Allison Symes's Blog - Posts Tagged "pride-and-prejudice"
Books with Meaning
All good books have meaning (especially to their writers!) but some are so special.
I inherited my mother's hardback Charles Dickens collection and, while I confess I have not read them all, every time I see them, I smile and think of Mum.
I also have an old edition of Pride and Prejudice, which I read ahead of reading it officially at school.
Did I regret having to read it again? Oh no. I picked up on points directly, and thanks to the guidance of my excellent English teacher, Miss Makenzie, thanks to that second read.
And Pride and Prejudice can withstand multiple readings, which is always a sign of a good book!
I inherited my mother's hardback Charles Dickens collection and, while I confess I have not read them all, every time I see them, I smile and think of Mum.
I also have an old edition of Pride and Prejudice, which I read ahead of reading it officially at school.
Did I regret having to read it again? Oh no. I picked up on points directly, and thanks to the guidance of my excellent English teacher, Miss Makenzie, thanks to that second read.
And Pride and Prejudice can withstand multiple readings, which is always a sign of a good book!
Intriguing Titles
What kind of book titles grab your attention? For me, they’ve got to intrigue.
For example, Josephine Tey’s marvellous historical detective novel The Daughter of Time grabbed my attention because it made me wonder how that could apply to a story. I found out of course!
As for Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, I had to find out who was the proud one and who was guilty of prejudice. I found that out too!
I like open titles too which can set a mood in any direction. A good example of that is The Lord of the Rings. Yes, really. Why? Because I had to find out who the lord was and whether they were good, evil, or something in between. The title itself does not reveal that. You also have to find out why the rings matter so another good hook there.
When I’m writing my own stories, I have to have a title as a “peg” to work to but I often find I come up with better thoughts after I’ve got that first draft down.
That’s fine. I simply change the title to the better one but do find I have something to help me get started.
Titles matter. They are a great advert for a book. I would argue they’re the first great advert for a book. If the title doesn’t grab me, I’m not going to even look at the blurb. Again lessons for all writers including me there.
Whatever you’re reading, enjoy. And I hope it has a super title!
For example, Josephine Tey’s marvellous historical detective novel The Daughter of Time grabbed my attention because it made me wonder how that could apply to a story. I found out of course!
As for Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, I had to find out who was the proud one and who was guilty of prejudice. I found that out too!
I like open titles too which can set a mood in any direction. A good example of that is The Lord of the Rings. Yes, really. Why? Because I had to find out who the lord was and whether they were good, evil, or something in between. The title itself does not reveal that. You also have to find out why the rings matter so another good hook there.
When I’m writing my own stories, I have to have a title as a “peg” to work to but I often find I come up with better thoughts after I’ve got that first draft down.
That’s fine. I simply change the title to the better one but do find I have something to help me get started.
Titles matter. They are a great advert for a book. I would argue they’re the first great advert for a book. If the title doesn’t grab me, I’m not going to even look at the blurb. Again lessons for all writers including me there.
Whatever you’re reading, enjoy. And I hope it has a super title!
What I Like to See In A Book
Hmm… this is a good statement, isn’t it? I could give chapter and verse here, appropriately, but for me one thing only is key to whether a book is good or not.
It’s all down to the characters. Do they grip me? Do they get me rooting for them to succeed or fail?
(Funnily enough, either is fine, and I do love to see a “good” villain get their comeuppance eventually. I blame my love of fairytales for that one).
If a character does not grip me, I switch off. I love Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth Bennett is a fabulous character and ahead of her time. She says what she thinks and I love that.
Conversely, I am not gripped by Mansfield Park as I think the heroine there is dull and, to my mind, not worth of being a heroine. Her happy ending does depend on the misfortunes of others, in my view, but Elizabeth had to work for hers and it was by no means certain it would happen until close to the end.
I wanted to see Miss Price do so much more to “earn” her happy ending but there you go.
(I guess it’s a kind of warning to all writers that even the best can come up with characters who don’t engage with their readers and I know there are those who love Mansfield Park but it has never done anything for me because of this).
It’s all down to the characters. Do they grip me? Do they get me rooting for them to succeed or fail?
(Funnily enough, either is fine, and I do love to see a “good” villain get their comeuppance eventually. I blame my love of fairytales for that one).
