Becoming Jane Quotes

I should have done this long ago, but I keep forgetting. Watching Becoming Jane again last night made me dig my old file. So here we go: the quotes. Of course, more input and additions are welcomed. So, what’s your favourite?

“Mr. Austen, I have shared the bed with you for thirty two years, and perfection is something I have yet encountered.” – Mrs. Austen

“A brilliant young lawyer - with a reputation!” - Lucy Lefroy on Tom Lefroy
“For lateness?” - Jane Austen on Tom Lefroy

“The most disagreeable, insolent, arrogant, imprudent, insufferable, impertinent of men!”
Jane Austen on Tom Lefroy

“Flirting is a woman's trade. One must keep in practice.” – Eliza De Feuillide

“Experience can recommend a man...” – Eliza de Feullide

“If you wish to practice the art of fiction, to be the equal of a masculine author, experience is vital. Your horizons must be…widened.” – Tom Lefroy

“In life, bad characters often thrive; take yourself.” – Jane Austen to Tom Lefroy

“A novel must show how the world truly is. Somehow, reveals the true source of our actions.” – Jane Austen

“Jane!” – Mrs. Austen
“What is she doing?” – Lady Gresham
“Writing.” – Mr. Wisley
“Can’t anything be done about it?!”– Lady Gresham

“Affection is desirable. Money is absolutely indispensable!” – Mrs. Austen

“No sensible women would demonstrate passion, if the purpose were to attract a husband.” – Jane Austen
“As opposed to a lover?” – Tom Lefroy

“How can you of all people dispose of yourself without affection?” – Tom Lefroy
“How can I dispose of myself with it?” – Jane Austen

“I'm yours, Jane, heart and soul!” - Tom Lefroy

“Portable property is happiness in a pocketbook.” – Jane Austen

“Irony is the bringing together of contradictory truths to make out of the contradiction a new truth with a laugh or a smile.” – Jane Austen

“Jane, I've tried! I have tried and I cannot live this lie. Can you?” – Tom Lefroy

“What value would there be in life, if we are not together?” – Tom Lefroy

“You cannot begin to imagine...” – John Warren
“Thank you for your kind attention...but... ARE THERE NO OTHER WOMEN IN HAMPSHIRE?!” – Jane Austen

“As for fortune, a young woman might depend on herself.” – Jane Austen

“My characters shall have, after a little bit of trouble, all that they desire.” – Jane Austen

More of Maria's fanvids!

Sorry for (again) the slow posts. Thank God that Maria has more fan-vids, hence I can make a post out of it :-D Easter Holiday should be free-work days, but not for me, alas.

The second one is called Empty Room:



and the third one is Amazed:



Check them out, they're great! Oh, and I watched the BJ DVD again for the first time for so many months last nite, and I was still captivated. I should write a review of it on my spare time.

And Happy belated Easter, everyone!

Please sign 'The Hathavoy Petition'!

Dear ladies and gents,

In addition to accommodate various information on Becoming Jane, Jane Austen and Tom Lefroy, one of the purposes of this fansite is to help other fans to promote their fandom on the BJ creative team. Hence, when Nancy and co asked me to post the petition below, I gladly do it.


We Love Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy Petition

To: Directors, Producers, Writers, etc.

A great amount of "Becoming Jane"/Jane Austen & Tom LeFroy/Anne Hathaway & James McAvoy fans have come together to create this petition because we've fallen in love with Jane Austen and Tom LeFroy's tragic love story - whether it was fully true or not. Jane and Tom have really captured our hearts and "Becoming Jane" was a really touching film that we thought Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy portrayed very well. We thought that their chemistry together was magnificiantly beautiful and magical!

Furthermore, we loved Hathaway and McAvoy's onscreen presence and chemistry, but some of us were really saddened by the ending of "Becoming Jane". Even though Jane and Tom have reconciliated and of course, not all love stories end well, we really wanted them to end happily together since their feelings for each other were very strong and remained strong after 20 years.

Therefore, some of us have come together and hope that Hathaway and McAvoy would team up again onscreen for a second film, whether it's an independent film or mainstream, we would just love to see them paired up again - and this time with a HAPPY ENDING because Hathaway and McAvoy have a really undeniable chemistry together which makes it very realistic and entertaining to watch.

