her brother though! Poor Thorpe is in town: I dread the sight of him; his honest heart would feel so much. Honest heart! That man doesn't have an honest cell in his entire body! I would have more hope for James if we knew he finally figured out John, but the only hint we have is this: the failure of a very recent endeavour to accomplish a reconciliation between Morland and Isabella. So James and John met again and John tried to get them back together, but whether James rejected both siblings or just one is unknown.

I really feel for Catherine here, she has to sit through breakfast trying not to cry, then cannot return to her room because it is being cleaned (bedrooms in this era were mostly for dressing and sleeping, so she wouldn't be expected to use her room again until 4pm*), tries the drawing room only to discover the Tilney siblings, but then they kindly leave her to herself. Catherine needs another half hour (her magical sad-feeling time) before she can face them.

This line from Catherine is so very Jane Bennet:

"Could you have believed there had been such inconstancy and fickleness, and everything that is bad in the world?”

What a stroke was this for poor Jane, who would willingly have gone through the world without believing that so much wickedness existed in the whole race of mankind as was here collected in one individual! -Pride & Prejudice, of Wickham

The poor girls, having their eyes opened to the wickedness of the world.

Then this part:

This post by Fira Wren playing in my head. His kids know the General is full of it. Eleanor is surprised her older brother has fallen in love, since it seems he never has been before, which again has Henry Crawford vibes.

No, not very. I do not believe Isabella has any fortune at all: but that will not signify in your family. Your father is so very liberal! He told me the other day that he only valued money as it allowed him to promote the happiness of his children.” The brother and sister looked at each other.

Now the reason that Isabella Thorpe would lose in a battle to the death against Lucy Steele and Lady Susan is that she didn't keep her first man secure until she had the next engagement entirely locked down. Rookie movie Izzy! I have too good an opinion of Miss Thorpe’s prudence to suppose that she would part with one gentleman before the other was secured. Isabella just could not manage two men at once.

I love this interaction:

This line from Catherine too, "I never was so deceived in anyone’s character in my life before.” and Henry's response: “Among all the great variety that you have known and studied.” has so much in common with this interaction in Pride & Prejudice:

“But perhaps,” observed Catherine, “though she has behaved so ill by our family, she may behave better by yours. Now she has really got the man she likes, she may be constant.” “Indeed I am afraid she will,” replied Henry; “I am afraid she will be very constant, unless a baronet should come in her way; that is Frederick’s only chance. I will get the Bath paper, and look over the arrivals.”

“I did not know before,” continued Bingley, immediately, “that you were a studier of character. It must be an amusing study.” “Yes; but intricate characters are the most amusing. They have at least that advantage.” “The country,” said Darcy, “can in general supply but few subjects for such a study. In a country neighbourhood you move in a very confined and unvarying society.” “But people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in them for ever.”

Henry also manages to tip us off about his intentions to marry Catherine right under Catherine's oblivious nose!

"Prepare for your sister-in-law, Eleanor, and such a sister-in-law as you must delight in! Open, candid, artless, guileless, with affections strong but simple, forming no pretensions, and knowing no disguise.”

“Such a sister-in-law, Henry, I should delight in,” said Eleanor with a smile.

Catherine also realizes that she feels much less sad about losing Isabella than she thought she would, which Henry tells her to think about. The falseness of Isabella's friendship is dawning on Catherine, perhaps now just unconsciously.

*Quote illuminating this point from Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, spoke by a character who would have been young during the Regency era: 'No, no, Cromer: bedrooms are for sleeping in, and sitting-rooms are for sitting in. Keep everything to its right purpose, and don't try and delude me into nonsense.' Why, my mother would have given us a fine scolding if she had ever caught us in our bedrooms in the daytime. We kept our out-door things in a closet downstairs; and there was a very tidy place for washing our hands, which is as much as one wants in the daytime.

