Pride & Prejudice: A Great Novel

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen marks the end of the Unfinished Business series. It is one of those novels that is acclaimed to be one of the best novels ever written. So I bought the book, a physical copy from a book store, the summer before heading to college. I barely made it past the first page before I put the book away. Sometime later, I tried to read it again, this time a free electronic version. Again, I stopped reading it, this time after chapter one, finding the wording cumbersome. I never had a real interest in the content; it seemed frivolous and outside my realm as a black girl from the inner city of Chicago. After finally completing the book this go around, I ended up loving it.

 Jane Austen has a distinct style. I appreciated the deliberate pacing of the novel with the short chapters and long descriptive sentences. Each chapter, well-planned and detailed, contributed to the overall story. Distinct characteristics made for timeless characters. Every character had a few defining qualities that were enhanced with each appearance; they were true to themselves. The society in Pride & Prejudice is one of appearances and disposition. Darcy is described as a dignified and prideful gentleman, which he whole hardly is, but I also saw him as an introvert. He was uncomfortable in crowds and more amiable amongst close friends. Yes, this is somewhat do to his arrogance, but I also believe he is simply a quiet man. I read that since Darcy is the pride part of Pride & Prejudice, then that makes Elizabeth the prejudice. However, I would argue that both words in the title describe Elizabeth and Darcy. Elizabeth was prejudice against Darcy for his slight toward her when they first met, and each indictment of him thereafter, but Darcy was also prejudice against Elizabeth for her family's lack of class and social standing. Elizabeth was a bit of a know-it-all. She prided herself on being a good judge of character, though she was proven to be wrong in her initial assertion of Darcy and Wickham. 

 As marriage was a prevalent theme in Pride & Prejudice, Austen managed to depict five distinct ideas of matrimony. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet had a relationship of indifference. Little was known of how they came together, but I could only wonder because they were so different and often in opposition. Charlotte married Mr. Collins out of convenience. She only cared about a comfortable home and Mr. Collins wanted an agreeable wife, thus they formed an unlikely but favorable match. 

I formed a conspiracy about the marriage of Wickham and Lydia. A man intent on marrying for money must be observant and calculating. I believe that after Wickham spoke with Elizabeth and realized her opinion of Darcy was swaying, he noticed a spark of interest and perceived they would marry or at the least Jane and Bingley would marry. So Wickham ran off with Lydia in hopes of the family essentially paying him to marry her to save face and by extension of Elizabeth, Darcy would become involved. Wickham was frivolous but not stupid when it came to romantic relationships. It was a longshot but Wickham was a gambling man. Why else would he postpone marrying Lydia? They could have gotten married as soon as they ran off. Also, in the update, it is mentioned that Lydia and Wickham are often supported by their in-laws, Darcy and Bingley. I would describe the relationship between Lydia and Wickham as foolish infatuation on her part and devious design on his part. 

Speaking of Bingley, he and Jane married because they were both agreeable people. There was an effortless love between them. At last, Elizabeth and Darcy had a relationship built on respect and accommodation. I was tickled that everyone thought that Elizabeth was marrying Darcy simply because he asked her (it was as if they didn't know her at all) and he was wealthy. How could she possibly marry someone she hated, they all wondered. Hate and love share something in common: passion. As long as passion is there, the scales of love and hate can be tipped to either side depending on circumstance. Both Elizabeth and Darcy learned to love the infuriating turned enduring qualities in the other through mutual respect and lessened those qualities (Darcy's pride and Elizabeth's assertiveness) to be happy.

Source

I wanted to switch things up and read the physical copy that I owned. The free e-book can be found on Amazon or here through Project Gutenberg. On Thursday, I'll be talking about BBC mini-series and movie adaptation. Until next time, happy reading!

A Mini Sabbatical

Happy Valentine's Day and President's Day!

I hate excuses but here's mine anyway:

No post for today or Thursday. Everything's fine behind the curtain, I promise. It's just that the weekend was so busy with Valentine's Day and NBA All-Star Weekend (a favorite of mine) I couldn't find time to read two short story. I'm playing catch up with my schedule. Plus, I've taken it upon myself to read two books at once, which is something new for me. I'll be back next week with Pride & Prejudice.

The two books I'm currently reading are Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen and Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.