In addition, this message is not directed to anyone specifically, but if any directors or screen writers who come by this letter, we really hope you take our idea into consideration and truly touch our hearts once again. We adore Hathaway and McAvoy together in "Becoming Jane", but since it's not our decision to make at the end of the day, it is something we can just hope for in the future.

Overall, we hope the fans will sign this petition, for those who are in support of Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy's reunion for a second film.

Now, I've signed the petition, and it's your turn now! Let's have another Hathaway/McAvoy movie, with happy ending this time, and (to me) preferably in the periodic drama. (Regency, Victorian, whatever).

Pic: www.annie-hathaway.com

Maria's first BJ fan-vid!

And it's great! Have a look here:



Love the clips, love the song. It suits well, as she said, with her I Remember Love fan-fiction. Have you read it? You should. It's Chapter 15 now, Jane Austen is taken ill :-(

Speaking of illness, I have in my mind a post about JA's illness and various medical opinions on it. I might have to spare time to write it, it's rather academic.

Jane Austen Regency World Awards

Ladies and Gents,

Thanks to Librarian Linda, I am aware of this interesting award launched by the Jane Austen Regency World as follows:

Vote for your favourite actor, actress and film of 2007 in the Jane Austen Regency World awards! In the seven categories the Awards recognise the contribution of the nominees in furthering the understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the work of Jane Austen.

You can only make your vote online. Please vote here.

Voting will continue up to the 10th of May after which time this link will be closed.
The winners will be announced and awards presented at a black tie dinner event at the Hilton Hotel in Bath on 15th May 2008.

If you would like to attend the event, a limited number of tickets are available for purchase from the Jane Austen Centre online giftshop.

The Awards are sponsored by The Jane Austen Centre and Bath Aqua Glas.


So, what are you waiting for? Vote for Becoming Jane, Anne Hathaway, and James McAvoy!

Pic: Jane Austen Centre UK

Mariana's Analysis

Hello All,

I have not written a post for sometime but I wanted to share with you some of the wonderful
work that our dear friend Mariana has provided for us to read and learn from.Mariana has written her own interpretation of the similarities between the relationships of Tom Lefroy and Jane Austen and Charles Bingley and Jane Bennet (Pride and Prejudice). I am going to summarise her findings below.


Both Tom Lefroy and Mr Bingley arrive into the company of their prospective partners around the period of Michaelmas (November 2nd-25th). Tom left his law studies in London at the end of Michaelmas term to reach Hampshire before Christmas. Mr Bingley moved in “before the michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.”Jane Austen and Tom Lefroy were the same age (Jane’s birthday 16/12 and Tom’s 08/01); they were both celebrating their 20th Birthdays when they met. Mr Bingley and Jane Bennet were also the same age; they were both nearly 23. A quote from Pride and Prejudice indicates this: “will be quite an old maid soon, I declare. She is almost three and twenty.”



Tom Lefroy had 5 sisters; he was the first son to Colonel Anthony Lefroy and Anne Gardiner of Limerick. The Bennet’s in Pride and Prejudice have 5 daughters and Mrs Bennet’s maiden name was ‘Gardiner’; she even had a sister-in-law named Anne Gardiner! There is also a reference that Mr Bingley was expected to bring “from London his five sisters.”




Tom Lefroy and Jane Austen met firstly at one of the four balls that were held during the holiday season of 1795/6. Mr Bingley and Jane Bennet attended a ball in the village of Meryton- from the second chapter of the novel, it is highlighted how little time the couple spent together; probably around the same amount of time as Tom and Jane did. (Reference on blog) Both couples were attracted to each other, most likely from the first ball. Cassandra scolded Jane before the 3rd ball, at Manydown, so they were already close; “You scold me so much in the nice long letter which I have this moment received from you, that I am almost afraid to tell you how my Irish friend and I behaved.” In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth who knew Jane’s disposition very well was pleased to see her falling in love: “It was generally evident whenever they met, that he did admire her; and to her it was equally evident that Jane was yielding to the preference which she had begun to entertain for him from the first, and was in a way to be very much in love;”



