Blog Tour: Dear Mr. Knightley

Author: Katherine Reay

Genre: Life, Jane Austen (can she be a genre?!)

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 325

Time period: Present

Publisher and price: Thomas Nelson, $15.99

Passage about the book: Samantha Moore survived years of darkness in the foster care system by hiding behind her favorite characters in literature, even adopting their very words. Her fictional friends give her an identity, albeit a borrowed one. But most importantly, they protect her from revealing her true self and encountering more pain.
After college, Samantha receives an extraordinary opportunity. The anonymous “Mr. Knightley” offers her a full scholarship to earn her graduate degree at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. The sole condition is that Sam write to Mr. Knightley regularly to keep him apprised of her progress.
As Sam’s true identity begins to reveal itself through her letters, her heart begins to soften to those around her—a damaged teenager and fellow inhabitant of Grace House, her classmates at Medill, and, most powerfully, successful novelist Alex Powell. But just as Sam finally begins to trust, she learns that Alex has secrets of his own—secrets that, for better or for worse, make it impossible for Sam to hide behind either her characters or her letters.

My overall opinion: When Katherine contacted me asking if I’d be interested in writing an endorsement for Dear Mr. Knightley, I was ecstatic to say the least – and not just because I was writing my first endorsement, but also because finally, a book was coming that would incorporate Jane Austen and not be horrid (like the zombie and sea monster spinoffs – haven’t read them but they sound awful). An early copy arrived in my mailbox this spring, and I quickly made time to delve into it. And I was not disappointed. Katherine managed to perfectly incorporate strains of Jane Austen and Jane Eyre into Dear Mr. Knightley while keeping the story moving at a good rate. I’ve read books before that are rather annoying, when put into letter form. This story is in epistle form and it only enhances the delightful story within! I was so caught up in this one. It’s easy to read, easy to love, and most decidedly a book that I highly recommend to all Jane Austen fans. It’s worth buying, y’all! (and if you read it...look on the first page - my endorsement is there!)

**The author sent me a free copy of this book in addition to the advance manuscript, but I didn’t have to review it positively. I wasn’t paid for my review.**

(note: you can find and watch a book trailer on youtube by just looking up "dear mr. knightley" . I am unable to include it here for complicated reasons.)

Movie: Becoming Jane

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Genre: Period drama, biography, life

Primary actors: Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Julie Walters, Anna Maxwell Martin, Maggie Smith

Length: About two hours

Based on: Jane Austen’s life

Time period: 1800s

Rating: PG

Year it came out: 2011

My overall opinion: I enjoyed this movie rather more than I expected to! Anne Hathaway wasn’t bad as Jane, though younger and prettier than the real Jane, I think. And James McAvoy as the main guy! Never did decide exactly what I thought of that. It was certainly a very interesting casting choice. I just know him as Mr. Tumnus in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe so. The movie seemed well-filmed and moved along at a good pace – kept me watching. Not riveting, but. Unfortunately, due to a problem with my ear-buds and my DVD player, I had trouble hearing – the music way overpowered the dialogue. I didn’t realize this problem was fixable until quite a bit later. This hampered my enjoyment. Thus the very average rating. There was, as is warned about, brief nudity – not sensual, just a bit awkward. All in all? I’ll watch it again so I can hear the dialogue. Didn’t love, didn’t hate.

A Jane Austen Devotional

Author: Steffany Woolsey

Genre: Devotional, Jane Austen (yup, she’s become a genre…)

Series: Apparently there is a series of devotionals based out of classics, but I would guess they’re all by different authors.

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Type: Non-fiction (based on fiction?! I mean, JA is but the Bible isn’t so…)

Number of pages: 212 (hardcover)

Publisher and price: Thomas Nelson, $15.99

My overall opinion: What a lovely book – and many thanks to Kara for offering me a copy when she was pruning her bookshelves! I did/have/will most heartily enjoy it. There are probably over 100 individual devotionals, each just one spread of pages. Usually one page is a few paragraphs from a Jane Austen book (one of her primary six) – the other side has a few more paragraphs about what life lesson can be gained from the JA excerpt, neatly incorporating Biblical truths and the characters from the JA story. Titles/topics include (among many more): Seeking God’s Counsel, Esteeming Others, Coddling Covetousness, Flirting with Sin, Developing into a Godly Woman, A Changed Man, Obsessing, Silliness, etc. Delightful, right? There are verses backing up each devotional. A must-read for any Jane Austen fan!

