Like the title says, it's just a quick note. As I'm sure many of you already know, Google Friend Connect is gone. I have joined Bloglovin' and put the button on my blog, so everyone can follow me without GFC.
Another quick note is that I am very annoyed because I can't find a good barricade boys personality quiz! I just finished listening to Les Mis (again!) and my love of all of them (especially...er...I can't decide right now...maybe Je[h]an Prouvaire??) has risen again.
I will definitely be doing some Les Mis-themed posts soon...maybe I'll make my own personality quiz...but I hope everyone has a great evening! :)
The musings of a book-loving child of God...
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
In Which I Go All Philippa On You
Have you noticed that I'm a bit addicted to ellipses? Well, I am. They're so expressive! :D
...Anyway...
Y'all know who Philippa is, right? In case you didn't, well, she's a character from Anne of the Island who can never make up her mind. She's funny and one of my favorite characters...along with almost everybody else. :D
I was vacillating between several post options for today- A character study (groan!) of Diana Barry or Elinor Dashwood (two of my Very Favorite Characters) or a review of P&P95.
But then...I remembered at least three other posts that I'd considered doing, and soon I was lost in a hopeless muddle of choices.
...That's when I remembered Philippa. Thinking with amusement how much I was acting like her, I decided that I would act like her and did eeny, meeny, miny, moe. The post I picked was...
A review of The Story Girl!
This will be a short review- just a summary and my thoughts on it.
Oh, and The Story Girl will hereafter be abbreviated as TSG.
TSG is about a group of cousins and their friends who live on Prince Edward Island. (Rather obviously, since the author of TSG is L. M. Montgomery.)
It is narrated by Beverley King, who, along with his younger brother Felix, is coming to stay with their cousins and their aunts and uncles. The main character is Sara Stanley, the "Story Girl," who is called so because she has such great gifts of storytelling.
It's a book that's sort of like Elizabeth Enright's books- it tells about the little adventures that the children have. The Story Girl generally tells a story in every chapter, which definitely makes this book more interesting. Some of her stories were really funny or creepy.
I definitely enjoyed this book, as much as the Anne books and perhaps more. Beverley was a great narrator and Sara Stanley was fascinating. The cast of characters was rather amusing:
Felicity King, a very pretty, very vain girl.
Peter Craig, the hired boy who has a crush on Felicity.
Felix King, Beverley's younger brother who is fat and very sensitive about it.
Cecily King, the sweet, patient girl- although she is flawed. She's sort of like Beth in Little Women, only slightly less...perfect. She Spoiler comes to the same end, though, I think End of Spoiler.
Dan King, the typical mischievous prankster boy.
Sara Ray, the neighbor girl who cries at every single thing she can.
Sara Stanley, the Story Girl, who has an almost magical power in her voice.
And, of course, Beverley King, the narrator. Some people have complained that he didn't have a personality, but I thought of him as being sort of a shy, intellectual boy who still enjoyed playing outside.
All of them thrown together make for some pretty fun adventures. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoyed reading Anne of Green Gables or Emily of New Moon. It was fun and I found myself really caught up in the characters and story and wondering what would happen next. There wasn't as much character development as in AGG, which is perhaps because TSG had a narrator who was looking back at those years, but it was a great book nonetheless.
Notes: Tomorrow I will post the first episode of P&P95!! I'm so excited...
I have a dream cast almost ready for TSG, so it should come up sometime next week.
-Miss Jane Bennet
...Anyway...
Y'all know who Philippa is, right? In case you didn't, well, she's a character from Anne of the Island who can never make up her mind. She's funny and one of my favorite characters...along with almost everybody else. :D
I was vacillating between several post options for today- A character study (groan!) of Diana Barry or Elinor Dashwood (two of my Very Favorite Characters) or a review of P&P95.
But then...I remembered at least three other posts that I'd considered doing, and soon I was lost in a hopeless muddle of choices.
...That's when I remembered Philippa. Thinking with amusement how much I was acting like her, I decided that I would act like her and did eeny, meeny, miny, moe. The post I picked was...
A review of The Story Girl!
This will be a short review- just a summary and my thoughts on it.
Oh, and The Story Girl will hereafter be abbreviated as TSG.
TSG is about a group of cousins and their friends who live on Prince Edward Island. (Rather obviously, since the author of TSG is L. M. Montgomery.)
It is narrated by Beverley King, who, along with his younger brother Felix, is coming to stay with their cousins and their aunts and uncles. The main character is Sara Stanley, the "Story Girl," who is called so because she has such great gifts of storytelling.
It's a book that's sort of like Elizabeth Enright's books- it tells about the little adventures that the children have. The Story Girl generally tells a story in every chapter, which definitely makes this book more interesting. Some of her stories were really funny or creepy.
I definitely enjoyed this book, as much as the Anne books and perhaps more. Beverley was a great narrator and Sara Stanley was fascinating. The cast of characters was rather amusing:
Felicity King, a very pretty, very vain girl.
Peter Craig, the hired boy who has a crush on Felicity.
Felix King, Beverley's younger brother who is fat and very sensitive about it.
Cecily King, the sweet, patient girl- although she is flawed. She's sort of like Beth in Little Women, only slightly less...perfect. She Spoiler comes to the same end, though, I think End of Spoiler.
Dan King, the typical mischievous prankster boy.
Sara Ray, the neighbor girl who cries at every single thing she can.
Sara Stanley, the Story Girl, who has an almost magical power in her voice.
And, of course, Beverley King, the narrator. Some people have complained that he didn't have a personality, but I thought of him as being sort of a shy, intellectual boy who still enjoyed playing outside.
All of them thrown together make for some pretty fun adventures. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoyed reading Anne of Green Gables or Emily of New Moon. It was fun and I found myself really caught up in the characters and story and wondering what would happen next. There wasn't as much character development as in AGG, which is perhaps because TSG had a narrator who was looking back at those years, but it was a great book nonetheless.
Notes: Tomorrow I will post the first episode of P&P95!! I'm so excited...
I have a dream cast almost ready for TSG, so it should come up sometime next week.
-Miss Jane Bennet
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Another Review- With Pictures!
Yesterday, I realized that I have yet to review either Pride and Prejudice movie that I've seen. (1995 and 2005.) Therefore, I decided to review them, starting with the 2005 one. I watched the '05 version first, and since everybody knows I like the '95 version (I am a member of the P&P95Forever Club!), nobody knows my sentiments on the '05 version.
So, here's my review!
Lizzy (the filmmakers spelled it ‘Lizzie,’ the horror!) is played by Keira Knightley. My Mom doesn’t like KK, but I was no judge when I watched this because the only movie I’d ever seen her in was The Phantom Menace, when she’s Padme’s double. All throughout this movie I kept thinking, “She looks like Padme.” Then at the end of the movie, I suddenly remembered- duh, she’s supposed to! ;)
She’s pretty…and she’s calm and sweet…and to be honest, she
might be my favorite Jane. Rosamund Pike
acts her pretty much perfectly and this Jane totally made me sympathize with
her.
To be honest, I didn’t find him that much of an airhead. He was sort of…clueless, I guess, and he was a bit too happy-go-lucky, but I didn’t find him that annoying. He actually struck me as being sweet and caring. In fact, I think he and Jane were pretty much perfect for each other.
Mrs. Bennet, played by Brenda Blethyn, was too sympathetic. I could actually understand her feelings and sometimes I felt sorry for her. That is not supposed to happen.