The last ball that both of our couples danced at seemed uncertain and long expected. In the case of Tom and Jane, this ball was at Ashe Rectory and in a letter to Cassandra, Jane states “I can expose myself however, only once more, because he leaves the country soon after next Friday, on which day we are to have a dance at Ashe after all.” For Mr Bingley and Jane, the dance at Netherfield was also planned; “Mr. Bingley and his sisters came to give their personal invitation for the long expected ball at Netherfield, which was fixed for the following Tuesday.” Jane danced and talked with Tom mainly at these balls. It appears that the only time she saw Tom at Steventon was on the very same day as the letter written to her sister Cassandra; Saturday, January 9: “After I had written the above, we received a visit from Mr. Tom Lefroy and his cousin George.” Although this kind of visit was typical; the gentleman calling on the lady he had danced with the previous evening, it is clear that they danced at two other balls before and Tom did not visit Jane at Steventon. It is more likely that Tom was actually accompanying his cousin, George Lefroy, to bring the invitation for the Ashe ball. To note, in Pride and Prejudice, Jane also did not write about a visit the day after the Meryton ball. Instead she described the visit before the Netherfield ball when Mr. Bingley and his sisters brought the invitation.



Jane Austen was described by her family as being "reserved with strangers but open and kindly to those with whom she felt close and comfortable”. Her sister Cassandra Elizabeth was her only sister and closest confidante. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane also shared her feelings with her sister Elizabeth. Although five sisters were very close in age, the eldest two, Jane (22) and Elizabeth (20), had a stronger bond.It is quite probable that the same conversation took place between the two sets of sisters; Jane and Cassandra and Jane and Elizabeth. What did Jane say to her sister Cassandra when she returned to Steventon? Months had passed without a word from him. In Pride and Prejudice “She could think of nothing else, and yet whether Bingley's regard had really died away, or were suppressed by his friends' interference; whether he had been aware of Jane's attachment, or whether it had escaped his observation; whichever were the case, though her opinion of him must be materially affected by the difference, her sister's situation remained the same, her peace equally wounded.”



In August 1796, Jane wrote to Cassandra only few lines from Cork Street, London, where she stopped for a night on her way to Rowling, Kent. Jane started her short letter from Cork Street, London with “Here I am once more” and continued “We are to be at Astley's to-night, which I am glad of.” In Pride and Prejudice, “Jane had already written a few lines to her sister to announce their safe arrival in London; and when she wrote again, Elizabeth hoped it would be in her power to say something of the Bingleys.” In Jane’s first letter that we have record of from Kent, Jane apologised to Cassandra for the length of her previous letter and promised to start writing some elaborate details: “I am sorry that you found such a conciseness in the strains of my first letter. I must endeavour to make you amends for it, when we meet, by some elaborate details, which I shall shortly begin composing.” In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth is also impatient to hear something of Mr. Bingley and upon receiving a letter: “Her impatience for this second letter was as well rewarded as impatience generally is,” make us wonder whether Jane Austen was actually acknowledging the missing letter with “elaborate detail” that she once sent to her own sister.





Is it possible that Tom Lefroy , who was described as a shy and pleasant young man, was convinced by Mrs Lefroy or another close relative, that Jane did not reciprocate his affections. In Pride and Prejudice, a similar situation took place in a correspondence with Elizabeth Bennet; “I had not been long in Hertfordshire, before I saw, in common with others, that Bingley preferred your eldest sister to any other young woman in the country. -- But it was not till the evening of the dance at Netherfield that I had any apprehension of his feeling a serious attachment. -- I had often seen him in love before.” Also, “Your sister I also watched. Her look and manners were open, cheerful, and engaging as ever, but without any symptom of peculiar regard, and I remained convinced from the evening's scrutiny, that though she received his attentions with pleasure, she did not invite them by any participation of sentiment.”





Tom returned to Ashe after almost three years but did not visit Jane. Mrs Lefroy visited the Austen’s a week later and Jane reported the following in a letter to her sister Cassandra “I tell you that of her nephew she said nothing at all, and of her friend very little. She did not once mention the name of the former to me, and I was too proud to make any enquiries; but on my father's afterwards asking where he was, I learnt that he was gone back to London in his way to Ireland, where he is called to the Bar and means to practice.” In Pride and Prejudice, Jane’s spirits were affected when Mr Bingley returned to Netherfield after about 12 months and her parents started to talk again about him and their old expectations: “In spite of what her sister declared, and really believed to be her feelings in the expectation of his arrival, Elizabeth could easily perceive that her spirits were affected by it. They were more disturbed, more unequal, than she had often seen them.” It is possible that Jane Austen used this description in her novel to reminisce on a similar situation she found herself in years before?