#northanger abbey readthrough #northanger abbey #henry tilney #isabella thorpe #the letter from James

[bethanydelleman]

Northanger Abbey Readthrough Ch 19

Catherine's greatest strength is also her greatest weakness: she thinks the best of people. In general, Catherine is a lot like Bingley, she is outgoing, happy, and looking for a good time, but I think in this trait she's more like Edmund Bertram. He is also unwilling to attribute bad motives to bad actions at times...

Catherine does have the best of intentions, she wants to help her brother, but she is unwilling to see that Isabella and Captain Tilney are doing this on purpose. She is unwilling to accept that a person who behaves like Isabella Thorpe is showing their true colours, not merely confused!

She wished, by a gentle remonstrance, to remind Isabella of her situation, and make her aware of this double unkindness; but for remonstrance, either opportunity or comprehension was always against her. If able to suggest a hint, Isabella could never understand it.

Baby girl... take a hint yourself!

Isabella could not be aware of the pain she was inflicting; but it was a degree of wilful thoughtlessness which Catherine could not but resent.

There is something very similar between Isabella's conduct here and Henry Crawford's during the play in Mansfield Park. The common thread between Catherine Morland and Fanny Price is their focus on the suffering caused by these flirtations, Fanny thinks of Rushworth and Julia, Catherine is focused on James. Unlike Fanny, Catherine becomes very focused on action, but then Catherine is coming from a much more secure position and she's far more among equals than poor Fanny. We will see though, there isn't a whole lot Catherine (or Henry) can do.

Now I haven't talked about Captain Tilney much yet, but he seems to be a very similar man to Henry Crawford from Mansfield Park. Catherine generously worries that Frederick will be harmed in the end, but I suspect as with Henry, he "did not mean to be in any danger!" It's a game, Isabella is pretty and Captain Tilney is bored. As with Maria Bertram, her engagement might make it all the more fun and easier for Frederick to get out of.

“Yes, and I like her the better for it. An engaged woman is always more agreeable than a disengaged. She is satisfied with herself. Her cares are over, and she feels that she may exert all her powers of pleasing without suspicion. All is safe with a lady engaged: no harm can be done.” - Mansfield Park (Henry Crawford)

Henry Tilney is very delicate in his responses to Catherine's requests about his brother. He must know that her heart is in the right place, he's trying to make it clear to her that this isn't her battle. I am curious about how the younger Tilney siblings feel about their older brother. I can't imagine that Henry or Eleanor likes what he is doing with Isabella!

Now obviously, much harm can be done, and while Isabella is not quite as careless as Maria Bertram, who basically dropped all her attention to Mr. Rushworth, Isabella's divided attention is too obvious not to be noticed. James is visibly hurt and jealous.

No man is offended by another man’s admiration of the woman he loves; it is the woman only who can make it a torment.

I love this quote so much, because it's so true. And what Henry says next is also true: if Isabella won't be faithful with James on her own, removing a single source of temptation will not save their relationship!

This line says a lot more about Henry than Isabella & John:

Their hearts are open to each other, as neither heart can be to you; they know exactly what is required and what can be borne; and you may be certain that one will never tease the other beyond what is known to be pleasant.

Henry Tilney knows when to tease and when to be serious. As he understands how distressed Catherine is about this situation, he gives her increasingly clear and serious answers (within reason).

Catherine would contend no longer against comfort. She had resisted its approaches during the whole length of a speech, but it now carried her captive. Henry Tilney must know best.

Dying of cuteness once again. But also, lovely phrasing. I don't understand people who say the prose is bad in Northanger Abbey! Comfort carried her captive ❤️

#northanger abbey readthrough #northanger abbey #isabella thorpe #catherine morland #henry tilney

[bethanydelleman]

Northanger Abbey Readthrough, Ch 7

John Thorpe has arrived... yay. His introduction is anything but auspicious:

they were prevented crossing by the approach of a gig, driven along on bad pavement by a most knowing-looking coachman with all the vehemence that could most fitly endanger the lives of himself, his companion, and his horse.

