I’m all for romance. But Valentine’s Day itself…meh. Something inside me rebels at the directive to be romantic on a specific day. I suppose it’s a nice excuse to get a babysitter and go for an outing but who really needs an excuse?
The other thing that’s a turn-off for me is the torrent of commercial messages telling us exactly how we should be romantic. So many of them leave me cold! 
For the record (in case Someone is reading this) I’ve nothing ag
ainst simple sensual pleasures like flowers or chocolate. There’s no such thing as too many flowers or too much chocolate! But so much of what is touted as romantic seems trivializing or hopelessly generic. And when did cell phones become an acceptable Valentine’s gift? I’d as soon have the proverbial frying pan.
What I find romantic are things that are personal. A back rub after a bad writing day. Jewelry that is either modern and artistic, or antique in feel, like the Wedgewood pendant my husband (similar to the one shown) gave me when he saw how much I like blue jasperware.
I suspect it’s hard for a lot of modern men to go out on a limb and do something risky and original. Maybe that’s one of the draws of historical romance: the idea of a hero who will express his feelings in an eloquent and personal way. I don’t know if the average male during the Regency was really any more romantic than the modern one, but just think of the torrid letter Captain Wentworth writes to Anne in PERSUASION:
“I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own, than when you almost broke it eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you.”
Sigh… Watch me collapse in a puddle!
So how about you? How do you feel about the conventional trappings of romance? What do you find romantic, in real life or in fiction?
Elena
www.elenagreene.com
As many of you know, Bertram St James (one of the most noted Tulips of Regency society) mysteriously traveled in time, arriving a few years ago in our world of McDonalds and baggy jeans. He likes to turn up here at Risky Regencies on occasion to share his observations of modern life…but he has not been around recently.
In fact, I have not seen him in ages — although he promised he would share his thoughts on Valentine’s Day. But as far as I can tell, he, his valet, and his massive wardrobe have gone off somewhere…but where?
Breaking news: I still do not know precisely where Bertie the Beau is, but I did receive a telephone call from him. The transcript, which interrupts your regularly schedule Valentine’s Week Post, is as follows:
Cara: Hello?
Bertie: Why do they say “dial nine for an outside line,” when one only needs to dial “nine” when one is inside? Or does “inside” pertain to the telephonic callee? But how am I to know whether the individual for whom I am calling is out of doors or in?
Cara: Bertie, is that you?
Bertie: Who else possesses such mellifluous tones?
Cara: Um, yes, of course. How are you, Bertie? I haven’t seen you in ages.
Bertie: I am beautiful as always — need you ask? Oh, and is a “pants press” a new model of weight training machine?
Cara: Bertie, are you in a hotel?
Bertie: I cannot tell you where I am — who can say whether an insect is eavesdropping on the wire?
Cara: Wait — how are you paying for all this?
Bertie: Oh, never worry about money. Dreadful thing. Have you been watching the Lost Show on your TeleVision Box? Did you know they have the Lost Show at the Beverly Hilton?
Cara: Bertie! You didn’t — you aren’t — my visa — the Beverly — aarghh! [unintelligible sputterings follow]
Bertie: Oh, dash! I mentioned the name of the place, didn’t I? Now I’ll have to move again. Do you know if the Bel Age has huge-screen TeleVision Devices?
Cara: Why are you in hiding anyway???
Bertie: Why else, but relations? You recall that my great-aunt Lavinia Sophia Eugenia Kumquat sent notice to the periodical known as In Touch, reporting my nonexistent engagement to Miss Keira Knightley?
Cara: Yes…but wasn’t that a while ago?
Bertie: Aunts have very long memories. Quite like elephants. Come to think of it, my aunts resemble elephants in more ways than just that. If you could see–
Cara: Elephants don’t matter! Are you hiding from your Aunt Lavinia Soph–er, whatever her name is?
Bertie: Oh, she was bad enough. I still deny ever meeting the fair Miss Knightley! (I can deny it if there are not photographical pictures of us on the spiderweb, can I not?) And I certainly never became engaged to anyone. Though I admit that, in her green dress, she is the loveliest “Valentine” any gentleman could want! (Not that I do.)
Cara: So you’re not hiding from your aunt?
Bertie: No indeed — one aunt was not enough to cow me. But two are.
Cara: You now have two aunts in this century?
