Risky Regencies

Jane Rocks!

Updated on February 1, 2013 by Elena Greene

I just saw the recent P&P a second time. This time I heartily enjoyed it, having gotten over some of the surprises in this new adaptation. I was also with several people who had not read the book who thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It really made me think about some of the vehement debates that have gone on over the various artistic choices made in this movie re the costuming, adapted dialogue, changed settings, etc… It also made me think of how upset some people are when Jane Austen is said to be the first chick-lit author, or over broader reinterpretations of her work like Bridget Jones’s Diary and Clueless.

I have to admit part of me sympathizes. It can be fun to have special, esoteric interests that not everyone else understands. But more and more, I’m open to sharing Jane with the world, and happy that her stories are reaching broader audiences through all these new incarnations. This is why they’re classics.

Let’s not put Jane in a box, please. She was a woman of many interests, from the serious to the frivolous, and able to laugh at herself as well as at others. Here are some favorite Jane anecdotes and quotes.

Jane the Literary Diva

“I remember that when Aunt Jane came to us at Godmersham she used to bring the manuscript of whatever novel she was writing with her, and would shut herself up with my elder sisters in one of the bedrooms to read them aloud. I and the younger ones used to hear peals of laughter through the door, and thought it very hard that we should be shut out from what was so delightful…I also remember how Aunt Jane would sit quietly working (at needlework) beside the fire in the library, saying nothing for a good while, and then would suddenly burst out laughing, jump up and run across the room to a table where pens and paper were lying, write something down, and then come back across to the fire and go on quietly working as before.” (recollections of Marianne Knight, Jane’s niece)

Jane the Fashionista

“My black cap was openly admired by Mrs. Lefroy, and secretly I imagine by everybody else in the room.” (letter to Cassandra December 1798)

“I am amused by the present style of female dress;–the coloured petticoats with braces over the white spencers and enormous Bonnets upon the full stretch, are quite entertaining.” (letter to a friend in September 1814)

“I learnt from Mrs Tickars’s young lady, to my high amusement, that the stays now are not made to force the Bosom up at all; — that was a very unbecoming, unnatural fashion. I was really glad to hear that they are not to be worn so much off the shoulders as they were.” (September 1813)

Jane the Domestic Goddess

“My mother desires me to tell you that I am a very good housekeeper, which I have no reluctance in doing, because I really think it my particular excellence, and for this reason—I always take care to provide such things as please my own appetite, which I consider as the chief merit in housekeeping. I have had some ragout veal, and I mean to have some haricot mutton to-morrow. We are to kill a pig soon.” (letter to her sister Cassandra Austen, Saturday 17 Nov. 1798)

Jane, Queen of Snark

“Mrs. Hall, of Sherborne, was brought to bed yesterday of a dead child, some weeks before she expected, owing to a fright. I supposed she happened unawares to look at her husband.” (letter to Cassandra, October 1798)

“…I am very proud to say that I have a very good eye at an Adultress, for tho’ repeatedly assured that another in the same party was the She, I fixed upon the right one from the first… She is not so pretty as I expected; her face has the same defect of baldness as her sister’s, & her features not so handsome; she was highly rouged, & looked rather quietly and contentedly silly than anything else.” ( letter to Cassandra, May 1801)

“Miss Blachford is agreeable enough. I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal” (letter to Cassandra, Dec. 1798)

I don’t see Jane spinning in her grave about the screen adaptations of her stories. So undignified, don’t you think? Instead she might have some witty snark about changes she doesn’t agree with. Overall, though, I think she’d be flattered by all the attention. And poke a little fun at herself for being flattered.

Happy birthday, Jane!

Elena
LADY DEARING’S MASQUERADE, an RT Top Pick!
www.elenagreene.com

Read a Regency!!!! (part 2)

Updated on February 1, 2013 by Cara King

A week ago, I challenged all brave people to read five highly-recommended Regencies (that is, highly recommended “traditional” Regencies). I know you’re all hugely busy this time of year, but if any of you have any progress to report, I’d love to hear it! Megan, Nicole, Janet, Todd, and Laurie all accepted the challenge, in whole or in part — and who knows, maybe we have some more willing readers, lurking about!

Megan has already talked about one book she’s read (thanks, Megan!) How about the rest of you? Which books have you chosen? Have you read any yet? What are you liking about what you read?

For more suggestions of what Regencies count as “highly recommended” — here’s a list of all the Regencies that have won the prestigious Rita Award:

2005 — A Passionate Endeavor by Sophia Nash
2004 — Prospero’s Daughter by Nancy Butler
2003 — A Debt To Delia by Barbara Metzger
2002 — Much Obliged by Jessica Benson
2001 — A Grand Design by Emma Jensen
2000 — The Rake’s Retreat by Nancy Butler
1999 — His Grace Endures by Emma Jensen
1998 — Love’s Reward by Jean R. Ewing
1997 — The Lady’s Companion by Carla Kelly
1996 — Gwen’s Christmas Ghost by Lynn Kerstan and Alicia Rasley
1995 — Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand by Carla Kelly
1994 — Deirdre and Don Juan by Jo Beverley
1993 — An Unwilling Bride by Jo Beverley
1992 — Emily and the Dark Angel by Jo Beverley
1991 — The Sandalwood Princess by Loretta Chase
1990 — The Rake and the Reformer by Mary Jo Putney
1989 — Brighton Road by Susan Carroll
1988 — Sugar Rose by Susan Carroll
1987 — Lord Abberley’s Nemesis by Amanda Scott
1986 — The Beauty’s Daughter by Monette Cummings
1985 — The Lurid Lady Lockport by Kasey Michaels

Have you read any of these? Which did you particularly like? Are there books by some of these authors that you like better than the ones which actually won the Rita? Are there any other Regencies you’d particularly recommend for beginning Regency readers? Please share! All opinions welcome!