We have another clue that James and Isabella have some sort of attachment:

his devoirs were speedily paid, with a mixture of joy and embarrassment which might have informed Catherine, had she been more expert in the development of other people’s feelings, and less simply engrossed by her own, that her brother thought her friend quite as pretty as she could do herself.

I love how Catherine will later gather all these clues that General Tilney is a wife-murderer/imprisoner but she misses every clue of basically everything else.

John Thorpe isn't even hot or well dressed guys:

He was a stout young man of middling height, who, with a plain face and ungraceful form, seemed fearful of being too handsome unless he wore the dress of a groom, and too much like a gentleman unless he were easy where he ought to be civil, and impudent where he might be allowed to be easy.

At least Willoughby and Wickham have the decency to be eye candy! I have NOTHING good to say about Mr. Thorpe. He reminds me of Donald Trump to be honest (I try to stay non-political here, but the constant lying and aggrandizement and saying contradictory statements one after another... it's so Trump). He also swears a lot, which Austen delicately writes as d---. The way that James jumps in every so often with the real truth, but John just glides right past his corrections, ug. (but funny).

Then John Thorpe becomes Sir Walter Elliot, though worse because at least Sir Walter is hot:

Her companion’s discourse now sunk from its hitherto animated pitch to nothing more than a short decisive sentence of praise or condemnation on the face of every woman they met; and Catherine, after listening and agreeing as long as she could, with all the civility and deference of the youthful female mind, fearful of hazarding an opinion of its own in opposition to that of a self-assured man, especially where the beauty of her own sex is concerned

Sir Walter also judges both sexes, because of course he does my beloved, pansexual dandy:

The worst of Bath was the number of its plain women. He did not mean to say that there were no pretty women, but the number of the plain was out of all proportion. He had frequently observed, as he walked, that one handsome face would be followed by thirty, or five-and-thirty frights; and once, as he had stood in a shop on Bond Street, he had counted eighty-seven women go by, one after another, without there being a tolerable face among them. It had been a frosty morning, to be sure, a sharp frost, which hardly one woman in a thousand could stand the test of. But still, there certainly were a dreadful multitude of ugly women in Bath; and as for the men! they were infinitely worse. Such scarecrows as the streets were full of! It was evident how little the women were used to the sight of anything tolerable, by the effect which a man of decent appearance produced.

It's always interesting to me to compare Northanger Abbey and Persuasion because the heroines and the feelings towards Bath could not be more different! Anne Elliot hates Bath, Catherine LOVES it. Anne is the wisest, most grounded heroine and Catherine is the most naive. But here we have parallel scenes where a man critiques the looks of other people and the heroine is not happy about it.

Now we get into John Thorpe getting down on novels.

“Not I, faith! No, if I read any, it shall be Mrs. Radcliffe’s; her novels are amusing enough; they are worth reading; some fun and nature in them.” “Udolpho was written by Mrs. Radcliffe,” said Catherine, with some hesitation, from the fear of mortifying him. “No, sure; was it? Aye, I remember, so it was; I was thinking of that other stupid book, written by that woman they make such a fuss about, she who married the French emigrant.”

John Thorpe may be the only outright racist (xenophobic?) and anti-sementic character we see in Austen. So good for him, I guess? But also clearly an idiot. Also, The Monk, which John says he did enjoy, was a very controversial novel at the time. It features rape, murder, demons in women's bodies, etc. The titular monk kidnaps a virtuous maiden, which is a hint at what is to come...

Then we have John's address to his mother, "“Where did you get that quiz of a hat? It makes you look like an old witch." which I assume is derogatory (affectionate). This seems to be his way with family, "On his two younger sisters he then bestowed an equal portion of his fraternal tenderness, for he asked each of them how they did, and observed that they both looked very ugly."

Now Catherine, it should be noted, does not like John pretty much immediately, but she's flattered and convinced by both Isabella and James into thinking somewhat better of him. She is also engaged to dance with him, which considering her previous disappointments, is a logical feeling.

