"The famous 'it is a truth universally acknowledged' line is often spoken by Elizabeth Bennet. The problem is that Lizzy doesn’t really deserve it; that kind of remark is a step above her, at least at the beginning of the story. Making her the dry, droll, detached observer does not truly fit with the biased, subjectively-judging young woman that she actually is before character development takes hold."
To shift to a different novel for a moment, it strikes me that one reason the Romola Garai version of Emma is so appealing (even though it's actually not my favourite, and I know I'm in a minority with my fave :-) ) is that it starts with the narrator's voiceover assessment of Emma's birth and upbringing, straight from the book. If I recall correctly, I don't think there is that kind of authorial intervention anywhere in the rest of the miniseries, but it works so well at the beginning to encapsulate who Emma is and how the narrator feels about her.
This is such a fascinating take and I think JA's comedic voice is something that you truly can't feel without the book. I really, really, really disliked the most recent Persuasion because it WASN'T Persuasion and it just felt like it they wanted to make a buck off the name and by using Dakota Johnson as a vehicle.
I'll be interested in seeing what approach Netflix takes, but I'm not holding my breath for anything good. HOWEVER, I am very interested to hear about your time at the convention. I really want to go one day (when my savings allow), and want to know if you think it's worth it.
"The famous 'it is a truth universally acknowledged' line is often spoken by Elizabeth Bennet. The problem is that Lizzy doesn’t really deserve it; that kind of remark is a step above her, at least at the beginning of the story. Making her the dry, droll, detached observer does not truly fit with the biased, subjectively-judging young woman that she actually is before character development takes hold."
^^^THANK YOU.
Such great points here, Amy!
To shift to a different novel for a moment, it strikes me that one reason the Romola Garai version of Emma is so appealing (even though it's actually not my favourite, and I know I'm in a minority with my fave :-) ) is that it starts with the narrator's voiceover assessment of Emma's birth and upbringing, straight from the book. If I recall correctly, I don't think there is that kind of authorial intervention anywhere in the rest of the miniseries, but it works so well at the beginning to encapsulate who Emma is and how the narrator feels about her.
This is such a fascinating take and I think JA's comedic voice is something that you truly can't feel without the book. I really, really, really disliked the most recent Persuasion because it WASN'T Persuasion and it just felt like it they wanted to make a buck off the name and by using Dakota Johnson as a vehicle.
I'll be interested in seeing what approach Netflix takes, but I'm not holding my breath for anything good. HOWEVER, I am very interested to hear about your time at the convention. I really want to go one day (when my savings allow), and want to know if you think it's worth it.
I HATED 2022 Persuasion and I'm still salty about it. Also, the Emma with Anya Joy-Talor? Shudder.