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Sanditon at last! (ITV/PBS)
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Beth-In-UK
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Feb 29, 2020 06:13AM
Still on DA, I believe I read somewhere along the line that there is to be a prequel, showing the early romance between Cora and the young Earl? That would be great! (But who could possibly play Maggie Smith as the Earl's younger mum?!!!!!!!!)
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Regarding windows into a male character's perspective, there's a little narrative bit in volume 1 of P&P where we're told that Darcy is finding himself fascinated by Elizabeth and admiring her, plus maybe another when he feels he is in danger if he doesn't get away from her (?), but these are fairly passing references. I don't think we ever see into Edward's, or Henry's, or Edmund's, or Knightley's (I can't call him George) mind.
I'm glad I was broadly right on that point! (I agree, I can't call him George either!) (Perhaps we should call him 'Knightley' like the dreadful Mrs E!!!!!)
The whole issue of having insight into the male characters, especially the hero, is a moot, if not fraught, point for me.In the Romance genre, I grew up with 'tall dark handsome and above all mysterious (!)' heroes, who remained a total mystery until they did their macho 'I love you, you little fool!' declaration at the end (which somehow was meant to justify their all too often appalling behaviour towards the hapless heroine!)
However, these days, even Romance novels all seem to shine a torch inside the hero's heads, so that we see his initial attraction, confusion and final 'duh! I love her!' realisation (they are always pretty thick about this discovery!!!!)
I can't quite decide whether I like seeing into the hero's head, or not. It can be more refreshing to read an old Romance novel where you just see everything from the 'wounded heroine's' point of view, and you feel her suffering and despair etc etc etc.
For Austen though, I think she made the right call to NOT try and get inside a man's head. She stuck with what she knew in all things, and that includes staying out of a man's head, as well as staying out of political debates, the Napoleonic wars, social unrest, industrialisation etc etc etc.
I know when I've read novels written by male authors, who try and show the inside of a woman's head, it can seem quite bizarre. For example, does any woman recognise ANY female character that D H Lawrence created???!!!!!!!!
Sanditon tanked because it was so bizarre. The "incest" plot turned off a lot of viewers. PBS is a "proper" channel, our equivalent of the BBC. PBS viewers tend to be older and bonnet drama lovers. 10 years ago, the BBC declared "no more bonnet dramas"https://www.theguardian.com/media/200...
I think it's time to revisit that idea since anti-bonnet dramas aren't working.
Too bad about Beecham House. It hasn't aired yet here but is coming soon. I'm interested to see it. I didn't like Indian Summers much.
Jane Austen fans will probably like Julian Fellowes's new drama Belgravia. It's predictable and trite yet compelling.
As for Downton, Julian Fellowes always meant to take it up to the second world war. He likes his idealized world and not the post-war world he grew up in. There is a prequel of sorts in the works about Gilded Age New York. It will air on HBO eventually.
Binge watched the series yesterday... Like many, I am unhappy with the ending, not true to Austen imho
Mod
I had heard about Fellowes' The Gilded Age and am eagerly anticipating it because I love Downton.
Ah yes, Indian Summers - that was the name of the 'just before the end of the Raj' series I was (inadequately!) referring to - thank you. A friend told me it was very sad and grim with a non-happy outcome.Yes, the Belgravia series looks promising - it's just started being trailered over here on ITV, so presumably will start to air shortly. I think I did dip into the book, but didn't like it, and have no memory of it one way or the other, so will be interesting to see what the TV series is like. From the rushed glimpse of the trailer there seem to be some familiar faces! (Maybe my suspicion that the 'same old faces' get reused in costume dramas will be confirmed yet again!).
I definitely agree that costume dramas are NOT 'old hat' (pun intended!). I think loads of people of all ages and classes and backgrounds etc etc do love 'olden days' and whether that is for escapism (and I think we are entitled to escape from time to time), or for learning about things that are not taught any more, or, indeed, for driving home grim messages about how damn tough life was for just about everyone outside a gilded few (and often their lives were miserable as they had to marry for money and not love etc - think poor Conseula Vanderbilt and the Duke of Marlborough for grim example).
I think the one costume drama I absolutely could not stomach at all was Taboo (I think it was called that). It was utterly ghastly! Set at the time of the East India Company/Napoleonic wars it was like a Quentin Tarantino version of the period - just horrific!
