Comments on: Georgians Gone Wild

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 23:55:59 +0000

It was very well done I thought. It was true to the book and where it differed there were valid reasons. The fantasy sequences had relevence as we needed to know what the books Catherine was reading were really like. The titles of the books would have had relevence to early 19th century readers but not to 21st century viewers. Eleanor’s love interest was brought in early as the book ends rather abruptly with several bits of information on the last couple of pages.
On a separate point, the original publications would have been in multiple volumes. Most novels ran to three volumes. NA is a little short so it came out as two. I am not sure how many volumes Persuasion came out in but as it is also a little thin I suspect it was also two.

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 22:21:23 +0000

Well spotted, Alison. Didn’t notice the Mr Bean/Morland resemblance at first although Morland does appear completely gormless. And the ghastly fantasy scenes were terrible. At least we didn’t have Mrs Allen sewing her fingers together like the previous TV version. One must hope for small mercies.

By: sissoed

sissoed — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 22:13:45 +0000

Germaine Greer absolutely nails it once again (see quoted excerpt above). I am very impressed with her in this and her earlier Mansfield Park comments.

By: Erika

Erika — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 22:11:24 +0000

All I can say is.. Thank You, Andrew Davies….

I have just watched the end of Northanger Abbey and must say that I liked what I saw. NA is my least favourite novel of JA and I only read it once (a couple of years ago), but from what I could perceive (after starting it again a few days ago) the film was pretty close to the book. The acting was excellent, there was none I didn’t like. Admittedly, there was a lot of flashes of imagination throughout the film, but as Catherine was depicted as a woman with a wild imagination, it fitted into the general feel of the film.

I was VERY disappointed last week when I saw the new Mansfield Park. Today I am satisfied that Andrew Davies has yet again done a good job.

And Henry Tilney is really quite a man… Certainly a film to enjoy watching. And I don’t think there’ll be many Janeites pulling out their hair this time around

Erika

By: Alison

Alison — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 20:52:40 +0000

I give up – and have switched off. Admittedly, NA is not my favourite JA novel, but please…endless flashes of a lurid imagination throughout. A John who looks like a caricature of an evil rake. A James who looked just like Mr Bean in his first scene. I give up…

By: Karenlee

Karenlee — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 20:39:59 +0000

I know she already had a first, rough version of Sense & Sensibility, but wasn’t it at that time a novel in ‘letter form’ (as Lady Susan is)? From what I’ve read, it was a significantly different novel to the one we know now, until she revised it after moving to Chawton. Northanger Abbey was, in any case, the first that she (apparently) thought was finished and ready enough to be submitted for publication.

By: Karenlee

Karenlee — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 20:23:11 +0000

P.S. And I’m extremely heartened by the mention that the film begins with a voiceover taken from Austen’s text describing Catherine’s progress from plain awkward child to heroine material. The start of the story is crucial to establishing the archness at its essence, and if they’ve decided to use Jane’s words themselves, at least we know they got off on the right foot. Now, just see how they roll out the rest of it *crosses all fingers and toes*

By: Mags

Mags — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 20:21:40 +0000

It was the “first written” part. That would be S&S.

By: Karenlee

Karenlee — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 20:13:17 +0000

Sounds promising! Although, Henry Tilney something of a ‘snob’??

Mags, why ‘Um, no’ to the reference of NA being last published? It may not have been the (single book) last published, but as I recall both NA and Persuasion first hit the market together in a single bound volume. One of my most precious possessions is just such a joint edition from the 1901 re-printing.