I did not like this guy. Donald Sutherland was just all wrong. He was too old (maybe that’s accurate, but I would prefer an inaccurate guy who’s truer to ‘my’ Mr. Bennet), too slipshod, and his voice was too scratchy and deep. He dropped his British accent a couple times, but there were also a few scenes where he really shone. When he’s comforting Mary and when he gives his consent to Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage…I can almost forgive him for the rest of the movie. ;)
Talulah Riley had the same problem as Mrs. Bennet: she was just too sympathetic. I thought she was reasonably pretty and it just frustrated me that she wouldn’t wash her hair or trouble about her clothes, because she could have been a lot prettier if she’d just been more careful about her appearance. She didn’t seem very stuck-up or foolish, and she had a pretty nice voice. She seemed more like your average teenage girl who isn’t as pretty as others in her family than a boring prig.
As a rule, I like Carey Mulligan. She’s a good actress. In this one, she performed an Anthony Andrews-esque feat: she managed to make her character be a foolish, silly girl while still making her likable. I felt sort of sorry for her. She doesn’t have the wisdom to realize that Lydia is not a very good person and she doesn’t have the strength to resist Lydia’s pull. When I heard in the book that Kitty managed to grow up respectably, I was very happy, and Carey Mulligan just reinforced this impression in the few minutes of screen time she got.
I do NOT like the character of Lydia. At ALL. But Jena Malone did a great job portraying her as a wild, silly girl. She was portrayed as a pretty shallow person and they weren’t too sympathetic with her. Her boy-crazy ways received no softening. I liked this Lydia portrayal okay.
Due to the length of the film (only 2 hours), I didn’t get
to see much of Charlotte. But what I did
see was reasonably good. I thought that
Charlotte’s flying-off-the-handle bit when she tells Lizzy that she’s marrying
Mr. Collins was very natural and well done.
She was patient and kind and, like most of the characters, I liked this
character okay.
Yikes. This Lady Catherine
was SCARY. I liked Judi Dench’s
portrayal all right. She was very
impressive, but like Mr. Bennet, I felt that she was too old. Also, she seems to be wearing her hair down
in this photo…not sure what’s up with that.
She seemed a bit unnatural, and I felt sort of apathetic about her, but
overall Dench did a good job.
I think that the real problem with this movie was that they
made everyone too sympathetic. Mrs.
Bennet, Mary Bennet…and Mr. Collins. He
was sort of short and dry and he seemed to go well with Charlotte. I could understand when Charlotte married
him. Which was all right, I guess…and I
definitely liked his portrayal in general…but he just wasn’t Mr. Collins,
somehow.
Um. She did a good job, but she appeared in, what? Two scenes? Tamzin Merchant played her well, but we didn’t see much of her, so…I’m not sure.
No, this isn’t from the 2005 one. This one is from 1940. But Lizzy’s expression was so funny…:D
I think my sentiments have already been made clear on this
one. Darcy goes wandering around in his
pajamas and meets Lizzy in her pajamas.
That would NEVER happen. And the
DIALOGUE!
Nitpicks
· The ENDING! That extra scene they added…ugh. All that kissing.
Things I Liked
· The Bennets interacted like a real family. You could tell that they really cared about each other.
Overall
Overall, it was a great movie. I would definitely watch it again. It’s not as good as The Other Version, but if you can’t spare five hours this is the one to watch! The actors and actresses were all at least reasonably good, the dialogue was good most of the time, and there were some really good scenes in it. It’s a good movie to introduce someone to the world of Jane Austen as it’s a well-made movie and of a reasonable length.
So, here's my review!
The Synopsis
Sparks fly when spirited Elizabeth Bennet meets single,
rich, and proud Mr. Darcy. But Mr. Darcy reluctantly finds himself falling in
love with a woman beneath his class. Can each overcome their own pride and
prejudice?
The Characters
Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley)
Lizzy (the filmmakers spelled it ‘Lizzie,’ the horror!) is played by Keira Knightley. My Mom doesn’t like KK, but I was no judge when I watched this because the only movie I’d ever seen her in was The Phantom Menace, when she’s Padme’s double. All throughout this movie I kept thinking, “She looks like Padme.” Then at the end of the movie, I suddenly remembered- duh, she’s supposed to! ;)
Anyway…
I thought that KK did a very good job in this movie. My Mom, who, as I’ve stated, doesn’t like
Keira Knightley, liked her in this one.
KK is 20, she’s sparkling and vivacious, and she’s gorgeous. Now I know that Jane is supposed to be
prettier than Lizzy, but really, neither of them would be very pretty by the
standards of the Regency era. So, I’ll
just be satisfied with that.
Of course, seeing her as a bookworm and an English
gentlewoman was strange, considering that I’ve seen her in a Star Wars movie and Pirates of the Caribbean. But
other than that, I loved her in this role.
She almost ties with Jennifer
Ehle in terms of Lizzy.
…Although it is a little weird to be always expecting
Elizabeth Bennet to pull out a blaster and start shooting droids. ;)
Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen)
 |
| Darcy, Potions Master at Hogwarts... |
Fitzwilliam Darcy, the proud, rich English gentleman who has
an awesome mansion and despises the heroine, is played by
Matthew Macfadyen. Which is sort of
funny, because MM also plays a poor, humble debtors’ prison inhabitant who
admires the heroine. ;)
Aka Arthur Clennam.
For me, this Darcy just didn’t “click.” I thought he was sort of creepy-looking and
that he looked a lot like Severus Snape.
He seemed more shy than proud and when he proposes for the first time,
it seems like Lizzy way overreacted- especially since he apologized several
times before starting to insult her.
And the scene…in the pajamas…ugh. Really, Darcy. Just…ugh.
And seriously? “Your hands are
cold.”
The dialogue goes something like this:
Darcy: Will you marry me?
Lizzy: Your hands are cold.
Darcy: Yay!
Whaaat? Not your
usual proposal.
(I’m planning on doing a P&P95 vs. 05 comparison
soon…another idea I forgot…but you can guess which Darcy will win.)
Jane Bennet (Rosamund Pike)
 |
| The BONNET...so PRETTY.. |
Mr. Bingley (Simon Woods)
To be honest, I didn’t find him that much of an airhead. He was sort of…clueless, I guess, and he was a bit too happy-go-lucky, but I didn’t find him that annoying. He actually struck me as being sweet and caring. In fact, I think he and Jane were pretty much perfect for each other.
And. The proposal
scene.
Eeeek! I loved
it. Jane was laughing and crying,
Bingley was grinning like all get out…awwww…
The Other Bennets
Mrs. Bennet (Brenda Blethyn)
Mrs. Bennet, played by Brenda Blethyn, was too sympathetic. I could actually understand her feelings and sometimes I felt sorry for her. That is not supposed to happen.
Mr. Bennet (Donald Sutherland)
I did not like this guy. Donald Sutherland was just all wrong. He was too old (maybe that’s accurate, but I would prefer an inaccurate guy who’s truer to ‘my’ Mr. Bennet), too slipshod, and his voice was too scratchy and deep. He dropped his British accent a couple times, but there were also a few scenes where he really shone. When he’s comforting Mary and when he gives his consent to Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage…I can almost forgive him for the rest of the movie. ;)
Mary Bennet (Talulah Riley)
Talulah Riley had the same problem as Mrs. Bennet: she was just too sympathetic. I thought she was reasonably pretty and it just frustrated me that she wouldn’t wash her hair or trouble about her clothes, because she could have been a lot prettier if she’d just been more careful about her appearance. She didn’t seem very stuck-up or foolish, and she had a pretty nice voice. She seemed more like your average teenage girl who isn’t as pretty as others in her family than a boring prig.