Need to Read #7: Jane Austen’s Little Advice Book

Title: Jane Austen’s Little Advice Book

Author: Cathryn Michon, Pamela Norris

Book blurb: In Jane Austen's Little Advice Book, Austen's own words are mixed with the fascinating facts of her biography and the times in which she lived, completing a lighthearted and loving look at this most enduring writer. Those who know Miss Austen's work only from screen adaptations should enjoy reading her actual, wonderful words; those who have loved her novels will enjoy rediscovering the brightest moments of her sparkling wit and vivid insight into human nature.

In these charmless, graceless, loud, hurried times, we desperately long for the serene voice of good sense, good humor and good manners. Never have we needed Jane Austen more.

Quick endorsement: While searching for my review of this book, I discovered that somehow, I’d never written one. So I had to write and publish one spur-of-the-moment now! This is such a fun little Austen book – a delightful gift. 

Link to review: http://austenitis.blogspot.com/2013/01/jane-austens-little-advice-book.html

 

Jane Austen’s Little Advice Book

Author: Cathryn Michon, Pamela Norris

Genre: How-to

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Type: Non-fiction

Number of pages: 127

My overall opinion: Sweet and delightful! Essentially an Austen quote compilation, with fun headings for each quote. Humorous too. :) I encourage you to go here for a more complete review by another woman. Guaranteed to be a book you’ll love, Austen readers!

Jane Austen: Birthday and Tag

In honor of today's being Jane Austen's 237th birthday...I decided to take a bit and answer a few of the questions from the tag that the wonderful hostesses of the Jane Austen Birthday Assembly made up. I opted to do just the first five questions for the sake of time...check out the full tag and hang out with a bunch of other Janeites in honor of The Birthday! Now, the questions I'm answering.

1. How did you meet Jane Austen?

Let me think. I believe it must have been when I first saw a few clips (shown me by my mother) of P&P 1995. Being a girl of about 12, I loved it! Who wouldn't delight in dresses, dancing, and Darcy? Time passed and I watched many more adaptions of Austen's books, along with reading all her major novels and Sanditon as finished by Another Lady. I can remember attempting to read Emma not long after seeing that P&P for the first time, but found it far too confusing. Now though, I've read P&P, Emma, Persuasion, and S&S all aloud to myself -- and fully understood each. :) Eventually, of course, I found the internet. And blogs. Blogs about Jane Austen. And of that came this blog, to chronicle my adventures with Jane Austen and her books and movie adaptions, along with a great deal of un-Austen-related material. :)


2. In which order did you first become acquainted with and read Jane Austen's novels?

I read P&P first, then probably S&S. All the rest came later, and I don't really remember...but I do know that only one I've read just once is Northanger Abbey. I do plan to read it again. :)

3. Rate Jane Austen's major novels from your most favorite to your least favorite and tell why.

My favorite is the stereotypical one -- P&P. I love the story, and the way they talk, and the quotable lines, and Lizzy. It's the book I probably know best and have read most.  Next would be Emma, a very close second. Again, Emma is a delightful (and imperfect) heroine and I enjoy her! Mr. Knightley is also wonderful. Probably my third favorite (which I don't know as well as the first two) is S&S, followed by Persuasion. Both wonderful books worth many re-readings. Finally, Mansfield Park -- I've never liked the story much. Not like P&P, at least. I don't think I'll pass a final opinion on NA until I read it again since it's been years and I've grown and changed a lot. :)

4. Which Jane Austen hero/heroine couple is your favorite and why?

Who doesn't love Darcy and Lizzy? But why are they my favorites? Possibly because I just love Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth in the roles. I also love Emma and Knightley.

5. Which hero/heroine couple is your least favorite and why?

Again leaving NA out of the equation...Fanny and Edmund. I don't like the movie adaption that I've seen (2007, I think) and their story has never grabbed me as much.

6. {{NOTE: I am adding this question, just for fun -- it is not in the original tag.}} Which movie adaptions are your favorites for each book?

P&P -- 1995 with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. I've also seen one hour of the 1980 and all of the 2005 twice. Find my comparisons on the right side-bar (towards bottom).

Emma -- 2009 with Romola Garai and Johnny Lee Miller. I've also seen both 1996 versions. These are also compared (see sidebar on right).

S&S -- 1995 with Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant. I've also seen the 2007 and 1970(?) versions -- the 2008 is a close second to my favorite.

Persuasion -- 1995 with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds. I've also seen the 2008, very good.

Mansfield Park -- 2007 with Billie Piper and Blake Ritson. It was okay. I haven't seen other versions.

Northanger Abbey -- none yet! I haven't seen any.

