One of the many fascinating people I got to hang out with at the PCA conference was Jessica of Racy Romance Reviews (also the coiner of my new favorite phrase, “lair kittens”). For those of you who may wonder whether you’re spending too much time at Almack’s, she just sent me a link to her Top 10 Signs You Are Reading Too Much Historical Romance.
Do you have any other “top signs” to add to the list?
p.s. Also check out her Top 11 Signs You Need to Lay Off the Highlands Romance– I particularly love #5.
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You keep expecting men to be chivalrous and escort you. and get mad when they do not.
While sitting in math class be thinking, Id rather be learning how to draw or paint or play the piano. Something useful.I shall never need this stuff.
by Stephanie Stoddard
on April 15th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
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Lauren,
It was such a pleasure meeting you, and hearing your paper. I came home and had some very energetic discussions about material history with my historian-of-the-British-Empire spouse!
Thank you for the linkage!
by Jessica
on April 15th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
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True Story: You try to convince your teacher that for your board game project in Concept Development that everyone wants to play a game based on Jane Austen & English Literature called Costume Drama Collision but no one seems to want to run away to Gretna Green or shame their family by refusing someones hand in marriage!
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Miss Eliza that is Awesome..
by Stephanie Stoddard
on April 15th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
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See I think I now have to make the game anyway…we’d all want to play it!
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Please, please, do make the game! I know plenty of people who would love to play it….
by Lauren
on April 16th, 2009 at 9:38 am
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I think I know what my summer break will be now 
I have been writing it in my head for awhile…
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Also, for regency junkies, the new miniseries “Lost in Austen” came out on DVD this week, and I really enjoyed it. It’s a funny story about a modern girl who loves “Pride and Prejudice” so much she inadvertently ends up in the novel, chaos ensues…
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Right on Miss Eliza. I saw the miniseries “Lost in Austen” also. I just loved it. How wonderful it would be to step through a hidden door in your bathroom and end up in Longborn. Loved the ending too….
by Rosie O.
on April 16th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
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I just want a man who would willingly get in a fountain for me!
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Oh good recommendation. That is a movie i have not heard about and will have to rent… Sounds wonderful. I have always wanted to take a trip to bath during the 1800’s
by Stephanie Stoddard
on April 16th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
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I need to make my husband read this so he realizes I’m not as far gone as some of you here. 
(Not saying that’s a bad thing…just saying…ha!).
Closest I’ve been to a junkie is just the number of books I’ve read (and re-read!) this year alone. I’m finally on a very long book (Villette) that has finally slowed my habit down.
by AngelB
on April 16th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
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My best friend swears by “Villette”– she claims it’s better than “Jane Eyre”. I only read it once, years ago, and don’t remember it very well. Is it worth a re-read, Angel?
by Lauren
on April 16th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
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Oooh, must get my hands on “Lost in Austen”….
by Lauren
on April 16th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
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Lauren, I don’t think you will be disappointed with “Lost in Austen”! I pre-ordered it from Amazon.com.
The fountain scene is fabulous, and I was pleasantly surprised at how my opinion of several beloved (and not so beloved) Pride & Prejudice characters shifted after watching the movie. Definitely a new and clever take on the classic novel
by Suzanne
on April 16th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
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Why haven’t I heard of this miniseries?! My heart is pounding just reading your comments on it though 
Must look into it…
by Megan
on April 16th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
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Lauren: So far, so good. I bought it in B&N Classic paperback, so it’s 493 pages of size 7 font. I’m on page 79. I need to learn french, too. This book has definitely slowed down my book reading stats…I’m usually done within 3-4 days (or 1 with your because I never go to sleep - ha!). I’ve been on this one a whole week.