Sanditon returns for two more seasons! BUT Sidney will not be the hero! What the what?! I'm pretty sure the fans demanded another season so it can end happily ever after. Theo James, who portrayed Sidney on PBS’ Sanditon, has announced he’s exiting the series following the UK period drama’s surprise two-season renewal.
James revealed the news Friday on social media.
“Although I relished playing Sidney, for me, I’ve always maintained that his journey concluded as I wanted it to,” he wrote in the announcement on the show’s official Twitter account. “The broken fairy-tale like ending between Charlotte and Sidney is different, unique and so interesting to me and I wish the cast and crew of Sanditon every success with future series.”
I don't like this one bit and now I got my parents into it so I'm stuck watching it LOL!
Personally, I disliked Sidney, the character, intensely and thought he was an awful romantic hero, so for me this departure can only improve the show. But I guess we'll see how they handle it.
Well, that is interesting indeed! I do hope they read a bit more about the social rules of the time (eg, that girls did NOT gallivant up to London on their own, and go to parties escorted by men they weren't related to, etc etc etc).In a way, I thought the 'shock ending' of Sydney having to marry his rich former love was very good, as it upended our expectations, and did 'ring true' in a kind of way (eg, Willoughby does dump Marianne for his rich wife, Miss Gray).
The part I liked absolutely hands down best was the surprising but very touching indeed love affair between Lord B and the 'bad woman', which reduced me to tears.
Does anyone else suspect that the decision to continue Sanditon comes on the back of what seems to be the immense success of Bridgerton???? (Which, to be fair to Sanditon, makes Sanditon look like a scholarly work indeed!!!!!!!!)
Brave yourselves. Season 2 is coming to the U.S. Sunday March 20. Has anyone in the UK seen this season yet? I SUPPOSE I'll try to give it a try as an independent fantasyish Regency story. I see Miss Lambe in the promotional photos so that will be interesting.https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/...
Charlotte's sister joins her in Sandition and there are some hunky new gentlemen and one rakish Edward Denham to stir up the romantic drama.
Ihave know Idea how to pronounce Sandition so whle trying out out loud came up with "sandy town" do you think that is our JA laughing at the unsteady base of the whole idea of this commircial interprise? (be a smart elf)
QNPoohBear wrote: "Brave yourselves. Season 2 is coming to the U.S. Sunday March 20. Has anyone in the UK seen this season yet? I SUPPOSE I'll try to give it a try as an independent fantasyish Regency story. I see Mi..."Can't wait! :-)
Mrs wrote: "Ihave know Idea how to pronounce Sandition so whle trying out out loud came up with "sandy town" do you think that is our JA laughing at the unsteady base of the whole idea of this commircial inter..."On the show they say it "Sand-it-ton". I'd rather see Season 2 of Beecham House. That one ended on a cliffhanger and was a real sexy soap opera with the added element of being set in India just before the British Raj. The Bridgertons is coming back next month too. Haven't seen a whole episode nor do I want to. My parents watched it and my dad, a non-reader, doesn't know anything about the Regency, enjoyed it because of the inclusion of the characters of color. I made them watch Sanditon and Dad liked that too. It was "different".
They're watching Around the World in 80 Days right now. I read the book in preparation, not knowing they had dramatically changed the story so I'm waiting to watch that one. We love All Creatures Great and Small. I'm hoping to get Gilded Age for free after it has aired. Last I checked, it seemed like I could get at least the first episode free. I have to look into that. I'm not optimistic about the two upcoming Persuasion adaptations but ANYTHING but the travesty that was Sanditon Season 1 and ANYTHING but The Bridgertons. Please don't let Andrew Davies anywhere near Austen ever again! He did his part to make her popular and that was more than enough.
Mrs B - either Sandy-town or Sand-it-ton is fine, but what you have to bear in mind is that the English 'swallow' syllables. So Sanditon could almost come out as Sand-itn, with the emphasis on the 'San' and the 'swallowing' of the 'itn'.It's a very English thing.
You here it about places like Balham in London - we pronounce it 'Bal'um' whereas we love to hear Americans call it Bal-ham (Gateway to the South!) (Only Brits will find that funny!!!!)