Ug, men in Austen knowing nothing about women again, "He is as good-natured a fellow as ever lived; a little of a rattle; but that will recommend him to your sex, I believe" Will it? Does it? I have a hard time imagining any Austen woman liking Thorpe, except maybe Lydia Bennet or Anne Steele? The man is insufferable! Also, Lydia goes for looks so maybe not even her. Come on, James! Have more faith in women!

And then Catherine goes home and gets right back into reading Uldolpho, which is exactly what I would have done too. Elizabeth Bennet is not your book-obsessed heroine people, it's my girl Catherine!

#northanger abbey #northanger abbey readthrough #john thorpe #James Morland #Isabella thorpe #catherine morland

[bethanydelleman]

Northanger Abbey Readthrough Ch 27

Isabella has written! And it's pretty funny to be honest. She writes exactly as she talks and jumps all over the place in her story. But here is the rub:

The last two days he [Captain Tilney] was always by the side of Charlotte Davis: I pitied his taste, but took no notice of him.

And there we go, sounds like Captain Tilney dropped her like a hot potato when she broke off her engagement with James. And with that, Isabella lost both her hen in hand and in the bush! Poor girl... I guess.

This is quite the turn around for our heroine Catherine:

Such a strain of shallow artifice could not impose even upon Catherine. Its inconsistencies, contradictions, and falsehood struck her from the very first. She was ashamed of Isabella, and ashamed of having ever loved her. Her professions of attachment were now as disgusting as her excuses were empty, and her demands impudent.

She's so angry about the letter she reads most of it to her friends with "strong indignation." Which makes me imagine she did an impression of Isabella... that would have been great.

Now on to Captain Tilney, Henry is fairly convinced that he never loved Isabella and played with her feelings for vanity, which is very Henry Crawford. Northanger Abbey is interesting because Catherine herself never faces a charming man with hidden intentions, unlike Elizabeth/Wickham, Fanny Price/Henry Crawford, Marianne/Willoughby, Anne/Mr. Elliot, and Emma/Frank Churchill. Catherine's experience is closest to Fanny, she is an outside observer to a flirtation. Also, the Isabella/Frederick flirtation feels very different because we know that both sides had bad intentions, unlike Elizabeth/Wickham where at least one side was sincere.

As for Isabella, like Maria Bertram, she would have met with different treatment if she had been different herself. Her lack of faithfulness to James makes it almost impossible to feel sorry for her.

Now, people have argued that Isabella was just trying to secure her future. While I am a big supporter of women's wrongs against the patriarchy, I can't support Isabella's attempted fiance hop, James was not rich but he was a solid option, a good one even considering how poor Isabella was herself. So sorry Isabella, that was just greedy.

Catherine is still not quite up to speed with Henry:

“But we must first suppose Isabella to have had a heart to lose—consequently to have been a very different creature; and, in that case, she would have met with very different treatment.” “It is very right that you should stand by your brother.” “And if you would stand by yours, you would not be much distressed by the disappointment of Miss Thorpe. But your mind is warped by an innate principle of general integrity, and therefore not accessible to the cool reasonings of family partiality, or a desire of revenge.”

Catherine assumes here that Henry is defending his brother, but Henry (I believe) is just fairly pointing out what has been his point all along: if Isabella had been faithful, Frederick's flirtation wouldn't have mattered. That line about Catherine's mind being warped in a good way is great!

The funny thing is, Frederick did James a favour. It would have been harder for him to honourably break his engagement if this happened much later in their relationship (Think Edward and Lucy Steele), so it was positive for James to learn Isabella's true character so soon after they got together. Still hurts though, and I doubt Frederick was acting out of charity!

#northanger abbey #northanger abbey readthrough #captain tilney #isabella thorpe

[bethanydelleman]

Have you ever read the Mansfield Park fanfiction Everingham by Katharine T (katharhino)? If you did, I'd be curious to know your thoughts about it.

I have. It's a decent Mansfield Park variation. The author seems to have a pretty good handle of the characters and the plot moves well. It is a gripping read.