Kitty Bennet (Carey Mulligan)
As a rule, I like Carey Mulligan. She’s a good actress. In this one, she performed an Anthony Andrews-esque feat: she managed to make her character be a foolish, silly girl while still making her likable. I felt sort of sorry for her. She doesn’t have the wisdom to realize that Lydia is not a very good person and she doesn’t have the strength to resist Lydia’s pull. When I heard in the book that Kitty managed to grow up respectably, I was very happy, and Carey Mulligan just reinforced this impression in the few minutes of screen time she got.
…Plus, I love the bonnet and gown in the picture…
Lydia Bennet (Jena Malone)
I do NOT like the character of Lydia. At ALL. But Jena Malone did a great job portraying her as a wild, silly girl. She was portrayed as a pretty shallow person and they weren’t too sympathetic with her. Her boy-crazy ways received no softening. I liked this Lydia portrayal okay.
Charlotte Lucas/Collins (Claudie Blakley)
Lady Catherine De Bourgh (Judi Dench)
Mr. Collins (Tom Hollander)
George Wickham (Rupert Friend)
 |
| He needs pointy ears...at first I thought he WAS Orlando Bloom. |
At first, I didn’t like this Wickham. He was too handsome, too charming…and I
wasn’t sure about the ponytail. Then I
remembered that Wickham isn’t supposed to act or look like a creep…he’s supposed
to be very handsome and charming. The
scene at the ribbon shop really showed that.
I’m still not sure about the ponytail, but Friend definitely got Wickham
down pat in the few minutes of screen time he got.
Georgiana Darcy (Tamzin Merchant)
Um. She did a good job, but she appeared in, what? Two scenes? Tamzin Merchant played her well, but we didn’t see much of her, so…I’m not sure.
The First Proposal
Anyway…
I didn’t really like that scene. Darcy doesn’t look angry at all, just
heartbroken, and it seemed to me like Lizzy just flew off the handle. He apologized before insulting her, for
heavens’ sakes!
…However, I think I’m subconsciously comparing this movie to
the 1995 one. As no other P&P movie
can ever measure up to that one…
I’ll stop.
ANYWAY.
It was a reasonably good scene.
The Second Proposal Scene
…Enough ranting. It
was a pretty good scene, I guess, and when the rising sun bursts between them…well,
that was enough to make up for the inaccuracy.
J
By the way, have you noticed that in both the ’95 version
and the ’05 version, Darcy has two experiences: he wanders around in his
pajamas imagining about Lizzy, and he gets soaking wet and meets Lizzy.
Nitpicks
· The ENDING! That extra scene they added…ugh. All that kissing.
·
There’s no wedding! I waited for two hours for Lizzy and Darcy to
get together. I want to see them get married!
·
I know the Bennets lived on a working farm and
there probably would be dirt everywhere, but I don’t think they’d have pigs in
the house and no lawn to speak of.
·
Elizabeth lost her temper too easily. In those days, politeness was all-important,
and she would not have run away from her parents, shouting, “For once in your
life leave me ALONE!” Nobody would do
that.
Things I Liked
· The Bennets interacted like a real family. You could tell that they really cared about each other.
·
Most of the actors and actresses were the right
age.
·
The scenery and sets were gorgeous.
·
The scene where Darcy and Bingley are practicing
Bingley’s proposal…that really showed their friendship. ;)
·
Bingley’s proposal. Awww…it made up for all of Simon Woods’
mistakes.
Overall
Overall, it was a great movie. I would definitely watch it again. It’s not as good as The Other Version, but if you can’t spare five hours this is the one to watch! The actors and actresses were all at least reasonably good, the dialogue was good most of the time, and there were some really good scenes in it. It’s a good movie to introduce someone to the world of Jane Austen as it’s a well-made movie and of a reasonable length.
…Of course, I’d prefer the unreasonable length. ;)
Well, that's my review! Please tell me what you think of this movie in the comments. :)
-Miss Jane Bennet
Well, that's my review! Please tell me what you think of this movie in the comments. :)
-Miss Jane Bennet
Friday, June 21, 2013
Time Marches On
...and it's Friday again, so I'm doing another interview with VK. Each of us picked five questions and combined them, and now the other's character has to answer all ten. This time, VK's character Rose and my character Rosamond are answering the questions. Rosamond's answers to the questions should be up on VK's blog soon, and without further ado, here are Rose's answers!
7:What is one thing you wish you could do?
8:What is your favorite school subject?
9:What is your favorite book?
10: What is your favorite hymn?
1: What is your name.
My Name is Rose Du Roy' Eaglewing
2: How many siblings do you have?
I have one big brother, two little sisters and two little brothers.
3: What do you imagine doing as an adult.
I am a finder, that is all I am that is all I ever hope to be.
4: Using one word describe yourself.
Stubborn
5:What is your favorite color.
Red, A bright rose red.
6: What is your favorite sport?
Running
I don't know if there is anything I can't do. I
find a way to do anything. I wish though My father was still around. I
kind of miss him.
I don't know exactly. I liked school I really
did but I liked what I liked when I liked it and don't you dare try to
get me to do something else at that time. Ma let me learn at my own pace
I am all over the place as far as grades go but Ma says that is Ok as
long as I learn and know how to find information.
What is a book.... VK what is a book.
A scroll Rose.
OH!!!!
I see! Ummmm We have a lot of really great stories from my world and I
have read them all... multiple times. Favorite, I have none I will read
what I want to when I want to if I want to.
A shelter in the time of storm
Thank you to VK and Rose!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
A Review
I finally ran out of interesting titles (for the moment...) so I just called this "A Review."
I finished Little Dorrit, so now that I'm finished singing "One Day More" every time I get on the computer...
I loved it. I will definitely read more of Dickens' works- in fact, I've already started in on A Tale Of Two Cities. But before I get too off track, I'll go into what I liked and what I didn't about this book.
I LOVED the main character. Little Dorrit was so sweet, caring, and giving, and she really loved her family even when they all looked down on her.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (NIV)
-1 Corinthians 13:4–8a
Little Dorrit seems to embody that. She's forgiving, loving, patient, kind...I could go through the entire list showing how she has each of those characteristics, but I don't want to give anything away. Those of you who have read the book know how sweet she is, and those who haven't should read it without any further delay.
Arthur Clennam immediately jumped to my favorite heroes list. (Still have to do a post on that, hmmmm...) He pities Little Dorrit and, although he has some flaws (like being completely clueless about people's emotions), he is an upright, honorable, kind man and one that I'd love to know.
Edmund Sparkler was rather...well, for lack of a better word I'd have to say funny, but it isn't that. It's more like...cute, maybe? Anyway, I found him to be good comic relief- which is sorely needed in Little Dorrit.
I didn't like Fanny or Tip- Tip because he just didn't show up often enough for me to get to know him, and Fanny because she didn't seem evil. I mean, occasionally I'd get annoyed with her, but mostly I just despised her. Maybe it's because of the movie...I should see that soon. :)
Mr. Dorrit...ugh. Just ugh. ;)
Blandois? Yikes! That guy was creepy- I was literally yelling at Dickens, "Come on! Tell me what he's going to do already!" My family thought I was crazy, but it seemed to work. ;)
The little side story of Tattycoram was sweet and I really liked the lesson in it.
