Category: Page To Screen

Posted on

Jane Austen Book Club – Sense & Sensibility Discussion Qs

What was your favorite moment of the book?

One of my favorite moments of Sense and Sensibility is in chapter 30 when Mrs. Jennings is checking on Marianne after her heartbreak, and offering olives. She says, “Well, poor thing! I won’t disturb her any longer, for she had better have her cry out at once and have done with.” And I just think that is the funniest and truest line ever. Cry it out, Marianne!

The working title of the book was Elinor and Marianne. Why is Sense and Sensibility a better title? In what ways do Elinore and Marianne embody these traits?

I would categorize Elinor and Marriane as dual heroines, and changing the title to S&S broadens the themes of the book. Typically Elinor is seen as the sensible one, and Marianne the sensitive one. But one of the interesting things about this book is how they do a switch, and by the end of the book Elinor is able to touch into her emotions in a way she wasn’t able to before, and Marianne makes much better choices, and shows more sense, which she was lacking at first. So this title change is important because it alludes to the sister’s transformations and dual nature, which I think everyone can relate to. We, all of us, have dual natures, a little bit of sense and a little bit of sensibility!

Margaret is often the overlooked younger sister in this novel–what do you think of her role in this novel?

Margaret Dashwood is mentioned sparsely throughout novel. Her character appears to be minor, existing as a particular supportive element for the her sisters. All her life depends on the events related to the members of her family, and she can not wait to live it by herself and feel all the patience of the independent existence.

What did you think about Willoughby’s apology? Did you feel sympathetic towards him?

I have very unsympathetic feelings toward Willoughby. He seems like a fuckboi and I just don’t like him.

What did you think of Lucy Steele? Did you trust her at first, or were you suspicious of her eagerness to befriend Elinor?

I personally do not trust Lucy Steele. There are moments where she seems to be intentionally petty, and I her keeping secret engagements makes her even less likeable.

Chapter 23 highlights her scheming character traits best, in my opinion. She is seen offering pointed information that Elinor hasn’t explicitly asked for, suggesting that Lucy is purposely choosing what to tell Elinor, and illuminates her pushing Elinor for information in an artful way.

In the end, Lucy gets what she wants—a wealthy husband who allows her to move up the social ladder through marriage. As the narrator says of her at the conclusion of the novel, she is a prime example of what someone can achieve when he or she is persistent, self-interested, and determined.

How do secrets drive Marianne and Elinor’s actions?

Secrets have a lot of power in the novel, both kept secrets and secrets revealed. 

CH 23 — “The necessity of concealing from her mother and Marianne, what had been entrusted in confidence to herself, though it obliged her to unceasing exertion, was no aggravation of Elinor’s distress.”

CH 29 — “Nor I,” answered Marianne with energy, “our situations then are alike. We have neither of us any thing to tell; you, because you do not communicate, and I, because I conceal nothing.”

Which sister seems to change the most over the course of the novel? Who would you say is the heroine of the story, or do they share the role equally? 

Elinor and Marianne’s characters both show great development and growth by the end of the book. Typically Elinor is seen as representing sense and Marianne as representing Sensibility throughout the novel, but as the novel goes on, the heroines are able to learn from each other and that drives their characters’ evolution. By the end, Elinor has learned to be more sensible, and Marianne has learned to be more sensical, and that is one of the greatest journeys: learning that it is okay to be a little bit of both.

If I had to choose, I would say Elinor is the heroine of the story, in the same way that Lizzy is the heroine of P&P. P&P presents a story where the heroines are lifted up from poverty to wealth, marry rich handsome gentlemen, and get to marry for love. S&S presents more of a story about choices–both sisters marry, but Elinor gets her man in the end because she makes more rational choices from point A to B. Marianne loses her first choice because of her desperate actions, poor decision-making, and lack of foresight. She marries a good man in the end, but unlike Elinor, she ends up with her second-choice after incredible suffering and heartbreak. It makes her a stronger character, but it is much less idealized than the HEA of P&P.

How would you compare/contrast P&P to S&S? How are they similar, and how are they different?

Ofc P&P is still my favorite, but it’s always interesting to go through her other works and read them closer. I have to say that I do see a lot of similarities between P&P/S&S—even the titles stand out as the most similar of her stories. However, while Pride and Prejudice leans more towards a fantasy HEA, Sense and Sensibility presents a much more realistic (albeit cynical) take on love.

