A Tale of Two Cities Week: Tag and Guest Post!

 Eva over at Ramblings of a Janeite is holding a Tale of Two Cities blog party, which is SO EXCITING!!  Um, anyways.  First of all, I had the privilege to guest post over there today; you can find my post here.

Secondly, Eva posted a lovely tag, which of course I had to do.  So here it is!

• How were you introduced to A Tale Of Two Cities?

Well, I've been aware of Dickens since I was very little, but it's been only recently that I was actually interested.  I started reading some Dickens books about half a year or so ago, and started talking Dickens with friends, and Eva recommended the ATOTC musical (I couldn't read the book at the time).  I completely fell in love with it, and recently I read the book and loved it even more. 

• Have you read the book, seen a movie adaption, and/or watched/listened to the musical? 

As I said above, I've watched and listened to the musical and read the book.  I don't know if there's a good movie/TV adaptation, so I haven't watched any yet. :P

• Who is your favorite character? 

Good grief.  Why such hard questions???  Ummm...well, I could say Charles because he's so gentlemanly and sweet, or Sydney because he's so self-sacrificial and redeemed and all, or pick a minor character...but I'm going to go with Lucie Manette.  She's like Cosette, only with a bit more personality, plus all the other characters would want me to pick her.  At least, Charles and Sydney would.

• Who is your least favorite character? 

Madame Defarge.  She's just awful.  M. Defarge isn't that good either, but he's mostly just cowardly, whereas Madame Defarge is seriously evil, IMO.

• What's one of your favorite scenes from the book (if you've read it)? 

Probably the seamstress scene (even though it makes me SOB).  It's just so bittersweet and gorgeous. <3 i="" nbsp="">

• What's one of your favorite songs from the musical (if you've watched it)? 

Erm...I love them all!!  Do I have to choose just one?  Natalie Toro is AMAZING during "Out of Sight, Out of Mind," but the singer isn't enough to make me choose the song.  "If Dreams Came True" and its reprise, "Reflections," "The Wedding," and "Until Tomorrow" all make my top favorites list, but I guess my very very favorite song would have to be "Never Say Goodbye".  It's amazing.

• Share some of your favorite quotes! (book or musical) 

 Well, the opening lines are amazing 'cause they're just so classic.  Also, any of Sydney's quotes to the seamstress, and the ending lines.  Basically, all of these. ;)

• What was the last ATOTC-related thing you did/watched/read? 

I'm listening to the soundtrack as I write...

• What character do you think you're the most like?

Most like?  Um.  Well, if I had a Very Good Opinion of myself, I'd say that I'm most like Lucie Manette...but if I were really like Lucie, I would be too modest to think that I was actually like Lucie.  What a paradox.
Ah, why am I even talking about this.  Okay.  I guess I'd be most like Mr. Lorry, because he's the most average/normal character, if you know what I mean. ;)

• If you could meet any character, who would it be and why?

 Lucie would be good--she's so sweet.  Or Sydney, so I could give him a hug.  Or Charles, because he's so gentlemanly.  Can I have all three? ;)

Thanks for doing this, Eva!
-Miss Jane Bennet

Disney Princess: A Boat-Load of Reviews

My apologies for my scarcity of late--this seems to be my way of opening every post, doesn't it?  Anyways.  Frozen and Tangled have "reawakened" my interest in Disney Princess, so I thought I'd do a collective review of each princess movie I've watched.  I know, it's not the usual topic of conversation 'round here...but who cares. :P

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

• Princess: Snow White
• Prince: The Prince (Prince Florian, Prince Ferdiand)
• Villain: Queen Grimhilde 

I was seriously obsessed by this movie as a kid.  Now...well, Snow White can be very annoying at times, and the animation isn't the best (although it really isn't fair to compare--sink me!--this movie to the later ones), but it's just so classic, and it was such a huge part of my childhood, I can't help being charmed by it.

