Day 224 –What a happy day for booksellers (pg 93)

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Austen and Ben H. Winters, started out to be more promising than Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Although I did actually become quite bored with it, and also irritated by the apparent stupidness of the characters.

The Dashwood Sisters (who are, in the original, an intelligent trio) are entirely self absorbed and ignore very important goings on around them. Why doesn’t anyone question the youngest Dashwood, Miss Margaret, who starts hearing and seeing strange things on the island where they live? Why doesn’t Elinor Dashwood tell someone a swordfish has been making small cracks in the glass dome of the underwater city? I can’t stand when things are made obvious to the reader and should be obvious to the characters but are ignored, that is my major issue with this book.

I was however, more willing to believe that sea creatures had mutated and were plotting to eradicate human civilisation, than believe that the Bennet sisters could receive private marshal arts training in China in order to take on armies of the living dead. Perhaps that has a deeper reflection on my psyche... One best not delve too deep.

57 days remaining, 16 books to go.

Day 41 - FINIS (pg 368)

Yes I have come to the end of Pride and Prejudice. However while the classic is still fresh in my mind, I am moving onto Pride and Prejudice and Zombies! This book was a gift from my boyfriend last Christmas, my sister had also purchased it for me and was a little put out when she discovered I already had it. Thankfully it did not cause too much of a family rift!

Moving on for a moment, as all good stories have a call to adventure, so too does this blog. Due to the painful lack of employment prospects, I have decided to start my own documentary production company. I have always wanted my own business, I enjoy making documentaries and have plenty of ideas in mind, and so this new adventure begins. If I can pull it off, I will regard it as some kind of miracle.

There is also a lot more reading involved off the original 21 book list. I have recently borrowed a book from the library for research purposes called Family Wanted – Stories of Adoption edited by Sara Holloway. Stay tuned for more reading and production adventures...


243 days remaining, 17 books to go (not including research!)

Day 36 – With no expectation of pleasure, but with the strongest curiosity (pg 184)

I came across a wonderful free exhibition yesterday at the State Library of Victoria. If you can make it, I highly recommend it. It’s showing until 31st October 2010.

The exhibition is called ‘’Til you drop – Shopping a Melbourne History’ and on display are a number of fantastic items including an old cash register, paper shopping bags and fashion catalogues.

It includes interesting historical facts, beautiful images and objects from shopping in Melbourne dating back as far as 1880. I've placed some images from the exhibition in the post.

I detest shopping. The main reason being, that there is too much choice. What I love about the idea of shopping in bygone eras, is that there was not nearly so much to choose from. There is a lovely book called Jane Austen’s Sewing Box – craft projects and stories from Jane Austen’s novels by Jennifer Forest. In the introduction it says ‘It was an era when thrift was a virtue and for many women living in the country, a trip to a major town or city was required to purchase the latest fabrics and yarns...It was usual practice to select dress fabric... and then take it to a dress maker to be made up.’ I can think of nothing more divine!

Austen does not write much about shopping itself. In many film recreations of stories from the Regency Era, you often find characters carefully considering purchases such as books or lace at a little shop in town. Once the items have been chosen, their purchases are wrapped neatly in brown paper and presented to their new owner. I can truly think of no finer way of shopping.

248 days remaining, 18 books to go.

Day 33 – The more I see of the world, the more I am dissatisfied with it.. (pg 128)

... and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of either merit or sense.’ The somewhat cynical voice of Elizabeth Bennet rings very true to me at this time. The job search is becoming more depressing by the hour.

But enough of that, I have just watched the film Cold Comfort Farm and have become aware that it is based on a book by Stella Gibbons. I therefore have to put it on the list of what to read next, because if it’s anything like the film I think I will enjoy it very much. The story is deliciously dark and fantastically funny. It does at times border on the preposterous, but it’s witty enough to be forgiven.

The local pub in the story is called 'The Condemned Man' and one of the characters provides a depressing ‘to do’ lists that includes; ‘Drain the well, there’s a neighbour missin’. In amongst all this, the main character Flora Poste, manages to remain cheerfully optimistic. This story of a young woman who dreams of becoming a writer like Jane Austen and longs to put things in order reminds me a little of myself, if only I could share her cheerful optimism. However Flora Poste is a female character in the 1930’s, where a steady job and a fulfilling career is not a must.

I am neglecting my reading... I do love Pride and Prejudice, however there always seems to be other things to do than sit down and read. I have finished my scarf and you’ll be quite glad to know that I have sent Travels with My Aunt off to Kidney Health Australia... I hope it finds a good home there.

