Midnight in Austenland

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale.  Bloomsbury, 2012

I'm afraid I am a sure-sell when all things Jane Austen. Hale's first book Austenland which I reviewed (here) in 2007 was entertaining Jane Austen fanfiction.  I savored the concept of a place like Disneyland for Austen lovers, hence the name Austenland.

The story was picked up by Twilight's Stephanie Meyer who is producing Austenland -- the movie which is in post-production according to IMDB.   If you wander back to July 2011 on author Shannon Hale's blog, squeetusblog, you will find her posting a bit about being on the movie set.

In this new book, Hale keeps the setting and some of the background characters including Mrs Wattlesbrook who manages the place, Colonel Andrews, who interacts with the visitors like a Disney Character at the parks, and Miss Charming, a perpetual guest at Pembrook. 

Charlotte Kinder is a divorced mother of two.  She is successful in business but feels alone and like a failure because of her divorce. When the opportunity to take a vacation presents itself, the travel agent suggests Austenland and Charlotte, who has only recently read Jane Austen's works, books the trip. 

Hale tells the story in a sort of pendulum swing fashion between the past and present.  The reader learns more about Charlotte's past as she tries to understand herself in an ongoing dialog with her Inner Thoughts. In the first story, Hale played off Austen's Pride and Prejudice.  Here she puts a spin on Northanger Abbey.  Has there been a murder at Pembrook Park or is Charlotte, like the NA character Catherine Morland, seeing things that are not there? 
This was a fun read for spring break.

As New Zealand discovered there is gold in fan loyalty.  This time around Peter Jackson et al are rebuilding Hobbiton for the filming of The Hobbit so it will be a permanent part of the New Zealand tourist trade for year to come. (See Hobbiton Movie Set Tours)  I wonder if a similar idea might be pursued to create a real Austenland type hotel for Austen fans.

TV: Persuasion

I am looking forward to the Jane Austen Extravaganza on PBS over the next weeks. This past Sunday's Persuasion was ... ok. ... but nothing beats the despair, the tension, hope and sheer romance of the 1995 version with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds. This version is still my favorite.

Watch this clip. There is NOTHING better than this, well, except for Colin Firth coming out of that lake in P&P.

Regency Style

I enjoy fiber blogs. If it has to do with thread, yarn, fabric, or needless, I confess I am always interested in what folks are doing. I used to do quite a bit of sewing pre-children. I have taken tailoring classes and used to be able to make bound button holes and welt pockets. Over the years and children, my sewing has been devoted to flower girl dresses, french seamed smocked christening gowns, and Halloween costumes.

In recent years quilts were the only things running through the sewing machine until Peter Jackson and his Lord of the Rings. It seemed like my library aide and I needed green elven cloaks (and hobbit ears) to wear the day the movies came out. It was always hilarious to see kids "watching" my ears while I taught.

I also sewed an Eowyn dress for Entling no. 2.

Despite my self-inflicted sewing frustrations, (Entling no. 2: What are you doing, Mom? Me: This is a seam ripper. I am un-stitching) I have really enjoyed working on this dress.

Finding the right fabric is really a challenge. We chose something that was VERY inexpensive because I was not sure of fit or how the pattern would go together and regarded this effort as a trial run. Well, when she tried it on I could not believe it. She looked like she had really just stepped out of time.

Still have the hem to go and to study the back closures in some more pictures. I will post a photo when it is done.

Google "Regency Fashion" and you will find tons of results.

Here is a page that lists many patterns that are available.
http://www.songsmyth.com/patternsgowns.html

This page talks about hairstyles, makeup etc. Very very interesting.
http://www.songsmyth.com/costumecreation.html

This is the pattern that I am sewing. It seemed like we got a lot of variety for the money, a spencer jacket, muff, beret. I like the wide range of clothing and styles but you do need sewing experience.
http://www.ravenrook.com/clothier/bagatelle/regency.jsp

This pattern looks very do-able. This company has excellent online instructions:
http://www.sensibility.com/pattern/regency.htm

This girl has actually sewn the patterns. Her work is very interesting to look at.
http://www.koshka-the-cat.com/regency.html


This is a very interesting article: Dressing the Part: Costume in Three Jane Austen Film Adaptations which is fascinating if you are interested in the authenticity of the Austen movie costumes.

