Yay! Happy Birthday, Jane! You don’t look a day older than 235.
We’ve been celebrating Jane’s birth all week here at the Riskies, and of course she was on my mind as I rode the subway to work this morning. I haven’t read more than snippets of Jane’s books in years, mostly because I reread them obsessively when I was in my teens, so much so I know I have parts memorized, even thirty years later.
Jane showed me a person could have a different personality and still be likeable. Could still have misguided ideas and still be a good person. Could be tolerable, and also desirable.
Those are some pretty important life lessons.
Earlier this week, Amanda discoursed on Austen film interpretations, and I have to admit to secretly loving the Greer Garson/Laurence Olivier version of Pride and Prejudice. That’s mostly because it was my first version (and you never forget your first…), and I’m pretty sure I saw the film before reading the book, so I didn’t comprehend the incongruity with the text. I knew nothing about historically accurate costumes, or the correct age for the characters, or any of that. I only knew he was handsome, and she was feisty, and I admired her for rejecting such a catch.
Thank you, Jane, for showing me that you should reject people–foxy though they are–if they don’t accept you entirely as you are.
I rather like that P&P… it took me a couple of tries to actually get myself to watching the whole thing, given the outfits just are so wrong; and if I remember correctly, it was on around lunchtime on Turner Classic Movies on day, perhaps as part of a Lawrence Olivier event, and just made myself leave it on. Even with the wrong look, and the liberties it took, I think the actors just really made it great. Probably why I can’t do the same thing with the 2005 one – while Matthew Macfadyen, yep, does get to me, right here with that bewitching line, still, as a whole, can’t get into most of the actors, which leads me to really hating the liberties they took. Yeah, I think all that made sense. 😉
And Happy Birthday Jane! 🙂
Lois
Thanks, Lois! I know, it’s the acting that makes it work. As long as you don’t think it’s really P&P, I think it’s good.
Happy Birthday Jane Austen. You changed my life!
I do love the Olivier version of P&P. And it is definitely the acting acumen which makes it so appealing. It was my first as well, but I read the books long before I saw my first Austen film adaptation.
They are a great way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon. The films AND the books!
That last is a very important lesson indeed.
I have had this version of Pride And Prejudice on VHS forever, but still haven’t watched it. I have three versions of the movie. I will probably have a P & P day and watch all of them.
Have a wonderful Holiday.
I love this, Megan–it’s something very important I learned from Austen as well (and from “Jane Eyre”) 🙂
Thanks for sharing that trailer, Megan! It cracks me up almost as much as the costumes. “What did she say to him? Yes? No? Perhaps?” But Olivier is gorgeous and I know what you mean about the acting.
I made myself watch that version of P&P, too, Lois. I liked it, but only a little.
Love the lessons you learned from Jane, Megan!
I thought this version of P&P adorable even knowing that it was not much in the way of the original story. Olivier was awesome and I’ve always thought Greer Garson made her Lizzy so fun.
I love when this Lady Catherine sits on the bird.
Thanks for the posting!