Fascinating Find Near Stonehenge: The Boy with the Amber Necklace

Amber Boy,
A Neolithic Robert Pattinson

A group of scientists and researchers have gathered near Stonehenge in preparation for the the publication of a collection of research papers on Stonehenge. The following is one of the subjects under discussion:

Stonehenge Visited By Bronze Age Mediterraneans from Red Orbit

Chemical tests on teeth from an ancient burial site containing the 3,550-year-old remains of a teenage boy wearing a unique necklace unearthed near Stonehenge indicate that the person buried there grew up around the Mediterranean Sea… A previous skeleton unearthed near Stonehenge was analyzed and was found to also be a migrant to the area.



Amber Beads or
Honeynut Cheerios

  The “Boy with the Amber Necklace,”* as he is known to archaeologists, was discovered in 2005, about three miles southeast of Stonehenge on Boscombe Down. The remains were found next to a Bronze Age burial mound, during construction of a road for military housing. The boy is around 14 to 15 years old and “is buried with this beautiful necklace,” said Professor Jane Evans, head of archaeological science for the British Geological Survey. “The position of his burial, the fact he’s near Stonehenge, and the necklace all suggest he’s of significant status.” Professor Evans compared the Stonehenge in the Bronze Age to Westminster Abbey today: a place where the “great and the good” were buried.

Austen and Gaskell

There is a lot going on out there that I think may be of interest to my readers:

Austen Authors: Author and illustrator Jane Odiwe is the spotlight today. In addition to her excellent post, in which she speaks about Austen and her books, Jane has shared several illustrations with her readers. Also, in celebration of MARILYN BRANT'S second novel, Friday Mornings at Nine, her publisher, Kensington Books, is giving away a free ebook download of her Austenesque debut novel, According to Jane. Check Austen Authors for details.

Jenny Loves to Read - A Review of Anne Elliot

Four-star review of Anne Elliot, A New Beginning by Jenny at Jenny Loves to Read:

People may have their expectations, but I shall do what I think is best for me. I only have this one life, and as limited as it is by society and my own family, it is mine to live as I see fit."--Anne Elliot - p. 51

This is not your momma's beloved Austen story. Instead it is a fresh, somewhat modernized version of Persuasion. Modernized in the sense of the quote above. Anne will do what she wants and live her life as she sees fit. A Regency woman may dream about this but never actually do it like this Anne did. And I enjoyed Simonsen's retelling because of this aspect.

At 25 Anne Elliott is declared a spinster by her family and written off as unmarriageable. Instead of viewing her change in status as a death sentence, Anne sees it as a rebirth. A chance to do and be what she wants, instead of what society dictates. Why dwell on the negative? Anne is now free to pursue her life to the fullest; or at least as full as it can be without her one true love, Captain Wentworth.

Casting Mr. and Mrs. Collins

Keira and
Tom Hollander

Lucy Scott

What a squeaker! Only two votes separated winner, Lucy Scott, from Claudine Blakley, and one vote between winner Tom Hollander and David Bamber. Although the Mr. Collins from the 1980 version was not in the poll, Malcolm Rennie was delightfully stupid in that role. (See below.)

Thus far, the cast of the 1995 A&E adaptation is taking the lead. In a few days, we will have the complete cast. Thank you for voting. Mary

Elizabeth Garvie and
Malcolm Rennie

I Am Front and Center on Austen Authors Today

I hope you will visit Austen Authors today because I am the featured blogger. If you are curious about how I came to write Austen re-imaginings or want to see what I looked like in high school, you can find out both by visiting the AA blog. Thanks so much.

Dog Saves Pig's Bacon - How cute is this?

"Katjinga, a Rhodesian ridgeback dog who lives on a 20-acre farm in Germany, adopted an abandoned pot-bellied piglet in August 2009. The tiny black piglet, named Paulinchen, had been so small at birth that her mother likely overlooked it. Katjinga's owner, Roland Adam, found the piglet alone and cold and brought it to his 8-year-old dog. "She loved the piglet at first sight and cares about it in the way she did for her own puppies," Adam said. "Days later she started lactating again and giving milk for the piggy. She obviously regards it now as her own baby." Courtesy of MSNBC.

Must Reads

Vic at Jane Austen World has an interview with, Patricia Meyer Spacks, editor of Pride and Prejudice: An Annotated Edition. Any Austen fan would love to have this book on their shelf. Tony Grant has a post about the education of Jane Austen, also at Jane Austen World, with lots of illustrations.

