Pride and Prejudice Continued...

As many "versions" of Pride and Prejudice as there are, there are, I think, at least as many continuations of the story.  Some are a single volume, others are series.  As it so happens, I have three of each to discuss.  The single volume continuations are: Mr. Darcy Presents His Bride by Helen Halstead, Mr. Darcy's Decision by Juliette Shapiro, and Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange.  The series continuations are: The Pemberley Chronicles by Rebecca Ann Collins, The Darcy Saga by Sharon Lathan, and Pride and Prejudice Continues (?) by Linda Berdoll.

Mr. Darcy Presents His Bride begins the day after Elizabeth and Darcy have officially become engaged.  It takes us through their honeymoon, return to Pemberley, Elizabeth's and Georgiana's presentations at St. James, and then continues with the .  Elizabeth becomes a favorite of one of the more prominent ladies of society.  One of the other friends, a playwright, of this lady has an obsession, more or less, with Elizabeth and tries to write a play based on her.  This makes both Elizabeth and Darcy angry and puts a kink in their marriage.  But, of course, they get over it and things go back to their happily ever after.
     This book certainly has some interesting moments and has a good plot.  However, I would have liked to see more of the behind-the-scenes relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth, more passion.

In Mr. Darcy's Decision, Mr. Wickham leaves a pregnant Lydia.  In the midst of this new scandal at the hands of Wickham, Darcy and Elizabeth also learn they are to have a child.  In order to hide the fact that Lydia was left while with child, Mrs. Bennett comes up with the idea that the baby be born and raised at Pemberley - by Darcy and Elizabeth.  Both sides agree to this, and Lydia is brought to Pemberley to have her baby.  However, eventually Darcy has misgivings about this and decides to contact Wickham to let him know about the baby.  It is with this news that Wickham reforms.  So, Darcy and Elizabeth keep their child, and Wickham and Lydia keep theirs.
     As nice as it would be for Wickham to reform, and as much as it gives a happy ending, I just can't fathom it possible.  Maybe that's just my personal hatred of Wickham, my opinion that he deserves much worse...

My favorite of the single-volume sequels is Mr. Darcy, Vampyre.  The unique storyline made it fun to read.  It starts out the morning of the wedding.  It isn't until that day that Elizabeth begins to notice the occasional tortured expression on his face when he thinks she's not looking.  Elizabeth is confused, thinking that Darcy is rethinking marrying her.  They are taking a very long wedding tour across Europe to members of Darcy's family.  Eventually, she figures out that Darcy is a vampyre and gets the whole story.  Darcy is now very motivated to find a way to rid himself of the vampyre curse.

The Pemberley Chronicles is, at this point, a 10-book series.  It is written very much in the style of Jane Austen.  Admittedly, I only own the first 7 of these books, and have only read the first 5.  However, despite that, I do like the series.  And, before reading the other two series mentioned above, I loved it.  Because it is written in true Jane Austen style, there is no description of the deep passion between Darcy and Elizabeth.  Also, the timeline in these books is vague and hard to follow.  For example, in the first book, one minute, they're coming home to Pemberley as newlyweds, the next Elizabeth's pregnant, then the baby's born, then the child is five years old.  It's very disorienting.

Berdoll, in the preface of Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife, discusses the fact that because Jane Austen was a maiden her whole life and only wrote what she knew, none of her stories go further than the wedding - we never see what goes on behind closed doors.  Both the Darcy Saga and Pride and Prejudice Continues delve much deeper into the immense passion that exists between Darcy and Elizabeth.  In other words, the sexual component of their relationship is much more evident, and can sometimes be quite specific (all you have to do is read the first chapter of Berdoll's Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife to understand what I mean).  This means that if you are a Jane Austen purist, you most likely won't enjoy either of these series.
     One of the main differences between the two series is Mr. Darcy's pre-marriage sex life.  In Berdoll's books, Darcy has been with other women, but always discreetly and never with a virgin (he refused to "deflower" a woman, unlike Mr.Wickham, who had no such qualms) - it was only ever to relieve those manly urges.  This means that sometimes Darcy makes an occasional slip of the tongue that hints to Elizabeth that he has experience.  Although I wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of Darcy being experienced, it certainly adds an interesting element to the plot (probably one reason why Berdoll chose this route).  In Lathan's books, however, Mr. Darcy is educated, but inexperienced (apparently his father had some rather explicit books on sexual positions...).  This, also, makes for some interesting bedroom "scenes".
     The time line for Darcy Saga is much slower than that of the others; the first book comprises only the first 5 months of their marriage, the second the next 4 months, and the third the next 4-5 months (the fourth book comes out Oct. 1).  Pride and Prejudice Continues moves much slower, with the first book covering the first 5 years, and the second the next year (the third book will eventually appear).  I have to say that I prefer Berdoll's books to Lathan's because Berdoll's books move faster and, therefore, don't focus as narrowly on Darcy and Elizabeth as Lathan's do.  However, despite this, I find both series quite good.  I am very much looking forward to the release of their next books.  (In the Arms of Mr. Darcy, the fourth book of the Darcy Saga, will be released on Oct. 5.  The Ruling Passion, the third book of the Pride and Prejudice Continues series as of yet does not have a release date.)
      Interestingly, Berdoll's interest in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice began with the BBC/A&E mini-series, whereas Lathan's began with the 2005 film (both discussed in an earlier blog, if you're interested).