Finally, Jane Austen often extracted names for her stories from a list of extinct peerages, in which the names Fitzwilliam figured prominently (Austen Blog). Also, it is widely known that as a young girl Jane Austen wrote her name alongside that a fictitious Mr. Henry Frederick Howard Fitzwilliam in the parish register of her father’s church in a flight of girlish marriage fantasy. The history of the Wentworth/Fitzwilliam family in England has been well documented , but what is less well known is the influence they had on the history of Ireland. As well as the family seat of Wentworth Woodhouse, they owned another large house called Malton House (later Coollattin House) in County Wicklow from where they managed their 88,000 acres of Irish lands. Interestingly, County Wicklow was also the very place Tom Lefroy spent many of his holidays.




Pics 1 and 3:
Pride and Prejudice site (Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley and Jane Bennet and Mr Bingley dancing; taken from the film Pride and Prejudice)


Pics 2, 5, 6 and 8:

Anne Hathaway fansite (Tom Lefroy and Jane Austen dancing, Jane and Cassandra Austen, Jane writing and Tom Lefroy; taken from the film Becoming Jane)


Pic 4:

Jane and Elizabeth


Pic 7:

Jane Bennet and Mr Bingley

A lovely fanvid of Becoming Jane!

Karen sent me the link about a lovely, bittersweet Becoming Jane YouTube fanvid, made by her sister. I think it's truly lovely, so I want dear friends here to see it as well!



Thanks Karen and redreh!

'If I Loved You Less' last chapter & 'I Remember Love'

Sorry that I am so slow in updating and checking BJ-related fan-fictions, but at least I can say that I've finished the If I Loved You Less story arc where the old Thomas Langlois Lefroy conversed with Thomas Edward Preston Lefroy about Cadell & Davies letter and the late Jane Austen. Chapter 5 is here already, thanks to Rachel's beta. I hope you find it pleasing to read.

As I said earlier, I have no time to track other Becoming Jane fan-fictions, but I welcome all feedbacks and hints of the existence of other BJ fan-fictions. I can say though, that you should read Jakeline's/Maria's I Remember Love has reached Chapter 13, for it's a very interesting read! Well done, Maria! For other BJ writers, do drop in to give me your links, and I shall put them in the left-side bar.

Update:

Maria gave me the link to another BJ fan-fiction, Fantasy & Responsibility by Kae Martyndale. Check the three existing chapters as well, they're touchy to read. Thanks, Maria!


Pic: Bust statue of Thomas Langlois Lefroy, taken from Cranfield's 'From Ireland to Western Australia'

BJ deleted scenes in YouTube

I have seen all of the deleted scenes, thanks to Bilbo’s tips for YouTube, and MissJaneAustenfan for providing us the excellent deleted scenes at YouTube. These are the two YouTube clips and my very short comments for each deleted scenes, due to time constrains.

First part:

1. Extended Church Scene: cute brother George! And it’s rather funny to see some people fell asleep when Mr. Austen gave the sermon… (definitely a rather lengthy sermon that Edward Ferrars would not give!)

2. Wisley's First Proposal: Jane’s curtsey was so cute (and very Anne, for that matter, in a good way!)

3. Henry Embarrasses Jane: I wish it was not deleted, for Henry-Jane interaction is always very interesting.

4. Jane Writes to Cassandra: I see Anne’s handwriting was truly loyal to Jane’s style here. And we can see Mrs. Edward Austen’s late pregnancy there as well!

5. Mrs. Austen Reprimands Jane: Oh, love it when Mrs. Austen forbade Jane to see Tom again, and Jane’s reaction. And now finally I understood where the ‘Heart disturbed’ came from. Mr. Austen was the one who said it!

6. Wisley Learns to Dance: so cute! I don’t mind it being there! Okay, it's not so related, but it's funny.

7. Jane Plots in the Rain: nice interactions between Jane-Eliza-Henry.

Second part:

8. Lady Gresham Invites Jane to Dinner: Maggie Smith’s Lady Gresham is always pleasing to see, though I understand why this one is deleted (for it did not give many to the plot)

9. Jane Learns of Tom's Marriage: Bittersweet, sad, though Tom was not married yet at that time. Again, I wish it was not deleted. Later, we can also see the sisterhood between Jane and Cass.

