Susan Hated Literature

Harriette Wilson, the woman who blackmailed the king
Author: Frances Wilson
ISBN: 0571205240 DDC: 941.073092
See also: LibraryThing ; Other reviews

Harriette Wilson’s Memoirs omit both time and place; there are no addresses given, no locations described, no elections, diseases, or wars. “Dates make ladies nervous and stories dry,” she wrote.

It has taken me quite a while to finish this book. Usually that isn’t a very good sign, it means I’ve not really being all that interested in it, but usually I don’t read non-fiction. Whenever I do it always takes me longer to get through.

This is the story of Harriette Wilson who grew up to become a courtesan in Regency London. The woman whose Memoirs caused a scandal, and raised her quite a bit of cash, as those named began to buy her silence. But as well as that it is a story of how few options there were available to women at that time. It was a case of be married or be damned. Harriette seems to have chosen the damned option. It was her book that led to the, now famous, if incorrect line by Wellington, “publish and be damned”.

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Dir: Adrian Shergold
Writ: Simon Burke, based on the novel by Jane Austen

• Sally Hawkins - Anne Elliot
• Rupert Penry-Jones - Captain Wentworth
• Anthony Head - Sir Walter Elliot
• Tobias Menzies - William Elliot
• Finlay Robertson - James Benwick
• Julia Davis - Elizabeth Elliot
• Joseph Mawle - Captain Harville
• Sam Hazeldine - Charles Musgrove
• Rosamund Stephen - Henrietta Musgrove
• Jennifer Higham - Louisa Musgrove

Despite the fact that I took a course on Jane Austen at college^[1] I’ve never actually read Persuasion so when I was reminded over at Monomania Diaries that this was showing I made sure to stick a reminder up. After all, I hadn’t seen any of the other Jane Austen adaptions that made up ITV’s Jane Austen season.

Anne Elliot, the main protagonist, has given up hope of happiness and marriage. When she was younger she had fallen in love with Frederick Wentworth, but her family, believing that a naval officer was unsuitable, had advised against a marriage and she had allowed herself to be persuaded. Now, at 27, it doesn’t look as if she will ever find a husband. Not only that, but her family’s finances aren’t the best and they are forced to rent out the family home in an attempt to make some money. However, Wentworth re-enters her life as his sister is the one to lease the Elliott’s house.

I found myself enjoying this a lot more than I thought I would. Maybe it is just on comparison to the recent remake of Pride and Prejudice, or perhaps a reaction to Becoming Jane. Or maybe it was just a superior cast. Hawkins was perfect as the slightly withdrawn, but intelligent Anne. And Rupert Penry-Jones was perfect in the leading man role^[2] And then there is the supporting cast. Anthony Head and Tobias Menzies, for example are both perfectly cast. Head as the vain Sir William Elliott, and Menzies as the seemingly charming but untrustworthy cousin Elliott.

Throughout the programme Anne often looks directly to camera, a device which I felt was ever-so-slightly overused, but worked very well in getting the audience to empathise with Anne.

IMDb | Wikipedia | AustenBlog discussion | Scree Stories

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Dir: Julian Jarrold
Writ: Kevin Hood & Sarah Williams

• Anne Hathaway - Jane Austen
• James McAvoy - Tom Lefroy
• Julie Walters - Mrs. Austen
• James Cromwell - Rev Austen
• Maggie Smith - Lady Gresham
• Joe Anderson - Henry Austen
• Laurence Fox - Mr. Wisley
• Ian Richardson - Judge Langlois

There really isn’t all that much to this film, which is loosely based on the life of Jane Austen, it is watchable but not memorable. The film amps up the real-life flirtation between Austen and Tom Lefroy to turn it into a full blown romance, with elopement and other such excitements thrown in. There may be some who are annoyed by the historical inaccuracies, I didn’t really care. However, knowing it was based on Jane Austen’s life means that there really was no point in the whole “will they won’t they” drama. You can’t keep an audience guessing when they know the ending.

Apart from that I found the first half of this film quite slow. Hathaway didn’t have the personality or screen presence to engage, and McAvoy was far too believable as the rogue to ever repent. And then there is the fact that Lefroy is Irish, and so obviously one of the “evil English invaders” oppressing Ireland, so he was never going to be in my good books Watching a romance between two characters that you don’t really like, and when you know the ending, isn’t really all that great. I did enjoy Fox’s Mr Wisley though, Jane should’ve chosen him from the beginning. Would have made far more sense.

I also had a bit of a problem with the whole love story. Once Lefroy tells Jane that Show Spoilers ▼

The second half was an improvement, but it didn’t blend properly with the beginning. The whole film felt unbalanced, as though they weren’t sure whether this was to be a light-hearted romance or a sad tale of unrequited love. But on the plus side the costumes were pretty, and every thing looked nice.