Casting Lady Catherine De Bourgh

Judy Parfitt

I shall now conclude my casting call with Lady Catherine De Bourgh. My particular favorite is Judy Parfitt (1980), and that probably has a lot to do with her much meatier role. While sitting like a queen on her throne in Rosings Park's drawing room, she comments on everything from cantaloupe to red ants and sage in the closets. I will watch Judi Dench (2005)  in just about anything because I think she is one of the best actresses ever. Barbara Leigh-Hunt was perfectly cast as the abrasive Lady Catherine in the A&E presentation (1995). All three of these actresses gave excellent performances, and so I am curious to find out what my readers think.



Judi Dench



Casting Kitty Bennet

Polly Maberly

Carey Mulligan

I think that this is the hardest Bennet sister to cast. Basically, she is an appendage of Lydia, which is why I thought Carey Mulligan did such a good job in the 2005 adaptation. You actually paid attention to her even when she was just one of the gang. Polly Maberly did a fine job as Kitty, but the script really didn't allow her to stand out. As always, I'm interested in finding out what you think.

P.S. I'm sure everyone nows that Carey Mulligan's career has taken off. She played the odious Isabella Thorpe in Northanger Abbey and was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in An Education.

Casting Mary Bennet

(1995)

  



(1980)

 I am very partial to Talulah Riley's performance as Mary Bennet (2005). I loved how she looked with such longing at Mr. Collins and how she cried when her father embarrassed her at the Netherfield ball. Although I have no quarrel with Lucy Briers' performance (1995) , I think she appeared to be sickly rather than plain. However, I think Tessa Peake-Jones (1980) was absolutely perfect as the nerdy sister. Her performance shows a perfectly clueless Mary Bennet. Thus, I am faced with a quandry. Should I vote for Talulah or Tessa. I guess I'll have to vote twice. (Kidding)

(2005)

The poll is now closed for Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley. Rosamund Pike has a new main squeeze: Crispin Bonham Carter. I think their pairing would have worked out fine.

Casting Lydia Bennet and George Wickham



(2005)



(1995)

I tend to have stronger opinions about the supporting cast than I do the leads. I imagine that is because I am content with all the Elizabeth Bennets and Fitzwilliam Darcys cast in the various adaptations. I thought Julia Sawhala's performance as Lydia Bennet was spot on, and Adrian Lukis's Mr. Wickham was well done (1995). On the other hand, I think that Rupert Friend's Wickham was rather bland and Julia Malone (2005) completely missed the mark. But my readers have disagreed with me before, and I anticipate they will again. Looking forward to seeing who you vote for as Mr. and Mrs. Wickham.

P.S. I spelled Julia's name wrong (actually I massacred it) in the poll, but once you put the poll up, you can't correct it. :(

Casting Mr. Collins and Charlotte Lucas

Tom Hollander

I am very prejudiced when it comes to Mr. Collins. I thought that Tom Hollander (at left)  in the 2005 film adaptation of P&P was excellent. Although he was ridiculous, he wasn't  unctuous (1995) or repulsive (2008) like other Mr. Collinses.

Claudine Blakely



 I'm really torn between Claudine Blakley (2005) and Lucy Scott (1995). Claudine was just adorable with the pint-sized Tom Hollander, while Lucy Scott managed to preserve her dignity despite being married to "the most ridiculous man in England."

Lucy Scott and David Bamber

The Wrong Jane Bennet in My Poll

Susannah Harker

Sabina Franklyn

My apologies to actress Susannah Harker, who played the role of Jane Bennet in the 1995 A&E series. I mistakenly put Sabina Franklyn's name in her place from the 1980 P&P production. (This revealation came to me in a dream!) I am going to assume that people knew that Franklyn was Harker and leave it alone, especially since Rosamund Pike has a huge lead. Sorry for the mess up. Mary

P.S. If anyone wanted to vote for Susannah, you can post a comment here, and your vote will count.

Elizabeth Bennet's Inbox

I know that many of you probably saw this over at Austen Authors, but I thought it was worth a rerun. This laugh is courtesy of E-mail Marketing Reports.

Casting Mr. and Mrs. Bennet



1993



I broadened the list of candidates for Mr. and Mrs. Bennet by including the actors from Lost in Austen. I also included Priscilla Morgan from the 1980 P&P Masterpiece Theatre adaptation because I thought she was silly, sweet, and likable. To my mind, Alex Kingston was evil, and Alison Steadman's voice was like nails on a chalkboard to me. So my vote goes to Brenda Blethyn, who portrayed Mrs. Bennet as much more sensible. She had a job to do, and nothing was going to get in her way.



2005

 

On the other hand, I think Donald Sutherland's casting as Mr. Bennet (2005) was a disaster, and I found Hugh Bonneville's Mr. Bennet to be depressing. So my vote goes to Benjamin Whitrow (1995). I just loved his Mr. Bennet.