10. Under a Rainy Tree: Again, the sisterhood; they should have let it in the movie. Plus, it reminds me of Marianne and Elinor Dashwood as they walked down the hill after Marianne’s illness.

11. Mrs. Lefroy Comes to Tea: this is seriously the reminiscent of Letter 17 November 1798 when Jane wrote to Cassandra about Mrs. Anne Lefroy visiting Steventon and told a very bit about Tom Lefroy’s visit (‘Mrs. Lefroy did come last Wednesday, and the Harwoods came likewise, but very considerately paid their visit before Mrs. Lefroy's arrival, with whom, in spite of interruptions both from my father and James, I was enough alone to hear all that was interesting, which you will easily credit when I tell you that of her nephew she said nothing at all, and of her friend very little. She did not once mention the name of the former to me, and I was too proud to make any inquiries; but on my father's afterwards asking where he was, I learnt that he was gone back to London in his way to Ireland, where he is called to the Bar and means to practise.’).

12. George is Left Behind: touchy, so George also KNEW that Jane would run away with Tom. But of course he knew, he was there in the forest!

13. Extended Recital Scene: it’s rather interesting to see how, in the end, the soprano also solemnly clapped to Jane Austen and how many people actually rather recognised Jane as someone important or famous. It’s subtle, but lovely; I think it is my most favourite deleted scene of all. Perhaps they should leave it in the movie.

So, overall, buying the US version of Becoming Jane DVD is truly a good investment!

Becoming Jane's deleted scenes

Many thanks to Bilbo who has sent me the list of Becoming Jane's deleted scenes, these are the deleted scenes I would very much like to see (and are evidently non-existent in the Australian and NZ DVD versions!):

1. Extended Church Scene
2. Wisley's First Proposal
3. Henry Embarrasses Jane
4. Jane Writes to Cassandra
5. Mrs. Austen Reprimands Jane
6. Wisley Learns to Dance
7. Jane Plots in the Rain
8. Lady Gresham Invites Jane to Dinner
9. Jane Learns of Tom's Marriage
10. Under a Rainy Tree
11. Mrs. Lefroy Comes to Tea
12. George is Left Behind
13. Extended Recital Scene


From the titles, I expect to find interesting scenes, despite them being deleted. I did read somewhere (in Amazon, I think) that some viewers might find the deleted scenes boring, but I often find deleted scenes interesting to see again and again (I especially want to see Scene #9 when Jane learned of Tom's marriage).

So dear friends, please let us know what you think of the deleted scenes? Bilbo, you could drop us some comments on what you think of them, you know, though Rachel has done a review on some of them before; I doubt that the UK version has such an extensive list of deleted scene as the US version.

The waiting is almost over: Becoming Jane DVD and Blu-ray!

Sorry for the long silence, seemingly all Team Jane are busy bees at the moment. However, I am very pleased to inform/remind you all that next week (Tuesday, 12 February 2008, to be precise), we will have the US version of Becoming Jane DVD and Blu-ray available!

Miramax has offered to send me a free copy of the BJ DVD, and I shall review it once it arrives (thank you, Miramax!). I also received a press release of the DVD, and it contains the latest featurettes of the DVD as follows:

* Discovering the Real Jane Austen – The best known author of her era, she continues to sell books and inspire films almost two hundred years after her death, but what do we really know about Jane Austen? Find out some surprising truths in this fascinating featurette.

* Becoming Jane Pop-Up Facts & Footnotes - Interactive insights

* Audio Commentary with director Julian Jarrold, writer Kevin Hood and producer Robert Bernstein

* Deleted scenes

So, have you guys pre-ordered at the Amazon.com yet? It’s at $ 17.99 there, not the previously-announced $ 29.99, so better get it now. I shall drop a review as soon as I receive my copy from Miramax (wink!).

Jane Austen Calendar 2008 part 2

Many thanks to Christina in Texas who made this incredibly beautiful calendar, and Michelle who sent it to the rest of Team Jane, here is the 2008 Jane Austen Calendar in JPEG format. You have to download each pictures, unfortunately, for Blogger does not accommodate PDF. Not that I'm aware of, at least. The ITV Austen fans will find lots of comfort in the calendar. Fans of Emma 1996 (Gwyneth Palthrow), Pride & Prejudice 2005 (Keira Knightley), Sense & Sensibility 2008, and Becoming Jane will also have heart throbs!