Bertie: Isn’t it dreadful? My Aunt Gorgon — that is, Aunt Gordon — has somehow joined my Aunt Lavinia Stuffy Aged Kumquat. Aunt Gorgon always pokes me when I do not sit up straight — but how can one be truly elegant without a subtle languor? And she’s not the worst of it! No, she brought along my Uncle Bucephalas Augustus Hund, who always wants me to tramp through nature — nature! the very idea! — and shoot at deer or birds or some other dirty creature with one of those shooting things. And as he’s quite a bit stronger than I am, I think it best just to go to ground and hope he cannot smoke me out.
Cara: I see.
Oh, dear, that sounds like his knock now! Oh, good, my man has indicated I can escape via the balcony. Adieu! Happy Valentine’s Day!
[End transcript.]
So, there you have it. Poor Bertie! (And I do hope he isn’t charging it all to my credit card…)
Cara
who wonders if Bertie has yet discovered Godiva chocolates
Happy birthday to the Regency! Just a day late as the Regency Act that gave its name to “our” period was passed on February 5, 1811.
I suppose no one at the time knew that the term “Regency” would come to represent not only a period in British history but would also give rise to a whole subgenre of romance. Or that it would become so synonymous with elegance and luxury. I wonder how many people realize how the term first came about as they patronize hotels, dry cleaners, florists, etc…, with the name? Probably not many. Doesn’t anyone understand how difficult this makes it for me to google for useful information on the Regency???
Anyhow, I wasn’t in much of a celebratory mood yesterday. The cold I’ve been fighting degenerated into some sort of wretched flu-like thing. I’m better now but I spent most of yesterday in bed. I didn’t even watch the latest film I got from Netflix (SHARPE’S WATERLOO) as I wasn’t feeling up to the carnage. Instead I immersed myself in comfort TV: What Not To Wear, How Do I Look? and an old Star Trek episode.
The only Regency thing I did was the Jane Austen Movie Club–but it is such fun (thanks again to Cara for hostessing) that it may be celebration enough.
Anyway, happy belated birthday to the Regency and thank you all for sharing your obsession with us!
Elena
www.elenagreene.com
Welcome to another installment of the Jane Austen Movie Club, exclusively here at Risky Regencies! Here we meet to dissect, discuss, and generally over-analyze adaptations of Jane Austen’s work…and more.
Today we have a first: that is, our first selection which isn’t actually an Austen adaptation…but a story about Austen herself.
Yes, today we’re discussing the 2008 BBC/WGBH television production MISS AUSTEN REGRETS, a fictionalized semi-biographical story about Jane Austen, and whether she ever regretted not marrying Mr. This or Mr. That.
The relevant credits, with “you also saw her in such-and-such” notes (in green), are:
DIRECTOR: Jeremy Lovering
SCREENPLAY: Gwyneth Hughes
CAST:
Olivia Williams — Jane Austen
Olivia Williams played Jane Fairfax in the 1996 BBC version of Emma.
Greta Scacchi — Cassandra Austen
Greta Scacchi played Mrs. Weston, also in the 1996 Emma.
Hugh Bonneville — Rev. Brook Bridges
Hugh Bonneville played the Prince Regent in the recent Purefoy version of Brummell, and Mr. Rushworth in the 1999 movie of Mansfield Park.
Phyllida Law — Mrs. Austen
Law is the third member of this cast to also appear in the 1996 Emma: she played Mrs. Bates. She also happens to be the mother of Emma Thompson, who scripted and starred in the 1995 Sense and Sensibility.
Adrian Edmondson — Henry Austen
Jack Huston — Doctor Charles Haden
Imogen Poots — Fanny Austen-Knight
Samuel Roukin — Harris Bigg
Pip Torrens — Edward Austen-Knight
Pip Torrens played the Netherfield butler in the 2005 movie of Pride and Prejudice. (And Bingo Little in the Fry & Laurie Jeeves and Wooster.)
Tom Hiddleston — Mr. John Plumptre
Jason Watkins — Rev. Clarke
Sally Tatum — Anna Lefroy
Sylvie Herbert — Mme. Bigeon
(Here is Jane…and her very useful brother…)
So…what did you think?
All opinions welcome!
Cara
Cara King, whose cat would have appeared in the 1996 Emma except that he was busy conquering the world that day