Posted on

Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies by Michael Ausiello (now a major motion-picture)

“But there was another part of me that saw the installation as the defining metaphor for how Kit had confronted this entire year: with grace, courage, dark humor, and unquestionable fearlessness, right up to the end.” —Michael Ausiello, Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies

This was the most heart-wrenching book I have read in a long time. It was also really beautiful. If you get a chance to read or watch the new movie—do it.

This moving biographical memoir centers around Michael Ausiello and his partner Kit Cowan, who was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of Neuroendocrine cancer. Though Kit and Michael did their best to fight the deadly disease, Kit’s struggle ended just 11 months after his diagnosis. This is the life story of Kit, and the love story of Kit-and-Mike, all wrapped up in a touching dedication to an incredible fighter—Kit Cowan.

Thank you @the.queerreader for sending me this book so we could buddy read without waiting for library holds 

 I can’t remember the last book that made me cry this much. I loved and hated every second of it 

Kit, you are amazing. Michael, you are amazing. Thank you for sharing Kit’s story—and your story—with the world.

Follow Michael on Instagram @michealausiello and buy Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies here, or stream the new movie today!

Posted on

True Beauty by Yaongyi

True Beauty Volume 1: available November 8, 2022

True Beauty is a romantic-comedy / slice-of-life / coming-of-age comic that has been published weekly on Webtoon since 2018. I started reading it early on; I got sucked into Jugyeong’s world, and have been following her ever since. When I saw NetGalley was offering an eARC of the first volume, I jumped at the chance to read and review it early!

Jugyeong Lim is just an average ugly girl, mistreated by her family and bullied at school. She thinks that if only she could be pretty, all her problems will be solved. So she teaches herself how to use makeup by binge-watching Youtube tutorials. She slowly masters the art of makeovers, and her dramatic transformation leads to her overwhelming popularity and fame, but what will it all cost her?

Living in a society where people are judged based on their physical appearance, Jugyeong navigates both high school (and the series follows her to college) life, while her self-esteem, romantic life and career are constantly in flux.

It has been a joy to watch Juyeongs character arc. She has come a long way since the beginning of the series, and she is an MC I love to root for.

For Jugyeong, ugliness was a barrier, locking her out. But prettiness can be a cage, too—I love this series because it explores beauty standards and the cost of beauty, how beauty creates a hunger for praise and approval, the pros and cons of social media, and so much more!

The artist Yaongyi is one of my favorite comic artists right now. Her digital art style is not only beautiful but also very unique. She blends semi-realistic drawings with mild, photograph-like coloring, creating a stunning and recognizable style.

True Beauty Volume One will be available November 8, 2022. Remember, Pre-Orders Matter!

New episodes are uploaded to Webtoon every Wednesday.

True Beauty also was adapted into a K-Drama, which you can watch on Rakuten VIKI.

Thank you to NetGalley for offering me an early eARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

Posted on

I Am All Agony, No Hope: Reviewing Netflix’s New Persuasion “Adaptation”

Generally, I appreciate all page-to-screen adaptations: all press is good press, and whether you love or hate the new film, it is doing a lot for reigniting interest in the book.

When I found out that this adaptation would be inspired by the book rather than a faithful adaptation of Persuasion (a la Bridgerton) I had high hopes for it. HOWEVER. My personal opinion of this movie is that it is absolute trash.

“I am all agony, no hope”

I saw a lot of criticism around the film, and it kind of influenced my opinion before I could even watch for myself. TBH I was skeptical of the criticism. I wanted to believe that it couldn’t be as bad as people were saying. But after watching for myself, I wholeheartedly agree with the critics.

I think the most disappointing thing is that this adaptation was passed over for the Sarah Snook version, which seemed to lean more towards a faithful adaptation, whereas this version is clearly only based on the book and takes MANY creative liberties.

Fans of this version found the variety refreshing and funny, and seem to appreciate the deliberate changes. And if you found this version relatable and enjoyable, I am happy for you, and I am not here to change your mind. But I, personally, did not find this version relatable or enjoyable.

To be clear, I am a Janeite, but not a purist. I have no possession over Anne Elliot. I had never even read Persuasion until just before the release of this movie. So it’s not like I was set on hating this movie from the start. My personal favorite of Jane Austen’s is Pride and Prejudice. I bring it up to make this point about adaptations: I find value in the 1995 P&P for it’s gold-standard accuracy. I love the dreamy Hollywood 2005 version for its nostalgic soundtrack and cinematic scenes. I appreciate silly spin-offs like Lost in Austen and Austenland. Because, at the heart of them, they are able to take my favorite story and re-tell it, in different ways, but it is still the same story I love told over and over. Unfortunately, this ‘adaptation’ of Persuasion attempts to rewrite the story itself rather than retelling it, making it unrecognizable for those who do love the original story of Persuasion.

