Downton Abbey Series 3 Preview

Thanks to Charity for making me aware of this video. The Downton footage is about nine minutes in --



Is it January yet? *wink*

Happy Birthday Georgette!

It is no secret that I adore the works of Georgette Heyer, in particular her regency novels (though she also wrote mysteries and historicals!). She is without a doubt in my mind the next best thing to Jane Austen -- and that, as all Austen aficianadoes know is no small thing. :) Her sparkling prose, attention to detail, and deft plotting are a sheer joy to read. In perusing my book review archives I've been shockingly remiss in extolling Heyer's virtues here on the blog -- that is something I must remedy at the earliest opportunity.

If you've never read Heyer, or have been waiting for the perfect excuse to expand your Heyer collection, this is your week! Thursday, August 16th would have been Heyer's 110th birthday -- and to celebrate the authoress, Sourcebooks -- home of the gorgeous Heyer reissues currently available in bookstores and online -- is celebrating by holding a special sale on ALL of Heyer's e-books.

From August 14-20, 2012, every single Heyer e-book Sourcebooks publishes will be on sale for $2.99!!

THREE DOLLARS A BOOK?! Can you believe it?! People do not miss this sale! You can peruse the full list of available titles here. At last check I have collected mass market or trade paperback copies of Heyer's regencies, so I plan on purchasing mystery and historical titles (I have some vintage copies of her mysteries that I've found in secondhand shops, but no where near a full collection).

The e-book sale will be available through Sourcebooks and online retailers such as Amazon -- remember to verify the sale price before you click download! And enjoy! Because seriously this woman's writing is priceless, and holds a special place in my heart -- her books are treasures!

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

I saw Salmon Fishing in the Yemen during its theatrical run, shortly after I finished reading the novel on which it is based by Paul Torday. I never got around to writing about the film after my theatrical experience, but now that this gem of a film is on DVD I intend to rectify that oversight. 

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a charmer of a film, one that takes the best aspects of the novel (to my mind, at any rate) -- the characters of Alfred and Harriet, and builds the film around how one man's radical dream leaves their lives irrevocably changed. As I mentioned in my review of the book, the Paul Torday novel is less of a traditional novel (which is what I expected when I first saw this movie's previews) and more of a biting social commentary, with some really wickedly funny, sarcastic passages lampooning government and bureaucratic red tape. The movie wisely refocuses on the character of Alfred Jones, fisheries specialist, a man who lives his life like a well-oiled clock, not a jot or dash out of place, and looks at what happens when a well-ordered scientific mind such as Alfred's encounters a man who dares to dream the impossible , one who somehow has the faith that Alfred can make his dream a reality. Ewan McGregor OWNS this movie. I cannot think of another actor more ideally suited to play the somewhat shy, mild-mannered Alfred whose passions only seem to be roused when someone dares to suggest an impossible task that flies in the face of scientific logic.

It is a rare book adaptation that improves upon its source material, but I would argue that director Lasse Hallstrom and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (the latter responsible for scripting the intimate, character-driven Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and the eagerly anticipated big-screen adaptation of Catching Fire) have done just that. While retaining much of Torday's biting humor and sarcasm, they've managed to craft an intimate, character-driven piece that examines what happens when one man challenges the world to believe the impossible -- and what happens when a straight-laced, logic-driven man such as Alfred finds his worldview challenged, left wanting, and is left with the choice of how to respond. 

The role of Dr. Alfred Jones, fisheries specialist, is tailor-made for Ewan McGregor's acting strengths, and for my money it's one of the best performances of his career. In the wrong hands Alfred could become a caricature, a cardboard cut-out of a straight-laced academic whose lack of vision and social skills are played for nothing more than laughs. And while the script it saturated with warmth and genuine humor, it is McGregor's performance that imbues Alfred with life and vibrancy, heartache and hope. When Alfred first receives -- and quickly dismisses -- Harriet Chetwold-Talbot's e-mail detailing her client's vision of bringing salmon fishing to the friggin' Yemen (he'd rather work on his oh-so-exciting Caddis fly paper), he little realizes that Sheikh Muhammed's dream will turn his life on its ear. Alfred is stuck...he has his work, his straight-laced, buttoned-up work clothes (the vests!), and the routine of a marriage that has long since lost anything resembling a spark. 

