(no subject)

[solitary_summer]

Over-emotional, almost constantly (or at least entirely too often) on the verge of tears... this is getting kind of exasperating. I need to think through the whole work situation, but as always I'm too good at avoiding and procrastinating. I still owe watergarden a reply to her comment and suggestion, but apparently I'm plain scared to actually seriously address the issue, even in my mind. And I still don't know what I do want, as opposed to what I don't; I've been living with safe minimal expectations for so long, to avoid being disappointed, or simply because I couldn't bring myself to care, that it's hard to return to a state of mind where I can allow myself to want again. (Which, to complicate matters further, is the root of all suffering, if you're Buddhistically inclined...)


On a more trivial note, saw Pride and Prejudice with my sister on Monday, which for the most part wasn't too bad. It took a little adjusting, but didn't particularly jar with my mental images of the characters (of course it helps that, reading, I rarely visualise anything in detail), the cuts and adaptions were well done, there were a couple of original touches, it was generally nice (in a good way), and made me laugh, which I'd very much needed then. I don't really have a problem with Lady Catherine commenting on the smallness of a garden she can hardly have seen in the pitch darkness, because she'd have found fault with it whatever its shape, size or visibility; HOWEVER, and this does warrant the caps lock key, the end? Darcy's proposal to Elizabeth? I sat there, rather flabbergasted, wondering who these people were and when I'd stepped in the wrong movie, because dawn meeting? dewy meadows? partial state of undress? "I couldn't sleep." "Neither could I"? Darcy talking about Elizabeth having bewitched him? To say this is more in the spirit of Jane Eyre than Jane Austen is being polite - more polite than the movie deserves, and insulting to Charlotte Bronte - because what should be an emotional moment has been reduced to the triviality of your average romance novel. I presume the problem was a sort of cross-cultural misunderstanding, the producer/writer/director fearing that if they followed Austen's text more literally, a modern audience would find her way of balancing emotions with reason lacking in 'romance' somehow, but to me this re-write takes away from the gravity, the seriousness and depth of their emotion.

But then, the whole film does have the tendency to gloss over the sharper edges and down-play Austen's concern for character development and ethical issues in favour of 'romance'...






(Also shot this morning in Schönbrunn, when I got up at some ungodly hour - on a day off - to take sunrise pictures...)

Comments

[un-crayon-rouge.livejournal.com]

Since I haven't read Pride and Prejudice (and don't intend to in the near future) I can't say anything about the film adaptation (though, having read other Jane Austens - well, two - I would tend to agree with you). But, and here I have to protest: Jane Eyre is NOT "your average romance novel" and it's certainly not "trivial"!!! (You KNEW you were going to get this from me, didn't you?) Charlotte Brontë is more inclined to the passionate outburst, that's true, but it's perfectly warranted by the characters. And though Jane is several times described as "passionate" during the greater part of the novel she is nothing but composed.

I realise this has nothing to do with your critique of the film, but, ah well.

[solitary-summer.livejournal.com]

I *knew* this was phrased badly, but somehow I wanted to be over and done with with the post yesterday... what it should have been like was 'politer than the movie deserves and insulting to Charlotte Bronte', but somehow I was too lazy to edit in the latter part, because my copy of Jane Eyre is even more battered than the one of Pride and Prejudice, and in my mind *I* *know* I love both books. That should serve to remind me that people on my f-list are not actually telepathic. *blush*

It was just such an unexpected shift in spirit and mood, from Jane Austen's more rational characters to something much more overtly romantic (read romantic not as in romance novel, but as in romantic age/art style), I can't even say it was bad as such, but it just didn't fit the characters - and okay, I haven't read any romance novels in ages, so I have few points of reference, and thought, Jane Eyre, as in, inspired by, and watered down very much...

In conclusion, no disrespect to Charlotte Bronte.


*wipes sweat from brow*

[un-crayon-rouge.livejournal.com]

Gah, now I feel bad because I came at you so severly... didn't mean to wave a finger at you or anything, it's just that I have this very emotional relationship to Jane Eyre. Plus, I never really liked Jane Austen. *creeps under sofa*

[solitary-summer.livejournal.com]

Not a problem & totally understandable.

I can kind of see why you wouldn't like Jane Austen, so I'm not trying to convert you or anything, but if I had to recommend a single of her novels to anyone, it'd be Pride and Prejudice. Personally, I vaguely like Emma and Sense and Sensibility and could never really get into any of the others, but P&P I'm really fond of - not in a big emotional connection way, but I enjoyed it.

[solitary-summer.livejournal.com]

Edited and fixed.

[watergarden.livejournal.com]

Please consider yourself hugged, if being hugged is something you would like, and take your time on thinking & answering. I am not impatient! The questions are for you, when you're ready for them.

That's a *gorgeous* photograph. I think I'm going to use it for my desktop, if you wouldn't mind?

[solitary-summer.livejournal.com]

Hugs are always welcome, and thank you for your patience with my neurotic behaviour and bad manners.

Do I mind? I'm honoured. Here (http://pics.livejournal.com/solitary_summer/pic/000d247k)'s the high resolution original, if you're interested.

[deleted & edited, sorry for the spam]