Please share your comments on any of the books mentioned above and feel free to recommend others!

Charlie St. Cloud

I have just returned from seeing the new Zac Efron movie, Charlie St. Cloud, and let me tell you: it was amazing!  If you haven't seen the previews for this movie, let me sum it up

Charlie St. Cloud loves sailing.  He's the captain of the sailing team at his high school and even won himself a sailing scholarship to Stanford!  On the evening following his high school graduation, tragedy strikes: the death of his young brother (ladies, prepare to begin the waterworks).  With Charlie grieving his brother's death wondering why he was the one who lived, he defers his scholarship and stops sailing and instead works at the cemetery as a caretaker.  However, Charlie has such a strong bond with his brother that he can see him and they play catch together every day at sunset.  Then, one day five years later, a girl comes along.  They went to high school together and she is as much an avid sailor as he was.  She is about to embark on a six-month solo race around the world.  One day she takes her boat out into a storm to test it.....and doesn't return.  Charlie must now go in search of her to save her life and only he knows where she is...

Zac did a wonderful job in this movie.  Compared to the other movies he is most known for (High School Musical 1-3, Hairspray, and 17 Again), this is a whole new type of role that he plays very well.  I don't know if I'll see it again while it's in theaters, but it's definitely on my 'to buy when it comes out' list.  I hope y'all enjoy it as much as I did! 

Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Since writing the above, I have read the book (originally titled The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud) by Ben Sherwood.  The book was just as amazing (if not better just because of the way the story is told) as the movie.  There are, of course, the usual artistic liberties were taken with the movie, but that doesn't mean that I didn't like them (there are some movies where these liberties do not make me happy).

Paranormal Activity

I was at the theater recently and watching the previews (which are just the best part of seeing movies) and what comes on but Paranormal Activity 2.  Yes.  I know.  We are all excited about this because, let’s be honest, we were all pretty excited about the first one. 

            Paranormal Activity was filmed in 2006 over a period of a week at the directors’ house using a handheld camera and released in 2009 worldwide.  Directed and written by Oren Peli the movie follows a young couple, Katie and Micah who have just moved in together in a suburban house in San Diego.  The film follows the couple as they investigate the entity that has been following Katie around since she was eight.  Recently the activity has become more common so Micah is determined to figure out what is going on and who is trying to contact his girlfriend.  Unfortunately, the more they try to find out, the more the entity begins to reveal itself.

            This is an edge of your seat thriller.  Although it is low budget and contains no high end visual effects that can stun your senses the film provides more bone chilling and goose bump causing scenes than any other horror movie I have seen to this date.  This film is not like most traditional horror films because there are no scare tactics in it – devoid of any suspenseful music that leaves you hanging you are able to get all the thrill without any of the disappointment.   The use of a handheld camera provides a level of reality that no other thriller does and it lets you really believe that this is really happening and at the end of the movie you find yourself wondering if you were in fact watching a real persons home videos.

            If you enjoy being scared I definitely recommend this movie because, even after watching it several times, I still get chills and have difficulty watching it alone.  Things that go bump in the night….might actually be things.  I was afraid, you will be too.

-S

Sloppy Firsts

Megan McCafferty does an amazing job at bringing to light all the insecurities and inner musings of teenage girls the world over in Sloppy Firsts.  Popularity, boys, school, SAT, college, family, boys, friends, gossip, and, did I mention boys?  As you read through each journal entry you can’t help but think that these are your journal entries from when you were in high school (and, let’s be honest, even from now).

            Jessica Darling begins to document her life the year her best friend, Hope, moves away with her family due to a tragedy in the family.  Without Hope, Jessica is forced to become closer with the other girls in her clique despite the efforts she goes to to keep distant from them.  Throw in some unwanted (or, maybe not so unwanted?) attention from a boy Jessica barely knows and you yourself are thrown back into your high school experience.  As you are reading you begin to feel a part of everything that is going on and you begin to see Jessica, Hope, and the other characters as your personal friends.  When you put the book down you begin to feel withdrawal from your new friends and you are forced to pick it back up and keep reading.

