RA Crossroads No. 2
Masterpiece Classic: The Complete Jane Austen
By Neal Wyatt -- Library Journal, 2/19/2008 11:59:00 AM
As Lewis Carroll’s Alice so aptly points out, "What is the use of a book...without pictures or conversations?" Welcome to RA Crossroads, where books, movies, music, and other media converge and whole-collection reader’s advisory service goes where it may. In this column, Masterpiece Classic: The Complete Jane Austen leads me down a winding path.
For the past couple of Sundays, my friends and I have been watching the Masterpiece Classic Jane Austen fest on PBS. The series is a blast, not just for the stories but also for the litany of moments when we, renowned Austen scholars that we are, cry out, "That’s not in the book!"
Still, overlooking the fact that Persuasion’s Anne Elliot would not have gone running along the street in Bath or the fact that, as lovely as it looked, she and Wentworth did not end the novel waltzing on the yard of a tidy estate, the series has become a TV event. Naturally, a once-a-week dose is not sufficient, and a quest for more Austenesque experiences is inevitable.
If you want to stay in the cinematic world of Austen, then start with Ang Lee’s adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, which follows the book thanks to Emma Thompson’s Oscar-winning screenplay as well as features the same delightful moments of detail and dialog as the PBS films. Thompson’s The Sense and Sensibility Screenplay & Diaries serves as an extended liner note to the movie and makes for great parallel reading. Persuasion starring Amanda Root is another good choice, as it holds tight to the book and is beautifully shot.Those willing to leave Austen’s realm may enjoy The Flambards. Based on t
he K.M. Peyton YA novels, this lovingly filmed series, set around the time of World War I, tells the story of Christina, a young orphan sent to live with her cousins in a decaying country estate. Fans should also consider Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre starring Toby Stephens (who knew a cocky villain from a Bond movie could pull off the darkly brooding Rochester?). It is a lush and evolving film, perfect for viewers who are enthralled by the nuance and design of the Masterpiece series.
Jane Eyre the book makes a good readalike for Austen. Brontë, while darker, had the same wit and rhythm and set her book firmly in a social world she did not hesitate to comment upon. The novels of Georgette Heyer, while much lighter, work, too. Those who enjoy the bossy glee of Austen’s Emma might like The Grand Sophy, while fans of Elizabeth Bennet and Anne Elliot may want to try Frederica. The producers of the Masterpiece series must have made the connection because there are scenes from the Austen series, e.g., the shopping outing in Northanger Abbey, that could
be dust jackets for Heyer’s novels.
Readers can also consider the range of Austen spin-offs available. A good place to start is the trilogy by Pamela Aidan: An Assembly Such as This, Duty and Desire, and These Three Remain. They capture Austen’s wit and style very well as they riff on Pride and Prejudice.
Of course, no Austen marathon would be complete without mention of Colin Firth. Masterpiece is playing Pride and Prejudice, in which he plays Mr. Darcy, through Feb. 24. Check out his interview with Bridget Jones on the DVD edition of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.