If a character does not grip me, I switch off. I love Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth Bennett is a fabulous character and ahead of her time. She says what she thinks and I love that.
Conversely, I am not gripped by Mansfield Park as I think the heroine there is dull and, to my mind, not worth of being a heroine. Her happy ending does depend on the misfortunes of others, in my view, but Elizabeth had to work for hers and it was by no means certain it would happen until close to the end.
I wanted to see Miss Price do so much more to “earn” her happy ending but there you go.
(I guess it’s a kind of warning to all writers that even the best can come up with characters who don’t engage with their readers and I know there are those who love Mansfield Park but it has never done anything for me because of this).
One Liners
What are your favourite one liners from stories etc?
I love the opening to Pride and Prejudice.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
Sets the scene and the tone. Beautifully done.
I also love this one, by complete contrast, from Good
Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
“Many phenomena - wars, plagues, sudden audits - have been advanced as evidence for the hidden hand of Satan in the affairs of Man, but whenever students of demonology get together the M25 London orbital motorway is generally agreed to be among the top contenders for exhibit A.”
Hard to argue with that one! It certainly explains the queues…
A good one-liner usually makes me smile or laugh out loud. A really good one-liner will make me pause, read it again and enjoy it again, before moving on to the rest of the story.
And there are far too many from P.G. Wodehouse to quote here but that in itself is a tribute to his wonderful ability to come up with lines that just “hit” you and make you laugh out loud.
As you will gather from this, my favourite one-liners are of the humorous variety. Which are yours?
I love the opening to Pride and Prejudice.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
Sets the scene and the tone. Beautifully done.
I also love this one, by complete contrast, from Good
Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
“Many phenomena - wars, plagues, sudden audits - have been advanced as evidence for the hidden hand of Satan in the affairs of Man, but whenever students of demonology get together the M25 London orbital motorway is generally agreed to be among the top contenders for exhibit A.”
Hard to argue with that one! It certainly explains the queues…
A good one-liner usually makes me smile or laugh out loud. A really good one-liner will make me pause, read it again and enjoy it again, before moving on to the rest of the story.
And there are far too many from P.G. Wodehouse to quote here but that in itself is a tribute to his wonderful ability to come up with lines that just “hit” you and make you laugh out loud.
As you will gather from this, my favourite one-liners are of the humorous variety. Which are yours?
Transforming Stories
All stories pivot on change. I write a lot of short stories and even more in the way of flash fiction where word counts are restricted but even in a 100-word story (a form I am fond of) there is a journey for the character. Okay, it is not a long one but it can pack the punch because the form is so short.
Transformations in characters don’t have to be dramatic. A character realising something is a change.
Think of Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. Both of them change - one loses their pride, the other their prejudice - as they realise they do love each other. (And I refuse to believe that’s a plot spoiler after all this time!). Jane Austen was going to call this one First Impressions which is a fine title funnily enough but lacks the emotional punch of Pride and Prejudice I think.
Another favourite transformation for me is Scrooge in A Christmas Carol and the courage Frodo Baggins and Samwise develop in The Lord of The Rings.
So transformation matters then. (It is with some pride I can say I am in a book called Transformations from Bridge House Publishing with three of my stories. It is such a powerful idea to write and read about).
After all it is why we read. We have to find out what happens. And nothing happens without something or someone being transformed.
Transformations in characters don’t have to be dramatic. A character realising something is a change.
Think of Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. Both of them change - one loses their pride, the other their prejudice - as they realise they do love each other. (And I refuse to believe that’s a plot spoiler after all this time!). Jane Austen was going to call this one First Impressions which is a fine title funnily enough but lacks the emotional punch of Pride and Prejudice I think.
Another favourite transformation for me is Scrooge in A Christmas Carol and the courage Frodo Baggins and Samwise develop in The Lord of The Rings.
So transformation matters then. (It is with some pride I can say I am in a book called Transformations from Bridge House Publishing with three of my stories. It is such a powerful idea to write and read about).
After all it is why we read. We have to find out what happens. And nothing happens without something or someone being transformed.
Character Attitudes
What hooks you into following a character’s story though to those magic words The End?