There you go! Happy birthday, Jane Austen! And thanks to you ladies who hosted this delightful Assembly. I've read and enjoyed the posts. :)

Movie: Persuasion

 

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5

Genre: Classic, period drama

Primary actors: Sally Hawkins, Rupert Penry-Jones

Length: About two hours – therefore, slightly rushed

Based on: Persuasion by Jane Austen

Time period: 1800’s

Year it came out: 2007

My overall opinion: Unfortunately, I neglected to take notes as I watched! However, I do know that we all enjoyed it, and that I can recommend it! There were no objectionable scenes (as there are in several of the newer Austen adaptions) – something I really appreciate. There’ll be a little more information coming in my Doubles post…it’ll come someday. :) Also, check out the comparisons done by a few of my blogging friends here on Austenitis! 

The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen

Author: Edited by Edward Copeland and Juliet McMaster – multiple authors

Genre: Jane Austen

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 251

My overall opinion: I skipped a lot of this book, simply because it was information I already knew or was not interested in. A few chapters I did read, or at least skim well – the ones about her six full length books (divided into two chapters about three books each) and the ones concerning money (very interesting to learn how to rank a gentleman by his income), class, and religion. While none of it was “knock-me-down-dead” amazing, it was a fun book. If your library has it, sure, try it. But I won’t buy it.

Guest Post: Sense & Sensibility (1995) Soundtrack by Miss Laurie

CD: Sense and Sensibility (1995)

This soundtrack isn't anything new, in fact it's probably a favorite for a lot of you as it is for me, but it's still so beautiful.

The music was composed by Patrick Doyle especially for Sense and Sensibility (1995) and is some of the prettiest music in a period drama. 

Tracks:
1. Weep You No More Sad Fountains
2. A Particular Sum
3. My Father's Favourite
4. Preying Penniless Woman
5. Devonshire
6. Not A Beau For Miles
7. All The Better For Her
8. Felicity
9. Patience
10. Grant Me An Interview
11. All the Delights of the Season
12. Steam Engine
13. Willoughby
14. Miss Grey
15. Excellent Notion
16. Leaving London
17. Combe Magna
18. To Die For Love
19. There is Nothing Lost
20. Throw The Coins
21. The Dreame

All of the music on this soundtrack is amazingly written and orchestrated. It carries you away on a sea of emotion from the very first note! The tracks Weep You No More Sad Fountains and The Dreame are songs Marianne Dashwood sings in the film but on the soundtrack they are sung by opera singer Jane Eaglen. Also the song My Father's Favorite is one that Marianne plays toward the beginning of the film. Steam Engine, Willoughby and Miss Grey are all dancing tunes that were dance to in the film.
One of my favorite tracks is Excellent Notion because it is played by a harp and is just so pretty! It's also one that's fun to play on the piano. My second favorite track is A Particular Sum because it's a bright and happy tune but still very beautiful.

Some of the above track titles are linked to YouTube clips of complete songs for you to enjoy. Here's a music video I made with photos from the film and clips of A Particular Sum, Devonshire, Excellent Notion, Preying Penniless Woman and The is Nothing Lost.

Sense & Sensibility (1995) - Short Themes

I highly recommend this soundtrack because of it's stunning music. It's lovely to listen to especially while you're reading, writing or crafting. It can be found at most local libraries or you can buy your own copy on Amazon.

Very Truly Your's,
Miss Laurie

Miss Laurie is the author of Old-Fashioned Charm where she blogs about Jane Austen, period dramas, classic literature and everything old-fashioned under the sun.

Tag: Emma

Since I am into making tags, Emma, one of my favorite Jane Austen's, seemed a good choice of topic! Here we go. :) Feel free to "steal" for your own blog!

Have you read Emma? What did you think? I have, several times – once aloud to myself! It’s one of my favorite books, has dozens of amazing quotable passages, and is altogether a delightful read. If you haven’t read it yet, you really must!

Have you seen any of the movie versions? If so, which ones? Yes, I've seen three. The 1996 Kate Beckinsale version (she’s the one with brown hair), the 1996 Gwyneth Paltrow version, and the 2009 Romola Garai version. Of the them, the 2009 one is my favorite, but the GP version is a close runner up. The 2009 one is about four hours long…and worth every minute. Garai is the perfect Emma! (Check out my comparisons: Post 1 and Post 2). (Wish the two below had starred together...)

Are you more like Emma or Mr. Knightley? I’m like both, in some ways. I plan other people’s lives, whether or not they want me to…that’s somewhat like Emma. But I’m not quite so forward as she is, and rather more shy. As to Mr. Knightley, I think I’m more rational, so to speak, like he is. Neither Emma nor Mr. Knightley is an exact copy of me, far from it, but I have a little of both. J

Tell us your thoughts about Frank Churchill. I dislike him. He’s much too flirtatious with Emma (though it’s true that she didn’t exactly deter him). He didn’t love his father enough to come sooner, for I’m sure he could have if he’d actually wanted to. Of course, it’s good that he cared for his aunt like he did. But none-the-less.

