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[selenak]

Yuletide nominations are open. I went for Star Trek: Discovery, The Americans (with the canon finished now, a whole new area of fictional possibilities arises), and Susan Howatch's Starbridge series, about which more here. In that case, I deliberately nominated the female characters because much as I like those books, they're relentlessly male centric, even the one female pov entry, and I want someone fleshing out the women for me.

Also, four or so years belatedly, I've fallen for The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, i.e. the adaption of Pride and Prejudice consisting of video blogs made mainly, but not exclusively, by our heroine. It's as witty and clever an update as everyone back in the day swore it was. I think Austen really benefits from updated adaptions because the satire in her novels often feels lost in cinematic costume dramas, especially when a big part of the audience is lacking the contemporary context. Which is why Clueless works so much better for me than any of the straightforward Emma film and tv versions. Of course, for a good update to work, you can't simply transfer events 1:1, and that has the great benefit of restoring the emotional stakes. So Lizzie in LBD does not decline Mr. Collins' marriage proposal, she says no to a lucrative job offer (which Charlotte later accepts). While Regency Collins is odious, Regency Elizabeth rejecting him might be understandable but to her contemporaries looked very risky in the face of her impending poverty after her father's death. Today, no one believes she could have made another choice for a hot second. Otoh, making this a job offer while keeping his annoying personality brings home her rejection can look risky or foolish for a part of the present day audience. Meanwhile, LBD George Wickham doesn't run off with Lydia to have unmarried sex, because that would not be a problem today; instead, he's threatening to put a sex video with her on the internet, and suddenly the social ruin Lydia is potentially facing is back. Speaking of Lydia, fleshing out her character and adding her pov was one of the smartest choices the adaption made. And all actors involved are well cast. I'm looking forward to watching the rest.

Comments

[the_rck]

I haven't watched Lost in Austen.

I think that part of the problem I have is that Elizabeth is making a decision that affects her mother and sisters, too. When reading the book, I never quite get the impression that Elizabeth understands the stakes or has any concerns about her future, and that always strikes me as weird.

If that makes sense?

[selenak]

It’s been decades since I’ve read the novel, mind, but as far as I recall Elizabeth is presented as aware of her economic situation. (See also her warming up considerably to Darcy at the sight of Pemberly, and earlier, the way her relationship with Wickham went. It did have undertones of flirtation, and while not in love with him she clearly liked him a lot, but she never considered him as a suitor - he was penniless.) And she’s aware the actions of one sister impact on the others, that’s why she remains angry with Lydia post Darcy’s reputaiton saving intervention, as this never registers with Lydia at all. Otoh Elizabeth has enough self confidence not to regard Mr. Collins as her only possible marriage prospect, so I don’t think she sees it as “Mr. Collins or financial destitution for the entire family” when rejecting his proposal. It’s a risk on her part, to be sure, but hardly a suicidal gamble; she’s attractive, hasn’t done anything to jeopardize her basic respectability which is quintessential for a “good” marriage for a woman of her class, and it’s quite likely there will be other proposals.

Another factor: I might misremember - again, it’s been years - but my vague memory tells me that at some point of the novel Elizabeth thinks about the marriage of her parents as one where one partner has no respect for the other, and that this is not something she wants. Which would be the case with Mr. Collins, whom she can’t respect. Who is indeed odious.) Incidentally, Mr. Bennet is a character whom I dislike now when I didn’t during my first encounter with the tale. It’s all very well to retreat in your library and perfect the sarcastic put down of your wife, but a) it doesn’t help anyone, and b) it does indeed illustrate a marriage of unequals.