The point of an adaptation is found in the name—it is meant translate, modify, and adapt the text. At their worst, adaptations can lack real understanding of the source material, which seems to be exactly what happened here with Carrie Cracknell’s ‘adaptation’ of Persuasion.

I definitely agree that it seems like no one on the team at any point read Persuasion. It’s like they read the wiki summary and then wrote a play inspired by that bad summary. The script itself doesn’t seem to take much from the text. It seems that the actual story of Persuasion merely inspired the script. Which is weird. Fans understand the need to modernize the dialogue of Austen’s works, but here it was taken so far that it completely changes the story. It’s not at all how it goes in the book, and that is why fans are so upset. So many liberties are taken to make a new story, that at this point, they should have just written a new story. It’s irritating. Like, if they wanted to do a new modern movie set in the Regency Era, why not just do that? Don’t ruin a favorite classic and then claim to be reinventing the period drama.

So let’s begin with how they ruined Anne Elliot. Anne’s emotional intensity is a huge driving force of her character. Austen writes of Anne’s “elegance of mind and sweetness of character,” sensibilities, and compassion. In the book, her feelings are super intense inwardly, but she is still classy and has manners. Controlled passion! But this Anne is just a crybaby! In contrast to the book, the movie shows her pining from the start, and that just didn’t seem like Anne to me. The movie made her a damsel in distress, and completely misses the nuances that make Anne endearing. Which becomes an issue later in the film when we see Louisa’s declaration that “she won’t hear any ill talk of Anne”. Because as far as the film goes, it doesn’t make sense that Louisa would defend Anne like that. The film did a terrible job of showing Anne’s merits, making her snarky and dislikeable instead of the compassionate Anne we love.

I am seriously displeased that Anne’s ‘thing’ is breaking the fourth wall. It takes away from her character. If revolutionary was what they were going for, I hate to break it to them, but the rupturing of the fourth wall has already been done (see Patricia Rozema’s charming take on Mansfield Park from 1999). And it’s pointless if there’s no purpose behind any of it. Though Cracknell comes with a hefty portfolio, her work on Persuasion comes off as a gimmick capitalizing on current trends. How exactly does the line, “it is said if you’re a five in London, you’re a 10 in Bath”, improve on Austen’s work or make it any more palatable to modern audiences? Or what about the comments on being “an empath” and focusing on “self-care”? These are all just marketing buzzwords.

These memes really highlight the language barrier, for me:

And whyyyyy did they have to make her an alcoholic? What is the point of that? It was supposed to be funny and plucky, but it’s just painful. I really loved the cinematography during the hangover scene, with the ASMR toast-scratching… and then it was shattered with the bad acting. They didn’t have to make her an alcoholic to make that a powerful scene, she could have just been hungover one day, and it would have hit even harder.

I can’t even talk about the octopus. Please don’t ask.

Sir Walter, Mary and Elizabeth were all well cast. Mary is my favorite kind of Jane Austen character, and thankfully she seems to be a fan-favorite. I love the complain-y blabbering ones, and the humor that makes Mary worked really well with the tone of the film. She is the silver lining in a dark raincloud of horror.

I also liked Wentworth, but it didn’t seem like he had much chemistry with Anne unfortunately, It’s unique though because I don’t usually see a romance that only has chemistry on one side. His acting is really good, but Anne is ruining the illusion for me. I think she would’ve made a pretty good Jane Austen, like if they remade Becoming Jane she probably would’ve been good in that role. I don’t think she did bad in this role–I’m just upset that they made her break that fourth wall and do all of that like Jim-from-the-office eyebrow work. I admit that I liked what they did with the cinematography and the set design and the costumes I think the only thing I didn’t really like was the script. But it is so bad that it makes everything else unforgiveable. I really loved Mary’s Musgrove‘s character, but I think they really disrespected Anne and Wentworth, specifically.

I did find the costume design quite interesting, and along with the set design, costume was my favorite element of the movie. Costume design, especially in commercial entertainment, is always at the mercy of 21st century: directorial artistic visions, pretty productions, and budget constraints are all factors that make it nearly impossible to retain complete historical accuracy in any modern adaptation. So I was pleased with the way Marianne Agertoft approached costume design for this movie. The costumes in Persuasion are precisely, painstakingly rooted in Regency dress; have just enough artistic license to make a statement; and offer an approach to period costuming that feels entirely fresh. 

