Death Comes to Pemberley: PBS Sunday Oct 26 & Nov 2

Matthew Rhys and Anna Maxwell Martin in Death Comes to Pemberley

I haven't seen a new Jane Austen adaptation in a while and boy did I enjoy Death Comes to Pemberley! I admit I was a bit nervous when I watched this, as I didn't really like the book, a murder mystery sequel to Pride and Prejudice by mystery writer P.D. James. The book was OK, but a bit of a yawn. Fan fiction by a 94 year old Jane Austen fan, albeit well written I suppose.

James Fleet and Rebecca Front as Mr. and Mrs. Bennett

However, add a few of my favorite actors (inspired casting to have Anna Maxwell Martin as our beloved Lizzy!) and set it at one of the all time top English Country Houses, Chatsworth, and I was hooked within the first few scenes. This is 3 hours of pure pleasure and I can't wait to see it again on my HD TV this time when Part 1 airs tomorrow. Having almost the entire three hours set in and around Chatsworth makes one realize how little we saw of it when it was used as Pemberley in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

Matthew Goode as the wicked Mr. Wickham

Many familiar faces and fabulous actors flesh out the other roles (other than Lizzy and the filming location, which might have been enough for me). Matthew Goode as Wickham played the role with some depth, as did Jenna Coleman as Lydia. What a great take on the relationship which none of us had much hope for, including Jane Austen! And the chemistry between Anna Maxwell Martin and Matthew Rhys as Mr. and Mrs. Darcy caused me to rewind a few sections just to see the love and playfulness a bit more. Mmmmm.

Mr. and Mrs. Darcy- great chemistry not apparent in this photo!

Then add in James Fleet (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Sense and Sensibility) as Mr. Bennett, Eleanor Tomlinson and James Norton as Georgiana Darcy and her love interest and the awesome Joanna Scanlon (Mrs. Dickens from The Invisible Woman) as Mrs. Reynolds and you have a winner.

Too bad they made my beloved Colonel Fitswilliam into a creep (plot related I understand but still!) and Penelope Keith as Lady Catherine de Bourgh sounded a bit more like Lady Bracknell from The Importance of Being Earnest but that is nit picking I suppose.

So just pour a cuppa and turn on the telly tomorrow and enjoy the ride. It might be a while before we get another one this good!

Longbourn by Jo Baker

I have recently been swallowed up by a book, Longbourn by Jo Baker. This is going to be a short post because I am nearing the end of this totally absorbing story and I want to get back to it.

If you haven't heard of Longbourn yet, it is the story of what happened below stairs in the Pride and Prejudice story. Not only a brilliant concept, but brilliantly executed. We tend to forget who actually made those big country houses tick, and the story of the maids, cooks and footmen make for just as riveting a novel as the original. At times I forgot it was the P&P story, until, for instance, Elizabeth reappears and tells the main character (maid Sarah) that she is coming to stay at Hunsford parsonage with her when she visits Charlotte Lucas. To which I said to myself, "Oh, goody! Let's get Sarah's spin on the whole Darcy issue!"

Random House Australia provided this adorable character map if you would like to see who the downstairs folk are. Or you could just be surprised. Suffice it to say, this one is a great read and will make a wonderful film. I would be surprised if the film rights aren't already spoken for. I look forward to this future film much more than the one already being made Death Comes to Pemberley, a miniseries adaptation of P.D.James's murder mystery sequel to Pride and Prejudice, even though that one stars a fave of mine, Anna Maxwell Martin.

So that is all I am going to tell you about this wonderful book. You are just going to have to check it out for yourself. And picture the film as you read it!

Cheers!

P.S. Now that I have finished the book, I can give it an unqualified recommendation. There is a happy ending (unlike so many modern novels). As well, it will make you feel pretty awesome about yourself and all you do. We are the cooks, maids, gardeners, housekeepers, nannies and income earners these days. Not to mention that we manage to be as captivating and handsome as the Bennet sisters all the while. Well, some of the time anyway!!