Alfred and his wife Mary (Rachael Stirling) may share a name and a home but live very separate lives. I typically like Stirling as an actress so seeing her in the pretty much completely unsympathetic role of Mary is something of a jolt. But she carries off the ice queen quality the role requires with aplomb. Stirling should be a familiar face to Masterpiece Mystery fans -- she's appeared in Poirot, Miss Marple, and Inspector Lewis episodes, and earlier this summer she had a memorable supporting role in Snow White and the Huntsman. Now here's the thing about Alfred and Mary's marriage...I take the idea of marriage and that commitment very seriously in real life and how it is portrayed in entertainment. But going into this film I was predisposed to despising the character of Mary, because I could not STAND her in the novel. And Alfred, especially as portrayed by Ewan McGregor, NEEDS to move on with his life. Desperately. Trust me on this. :P

Harriet (Emily Blunt), the financial consultant who enlists Alfred's expertise for the fishing scheme, is everything Alfred is not. Effervescent, energetic, full of life, she's a woman unlike anyone Alfred has ever encountered. As the film opens, she is in the heady early days of a new relationship with Captain Robert Mayers (Tom Mison). Mison has appeared in both Lewis and Poirot, as well as a wholly memorable turn in the delightful skewering of Pride and Prejudice that is Lost in Austen, where he played Mr. Bingley. He's adorable. Scant weeks into their relationship, Robert receives orders sending him to Afghanistan. The deployment alone is stressful enough for the whirlwind "in love" couple, but when Robert is reported missing in action Harriet's fear over the potential loss and guilt over not knowing him well enough threaten to consume her -- a threaten to set her on a path of settling for the less risky, more conventional, safer option -- something with which Alfred is all too familiar. 

Blunt is one of my favorite up-and-coming British actresses. In everything from The Young Victoria to the off-beat and quirky Wild Target, she brings a poise and sensitivity to her performances that just light up the screen. As Harriet she's positively luminous. Like a moth to a flame, as their acquaintance develops Alfred cannot help but be drawn to her -- and to the character's credit that is as far it goes. His marriage may be on the brink of imploding, but Alfred is a very deliberate individual here, one who doesn't undertake any action or change lightly -- and that ultimately is one of his best attributes. McGregor and Blunt have a wonderful on-screen chemistry -- from their characters' early meetings where he gripes and she teases, to the later moments where they've both learned to listen and value and appreciate one another, they bring a subtle, nuanced maturity to the story unfolding on-screen. One of my favorite moments is when Alfred shows up at Harriet's apartment shortly after she's received the news about Robert's disappearance. She's sure he's come to "bully her" back to work, when in reality he's brought her a sandwich because he's worried she's not eating well. Adorable? I DIE, IT'S SO ADORABLE. Unlike her physical relationship with Robert, Harriet's relationship with Alfred is built on getting to know each other at a much deeper level, a friendship that holds the possibility of something more, a slow burn all to rarely seen in films today -- and I loved that. 

Much hinges on the role of Sheikh Muhammed, the man whose dream is responsible for upending Alfred's life. The sheikh is brought to life by Amr Waked, an Egyptian actor I'm more than a little in love with following his turn in this film. I loved Waked's portrayal of the sheikh's passionate belief in his dream and vision, and his calm manner and extraordinary sensitivity. But best of all, the way in which this film develops the friendship between Alfred and the sheikh is just superb. On the surface the two men couldn't be more dissimilar -- but with the entree of a shared passion for fishing, an understanding of that world, the shiekh slowly earns Alfred's trust, respect, and admiration. Needless to say I couldn't be happier that the film substantially revises the ending of the novel since I love Waked's performance so much. :)

While this film is first and foremost a hearfelt character study, the script doesn't neglect Torday's wickedly funny political jibes. The novel's male Press Office of the Prime Minister agent is re-written for a female -- and as such Kristin Scott Thomas delivers a scene-stealing performance. She is hilarious as the cutthroat politico. She's larger-than-life, oft-times ridiculous, and perfect character vehicle for conveying Torday's biting send-up of government ridiculousness. *wink* Conleth Hill also delivers another scene-stealing performance as Alfred's much-loathed boss Bernard Sugden. Hill is perfectly cast as Sugden and spot-on in his portrayal of the character's sheer laziness. Absolutely hilarious!

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is a beautifully-constructed film. The color palette, the cinematography, the gorgeous shots of Morocco as a stand-in for the Yemen -- this film is a visual feast. Dario Marianelli delivers a beautifully-rendered, emotive score -- a must-have in my opinion for any fan of this composer's work. While some might find the film a bit slow-paced, I loved it, and to my mind it doesn't miss a beat -- every scene, each line of dialogue, every nuance of the performances are woven together to create a beautiful, wholly absorbing, heartrending and poignant film.

