Tag: Austen in August

Tuesday Reflections
Tuesday Reflections

Tuesday Reflections

paulaacton17 Comments

My Tuesday travels are coming to an end as such as my son starts school next week so my visits to grans will be arranged each week on different days when I can get there.  So what now?

Well As mentioned in a previous post Mskatykins and I have decided to read Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho together, having examined to book the aim will be to read three chapters a week and then to post on them in turn I would love it if any of you who have a copy lurking around at home would love to join in. It will be quite a long readalong going to January as I want to leave you all plenty of time for writing and reading other books lol Later this I will create a masterpost for it so if you would like to be included then please comment on this post and just think for a couple of weeks you get a free blog post as we can each reblog the others posts 😀 It is a book which is quite daunting to read I know which is possibly why most of us have it lurking unread the reading will start next tuesday and I shall make the first post the following tuesday, I shall even make a pretty badge for anyone who wishes to join in to post on their blog if they wish.  at two chapters a week it will take 16 weeks in total I really hope a couple of you will join in as it will be fun to share our thoughts along the way. It also counts as one of the 1001 books for anyone doing that reading challenge. I think I will probably create a page here on my blog to list all the links to the posts for anyone interested. Infact I have gone a little further please click here and check out the new page for even more details…here

So for today.. first I LOVE SCRIVENER I downloaded the free trial while working on the novel but as I was near the end did not bother transferring it but I decided to use it for the ghost story collection, I am using the novel template and writing each story as a chapter.  The cokboard in editor is wonderful for outlining the stories as you can see here

green marks denote chapters and blue the scenes withing the chapter, being able to add the status such as first draft or todo also let me keep track of where each story is as my muse keeps throwing pars of different stories as I go along.  I will definately be buying this software once my trial runs out.  If you haven’t tried it I suggest you give the 30 day trial a go what is also great is that it is 30 days of use not 30 days concurrent so even if you only use it once a week you get your full thirty days click here for the trial offer

What else have I been up to, well in the worry of this computers imminent demise I have been moving files to my external hard drive and while doing so I have found lots of old pics I hadn’t look at for ages.  this was good and bad while it made me smile the pictures themselves seemed a little dull, the reason…I took them before I got my new camera and also the new software so of course I ended up having a play with a few which is quite addictive.

This was taken in the rose garden at Lyme Park not a bad photo but the colours do look a little dull possibly as it was overcast and kept raining that day.  This is how the same picture looks after just a little touching up…

What a difference hitting a few buttons makes the only problem is now that there are thousands more photos on my hard drive that deserve the same treatment lol.

Now you should all have guessed how much I hate having my photo taken by the fact I always have the camera and take the photos lol but here is one of the pics from Lyme Park my daughter took of me sitting in the rose garden waiting for Mr Darcy who sadly never showed up.

Austen in August – Book Review; Behind Jane Austen’s Door By Jennifer Forest
Book Reviews · Monday Musings · Reading Challenges

Austen in August – Book Review; Behind Jane Austen’s Door By Jennifer Forest

paulaacton3 Comments

I was lucky enough to pick up this ebook very cheaply and I am glad I did, the book take the reader on a tour of a Regency home.  Written in a conversational style it explains not only the day to day life of a Regency gentlewoman but also explores in the merits and purpose of each room as you are led through the imaginary home and view its inhabitants at their daily tasks.

The book provides interesting insights into Regency life and while choosing a medium size home to take the tour around it does provide examples from Austens novels to demonstrate how life varied in house of different size, social class and wealth.

The style is welcoming and easy to read, it does almost feel as if a tour guide is showing you round and introducing you to this way of  life.  It does give some good information but this is where I am torn.

If I were to judge this book as it is and it was aimed at children as introduction to the Regency period it would be 5 out of 5, but as an adult I was left a little frustrated by it, I simple wanted more detail.  Judging the book as it is I would best be able to give it 3 out of 5 but as I enjoyed it this does seems harsh.  At times it is tempting to say that the author my have been better doing three separate books one for poor dwellings, one for the modest home and one for the grand houses and explored each in far more detail but I did like the contrast shown between them though at times it did give a feeling of jumping around a little much.  I would have liked far more detail not only on activites but possibly more examples of ecomony within the home.  The author has kept it simple rather than turn it into an educational text book and I can appreciate that but as an Austen fan a lot of the information she shared was knowledge I had prior to reading, I did not come away feeling I had learnt anything.  I love the style of telling but would just have liked a little more content.

My final rating to be fair I shall split the two previous marks I mentioned and give it 4 out of 5 for reading pleasure would I buy it? I would recommend this for anyone wanting to share their love of Austen with a daughter as an introduction or for anyone wanting a pleasant read but for a true Austen fan looking to gain insights previously unknown sadly not.

Austen in August; Book Review – Georgiana Darcy’s Diary By Anne Elliott
Book Reviews · Monday Musings

Austen in August; Book Review – Georgiana Darcy’s Diary By Anne Elliott

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The are many different takes on the classic Pride & Prejudice, the story has been revamped with zombies, vampires and other variations but this is one of my favourites so far.