'O, Mrs Clennam, Mrs Clennam,' said Little Dorrit, 'angry feelings and unforgiving deeds are no comfort and no guide to you and me. My life has been passed in this poor prison, and my teaching has been very defective; but let me implore you to remember later and better days. Be guided only by the healer of the sick, the raiser of the dead, the friend of all who were afflicted and forlorn, the patient Master who shed tears of compassion for our infirmities. We cannot but be right if we put all the rest away, and do everything in remembrance of Him. There is no vengeance and no infliction of suffering in His life, I am sure. There can be no confusion in following Him, and seeking for no other footsteps, I am certain.'
I don't think Dickens was a Christian, but Little Dorrit was!
The main thing I didn't like about Little Dorrit was that the characters and plot sometimes felt contrived- I felt like Dickens had just created them to get his point across and that they wouldn't "live on" after I'd closed the book. Sometimes the characters just weren't real enough for me, and I felt like the author didn't care about them. And if the author doesn't care about a character, how is that character going to survive?
Well, that's my take on Little Dorrit. If you're interested, you can read it online here, and if you want it free on Kindle, it's here.
Notes: I have a LOT of post ideas, if I can just get them written down. I'm going to do a top ten favorite heroes post, a TSP34 review, a Jeeves and Wooster review (I'm reading through these and laughing hysterically at them!), a post on my favorite secondary characters, and a post on the most controversial subject of them all... *Cackles diabolically*
Really, it's going to be controversial if past experiences are any judge. I'll leave you in suspense for a while though...;)
Please comment and tell me what you think and what you'd like to hear next! Maybe I'll do a poll later...
-Miss Jane Bennet
I finished Little Dorrit, so now that I'm finished singing "One Day More" every time I get on the computer...
I loved it. I will definitely read more of Dickens' works- in fact, I've already started in on A Tale Of Two Cities. But before I get too off track, I'll go into what I liked and what I didn't about this book.
I LOVED the main character. Little Dorrit was so sweet, caring, and giving, and she really loved her family even when they all looked down on her.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (NIV)
-1 Corinthians 13:4–8a
Little Dorrit seems to embody that. She's forgiving, loving, patient, kind...I could go through the entire list showing how she has each of those characteristics, but I don't want to give anything away. Those of you who have read the book know how sweet she is, and those who haven't should read it without any further delay.
Arthur Clennam immediately jumped to my favorite heroes list. (Still have to do a post on that, hmmmm...) He pities Little Dorrit and, although he has some flaws (like being completely clueless about people's emotions), he is an upright, honorable, kind man and one that I'd love to know.
Edmund Sparkler was rather...well, for lack of a better word I'd have to say funny, but it isn't that. It's more like...cute, maybe? Anyway, I found him to be good comic relief- which is sorely needed in Little Dorrit.
I didn't like Fanny or Tip- Tip because he just didn't show up often enough for me to get to know him, and Fanny because she didn't seem evil. I mean, occasionally I'd get annoyed with her, but mostly I just despised her. Maybe it's because of the movie...I should see that soon. :)
Mr. Dorrit...ugh. Just ugh. ;)
Blandois? Yikes! That guy was creepy- I was literally yelling at Dickens, "Come on! Tell me what he's going to do already!" My family thought I was crazy, but it seemed to work. ;)
The little side story of Tattycoram was sweet and I really liked the lesson in it.
'O, Mrs Clennam, Mrs Clennam,' said Little Dorrit, 'angry feelings and unforgiving deeds are no comfort and no guide to you and me. My life has been passed in this poor prison, and my teaching has been very defective; but let me implore you to remember later and better days. Be guided only by the healer of the sick, the raiser of the dead, the friend of all who were afflicted and forlorn, the patient Master who shed tears of compassion for our infirmities. We cannot but be right if we put all the rest away, and do everything in remembrance of Him. There is no vengeance and no infliction of suffering in His life, I am sure. There can be no confusion in following Him, and seeking for no other footsteps, I am certain.'
I don't think Dickens was a Christian, but Little Dorrit was!
The main thing I didn't like about Little Dorrit was that the characters and plot sometimes felt contrived- I felt like Dickens had just created them to get his point across and that they wouldn't "live on" after I'd closed the book. Sometimes the characters just weren't real enough for me, and I felt like the author didn't care about them. And if the author doesn't care about a character, how is that character going to survive?
Well, that's my take on Little Dorrit. If you're interested, you can read it online here, and if you want it free on Kindle, it's here.
Notes: I have a LOT of post ideas, if I can just get them written down. I'm going to do a top ten favorite heroes post, a TSP34 review, a Jeeves and Wooster review (I'm reading through these and laughing hysterically at them!), a post on my favorite secondary characters, and a post on the most controversial subject of them all... *Cackles diabolically*
Really, it's going to be controversial if past experiences are any judge. I'll leave you in suspense for a while though...;)
Please comment and tell me what you think and what you'd like to hear next! Maybe I'll do a poll later...
-Miss Jane Bennet
Friday, June 14, 2013
An Interview With My Partner!
Well, I'm doing another interview with VK today! This time the interview is about the stories we're writing. So, here goes!
7. Was it the characters or the plot that first inspired your book?
8. What type of scene do you enjoy writing the most? i.e. sad scenes, celebration
9. What is the biggest way this book has affected your life?
10. Are any of your characters based on a real person or a character from a different book?
1: Give a brief synopsis
Eaglwing family looses Dad, Eldest brother seriously wounded. family decides to join the crew of strangers from the sky.
Death strikes, Faith is shaken, Friendships made, Babies born. It is all in the life of the six month voyage there and back.
2: What is the lesson you are trying to teach.
I wanted to show how, even though someone is a christian we can mess up,
I also wanted to Kind of do a spoof on the Noah ark story, What would
it be like after such a catastraphy took place.
3: What inspired this story
Star Trek... Yep it is one of my favorite non christian series. I like
how they weaved in Morales into the story without really blatantly
saying it.
4: How does your mood affect your book?
Quite a bit. If I am upset I am very likely to kill a character, if I am
happy I bring in Elsie and Elise. If I am dealing with a problem I work
it into the story. About halfway (Chapter ten) through the book My
pastor informed me that the School was writing essays on why they were
pro-life. This fact would not leave me alone so I worked it into the
story.
5: Do you like to eat, drink or have anything playing (Mozart, and such) while writing.
For
me I write better if I have a glass of tea and a platter of chocolate
chips with sound tracks of my favorite songs playing. No I don't do
Mozart for if it doesn't already have words put to it I will focus on
putting words to the song instead of writing the story.
6. Do you like writing in a notebook or on a computer better?
I prefer a Computer.
The
Characters, My original idea was to have Elm (original name was Author)
married to a girl named Kathwren (Original name was Gwen) and that
they were the captain and first officer of this space ship from a world
at the edge of the milky way galaxy then I decided I needed to move it
so I sent it to Andromeda then I discovered that the people were just to
complex so I backed up the series to before Kathwren was born and
intorduse Elm and Oak... even then it is too big so I have backed it up
even further and written a few legends to give the people whys and hows
to their insanity.
scenes, etc.
I
am a tragedy writer. I have never really fit into a crowed myself so I
like to take one of my emotions and develop a story around it. My
personal favorite is bitterness. I have harbored a lot due to a person
who expected more out of me than I was capable. Then they suddenly died
and I was left in almost shock as I discovered what I had done due to
the fact that I was so angry at them and then I turned it to myself and
basically crumpled.
It
has given me a sense of confidence. I can write, I can do it. It may
not make complete sense, it may not be completely coherent but it works
and it is down on paper. There is no feeling greater than when you
complete something you were told you would never be able to do.
