Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Pride & Prejudice

OK. We mostly post about nice testosterone-laden stuff like gun laws, science, politics and war. We occasionally foray into books, mostly history & SF. We've even commented on movies, but they were mostly James Bond, Batman Begins & the like. So why on earth is a review of the newest version of Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice" receiving attention from this very 'Y' chromosome-centric locale? Because I like Jane Austen stories.
I especially enjoy the story of Pride and Prejudice. OK, the first time I saw the A&E version of Pride & Prejudice, it was under a severe arm-twisting from the GeekWife. I didn't want to sit through some stupid chick-flick when I could watch something with explosions, blood, plot... By the end of the first tape (yeah, we were watching on VHS), it was "Wait, wait, I have to go the bathroom don't start the next one." Instead of the two to three days that we had planned for to watch the film, we went through the whole thing in a day (pre-kids, life was sweet). I was hooked. Now, of course, I've seen the old one (1940) with Laurence Olivier, Bride and Prejudice, and Bridget Jones. I even learned to love Sense and Sensibility, Emma (although I want to mix the casts between the two films to make an even better version) and Persuasion. So, when I saw that a new, Hollywood, version of Pride & Prejudice was being made, I crumpled. The previews made me twitch uncontrollably (especially at the lips with a stick attached that they have playing Elizabeth Bennet, Keira Knightley, who also stunk in Pirates of the Caribbean and King Arthur) and this review confirms my worst fears. They've hacked it to pieces. I'm not surprised, but it's still painful.

I'll still rent the damned thing & watch it though.

Right, back to guy stuff, who's read John Ringo's new book "Ghost"? Is it as much fun as it looks?

4 comments:

Dalen said...

All things guy? did I miss the good review of every book ever written by Chuck Paluniak?

--Dalen

Nylarthotep said...

I tried to read one of the books at one time when I would read anything. (I read the unabridged Don Quixote and Unabridged Les Miserables, so I was a glutton for punishment.) And to be honest, After a very short amount of reading thought that immolation would be more pleasant.

Granted said...

Yeah, but that's why the movies are so good. I tried reading the books too and thought I'd have to stick needles in my eyes in order to stay awake. It was almost as bad as reading Marquez. There's an experience you don't get over quickly.

Granted said...

I actually haven't read any Chuck Palahniuk. I'll have to add one to my list, probably start with Fight Club (saw the movie, but that doesn't mean squat when discussing most books).
Plus, by & large, we're all things guy-geek around here. You also won't see discussions of football, basketball, baseball, hockey, professional wrestling or curling. We tend towards combative arts, guns, history, SF, horror (especially the obscure stuff, no Stephen King), politics, current events & BEER (the real stuff, not that swill that most Americans drink). But thanks for the suggestion.