I always felt a little sorry for Mary Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. It seemed to me that Mary was isolated in a way her other sisters were not; Lizzie and Jane had each other as confidants, and Lydia and Kitty were partners in crime. Mary’s biggest flaw seemed to be a lack of self-awareness that led to awkward social situations, which lacked the malice or selfishness of other character’s actions, especially Lydia’s. In The … Continue reading The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow →
A Jane Austen Tarot Deck by Jacqui Oakley features beautiful art and thoughtful associations between Austen themes and tarot themes. Alas, it claims to be a tarot deck despite only having 53 cards (as opposed to a standard tarot deck’s 78 cards). Had it stuck with being an oracle deck instead of also trying to be a deck for tarot “and gameplay”, I would have been much happier with it. Note: This deck is not … Continue reading A Jane Austen Tarot Deck by Jacqui Oakley →
Tara was kind enough to alert me to the existence of a book about Charlotte Lucas, who is Elizabeth Bennet’s friend in Pride and Prejudice. We had so many feelings about this very strange book, which involves Gothic emotion and SO MUCH SEX, plus at least two flights across the moors, which I can only assume were dutifully wuthering. For those who are rusty on their Austen, here’s the background: Charlotte Lucas agrees to marry … Continue reading Lucas by Elna Holst →
Let’s get this out of the way – Clueless remains the best film adaptation of Emma, the novel by Jane Austen, to date, in terms of capturing the essence of the novel’s title character. Having said that, the current (2020) version offers sumptuous scenery, costuming, and staging, gorgeous cinematography, some adept historical touches, and nuanced acting. I sometimes disagreed with the film’s interpretation of Emma Woodhouse, but never with actress Anya Taylor-Joy’s actual performance, in … Continue reading Movie Review: Emma (2020) →
Jane Austen’s Ghost is a ghost story and a mystery of sorts, with romantic and historical elements. There is a satisfying romance in the middle, and there is a lot of humour, but, as befits a ghost story, there will be parts that make you cry, too. It’s quite a gentle, comforting sort of story to read and comes together in a very satisfying way at the end. I enjoyed it a lot. The story … Continue reading Jane Austen’s Ghost by Jennifer Kloester →
Welcome back to Lightning Reviews! If you’re new here, welcome! This is where we post three, mini reviews of books. The books grouped together may have a theme or, in this case, may be completely different. Today, we have a magical gay romance, a lesbian romance set in Manila, and nonfiction for Jane Austen fans.
The Jane Austen Handbook: Proper Life Skills From Regency England is a guide to Regency life and manners, pitched to the reader who wants something non-academic and focused on the socio-economic class that Austen wrote about most frequently. This is history-lite but it’s fun and interesting. If you’ve read Jane Austen’s novels and want something to fill out the world for you, this is a good starter book. It’s light, with lovely illustrations. I was … Continue reading The Jane Austen Handbook by Margaret C. Sullivan →
Those familiar with author Sonali Dev know that her books involve a lot of food, complicated family issues, and angst. Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors has all of these qualities, but the angst overwhelmed the romance to the point where I didn’t believe in the happy ending. I did, however, want to eat ALL the food. Trisha is a neurosurgeon in San Francisco. Her wealthy parents immigrated to America from India. They demand excellence and … Continue reading Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev →
Hey there! It’s links time! This is where we just post and talk about interesting things we’ve seen on the internet recently (or not so recently). I see this as a nice way to impose a break in the day, especially if the day isn’t going particularly well. … Love ambient noise? I do. I can’t work or read without something playing in the background, though it can’t be music. The National Parks Service has … Continue reading Links: Book Clubs, National Parks, & Jane Austen →
It frustrates me that I didn’t like Pride more than I did, because the concept is awesome. In this modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, teenager Zuri Benitez, who is Afro-Latino, lives in Bushwick, New York, with her family. They live next door to a run-down mansion that is purchased and remodeled by a Black family from Manhattan. Zuri can’t stand her new neighbors, especially Darius Darcy. With his rich ways, he doesn’t fit in … Continue reading Pride by Ibi Zoboi →
If I Loved You Less takes on a tricky Austen story (Emma) and fails to hit the right tone in retelling it. In Emma, the heroine is clueless but well-meaning as she tries (and fails) to play matchmaker. She makes mistakes, but with the help of the love interest (her older neighbor, Mr. Knightley) she learns from those mistakes and grows as a person. Unfortunately, the heroine in If I Loved You Less is annoying … Continue reading If I Loved You Less by Tamsen Parker →
