For the Love of Austen: pride and prejudice

Showing posts with label pride and prejudice. Show all posts

Friday, December 9, 2011

Pride and Prejudice: The Jewess and the Gentile by Lev Raphael: A Review

Pride and Prejudice: The Jewess and the Gentile

By: Jane Austen and Lev Raphael

ASIN: B005FQ1FMG

Format: E-book only

Source: Supplied by the Author

Pride and Prejudice with a spice of Jewish flare. We know the story so famously written by Jane Austen that I won’t go into the particulars again. Lev Raphael offers us a nice dose of Austen, which remains virtually unchanged. Purists will delight in this offering, but those looking for something more may be disappointed.

I enjoyed this novel. What I did know to be Mr. Raphael’s contributions where witty, funny and well composed. Mrs. Bennet as a yenta was actually quite appropriate and I laughed quite a few times at her carefully placed Yiddish sayings. The conflict of Elizabeth being a Jewess and Darcy being a gentile was staged delicately, providing just enough tension to make their romance rocky.

I was disappointed in this Jane Austen retelling. I had high expectations for what I presumed to be a fresh take on the Austenesque novel. I was disappointed because I saw so much potential. For anyone familiar with Jewish history there is the basic knowledge that they have not had it easy. While I would not look for Mr. Raphael to make any political statements, my point is there is so much more Mr. Raphael could have done with the Jewess and Gentile aspect of the novel.

Mr. Raphael could have really placed his mark, but he fell short by playing it safe. When I read an Austenesque novel I want to know the author has placed their mark on it. I know who Jane Austen is, but who are you and what makes your Austen novel so different? There was too much Austen and not enough Lev Raphael. As I mentioned earlier Raphael could have really played with the Jewess and Gentile aspect, but didn’t.

Despite my gripes, I would recommend this novel if you are looking for a light Austen diversion.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Review of Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts by Mitzi Szereto

Pride and Prejudice Hidden Lusts

By Mitzi Szereto

Release Date: July 1, 2011

Publisher: Cleis Press

ISBN-10: 1573446637

Source: Author supplied PDF

Warning: This book is for those of mature sensibilities.

Drop those breeches and rip open those bodices and enter the scandalous behind the scenes world of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Do you want to know what Mr. Bennet really does behind the closed door of his library? Is Lydia Bennet just wild or is she really just a 7-11 kind of girl? What is George Wickham’s real motivation when he chases a skirt? Does Bingley really marry Jane for love or is his eye wandering elsewhere? How does Caroline take out her frustrations of not snaring Darcy? Most importantly, what is going on behind closed doors?

All that is explored here in a new, raunchy twist on the Austen classic Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts by Mitzi Szereto.

Miss Szereto has done an admirable job of melding a classic with the erotica genre to the point that if you didn’t know that it was a spin on a classic romance you would be none the wiser. The author actually took Pride and Prejudice and made it her own with a refreshing spin. I cannot thank the author enough for taking the time to write the book the way she did, because let’s face it she could have easily cut and paste some erotic scenes here and there and not really done any work at all. It happens, but not with Miss Szereto. Thank you!

Something I also appreciated, and we know how I’ve ranted about sex in Austen novels, is the Miss Szereto is completely open about the fact that her book is full of sex. I knew what I was getting into and for that I cannot find fault. Ladies and gents you have been warned this book is full of sex, sex and more sex. It’s good sex too.

In addition, Miss Szereto had a biting wit all her own. This book is funny. It’s got sex, but it is a hoot. I laughed out loud at many places. Take this passage for example,

“Although quite pretty, Lydia was a

lively headstrong girl prone to a breathiness of speech and a

most peculiar fondness for raising up the hems of her gowns

to rub her lower half against objects and furnishings and, to

the embarrassment of all parties concerned, young officers.”

Lydia has the propensity to hump anything in sight. It leads to some humors moments in the novel. I have no desire to give spoilers however, so you should perhaps buy the book. The wit and expert storytelling Miss Szereto exhibits is a refreshing and her talent in a delight to read.

If you have ever been wondering or perhaps, lusting, for that behind the curtain kind of Jane Austen tale then you should peak into the pages of Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts. Indulge your inner fantasies about what really happened.

Final Recommendation: If you like a little dirty with your clean.

For my fairytale friends check out In Sleeping Beauty’s Bed: Erotic Fairy Tales also by Mitzi Szereto.

Synopsis:

Imagine that Jane Austen had written the opening line of her satirical novel Pride and Prejudice this way: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a good romp and a good wife — although not necessarily from the same person or from the opposite sex." In Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts Mr. Darcy has never been more devilish and the seemingly chaste Elizabeth never more turned on.

