Jane Odiwe Jane Austen Sequels

This is very tenuously linked from my last post, but one of the exhibitions they had on at Chatsworth featured the costumes from 'The Duchess' which starred Keira Knightley and Dominic Cooper who we also know as Mr Willoughby, of course. I think this era and the Regency period have to be my favourite for costume - I'm not sure I would have enjoyed being trussed up in all that stuff on a daily basis, though when I was much younger, I did dress up in similar costumes for Fancy Dress parties. I've always loved dressing up! The paintings I'm posting today came about after a trip to the Lakes. We visited Beatrix Potter's house at Hill Top and of course, I felt so inspired when I visited her husband's office where so many of her exquisite paintings are kept. Whilst I could never hope to aspire to Mrs Heelis's excellence with a brush, I hope you enjoy them. They are just a few of the paintings I did with a children's book in mind - never finished, but as wi...

I did enjoy yesterday's competition answers - thanks so much to everyone who participated and shared their wonderful musical memories! The competitions to win the CD and the painting are still open until November 14th - click on the links in the sidebar. I'm conscious that a lot of the giveaways on my blog tour are for the US and Canada only - so, I am adding a copy of Willoughby's Return - anyone can enter - leave a comment below in answer to today's question! Thank you to Barbara and Serena for their interviews - they have giveaways, so click on the links to find out more! There's an interview with me over on Everything Victorian and More - click here Savvy, Verse and Wit Click here to read my interview with Serena from Savvy, Verse and Wit. Three very different but excellent interpretations of Mr Willoughby - The bottom picture shows Peter Woodward in 1981 playing opposite Tracey Childs as Marianne Dashwood, the middle photo is of Greg Wise playing the part of...

Here are two Mr Willoughbys for your delight! Greg Wise and Dominic Cooper star in recent productions - I wonder which was your favourite? After Marianne's accident when Willoughby scoops her up into his arms and carries her home the whole family are eager to learn about the handsome man who has behaved so gallantly. I love the way Jane Austen only gives us tantalising glimpses at Willoughby's character through Sir John Middleton's eyes. Willoughby is a good huntsman and rider and as far as Sir John is concerned there is no higher recommendation than a young man who enjoys sport and can dance all night. Of course hearing that Willoughby dances with elegance and spirit makes him all the more interesting to Marianne! Sir John called on them as soon as the next interval of fair weather that morning allowed him to get out of doors; and Marianne's accident being related to him, he was eagerly asked whether he knew any gentleman of the name of Willoughby at Allenham. ...

I thought you might like to see some of the photos I took at Chatsworth of the exhibition they have on about Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. As well as personal items and letters there are costumes from the film 'The Duchess' which stars Keira Knightley as Georgiana, Ralph Fiennes as the Duke and Dominic Cooper who we've seen before as Mr Willoughby playing Georgiana's lover, Charles Grey. I thought the costumes in this film were particularly fabulous - the designer Michael O'Connor did a wonderful job! They had a little section about the filming of Pride and Prejudice with some photographs and the bust of Mr Darcy is also displayed - the nearest I got to finding him, I'm afraid. Still, best of all I got to see my husband don a wig in their dressing up room which is really fun. You can try on wigs and costumes whatever your age - I think he looks rather gorgeous in it!

I watched the lovely BBC adaptation of Sense and Sensibility yesterday for the umpteenth time. I really love this version quite as much as the Emma Thompson/Ang Lee version. Colonel Brandon played by David Morrissey, gets it just right, I think, and I like the way that Andrew Davies, the writer of the screenplay, shows us little windows into his character, showing him as a suitor prepared to wait for Marianne's affection, hinting at their shared interests, and giving Marianne some very good reasons to fall in love with him. Jane Austen really glosses over the last stage of their courtship, which has left some of us wondering how on earth she managed to end up with him. There is something a little unsatisfactory, for me, in the way this is wrapped up. Marianne Dashwood was born to an extraordinary fate. She was born to discover the falsehood of her own opinions, and to counteract, by her conduct, her most favourite maxims. She was born to overcome an affection formed so late in life...