Beth-In-UK wrote: "You here it about places like Balham in London - we pronounce it 'Bal'um' whereas we love to hear Americans call it Bal-ham (Gateway to the South!) (Only Brits will find that funny!!!!)No no no only some Americans... LOL! Here in New England, our forebearers renamed multiple towns after locations in the UK.
It makes me cringe everytime someone says "Wor-chester" instead of "Wustuh" (sort of like the English town it was named for but with a Massachusetts twist). I don't think anyone knows how Jane Austen imagined "Sanditon" or why she chose such an unusual name. I wish she had lived longer.
Worcestershire Sauce - always a good 'un! As for Sanditon, I wonder if the 'ton' bit came from Brighton? The 'Sandi' bit could just refer to a sandy beach?
Not quite sure what seaside resorts were already established in Austen's day. There was Lyme Regis of course, as in Persuasion, but also Weymouth, not too far from LR (I believe George III had gone there to recuperate at some point, and the townspeople were so glad to see him they unhitched the horses of the royal carriage and pulled it themselves.)
There was fashionable Brighton of course with the Prince Regent. Worthing (next to Brighton) was less fashionable. In Kent was Ramsgate, where Wicked Wickham tried to elope with Darcy's sister.
What other seaside resorts might Austen have known about?
The Austens visited Lyme Regis, Ramsgate, Sidmouth (where she supposedly met a man she liked very well and thought she might marry)The fashionable watering holes after Bath were Cheltenham Spa and Tunbridge Wells.
https://reginajeffers.blog/2013/04/16...
Seaside resorts Jane mentoned , Scarborough, Cromer, Lyme
https://austenprose.com/2010/03/19/by...
Saw the trailer. Ned Denham is back and in uniform too. It looks like Sanditon is now the new Brighton for young ladies who love a gentleman in scarlet. Oh dear. I think I caught a glimpse of Esther and I saw Charlotte hug Miss Lambe. They're advertising season 2 and season 3!
Beth-In-UK wrote: "Worcestershire Sauce - always a good 'un! As for Sanditon, I wonder if the 'ton' bit came from Brighton? The 'Sandi' bit could just refer to a sandy beach?
Not quite sure what seaside resorts we..."
QNPoohBear wrote: "Beth-In-UK wrote: "You here it about places like Balham in London - we pronounce it 'Bal'um' whereas we love to hear Americans call it Bal-ham (Gateway to the South!) (Only Brits will find that fun..."
With regard to the correct pronunciation of “Sanditon”, it’s obviously pronounced correctly on the television program: SAN-dih-tunn. (It would be more precise if I could use the symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet here, but alas that is not possible.) And the meaning of “ton” is obvious as well—to a linguist, anyway, or word geek like myself. The reason -ton is so common in English place names is because it is a derivation of “town”. As an aside, in Yorkshire, -ton has to compete with -by as a place name ending because Yorkshire was invaded and settled by Vikings. Many place names there end in by, which meant “place” in Old Norse and still means that in modern-day Norwegian. Examples: Rugby, Norby, Derby, etc. Then, as did other peoples of the world, many English took the place name of their birth as a surname, e.g., Darrowby. By was not the only Norse word that became a suffix in Yorkshire, either; there is also thwaite which meant “meadow” or “paddock”, and gate, which meant “way” or “street”. Many streets in York end in “gate”, and there are a few in London as well. (“Cheapgate” comes from køpgata, or the street where one could buy (køp) things, i.e., a street of merchants.) I could go on, because I love learning languages and find etymology endlessly fascinating, but that would veer even more off-topic than I already have. ;)
And not all Americans mispronounce English place names; this Midwesterner who has an English surname also happened to live in the south of England for 3 years. (Some Brits just get their jollies poking fun at Yanks.) Secondly, we do have proper names (such as the Gorham Silver Co.) which have always been pronounced with a silent h.
When it comes to mispronunciation, the British have their fair share of linguistic oddities. Prime example: mispronunciation of French-origin “loan” words. We Americans have no problem pronouncing “filet” as the French would (fih-LAY), but the British stubbornly say FIL-let (where the “e” sounds more like a schwa, whose phonetic symbol is an upside-down e). The same is true with “valet”: va-LAY vs. VAH-let. One wonder why you blokes do not also mispronounce “bidet”! Cheeky of me, I know. But honestly, there are so many examples of linguistic oddities on each side of the Pond that a debate could go on forever. I prefer to think of our differences with a smile than a frown. Language like people is ever-changing and endlessly fascinating.