BTW - Just caught a bit of Lost in Austen on PBS a couple of weeks ago. It was VERY good and bummed I missed the majority of it. It’s on my b-day wish list.
by AngelB
on April 16th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
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Lost in Austen was made for ITV to air last February and then was pushed to the fall, and I thought it didn’t air here and I’m surprised it was on PBS at all AngelB. I’m just thrilled everyone gets to see it now, so I’m not the only one going it’s awesome, but you can’t see it yet. I’m a huge Jemimia Roper fan, and who can resist Alex Kingston, Hugh Bonneville, one of the Weekses and that new actor, he’s up and coming who plays Bingley, very hot! Also the Guy from Extras playing Mr Collins, ewwwww!
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Between Jane Austen and Thomas Jefferson- I was born at the wrong time…Thanks for the link Lauren- I enjoyed the list very much.
by Kristen
on April 17th, 2009 at 8:20 am
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Just so everyone knows, “Lost in Austen” has been optioned for a movie 
It’s set for 2011 though… haha
by Nikki M
on April 17th, 2009 at 8:34 am
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Link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/11/lost-in-austen-hollywood-film
by Nikki M
on April 17th, 2009 at 8:35 am
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And for those of us who like horror movies as well as PBS costume extravaganzas there is a new book out called Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.” So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem.
As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton - and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she’s soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers - and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead. Can she vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry?
I know all of you like me are just dying:) to get a hold of this book, so here is the link for the print copy-
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!
or on audio-
http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&productID=OD_ADBL_000934&redirectFlag=
by Katie
on April 17th, 2009 at 11:29 am
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I was uncertain about the Zombie until I heard Lady Catherine gets ninjas, now I have to read it!
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lol oh my goodness lady Cathrine with ninjas lol
by Stephanie Stoddard
on April 17th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
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I was waiting til the next book recommendation list to mention this book. IT ROCKS!!!
As soon as I heard about it a couple of weeks ago I got it and read it in 2 days. I could not stop laughing. I love humourous zombies (Night of the Living Dead, Shaun of the Dead) and this so fits into this genre. I cannot wait for the movie. Someone HAS to make it.
by AngelB
on April 17th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
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Oh, Lauren, these lists are hysterical!! And I’m a 10 out of 10 for the “Historical Romance” one–it’s scary how much time I spend in the 19th century…even behind the wheel of my Odyssey… (Hey, at least it’s got a classical name–that’s almost as good as “phaeton,” isn’t it?)
by Jen
on April 17th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
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AngelB,
It’s optioned already for film and Jane Austen’s co-author in this masterpiece Seth Grahame-Smith’s next book (Abraham Lincoln- Vampire Hunter) is due out sometime next year.
Lovers of the satire novel rejoice!
and as for being lost in the Regency era, I use the phrase “I am all astonishment!” all the time.
by Katie
on April 17th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
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I couldn’t help laughing over the comments made. Miss Eliza I absolutely love your idea for a board game. I tried that with my own teacher some years back and got laughed out of the classroom. Some people just have no appreciation for Regency England.
by Georgie
on April 17th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
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Okay, so I just discovered that you can find “Lost in Austen” on youtube!! I fear it’s a bit fragmented, but you can easily fill in the blanks.
I just spent three hours (which should have been devoted to homework) devouring every minute of it
by Megan
on April 18th, 2009 at 12:26 am
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Hmm, guess I have a long way to go before I’m a true junkie. LOL And with Lost in Austen, I caught the parts online when it first came out overseas. . . and I couldn’t get through it. Sure feels like I’m the only one who just wasn’t thrilled with it. That and I just prefer my time traveling in Star Trek, not with Jane, or the characters. LOL
Lois
by Lois
on April 18th, 2009 at 8:19 am
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I found “Lost in Austen” on Ovation channel. Every once in awhile they run Tall, Dark and Handsome week. This is when they run the series!
by Anna
on April 18th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
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I can’t wait to read the zombie version of P&P and see Lost in Austen. They both sound fabulous!
On a side note: on several occasions I’ve used the word “cad” to describe certain men. I’m determined they’ll get their comeuppance one day… I also slipped and called a student an “addlepated twit” in conversation with another teacher,. Not very nice I know, but I was having a bad day. lol
by Jennifer Dahle
on April 18th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
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Lois, while I love Lost in Austen now, it actually took me to the 3rd part before I really got into it (the first time), I sometimes have issues with things being different than what I imagine (like True Blood vs. the Sookie books), sometimes me and adaptations take awhile to mesh.