Cara
Cara King — www.caraking.com
My Lady Gamester — out now from Signet Regency!

Posted in Reading, Regency | Tagged Regency Romance | 17 Replies

Regency Birthdays (or Birthdays of Regency-type people)

Updated on February 1, 2013 by Amanda McCabe/Laurel McKee

December 16th has more than one birthday of interest to us Regency-ers. Along with Austen, it’s also the birthday of Beethoven, born in 1770. Five years before Jane. (It’s also the birthday of my mother, but that’s probably only of interest to me, who still has to find her a present. Jane and Ludwig aren’t quite as picky).

I had hoped to make this post about Jane’s own interest in the music of Beethoven. After all, we know she enjoyed music, and that he was one of the leading composers of the era. Alas, according to the Jane Austen Memorial Trust, which has cataloged over 300 pieces of music-related material belonging to Jane, she owned very little by Beethoven (or Mozart, or Handel, or any of the other composers we listen to most today). She owned a lot of pieces by such non-household names as Pleyel, Dibdin, Sterkel, and Kotzwara. So there goes my theme. But here are a few other little factoids I found on my search!

In 1811, Jane Austen published “Sense and Sensibility”; Beethoven first performs his Piano Trio in B-flat
In 1813, “Pride and Prejudice”; Wellington’s Victory
1818, Mary Shelley publishes “Frankenstein”; Beethoven the Piano Sonata #29 (Hammerklavier) (not Austen, I know, but interesting!)

The 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice featured some Beethoven. At the Phillips’ party, Mary plays “Nel cuor non mi santo”. At Pemberley, Georgiana plays “Andante Favore.” And according to the 2005 Pride and Prejudice website, the score was inspired in great part by Beethoven’s piano sonatas, and performed by pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet with the English Chamber Orchestra in that sort of style. I couldn’t find any info on “real” Ludwigian pieces they might have used, but they did use Purcell at the Netherfield ball.

I also saw that at the Jane Austen Evening our own Cara will be attending in January, there is a visit from “Herr Beethoven” scheduled as well.

Happy birthday, Jane and Ludwig! Hopefully some of you will have other nuggets of factoids to share.

Posted in Jane Austen, Music, Regency, Research | Tagged Beethoven, Birthdays, Jane Austen | 5 Replies

Two little things

Updated on February 1, 2013 by Amanda McCabe/Laurel McKee

Happy Sunday (and the start to Jane Austen’s birthday week)! First, I have posted a pic that relates to Elena’s fascinating pet post a few days ago. This is the photo I took of the memorial to Lilly the spaniel at Chiswick House. It’s too far away to read the writing, but you can see it’s quite an elaborate stone. She must have been a well-loved pet.

Second, here are the answers to the Austen-Christmas quiz! I got all but 1 of them right, which is amazing for me, as I’m usually a total doofus at quizzes.
1) C
2) A
3) C
4) C
5) B
6) A
7) C
8) C
9) B (I got this wrong–for some reason, I always have it in my head that she was born in 1776. But I was never good with dates anyway)
10) C (just like now!)

Posted in Frivolity, Jane Austen | Tagged pet funerals, Regency quiz | 1 Reply

Too little, too much, or just right?

Updated on February 1, 2013 by Elena Greene

Since I had a long break from writing due to the combination of holidays and the flu, I’ve gone back to line edit the completed parts of my balloonist story. Editing helps me to get back into the flow of the story; I’m looking forward to getting to new material next week.

Around the same time Megan posted Anachronism vs Anomaly, I was editing a section of the story with a lot of sex scenes. I mean lots. It took until almost the middle of the book for my characters’ attraction to overcome all the reasons they shouldn’t be together. But once they got going, I’m not sure I could have stopped them, even if I wanted to.

The discussion in Megan’s post was about all the activities right up to the actual deed, but it brought up a more general issue of what is believable in Regency-set romance. I’ve had these discussions before with other authors and with thoughtful readers. We’ve talked about what we know based on our research (but people didn’t generally write about sex) and what might have been (we’re writing fiction, after all). We’ve talked about keeping the awareness of the social consequences given the time period.

I have to say a lot of input I’ve specifically gotten from readers is more about their personal preferences. Some have complained about too much sex in my traditional Regencies. Although they complained about accuracy, I’m not sure that was really the issue, since most of the sex scenes were in the context of marriage. I think it was more a matter of comfort level. I’ve also had readers advise me to “sex it up” some more.

The problem is that once I’ve started a story, how soon, how often, how far the sex will go is driven by my characters, their experiences, and the story setup. A widow who thinks she’s infertile will act differently than an inexperienced heroine hoping to make a respectable marriage. The only way to really sex it up or down would be to write a new story.

I know some readers prefer to connect the dots between a fade out and smiles over breakfast the next morning. But I personally feel that it’s more powerful to show the sex as long as the scene is also revealing things about the characters and their relationship.

So I’m just forging on with the story, trying not to worry 1) that there’s not enough, 2) that there’s too much, 3) that it happens too late in the story, 4) that there’s too much in this one part, 5) that there’s not enough in the rest. (As you see I haven’t thought about it much.) I’m just hoping some readers will “get” my characters and enjoy the ride.

Elena
www.elenagreene.com
www.facebook.com/ElenaGreene

Posted in Regency, Writing | Tagged sex in Regencies | 6 Replies