New blog!

Hi there,
This is just a friendly message to say I've moved to http://inkdropss1.wordpress.com for a fresh  start where I am continuing to write about books, TV shows and everything else. I would love it if you could pop over and check it out.
Thank you (and merry Christmas/happy holidays to all of you).

Battle of the Adaptations: Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice (1995) vs. Pride & Prejudice (2005)

 

 

Here are the two best known productions of Jane Austen’s legendary ‘Pride and Prejudice’ that was first published in 1813 (Happy 200^th birthday) and tells the story of witty Elizabeth Bennett and the proud and handsome Mr Darcy who is blessed with ten thousand a year. For the sake of getting to the point and comparing these two adaptations, I am going to assume that you already know the story and if not I order you to immediately read the book because it is a beautiful masterpiece that anybody can enjoy.

First, I will lay out the main difference in my opinion; Pride and Prejudice (1995) is a BBC TV mini-series, which obviously means that it is more detailed in regards to the plot as the 2005 adaptation which just over 2 hours in length. Nevertheless, I believe that 2005 covers the story perfectly without making it seemed rushed.



The famous lake scene

Personally, my favourite is the 2005 version of the book, although I often find myself alone in this view. Obviously, 1995 has the benefit of Colin Firth, who is absolutely perfect in everything he does, in the unforgettable lake scene which makes everyone’s hearts flutter however I find the miniseries lacking in a little ‘oomph’ and it feels a little bland in comparison. The aforementioned lake scene is the only memorable scene in my view, in comparison, there are so many scenes in the 2005 film which are not only fantastically adapted from the books but are brilliantly acted and cinematically beautiful.

 Undeniable tension

Take, for example, the Netherfield Ball scene, where the other dances all disappear so that Lizzie and Mr Darcy are dancing alone in the empty ball room; this is a perfect representation of the tension that is described in the books. Also, the scene where Mr Darcy makes his first disastrous proposal, although Colin Firth as the nervous and stuttering Mr Darcy is spot-on, Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFayden seem to bounce off each other as they fight it out in the rain. It is such a tense and thrilling scene that it almost makes you forget that you have already read the book. To me, that is a sign of a fantastic adaptation; that it still makes you feel anxious to see what happens next.


Mr Darcy clearly failed the lesson in proposing to girls

Another reason as to why I prefer the 2005 adaptation of the book is the casting. I prefer the cast of the 2005 adaptation. (The only exceptions to this which I can remember from the top of my head are Colin Firth, who I will say again, is absolutely perfect, and Donald Sutherland whose pearly white Hollywood teeth send shivers down my spine.) Keira Knightey, to me, was born to play Lizzie Bennett. She has the exact look that I would expect. She is tall and thin;, not at all a rosy-cheeked beauty like her sister Jane, who is played by Rosamund Pike, who captures the butter-wouldn’t-melt allure of her character. On the other hand, as superficial as it may sound, Jennifer Ehle and Susannah Harker don’t fit in to the images that I have of Jane and Lizzie when I read the book. I also feel that Knightley has the sparkle of Lizzie Bennett; she can capture the sarcasm and humour of Lizzie, which makes her an equal to Mr Darcy and is to me her best feature. On the other hand, Ehle seems to be a little flat.

Of course, these are just a few of my opinions and you will have your own which I hope you will write in the comments below. Do you agree or disagree? Which is your favourite of the two, or do you prefer another adaptation? Are there any other important differences between the adaptations that you feel should be mentioned?

Also, being a blog about books, it is my duty to tell you to read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, although I would give this advice to you even if I wasn’t in charge of a book blog. I truly believe it is a book that everybody should read at least once. Even somebody like me, who sometimes finds it hard to read ‘old books’ Pride and Prejudice was an enjoyable read that kept me turning the pages.

 

(Unfortunately, none of the pictures used belong to me, not even this fantastic meme)

 

'Neil Gaiman in conversation with Claire Armitstead' & The Ocean at the End of the Lane

 



The date was Monday 17th June, the time is 19:00, the location was the Peacock Theatre in London where The Royal Society of Literature were holding an event called 'Neil Gaiman in conversation with Claire Armitstead' and where I was sitting in the fourth row.

 

Read that last bit over. I was in the fourth row in the same room as Neil Gaiman. Now, imagine my excitement.

 

Neil Gaiman is basically my favourite author/writer/genius/person in the entire world thanks to his amazing writing skills, his endless imagination, witty humour, great works such as Coraline, Stardust, Neverwhere and of course those Doctor Who episodes (The Doctor's Wife is my favourite ever). Neil Gaiman is, in simple terms, my hero. If I could achieve even half of what Neil Gaiman has in his life, it will be more than I could ever hope for.