Until then, happy reading!

Atonement: The Movie vs The Novel

Source: Tumblr

This line is one of the many reasons why I loved the movie Atonement more than the book it is based on. Atonement was directed by Joe Wright and screenplay written by Christopher Hampton.

The Actors

The casting was superb. Each actor brought life and personality to otherwise rather flat characters. Briony became more vindictive through Saoirse Ronan and Cecilia more mature through Keira Knightley. James McAvoy was not only extremely handsome, but also extremely talented in the role. He applied the right amount of anger, resignation, and hopefulness. Imagine my surprise in just now recognizing Benedict Cumberbatch as the chocolate magnate and rapist during what is probably my third viewing. I always thought Cumberbatch came out of nowhere in the last few years.

THAT DRESS THO

Yes, the dress deserves its own paragraph. That green dress is as elegant and beautiful as it is hyped up to be. It is the most gorgeous emerald color and one of a kind. I love how it floated and became somehow greener in each scene. I don't even like the color green and I want that dress. So peeved I couldn't find a picture showcasing the high split up the middle.

The Differences

The explanation of Paul Marshall's scratch- the book only mentioned it with no explanation while in the movie, Paul Marshall said he obtained the scare while trying to wrestle the twins off of torturing Lola (this, however, is the only indication that Paul Marshall was rough with Lola and maybe even sexually assaulted her earlier in the day).

There were scenes that were slightly improved like Robbie and Cecilia meeting in the restaurant. It was less awkward and more heartfelt, perhaps because it was mainly description in the book and the movie wanted to play up the romance. The scene where Briony goes to see Cecilia at her apartment and Robbie is there is enhanced by the simple line that I opened this post with, "How old do you have to be to know the difference between right and wrong?" and Robbie's persistent questioning. James McAvoy acted out all the frustration I felt with Briony and I was thankful for it.

The end is completely different and I liked it so much better. In the movie, Briony is giving an interview and

she admits to changing the fate of Cecilia and Robbie and I can see the regret and humility. One thing that bothered me about the end of the novel was Briony's cavalier attitude about rewriting history, believing that the truth is far too depressing for the reader and it wouldn't matter that she gave the couple a happy ending because it would essentially be the only account of this story. She surmised that she couldn't find true atonement in writing the story because no author can find atonement when they can play God. I absolutely hate this line of thinking. However, in the movie, she only mentioned that she changed the ending as an act of kindness to the couple so that they can be together forever in the written word and I think this is a much, much better explanation. It helped that this scene was followed by the couple at the cottage that they dreamed of going to together.

*The library scene gets an honorable mention. I know I laugh at the most inappropriate things, but I can't help but chuckle when Cecilia realizes someone has walked in and they have been caught and Briony squeaks out her name, and then Robbie and Cecilia calmly pull themselves together and smoothly walk out. Briony is obviously traumatized but Cecilia and Robbie are just like- Newp, not touching that.

Somehow the movie made me realize how overly ambitious the book was because it forced the movie to be overly ambitious, however, it paid off in the movie where it did not in the novel. The movie and the novel complement one another. They really do. The book may have elements that I abhor, but it is the framework for the movie. The war scene of the book made me appreciate how it was depicted in the movie (which I apparently tuned out the first few times because I don't even remember certain parts) and the movie drove home certain points of the book like the hopelessness of absolving Robbie after Paul Marshall and Lola got married (though this is somewhat negated since Robbie died before this anyway). The beauty that is the cinematography and direction of the movie and the descriptive prose almost makes up for my dislike of the chasms of flaws in the storyline. Almost.

Despite all my misgivings, the movie is still wondrously beautiful and one of my favorites. It can be rented through Amazon for $3.99 (at the time of this post, of course). 

Beautiful scene from Atonement

There Was No Such Thing: Atonement by Ian McEwan

I was so close to not writing this post. I'm going through a transition of some sorts in my professional life, and I'm doing so many things that I was starting to feel like a hamster on a wheel and I was getting tired. Forgetting writing is my saving grace, I thought this blog was unimportant in my endeavors, which is resoundingly false. So breakdown and crisis averted, here is the post for this week:

I really wanted to like Atonement by Ian McEwan. A bit regretfully, I saw the movie first and loved the heartbreaking love story. But something always rubbed me the wrong way about the entirety of the story. 