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Oh I agree Miss Eliza. There were points during Lost in Austen that I was positively indignant. But I also found it hilarious and lovely.
There are other adaptations though that I have serious problems with…
by Megan
on April 18th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
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Mansfield Park, the version with Frances O’Connor, I can’t watch it I hate it so much, and I can’t quite put my finger on it, just everything about it, and yet it’s my best friends favourite movie!
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one book i just couldn’t get into that had such potential was “Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict”. it was just way confusing and didn’t really resolve. but OMG! i just discovered the 1982 Scarlet Pimpernel movie with Antony Andrews on YouTube! i can’t believe i’ve been missing it all my life! btw, you all probably know this but there is an AMAZING musical called The Scarlet Pimpernel that was on Broadway. GET the CD!!! not the Encore version (that one messes up the story). but i LOVE this cd and there are clips of the play online. it looks hilarious! of course, it’s mostly from Percy’s point of view, but the music is PERFECT for the story. check it out!
~lAUra
by Laura
on April 19th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
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Miss Eliza- I get your frustration with Mansfield Park. I think I’m the only one who prefers that one over all of the Austen books- but I have yet to see an adaptation of it that does the story & characters full credit. (Why is it that if they are going to really deviate from the book, Mansfield Park is the one they ALWAYS choose??) Sometimes I really don’t like Hollywood. Which is why I probably relate to that list so much- too time much reading…
by Kristen
on April 20th, 2009 at 8:18 am
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I’m a huge Persuasion fan, but I enjoy Mansfield Park as well. I think some of the difficulty of translating it to the big screen is that it is written in such a different style: more of a commentary on her life. We never really “get in her head”. That allows directors/scriptwriters some leeway when they write. Also, she does mention some weighty topics in the book that are never really dealt with, and some directors have chosen to bring them to the front. I enjoy pieces of all the movie versions, but not one in its entirety.
by Jennifer Dahle
on April 20th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
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No one else mentioned it so I will. The Bollywood version of Pride and Prejudice
Bride and Prejudice
is also excellent!
by Katie
on April 20th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
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I own that movie. It’s fabulous! My daughter and I watch it all the time. The other Pride and Prejudice movie that isn’t too bad, although it takes a LOT of liberties, is the one where they are Mormons and live in Utah. It’s modern day, and the Collins character is hilarious.
by Jennifer Dahle
on April 20th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
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Well if we are now recommending movies…”Clueless” is a take on “Emma” and I belive we all know that “Bridget Jones’s Diary” is a sort of “Pride & Prejudice” esq film.
(btw- “Bride & Prejudice” was quite entertaining!)
by Kristen
on April 21st, 2009 at 8:23 am
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I adore The Scarlet Pimpernel musical! Have you seen the SP2 clips on youtube? Douglas Sills was just born to play Percy!
by Cho
on April 21st, 2009 at 10:23 am
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What IS the difference between a rake and a rogue?
by Meg
on April 22nd, 2009 at 7:49 pm
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I really have enjoyed the books by Linda Berdoll Darcy and Elizabeth: Pride and Prejudice continues, just thought I would throw that in there lol
by alexandria
on April 23rd, 2009 at 12:26 am
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If you like modern day adaptations of P&P, check out Pride, Prejudice and Jasmine Field. Great book. An adaptation that I think is rather well done.
by Megan
on April 26th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
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Megan, I love that book! Her others are great, too, especially “The Nanny” (non Austen, but brilliant) and “Persuading Annie” (a “Persuasion” update).
by Lauren
on April 26th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
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I love Melissa Nathan! I was so sad when she died.
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You know you’re a Regency junkie when you read books with a heroine who is 25 and you think of her as an old maid and that she is far too old to be unmarried.
by Cho
on June 9th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