The entire cast of characters from Austen's classic is here in this rewrite that goes all the way. This time Mr. Bingley and his sister both have designs on Mr. Darcy's manhood; Elizabeth's bff Charlotte marries their family's strange relation and stumbles upon a secret world of feminine relations more to her liking; and, in this telling, men are not necessarily the only dominating sex. And of course there's some good old fashioned bodice ripping that shows no pride or prejudice and reveals hot hidden lusts in every page-turning chapter.

Visit Mitzi Szereto on her webpage or the promotional page for her upcoming novel.

Mitzi Szereto’s Website
Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts Webpage

Note: I did not receive compensation of any kind for this review. I review for free.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Pride and Prejudice Bollywood Style: Part 1

I’ve recently had a crisis in my love and affection for Jane Austen, which was a result of a culmination of events that soured my adoration for Jane. Sadly, I have yet to regain my former delight derived from visiting Jane over a cup of tea and a plate of scones; and perhaps, my affection will never be what it once was, but I have been making small efforts to visit Jane in the hopes that our friendship will rebuild itself to its former state. That is why my blog post today is later than I had planned.

Jane, my dear friend, has the power to do many things. She can make us laugh, cry, scream in frustration and feel a level of satisfaction that can only be obtained from her writing. She is a splendid woman and so I decided what better way to visit Jane than through a film which I first enjoyed viewing with my sorority sisters, who are like family. It was a perfect and wonderful visit.

I recently dusted off my DVD of the Bollywood version, Bride and Prejudice, of Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice. It has been some years since I watched this version and while I remembered some parts of the film there were those that I had forgotten. The first time I watched this film I was in undergraduate school and a group of my Sorority sisters and I circled ourselves around the television in the living room of our Sorority house and sat back with popcorn and enjoyed ourselves.

First off, this film is a colorful painting which delights the senses. Unlike many Western films which are filled with soft, romantic, subdued tones or extremely dark sets, depending on the type of film, Bollywood does not shy away from color. I remember this was one of the first things that I personally loved.

Secondly, this film is also a musical. Many of the songs I liked, but some were not so great. I love musicals so this was another bonus to me. The music is a blend of western and eastern cultures and even the songs I did not enjoy very much were enjoyable to listen to. So, if you don’t like musicals this film may not be for you. Enjoy this clip of the song Marriage into town which is a favorite of mine in the film.

Look for one of my laugh-out-loud moments at part 3:48 of the clip.

Lastly, while set in a more modern setting the many constraints of the Regency time period are reflected in the Indian culture as displayed in the film. Although, there are some modern social customs which do counteract the Regency customs in this film, which is to be expected. You will never see any couple kiss in this film. As I understand it Bollywood films never show a man and a woman kiss. I also don’t recollect any handholding by couples either, but I could have blinked and missed it.

There are some twists to Austen’s original novel in this film. The Bingley’s are a rich family in London and Darcy is an American who is the heir to a hotel empire. His mother is Lady Catherine. Oh the horror! But a delightful twist which contrives to present the constraints and family honor which Darcy must uphold. Surprisingly it works well.

Balraj (Charles), Darcy and Kiran (Caroline) are in a small Indian village for a wedding which Balraj is in. And so begins the tale of Pride and Prejudice Bollywood style.

Mrs. Bennet (Mrs. Bakshi in this version) is not as annoying as portrayed in other film versions. I found myself empathizing with her situation of having five unmarried daughters whom she needs to see married advantageously. She still comments on Mr. Bingley being rich when at the ball, but not so loudly as to censure her. In fact, the first time she meet’s Mr. Wickham she has him pegged as a no-good-philanderer. How is that for a twist? Unlike the novel she does not wear rose colored glasses where Wickham is concerned. This portrayal of Mrs. Bennet was one of the best I have seen if you find yourself unhappy with her initial portrayal in other films or even the novel. In other words her character is softened in this film.

Caroline Bingley (Kiran in this version) is softened as well. I actually found myself liking Caroline. She isn’t constantly throwing herself at Darcy and in all actuality it is as if she has no interest in Darcy romantically at all. She is still a pretentious snob, but she is a pretentious snob you can like most of the time. Damn! There goes the Caroline Bingley that you love to hate. She isn’t really a villain in this film and even when she tries to warn Elizabeth (Lalita in the film) about Wickham her intentions are good. She still contrives to separate her brother from Jane (Jaya in the film) which one cannot like, but even when she is being terrible in her actions, she still has redeemed herself in other junctures.

Lalita, played by the lovely Aishwarya Rai, is our Elizabeth Bennet in this film adaptation. When she and Darcy meet it is a clash of cultures which creates the pride and prejudice between them. She believes Darcy looks down on her because she lives in India and the town she lives in is a poor Indian village. Darcy does not help matters in his attempts to argue his point and only further portrays his arrogance to Lalita. In this film making Darcy an American, instead of British, works because as we all know American’s are arrogant and pretentious and think they are better than everyone else.