Would YOU have still married Churchill like Jane did? I’m afraid not. After seeing him flirt with Emma like he did? After he teased me about Mr. Dixon in such a shameless manner? After sending the un-thoughtful gift of a piano (when there really wasn’t room for it)? Nope.

Do you find Miss Bates or Jane Fairfax more annoying? Miss Bates. Like Emma, I would probably become tired of her sooner than I ought to. Frustrated with her. She talks too much, and is way too gossipy. But she is certainly a woman with a kind heart. Jane is somewhat annoying too…rather too cool and collected, I guess. But overall, I’d be more frustrated with Miss Bates.

What, in your opinion, is Emma’s largest fault? Oh, that’s hard. Maybe the fact that at times (as Mr. Knightley pointed out) she’s quite insensitive to others’ feelings. I’m specifically thinking of that day on Box Hill with Frank Churchill and Miss Bates. There she was unkind to Miss Bates merely to impress (or at least to make laugh) Frank primarily, and the rest of the group in general.

What’s Harriet’s biggest fault? Much too easy to influence. Spineless people are annoying, and Harriet is quite spineless, and too easily wowed and influenced by Emma.

What kind of mother do you think Emma would be? Since I made this tag, I must admit that this is something I’ve wondered more than once! I think she would be very fun…but other than that? I’m really not sure. What do you think?

Presenting Miss Jane Austen

Author: May Lamberton Becker

Genre: Life

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Type: Biography

Number of pages: 204

Time period: 1800’s

My overall opinion: I enjoyed it! It was one of those biographies that you occasionally come across where it’s quite short, but well-written and interesting. I found it interesting how they kind of underplayed Jane’s liking for Tom Lefroy. It very much implied that she never really loved anyone – but according to other biographies I’ve read, she liked him a lot! So that was interesting. Other than that, I enjoyed it a lot!

Emma & Knightley

Subtitle: Perfect Happiness in Highbury: A sequel to Jane Austen’s Emma

Author: Rachel Billington

Genre: Life

Series: It’s a sequel to Emma by Jane Austen

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 7.5

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 362

Time period: 1800’s

My overall opinion: Let’s do this as simply as possible: part 1 is pros, part 2 is cons.

1.       Reading a sequel to a favorite book (especially a Jane Austen) is almost always fun. It was indeed fun to meet characters from Emma again! Some of it was quite funny, and most of it was pretty interesting. Learning more about John Knightley, Frank Churchill, and Miss Bates was neat! Oh, and we finally get to meet the Sucklings – prepare to be surprised! This book was totally free from swearing or anything else objectionable.

2.       Cons. And I had quite a few problems, I’m afraid. As previously mentioned, it was clean – the mistakes that bugged me were just that: mistakes. A quotation mark was dropped every ten pages, I believe. Oh, not on clockwork…but I don’t think you could read 10 pages without finding one missing. That really bugs me, I admit. And another problem with the editor – remember Selina Suckling, who Mrs. Elton is always talking about? The book called her Selina once, then switched the Serena (three times!) before doing Selina twice more. That mistake should never have gotten through.

So, overall, I don’t really recommend it, and I definitely don’t think you should buy it. If you can pick up a free copy, and you adore Emma, then you may find this to be interesting…but don’t get your hopes up for an amazing book.

Guest Post: Emma (1995) Soundtrack by Miss Laurie

Charity: Before I give the floor over to Miss Laurie, let me encourage you to check out the guest posts she did earlier this month with some other bloggers! Comparisons of Persuasion movie versions...truly delightful. Make sure you read them! Also, watch for two more guest posts coming from Miss Laurie later this summer.

Now, here's Miss Laurie:



CD: Emma (1996)Another of my favorite Jane Austen film soundtracks, this one features beautiful flowing music and even a dance song!

Tracks:
1. Main Titles
2. Harriet's Portrait
3. Sewing & Archery
4. Frank Churchill Arrives
5. Celery Root
6. Mr. Elton's Rejection
7. Emma Tells Harriet About Mr. Elton
8. The Coles Party
9. Mrs. Elton's Visit
10. Emma Dreams Of Frank Churchill
11. The Dance
12. Gypsies
13. The Picnic
14. Emma Insults Miss Bates
15. Emma Writes Her Diary
16. Mr. Knightley Returns
17. Proposal
18. End Titles

All music was composed by Rachel Portman and some of the songs sound similar to the Nicholas Nickleby (2002) soundtrack which she would compose later. The track The Dance is an English Country Dance called Auretti's Dutch Skipper which is danced in the film during the scene where Mr. Knightley asks Harriet to dance at the ball. My favorite songs on the CD are The Coles Party, Emma Dreams of Frank Churchill, The Dance and End Titles because they are all a bit more lively.