They actually kind of all are, Each character has a person or persons I
base it off of. Someone I can watch then when I place them in a
situation in which I really don't know how they would react I will, go
to that person and ask what they would do in this place. Elsie and Elise
for instance is Kendra, (my sister) and Elm and Oak are based of two
men I know. LOL
Thank you VK!!! :)
Thursday, June 13, 2013
It's Probably A Little Old...
...but it's still fun.
You see, I found this tag a while ago, on Story Girl, and it made me laugh. It's an old tag (from January 2012!) but I hope I can still do it. Here goes:
First, pick 12 literary characters before you look at the questions.
1.Edmund Sparkler
2.Lady Catherine De Bourgh
3.Mary Musgrove nee Elliot
4.Pippin (from LOTR)
5.Dorcas Lane
6.Edmund Bertram
7.Isabella Thorpe
8.Beatrice (from Much Ado About Nothing)
9.Elinor Dashwood
10.Lord Anthony Dewhurst
11.Marius Pontmercy (from the musical)
12.Philip Elton
Now I answer the questions!
1. Who would make a better college professor, 6 (Edmund Bertram) or 11 (Marius Pontmercy)?
Er...Edmund, I think. They're both in love, but maybe Edmund would do less sighing over it. ;)
2. 12 (Philip Elton) sends 8 (Beatrice) out on a mission. What is it? Does it succeed?
To make Harriet feel thoroughly uncomfortable. And yes, it definitely succeeds. ;)
3.What is, or what would be, 9 (Elinor Dashwood)'s favorite book?
Elinor's favorite book? Probably a non-thrilling, comfortable classic like The Moffats. I really don't know...
4. Would it make more sense for 2 (Lady Catherine) to swear fealty to 6 (Edmund Bertram) or the other way around?
Need you ask? The other way around. ;)
5. Number 5 (Dorcas Lane) is looking for a roommate. Should s/he room with 9 (Elinor Dashwood) or 10 (Lord Tony)?
Ummm...I think that Dorcas would definitely get along better with Elinor.
6. 2 (Lady Catherine), 7 (Isabella Thorpe), and 12 (Philip Elton) are going out to dinner. Where are they going and what do they discuss?
WOW. Talk about an unpleasant trio. Well, Lady Catherine would choose some high-end restaurant and order everything and then talk about how tasteful she is in matters of food. Mr. Elton would agree with everything she said, and Isabella would prattle on about her new gowns and ask Lady Catherine for tips on how to manage men. ;)
7. 3 (Mary Musgrove) challenges 10 (Lord Tony) to a duel. Who wins?
Mary, the always sick one, challenge anyone to a duel? Talk about mind-bending.
Lord Tony is a sportsman and would NEVER fight a woman, so I guess Mary would win...
8. If 1 (Edmund Sparkler) stole 8 (Beatrice)'s most precious possession, how would s/he get it back?
If Sparkler stole...um, Hero, maybe?...I guess that Beatrice would make Benedick fight Sparkler for her...
9. Suggest a story title in which 7 (Isabella Thorpe) and 12 (Philip Elton) both get what they want.
How to Marry Someone Rich...or something to that effect. ;)
10. What kind of plot device would you have to use to get 1 (Edmund Sparkler) and 4 (Pippin) to work together?
Pippin would fall in love with a girl with no nonsense about her, and Sparkler would help him get her to fall in love with her...
Or maybe Mrs. Sparkler would command Sparkler to help Pippin. THAT would certainly work. ;)
11. If 7 (Isabella Thorpe) visited you for the weekend, how would it go?
Well, to be honest, I probably wouldn't see how shallow she really was, so having her over for the weekend might be sort of fun. :(
12. If you could command 3 (Mary Musgrove) to perform any service or task for you, what would it be?
Mary probably couldn't do much...so I'd just have her stop complaining. :D
13. If 2 (Lady Catherine) had to choose sides between 4 (Pippin) or 5 (Dorcas Lane), what side would s/he choose?
Probably Pippin because it would be more easy to manipulate him...
14. What might 10 (Lord Tony) shout while charging into battle?
For once an easy one! "For the Scarlet Pimpernel!", of course!
15. If you had to choose a song to best describe 3 (Mary Musgrove), what would it be?"A Hypochondriac Song." No explanation needed. ;)
16. 1 (Edmund Sparkler), 6 (Edmund Bertram), and 12 (Philip Elton) are having dim sum at a Chinese restaurant. There is only one scallion pancake left, and they all reach for it at the same time. Who gets it?Wait. Tell me again why those three are going out together?
But assuming they are for some strange reason...
Edmund Bertram is far too well-mannered and Elton is sort of polite, so Sparkler gets it, I guess.
17. What would 5 (Dorcas Lane) most likely be arrested for?
She's far too law-abiding...
18. What is 6 (Edmund Bertram)'s secret?
He always loved Fanny, but his father disapproved, so he pretended to love Mary Crawford.
19. If 11 (Marius) and 9 (Elinor) were racing to a destination, who would get there first?
Marius. Elinor is too proper and ladylike to run very fast, even if she could, which is doubtful. Also, you have to admit that Marius is pretty strong.
20. If you had to walk home through a bad neighborhood late at night, who would you be more comfortable walking with, 7 (Isabella Thorpe) or 8 (Beatrice)?
Isabella wouldn't be much protection, but she could probably scream very well. Beatrice, on the other hand...well, she might defeat any bad guys that came along, but she probably wouldn't spare me either. So, I'll go with Isabella.
21. 1 (Edmund Sparkler) and 9 (Elinor Dashwood), reluctantly team up to save the world from 4 (Pippin)'s sinister secret organization. 11 (Marius) volunteers to help them, but it is later discovered that s/he is actually a spy for 4 (Pippin). Meanwhile, 4 (Pippin) has kidnapped 12 (Philip Elton) in an attempt to force their surrender. Following the wise advice of 5 (Dorcas Lane), they seek out 3 (Mary Musgrove), who gives them what they need to complete their quest. What title would you give this fiction?
Sparkler and Elinor discover that Pippin has deposed Sauron and has formed the KNJ (King Nick Jonas) in an attempt to make Nick Jonas the king of Les Miserables. Marius, of course, has joined the KNJ Club, but he follows the wise example of Javert and pretends to join Sparkler (who thinks Elinor is a fine girl with no nonsense about her) and Elinor. With the help of Marius, Pippin has captured Philip Elton to try to charm Cosette into liking the Nick Jonas version. Following the wise advice of Dorcas Lane, the seek out Mary Musgrove, who directs them to Nick Jonas' agent. The agent is horrified at the idea of Nick Jonas taking over the world of Les Mis and goes with them to convince Nick Jonas that it's a bad idea.
What title would I give this fiction?
...Well, I'll steal an idea from the awesome blog Sink Me! (at tieyourowncravat.blogspot.com) and call it Nick Jonas is My Favorite Marius...Said No One, Ever.
Here's who I'm tagging:
Abilaine
Bethany
Lucy Stewardson
V. Kathie Ardnek
Kendra E. Ardnek
...And anyone else who wants to do this tag! :)
You see, I found this tag a while ago, on Story Girl, and it made me laugh. It's an old tag (from January 2012!) but I hope I can still do it. Here goes:
First, pick 12 literary characters before you look at the questions.