Elizabeth Bennet & Mr. Darcy for Jan 2008; Marianne Dashwood & Willoughby for Feb 2008.




















Catherine Morland & Mr. Tilney for March 2008; Anne Elliot & Capt. Wentworth for April 2008.

Fanny Price & the Boys for May 2008; Emma Woodhouse & Mr. Knightley for June 2008.






















Elizabeth Bennet for July 2008; Elinor & Marianne Dashwood for Aug 20008.





















Catherine Morland for September 2008; Anne Elliot for October 2008.





















Fanny Price for Nov 2008; Emma Woodhouse for Dec 2008.





















And... Jane Austen & Tom Lefroy for January 2009!

Thanks a lot, Christina. And to everyone who have commented on the broken links, so that I could fix them up. Hope you guys have no problems downloading it now.

Tom Lefroy visiting Ashe in October 1800

I would like to thank Arnie Perlstein for tipping the existence of an excellent book titled ‘The Letters of Mrs. Lefroy: Jane Austen’s Beloved Friend’. And of course, to dearest Rachel for sending one copy to me across the Atlantic and Indian Ocean! And now, whilst I have the rare opportunity to make a post (actually, am rather fed up with daily works… a good alibi!), let me give verbatim citation of the first letter in the book, dated 29 September 1800 from Madam Lefroy to Reverend Edward Lefroy in Warfied Bracknell, Berks. Edward was one of Anne Lefroy’s sons (the other one was Benjamin). The interesting thing is that the letter mentioned a visit plan of Colonel Anthony Peter Lefroy (Tom Lefroy’s father) and a Thomas to Ashe. Arnie and I are very sure that this Thomas was Thomas Langlois Lefroy. The letter, extracted from page 29, is quoted below. It’s better to read it hand in hand with the Jane Austen/Tom Lefroy timeline that I wrote August last year to understand its significance, as it corroborates Arnie’s and my suspicion that Tom Lefroy might still had a contact with Jane on early October 1800. Oh, and mind you, Mrs. Lefroy does not like to use dots. She had only one dot for the full stop in her letter!

Letter 1 [September 29 1800]

My dearest Edward,

Your letter of Friday last gave me great pleasure I feel the separation my beloved Boy as severely as it is possible for you to do but whilst I can reflect upon your disposition & conduct with as much comfort as I now derive from it I will endeavour to bear the unavoidable absences & look forward to the time when we shall meet again with delight you have I trust from your conduct at school [laid up] for yourself a source of comfort thro’ life & I pray to God that you may always pursue in the same manner & that little Ben: may follow your example – we expect your Uncle John on Tuesday I am greatly disappointed at finding he cannot continue to call at Warfield Col:nl Lefroy & Thomas are to come here on Thursday or Friday I believe George will go to Cork St he is not much delighted with the scheme as you may suppose

I must intreat you to accept of the enclosed half guinea I cannot bear your affection for me should so impoverish you & be assured I have derived more pleasure from your kindness than 50 times the sum could have purchased for me in any other we all join in love to you, Ben: & Tom – tell Ben: I hope he will write to me I will send him a letter very soon.

My dearest Boy your affect:te Mother AL

Ashe Sunday Sept:r 29

The ‘Thomas’ in the letter was obviously Thomas Langlois Lefroy, for it was paired up with Colonel Lefroy. The ‘Tom’ in the last paragraph was Ben Lefroy’s cousin, Tom Brydges. The bold sentences are my own emphasise.

I am uncertain of the Cork Street scheme George (was this Mr. George Lefroy? Then why not saying ‘your father’?) had to attend to… but it might not be Jane Austen-related, for Tom Lefroy had married Mary Paul by this date.

However, the probable visit of Tom Lefroy in Ashe in October 1800 might lead to the drama in Mansfield Park where Edmund Bertram asked Fanny Price to give her consent on his involvement in the silly drama. Put it in Jane/Tom perspective, it is plausible that Tom still tried to explain to Jane his behaviours of leaving her for Mary Paul, and it’s possible that the time was on October 1800, in Ashe Hampshire. Otherwise, how would Jane reached an understanding about Tom, albeit belatedly? For to me, Jane clearly effused her comprehension of Tom’s situation in the Wentworth/Anne Elliot interaction in Persuasion where Jane as the narrator clearly understood the reason why Anne left Captain Wentworth; i.e. for her family’s sake.