249 days remaining, 18 books to go.

Day 29 – She is a very headstrong, foolish girl, and does not know her own interest; but I will make her know it (pg 105)

For the past 3 years I have been involved in the Knit one Give one project or KOGO. Basically you just use up your wool to knit scarves and beanies and toys for the homeless and those less fortunate. I recently received an email that the project has begun for this year

Excitedly I delved into my basket of wool (after navigating around the spider who had decided a basket of wool was the perfect place to construct a web, makes sense to me) and pulled out a scarf I was knitting for myself for last winter. I must get onto that one, however I have yet to master the art of reading and knitting at the same time. There is something to be said for these e-books, just sit back and read as the words scroll past on your computer screen. It is a little cold and sterile, however I did come across this the other day, the bookbook;




New fangled technology with that olde fashioned feel, how marvelous! I feel that soon we will be wearing 3D glasses while watching our computer screens and the pages of a book turn before our very eyes. However until then, I will stick to the books printed on paper and turn the pages myself.





Reading Pride and Prejudice, I sometimes wish I could be a character from a Jane Austen novel, so wonderful and romantic. But then I think, how boring their lives must have been. Sitting about all day, waiting for the gentlemen to come a calling. Doing needle point and staring blankly out of windows.

It’s so lovely that women are allowed to have careers these days, if only mine had taken off after the kick start I thought it had. This week I have had two interviews, neither for full time jobs and one I should’ve heard about by now, I have made the necessary inquiries, but at this stage, I have to wait...

In the meantime, bills need to be paid and I have had to go back to the government for financial support. It really is quite demeaning to sit with a group of people who have no intention of ever finding a job and be told things like; Print your job application on clean blank paper and make sure you’ve showered and don’t forget to iron your clothes before going to an interview. I am by no means a snob, but really, I don’t want to feel like some unwashed burden on society.

251 days remaining, 18 books to go.

Day 28 – How pleasant it is to spend an evening in this way! I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! (pg 51)

Last night I went to see the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. I went to see one of four free concerts that the MSO put on every year and they are WONDERFUL!

I arrived early so as to stake out a good claim with my picnic rug. As I lay there in the sunshine on a perfect summers eve reading Pride and Prejudice, I was delighted to see how many people around me were equally absorbed in a book.

When dinner had been devoured and the cheese and wine consumed, the music began. First the audience was delighted with excerpts from A Midsummer Nights Dream by Mendelssohn. Then after interval, as the sun made it’s final decent behind the hills and the stars appeared in the deep blue sky, Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 rang out clear and strong. The soloist for this piece was astounding, she wore a striking red dress and played like the devil.

I have been to see the MSO before in the concert hall. It was good, but it cannot possibly compare to the experience of hearing this music outdoors, it’s something beautiful that is meant to be free.

When the night came to an end, the spell was broken. Curled up with a warm blanket, lying under the stars, I wished I could fly my picnic rug home like a flying carpet. Instead I got on a dirty, fluorescently lit train filled with noisy, smelly, well lit people... Oh well, at least I can lose myself in the wonderful world of Pride and Prejudice where florescent lighting is unfathomable!

252 days remaining, 18 books to go.

Day 23 – her mother attended her to the door with many cheerful prognostics of a bad day (pg 28)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that I have read Pride and Prejudice more times than I can count. I have not read this particular copy however, which is why it is in the pile. This copy was given to me by my best friend Beth, who brought it especially for me from the Jane Austen Centre in Bath. It even came complete with a Mr Darcy bookmark!

Pride and Prejudice is by far my favourite Austen and, as common as it is, my favourite book. The characters are so wonderfully witty I defy anyone not to laugh at the snide jabs and social comments that are found within. Just one small word can change the weight of a sentence and I find myself chuckling quietly as if I am privy to a whispered joke.

As far as film adaptations go, the BBC version with Colin Firth as Mr Darcy is the one to watch. The 1940 version starring Greer Garson as Elizabeth and Laurence Olivier as Mr. Darcy is quite watchable and entertaining, however not terribly faithful to the text. Please don’t bother with the 2005 version, unless you have an urge to watch Keira Knightly pout her way through two hours as the most ineffectual, wishy-washy Elizabeth Bennet there ever was.

If you love Austen as much as I, I would also highly recommend the film Becoming Jane. Anne Hathaway is brilliant as a young Jane Austen and I could watch James McAvoy all day. I have no idea how accurate it is in depicting Jane Austen’s life, but it's a lovely story, and the way the character of Jane Austen is depicted, is very much how I would hope her to be.

257 days remaining, 18 books to go.