Atonement is about a young girl named Briony and how her imagination and naivety changes the course of her older sister, Cecilia, and Robbie, a family friend, lives forever in history. In a course of a day, Briony sees different events take place and convinces herself that Robbie is a sex maniac. What Briony sees as a sexual act forced upon her sister is actually Cecilia and Robbie realizing their love for one another and having sex for the first time. Thereafter, Briony accuses Robbie after her cousin, Lola, is raped during a search for Lola's missing twin brothers. Robbie is promptly arrested and convicted on the word of thirteen year old Briony. She is the sole witness and her word is taken as fact. Now, Robbie has committed no crime and Briony doesn't actually SEE the man that rapes Lola. Or perhaps, she sees him, but wants it to be Robbie so badly. This is never really clear. Regardless, Robbie goes to jail and Cecilia ceases all contact with her family for she cannot forgive them for sending the man she loves away.

The story takes place at the beginning of World War II and Robbie is given the choice of staying in prison or shortening his sentence by enlisting; he readily enlists. Part two of the novel follows Robbie as a soldier and the various obstacles he overcomes as he is trying to reach the ships to be evacuated. This is where the novel shines for me. The description of the solemn, yet hopeful mood made me sympathize with Robbie's character and efforts. All the while, I was reminded that if Briony hadn't accused him, he may not have been in that predicament.

"I love you. I'll wait for you. Come back." The words spoken by Cecilia that gives Robbie strength to carry on.

Then the reader is presented with an eighteen year old Briony in her first year as a nurse. She followed in Cecilia's footsteps (she is also a nurse) as way of atonement for what she did as a child. I feel like this was supposed to make Briony more endearing and likable because of her sacrifice (she could have been a proper student at Cambridge) and presumed humility but I still felt contempt. I could not forgive her because I had just finished reading the impact it had on Robbie.

The ending further frustrated me and I gave up trying to find any redeeming qualities to the story. Without giving too much away, Lola marries her rapist, who was a friend of Briony and Cecilia's brother and a wealthy chocolate magnate. He and Lola live a long life as does Briony. I felt that the bad guys got away with everything and didn’t learn anything. I love an anti-hero or an unlikable main character, I do, but in a story like this when the character changes the lives other people through their own foolish faults and then is too cowardice to right the wrong, I can't forgive them and I think them poorly written. Briony does not grow at all. She proves to be the same selfish and self-important little girl she was in the beginning. I would venture to say she got worst.

I thought, just maybe, the book would have more character development and explain more than the movie. But it did not. While reading this novel, I couldn't help but think, "I would rather be watching the movie". I rarely feel this way but the movie is so beautifully done and a near perfect adaptation. I will say this, the description and writing are immaculate; Ian McEwan is a impeccable writer. 

Certain elements of the story leave the readers wondering how much of it is simply a novel and how much is supposed to be the novel written by Briony. Though it is ambitious, I don't like this element at all because then I feel manipulated by Briony, who thinks she can play God as an acclaimed novelist. I actually ignored this element at first because it would make me second guess what was real and what was created to suit Briony's creativity and assuage guilt. Also, if McEwan was pulling an Inception, Briony wasn't that good of storyteller because at no point did I like her character or find her the least bit interesting. The story just didn't do it for me. The book can be found on Amazon of course and you can form your own opinion. On Thursday, I'll compare the book and movie.  

Short Story Spotlight: North Country by Roxane Gay

I came upon today's story completely by accident. It is a story that refused to be overlooked. I listen to a podcast called Selected Shorts that features short stories read by actors, either from television and movies or Broadway. As I am way behind, I was catching up on shows from October. North Country by Roxane Gay moved me so much that I looked up the story and soon realized I have the book, The Best American Short Stories 2012, in which this story is published and I had read it before. There was something about hearing the story read with intense emotion and thoughtfulness for the content that made it finally resonate with me.

It is love story that doesn't mean to be a love story. It is more about how a woman named Kate overcomes the traumatic hardship of miscarrying a child and a cheating boyfriend and a promise no longer longed for. In the process, Kate also meets a simple man named Magnus and against her own reluctance, she falls in love with him.