I still have to double check where Jane was on early October 1800; I hope other Team Jane can help me with this. If she was in Hampshire that month, it was very likely that Jane and Tom truly met again, even just for an explanatory chat. However, on Sunday, 25 October 1800 Jane (in Hampshire) wrote this to Cassandra (in Godmersham)(Faye, 1997):

‘I am not yet able to acknowledge the receipt of any parcel from London, which I suppose will not occasion you much surprise. – I was a little disappointed today, but not more than is perfectly agreable; & I hope to be disappointed again tomorrow, as only one coach comes down on sundays.’

Arnie suggested that Jane’s disappointment might be Tom-related, and I second his opinion. Hence, it is plausible that Jane was in Hampshire in early October 1800, and she met Tom again there, presumably having the long-delayed explanatory talk.

Reference:

Faye, D. L. 1997, Jane Austen's Letters, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Lefroy, A., Lefroy, H. & Turner, G. 2007, The Letters of Mrs Lefroy: Jane Austen's Beloved Friend, The Jane Austen Society, Winchester.

Jane Austen 2008 Calendar Free to Download!

I have just opened my email inbox to very exciting goodies and I am thrilled to share with the BJ Blog a Jane Austen 2008 Calendar created by Christina. Thank you SO MUCH Christina for sharing your creativity with us all! Personally, I can't wait to print the calendar out and enjoy it for the rest of the year. Print it out on 8 1/2 x 14 paper (legal size).

[Erm, I just need to figure out how to share a PDF file via Blogger. Please bear with me!]

Miss Austen Regrets Press Release + Photos

If nothing else, Jane Austen wrote from personal experience. Courtship she knew well; only the last act eluded her. This film biography dramatizes Austen’s lost loves: Harris Bigg, whose proposal she accepted and then rejected; Edward Brydges, whom she also refused; the tongue-tied vicar she teased mercilessly; and the young surgeon who arrived on the scene too late to steal her heart. Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense), Greta Schacchi (The Player) and Hugh Bonneville (Notting Hill) star.

PRESS RELEASE

“The only way to get a man like Mr. Darcy is to make him up.”

THE COMPLETE JANE AUSTEN MISS AUSTEN REGRETS ON MASTERPIECE

Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 9pm ET on PBS

Of all the love stories filling the rich imagination of Jane Austen, one in particular did not end with wedding bells. Her own. Why did the author who embodied the brilliant wit and high spirits of her heroines not take the plunge into matrimony herself?

Therein lies a very poignant tale, as presented by MASTERPIECE in its bittersweet period drama, Miss Austen Regrets, airing Sunday, February 3, 2008 at 9pm ET on PBS (check local listings), as part of MASTERPIECE’s The Complete Jane Austen.

Olivia Williams (Sixth Sense, Rushmore) stars as Jane, approaching her fortieth birthday and long since at peace with being an unmarried woman—indeed enjoying its freedom and solitude to write. She has even developed a devoted readership that reaches as high as the Prince Regent, the future King George IV.

But like the title character of her latest book, Emma, Jane soon finds that it is emotionally perilous to get involved in someone else’s love life—not least because it kindles a certain romantic longing of one’s own.

Imogen Poots plays Fanny Austen-Knight, Jane’s marriageable young niece who looks up to Aunt Jane as smart, edgy, and a fount of wisdom on the merits of potential husbands. But Fanny’s importunate queries—and fate—bring Jane’s memories of lost loves flooding back.

Greta Scacchi (Daniel Deronda) plays Cassandra, Jane’s older sister and the confidante of her innermost thoughts.

Years earlier, it was Cassandra who persuaded Jane to rescind her acceptance of the marriage proposal by Harris Bigg (Samuel Roukin). The heir to a fortune, Bigg would have guaranteed the Austen family’s financial security, if not necessarily Jane’s happiness.

Hugh Bonneville (Iris) plays another former suitor, the Reverend Brook Bridges. Smitten with Jane as a young man, he could not pluck up the courage to ask her to marry him. Much later, when he finally did propose, Jane had given up on marrying anybody.

Prospect number three is dashing physician Charles Haden ( Jack Huston). As the drama unfolds, Jane summons him to treat her desperately ill brother Henry (Adrian Edmonson) and ends up in a flirting relationship with the much younger medical man.