Some of the Tracks above are linked to YouTube videos of the music and here's a music video I made a while back with photos from Emma (1996) and End Titles song:

 

Emma 1996 - End Titles
This soundtrack is a bit more dull than some other Jane Austen soundtracks because the songs to me aren't as upbeat or as easy to identify, there's only about two or three themes that are played in different ways. The music is gorgeous though and nice to listen to while you're reading or doing homework. It's a must have for anyone who enjoys the film. It can be found at some local libraries and can be bought at Amazon.

Very Truly Your's,Miss Laurie

Miss Laurie is the author of Old-Fashioned Charm where she blogs about Jane Austen, period dramas, classic literature and everything old-fashioned under the sun.

Persuasion Comparison: Part 4

This is the 4th and final post of the Persuasion films comparison by guest posters Miss Amy Dashwood of Yet Another Period Drama Blog, Miss Laurie of Old-Fashioned Charm, Miss Melody of Regency Delight and Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Elegance of Fashion. In this part they compare music, scenery and costumes from the 1995 and 2007 adaptations of Jane Austen's Persuasion and tell which film version they prefer and why.

Music

Miss Amy Dashwood: The 2007 theme, though hauntingly lovely, was a bit repetitive and I got tired of hearing it after about half an hour. However, it did have several variations and the harp/piano arrangements were quite pretty. I did prefer the 1995 theme music (sigh. I sound like a broken record) because it was more varied, and I loved how it was sweeping and dramatic one moment and quiet and soothing the next
Miss Laurie: The 1995 soundtrack is mostly pieces by Frédéric Chopin and Johann Sebastian Bach with a couple compositions by Jeremy Samms and each piece seems to whisk us away into the Regency world, I especially love the pieces that play during the scenes at Lyme because they perfectly capture the rolling feeling of the sea. Most of the 2007 soundtrack was composed by Martin Phipps especially for the film and each piece is very moving and just brilliant. It's hard to choose a favorite here but the 2007 music is almost a bit repetitive and how can you compare a new composer to the old masters? So I guess I like the 1995 music best.
Miss Melody: A lot of the music in the 1995 film were Chopin pieces rather than a fresh soundtrack, and while I liked some of it, other times it seemed out of place and rather took away from some of the scenes’ significance or continuity. Some of the 2007 music was all right, but a lot of it was too modern-sounding, and didn’t really seem to go. Though Anne plays Moonlight Sonata briefly, which for some reason or other scores a lot of points with me—though I should ignore it, because that’s not part of the soundtrack. Overall I think the 2007 music went better with its movie than the 1995 soundtrack went with that one, if that makes any sense. (Whether or not I have purposefully avoided declaring a particular preference, I shall leave you to determine.)
Miss Elizabeth Bennet: There are two different tones that each adaptation uses. The 1995 version's music has a bouncier tone while the 2007 version has a much slower, sadder tone to it. To me, Persuasion isn't that sad of a book (maybe more serious, but not sad), so I'm going to have to go with the 1995 music.

Scenery

Miss Amy Dashwood: The scenery in 2007 can be summed up in one word: bleak. Shades of gray and green and more gray, predominantly. I’m not saying it’s not beautiful—it is!—but the outdoors seemed to be constantly shrouded in mist, whether the story was taking place in Lyme, the streets of Bath, or the countryside near Kellynch. The interiors were better, but the colors were still soft and muted—appropriate for the quietly charming story. The 1995 scenery was nothing to write home about, but at least it wasn’t quite as gloomy as in 2007. One complaint I did have was that the interiors were often poorly lit and it was hard to see the actors’ faces—overall, both versions had their good points and bad points.
Miss Laurie: The composition of the 2007 film's scenes are visually stunning, so filled with color and light that they are quite like works of art. There are picturesque country houses, storm swept walks in Lyme, views over rolling hills and the view of historic Royal Crescent in Bath is very impressive. But overall I prefer the 1995 scenery because the country houses, Bath scenes and even Lyme just look like real place where real people are living. I also think the 1995 film was shot using a wider lens because the country houses look grander, the walks through rambling country fields are more vast and the scenes of strolling on the seashore and Cobb at Lyme are just gorgeous!
Miss Melody: The 1995 scenery was quite nice, and seemed quite Jane Austen Adaptation-ish (which, obviously, is a good thing to me). The general feel of the 2007 scenery, colors, and filming of this one seemed to be more dark; not the old-fashioned, happy feeling I like Jane Austen movies to have, so I believe I favor the 1995 scenery.
Miss Elizabeth Bennet: The scenery in both are almost nearly opposites. The 1995 movie had very colorful scenery, while the 2007 version had darker and -- dare I say it? -- more washed-out colors. I have a preference for more colorful scenery, so I'm going to have to say that the 1995 scenery was better.