Our first glimpse of Wickham in this film is on a dark moonlit night coming up out of the ocean like Botticelli’s Venus on the half-shell. It is a laugh-out-loud moment because---surprise---here’s Wickham coming out of the ocean. Later, Wickham and Elizabeth are walking along the beach and Ashanti is singing in the background like she is some sort of well known Indian pop singer. I could accept Wickham coming out of the ocean, but I have a major problem with Ashanti’s brief role. Ashanti’s performance is contrived and it deflects from the actual story line as the performance is only manufactured to introduce Wickham. There were plenty of better ways which the producers could have introduced Wickham.

Wickham is a wander. He backpacks around the world begging for scraps or shelter it is presumed. Later, when we meet Wickham in London we find out he lives on a riverboat. This adds a whole new meaning to the term river rat. I felt it was a fitting, modern day, portrayal of Wickham. Wickham can still be hated in this film and he does attempt to run off with Lucky (Lydia in this film). Wickham remains a villain which is just as it should be.

My favorite moment in this film, which I think many Austen fans will agree is long awaited, if the fist fight between Darcy and Wickham. Darcy and Elizabeth run through London trying to find the wayward Lydia and Wickham. They find them and are given chase into a dark movie theater which happens to be showing an Indian film. Darcy and Wickham have their fist fight in conjunction with the film on screen and movie goers are to assume the fist fight is part of the fight on screen. Darcy wins the fight. YES! Elizabeth get’s to slap Wickham and so does Lydia. How satisfying!

Click here to the see the fight scene video on youtube. I cannot embed it here. Thanks to narniamum for helping me get this clip. You rock!
Let us not forget odious Mr. Collins (Mr. Kohli in this film). He is a rich accountant who lives in California. He brags about his wealth and is perhaps one of the most odious portrayals of Mr. Collins I have seen, but the comedy that is projected by his role is fantastic. The best moment, a laugh-out-loud-I-am-in-shock-moment, is when we see Mr. Collins in an American flag Speedo on a round bed. See clip below.

My one major gripe may be the ending we have for Darcy and Elizabeth. We as viewers feel cheated. We get to see Darcy beating on a large drum like some sort of he-man come to take Elizabeth back to his man cave by throwing her over his shoulder. It feels like the writers or producers ran out of ideas or just didn’t feel like making the effort. It was like Bingley and Jane are getting married—wonderful---oh yeah we still have to address Darcy and Elizabeth---what to do? Light bulb---we will have Darcy beat on a drum and Elizabeth come to him and he will fold her in an embrace---and CUT! Not a very satisfactory ending.

What do I really think of Bride and Prejudice? I think it is an often overlooked adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Bollywood has done other modern adaptations of Jane Austen which I have yet to see, but I enjoyed this Bollywood offering. It has some corny, laugh-out-loud or oh-my-word-what-where-they-thinking moments, such as a black gospel choir singing on the beach in one of the musical numbers, Wickham rising up out of the ocean, men walking around with their shirts open like its normal, Mr. Collins in an American flag Speedo or Darcy beating on a big drum in the end, to name a few. I leave it up to you my dear readers to decide which of those listed I thought were corny, laugh-out-loud or oh-my-word-what-where-they-thinking.

Despite my gripes with this film I think the story as Austen wrote it stays much the same. The themes Austen wrote about are universal and ever present and this is a wonderful addition to Austen in Film. I recommend this film as a lighthearted modern alternative to the more traditional British film versions of Pride and Prejudice (I am a 1995 P&P aficionado). It for the most part follows the storyline set forth by Austen, which only deviates slightly on occasion in this film. The music is also fun.

I delighted in my visit with Jane and will come to visit again soon.

Hope you enjoyed my look at the film Bride and Prejudice. What are your thoughts and opinions?

Note: I am thinking of making this blog post a 2 part series. Part 1 was a general look at the film Bride and Prejudice. In Part 2, I will be looking at the portrayal of Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship in relation to the novel.

Aishwarya Rai can sing and act. She sings the musical number Take me to Love. The version in the first part of the movie is beautiful. There is a second version later in the film which débuts that ridiculous black gospel choir in blue choir robes randomly singing on the beach is one of those moments in film where you wonder just what the heck they were thinking----then you laugh out loud since it is so ridiculous. I cannot in good faith recommend the song version of this sound in conjunction with the film. If you have seen this film perhaps you hold a different opinion. I just remember my Sorority sisters and I bursting forth in rambunctious laughter at the gospel choir.