Eating humble pie: There is a reason I don't gamble. I thought Simon Woods was going to run away with the role of Mr. Bingley, but, apparently, my readers had other ideas. Crispin Bonham-Carter has pulled ahead.

The Star-Spangled Banner

On this day in 1814, Francis Scott Key, a 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, finished his poem, Defence of Fort McHenry, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships in Chesapeake Bay during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812.

On September 3, 1814, Francis Scott Key and John Stuart Skinner set sail from Baltimore aboard the ship HMS Minden, flying a flag of truce on a mission approved by President James Madison to secure the exchange of prisoners. Key and Skinner boarded the British flagship HMS Tonnant on September 7 and spoke with Major General Robert Ross and then-Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane over dinner while the two officers discussed war plans.

Because Key and Skinner had heard details of the plans for the attack on Baltimore, they were held captive until after the battle, first aboard HMS Surprise and later back on HMS Minden. During the bombardment of Fort McHenry, Key noted that the fort’s smaller storm flag continued to fly, but during the night, the storm flag had been lowered and the larger flag had been raised. Key was inspired by the American victory and the sight of the large American flag flying triumphantly above the fort.

Casting Caroline Bingley

Anna Chancellor and
Colin Firth

Because Kelly Reilly's Caroline Bingley received a lot less air time than Anna Chancellor's, this is a little tricky. I think Kelly made the most of her limited role. On the other hand, it was so easy to dislike Anna's Caroline Bingley. It will be interesting to see what you think.

Kelly Reilly

Update: For about a minute, I thought that Keira might give Jennifer a run for her money for the Lizzy Bennet crown, but Jennifer now has an insurmountable lead unless, of course, Keira's fans find my site. It looks as if the actors for the 2005 adaptation, Rosamund Pike and Simon Woods, will come out ahead. But I'm not calling that one yet. Thanks for commenting

P.S Write-ins are still an option.

Battle of Britain Day

RAF Fighter Pilots

In honor of the Battle of Britain Day, I am posting excerpts from two of Winston Churchill's speeches:

After the fall of France: "What General Weygand has called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilisation. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be freed and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. 



Casting P&P - Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley





Simon Woods and Rosamund Pike

 As far as casting Elizabeth Bennet, I am calling it for Jennifer Ehle.* There is no way Keira or Elizabeth can catch up. So we shall move on to Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennet. I have decided to narrow the field to the two latest P&P adaptations and give you a chance to write in a candidate (by way of the comments section) for a third possibility. For example, I think Rupert Penry-Jones would make an excellent Charles Bingley. Even so, I am voting for Simon Woods, who I thought was adorable in the 2005 adaptation, and I loved Rosamund Pike's performance as well.


Crispin Bonham-Carter
and Sussanah Harker



According to the backstory for the 2005 movie, Rosamund and Simon had once had a romantic liaison, but had separated at the time of the filiming of P&P. You wouldn't know it from their performance, now would you?

Remember: If you are substituting your own candidate, you will have to tell us who she/he is by writing their names in the comment section. :)

*I don't think Jennifer is in any danger of losing her crown, but Keira closed the gap today. I hope I wasn't premature in calling the winner.

Pride and Prejudice - The Perfect Cast - POLL

From an earlier poll on this blog, it was determined that Colin Firth was the perfect Mr. Darcy . He bested Matthew Macfadyen by twenty percentage points. However, I would like to put together the perfect Pride and Prejudice cast from the three latest adaptations of P&P. We shall begin with the female lead, Elizabeth Bennet: Elizabeth Garvie (1980), my personal favorite, Jennifer Ehrle (1995), and Keira Knightley (2005).

Once, we determine who will play opposite Colin Firth in my perfect P&P, we shall cast Lizzy's parents, her sisters, the Bingleys, and George Wickham, and so it begins. Please cast your vote in the sidebar.

If you have comments or would like to start a write-in campaign for Greer Garson, please leave your comments here. :)

Dorset Hall - A Refuge for Britain's Suffragettes

In an earlier post, I wrote about the 90th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the United States. Tony Grant, from London Calling, mentioned that the home of Rose Lamartine Yates served as a refuge for these persecuted women. Tony rode into the London Borough of Merton and took some pictures of Dorset Hall. He also provided a link to My Merton, a publication of the Merton Council, which included the following:

Austen Authors - Day 5

Amanda Grange, author of Mr. Darcy's Diary and Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, is featured on Austens Authors today. Also Sia McKye of Thoughts Over Coffee is featuring Austen Authors as well. Hope you will visit her blog and say hello.