 

Neil Gaiman sauntered onto the stage at exactly 19:00 and he looked exactly like he does in the photos with the crazy hair and the all-black clothes and the confidence of somebody who knows they are a legend. With the hair and the reputation, I guess Neil Gaiman is sort of to literature what Slash is to music, minus the drugs and the alcohol and the crazy rock 'n' roll antics. I clutched the signed, first edition hardback copy of 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' that I bought with childish excitement and when he read an extract from the book, I made a mental note to remember that moment when I came to that particular part of the book.

 

Overall, the evening was amazing, Neil Gaiman was funnier than I expected him to be and gave hilarious anecdotes that had everyone in stitches, such as his mistake in reccommending Chloe by Stephen King to his daughter while she was still young and Stephen King's advice to him as an author ("Enjoy it"). I also decided that if I couldn't grow to become an amazing author like Neil Gaiman I would grow to be an amazing journalist like Claire Armitstead.

 

Thus far, I have started the new book and am half way through. The words flow like poetry, a characteristic of Neil Gaiman's writing that I love, the characters are intriguing (Neil Gaiman wouldn't say whether or not the Hempstock family are witches), and I can't wait to find out the key to the mystery of the storyline.

 

I will update again when I have finished reading it.

 

(I do notice that I always refer to Neil Gaiman as 'Neil Gaiman'. I tried several times to simply write 'Gaiman' or 'the author' to make sentences sound nicer but he is such a legend to me that I have to write his whole name.)

What I'm Reading: The Picture of Dorian Gray - Review

The Picture of Dorian Gray 

Oscar Wilde

‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ (1891) was the only novel written by Oscar Wilde and follows the story of the young and handsome Dorian Gray. Dorian Gray, at the beginning of the novel, has a portrait of himself painted and he is confronted with the true extent of his beauty. After a conversation with the easy-going Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian is fearful of what will happen to him when his beauty leaves him and old age takes its place. He makes a wish, that “If it were I who were to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old” which is fulfilled. Dorian Gray proceeds to live a life of immorality, with the portrait acting as a constant reminder of the effect of his sins and debauchery on his soul until he becomes tormented by his own behaviour and the novel comes to a sombre but thrilling end.

I truly enjoyed reading this thought provoking novel that makes you think about what would happen if people were not called into check by the consequences of their own actions and if they had no idea of empathy but were instead allowed to run riot and do whatever they feel like. Dorian, throughout the majority of the novel, is not haunted by his own misdemeanours and instead is thankful that he has license to act as he wishes and enjoys watching the painting change as he remains young and beautiful and is allowed to turn his back on the painting and continue with his self-indulgent behaviour. The ending of the novel however is a message to the reader that this type of selfish and hedonistic behaviour will catch up with you in the end, and although the ending was not a ‘happy ending’ as one is pleased to read in most novels, it is certainly one which leaves an imprint on you.

Right from the first page of this book, I was amazed by the eloquent and rich writing style of Oscar Wilde. Although this book is filled with brilliant descriptive passages, it does not, at any point, become dull to read. The dialogue between characters is pleasant although it is at times shocking to read the views and opinions such as those of Lord Henry Wotton, who tells the easily influenced Dorian Gray that the only way to resist temptation is to yield to it, to experience everything without experiencing any remorse or consequences, and that the most important thing is beauty. These views would be frowned upon by most people but I found them thrilling to read and Lord Henry’s appearances in the novel soon became something that I looked forward to.

After reading this book, I would today rank it among my favourites. The story is captivating and exciting and the grave and dramatic ending to the story makes you understand the meaning of ‘Be careful what you wish for’ a little more than you did before.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower - Movie Sneak Peek!

Since I read this book about a year ago it has really become a part of me, and for that reason I advise every single person to read it. I can guarantee that you will not finish this book without taking something special away from it. To read my review on The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, click here.

So the film adaptation has been set for a US release date of 27th September 2012 - unfortunately I'm not sure about the UK release (poor UK, we're always left out). The official trailer will be shows at the MTV Movie Awards this Sunday which will be aired in the UK on Monday 4th June in the evening on MTV. In the meantime however, much to my surprise, a sneak peek has been released (CHRISTMAS HAS COME EARLY!)! It is only 10 seconds long but I'm crying tears of joy nevertheless, and I cannot put into words how excited I am, except maybe these: asdfghjkl ARGH!

To watch the sneak peek, click here.