This film took my best takeaway from the novel -- the power and importance of belief and dreams to one's life -- and ran with it. On his most unusual journey to see the sheikh's dream realized, Alfred must confront the question of his very identity and who he wants to be. Can he change, can he risk trying? Or is his future programmed into his very DNA? Expectations versus dreams, belief, and how the very idea of hope can be a powerful, transformative force in one's life -- if we let it in. Without a doubt one of my favorite films of the year.

I love Jeremy Renner.

The End.

(And yes, I saw The Bourne Legacy today in case you were wondering...) :)

Grimm returns!!!!!!!!!!

Grimm returns for its second season in THREE MORE SLEEPS, people!!!!!! The most exciting news I've had all month! You can read my Grimm recaps here, or you can just watch all of season one in this handy seven-minute video:



Oh Monroe, I've missed you like crazy...

Call the Midwife previews

I see a problem on the horizon...Call the Midwife premieres on PBS September 30th, and runs for six weeks airing at 8:00 Eastern/7:00 Central...Once Upon a Time's timeslot! EEEPP! Has anyone across the pond seen this series? I think it sounds fascinating!

CALL THE MIDWIFE
Sundays, September 30 to November 4, 2012, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET

Based on a best-selling trilogy by the late Jennifer Worth, CALL THE MIDWIFE is a fascinating portrayal of birth, life and death in a world drastically different from ours. This six-part series offers an unconventional twist to Sunday-night British dramas and brings mid-20th-century London to life, focusing on the joys and hardships of a group of midwives working in London’s East End.

 Preview #1:

   

Preview #2:



A second series of Call the Midwife has already been confirmed!

Review: There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones

There You'll Find Me
By: Jenny B. Jones
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 978-1-59554-540-4

About the book:

Grief brought Finley to Ireland. Love will lead her home.

Finley Sinclair is not your typical eighteen year old. She's witty, tough, and driven. With an upcoming interview at the Manhattan music conservatory, Finley needs to compose her audition piece. But her creativity disappeared with the death of her older brother, Will.

She decides to study abroad in Ireland so she can follow Will's travel journal. It's the place he felt closest to God, and she's hopeful being there will help her make peace over losing him. So she agrees to an exchange program and boards the plane.

Beckett Rush, teen heartthrob and Hollywood bad boy, is flying to Ireland to finish filming his latest vampire movie. On the flight, he meets Finley. She's the one girl who seems immune to his charm. Undeterred, Beckett convinces her to be his assistant in exchange for his help as a tour guide.

Once in Ireland, Finley starts to break down. The loss of her brother and the pressure of school, her audition, and whatever it is that is happening between her and Beckett, leads her to a new and dangerous vice. When is God going to show up for her in this emerald paradise?

Then she experiences something that radically changes her perspective on life. Could it be God convincing her that everything she's been looking for has been with her all along?

Review:

When her brother Will was killed in a terrorist bombing, Finley Sinclair's carefully ordered life came undone. Consumed by grief and anger, she lashed out at those closest to her, alienating her family and becoming an infamous party girl whose tabloid-worthy exploits masked a depression that threatened to consume her. The God who once seemed as close as her beloved brother fell silent. Following a family intervention and a stint in therapy, Finley -- further guilt-ridden over what her rebellious streak has put her family through -- is determined to get her life back on track. God may be silent, but if she can find a way to honor her brother surely the gaping black hole that has threatened to consume her since his death will dissipate -- surely then she can reclaim a piece of the life she once knew. Taking a page from Will's life she enrolls in an exchange program and determines to follow each and every step of his travel journal through Ireland. If Will felt closest to God in Abbeyglen, surely she can rediscover her faith and finish the composition honoring his life that will assure her future at the New York music conservatory.

But following Will's footsteps does not bring Finley the peace she so craves, and in Ireland her carefully-constructed facade of health and control starts to unravel. When she meets Beckett Rush, the Hollywood heartthrob and renowned party boy filming his latest vampire flick, she determines to avoid him at all costs -- the last thing she needs is more drama. But Beckett is determined to prove Finley's snap judgement wrong, and the more time they spend together the more she stands in danger of losing her heart -- and relinquishing her heart to Beckett would require revealing the darkness she's grappled with since Will's death. And that level of transparency, relinquishing that control is not something Finley can risk just when she stands ready to honor Will with her audition piece. Between Beckett, a school assignment involving a bitter adopted grandmother, and the ever-increasing pressure to be perfect, Finley begins to take risks with herself in order to maintain her fragile sense of control over life -- risks that threaten the future and peace she is desperate to attain.