Voice Recognition Elevator in Scotland - Very Funny - Rated PG-17 for Language

Austen Authors Blog - Day 2

Austen Authors had a fabulous launch yesterday. But that was yesterday, and yesterday's gone. (Who wrote that?) Anyway, I hope you will visit again today and read Sharon Lathan's blog post. Sharon is the author of Loving Mr. Darcy (along with four other Austen sequels). Have a great day.

Jane Austen and Napoleon - 1812 - Two People Who Changed the World

Jane Austen spent most of the year 1812 making extensive revisions to First Impressions, but while Jane toiled away on her manuscript, events were taking place in Russia that would change the world. However, not a word about the Napoleonic Wars would appear in her masterpiece, the renamed Pride and Prejudice.

Final Chapters of For All the Wrong Reasons are up

Thanks for visiting my blog on launch day for Austen Authors. Here are the last two chapers of For All the Wrong Reasons. Click on the title in the sidebar and scroll down to continue reading the story.  Enjoy! Mary

Launch of Austen Authors

Writers of Jane Austen Fiction

cordially invite you to the launch of

‘Austen Authors’

and to share in our passion for her world

... because there’s never enough Jane Austen.

We look forward to the pleasure of your company on

Monday, September 6, 2010, and daily thereafter.

During our Launch Extravaganza throughout September, there will be posts by many of your favorite Austen-related fiction writers (including me) as well as contests, quizzes, a scavenger hunt, oodles of information, spotlight guest Amanda Grange (Mr. Darcy Vampyre), new release parties, author introductions, entertainment, humour, polls, secrets, recipes, games galore, and giveaways of gifts and books from the authors and their publishers.

My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company. ~ Jane Austen ~

P.S. Scavenger hunt answers should be placed in comment section of Austen Austhors at http://www.austenauthors.com/. :)

For All the Wrong Reasons - Chapter 14 and Final Chapter

Update: Chapter 14 and the final chapter of For All the Wrong Reasons will be posted later today. Thank you for your patience.

In the meantime, I hope you will visit the Austen Authors blog launch. Regina Jeffers, the author of Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, will be the first writer to be featured, and during the month of September, the following authors will host signed giveaways of their new titles:

C. Allyn Pierson celebrating Mr. Darcy's Little Sister on Sept. 9
Kara Louise celebrating Darcy's Voyage on Sept. 13
Regina Jeffers celebrating The Phantom of Pemberley on Sept. 14

See you later. Mary

Labor Day Weekend is here!

Labor Day Parade 1882 Union Square New York

As a coal miner’s great granddaughter, and one who has researched just how bad (and dangerous) it was earning a living “down in the hole,” a mile below the surface, I consider Labor Day to be more than a reason to have picnics or for politicians to glad hand their constituents. However, in appreciation of all those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold,”* I am prepared to enjoy a cold Guinness and to eat Polish sausage, macaroni salad, cole slaw, baked beans, etc.

Review of Anne Elliot from A Few More Pages

I received a very good review from Katy at A Few More Pages. Katy won a copy of my novel, Anne Elliot, A New Beginning, in my giveaway, but I did not know that she had quite an impressive blog of her own. Katy was good enough to review my humorous retelling of Persuasion, and I am very pleased with her review:

This novel is essentially a humorous re-imagining of Jane Austen's Persuasion. In this version, instead of pining and wasting away after rejecting Wentworth, Anne Elliot finds a way to work through her feelings. Since her father and sister are too self-focused to even notice, she becomes a long distance runner. Her accomplishments (along with the emotional high that comes from exercise) change her into a more confident woman who is much less timid and more likely to stand up for herself and speak her mind.

You really must approach this novel keeping in mind that it isn't a serious re-telling of the story, but one full of humor... Anne's sister Mary, for example, is inspired by Anne's changes and becomes less of a whiny hypochondriac and dedicates herself to nursing and helping other people... And Ms. Simonsen makes sure that where she has stretched the historical record, she explains it in a section called "Correcting the Record."

There were countless moments that made me chuckle in this book. Here is an example, in which Henrietta Musgrove talks to Anne about her love interest, Mr. Hayter.

I have always liked Mr. Hayter very much," Henrietta told Anne after pulling her into a corner away from the crowd. "He's been most kind and attentive to me, and I feel very comfortable in his company. The only thing I don't like is that my married name will be Henrietta Hayter. It sounds self-loathing. But Mr. Hayter told me in confidence that when he inherits Winthrop, he will take the name of the estate. He agrees that Hayter is not the best name, especially for a curate. (p. 106)