The cinematography and set design were the standout early-on in the film. With lavish and bold sets, this show really could have done so much more as a satire of wealth, and unfortunately, misses so many points. The director was still able to do some great things with the camera though—take a look at this shot of Lyme, for example. Here we see everyone walking along the sea-wall, but the last lady (Mary) skips off on her own, oblivious, as-always marching to the beat of her own drum, while everyone else keeps in formation. This is a great play on the Regency rules of society, and gives us a small glimpse at women who break away from that mold (if only for a moment).

They should have done more with Sir Elliot, IMO. To me, his fall from grace was a huge point. The tone of the film could have done a lot as a parody of privilege, but instead they focus on modernizing Anne’s character, which just butchers the story. The vanity of Sir Walter Elliot of Kellynch Hall is highlighted really spectacularly with grand shots like this one:

And I really liked that last line about “dont let anyone tell you how to live, or who to love. “(But even then she was more narrating, she wasn’t talking at us through the screen, so maybe that’s why I liked that little scene). I like how they redeem it and they come back to the sextant thing, that’s cute too. But nowhere near enough to redeem the film, for me. This is an adaptation I will not be able to watch over and over, sadly, this is going to bottom of my list.

Posted on

Beautiful Quotes from The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is an amazing book, and I definitely agree that it is worth the hype. It is one of those important topic books that is a great conversation starter, though (*trigger warning*) it does cover many difficult topics.

The novel tells the story of the fictional Old Hollywood star Evelyn Hugo, who, at age 79, gives a final interview to an unknown journalist.

I found it to be quite sad, and there are many scenes that are tough to read. But the uncomfortable scenes are what make the writing so good–it makes you feel angry, and happy, and it makes you feel understood and seen, because they are relatable. It is also a book that makes readers think about big topics–*TW* sexual assault, rape, domestic abuse, homophobia, biphobia, alcoholism, and lgbtq+ rights, just to name a few.

I found so many powerful quotes, and highlighted so many lines in my book! Here are a few of my favorites:

Posted on

Pride and Prejudice and Social Anxiety

I recently re-read Pride and Prejudice and have come to the shocking realization that I am Mr. Darcy. Besides the fact that he is the big book collector of the story, (What a delightful library you have at Pemberley, Mr. Darcy!”), I identified a lot with the mental health struggles his character face. After this new look at the text, I noticed a lot of details that made me view Darcy’s character less as prideful and more as socially anxious.

dear-mr-darcy gifs | WiffleGif
Matthew Macfadyen’s portrayal of Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice (2005) captures the essence of anxiety better than any other adaptation yet.
Continue reading “Pride and Prejudice and Social Anxiety”
Posted on

Mexican Gothic

Mexican Gothic: Moreno-Garcia, Silvia: 9780525620785: Amazon.com: Books

This was a rather disturbing read, to be honest. I think it needs a trigger warning: there is drug use, rape, cults, suicide … but the imagery is beautiful, and the symbolism is on-point. The pictures that Moreno-García paints are stunning, vivid, magical. The world building is beautiful, but the magic system was, admittedly, strange. Even though it was a bit of my comfort zone at times, I really enjoyed the story.

Mexican Gothic takes us back in time to an old-fashioned world, where women are painted as mercurial and melodramatic, and expected to “mind [their] words and learn [their] place”. In an old house darkened by rotting memories, the inhabitants desperately cling to the past. But Noemí Taboada is a modern woman, a bright light, and she will do anything in her power to save her cousin Catalina from wasting away into the darkness. But is she strong enough to save Catalina from the gloom that engulfs High Hill?

Continue reading “Mexican Gothic”
Posted on

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Mexican Gothic: Moreno-Garcia, Silvia: 9780525620785: Amazon.com: Books

This was a rather disturbing read, to be honest. I think it needs a trigger warning: there is drug use, rape, cults, suicide … but the imagery is beautiful, and the symbolism is on-point. The pictures that Moreno-García paints are stunning, vivid, magical. The world building is beautiful, but the magic system was, admittedly, strange. Even though it was a bit of my comfort zone at times, I really enjoyed the story.