Cinderella

• Princess: Cinderella
• Prince: Prince Charming
• Villain: Lady Tremaine, Anatasia, Gizella

For some reason, I never liked this movie when I was younger.  Not sure why, I just didn't.  Maybe it was because I didn't like the dress, or thought "Charming" was a stupid name, but for whatever reason, I violently protested against watching it. :P  Lately though, I've been watching clips from it and I don't know why I was so unreasonable.  Plus, it inspired Broadway Cinderella, which is one of my second- or third-favorite musicals (yes, I have more than one second- and third-favorite.  Don't judge.).

Sleeping Beauty

• Princess: Aurora
• Prince: Philip
• Villain: Maleficent, Maleficent's Crow, Maleficent's Goons

Prince Philip is pretty cool for a Disney prince, I must say.  He fights dragons, and rides through giant rainbows--what's not to like? :D  Anyways.  This is one of my favorites.  There's a heroic prince, a beautiful princess, some fun fairies...yup.  Love it.  (Yes, this is silly.  No, I don't care.)

The Little Mermaid

• Princess: Ariel
• Prince: Eric
• Villain: Ursula, Flotsam, Jetsam

Little disclaimer here: I do not think very highly of the Little Mermaid herself.  She's a spoiled brat, although she does have some good points.  But I still love this movie.  The familial love in it, the hilarious Flounder and Sebastian, the humor in general, Ursula being a delightful villain...yep.  It's just adorable.

Beauty and the Beast

• Princess: Belle
• Prince: Adam
• Villain: Gaston, LeFou, Flammers, Forkers, Lumberjacks

I mentioned in my last post that this was my favorite fairytale, and I wasn't lying.  This movie (and its corresponding Broadway musical) is AMAZING.  It's hilarious in places and sad and lonely in others.  I adore Belle's relationship with her father and her romance with Prince Adam.  I admire the emotion they managed to put into this and the gorgeous music and Belle's bookwormishness.  In other words...let's just say, I love it all! (Yes, Elsaba, I quoted you, don't sue me please. ;))

Aladdin

• Princess: Jasmine
• Prince: Aladdin
• Villain: Jafar, Iago

This movie...I have mixed feelings about.  It has some gorgeous songs (not to mention Lea Salonga's voice!), a nice little romance (though it gets a bit ridiculous sometimes), a hero who's a bit like Flynn Ryder, and, of course, the best sidekick-guy EVAH.  But Jasmine's pretty rebellious (and immodest), and it can get a bit creepy/weird sometimes.  Not my favorite, but not my least-favorite either. 

Mulan

• Princess: Mulan
• Prince: Li Shang
• Villain: Shan Yu

And here's another one with Lea Salonga!  I really, really like this movie.  The dragon-thingy (can you tell I haven't seen Mulan in awhile?) is really funny, the romance-ish-thing is sweet, Mulan herself is strong without being too out-of-sorts with her family (admittedly, she runs off to war against her family's wishes, but at least she had good intentions), and it's just a fun ride.

Tangled

• Princess: Rapunzel
• Prince: Flynn Rider
• Villain: Mother Gothel

TANGLED TANGLED TANGLED FOREVER.  If you've read my glowing review of Frozen, you will perhaps have an idea of how much I adore Tangled. (I like it better than Frozen...only slightly, though!  Don't kill me, please.)  Flynn and Rapunzel and Maximus and Pascal and Mother Gothel and, well, EVERYBODY are so well-rounded and believable, and the romance is sweet and the songs are lovely and the animation is just gorgeous.
In short:  I'm a devoted Tangled fangirl. (What do you call them, anyway?  Anybody know?)

 

Brave

• Princess: Merida
• Prince: N/A
• Villain: Mor'du (evil prince) 

  Brave is, um...not my kind of movie. :P  It does have its good points, but it's my least-favorite Disney princess movie.  Merida (and her siblings) is a brat, there's too much creepiness and Dark Evil Music, the villain is one-dimensional (in terms of characterization), and I don't much like all the talk about "changing your fate".  However, the Scottish accents are amazing, the mother is a pretty good role model, and some of the music is haunting and beautiful.