Something about the character has to draw you in and, for me, it is usually to do with their attitudes towards other characters, themselves, and life in general.
One of my favourite characters is Sam Vimes from Terry Pratchett’s wonderful Discworld series. Not only do I like following Sam through one novel I have loved watching that character develop over the series of Discworld novels he stars in - and boy does he develop.
That is a sign of a truly great character. They’re never static! And his attitude varies depending on who is dealing with but there’s never any doubt about him wanting to see justice done. (And doing his level best to ensure it is).
I also like characters who acknowledge their own shortcomings but overcome them. (Pride and Prejudice, anyone?).
A character who isn’t willing to change when it is clear change would bring them (a) happiness and (b) make them an all round better person is not a character that’s going to hold my interest for long.
Characters reflect us and what we know about life so a character’s attitude generally is something we will need to have understanding of, even if we don’t entirely agree with it.
Something about the character has to draw you in and, for me, it is usually to do with their attitudes towards other characters, themselves, and life in general.
One of my favourite characters is Sam Vimes from Terry Pratchett’s wonderful Discworld series. Not only do I like following Sam through one novel I have loved watching that character develop over the series of Discworld novels he stars in - and boy does he develop.
That is a sign of a truly great character. They’re never static! And his attitude varies depending on who is dealing with but there’s never any doubt about him wanting to see justice done. (And doing his level best to ensure it is).
I also like characters who acknowledge their own shortcomings but overcome them. (Pride and Prejudice, anyone?).
A character who isn’t willing to change when it is clear change would bring them (a) happiness and (b) make them an all round better person is not a character that’s going to hold my interest for long.
Characters reflect us and what we know about life so a character’s attitude generally is something we will need to have understanding of, even if we don’t entirely agree with it.
Opening Lines
When I have small pockets of time I jot down ideas for potential opening lines for future flash fiction/short stories of mine. It is a good use of time and the opening line is so important in hooking a reader in to reading your story and your books.
So it is worth jotting down ideas for me to work on at a later date. And it is opening lines which draw me into reading a book at all. Every writer knows they’ve got to polish these up and get them as good as possible.
It was a truth universally acknowledged - just that section of Jane Austen’s opening to Pride and Prejudice drew me in.
Why?
Firstly, I wanted to know what that truth was.
Secondly, the word universally implies agreement but it also opens up the possibility someone somewhere won’t agree (and I wanted to find out if I might be that someone. I can only find out by reading on).
Thirdly, there is already a hint of irony here and in only six words. Now that is quality writing!
There has to be a sense you’ve got to find out what happens next. That’s how I know an opening line will work for me.
If the opening line works, it is highly likely the first page, the first chapter will and so on and before I know I’ve read the book!
So it is worth jotting down ideas for me to work on at a later date. And it is opening lines which draw me into reading a book at all. Every writer knows they’ve got to polish these up and get them as good as possible.
It was a truth universally acknowledged - just that section of Jane Austen’s opening to Pride and Prejudice drew me in.
Why?
Firstly, I wanted to know what that truth was.
Secondly, the word universally implies agreement but it also opens up the possibility someone somewhere won’t agree (and I wanted to find out if I might be that someone. I can only find out by reading on).
Thirdly, there is already a hint of irony here and in only six words. Now that is quality writing!
There has to be a sense you’ve got to find out what happens next. That’s how I know an opening line will work for me.
If the opening line works, it is highly likely the first page, the first chapter will and so on and before I know I’ve read the book!
Stand Out Moments
What are your favourite stand out moments in fiction?
In Pride and Prejudice for me it is where Elizabeth meets Mr Darcy again at Pemberley. You just know at that point somehow things are going to be sorted out between them. It is a question of finding out how.
For The Lord of the Rings it is when Sam Gamgee eavesdrops Gandalf’s conversation with Frodo, is hauled in, and is determined to go with his boss, no matter what. You just know at that point Frodo is going to be glad of Sam accompanying him - and so it proves.
Sometimes the pivot point in the book is the stand out moment for me.
But in both Pride and Prejudice and The Lord of the Rings, there are several stand out moments. You can’t beat seeing the Ring of Power going into Mount Doom after all but that can’t happen without the earlier stand out moment.
Can there be stand out moments in non-fiction? I think so.