Has anyone mentioned the Sanditon soundtrack yet? At first, I was a bit flummoxed by its modern edge, but then I grew to like it. It reminded me somewhat of the soundtrack to the television series VERSAILLES. (Trés moderne!) Though the music in Sanditon is more authentic to the time period… I think! Any experts out there who could say for sure?
Bibliothekerin wrote: "Has anyone mentioned the Sanditon soundtrack yet? At first, I was a bit flummoxed by its modern edge, but then I grew to like it. It reminded me somewhat of the soundtrack to the television series ..."It's supposed to be authentic based on some of Jane Austen's own music and other period music. It's not The Bridgertons with a modern orchestra playing modern songs in a classical way. It's hard to hear the sound very well in our house so I didn't really pick up on the music much. If you watch on a PBS station you can subscribe to the Sanditon newsletter and get behind-the-scenes info from their podcasts and video extras.
I prefer to think of our differences with a smile than a frown.**
Defo! Names in Britain fool the Brits too you know - especially in different areas of the country. Most Gaelic/Celtic names are unpronounceable to the Anglophone English (Irish is probably worse than the Scots in my experience, and Welsh is pretty tricky too), and there are loads of regional 'quirks' - for example, many Cornish place names put the emphasis on the second syllable (eg, Lis-KARD, Tin-TAG-el), which I assume (?) is a Celtic thing?
Then you get the 'class' differences too - Is Cirencester pronounced Siren-sester or Ciss-ister? Is it Shroos- erry or Shroves-berry? Is it Bow-champ or Bee-cham? etc etc. Not to mention the old chestnut - ScOne (to rhyme with Stone) or Scon (to rhyme with Gone?) (And why does 'ne' sound with a long O in stone and a short one in gone?) . It just goes on and on!
Have to say that another greatly amusing-to-Brits Amercianism is the pronunciation of some herbs. We say the H, Americans dont. We say 'basil' with a short a, whereas Americans say it with a long a. We saw 'Oro-GAN-o' but Americans say O-RAG-ano. And sometimes Americans have quite different words totally - isn't coriander in English called aragula in America?? Or I mat be muddling that. We call spring onions something different from, I think, scallions??
(Again, like place names, food and plant names vary all over the UK anyway!)
It is, as you say, a fascinating topic....
I found the interview with Sanditon composerhttps://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/...
Here in New England we say Worcester (the city or county) "Woostuh" and not "Worc-chester" which makes me cringe. You have to say it right, as in, my dad is from Wustuh County Massachewzits and has a wicked Wustah accent! It's softened a bit-summer and not summuh but he likes to wear "shahtz" in the summer, not shorts. Our New England accents are influenced supposedly by the Dutch (lisping king), more probably the French Hugenots and by Americans wanting to differentiate themselves from the British during the Revolutionary War and more likely later immigrants like the Irish and others who came to work in the mills.
One of the strangest accents that I'm hearing a lot of currently, is that of one of the reporters for the BBC on the wretched situation in Ukraine. She's Lyse Doucet, and I looked her up, and apparently she is Canadian from New Brunswick, but is of Acadian/French ancestry. She has the 'strangest' accent I've ever heard. Very, very distinctive. I've never heard anything like it before - but for all I know the rest of her town all sounds the same as well!
Did anyone watch it yet? I was tempted to watch it on the PBS Passport app but then my parents will want to watch it and I don't know if I can stand it twice! Edward Denham is back to cause trouble! There are some new suitors and Charlotte's sister is determined to find them both husbands in Sanditon. Sign up for Sanditon insider e-mails at
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/...
Thanks for the reminders, Sanditon Swooners. Doncha just luuvv that Masterpiece Theater!
Entertaining nonsense. It's the 21st century version of Jane Austen with a strong feminist slant. Spoilers for those of you who can't get the show.