The film, which is directed and written by the author of the book Stephen Chbosy, stars a few names you may recognize, such as:
Charlie - Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson, The Three Musketeers)
Sam - Emma Watson (A small film franchise - Harry Potter, My Week With Marilyn)
Patrick - Ezra Miller (We Need To Talk About Kevin, Californication)
Bill - Paul Rudd (Dinner for Schmucks, Role Models)

Other cast members include Nina Dobrev, Kate Walsh, Mae Whitman and Johnny Simmons. For a full list of cast members click here.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

What I'm Reading: The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Review

The Five People You Meet In Heaven

Mitch Albom

I picked this book up in a charity shop a couple of months ago. I had been meaning to read it for a while as I had heard about it through the grapevine and it sounded like a really intriguing story. Anyway, I walked into the shop with a friend and I had run out of books at home to read, and there it was, the first book on the shelf for the bargain price of 50p, brand spanking new and everything. It might as well have had a sign over it with Christmas lights and 'BUY ME' written in glitter with a big arrow pointing at it. I couldn't resist.

The story revolves around Eddie, eighty-three years old, a war veteran who has worked in the same amusement park for so many decades that the children call him 'Eddie Maintenance.' He's pretty much a part of the furniture. On his birthday Eddie dies (how morbid) saving a little girl from a tragic accident and wakes up in, not Heaven or anything of that sort, but sort of an in-between place. There he meets five people who explain his life to him and changed his life forever. Among them are loved ones and absolute strangers. The Blue Man, a freak who made a life for himself at the amusement park where Eddie has lived his life. Second, Eddie's former war Captain, who tells Eddie the truth of why he was injured at war. Then comes Ruby, after whom the amusement park Ruby Pier is named who helps Eddie to let go of the anger he holds against his father. Marguerite, Eddie's late wife comes next and teaches us all a few lessons on the meaning of love and finally, a young girl who helps Eddie to realise the meaning to his life. 

The Five People You Meet In Heaven is written beautifully, it is easy to read and flows well and there is never a dull second. Over the course of the book, you go through the toil and turmoil that Eddie has been through in his life and you feel his pain, you sympathise with him over the death of his life and alongside him, you learn the painful truth about his experiences in the war. Albom does a brilliant job at teaching us all a lesson that we all have the power to change the lives of those around us by one simple little action which we may not even notice, such as running across the street. I found the idea behind the story wonderful too, Mitch Albom says in his author's note that the idea arose because he felt that people who felt unimportant on earth should realise how much they mattered and how much they were loved.

This is a book I would advise everybody to read, it will definitely give you something to think about.

Personal: Between GCSEs and Novels.

There is no excuse for my behaviour. I know. There is no need to remind me.

I am here to tell you that I have not fallen off the face of the Earth, and I have not forgotten about this blog. In fact, whenever I pick up a book, in those rare moments when I can, I think about this blog and how much I so want to be able to read all the time and update all the time. I wish I could tell you that I had been kidnapped by Russian assassins and had wriggled my way out of chains and hitch-hiked my way to an internet connection, or that I have been away travelling the world. But I can't.

In fact, the true and honest reason for my disappearance is very boring indeed and it goes by the name of

FORMAL EDUCATION.

Yes, that beast that looms over the first 20 years of your life and casts deep, dark shadows over you and seems to eliminate any flicker of hope that you once had. I graduated from secondary school last week, but I am in the middle of those horrible exams, GCSEs. This morning, I had my English Literature exam, the exam which I am most desperate to do well for and for which I spent all of yesterday taking notes for until my hand dropped off (not literally). But since I am so knackered from all that and I could really do with a break from staying up until 11.30pm revising and since I don't have any exams tomorrow and in fact I have four exams until half term (after which I have another load of exams but don't remind me) I decided to write something here.

I am trying my very best to make time for reading and I have read a few books but I just don't have the time to update regularly.

So here's an update.

• I never finished Wicked - (oops). I realised that I am not a reading-on-a-small-electronic-screen type of person and I gave up reading the novel on my phone. I saw Wicked at the theatre for my 16th birthday and now the story is ruined and I deleted all books from my phone.
• I am half way through Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin - a fabulous book with trillions of characters which I love very dearly. However I am taking a break until further notice for the sake of my education because whenever I pick up that book I can't put it down and I would really love to get my A's.
• I read a few books in between, some of which I will be trying to write reviews for.

So, in conclusion, there is no point to this post apart from again, begging you to stick with me. Please try to understand the mental strain under which I am trapped. In a few weeks, this will all be over (June 27th to be exact) and I will be free as a bird flying in the sky. And by that I mean 'free as a teenager who will have an abundance of time to lock herself up in her room reading books, watching films and crying over how long it will take for Doctor Who and Sherlock to return to her TV screen."

In the mean time - feel free to follow my twitter which is on the left of the screen I believe and if not, it's @camilaarh!!

Good day and happy reading to you all - CHEERIO!