It is usually that point where something is shown to you that you’d not realised before and you learn something new or have a theory you had confirmed or challenged (either work. The moment that makes you change your view or have it confirmed is what you remember).
The ultimate stand out moment though is the one that made you glad to have read the book!
In Pride and Prejudice for me it is where Elizabeth meets Mr Darcy again at Pemberley. You just know at that point somehow things are going to be sorted out between them. It is a question of finding out how.
For The Lord of the Rings it is when Sam Gamgee eavesdrops Gandalf’s conversation with Frodo, is hauled in, and is determined to go with his boss, no matter what. You just know at that point Frodo is going to be glad of Sam accompanying him - and so it proves.
Sometimes the pivot point in the book is the stand out moment for me.
But in both Pride and Prejudice and The Lord of the Rings, there are several stand out moments. You can’t beat seeing the Ring of Power going into Mount Doom after all but that can’t happen without the earlier stand out moment.
Can there be stand out moments in non-fiction? I think so.
It is usually that point where something is shown to you that you’d not realised before and you learn something new or have a theory you had confirmed or challenged (either work. The moment that makes you change your view or have it confirmed is what you remember).
The ultimate stand out moment though is the one that made you glad to have read the book!
Mixing Up Books
I like mixing up books in terms of having a wide variety of genres to read but I don’t especially like combining two types of books which were never meant to be put together (in my view).
I see there is a place for zombie stories (though they’re not my cup of tea). There will always be a place for Jane Austen but putting Pride and Prejudice together with zombies to me just made me shudder when I first heard about it. Nor will I read it. I just don’t want to go there.
I also get annoyed when films rehash old stories. For me there is no improving the original The Italian Job with Michael Caine. I refuse to watch the so-called remake (and, separately, have heard indifferent reviews about it). So you see I am consistent here!
I do wonder if it is a lack of imagination going on here. Why not write your own zombies story? Why bring other characters from a much loved novel into it?
The simple answer to a lack of imagination is to read more. Then read more. Then read more again.
I’ve always found reading well and widely fires up my own imagination. I then happily go and create my own characters and tales. I don’t see the fun in mish-mashes at all.
I see there is a place for zombie stories (though they’re not my cup of tea). There will always be a place for Jane Austen but putting Pride and Prejudice together with zombies to me just made me shudder when I first heard about it. Nor will I read it. I just don’t want to go there.
I also get annoyed when films rehash old stories. For me there is no improving the original The Italian Job with Michael Caine. I refuse to watch the so-called remake (and, separately, have heard indifferent reviews about it). So you see I am consistent here!
I do wonder if it is a lack of imagination going on here. Why not write your own zombies story? Why bring other characters from a much loved novel into it?
The simple answer to a lack of imagination is to read more. Then read more. Then read more again.
I’ve always found reading well and widely fires up my own imagination. I then happily go and create my own characters and tales. I don’t see the fun in mish-mashes at all.
Special Book Moments
I'm sure all of us have special book moments when a story just "clicks" with us. I love those moments.
I recall studying Pride and Prejudice at school and remember loving it so much I read it again immediately at home.
My mum loved Jane Austen and this novel remains a comfort read of mine. I had an excellent English teacher (Miss Mackenzie) who brought to life for me the fabulous use of irony in this book.
As for Terry Pratchett, my first Discworld novel was Jingo. Loved the cover and blurb. Hooked by the end of page one! Naturally had to read the rest of the series after that.
As for The Lord of The Rings I was intrigued by the hobbies and Gandalf from the start so naturally kept reading.
Books are so special anyway but are even more so when they give you fabulous memories too.
I recall studying Pride and Prejudice at school and remember loving it so much I read it again immediately at home.
My mum loved Jane Austen and this novel remains a comfort read of mine. I had an excellent English teacher (Miss Mackenzie) who brought to life for me the fabulous use of irony in this book.
As for Terry Pratchett, my first Discworld novel was Jingo. Loved the cover and blurb. Hooked by the end of page one! Naturally had to read the rest of the series after that.
As for The Lord of The Rings I was intrigued by the hobbies and Gandalf from the start so naturally kept reading.
Books are so special anyway but are even more so when they give you fabulous memories too.