1.Edmund Sparkler
2.Lady Catherine De Bourgh
3.Mary Musgrove nee Elliot
4.Pippin (from LOTR)
5.Dorcas Lane
6.Edmund Bertram
7.Isabella Thorpe
8.Beatrice (from Much Ado About Nothing)
9.Elinor Dashwood
10.Lord Anthony Dewhurst
11.Marius Pontmercy (from the musical)
12.Philip Elton
Now I answer the questions!
1. Who would make a better college professor, 6 (Edmund Bertram) or 11 (Marius Pontmercy)?
Er...Edmund, I think. They're both in love, but maybe Edmund would do less sighing over it. ;)
2. 12 (Philip Elton) sends 8 (Beatrice) out on a mission. What is it? Does it succeed?
To make Harriet feel thoroughly uncomfortable. And yes, it definitely succeeds. ;)
3.What is, or what would be, 9 (Elinor Dashwood)'s favorite book?
Elinor's favorite book? Probably a non-thrilling, comfortable classic like The Moffats. I really don't know...
4. Would it make more sense for 2 (Lady Catherine) to swear fealty to 6 (Edmund Bertram) or the other way around?
Need you ask? The other way around. ;)
5. Number 5 (Dorcas Lane) is looking for a roommate. Should s/he room with 9 (Elinor Dashwood) or 10 (Lord Tony)?
Ummm...I think that Dorcas would definitely get along better with Elinor.
6. 2 (Lady Catherine), 7 (Isabella Thorpe), and 12 (Philip Elton) are going out to dinner. Where are they going and what do they discuss?
WOW. Talk about an unpleasant trio. Well, Lady Catherine would choose some high-end restaurant and order everything and then talk about how tasteful she is in matters of food. Mr. Elton would agree with everything she said, and Isabella would prattle on about her new gowns and ask Lady Catherine for tips on how to manage men. ;)
7. 3 (Mary Musgrove) challenges 10 (Lord Tony) to a duel. Who wins?
Mary, the always sick one, challenge anyone to a duel? Talk about mind-bending.
Lord Tony is a sportsman and would NEVER fight a woman, so I guess Mary would win...
8. If 1 (Edmund Sparkler) stole 8 (Beatrice)'s most precious possession, how would s/he get it back?
If Sparkler stole...um, Hero, maybe?...I guess that Beatrice would make Benedick fight Sparkler for her...
9. Suggest a story title in which 7 (Isabella Thorpe) and 12 (Philip Elton) both get what they want.
How to Marry Someone Rich...or something to that effect. ;)
10. What kind of plot device would you have to use to get 1 (Edmund Sparkler) and 4 (Pippin) to work together?
Pippin would fall in love with a girl with no nonsense about her, and Sparkler would help him get her to fall in love with her...
Or maybe Mrs. Sparkler would command Sparkler to help Pippin. THAT would certainly work. ;)
11. If 7 (Isabella Thorpe) visited you for the weekend, how would it go?
Well, to be honest, I probably wouldn't see how shallow she really was, so having her over for the weekend might be sort of fun. :(
12. If you could command 3 (Mary Musgrove) to perform any service or task for you, what would it be?
Mary probably couldn't do much...so I'd just have her stop complaining. :D
13. If 2 (Lady Catherine) had to choose sides between 4 (Pippin) or 5 (Dorcas Lane), what side would s/he choose?
Probably Pippin because it would be more easy to manipulate him...
14. What might 10 (Lord Tony) shout while charging into battle?
For once an easy one! "For the Scarlet Pimpernel!", of course!
15. If you had to choose a song to best describe 3 (Mary Musgrove), what would it be?"A Hypochondriac Song." No explanation needed. ;)
16. 1 (Edmund Sparkler), 6 (Edmund Bertram), and 12 (Philip Elton) are having dim sum at a Chinese restaurant. There is only one scallion pancake left, and they all reach for it at the same time. Who gets it?Wait. Tell me again why those three are going out together?
But assuming they are for some strange reason...
Edmund Bertram is far too well-mannered and Elton is sort of polite, so Sparkler gets it, I guess.
17. What would 5 (Dorcas Lane) most likely be arrested for?
She's far too law-abiding...
18. What is 6 (Edmund Bertram)'s secret?
He always loved Fanny, but his father disapproved, so he pretended to love Mary Crawford.
19. If 11 (Marius) and 9 (Elinor) were racing to a destination, who would get there first?
Marius. Elinor is too proper and ladylike to run very fast, even if she could, which is doubtful. Also, you have to admit that Marius is pretty strong.
20. If you had to walk home through a bad neighborhood late at night, who would you be more comfortable walking with, 7 (Isabella Thorpe) or 8 (Beatrice)?
Isabella wouldn't be much protection, but she could probably scream very well. Beatrice, on the other hand...well, she might defeat any bad guys that came along, but she probably wouldn't spare me either. So, I'll go with Isabella.
21. 1 (Edmund Sparkler) and 9 (Elinor Dashwood), reluctantly team up to save the world from 4 (Pippin)'s sinister secret organization. 11 (Marius) volunteers to help them, but it is later discovered that s/he is actually a spy for 4 (Pippin). Meanwhile, 4 (Pippin) has kidnapped 12 (Philip Elton) in an attempt to force their surrender. Following the wise advice of 5 (Dorcas Lane), they seek out 3 (Mary Musgrove), who gives them what they need to complete their quest. What title would you give this fiction?
Sparkler and Elinor discover that Pippin has deposed Sauron and has formed the KNJ (King Nick Jonas) in an attempt to make Nick Jonas the king of Les Miserables. Marius, of course, has joined the KNJ Club, but he follows the wise example of Javert and pretends to join Sparkler (who thinks Elinor is a fine girl with no nonsense about her) and Elinor. With the help of Marius, Pippin has captured Philip Elton to try to charm Cosette into liking the Nick Jonas version. Following the wise advice of Dorcas Lane, the seek out Mary Musgrove, who directs them to Nick Jonas' agent. The agent is horrified at the idea of Nick Jonas taking over the world of Les Mis and goes with them to convince Nick Jonas that it's a bad idea.
What title would I give this fiction?
...Well, I'll steal an idea from the awesome blog Sink Me! (at tieyourowncravat.blogspot.com) and call it Nick Jonas is My Favorite Marius...Said No One, Ever.
Here's who I'm tagging:
Abilaine
Bethany
Lucy Stewardson
V. Kathie Ardnek
Kendra E. Ardnek
...And anyone else who wants to do this tag! :)
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Another Contest!
Well, I'm doing another P&P95Forever Club contest! This time, we have to find a picture and write an appropriate caption. I'm not sure if mine counts since it's two pictures, but I'll enter it anyway...
Here it is!
And there it is!
(Sorry about the size, if it was any bigger it wouldn't fit on this post.)
-Miss Jane Bennet
Here it is!
And there it is!
(Sorry about the size, if it was any bigger it wouldn't fit on this post.)
-Miss Jane Bennet
Monday, June 10, 2013
Can You Hear the Clennams Sing?...
Hi all!
I haven't posted for a while, and that is simply because I had nothing very interesting to say. Now, however...
First, let me just say that I just found out Chauvelin's first name!!! How cool is that?
(By the way, it's Armand. Any and all who are members of the Down With Armand! Club are welcome to use this little tidbit as they wish.)
Anyway...
I am one of those people who thinks that everything can be improved with music. I'm reading Little Dorrit right now (it's by Dickens, in case you didn't know), and I began to think what a great musical it would make. You could have all sorts of sad songs sung by (who else?) Amy Dorrit, and a bunch of awesome duets by Clennam and Amy (Little Dorrit is just too lengthy to type all the time), and Mr. Dorrit could have some funny song...one with lots of hemming and hawing, heh heh...