Costumes

Miss Amy Dashwood: Hands down, I preferred the costumes in 1995, as I’m assuming that we’re including hairstyles in this comparison as well. Anne’s severe updo in the 2007 version left me wincing whenever she moved her face (it must have been pretty painful, so tightly pulled back!). Many of the characters in 2007 wore unflattering clothes, and I preferred the slightly older (that is, they looked well worn) outfits of the 1995 version. (Anne’s dress at the concert was especially lovely.)
Miss Laurie: I'd never really thought about which costumes I've prefer until recently reading a costumer's thoughts on how the 1995 costumes are amazingly period correct down to the tiniest details. And even though the customs regarding when navy officers were allowed to wear their uniforms were not always observes the uniforms are so dashing that you don't mind any historical mistakes. The 2007 costumes are richer in the fabrics and more jewelry and accessories are worn but I find that the colors, fabrics and accessories often don't suit the character who is wearing them so that most characters are dressed to extravagantly. I prefer the simpler styles of the 1995 film with it's earthy color palate because the costumes truly suit the characters who wear them.
Miss Melody: I liked the costumes in the 1995 version depending on the character; for instance, I really liked most of Anne’s, but Lady Russell’s never impressed me favorably. One thing I liked about the 2007 costumes was that there weren’t as many low necklines as many Jane Austen movies have, but other than that they weren’t really very interesting, though I did love Louisa’s hat. I suppose it was stained beyond washing after her fall – what a shame. ;-) Anyways, I suppose I’ll go with 1995.
Miss Elizabeth Bennet: I liked both sets of costumes. One of the good things about the 1995 version was that the costuming was very accurate to the Regency era. While I did like most of the costuming for the 2007 version, I did not like how during the concert scene Elizabeth Elliot, Mrs. Clay, and Lady Dalrymple had hair that was reminiscent of 1830s hairstyles (and hairstyles that have been taken to an extreme). Because of that, I'm going to have to go with the 1995 costuming.

Overall

Miss Amy Dashwood: In case you haven’t noticed yet, I preferred the 1995 version by far. It seemed to me to capture the very essence of Jane Austen’s lovely novel, and made me want to re-read the book—the highest praise I can give any literary adaptation! The 2007 version felt rushed: I didn’t have enough time to get to know the characters as well as I would have liked, and if I hadn’t read the book first, I might have been confused by some events. Definitely, the 1995 version was superior. Poignantly beautiful, occasionally hilarious, moving and all-around wonderful, Persuasion 1995 was a real treat to watch. I will look forward to seeing it again—and may I add that 1995 was an excellent year for Jane Austen adaptations.
Miss Laurie: Each film version is very sweet, beautifully filmed and are lovely period dramas in their own right. But taking the good points and the bad together Persuasion 1995 has so many more strengths and is so much closer the the book. To me the 2007 version seemed to be focused on making a pretty and romantic film instead of being faithful to the spirit of Jane Austen; the cast were popular modern choices and the scenes are written with a flair for the sappy romanticism. The 1995 film to me is like a peek into what Jane Austen's world was really like and it's to the story and the spirit of its author. And if you couldn't already tell Persuasion 1995 is probably my favorite Jane Austen adaptation of all time! 
Miss Melody: To say the truth I can’t decide which I prefer, and I don’t want to try. I know I should like the 1995 version better because it pays the most attention to detail/how things were in the book (except for changing a couple of the minor characters’ first names), but I don’t enjoy it more than the other, and tallying up all my favorites from everything else would make the 2007 version win. Really I don’t think either one holds a candle to the book, and there are things I like and dislike about each of them in different ways. I must mention that I liked how Anne kept a journal in the 2007 version, because it relayed what she was thinking in the book.  In short I think it all comes back to Captain Wentworth— he wasn’t the greatest in 2007, but frankly I just can’t stand him in the 1995 version, and I hope that Certain Other Bloggers won’t kill me now that I’ve said that.
Miss Elizabeth Bennet: There were things that I preferred in the 1995 version over the 2007 version and vice versa. While there were a lot of things that I very much liked about the 1995 version, I still think my favorite is the 2007 version. I found that the 2007 version had better actors/actresses for their characters.

Navigate to the Different Parts of the Persuasion Comparison!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Charity: Well, readers, you've reached the end of these wonderful guest posts! I just finished reading them through for the first and enjoyed them so much. Thanks, Miss Elizabeth, Miss Melody, Miss Laurie, and Miss Amy! I know you put an amazing amount of work into these posts, and I greatly appreciate that. I loved these posts! Most interesting. Thank you again, ladies!

