Pride and Prejudice Wrap Up Post!

Welcome to the end!

Today is the last day of winter and therefore the deadline for the Pride and Prejudice Challenge! So here's how it went for me.

First off I watched the Keira Knightley movie.

As I've said before, I struggle with the classics and always do better when I know what is going on. Otherwise I find myself fighting the language to understand the story.

I didn't mind this movie - it was OK, but then I watched the BBC production.

This was superior in every way. Longer, but covers the whole story and the acting was vastly improved (even if Mrs Bennet did drive me completely mad!) As for Colin Frith as Darcy - now that was swoon worthy!

Hmmmm...eye candy...

My recommendation? If you want to watch Pride and Prejudice, take the extra time and go the BBC version.

Next to finished was the book.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I have started to understand the fuss made about Jane Austen. Dare I say, I can even imagine re-reading this...voluntarily. I love the way Austen managed to write strong female characters in a time when women were not meant to be strong and independent minded. I also love how she had male characters who found that trait to be attractive.

And finally, the modern day adaptation, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

This was really well done. I think knowing the original storyline made it more enjoyable and interesting. I'm not sure I'd recommend it to someone who had not at least seen the BBC version or read the book. This covered the whole story and if you were simply relying on the movie, there is too much storyline you would be confused about, where it came from and how it fit in.

So there you have it, my Pride and Prejudice wrap up. Did you take part? What did you watch/ read? Have you done a wrap up post? I'd love to know what others have done, so please post a link below!

P&P Challenge: Lizzie Bennet Diaries

So my final task for the P&P challenge was The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. The LBD (as it will be known from here on in!) is a modern day adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. It's presented as a video blog (or vlog) by Lizzie Bennet, about her life.

I think LBD may have been the catalyst for the whole challenge. It's the first time I've ever watched anything like this, but I can see the appeal and can imagine the form of media has the potential to become huge. Since I didn't watch it live, I didn't get into the transmedia side of things - so I didn't get the characters Twittering or Instagraming or stuff like that. (Thank you to Miss Dove for explaining what Transmedia was!) LBD also spawned spin offs such as Lydia Bennet's vlog and Sandition.
It was really interesting to see how they adapted the story to modern day ideals. I mean really, no modern audience was going to give a toss if Lydia and Wickham ran off to shack up together. The scenario they came up with for that part of the story was extremely well done and fitted the overall tone of the show well.
I think it would have been better to watch it as it was released - too much at once did lead to a little bit of LBD overload!
It has also spawned a new adaptation of Emma, called EmmaApproved. Miss Dove over at Little White Dove, has come up with the Emma Challenge. I have, of course, signed up!
As for now, all I can call the P&P Challenge complete! Yay!

Challenge Anyone??

So it's a matter of opinion who you want to blame, Miss Dove over at Little White Dove or Miss Car over at Carrose Creations, but for me it all started with this post and specifically this part of that post

I blame Miss Dove - she somehow managed to get a few of us into the Lizzie Bennet Diaries (a modern day adaption to Pride and Prejudice) over on you-tube. This is all good and well but I've never read the original books and feel a bit fraudulent - so I decided it WILL happen.

Now, I've been meaning to read Pride and Prejudice myself for awhile, so I thought I would extend a challenge, specifically to Miss Car amd Miss Dove, but also to anyone willing to play along, to read Pride and Prejudice.

(here's a little secret, Miss Car finds it impossible to refuse a challenge - her response to the word itself is almost Pavlovian, just with a lot less drool...maybe)

So here's the nitty gritty.

I hearby extend a challenge to anyone who cares to take part to read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. Given the general craziness of most people's lives, I suggest a time period of just over 3 months - from now until August 31, 2013 - consider it the perfect winter challenge.

You may also choose in those three months to do the extended version of the challenge and watch what started this all - The Lizzie Bennet Diaries which can be found on the official site, on tumblr, or YouTube.

.

If you are really brave, you can go the super deluxe version and also watch the movie or BBC production or any other production you know of.

The 2005 movie version starring Keira Knightley as Elizabeth and Matthew Macfadyen as Darcy

The 1995 BBC version with Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth and Colin Firth as Darcy

As challenge issuer, I will of course be going the super deluxe version - possibly with both movie and BBC version. I will make a start on the LBD as soon as I can work out where the sound on the computer has gone!

So, who's in? Who is willing to say Challenge accepted?? Simply leave a comment and commence your reading and viewing!