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I wanted to state the reasons that Little Dorrit would make a great musical in a logical order. But it's not too late!
My reasons are, first,that Lady Catherine desires it that the storyline is just great musical material. It can be condensed without taking anything away, so the actresses and actors don't have to stand on a stage singing for four hours straight. (Sorry, BBC. I love the length of your movies. But it just wouldn't work for a musical. Probably. But what do I know??)
ANYWAY. The storyline is pretty much this: A girl named Amy Dorrit has been born and brought up in a debtors' prison, where her widowed father has been for the last twenty-two years. A man named Arthur Clennam meets her one day because she works at his mother's house, feels sorry for her, and tries to help her. Then he and his friend discover that the Dorrits have inherited a fortune and are now extremely rich. That's as far as I've gotten, but I know that Spoiler!! Clennam marries Amy, who is hopelessly (and I mean as in she doesn't think her love is returned) in love with him. End of Spoiler.
The end.
Wouldn't that make a very convenient musical storyline? Excellent song material- which brings me to my next point.
Just off the top of my head, I can think of a lot of songs that could be made out of that. When the family discover that they're rich, when being rich and not having to work and traveling is so unfamiliar to Little Dorrit, when Clennam realizes he loves her...and those are just a few examples. Nearly all the plot points are great for songs.
Let me see, what was my third point?...Oh yes, that many of the Dickens works have been made into very good, if not popular, musicals. Oliver Twist, for example. Or A Tale of Two Cities. Those are both pretty good musicals and Oliver Twist, at least, used to be tremendously popular. I think another musical adaptation of one of Dickens' works would be very well received. Assuming it was good, of course, but that's another matter altogether.
Fourth, it's a really good story. There has already been a pretty successful and (from what I hear, anyway) very good movie made out of it, and I think a Little Dorrit musical would be well received.
So those, in brief, are my reasons for wanting a Little Dorrit musical. I'm thinking of doing a dream cast, please comment and tell me whether you like my idea or not. I'm not very familiar with singers/actresses/actors either, so if you could give me suggestions for a dream cast, that would be extremely helpful! :)
Oh yeah, and while I'm not a composer, I am a bit of a poetand you did not know it! so I just might write words to future songs in the (hopefully!) future musical, Little Dorrit.
Notes: My apologies for this short post. As soon as I finish Little Dorrit, I will write a review of it, so keep a lookout for that. I think that's it...
And please comment and tell me what you think of a Little Dorrit musical!
-Miss Jane Bennet
I haven't posted for a while, and that is simply because I had nothing very interesting to say. Now, however...
First, let me just say that I just found out Chauvelin's first name!!! How cool is that?
(By the way, it's Armand. Any and all who are members of the Down With Armand! Club are welcome to use this little tidbit as they wish.)
Anyway...
I am one of those people who thinks that everything can be improved with music. I'm reading Little Dorrit right now (it's by Dickens, in case you didn't know), and I began to think what a great musical it would make. You could have all sorts of sad songs sung by (who else?) Amy Dorrit, and a bunch of awesome duets by Clennam and Amy (Little Dorrit is just too lengthy to type all the time), and Mr. Dorrit could have some funny song...one with lots of hemming and hawing, heh heh...
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I wanted to state the reasons that Little Dorrit would make a great musical in a logical order. But it's not too late!
My reasons are, first,
ANYWAY. The storyline is pretty much this: A girl named Amy Dorrit has been born and brought up in a debtors' prison, where her widowed father has been for the last twenty-two years. A man named Arthur Clennam meets her one day because she works at his mother's house, feels sorry for her, and tries to help her. Then he and his friend discover that the Dorrits have inherited a fortune and are now extremely rich. That's as far as I've gotten, but I know that Spoiler!! Clennam marries Amy, who is hopelessly (and I mean as in she doesn't think her love is returned) in love with him. End of Spoiler.
The end.
Wouldn't that make a very convenient musical storyline? Excellent song material- which brings me to my next point.
Just off the top of my head, I can think of a lot of songs that could be made out of that. When the family discover that they're rich, when being rich and not having to work and traveling is so unfamiliar to Little Dorrit, when Clennam realizes he loves her...and those are just a few examples. Nearly all the plot points are great for songs.
Let me see, what was my third point?...Oh yes, that many of the Dickens works have been made into very good, if not popular, musicals. Oliver Twist, for example. Or A Tale of Two Cities. Those are both pretty good musicals and Oliver Twist, at least, used to be tremendously popular. I think another musical adaptation of one of Dickens' works would be very well received. Assuming it was good, of course, but that's another matter altogether.
Fourth, it's a really good story. There has already been a pretty successful and (from what I hear, anyway) very good movie made out of it, and I think a Little Dorrit musical would be well received.
So those, in brief, are my reasons for wanting a Little Dorrit musical. I'm thinking of doing a dream cast, please comment and tell me whether you like my idea or not. I'm not very familiar with singers/actresses/actors either, so if you could give me suggestions for a dream cast, that would be extremely helpful! :)
Oh yeah, and while I'm not a composer, I am a bit of a poet
Notes: My apologies for this short post. As soon as I finish Little Dorrit, I will write a review of it, so keep a lookout for that. I think that's it...
And please comment and tell me what you think of a Little Dorrit musical!
-Miss Jane Bennet
Friday, June 7, 2013
An Interview With My Partner
Before I get to the main point of my post, let me give a big thank you to Anne-girl for organizing the June Crusade! It must take a lot of work to set up all the activities you've planned for June, and I really appreciate it. So, thank you, Anne-girl!!!
And now...
The lovely VK, who blogs at Singin' My Own Song, is my partner in the June Crusade. We are doing several activities together, and we decided to interview each other and post our partner's answers on our respective blogs. So without further ado, here are her answers!
2. Do you prefer typing or writing by hand?
3. What is your favorite genre?
4. Why do you like to write?
5. Do you like to write poetry or any other type of writing besides novels?
6. What is one weird fact about you?
7. What is your favorite thing to do besides writing?
8. What do you do when you get writers' block?
9. Where do you want to live when you grow up?
10. Which character was the most fun to write in your story?
And now...
The lovely VK, who blogs at Singin' My Own Song, is my partner in the June Crusade. We are doing several activities together, and we decided to interview each other and post our partner's answers on our respective blogs. So without further ado, here are her answers!
1. Where is your favorite place to write?
Either on my bed or at my desk. I come up with scenes while going on walks or doing yard work.
Since it is really hard to read my handwriting and I hate holding pencils (They hirt) I prefer typing.
Sci-Fi or Hi-Fi
A
couple of reasons one, It gives me a time to let my emotions out
without hirting myself in the prosses. As Kendra once said Authors are
the only people in the world who can come to the dinner table and sit
down and announce that they have killed someone that day without anyone
thinking twice about it.
Second: I want to be like my sister. I always have
and since she is a published Author I want to be one too. I am not that
good but I enjoy doing it anyways.
My first love is poetry. I have written
about forty songs/poems about twenty or so are published the rest are
in notebooks and documents waiting for me to rewrite them again and
again till I know it is ok to be published. Some though I never will
because they are... personal. Most of my songs have been lost due to the
fact that I never wrote them down. There was a time in which I wrote a
new song daily but since I didn't know how to write it down at the time I
never got them on paper. (Not that they were any good.)