(view spoiler)
Well, that first episode was a real dog’s dinner. And so many errors of historicity! Many outlined by QNPB above but there were so many, who could keep up! Plus awkward, creaky plot setups. The whole carriage-stealing thing was clearly engineered solely to provide a meetup, and then was dropped with no apparent physical consequences for ladies or horses, no irate carriage owner. The heiress teaing in public with an unmarried man. Unmarried women tramping about the landscape alone. A whole new estate added to the neighborhood where there’s no rural economy to support it. Lame excuses for disappearing characters (Diana, the architect guy). An army colonel deciding on his own where to bivouac and for how, without orders from his superiors?? And allowing someone to wear the uniform on his own say-so without paying for his commission? Does Andrew Davies really think the viewers are this stupid? And I guess all those empty cliff-path shots are to please folks in Poldark withdrawal? Gaah.
Should I be wicked and say serves yall right for watching a made up continuation ofour beloved JA ? moral of this is stick to the true origanals and make up your own contiuations . Love to you all and feel better quickly ( maybe apeek at one of the originals will help)
Aww, boo. I miss Sidney. Though if he resurfaced complete with wife and offspring, I guess I'd dislike that as much. We'll, see if a new beau can beguile like Sid did. ;-)
Hope springs eternal, Mrs! And is eternally disappointed, I admit. :-)
Abigail wrote: "Well, that first episode was a real dog’s dinner. And so many errors of historicity! Many outlined by QNPB above but there were so many, who could keep up! Plus awkward, creaky plot setups. The who..."Season 2 's writer is Screenwriter and playwright Justin Young. Sanditon is basically yet another story with modern people running around in pretty, period clothing with no rhyme or reason. Even my DAD recognized some of the errors! He just watched Sense & Sensibility and he saw The Bridgertons
The writer says "That said, we knew, and Masterpiece was clear, that people liked the romance and the Jane Austen-ness of it. We kind of turned up the dial on those elements."
Um what Jane Austenness? I didn't see any Jane Austenness. Isn't that why everyone wanted Season 2?
Oh and apparently it's set 5 years after Waterloo. Not sure how since Jane died in 1817 two years after Waterloo...
The writer goes on to say "I have to credit Brian Montgomery, our production designer from season one. Before we knew that we hadn't been renewed in Britain, we were talking about what season two could be and Brian said, “Wouldn't it be wonderful to bring in the cavalry and to have all of these men dressed in scarlet riding their horses down the beach?”
The story line changed, but that initial idea—that visual image—felt like an absolute no brainer. Another inspiration was, of course, Jane Austen. So many of her novels feature military characters who are good or bad."
He acknowledges that it's not Jane. "I would never hold this up as the definitive resolution of the novel. First and foremost, we were making a television series, and that has its own demands. At a certain point you have to trust the characters to lead the way. You also have to work with the limitations that you have. Once we discovered [which actors] could come back, we shaped a story we could tell.
I do feel like [Austen] was kind of sitting on my desk throughout this experience. But it's our show and we hope that she would be amused by it and understand that it's meant as a respectful homage. We would never have the arrogance to say to one of the greatest writers of all time, “Hey, Jane, Thanks for the half-finished novel. We finished it for you."
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/lei...
This reminds me of what american TV did to Laura Ingalls Wilder did to her books/ only by hearsay as I never saw either productions
Mrs wrote: "This reminds me of what american TV did to Laura Ingalls Wilder did to her books/ only by hearsay as I never saw either productions"That was Michael Landon's doing from what I heard. He had an agenda, a family friend Christian agenda he wanted to push. The first season or two was taken from the books but I can't watch that show any more. I loved it until I was old enough to read the books. The show has faded from memory so I turned on the TV to watch a rerun several years ago and nearly got a toothache from the saccharine sweetness of the plot and then my eyes were blinded from the 1970s costumes. NOT 1870s at all!
Road to Avonlea did the same thing. Anne of Green Gables was lovely until the 3rd movie and then Road to Avonlea came out and was really nice for the first two seasons and then went off into original territory. It was still a great show though. Not sure about Sanditon's status as "great" yet.
I just read that Ben Lloyd-Hughes (Alexander Colbourne) auditoned twice for season 1 and didn't get it! He jumped at the chance to appear in season 2 because he -for some reason- loved the concept. His character is a tiny bit inspired by Mr. Rochester and an homage to Captain Von Trapp!
https://decider.com/2022/03/22/sandit...
