rose_griffes (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rose_griffes) wrote2014-09-15 09:25 pm
rose_griffes) wrote2014-09-15 09:25 pm
a book and a movie rewatch
Austenland, by Shannon Hale: well, it was a book. It didn't end up in the "I hate it so much that I'd like to fling it against the wall" category, but I definitely didn't love it. Which is a bit unfortunate, since it was loaned to me by a friend who was certain that it would be just my thing.
The basic premise of Austenland itself was part of the problem. It's a creative premise, I'll grant that. If you're a rich enough woman (this fictional universe only talked of women clients), and you have enough of an interest in Jane Austen's novels, you can sign up for their package vacation, in which you play a character and interact with other paying participants and paid actors. Heck of a vacation. Add in the idea that the management wants its clients to have a satisfactory Austen-esque romantic experience, and then throw in a leading character who is struggling to figure out why her own love life has been so dismal, and I just ended up feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed. So. Not a ringing endorsement for the book. Maybe ten years ago I would have enjoyed this a lot more.
In more positive news, I just rewatched Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, and it's still delightful. Though I was amused to discover that one scene looked very different in my memory than how it played onscreen, and the ending was far more shippy than I remember it.
It's available on Netflix streaming now, so if you haven't watched it yet and have Netflix, give it a try.
The basic premise of Austenland itself was part of the problem. It's a creative premise, I'll grant that. If you're a rich enough woman (this fictional universe only talked of women clients), and you have enough of an interest in Jane Austen's novels, you can sign up for their package vacation, in which you play a character and interact with other paying participants and paid actors. Heck of a vacation. Add in the idea that the management wants its clients to have a satisfactory Austen-esque romantic experience, and then throw in a leading character who is struggling to figure out why her own love life has been so dismal, and I just ended up feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed. So. Not a ringing endorsement for the book. Maybe ten years ago I would have enjoyed this a lot more.
In more positive news, I just rewatched Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, and it's still delightful. Though I was amused to discover that one scene looked very different in my memory than how it played onscreen, and the ending was far more shippy than I remember it.
It's available on Netflix streaming now, so if you haven't watched it yet and have Netflix, give it a try.
no subject
Changing it to Jane buying her own way makes the whole thing somewhat less squicky, but I'm not sure I'd like the tradeoff of adding in mockery of people wanting to have a fannish experience, though.
I did know about the movie, though not until after it had left theaters. After reading the book, I'm not exactly in a rush to see the movie. (Not saying never, just... not going to make any effort to do so.) I'm glad that the actress playing "Miss Charming" brought something to the role, because she was part of what made the book such an uncomfortable experience. But even Miss Charming, in all her awfulness, isn't judged as harshly by the novel as Amelia is, because Miss Charming is at least 'real' in her awfulness and Amelia, who turns out to be the consummate Austen fan/bored housewife, is 'fake.' Yeah... did I mention my problem with the whole "not like those other women" element? Bleurgh.
Huh, looking over the wikipedia entry, there were a LOT of other changes from book to movie. It really was a rather slight book, which is part of why I finished: it was too hard to justify putting aside such a short novel. That, and I still have to give it back to the friend who loaned it to me. ;-P