One
weird fact. People say I am weird all the way around. I was
home-schooled, I tiptoe, I talk to animals, I used to preach to my goat,
I used to scratch my back like a dog, I don't wash berries when I pick
it off the vine, Messes drive me nuts. My way of dealing with my temper
is moving dead branches and putting them in the burn pile. and the list
can go on. It is almost daily when I am out that somebody raises an
eyebrow at me. (Which is another weird thing about me, I like getting
that look. I think eyebrows are so cute.)
Music,
horses, and children with special needs take up most of my time. I love
to teach I love to learn. I sew, I train my rabbits, I draw, I do
photography I fiddle, People call me a jack of all trades and the master
of none. I say I know enough about it to get in trouble but not enough
to get back out.
I
go for a walk, I read a book, I talk to my sister and tell her what I
am trying to do and if I can't get out of it that way I switch books and
work on another one. I have ignored Akeaka, Cloaked, The great Cowboy
Round-up, and most of my other stories for months because I don't know
what to do with them.
I
want to live on a large ranch with lots of horses and adopt special
needs children.I don't care where I haven't really studied very many
places and except for the heat it is quite nice where I live now.
Jack Bell. A boy who invents things, is my favorite of the boys and Rose Eaglewing is my favorite of the girls.
So that is VK! You should see my answers to her interview up on her blog within a couple days. :)
Again, thank you to Anne-girl for making this possible!
-Miss Jane Bennet
Character Tag
Anne-girl has challenged the characters to answer some questions about their authors. I got tagged by VK- or rather, Kate got tagged by VK. I told Kate to answer them, so with much grumbling, I'm handing the mouse over to her. I'm dreading her answers...
Switch to Kate.
Hi! I'm Kate. This is my sister Melody. Apparently I have to answer some questions about my author. Since she controls my every move, it shouldn't be hard.
1. Describe your author in one word.
Rather strange...oh, wait- that's two words. Just "strange" then. ;)
2. If your author had a theme song, what would it be?
A theme song, huh? Probably something by Handel.
3. If you could pick an actor to play your author, who would it be?
A young Amanda Root, maybe.
4. What are your author's strengths?
She's kind and thoughtful...
5. Weaknesses?
Impatience and lack of focus.
6. What type of laugh does he or she have?
A high, quick one. Sometimes it's a low chuckle, too.
7. Any strange hobbies?
Umm...she used to fence...she used to dance...she likes to get up insanely early...;)
8. What was the weirdest thing she did for her writing?
She bought a pretty notebook and then wrote in it nonstop for twenty pages. :)
9. If you could make her do one thing differently, what would it be?
Lots of things. :) Well, really only that she'd actually keep writing a story till she's done. It's a bit hard on other characters to be inside an unfinished story.
10. What is your favorite thing about her writing?
Her characters. ;) Well, actually her plot devices. :)
I finally wrestled the mouse away from Kate, so now I'm back again. I really liked this tag!
-Miss Jane Bennet
Switch to Kate.
Hi! I'm Kate. This is my sister Melody. Apparently I have to answer some questions about my author. Since she controls my every move, it shouldn't be hard.
1. Describe your author in one word.
Rather strange...oh, wait- that's two words. Just "strange" then. ;)
2. If your author had a theme song, what would it be?
A theme song, huh? Probably something by Handel.
3. If you could pick an actor to play your author, who would it be?
A young Amanda Root, maybe.
4. What are your author's strengths?
She's kind and thoughtful...
5. Weaknesses?
Impatience and lack of focus.
6. What type of laugh does he or she have?
A high, quick one. Sometimes it's a low chuckle, too.
7. Any strange hobbies?
Umm...she used to fence...she used to dance...she likes to get up insanely early...;)
8. What was the weirdest thing she did for her writing?
She bought a pretty notebook and then wrote in it nonstop for twenty pages. :)
9. If you could make her do one thing differently, what would it be?
Lots of things. :) Well, really only that she'd actually keep writing a story till she's done. It's a bit hard on other characters to be inside an unfinished story.
10. What is your favorite thing about her writing?
Her characters. ;) Well, actually her plot devices. :)
I finally wrestled the mouse away from Kate, so now I'm back again. I really liked this tag!
-Miss Jane Bennet
Monday, June 3, 2013
P&P95Forever Club Contest!
As those who have examined the blog buttons on my sidebar will know, I am a member of the P&P95Forever Club. They just posted a new game in which you write an advice column.
Perhaps I need to explain further. I (and anyone else who wants to enter the contest) have to write a letter asking for advice on some subject from anyone- and then an answering letter full of wise advice from Mrs. Bennet.
That sentence just made me laugh. :D
Anyway, the people who enter the contest are supposed to post their entry on their blog, and then comment on the P&P95Forever Club site with the link to their post.
So, here is mine. It's a letter from Lady Marguerite Blakeney (The Scarlet Pimpernel) to Mrs. Bennet's advice column, I Can Help You Find A Husband (with five THOUSAND a-YEAR!).
Perhaps I need to explain further. I (and anyone else who wants to enter the contest) have to write a letter asking for advice on some subject from anyone- and then an answering letter full of wise advice from Mrs. Bennet.
That sentence just made me laugh. :D
Anyway, the people who enter the contest are supposed to post their entry on their blog, and then comment on the P&P95Forever Club site with the link to their post.
So, here is mine. It's a letter from Lady Marguerite Blakeney (The Scarlet Pimpernel) to Mrs. Bennet's advice column, I Can Help You Find A Husband (with five THOUSAND a-YEAR!).
Dear Mrs. Bennet,
Oh, dear, I am in such a sorry plight! I really do not know what to do. I recently married Sir Percy Blakeney,
Baronet. I thought he loved me, but a
mere twenty-four hours after our wedding all love for me seemed to vanish. You see, I, in the foolishness of youth,
denounced the Marquis St. Cyr and his family to the French Revolution. He was guillotined. As soon as Percy heard of this, he seemed to
lose all love and trust for me. He still
gives me many presents and showers jewels upon me, but those don’t make me
happy. He seems to be indifferent to my
sufferings. I have practically begged
him to forgive me, to no avail. Please
give me advice! I want my husband's love
back.
Very sincerely yours,
Lady Marguerite Blakeney
My DEAR Lady Blakeney,
WHAT an HONOR it is to have a correspondence with such an
important personage as yourself! My
nerves are so dreadfully in a flutter. I
have such poor nerves, Lady Blakeney, and my husband has no compassion on
them. It is really terrible of him.
You are so FORTUNATE to have married such a man as Sir Percy
Blakeney! A baronet! I wish my girls had been half so lucky. My youngest, dear Lydia WICKHAM, recently married a Mr. Wickham. He is such a charming, handsome man, but as
he is a soldier (and a most IMPORTANT one too!) he hasn’t much money to
spare. As you are so rich, perhaps you
could send him and Lydia a bit of help occasionally. I know they could use some help with their
rent, poor souls.
You get presents of jewels and they don’t make you
happy? What more could you want? You should not be so selfish. My poor Lydia is so poor, and yet she makes
do very well. She is always so cheerful,
and never complains.
You are really too lucky.
My girls should have caught that baronet. However, I suppose that Jane, my eldest
daughter, is much more beautiful than you are, and had he but seen her first,
he would have completely forgotten you. However, we cannot all have what we want, and
my Jane has five THOUSAND a-YEAR! So I
am very happy for her, even though it really would have been better for her to
have married Sir Percy. I expect his
fortune is very large.
I congratulate you on your extremely fortunate match. It is no doubt much more than you deserve.
Wisely yours,
Mrs. Bennet, would-be baroness
Well, I hope you like it!
-Miss Jane Bennet
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