Mexican Gothic takes us back in time to an old-fashioned world, where women are painted as mercurial and melodramatic, and expected to “mind [their] words and learn [their] place”. In an old house darkened by rotting memories, the inhabitants desperately cling to the past. But Noemí Taboada is a modern woman, a bright light, and she will do anything in her power to save her cousin Catalina from wasting away into the darkness. But is she strong enough to save Catalina from the gloom that engulfs High Hill?

amzn_assoc_tracking_id = “amandarocha0d-20”;
amzn_assoc_ad_mode = “manual”;
amzn_assoc_ad_type = “smart”;
amzn_assoc_marketplace = “amazon”;
amzn_assoc_region = “US”;
amzn_assoc_design = “enhanced_links”;
amzn_assoc_asins = “B07YK1K1YK”;
amzn_assoc_placement = “adunit”;
amzn_assoc_linkid = “eff43395dfeea899cc560dc4b00251ce”;

//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US

Continue reading “Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia”
Posted on

Midnight Sun *spoilers ahead*

I saw a lot of opinions on this book, and I had worries going into it, but I honestly thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

First of all, it is fiction. We aren’t vampires, and nothing is perfect. Including Meyer’s writing. But, despite the problems with this series, it was an entertaining story and I had a good time reading it. I loved the nostalgia and the extra detail we got about Edward’s life, and that’s what makes this book a good read. And, even though Edward is a crazy vampire stalker, we know from the original books that Bella truly loved him back. And I just love a good love story!

But there is so much to unpack in this book. Lets get the problematic statements out of the way. Edwards exclusionary “you don’t belong here” comments. His true belief that humans are not “equal” to vampires. The obsessed vampire stalking. None of that behavior is acceptable, and I can understand why there is criticism around this book. But I enjoyed Midnight Sun for what it was, a new chapter to Edward and Bella’s story.

It had a very Anne Rice vibe to the writing style, with all of Edwards inner dialogue. I have seen a lot of criticism around this particular element of the writing, but I totally understood and appreciated the references to Interview With A Vampire.

I am not a super religious person myself, but I found a lot of religious symbolism in Meyer’s writing. She uses light and dark as symbols for good and bad

The very first page of the book brings up the afterlife and sin. So, I was immediately looking for that as I read through the book. I found lots of religious language, and found references to Edward committing basically all of the 7 Deadly Sins throughout the text. I also found Edward asking all of the existential questions that religion(s) attempt to answer.

“She should have died today, Edward.”

So, the vampires are playing God. Saving Bella’s life. Deciding the rapist should go to jail. Carlisle as a doctor, saving human lives, who believes “every life is precious”, pitted against Jasper’s desire to let fate take its natural course. The fact that Carlisle created another vampire like himself at all is drawing a parallel between God the Father and Carlisle the father. “We tried to live to a higher standard. A gentler, more peaceable standard. Because of our father.” What gives him the authority to make these decisions? What even controls destiny, anyway? Continue reading “Midnight Sun *spoilers ahead*”

Posted on

Emma (2020)

Emma. (2020) Movie Posters | Emma movie, Anya taylor joy ...Have you seen the new Emma movie yet? I didn’t get a chance to see it before the theaters closed (thanks, Coronavirus), so I got to enjoy it from the comfort of my own couch—but I’m not complaining! LOL I actually prefer seeing movies from home, it is way more comfortable to lounge around under your own blankets, and you can pause/rewind the show if you ever need to take a snack-break! So shelter-at-home premieres don’t bother me, so much. Plus, all the time at home got me inspired to make some bookmarks! You can check them out on my newly launched etsy shop, WandererLitJournal Bookish Bookmarks. IMG_2427

“Ah! There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort.” ―Jane Austen, Emma

Continue reading “Emma (2020)”

Posted on

How Witchcraft and Comics Inspired The Chilling Tales of Sabrina

I loved Sabrina The Teenage Witch and watched it for years! But I also love the new interpretation of the show, even though it is so completely different from the light-hearted original I once loved. The old show was very much a sitcom while the modern version is more of a drama, which is great for the spooky October vibes. But what I appreciate most about this remake is the attention to detail in regard to witchcraft. This show not only makes the occult approachable but does it in an educational-yet-fun way. There are a ton of important topics Sabrina touches on—including gender issues, religion, and identity—but here I am going to talk about witchcraft.

Image result for sabrina comics vs graphic novelsChilling Adventures of Sabrina - WikipediaThere are actually two separate Sabrina comics that have inspired two very different shows: the 90’s sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch was based on the Archie comics from the 1960’s, while the newer Netflix show is based on the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina graphic novels, which were first published in 2014 under the Archie Horror imprint. Continue reading “How Witchcraft and Comics Inspired The Chilling Tales of Sabrina”

Blog at WordPress.com.