Good gravy. They keep throwing out rules of propriety. Charlotte is very forthright and seems to be a follower of Mary Wolstonecraft while Miss Lambe is way too outspoken and unladylike. Sanditon episode 2.
Not sure where they're going with this. Sometimes the history sounds realistic and other times it doesn't. My dad even asked some good questions.
More walking around with bonnets, visiting the army encampment- alone, bohemian artist running around half undressed shocking everyone and a plot ripped straight from The Sound of Music!
Plot summary for those who can't get the show
(view spoiler)
My dad asked if, since the officers come from good families, they're good catches and I said I know from Pride and Prejudice that Col. Fitzwilliam said as a younger son without prospects he needs to marry a wealthy woman. I'm guessing it's the same with many or all of these officers. We also know Jane Austen preferred the navy and that ARMY is code for badboy. We'll see.
I know Jane Austen did not get far in Sanditon. I have not seen the show. Does it have a true Jane Austen vibe, a BBC vibe, Hollywood vibe, soap opera vibe?
Jan wrote: "I know Jane Austen did not get far in Sanditon. I have not seen the show. Does it have a true Jane Austen vibe, a BBC vibe, Hollywood vibe, soap opera vibe?"No not Jane Austen, not BBC (no bonnets). Not so much Hollywood either- maybe a little. It's different. They largely threw etiquette out the window and enhanced some of the social issues young ladies would never speak their minds about to random gentlemen they don't know. Plus season 1 has a bizarre relationship plot featuring the Denhams. They're STEP siblings apparently.
This one is the lighter, cleaner cousin of The Bridgertons more than being related to Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer or anyone sensible who writes realistic Regency fiction. Andrew Davies went off the deep end. (War & Peace was bad but he only brought out things that were gossiped about in the novel).
Thank you for the extensive plotting of Sanditon - I'm probably glad I can't watch it (I only have network tv)
Episode 3 was slightly better but still missing hair pins and fichus. Not even the spinster sister of the vicar wears a fichu! Miss Lambe has some sort of green tucker/chemisette thing but it's no wonder Capt. Carter is so interested in Alison. He can look right down her dress. Same goes for Mr. Colbourne's style of dressing. Where's his jacket and cravat? Is Charlotte supposed to not swoon from horror at seeing a man in a state of undress? (as opposed to undressed).I THINK Alison has a Elizabeth-Darcy relationship with Capt. Fraser who is a much better man. I like him the best. I don't trust Colonel Lennox. I also like Mr. Colbourne but maybe not for Charlotte. What happened to Young Stringer? Apparently he's in London. Col. Lennox spouts modernisms like "I'm sure you'll crush it!"
Arthur and Georgiana are bonding more. Arthur is trying to be a man in the eyes of his family and Society and keeps getting dismissed and laughed at. Georgiana wants to be SEEN not stared at or sought after for her fortune. The only person who sees them for who they really are is the bohemian artist who is drying to paint Georgiana. He drew her from memory... scandalous!
Plot spoilers
(view spoiler)
ooh I found funny, snarky recaps. Better than mine so you can all take a look
https://www.wgbh.org/programs/2022/03...
Uh-h the Army hasn't paid for anything and the village merchants are angry! Tom promises to speak with them and clear up the misunderstanding but instead gets suckered into paying Hazard again with his army bros. Bro Col. Lennox is clearly a bad boy. I'm betting the dice were loaded. They LET Tom win the first time to bring him back again. Ivory Turners! Tom is too naive to see it.
Col Lennox also tries to warn Charlotte against Mr. Colbourne. Seems Mr. C stole the woman Col. L loved and for reasons unknown to Col. L, proceeded to destroy her.
Episode 4 was a tiny bit better.Of course there's a dancing scene!
We have watched The Sound of Music one too many times... (Not that it's not my favorite movie or that that scene is not swoony but it has to come at the right moment and Sanditon isn't there yet).
Eliza smiles!
Little "Leo" wears a dress and wants to learn how to dance! Is Charlotte being successful at turning Leo into a lady? She was so sweet hugging her mother's dress. I have to admit that slightly thawed my stony anti-precocious moppet heart.