Persuasion Comparison: Part 3

This is the 3rd post of the Persuasion films comparison by guest posters Miss Amy Dashwood of Yet Another Period Drama Blog, Miss Laurie of Old-Fashioned Charm, Miss Melody of Regency Delight and Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Elegance of Fashion. In this part they compare four of the major scenes from the 1995 and 2007 adaptations of Jane Austen's Persuasion.

Anne & Captain Wentworth Meet Again

Miss Amy Dashwood: Sally Hawkins did an admirable job of conveying Anne’s nervousness and awkwardness in the 2007 version of this scene. Rupert Penry-Jones’ Wentworth is again a little too stiff, and seems completely unfazed by meeting Anne again. In the 1995 version, both actors clearly show the characters’ feelings after meeting again, without overdoing it—and Captain Wentworth isn’t rude. It was in this scene that I began to like Ciaran Hinds’ portrayal tremendously. Coincidentally, it was in this scene that he first appeared, but that is immaterial.
Miss Laurie: The 2007 film's cinematography is gorgeous with the colors and movement of Anne staring out the cottage window. There is much excitement from Henrietta and Louisa like in the book, but I dislike that Captain Wentworth's face falls from friendly to cold and a bit resentful when he sees Anne.  The 1995 version includes more details from the book and Captain Wentworth is open and friendly during the call and is not at all resentful in his looks. The touches of Anne gripping the chair and her eyes growing ever wider perfectly fit her quiet character. Overall I prefer the 1995 version of the scene because it is happier and follows more closely to how Jane Austen wrote the scene in the book.
Miss Melody: In the 1995 version, this scene failed to impress me as much as I would have liked it to — it needed something else with the filming, perhaps — though I did, as always, enjoy Amanda Root’s acting. In the 2007 adaptation there was also something lacking, and the music was kind of spacey and distracting and didn’t go with the scene at all. Overall, I think I liked the 2007 scene better — probably just because of Captain Wentworth — though they are mostly equal.
Miss Elizabeth Bennet: Both scenes had their high points. I liked how in the 1995 movie, Anne is clutching the chair behind her to show that she was nervous as Mary is introducing Captain Wentworth to her, but I don't think Ciaran Hinds's Captain Wentworth had enough emotion in that scene. The 2007 version was more emotional. You can tell that Captain Wentworth was very much affected and so was Anne. I think I'll have to go with the 2007 version's scene since the emotion is more present in that scene.

Louisa Musgrove's Fall

Miss Amy Dashwood: In the 2007 version, Louisa’s fall happened so fast—and off-camera—that I had hardly noticed it before it was over. In contrast, the 1995 version slowed it down a bit too much, putting Louisa in slow motion as she came down, which was slightly creepy. Anne’s reaction was well-played in both—collected, quick and ready to help. Captain Wentworth’s reaction, however, was much better in 1995, where he was horrified at what had happened and immediately blamed himself. In 2007, he seemed hardly more upset than an uninvolved passer-by might be. I definitely preferred the 1995 scene, as it showed how well Anne and Wentworth worked together under pressure.
Miss Laurie: I like how in the 1995 version even though the scene runs quickly but there is time for Captain Wentworth and the others to give Louisa a few warnings and for him to start running back to try and catch her before she jumps. It's nice her jump and the shot of her "lifeless" on the pavement is slowed down so you get the full idea of what has happened and after her fall the other character's actions and words are very faithful to the book, they react quickly and to Anne's directions. I find that in the 2007 version the actual jumping flies so quickly by that it's difficult to understand what has happened to Louisa, then the focus shifts to Captain Wentworth taking off his cravat to press against her wound and ends with he and Anne staring melodramatically into each other's eyes. I infinitely prefer the 1995 version of the scene because it follows the book almost to the letter.
Miss Melody: I hardly ever like the slow motion effect, and it annoyed me in the 1995 scene. I think the fall should happen all of the sudden, as that’s how it was in the book; when it’s slow motion, you know that something big is happening. I liked the 2007 scene, but it wasn’t as good as the book either. (We need Mary’s “She is dead! She is dead!” scream to be present and noticeable.) Overall I prefer the 2007 one.
Miss Elizabeth Bennet: In the 1995 scene, we see Louisa in slow motion falling towards the ground before she is knocked unconscious. The angle that they had it during her fall, I thought, would have been better if it was at a different angle, like a side angle or something. The 2007 fall did not actually show her falling and it was very quick; the scene would have been a little better if they actually showed her falling. Since the accident was supposed to happen quickly, I'm going to have to go with the 2007 version.