Also images from museums of real regency clothing
Fun to see actual stains on the hems and also possibly covered up by embroidery. The time I have put into this dress reminds me that clothing had to be repaired and revived when stained or damaged.

Movie: Becoming Jane

Here is the trailer for Becoming Jane. At this point I am just checking the dress details. The necklines look like they have the drawstring gathering!! Yippee! Now I have to look at the trimmings.

Stills from the movie are here.

Author: Shannon Hale

Don't miss Shannon's interview on NPR this a.m. Then check Shannon's blog, Squeetus, for an eloquent discourse on "Our Chum Jane."

Austenland: A Novel

Austenland: A Novel by Shannon Hale, (2007) Katherine Kellgren (Narrator)

• If you love Jane Austen novels, this book is for you.
• If you love the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice and think Colin Firth is the BEST EVER Darcy, this book is for you.
• If you enjoy a lighthearted romance that you would not be embarrassed to share with your mother or your daughters, this book is for you.
• If you are currently sewing period dresses for a daughter who has become involved in English Country Dancing and making note of how most of the fullness in Regency style empire waisted skirts is at the back at of the dress to allow for a smooth profile from the front, this book is for you.

Thirty-two year old Jane Hayes feels like she is a loser at love. She has the DVD of the BBC miniseries Pride and Prejudice which she pulls out when she needs a shot of Mr. Darcy. She longs for the romantic connection of an Elizabeth Bennet-and-Fitzwilliam Darcy sort in her own life.

She is bequeathed a trip to "Jane Austen World" in England, by a great-aunt. Pembrook Park lets the "campers" live and breathe 18th century England, complete with elegant gowns, etiquette and diversions. Jane decides this is her opportunity to purge herself of her Darcy neediness by immersing herself in the fantasy. She is a 21st century person at heart though, so as she becomes accustomed to corsets and dresses that are not conducive to exercise, there is a part of her that holds back. In her heart she knows the "gentlemen" are actors but that does not keep her from wishing for a true romance.

I enjoyed Jane's ability to match the events at Pembrook Park to the plots and characters from Jane Austen's novels. This is an entertaining and fun summer read. No one can "do" Jane Austen. Austenland is Shannon Hale's curtsy to the master.

I listened to audio version of the book because of my schedule. I enjoyed it but I am also looking forward to going back and actually reading it, which is something I rarely do.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Bookshelves of Doom reviews Austenland. I did not know Shannon Hale was writing this book. Based on BoD review, I have just added this title to my "must absolutely find this book" list. Be sure to read the link to Shannon Hale's letter to Colin Firth.

I must add Squeetus to my blogroll. How have I missed it until now?

Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman, 2006

I was intrigued by this book because of the story's opening premise: Julie's favorite book is Pride and Prejudice. She is dismayed when her best friend, Ashleigh discovers the book and adopts it as her latest passion. Ashleigh assumes the speech patterns, dress and mannerisms of Jane Austen's heroines and integrates them into her daily life. When she decides she wants to search for her "Mr. Darcy" she enlists Julie to help her crash a dance at the nearby private boys' school. Julie thinks of it as the "Snoot School Dork Dance" but they search out period dresses, learn to dance the quadrille and plan to get into the dance.

At the dance Julie meets her "Mysterious Stranger," the boy she has seen around town, who is a student at the school. Parr is a really nice guy and Julie is smitten. Unfortunately, Ashleigh has decided Parr is her Mr. Darcy and she keeps trying to convinice Julie that Parr's friend, Ned, is Julie's Mr. Bingley. Julie is torn between her interest in Parr and her friendship with Ashleigh.

I liked Julie very much. An only child, she lives with her mother and visits her father who left to marry the "IA" or Irresistable Accountant. Julie is like so many kids who are the victims of divorce. She is trying to keep some semblance of a relationship with her dad so she keeps her feelings to herself.

Shulman writes with a eye to Austen with her use of capitalization and tongue-in-cheek humor. This is a very lighthearted read. Entling no. 3 told me it was really "fun."