Charlotte shows Eliza how to wear a corset-incorrectly of course because Hollywood script writers and directors have never worn one or done their research. Whalebone stays are not the steelboned corset of the Victorian era! Even babies wore stays so Eliza should know how to wear them by now. Charlotte should know better.
Lady Denham serves a giant multi-tiered cake covered in fondant! Also a macaron tower (crocembouche). Um what century does this story take place in again? I understand the point of why they did that but again a little research goes a long way. Sugar sculptures were "in" in the Regency era just as giant fondant covered cakes were "in" in the 2000s. (See Cake Boss)
Bonnets and up-dos are back at least.
Once again Tom proves he's an idiot.
The Byronic artist is just weird.
(view spoiler)
In 1926, the child became legitimized if the couple subsequently married, provided they could have lawfully married at the time of the child's birth.
Jan wrote: "In 1926, the child became legitimized if the couple subsequently married, provided they could have lawfully married at the time of the child's birth."Yes I remember reading that in a mystery. I guess they're going on the fact Lady Denham can choose to leave her money to whomever she chooses. Clara doesn't really have a choice. She's in a tough spot and I do have some sympathy for her but she made a deal with Edward in the first place.
The only characters I like are Esther, Arthur and Capt. Fraser. I like little Leo but she doesn't have much to do to advance the plot except be cute,
That I didn't know! It's definitely a good twist to a plot I must say (eg, if one had assumed a character was illegitimate, and then it turned out they weren't.)That happened in Belgravia - where the mother of the hero dies in childbirth, with her parents thinking her baby is illegitimate, but it turns out the baby was legitimate after all, and is, indeed, the heir to an earldom after all. Hooray!
I can remember a plot (no idea what the title was) where two twin boys were subject to a cruel twist - as in, the elder was born just as the priest had arrived to marry the mother to the father, so was born 'outside wedlock' whereas the younger then arrived just after the marriage had been declared, so the younger one became the heir to the dukedom or whatever it was....pretty tough on the older boy.
Something like this did happen in real life. Lord Holland ran off with a married woman, whose husband did not divorce her in time for her and Lord Holland's oldest son to be legitimate (ie, his parents hadn't had time to marry). So it was their second son, born after the parents had managed to marry, who was the next Lord Holland. Again, pretty tough on the older boy.
Even though Lady Holland had managed to marry the man she ran off with, Lord Holland, she was still persona non grata in Regency society as she was a divorced woman (and had had a son who was technically illegitimate as well.) The couple, however, kept great style in Holland House (now in ruins in Holland Park in west London) and were the centre of Whig society. But no respectable wives could attend their dinners and soirees.
Sanditon is not Belgravia, which was sadly predictable. Nasty Ned and Clara conspired and she's paying the price, sadly. Little George is paying the price too. Edward is truly evil.
Ah, but very satisfyingly predictable!!!I don't get Netflix etc, so no idea if Sanditon will ever be shown on broadcast/free telly - I doubt it. The first series was, and I did watch that, infuriating though it was. All that running around on the beach in the middle of nowhere. Not a promenade in sight!
Beth-In-UK wrote: "Ah, but very satisfyingly predictable!!!I don't get Netflix etc, so no idea if Sanditon will ever be shown on broadcast/free telly - I doubt it. The first series was, and I did watch that, infuri..."
You can watch it online. You just need a VPN or an Amazon add-on channel free trial or pay to download the episodes from iTunes or wherever. You aren't missing much. It's not very Austenesque. It's a real soap opera, according to my dad. Episode 5 is apalling.
(view spoiler)
This story is a far cry from Austen's social satire.
That being said, episode 6 the season finale has loaded and I REALLY want to watch it but I'll feel guilty if I watch it before my parents and my dad will be a little sad if I don't watch it with them. I'm hoping to watch Gilded Age instead with them so maybe he'll forgive me if I watch Sanditon early.
Jane Austen
Books mentioned in this topic
Belle: The Slave Daughter and the Lord Chief Justice (other topics)Belgravia (other topics)
Beau Brummell: The Ultimate Man of Style (other topics)
Lady Susan (other topics)
Self-Control (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
William Cowper (other topics)Georgette Heyer (other topics)