            McCafferty doesn’t just skim the superficial surface of high school life – she goes deeper and really gets to the heart of the problems girls go through, not just in school, but in life.  There isn’t one character that you can’t relate to and, a lot of the time, you find yourself shouting “Yes!” when you come across something you have thought or said.  What is best about this book is that it’s only one in a series.  I have read three of them already and, from high school, to college I have been able to relate the whole way and I am eager for more. 

            Do yourself a favor, pick it up the next time you’re at the bookstore.  Maybe it’s not a classic, but you will definitely feel good after reading the Jessica Darling books.  You’ll laugh, maybe cry, and you will without a doubt fall in love with the characters and yourself in the process.

-S

A Hopeful Heart

While meandering through the bookstore one day, I glanced upon this book: A Hopeful Heart, by Kim Vogel Sawyer.  It wasn't the title that caught my eye, it was the fact that the girl pictured on the cover reminded me of Keira Knightley.  However, after reading the back cover synopsis, I decided to read the first chapter to see how I liked it.  Well, considering I bought and read the book, I guess I liked it.  Actually, I loved it.  How can anyone not enjoy a good love story?

The story takes place in the summer of 1888 in Barnett, KS.  Tressa Neill lost both of her parents when she was young and was raised by an unloving aunt and uncle.  Despite her upper-class education, she is forced to come out to KS by her aunt and uncle for a chance at "second-best" because she will not be accepted by any man of status because she has no dowry.  Along with five other young women from New York, she arrives in Barnett to attend the Wyatt Herdsmen School run by Hattie Wyatt.  Hattie had been a widow for a couple years and began this school to take girls from the East Coast, teach them the duties and responsibilities required to be a successful rancher's wife with the goal of marrying them off to the single ranchers in the town.

Abel Samms was one of these single ranchers who was still nursing a broken heart from the last time he'd fallen in love...with a woman from the East.  Needless to say, he still harbors a grudge against women from the east.  He tries to keep his distance from these young women, but there's something special about Tressa.  Abel has problems of his own to solve, however: over the past two years, he has been the target of a cattle rustler.  Before he can solve the problems of his heart, however, he must find the cattle rustler to save his ranch.

Searching for Pemberley

Searching for Pemberley, by Mary Lydon Simonsen, is a story of Maggie Joyce, a young girl from the small coal-mining town of Minooka, PA.  She moves in with her sisters in Washington D.C. near the end of WWII after finishing school to help the war effort by clerking.  After WWII ends, her sisters move back home and she decides to transfer to Germany with the promise of the chance to transfer to London after a year.

Maggie is a huge fan of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.  Once she finally moves to London, she is trying to get ideas of places to visit on weekends.  When a co-worker suggests her visiting the house that inspired Austen's Pemberley, she gladly jumps at the chance.  During the visit, she is drawn into the whole story of the families that inspired the characters in P&P and is encouraged to visit a family who know a great deal about the Laceys, the family the Darcys are based on.  She becomes very close to this family and visits them often to find out as much as she can about the real people of P&P.  She also takes as many trips as possible to see all the homes of the P&P families.

During her time in England, she wins the hearts of two men: one an American flyboy she met in a local bar and the other the youngest son of the family.  When it is finally revealed to her that the mother of the family she has grown close to is actually a descendant of the great Laceys, and therefore so is her son.  Maggie must now decide which man is right for her.  But which will she choose?

This is a really good story and despite the time period, I wished I could have been there right alongside Maggie touring the English countryside.  I wanted to just jump on a plane England.  And one of these days I will get to do that...  But until then, I will dream of the English countryside...and English gentlemen.

Pride and Prejudice....and Zombies??

Yes, there is a book out there called Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith, based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

I first heard about this book from a friend who said it was hilarious.  Since I trust her judgment, I went ahead and bought it.  However, it was a while before I actually read it.  There was a part of me who was skeptical about how good it would be when I love the original story so much (and, incidentally, I read this book right after reading Pride and Prejudice).  The first page of the book assuaged my fears.  Instead of girls being admired primarily for their beauty and tact, they are admired for their remarkable fighting skills against the 'unmentionables'.  The people you learn to dislike (sometimes with intense passion) - the mother, Lydia, Wickham, Mr. Collins, Caroline - all get their comeuppance in one way or another.  I was very happy to discover that most of the original words were maintained in this new story.  Admittedly, some parts of the original storyline was left out (and unfortunately one of my favorite scenes was left out).  The parts that were altered to fit the whole zombie scenario were done well and very humorously.

So, I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of Pride and Prejudice and/or have seen at least one version of the film.  I'm not sure if it will be as funny to those who have never read Pride and Prejudice or seen the film(s), but hopefully it will still provide a modicum of entertainment.