Captain Wentworth's Letter & Proposal

Miss Amy Dashwood: I’m beginning to sound redundant, but I liked the 1995 version of this scene so much better. In 2007, Anne’s race through the Bath streets following her receipt of the letter was downright indecorous, not to mention the fact that the scene with the letter itself was much less dramatic and moving than it could have been. But in 1995, I was actually tearing up during Anne’s reading of the letter (don’t you dare judge me) and then openly crying as Anne and Captain Wentworth kissed in the street with the convenient circus parade going by. Like I said, don’t judge me. It’s Jane Austen, peoples. It’s gorgeous.
Miss Laurie: The 2007 scene is a frenzy of movement that sees Anne Elliot, a genteel Regency woman, actually running after reading Captain Wentworth's letter, and her running down one street only to have to turn around and run all the way back hardly makes sense! The proposal scene is strange and drawn out, too breathy and they take such a long time to reach each other's lips that the kiss is actually pretty gross. I greatly prefer the 1995 scene because it follows the book very closely and includes sweet things such as Captain Wentworth listening to Anne talk about constancy, him writing the letter and calling Anne's attention to it, him taking her hand in his when they meet in the street and even their gentle kiss isn't too out of keeping with Jane Austen's story. I love how it ends with the couple walking away arm in arm and only wish they had included a scene where we could hear what they were saying!
Miss Melody: The 1995 version is pretty good up to the point where Captain Wentworth gives Anne the letter, but I disliked the ‘reading voice’ changing from Wentworth to Anne and back again as Anne was reading the letter, and the following scene, where Anne and Wentworth come to an understanding, I would have liked better if that noisy parade wasn’t going by. The 2007 version struck me as more romantic and I liked the voice we were hearing for the letter better. Although Anne running around Bath after Captain Wentworth does not annoy me as much as it does some people, I didn’t appreciate that, because it wasn’t how the book had it and wasn’t very in character for prudent Anne. I enjoy watching the 2007 one better (especially the bit when Anne and Captain Wentworth are actually talking—“and nothing, you may be sure, will ever persuade me otherwise!”) but I’m going to have to choose the 1995 version, just because accuracy to the book is very important to me as a devoted Janeite.
Miss Elizabeth Bennet: I had my issues with both letter/proposal scenes. The 1995 version was probably closer to the book, but when Anne and Captain Wentworth kiss, there's a parade going on behind them? Would that have passed in Regency England? However, the 2007 version featured "Anne's marathon through Bath" *Cue slow motion running song*. The one that I prefer? Probably the 1995 version since it was more realistic.

Ending Scenes

Miss Amy Dashwood: Frankly, the 2007 ending scene made up for all the little bits and pieces that I disliked in the rest of the film. Maybe I’m just a sentimentalist, but I found the spinning hug utterly adorable, though the whole blindfold-Anne-and-bring-her-back-to-her-own-house a bit confusing. Captain Wentworth didn’t buy Kellynch Hall in the book, did he? The 1995 ending scene was sweet as well—I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Anne’s horrid family get their comeuppance when Wentworth asked Sir Walter for her hand, and when the happy couple sailed off in their ship together… well, I melted. Again.
Miss Laurie: I love that the 1995 film includes a scene of Captain Wentworth publicly asking for Anne's hand in marriage because it gives us a chance to see their friends and family's reaction to their engagement. And the ending with Anne on board ship with her Captain sailing off into the sunset is very sweet and but simple. The 2007 ending with Captain Wentworth surprising his wife by buying Kellynch and then dancing an impromptu waltz on the front lawn is very romantic and always makes me smile but unfortunately unlikely to have happened since the house was part of the baronetcy and probably couldn't be sold. I think the 1995 scene of Anne sailing with her Naval Captain husband is more in keeping with the way Jane Austen ended the story.
Miss Melody: I liked how the end of the 1995 version gave us a glimpse of what was to be in the future for Captain and Mrs. Wentworth, and that she was to sail with him. Very sweet. The 2007 version was likewise very sweet, though the thing about Kellynch being Anne’s wedding present has always been hard to decipher. And while it’s cute to have them waltzing in the lawn, waltzing was not the fashion yet and they probably wouldn’t have known how to do it, if I am not much mistaken. As for my favorite, I just can’t choose! I think each was nice in its own way, and fits very well with the version it belongs to.
Miss Elizabeth Bennet: I liked both endings. The 1995 version had Anne on the ship that Captain Wentworth was commanding that was sailing out to sea, and the 2007 version had Captain Wentworth giving Kellynch to Anne as a wedding present. Probably out of the two, the 1995 version was more realistic. The 2007 version is not clear whether Captain Wentworth now owns Kellynch or if he is just letting it, but nevertheless it would be fairly difficult for him to do either (with convincing Sir Walter to allow him to buy/let it). But at the same time, I found the 2007 version sweeter. I think I may have to say the 2007 version, but only by a hair.

Navigate to the Different Parts of the Persuasion Comparison!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 4