Death Comes to Pemberley (2013 miniseries)

A small snowstorm hit DC on Tuesday and turned our three-day President's Day weekend into a four day weekend!  Since I had the extra time, I decided to watch the Death Comes to Pemberley miniseries on Netflix!  I figured I'd share a list about the miniseries because it seemed like a nice follow-up, considering I read the book so recently.  (The link to the book's post, if you're interested: http://artemisiaeupraxia.blogspot.com/2015/01/50-death-comes-to-pemberley.html).
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I'll start off by saying that I liked the miniseries BETTER than the book.  Yes, you read that correctly.  It's very rare that I like the movie or TV series better, but that was just the case this time around.  I enjoyed reading the book, but, as I wrote in my post about it, it wasn't written all that well, and the main reason I enjoyed it so much is because it was like having something long dead become suddenly resurrected. 
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Why I liked the miniseries:

1. More fun to watch this storyline than reading it.
2. The actors did a great job portraying the characters.  They really embodied the essence of each character, especially Elizabeth and Darcy.
3. The exploration of the turmoil that hits Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship.  The miniseries really delves into the relationship troubles Elizabeth and Darcy experience while all the drama is happening at Pemberley, a topic the book just barely addresses.
4. The way they portrayed Lydia's and Wickham's characters.  They made Lydia slightly more likeable, and Wickham even more dispicable.  I loved it!  I wouldn't say it was a change from Austen's portrayal of the characters; rather, it was a development of their personalities, considering this story takes place a few years after the end of P&P.
5. The flashbacks.  These clips were meant to give the backstory from P&P, and were tastefully done.  I didn't have that feeling of them dragging on and on, which is what I experienced with the book.
6. The ending.  It was the same ending as the book, and even though I disliked it in the book, I thought it fit perfectly as the ending for the miniseries.  I think it's because I had an even greater dislike for Wickham, and Lydia's unending ability to be annoying was infinitely more palpable while seeing it played out by an actor versus reading it in the book.  I was glad to see how their part ended in the story.
7. The soundtrack, the scenery, and the costumes.  All beautiful!  

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There were multiple, small differences between the book and the miniseries, but, in my opinion, the changes made to the miniseries improved the story.  I really enjoyed watching it, and will probably re-watch it again at some point in life.
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Recommend?  Yes!

#52: Gone Girl

Flynn, Gillian: Gone Girl. New York: Random House LLC, 2012. Print. 555 pages.

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SETTING: North Carthage, Missouri, with flashbacks in New York City.

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SUMMARY: Amy Dunne mysteriously disappears on the morning of her 5th wedding anniversary, with all clues pointing to her husband, Nick Dunne, as the suspect. 

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FAVORITE QUOTE: "He killed my soul, which should be a crime.  Actually, it is a crime.  According to me, at least." - Part 2, page 321.

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I recently went home, a last minute decision, and I desperately needed a book to read on the flight out of DC to make the journey pass as fast as possible.  I didn't have much time to find a book before I reached the airport, so my selection was what was available to me in the small, Hudson News store near my gate.  I really wanted to read one of Gregory Maguire's books, but the store's selection only consisted of books currently on the bestsellers list (I think the NY Times bestseller list, but they didn't clarify).  Anyways, this was the one I ultimately decided on.  My likes and dislikes are probably a little skewed, for better or worse, because I watched the movie first.  I had no plans to read the book after I watched the movie, but since I had a pretty narrow selection of books to choose from, this seemed like my best bet.
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Things I liked about this book:

1. It's written VERY well.  Although the book is easy to follow and keeping the details organized isn't a challenge at all, it is written in a very smart style that I really enjoyed.  I can't quite name what that style is, but I love it, and will probably read her two other books sometime in the future.
2. The narrators.  There were two narrators, both speaking in first person.  I like this style of narration, where it alternates between two points of view, and the author did a fabulous job.  
3. The use of Amy's diary to relate the events of the "past."  So tricky.
4. The storyline.  Well thought out and smooth from beginning to end.  All the details were aligned very well and I didn't find any contradictions.
5. The complexity of Amy's mind.  Did I think she was crazy?  Hell ya!  But trying to track her mind was an entertaining exercise.

Things I didn't like about this book: 

1. The ending.  Holy crap, people are messed up!  I was hoping for a happier ending.
2. There wasn't a single character I really loved.  There was a character I was rooting for, but there wasn't anyone I was particularly attached to by the time I finished the book, which is unusual.  I think because of that, I wasn't sad when I finished the book.  A little unsatisfied with the ending, but not sad like I usually am when I finish a story.

