by reading & sleeping
I’m taking it easy this week nursing a cold. With tissues and tea beside me, I am really enjoying the guilty pleasure of more reading time with a timely receipt of a library book I’d placed on hold: P.D. James’ Death Comes to Pemberley. More than half way through and loving it, the only one of this grand dame’s books I’ve ever read. A dear friend is a keen fan of James so I’d given her a copy of this for her birthday last year. As a Jane Austen fan, it was high time to read this for myself and what a pleasure!
As you know, I love textures and stone, and this scan I once did of marble seems just right today, an illustration of the condition of my brain cells this week?
October 17, 2012 in Books, Photoworks, Textures by Marja-Leena
I love the dendritic connections in this close-up view of a beautiful piece of marble.
P.D. James was one of my mother’s and my favorite mystery authors so I have read most of her work, particularly the Adam Dalgliesh novels up to 2001. However, the book of hers I enjoyed most was another stand alone novel, ‘The Children of Men’. It’s quite amazing in itself but the movie made a few years ago was also very good.
Would you believe I never have read ‘Pride and Prejudice’? In consideration of your recommendation I just hopped over to Amazon and put both the Jane Austin and ‘Death Comes to Penderley’ on my future order list.
I’m sorry you have to be ill in order to enjoy a little tranquil reading time. You have my sincere wishes for a speedy recovery and days to come when you relax because of preference.
Susan, thanks for the good wishes. I’m glad you ‘got’ those dendritic (great word) connections, heh. I looked up ‘The Children of Men’ and might just borrow that from the library sometime, thanks. It’s been quite a while since I read something dystopian.
I thought everyone studied ‘Pride and Prejudice’ in high school English Lit! Did you see the wonderful film series from 1995 with Colin Firth? That’s a family favourite here. Wanna bet ‘Death Comes to Penderley’ might be made into a movie?
Marja-Leena,
so take it easy! Common cold is a message from throat and nose to your brain, that got to rest a bit now.
I have my grandchildren visiting here with our son, and the younger one has a cold, nose wipes everyplace and viruses blowing every direction.
I opened up a lingonberry jar to prevent any cold to catch me up.
I do remember the horrid rains over there. First month or so I was sick all the time, as I ended up there in the Fall. Then I started to get used to new viruses. Or maybe my brain ordered the throat and the nose, that “this is it!” and I got to accept the horrible climate.
Austen fan here. I was rather disappointed that James was not actually channeling Austen, and that it wasn’t a real Austen novel!
I’ve watched most of the P & P versions, I think… And am most fond of the Elizabeth of the 1980 BBC series, Elizabeth Garvie.
Dear Marja-Leena feel better soon! And enjoy all the little pleasures you can while recuperating! I too loved that marble texture, it’s very surprising to me that it’s marble – I would have guessed bone.
Beth, thanks for the wishes! Yes, I too was surprised when I scanned this, and agree it looks like bone. I remember when your wrote about a lovely red marble you found for your bathroom reno.
Marjatta, thanks, I am taking it easy. I’m only disappointed I’ll miss going to the opera tonight with the granddaughters (imagine me blowing my nose and hacking away, shudder!). The sudden change in weather might have contributed to an explosion of cold viruses flying around, though no one else in my family has it, yet. But maybe it’s at the studio, in the shops, wherever…. anyway, hope this is one of those once-a-year-ones to get over with. Hope you stay well!
Marly, that is funny! I’m no literary critic but I thought James did a good job imitating Austen’s writing style. I presume you’ve read it? You have me beat in seeing most P&P versions.
If you’re on Netflix, the Elizabeth Garvie one is instant download… Good for sick days, as it’s longish.
Yes, well, she may have done a good job but . . . it still wasn’t Austen. Alas. (Oh, I wish she had lived longer! I love those books. Such wondrous dialogue, such charm, such a harsh world where one missed step means a woman falls down to social hell forever…)
Yikes! Just noticed I misspelled “Pemberley” (thanks to a cold addled brain) – now corrected!
Marly, I’m not on Netflix but will look for it on DVD at the library. I know, Austen is wonderful, and as you say she portrays such a perilous world for women. I wonder what she would think of all the fans she now has, and all the films of her works?
With book read and thoughts still in Pemberley and mostly alone last night, I watched on DVD the entire 1995 TV series of P&P, with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. I wanted to refresh my memory on certain details about the minor characters that had more important parts in James’ book. Anyway, it was the perfect escapism for this patient. Even daughter came up to watch parts of it.
Oh, that one’s fun also, though I think the casting is closer to the book in the Garvie-as-Elizabeth series.
I’m sure Austen would feel bewildered at times! Such nonsense has come out of her world… She liked to laugh; show knows what she would say about the grafting of sea monsters and so on onto her books. Can’t help thinking she would be shocked. But the world has shifted so; probably she would be even more shocked that so many people can read her without any sense of the moral and ethical.
Marly, I really must see that film. I suggested to my daughter that she read James’ book. After reading just a part of it, she said she didn’t want to read more and change the picture she had in her mind of the characters. Having seen the other films, she says this film is her favourite especially as Darcy for her would always be Colin Firth. Maybe it’s because she saw this series at a most impressionable age.
I agree, and rather think Austen would find our world in some ways a little better, but in many ways no better at all. Mankind has not changed all that much and we seem to be moving backwards (must stop before I start to rant on top of my socialist soapbox.)
Hope you are feeling better by now. A lot of people have these bad colds. Terry was quite unwell for a week or so with it.
P.D. James is excellent, isn’t she. I’m not a big mystery fan but I do enjoy her work. And Austen is a big favorite of mine from way back. Interesting that she has an almost universal appeal among women.
Hattie, thanks, I think I’ve gotten over the worst now. Indeed it does seem to be going around.
Austen’s appeal goes beyond women to include some men, like my husband who loved studying P&P in high school English and has enjoyed the films of Austen’s books. I think also we both generally like British made films more than Hollywood’s.
Having a sense of humour whilst feeling sick is a wonderful character trait … hope your brain is looking less marbly now. And lingonberry! Who knew!
Rouchswalwe, one has to try to keep one’s spirits up, right? Slowly getting better, thank you. And yes, lingonberry – I wished I’d had some of that as a cordial to mix with hot water, instead I have been having black currant to ward off that tickle in the throat that brings on violent coughing, a remedy my mother used on us children.