However, this is a bit of a difficult question. I am aware that Everingham is one of the first MP variations to have Fanny end up with Henry, and as it is unpublished and given the culture around critiquing JAFF, I don’t want to come off as too harsh, but I think this story has some problems.

The timeline for the story is a bit off, Henry was supposed to meet Maria at the Fraser’s party, so he can’t have already met her, formed the plan to flirt, and then decide not to go to the party. Also, his motivations of going to Everingham at the beginning are whimsical or even lust driven, instead of out of a desire to improve himself.

I think the characterization of Mary tends to veer a little into Isabella Thorpe, which is not her character but it’s a common mistake and one that I catch myself making. For example, Mary can’t decide on earrings and throws herself onto the bed in despair. That is Isabella, not Mary. Mary doesn’t do that sort of silly drama.

The biggest issue though is that the story seems to blame Fanny almost, for being too scared (?) to love Henry, instead of rightly blaming Henry for being someone who is not a good choice for a husband. Fanny does tell him what he did wrong (which she doesn't want to do in MP), but then we never have him really examining why his flirtation, especially Maria, was so bad. Or a proper apology. And then later we have this:

“Nevertheless I think Mr Rushworth is quite often jealous where there is no cause” - Henry

Which Fanny accepts! We know as readers that Rushworth was jealous with ample cause and so does Fanny! I really think Henry and Maria sitting cozy on the piano should have been a deal breaker for Fanny. To show that Henry is reformed, he should be avoiding Maria and creating proper distance between them, in my opinion.

I really dislike the jealous scene near the end when Fanny talks with Edmund and Henry gets mad at her:

"I find it hard to understand your determination to do what you know will hurt me. If you prefer your cousin's company to mine, very well; but at least have to courtesy to inform me of your whereabouts so I may not be reduced to asking the servants where my wife is." - Henry

She thinks she done wrong! Edmund is her brother-in-law and cousin, she has nothing to be sorry for! And I am not mad at the author, jealousy being shown as a good thing is a common romance trope, but jealousy without cause is actually a toxic relationship trait. After all, Fanny lived at Edmund’s house for a month and nothing happened and she has given Henry no reason to doubt her faithfulness. That isn’t healthy relationship behaviour, it is controlling and isolating.

And then we have this:

"It is not. I hesitate to confess, Fanny, for you will be so shocked," she [Mary] said, laughing. "It is an old dress I had made for winter two years ago, and I turned it and remade it. Do not look at my hem, for it is dreadfully botched. It is my first time turning a dress, but these are the straits we poor clergymen's wives are forced to. Is it not a horrid tale?"

I think people misunderstand Fanny saying Mary will be “poor” in Mansfield Park. Mary will be poor in comparison to her ambitions, but an income of about 1,700 pounds per year is not actually poor even for the gentry, it is similar to Mr. Bennet's income (Thornton Lacery’s 700 per year and Mary’s 20k dowry yielding around 1k/year). And at this point they have no children, so no, Mary does not need to remake a gown.

My personal favourite Mansfield Park variation is Fanny: A Mansfield Park Story by Amelia Marie Logan. Not only does it imitate Jane Austen's style in a way I don't think I've read before, Fanny does not change in her morals, Henry changes to meet her. And it takes a long time, which fits into Fanny's character.

Disclosure: My own Mansfield Park variation comes out next week, it's called Unfairly Caught. I accept criticism of my own works and I am not aiming to tear anyone down in this post. There is so very little Mansfield Park Fan Fiction that I don't feel any need to be competitive.

#mansfield park #jane austen #JAFF #everingham #fanny price #henry crawford #question response #problematic trope of jealousy #I actually thought my grown up relationship should contain bursts of angry jealously because of that trope #That is how pervasive and problematic it is #so I'm not calling out this author but the idea in general #Fanny can talk to her BIL and best friend without being questioned #mary crawford #please understand that I respect this author putting their work out there and I am not attacking them