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I'm sorry my list of "things I liked about this book" is short and not nearly as detailed as it should be.  Since I watched the movie before reading the book, it only felt right to include the things I liked solely from the book, not the things I liked from both the book and the movie.  I absolutely wish I had read the book before watching the movie because knowing the progression of the story definitely took away from thoroughly enjoying the book.  Not surprisingly, the book was better than the movie, but I think that's saying quite a bit about the book considering I really enjoyed the movie!  There were a few scenes in the book that were excluded from the movie, but that didn't take away from the movie fairly portraying the overall story.  All in all, the best way I can sum it up is that the overall ambiance and feel of this book was to my liking, and I was so engrossed that I finished reading most of it on the plane (about five hours of reading).

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Recommend?  Yes!

#51: Persuasion

Austen, Jane: Persuasion. New York: Barnes and Nobles Inc., 2007. Print. Pages 1041-1174.

(I read the novel out of a Barnes and Nobles compilation edition of all seven of Austen's major works, given to me by one of my dearest friends.)

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SETTING: 19th century England, mostly in the towns of Bath and Lyme Regis, but also Kellynch and Uppercross Halls (those two homes/estates are located somewhere in the English countryside, but I wasn't able to figure out exactly where).

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SUMMARY: Anne Elliot, an intelligent woman whose intellectual worth is in no way appreciated by her idiotic father and sisters, leads a mundane life.  Apart from constantly being unappreciated in her own home, she has been harboring a secret pain for the last eight years after losing her love, Frederick Wentworth.  As chance would have it, she is to once again meet Mr. Wentworth, and the emotional rollercoaster that results, for both parties, is one that brings the reader joy and heartache, all at the same time. 

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FAVORITE QUOTE: "'...Here and there, human nature may be great in times of trial; but generally speaking, it is its weaknesses and not its strength that appears in a sick chamber; it is selfishness and impatience rather than generosity and fortitude, that one hears of.  There is so little real friendship in the world! and unfortunately' (speaking low and tremulously) 'there are so many who forget to think seriously till it is almost too late.'" - Chapter 17, page 1122.
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After finishing my last novel, Death Comes to Pemberley, I had this deep desire to read Persuasion.  As I wrote in my last blog entry, Death Comes to Pemberley wasn't written as well as I'd hoped, and it left me wanting to envelope myself in the writing style of Jane Austen.  You'd think I'd revisit Pride and Prejudice, but for some inexplicable reason, it was Persuasion that was the chosen Austen novel.  I've read it only once before, but all I remembered was the ending and that I liked it.  As usual, I forgot the details of the story and why I liked it.  But now my likes and dislikes will forever be eternalized in this blog!

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Things I liked about this book:

1. Anne's attitude towards the breakup that occurred with Wentworth when she was a teenager.  Although she is still very sad about it, she is not resentful towards her godmother, Lady Russell, who persuaded her to break up the relationship, or herself for following through with the advice.  She understands that the premises upon which the decision was made were sound and that, had she been the one advising a young woman in the same situation, would probably have voiced similar reasoning.
2. The Musgroves.  Kind people who treat Anne the way she deserves.  
3. The way Jane Austen presents the emotional journey Anne and Mr. Wentworth experience after becoming reacquainted.  It's beautifully written, with the right amount of highs and lows.  More importantly, the reader is able to fully appreciate these emotions because we all have experienced them at one point or another in our lives, whether with a past or a current love.  The emotions that Austen touches on in this novel, indeed in all of her novels, are ones that are a part of the human experience and something that all her readers can relate to.
4. Anne's character.  Such a beautiful person.
5. Mr. Wentworth's character.  The definition of a gentleman and the only character worthy of Anne, in my opinion.
6. The ending.  Without a doubt, I was fully satisfied with how the story ended. 

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Characters I disliked:

1. Mary Musgrove, Anne's youngest sister.  Gah, such an idiot!  I would not have the patience to deal with a personality like that.
2. Sir Walter Elliot, the idiotic patriarch.
3. Elizabeth Elliot, the idiotic oldest sister.
4. Mr. William Elliot, the idiot cousin who is to inherit Kellynch Hall.  

As you can see, apart from Anne, I disliked the entire Elliot family.  They were all selfish idiots.  I could have come up with a better descriptor than "idiot" but I disliked them so much that I decided it wasn't worth the effort.

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I love this book!  Not more than P&P, of course, but it has definitely occupied the #2 spot.  I've had plans to stop by the used bookstore in Dupont Circle since coming back to DC from winter break, but considering it's been four weeks already and I've been getting progressively busier, I'm not sure when that trip will happen.  So, being realistic about when I'll get another book to read, I've decided to reread another Austen book in the meantime.  Sounds like a good use of time to me! 

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Recommend?  Yes!

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A side note: I decided to make a separate "Jane Austen" label :P