Finley was first introduced in Save the Date, where as Alex Sinclair's little sister she was lost in the throes of grief and the early stages of a teenage rebellion that would test her family and bring her life to the breaking point. The Finley we meet at the beginning of There You'll Find Me is sarcastic, funny, whip-smart, and heart-breakingly fragile, determined to regain and maintain a tenuous control on a life that spun out of control with her brother's death. It would be enough for a character Finley's age, on the cusp of adulthood and the changes that entails, to face the choice to leave childhood behind and take control of her future. But by inserting as an additional catalyst for change a deeply painful family tragedy, Jones elevates her story above the realm of strictly young adult-targeted fiction to something more universal in its scope. There You'll Find Me is a sensitive, poignant treatise on grief, depression, and faith, and how, in the darkest night of the soul the never-failing grace of God can reach us, even when as believers we've bought into the lie that we've gone too far, we're not enough, we're lost. This isn't a novel about "conversion," rather a story about faith forged through the fires of unfathomable loss and heartache, a story of darkness shot through with the fragilest thread of hope -- and that thread, though made of the most delicate gossamer strands, is more than enough when rooted in Christ. For when grace, freely offered, is accepted, when we relinquish the preconditions we place on ourselves for being less than perfect, less than enough, those fragile threads of faith are capable of sustaining us in the blackest seasons of our lives.

Jones balances the heavier issues Finley is forced to confront in this novel with her trademark humor and romance. I adored watching the development of Finley and Beckett's relationship -- forget YA, Beckett is as swoon-worthy a hero as romance readers could ever hope to meet. They fight and spar much like one of my favorite couples, Shakespeare's Beatrice and Benedick, only to lose their hearts to each other in spite of themselves. I love how Jones lends her characters a contemporary pop by making Beckett an actor known for his vampire flicks -- and then brings added depth to his character by addressing his own issues with faith, his future, and his family. Jones peoples Finley's world with a host of colorful, well-drawn supporting characters, perhaps best of all Ireland herself thanks to Will's travel journal. This novel is an armchair traveler's dream, the people, color, and sounds (love that Irish brogue!) of Ireland beautifully realize, the perfect balm to the inner turmoil Finley is desperate to assuage.

As someone who has fought her own battles with anxiety and depression, Finley's story resonated strongly with me -- so strongly in fact, that at times this was almost a difficult read because it was so relatable. But I think there is a great need for more fiction of this ilk -- fiction that doesn't shy away from honesty about the devastating effects of depression and grief and confronts those issues head-on from a faith perspective. Finley's journey is a clarion call, a powerful reminder that as believers we need to remember the truth on which our faith is built is a surer foundation than the feelings that threaten to toss us upon the rocks, leaving us lost in a stormy sea. There You'll Find Me is heartfelt and funny, but more than that a challenging, compassionate reminder of the grace of God that never fails to offer hope and healing.

Marguerite

My earliest memories of classic literature were not, as many who know me now might suspect, drawing room romances in the vein of Jane Austen or epic social commentary and meaty family drama from the pen of Dickens, but were instead swashbuckling, romantic adventure stories. Critical in developing my love of fiction and the power of imagination were classic films such as The Adventures of Robin Hood, Captain Blood, and The Sea Hawk, the latter two films based on novels by Rafael Sabatini, a master at penning unforgettable, swashbuckling romances. Sabatini’s pirate-themed adventures led me to Scaramouche (published in 1921, with an excellent 1952 film adaptation), the story of an adventurer during the tumultuous years of the French Revolution, “born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad,” an apropos description of life during the reign of Madame Guillotine. Something about that time period captivated my imagination, and in my quest for like adventures led me to Baroness Emmuska Orczy’s 1905 novel The Scarlet Pimpernel, a treasure of a find that captured my heart and has in no small way informed my preferences in fiction and film to this day.

When you reference The Scarlet Pimpernel, the first image that comes to mind is most likely that of a dashing, brave English nobleman, masquerading as an inane fop to hide his daring in saving countless members of the French nobility from death at the guillotine. But the novel’s title and its (understandably) male connotation is something of a misnomer. In revisiting the novel for the first time in I don’t know how many years, I was immediately struck by a statement to that effect in the introductory material by Gary Hoppenstand (found in the Signet Classics paperback edition, published in 2000). When I discovered Orczy’s classic novel I fell hard for her eponymous hero and quite probably never stopped to examine the fact that this isn’t the Pimpernel’s story at all, but rather his wife’s, the beautiful and intelligent Marguerite.