The repetition of the opening paragraphs read like poetry and set a steady pace for the story. I absolutely loved the opening sentences: "I have moved to the edge of the world for two years. If I am not careful, I will fall." It is beautiful foreshadowing to her reluctance to live in Michigan, the place to which she moved to get away from her former love and life. Kate is a flawed character because she is hurting and has not come to terms with the magnitude of that hurt. So at each turn, she pushes Magnus away, while wanting to get closer to him and when they become too close for her comfort, she acts flippant toward their relationship and ultimately hurts his feelings. I was glad that Magnus had a backbone and didn't stick around when she downplayed who he was to her, because he could have tried harder, which is what happens sometimes in love stories. Instead, Magnus gave Kate space to realize her true feelings.

It is incredibly difficult to write well rounded character in a short story. The short form does not lend itself to character growth, but Gay made the most out of the sentences. Each character had their own personality, the main character, Kate, had her own sarcastic and clever voice, and she showed growth by the end.

The story cannot be found for free but you can listen to the Selected Shorts episode, Flash Forward, through iTunes. It was originally published in Hobart Issue 12 and I read it in The Best American Short Stories 2012. Until next time, happy reading!

Short Story Spotlight: Sexy by Jhumpa Lahiri

February, Valentine's Day, Love, the theme of the month. I'm starting off with "Sexy" by Jhumpa Lahiri, one of my favorite modern short story writers. I discovered this story through one of the many English classes I took in college. The story came at the end of the semester, almost a throwaway as it was right before finals. But it was one that stuck with me and I searched through my discarded papers and syllabi to find the name. Since then, I have read her collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies and the novel, The Namesake. I enthusiastically recommend both, but back to "Sexy".

"Sexy" is about Miranda, a young 22 year old, who has moved from Michigan to Boston. She begins an affair with a married man named Dev that she meets at a department store. As a comparison, Miranda's co-worker, Laxmi, has a cousin whose husband has left her and her son for a younger woman. Miranda seemed young and lonely and vulnerable. She enjoys the initial time spent with Dev while his wife is in India for a few weeks. They act as a real couple, spending most nights together, before Dev has to get home in the early morning to speak with his wife. They go out on dates. Miranda even buys a slinky silver cocktail dress to wear out on the next date. However, the next date never comes. The wife arrives back home and Dev can only visit Miranda on Sundays during the day for a few hours; his excuse is that he's running.

Miranda develops an interest in Dev, his Indian background and culture. Shortly after they meet and sleep together, Miranda asks many questions about where Dev is from, where his wife is visiting, and ultimately his wife. She goes as far as to seek out the cover of a video to see the actress Dev says his wife resembles.  She gets his favorite Indian food for their lovemaking sessions. She learns how to spell her name in Bengali, his native language, spending hours trying to get the unfamiliar letters just right. I wonder if Miranda does all of this because she feels weird or self-conscious for dating outside her race. Or, perhaps, to overcome the guilt she felt for her apathetic treatment of the only Indian family in her neighborhood growing up. 

One Saturday, Miranda is tasked with babysitting Laxmi's cousin's son, Rohin. Rohin shows saddening signs of his parent's impending divorce and Miranda can deny him nothing. When he rifles through her closet and uncovers the slinky cocktail dress and he insists that Miranda tries it on. At first, she is reluctant, but she eventually changes into the dress, to which Rohin calls her sexy. Since he is only seven years old, she demands to know what he thinks the word means. He says, "It means loving someone you don't know." A word he has surely picked up from his parents fighting and has derived his own meaning. Finally, Miranda sees the parallels between the affairs and the affair comes to an uneventful end.

This story is one of favorites, merely for being an apt introduction to Jhumpa Lahiri. It showcases her unique voice and ability to weave her Indian background masterfully through each page and story. I'm sure my early 20 something year old self read it as a love story, just as teenagers read Romeo & Juliet as epic love. But now I see the reality of it; an affair that awakens interest outside of one's own world, but lacks depth beyond sex and physical intimacy. 

There's a scene set in the Mapparium at the Christian Science Center in Boston and it's worth mentioning because holy crap is it beautiful. I could fall in love in a place like that too.

I like short stories with a natural and basic story progression without the feeling of a condensed novel. It's so rare and hard to do. The story can be found here, but I recommend (again) getting the whole collection.