Miss Austen Regrets was written by Gwyneth Hughes, who based her script on Austen’s surviving correspondence with Cassandra and Fanny. The characters and incidents in the film are drawn from these
letters, with Hughes reading carefully between the lines to fill in crucial gaps.

Cassandra notoriously burned many of her sister’s letters after Jane’s death—an act that was probably intended to spare the feelings of still-living relatives and acquaintances, who were the target of Jane’s famous barbs.

As for Jane’s barbs against her own headstrong resistance to a conventional life, these survived to leave a remarkable record of a mind of sense and sensibility, pride and prejudice, ceaselessly active in the real world of imperfect suitors and in the make-believe realm of true love fulfilled.

All images of Miss Austen Regrets from: PBS Pressroom

Sense & Sensibility 2008 Episode 3 On YouTube!

A million thank you's to YouTuber tanixmuller for uploading Episode Three of Sense & Sensibility 2008 to YouTube, in such high quality! (Watch Episode One and Episode Two)


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Watch Persuasion 2007 Online!

A very big thank you to Kari for discovering Persuasion 2007 online, via the Becoming Jane Austen Myspace. (Yahoo!)

Click here to watch Persuasion 2007 online!

(My ISP provider won't let me open the link - weird - so no instructions on reaching the clip, but I assume it's good to go)

Pic: Persuasion 2007 from: Manchester Evening News

If You Want to Get Ahead, Get a Bonnet

I am sitting here hanging out for the final episode of Sense & Sensibility '08 to be uploaded to YouTube, and I came across this interesting article about the Classics and television. I really enjoyed it, so I thought I'd share. Read the full article here.

"...At the soppier end of the spectrum, we may be invited to have a wallow in a gentler, less confused society than our own. The majority of the classic-novel adaptations, though, offer less straightforward consolations: reminding us that no golden age has ever existed - or that for most people, and especially most women, life might even have improved a bit over the past few centuries.

In fact, rather than being a reaction to today's society, the popularity of costume drama is, for my money, far more likely to be a reaction to the rest of today's television. After all, modern drama has just as many conventions - and quite a lot of them are looking pretty clapped-out by now.

In almost any contemporary popular drama, you can expect the women to be a relentlessly feisty bunch. The men, meanwhile, tend to be either dull, absurd or nasty. In that context, it can be a huge relief for viewers, and presumably scriptwriters, to be faced with something a little more grown-up and complicated.

The main reason, then, as to why costume dramas are still going so strong might well be an embarrassingly simple one: that they're very good. Even more obviously, they're very good not just because British actors can do them so beautifully - but because they're based on such good books.

In Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen famously breaks off from the story to offer a bullish defence of her craft against anybody impudent enough to use the phrase "only a novel".

"Only a novel," she more or less yells, "in short, only some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour are conveyed to the world."

This is why the most successful costume dramas are those that have complete confidence in the source material.

Pic 1: Kate Winslet & Greg Wise as Marianne & Willoughby from: Dailymail

Pic 2: Jennifer Ehle & Colin Firth as Elizabeth & Darcy from: Geocities

Lydia Bennet Competition

Our dearest Jane Odiwe just contacted us about this very interesting info. Anyone interested in participating? Just click the Jane Austen Sequels. It should NOT be hard to guess which activities Lydia prefers the most! And oh, don't you JUST love Jane's rendetion of Lydia?

To celebrate the publication of Lydia Bennet's Story, Lydia has a copy of her novel and a set of seven Effusions of Fancy greetings cards for anyone who can put her favourite interests and pursuits in the correct order, beginning with her best-loved preference.

There are five to put in the right sequence:

Trimming a bonnet

Dancing

Going to Meryton

Mending Mr Bennet's shirts

Chasing Officers

The competition is open for a week until 20 th January. Please send answers (don't forget to include your name) in order of Lydia's preference to the following e-mail address: effusions at btinternet dot com (say it out loud). The winner will be announced on Monday, 21st January.

Pic: Lydia Bennet, from Jane Austen's Sequels

The Real Jane Austen (BBC) on YouTube!

Whilst searching for Miss Austen Regrets on YouTube, I stumbled across this BBC documentary drama on the life of Jane Austen, The Real Jane Austen (2002), presented by an Austen. I haven't seen it, and I've got to run now, but it looked to good to pass up. *fingers crossed* I hope it's good! Thank you to inmypooropinion for sharing.