It has been a year since the wedding and Elizabeth is now firmly established in her new home at Pemberley.  It is now Georgiana who takes up her pen and through her journal continues the search for love.

Many pf the characters from the original novel feature in this wonderful novel, while the wit does not quite match that of Austen it comes very close, and at times you can almost believe that Austen herself has played a hand in the decisions the author has made for the characters.

I really am torn here in reviewing this book because I really do believe all Austen lovers should read it for themselves and I don’t want to spoil it.

Lets see what can I tell you, well after her failed attempts to fix Darcy up with her daughter Lady Katherine has taken up residence at Pemberley and is now trying to arrange a match for Georgiana, the painfully shy girl struggles to hold potential suitors at arms length while harbouring a secret love which she believes will not be fulfilled.

Georgiana comes alive in this book, at times you cannot help but smile at her naiviety but it is a realistic reflection of a girl of her position and status and the difficulties her situation places her in.

The dastardly Wickham also puts in an appearance can a leopard have changed his spots… of course not if anything the marriage between Elizabeth and Darcy has angered him more and his sense of entitlement has grown as he know demands payment for his silence regarding the affair between him and Georgiana.

There is so much more I could go on to say but I shall not, instead I leave you with a quote and a recommendation to Austen lovers to buy this book and read it for your selves. The excerpt comes after Aunt De Bourgh realises one of the potential suitors she had lined up has been rejected

     Aunt De Bourgh read me a little lecture on the subject yesterday evening, of which the words feckless, hoydenish behaviour were the mildest terms she used to describe what I had done.

Since she usually lectures me for being too shy, I could have pointed out that I can’t be a wallflower and a hoyden, both.  but I doubt it would have served any purpose except to make her angrier still.

And as much as I may indeed despise myself for my cowardice, my hands felt clammy at the thought of prolonging the scene with her.

Austen in August – Book Review – Pride & Prejudice By Jane Austen
Book Reviews · Monday Musings · Reading Challenges

Austen in August – Book Review – Pride & Prejudice By Jane Austen

paulaacton5 Comments

Due to technical issues with my kindle I had to reconsider my reading list and after last weeks Dvd review I was in the mood for rereading my favourite Austen novel.  Written in 1797 it took sixteen years before Pride & Prejudice was finally published for the first time in 1813. (Hope for us all) The problem with reviewing the quintessential Regency romance is how does one begin.  The story is so well-known that to discuss the plot seems unnecessary, the characters have been dissected by far greater minds than mine, so what to talk about.

I settled on discussing why Austen is still relevant to todays young women, why generation after generation pick up her books and fall in love with the Darcy’s of this world.  The answer is simple things have not changed so much when it comes to dating.

In Austen’s world courtship is governed by strict rules introductions must be formally made, even calling between friends was scheduled but even though today in many ways we have it apparently easier you have to ask do we?  Dating etiquette has so many rules now with each new piece of technology that is invented, how long before you ring someone, or text? The emotions we experience are still the same, the nerves the longing the only difference was back then it was for the most part simpler, you knew exactly what was expected of you male or female and acted accordingly.

We know from Austen’s own life she challenged the social conventions in her own life, this was mirrored in her work also none of the matches made for love in Pride and Prejudice would have been considered as socially acceptable both Darcy and Bingley would have been considered as marrying beneath them.

“I will not be interrupted. Hear me in silence. My daughter and my nephew are formed for each other. They are descended, on the maternal side, from the same noble line; and, on the father’s, from respectable, honourable, and ancient — though untitled — families. Their fortune on both sides is splendid.  They are destined for each other by the voice of every member of their respective houses; and what is to divide them? The upstart pretensions of a young woman without family, connections, or fortune. Is this to be endured! But it must not, shall not be. If you were sensible of your own good, you would not wish to quit the sphere in which you have been brought up.”

“In marrying your nephew, I should not consider myself as quitting that sphere. He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman’s daughter; so far we are equal.”

“True. You are a gentleman’s daughter. But who was your mother? Who are your uncles and aunts? Do not imagine me ignorant of their condition.” Jane Austen 

The irony she shows is that the matches which are acceptable are not the happier ones, Charlotte Lucas marries Mr Collins for security is seen to be content in her situation only through the fact she has no higher expectations and has accepted her place without reserve, she has been raised to know what her future will hold and knows that love and romance do not feature only that she will become a burden to her parents should she not seize the first opportunity she is given.  Wickham and Lydia’s match is more complex, though foolish there are no issues regarding wealth in that neither have any the match is equal though both would have been expected to attempt to gain wealth through marriage the actual scandal regarding their elopement is quickly forgiven by most upon their marriage despite the impropriety.

The duality of matches features strongly in all Austen’s novels for each agreeable match another less socially acceptable match is shown, the situations are influenced by the individual circumstances but the message is clear that where the match is not made for love then at best contentment rather than happiness can be expected.