Skip to main content

Miss Austen Regrets on Masterpiece

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.05.2008

I just finished watching Miss Austen Regrets on Masterpiece Classic and I’m very impressed.

Now, granted, I don’t know how much of the movie is true and how much is speculation. I recognized a few things from Just Jane, a novel by Nancy Moser, and so I’m relatively certain those events are factual.

But much of the movie is absolutely beautiful. The casting and acting is wonderful, and the scriptwriter was masterful. The script even managed to help me keep Jane’s numerous siblings straight.

One scene near the end with Cassandra was beautiful. It was overheard by their niece Fanny, and it gives some explanation (which might be speculation rather than fact) about why Jane refused her first offer of marriage, and possibly why she wrote Persuasion as she did. It’s a powerfully emotional scene that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I’m inspired to read a nonfiction book that’s on my TBR pile, A Walk with Jane Austen by Lori Smith. It looks like a travelogue rather than a full biography on Jane, but I’m in a Jane mood and want to read about her regardless.

Lori blogged about Miss Austen Regrets here, and mentioned she didn’t think Jane lived with that much regret. I tend to agree with her after reading Just Jane and also reading just some of the bare facts about Jane’s life. It’s still a good movie, though—as a novelist, I love the emotional intensity and complexity of the dialogue.
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
I started reading A Walk with Jane Austen over Christmas, but can't remember why I set it aside, because it was really enjoyable. Need to dig that one back out.

LOVED Miss Austen Regrets! The cinematography and costumes were beautiful, the acting/casting perfection, and the script touched me deeply. This will definitely be one of my favorite movies from now on!
Tue Feb 05, 07:01:00 AM 2008
Deborah said…
i missed it!!!!! woe is me :(
Tue Feb 05, 08:40:00 AM 2008
Tracy Montoya said…
I LOVED MAR! I've been totally geeking out over the whole Masterpiece Jane Austen series they've been running. I especially loved the Northanger Abbey adaptation so far.

Nancy Moser just released a fictional autobiography of Jane Austen called JUST JANE, which I loved--you might enjoy it. I have the Lori Smith book on my TBR pile, too.
Wed Feb 13, 10:54:00 AM 2008
Catherine said…
Seeing as you love Jane Austen so much, have you watched the new BBC miniseries Lost In Austen? (released 2008)

I highly recommend you watch it. I love the modern twist to the story!
Fri Apr 17, 11:07:00 PM 2009
Camy Tang said…
I haven't seen that yet! Thanks for the tip!
Camy
Sat Apr 18, 12:09:00 AM 2009
Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Brainstorm - character occupation

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.23.2009 Hey guys, I could use some help. In my current manuscript, The Year of the Dog , which is a humorous contemporary romance, I have a minor character, Eddie. He’s my heroine’s ex-boyfriend, and they’re on good terms with each other. He’s a bit irresponsible, but not so much so that he’s a complete loser. He’s got a very easy going attitude, he forgets to pay his bills sometimes, he’s friendly and charming. He’s adventurous and fun to be around, but he’s a little forgetful sometimes, and he tends to spend a little outside his income. I need an occupation for him. What would a charming, easy going, slightly irresponsible guy do for a living? He’s not too irresponsible, because otherwise readers will wonder what in the world my heroine saw in him to date him in the first place. She was attracted to his charm, his easy going attitude (her family’s uptight, and he was a nice contrast), and his adventurousness. But his forgetfulness and irresponsibility ...
64 comments
Read more

Window shopping

Captain’s Log, Stardate 03.14.2005 Knee update: I went to the doctor today for a checkup, and saw his assistant. I’ve been concerned because there’s still inflammation in my knee joint, and it’s been almost 4 months since the surgery. She said she’d talk to the doctor about it tomorrow and call me. Sometimes he suggests laying off the PT to see if that causes the inflammation to go away, but I don’t know if that will work because lately I’ve been pretty active outside of PT. At PT today, the therapist did ultrasound and some sort of electrical current on the joint. Hopefully that will make the inflammation start to go down. I’ll know by tomorrow, probably. Writing: Mt. Hermon conference starts this Friday! On Thursday night, I’ll be at the Santana Row Borders bookstore to help out (and hopefully learn a bit, too) at a booksigning for several of the ACFW authors who are attending Mt. Hermon . That should be lots of fun. I had a good brainstorming time at ...
Post a Comment
Read more

I GOT A CONTRACT!

Captain’s Log, Stardate 03.29.2006 I had a wonderfully funny blog post planned for today, but I got sidetracked by some news yesterday! Zondervan has offered me a three-book contract on my Asian chick-lit series ! I’m still stunned by everything that’s happened. The series is actually a 4-book projected Asian chick-lit series about four cousins who fall under the infamous family title "Oldest Single Female Cousin," and their ruthless, wealthy grandma applies pressure on each of them to improve their lack of love interests. I think the first book is tentatively scheduled to be released in August 2007. The blurb on the series is on my website here . Brandilyn Collins posted to the ACFW loop about my writing journey, and Tamara Cooper asked that I share it. And since you all know how much I like to talk , here it is. My writing journey: Like most writers, I have wanted to write since I was very young. (In high school, I wrote a fantasy novel that will never see the light of day ...
32 comments
Read more

Favorite chocolate?

Captain's Log, Stardate 04.22.2008 Lately I’ve been on this chocolate kick. Normally, I’m not a huge chocoholic like Captain Caffeine. I enjoy chocolate, but if given a choice, I’ll usually choose a fruit or custard/creamy dessert over a triple decadence chocolate layer cake or a chocolate-lovers’ downfall brownie. But lately, I’ve been eating dark chocolate squares. I think it started when I went into Joseph Schmidt gourmet chocolate shop in Santana Row. We’d gotten Joseph Schmidt truffles for Christmas, and they’d been fabulous—I can honestly say that they were as good as DeBrand truffles (author Colleen Coble’s favorite). So when I saw the brick and mortar shop in Santana Row, I went in immediately. Inside, this man was buying up stacks—and I kid you not, stacks —of the Joseph Schmidt Belgian Dark Chocolate bars. He raved about them, said they were terrific. A cashier was restocking the display case the man had cleaned out, and I snagged a bar. “I’ve got to try one, after watc...
15 comments
Read more

Tabi socks, part deux

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.25.2008 (If you're on Ravelry, friend me! I'm camytang.) I made tabi socks again! (At the bottom of the pattern is the calculation for the toe split if you're not using the same weight yarn that I did for this pattern (fingering). I also give an example from when I used worsted weight yarn with this pattern.) I used Opal yarn, Petticoat colorway. It’s a finer yarn than my last pair of tabi socks, so I altered the pattern a bit. Okay, so here’s my first foray into giving a knitting pattern. Camy’s top-down Tabi Socks I’m assuming you already know the basics of knitting socks. If you’re a beginner, here are some great tutorials: Socks 101 How to Knit Socks The Sock Knitter’s Companion A video of turning the heel Sock Knitting Tips Yarn: I have used both fingering weight and worsted weight yarn with this pattern. You just change the number of cast on stitches according to your gauge and the circumference of your ankle. Th...
18 comments
Read more