In his introduction, Hoppenstand posits that Marguerite is in fact Orczy’s “idealized self,” and approaching the novel with that in mind I have a deeper appreciation not only for my own decades-long love affair with this story but a newly-articulated kinship with its creator. As a reader who almost always imaginatively inserts myself in a novel via the character I most identify with, I can so relate to Orczy’s desire for a fictionalized ideal. In the character of Marguerite, she gifted the world with an unforgettably strong-willed, classy, competent heroine, willing to fight for what she believed in, and one half of a heart-stopping romance that most notably occurs after marriage.

Broadly speaking, a romance is about the meet, the conflict, the resolution – in traditional terms, culminating in a permanent, committed relationship with the implication that marriage is soon to follow. But what happens after the meet cute, the sparks fly, and misunderstandings ensue, only to be resolved by the romance novel’s promise of a happily ever after? In books, films, and especially television shows, as an entertainment-consuming public we’re addicted to the chase, dragging it on for years in the case of the latter (I’m looking at you, Castle) because somewhere along the line we’ve bought into the idea that when a couple commits to one another, the adventure and romance just end – the story has lost its spark, is no longer worth following.

But that concept has always maddened me, and in reflecting on the characters of Marguerite and Percy I’ve come to the conclusion that one reason Orczy’s novel is so timeless, one reason it has resonated so strongly with me for years is the fact that she flew in the face of that convention. In The Scarlet Pimpernel, when we’re introduced to Sir Percy and his acclaimed wife, the initial chase has occurred, the marriage vows recited, but the happy couple has hit a seemingly impenetrable wall. Thanks to Marguerite’s foolish words, used to condemn an entire noble family to death, Sir Percy has shut his beloved wife out of his life, donning an impenetrable mask of indifference, a foppish attitude that drives Marguerite to use her considerable intellect to belittle her husband at every turn.

In re-reading The Scarlet Pimpernel I was struck by a parallel to my “other” favorite classic literary couple from Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. If Darcy and Elizabeth’s story is a tale of pride and prejudice as an obstacle to marriage and a happily ever after, then perhaps it isn’t too much of a stretch to argue that Percy and Marguerite’s adventures is a story of the danger of pride and prejudice in a marriage, and the damage those emotions can wreak in a husband and wife relationship. Marguerite’s journey from embittered bride to passionate fighter for marriage and a future with Sir Percy sets Orczy’s novel apart from more traditional romances.

When “the ‘cleverest woman in Europe’ had linked her fate to that ‘demmed idiot’ Blakeney” in marriage, it sent shockwaves through society as the pair seemed so ill-suited. Initially for Marguerite, it was enough to be “blindly, passionately, wholly…worshipped,” until the revelation of her part in sending a noble French family to the guillotine is revealed and Percy’s passion for his bride transforms into “complete contempt” to which she responds in kind. On this read-through I was struck by how Marguerite entered marriage in love with the idea of being in love – she’s flattered by Percy’s adoration but doesn’t respond to it equally. It isn’t until she discovers that in a desperate attempt to save her brother from the guillotine that she’s condemned her husband to death. It is only when she stands on the brink of losing Percy that she realizes what their love and marriage could be, recognizing and rejecting the emptiness of living life as a glittering “ornament.”

Marguerite and Percy may have begun their marriage wearing masks of pride and indifference, and it is only when she realizes Percy’s true nature that she discovers the sacrifice she’s willing to make for love. Orczy’s fictional “other” is no quivering wallflower needing to be rescued. For the chance to save her husband and marriage she willingly braves the lion’s den, determined to meet Percy as an equal partner, stripped of artifice and disguise, to aid him in his quest or die at his side in the attempt. It’s high adventure to be sure, but that is what makes Marguerite, and her love story, so timeless. Through her, Orczy crafted a fiercely intelligent, capable heroine, a delicate balance of femininity and smarts, whose passionate determination to fight for her marriage’s survival resonates to this day.

******

This article was originally written for the May/June 2012 issue of Femnista (and appeared in that publication in an edited form), spotlighting favorite Literary Women. Thanks to Charity for allowing me to "reprint" my article here. Please click below to launch the full issue in case you missed it when it released or just want to revisit it. :) It covers everything from Nancy Drew to Margaret Hale!


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