Frozen

 

 

• Princess: Anna and Elsa
• Prince: Hans and Kristoff
• Villain: Hans and the Duke of Weselton, and also Elsa, to some extent, I suppose...

  FROZEN IS AMAZING.  Just...amazing.  I wrote a review of it here, but if you don't want to take the trouble of reading it, my opinion, in short, is that this is a lovely, gorgeous movie with a good Christian message and awesome characters.  

And that's it, the Disney movies I've seen!  Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! :)

Book Lover Giveaway and Link-Up!

Jessica Greyson is holding a Book Lover's Giveaway for Valentine's Day, and she's holding a link-up!  Here is the post about it...and now, without further ado, onto the questions!

What book do you love but everyone else seems to hate (or dislike)?

Erm...I don't know...I read a lot of books. :P  Howard Pyle's Robin Hood, maybe?  Of course, I don't really "love" it either, but I do enjoy it, and it seems like not many other people do. ;)

What book does everyone else seem to love, but you just can’t get into?

Divergent by Veronica Roth.  I attempted to read it awhile ago, and...urgh.  Not my type of book.

Love in books—love or hate it?

That depends.  I don't really like romance being the center of a book, but I do enjoy romantic "side plots," and I don't mind it if the hero has a love interest.

What is your favorite friendship/brotherhood/sisterhood in a book?

Ummm...goodness, do I have to choose just ONE?  There are so many great ones: Johnny and Rab from Johnny Tremain, Combeferre and Enjo from (you guessed it) Les Mis, Alyssa and Eana from a book I was privileged to beta-read...but if I had to choose, I'd say that I LOVE the friendship between Holmes and Watson from Sherlock Holmes--it's just so unique and amazing.  

Do you “ship” couples when you read? What are some of your favorite ships—that sailed or didn’t?

End. Of. Story.

 Yep.  Enjonine's probably my biggest ship (because it SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED), but I have so many other ones.  Cehan (Cosette and Jehan), Raoul/Christine (they're so perfect together! *cue Frozen music*), Kili/Tauriel (okay, so that's from a movie), Jo/Laurie, Cap Garland/Laura (yes, they were real people, but still...), Rose/Charlie...I could go on.

Do you still exchange Valentines?

No...

Your favorite Valentine gift, chocolate, flowers or something else? Chocolate, dark, milk, white—other?

Mint chocolate.  'Nuff said, really.
Your personal views on Valentine’s day?

I don't like all the commercial stuff about it, but I think if you take away all that, it's a sweet holiday.

Favorite sweet Read?

I'm not quite sure what this means...if you mean romance novel, The Scarlet Pimpernel. ;)

Favorite fairytale and why?

When I was little, I loved Disney's Snow White, and really, I still kind of do.  I love Beauty and the Beast (again, Disney) because Belle's love of books reminded me so much of me ;P, Cinderella the Broadway musical...but this is getting waaaaayy off-track here.  My favorite fairytale is Beauty and the Beast, because the romance between Belle and Prince Adam (if that's his name) is a beautiful, slow-growing one, mature one, and Belle actually has a good relationship with her father.

Favorite romantic gesture in a book?

Ummm...how about Mr. Knightley's behavior to Emma, in general? Haha...otherwise, I adore the part in Little Dorrit where Amy comes to stay in debtors' prison with Arthur.

Do you have a favorite “romantic movie” for that you like to watch?

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982).

Favorite Literary couple and why?

Mr. Knightley and Emma.  I love "childhood romances," and Mr. Knightley is so gentlemanly and loving towards Emma...it's amazing. Favorite opinion about love from a Character? (like Jo in Little Women...to her it was an awful idea).Olaf (from Frozen)'s, probably.  "Love is...putting someone else's needs before yours."

Favorite quote about love? 
Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs. (Proverbs 10:12)
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
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. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

And there it is!  For more information on the giveaway, go here.
Thanks for doing this, Jessica!