IMDb | Wikipedia on Lefroy | Austen-tatious | Monomania Diaries

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Author: Colleen Gleason
ISBN: 9780451220073
DDC: 813.6
#1 in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles
See also: ColleenGleason.com ; LibraryThing ; SSD review ; Quixotic’s review

His footsteps were soundless, but Victoria felt him moving.
She grasped the bark of the oak, pressing her body into the tree as if it could suck her into safety.

Victoria Gardella has just discovered the secret her family hides; some of them are born Venators or vampire hunters. And she, just about to make her début in C19th London society, is one. Her first choice is whether or not to accept this new life. If she wishes she can give it all up, and be returned to a state of ignorance about the fact that vampires are real. Otherwise her life will be changed forever.

Of course, she chooses to be a Venator, after all, if she hadn’t it would have been a very short book. But once that decision is made she comes to realise that there are more and more choices and decisions she must make, as she tries to balance a living a normal society-lifestyle with staking vampires.

That last sentence should tell you that there is a little bit of Buffy in Victoria. No bad thing and it is more a general similarity rather than any stealing of that programme’s ideas. Victoria, like Buffy, must balance her everyday life, keeping her secret slaying from certain members of her family and friends. But that is about as close to Buffy as this book comes.

I flew through this; started it this morning and finished this evening. It is a very entertaining read, and I grew quite fond of Victoria. Some of the other characters I was less sure of, but that is part of the point, we aren’t meant to know.

Paranormal fantasy/horror books are becoming quite common; this one is different in that it is set in Regency times. I thought that the blending of the horror and the historical elements was done quite well, although I did have to wonder at one point if our Miss Gardella wasn’t a little fast.

If you like vampire stories you should enjoy this one.

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Author: Georgette Heyer
ISBN: 0099468042
823.912
See also: Library Thing ; Wikipedia entry

“Do not, I beg of you, my lord, say more!” uttered Miss Milbourse, in imploring accents, slightly averting her lovely countenance, and clasping both hands at her bosom.

This may be my favourite Heyer so far. It has all the usual ingredients, romance, melodrama, along with a great deal of humour. Most of her books do have some, but this had me laughing more than any other. Plus the characters were great. Hero, or Kitten really isn’t much of a hero at all but she is so good-humoured that no matter the scrapes she ends up in you can’t help but like her. And Sherry is just as bad. And as entertaining and likeable.

The collection of friends are great fun too.

And as usual the book is a page-turner, you won’t want to stop once you’ve started reading it.

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Author: Georgette Heyer
ISBN: 0099468093
DDC: 823.912
See also: LibraryThing

Two ladies were seated in the library at Milverly Park, the younger, whose cap and superabundance of crape proclaimed the widow, beside a table upon which reposed a Prayer Book; the elder, a Titian-haired beauty of some twenty-five simmers, in one of the deep window-embrasures that overlooked the park.

Heyer’s romance novels show the reader that your story doesn’t have to be original to be entertaining, and that predictability isn’t always a bad thing. By the time you’ve finished reading the first chapter you’ll know exactly who Serena will end up with. It takes a little longer to work out the other pair, but that is merely because one party takes a while to show up.

But, as I’ve just said, that doesn’t matter. You don’t read these books looking for shocks and surprise endings. You read them for the style of writing. For the setting. And for the characters.

The main heroine of Bath Tangle is Serena, whose father, recently deceased, has left her fortune in the trusteeship of the Marquis of Rotherham, much to Serena’s shock and displeasure. She was once engaged to Rotherham, but jilted him before the wedding could take place. Since then they’ve remained on somewhat friendly terms, although they do tend to wind each other up.

In the wake of her father’s death Serena, and her stepmother, and close friend, Fanny decide to move to Bath for a change of scenery. While there Serena meets a very old friend, as well as meeting a few interesting characters, and before long all are caught up in a web of romances and marriages and scheming parents.

As usual, it is the language that kept me entertained. Heyer has a wonderful turn of phrase, blending manners and humour together with ease.

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Author: Georgette Heyer
ISBN: 043432826X
DDC: 823.912
See also: LibraryThing; Georgette Heyer

There was a silence in the book-room, not the silence of intimacy but a silence fraught with tension

Nell is in a little spot of bother. An issue of rescuing her brother from his debts and her own expenses means she is in debt herself. And she doesn’t want to tell he husband, Cardross has told her she must be debt-free by the end of the quarter. But in the process of attempting to pay the bill she gets herself in even more bother. And then there is the problem of Letty, her sister-in-law, determined to marry despite her intended’s lack of fortune.

It’s a Heyer romance, you really should know what to expect. Plenty of drama and miscommunication leading to even more drama and trouble. But in the end everything will work out and the couple who are so suited will realise this and get married. Only in this case the couple are husband and wife at the beginning of the novel.

As usual, very readable and enjoyable.

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