Monday’s Wonderings…Miss Austen’s thoughts on Richard III

 

Jane Austen…The Young Historian 

Earliest surviving portrait of Richard III

When it was announced on September 12, 2012 that a skeleton had been discovered in the ruins of the Greyfriars church I was ecstatic. I waited, impatiently, until finally on February 4, 2013 the remains, through DNA analysis, were identified as Richard III.

As someone who has devoted many years studying this period of English history and the life (and death) of King Richard III, I was thoroughly and utterly excited to watch this historic discovery play out.

Being a Ricardian, I am of the belief that Richard III was innocent of the accusations lobbed against him. However, there are many who believe him to be the villain that William Shakespeare portrayed him as in his play Richard III.

Richard III, like Henry VIII, is a one of the few English kings that people continue to have differing opinions about and at the age of fifteen Jane Austen voiced her opinion about the late king in her piece of juvenilia, The History of England, dated 26 November 1791.

Richard the 3d

The Character of this Prince had been in general very severely treated by Historians, but as he was a York, I am rather inclined to suppose him a very respectable Man. It has indeed been confidently asserted that he killed his two Nephews & his Wife, but it has also been declared that he did not kill his two Nephews, which I am inclined to believe true; & if this is the case, it may also be affirmed that he did not kill his Wife, for if Perkin Warbeck was really the Duke of York, why might not Lambert Simnel be the Widow of Richard. Whether innocent or guilty, he did not reign long in peace, for Henry Tudor Earl of Richmond as great a Villain as ever lived, made a great fuss about getting the Crown & having killed the King at the battle of Bosworth, he succeeded to it.

-The History of England from the reign of Henry the 4^th to the death of Charles the 1^st

By a partial, prejudiced, & ignorant Historian.

A page from the original manuscript of The History of England referring to Richard III as well as a miniature watercolor representation of Richard III painted by Jane Austen’s sister, Cassandra.

To view, and read, the original manuscript of Jane Austen’s The History of England, please visit The British Library’s interactive online Gallery HERE

Facial Reconstruction of Richard III

Whether you are a Ricardian, or one who adheres to Shakespeare’s portrayal of Richard, or one who has just discovered Richard III, I encourage you to explore the following websites. (Please note that both websites show photographs of the remains of Richard III. I would recommend checking out the content of the websites before allowing young children to view them)

The University of Leicester’s website: The Search for Richard III by the University of Leicester

The Richard III Society

The Phantom of Pemberley: A P&P Murder Mystery by Regina Jeffers

Happily married for over a year and more in love than ever, Darcy and Elizabeth can’t imagine anything interrupting their bliss-filled days. Then an intense snowstorm strands a group of travelers at Pemberley, and terrifying accidents and mysterious deaths begin to plague the manor. Everyone seems convinced that it is the work of a phan-tom—a Shadow Man who is haunting the Darcy family’s grand estate.

Darcy and Elizabeth believe the truth is much more menacing and that someone is trying to murder them. But Pem-berley is filled with family guests as well as the unexpected travelers—any one of whom could be the culprit—so unraveling the mystery of the murderer’s identity forces the newlyweds to trust each other’s strengths and work together.

Written in the style of the era and including Austen’s romantic playfulness and sardonic humor, this suspense-packed sequel to Pride and Prejudice recasts Darcy and Elizabeth as a husband-and-wife detective team who must solve the mystery at Pemberley and catch the murderer—before it’s too late. (from the back of the book)

Book Details:

Title: The Phantom of Pemberley: A Pride & Prejudice Murder Mystery, Author: Regina Jeffers, ISBN: 978-1-56975-845-8, Publisher: Ulysses Press, Format: Trade Paperback, $14.95, Source: Received from Author

My Thoughts:

A winter storm forces Pemberley to open its door to a slew of eccentric characters. Although the storm is not the only thing that the Darcy’s have to worry about, a mentally disturbed person is intent on making Mr. Darcy suffer. To do that, he knows that he must destroy Pemberley, one death at a time.

Ok, where to start…

I was intrigued that this was a P&P murder mystery. The way the plot unfolds and the mystery unravels gave it a CSI feel with Darcy playing detective—did I like that aspect? It was okay, but I will not wax poetically about it. Plus, I knew who the phantom was from early on.

The characters…well…since Pemberley became travelers rest there was an overflow of characters. Some were intriguing and added substance to the plot, while others seemed to be placeholders until something of interest came along.

The romance. Someone is creeping around Pemberley and Darcy and Elizabeth still find time to jump into bed. Seriously, I mean like every few pages they are tumbling into bed. It felt really out of place and a bit odd considering there is a murderer on the loose. Spoiler alert: Highlight to read Even Georgiana finds love in this book. And guess who it is. Colonel Fitzwilliam. Disturbed by that? Yeah, I was too.

While I enjoyed Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, this book wasn’t nearly as thrilling.

Buy or borrow? Definitely borrow this one.

 

The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer

A DARING ESCAPE

Penelope Creed will do anything to avoid marrying her repulsive cousin. Dressed in boy’s clothing, she’s fleeing from London when she’s discovered by Sir Richard Wyndham, himself on the verge of the most momentous decision of his life.

AND A HEROIC RESCUE

When Sir Richard encounters the lovely young fugitive, he knows he can’t allow her to travel to the countryside all alone, so he offers himself as her protector. As it happens, at the very moment Sir Richard could use an escape of his own…(from the back of the book)

Title: The Corinthian, Author: Georgette Heyer, ISBN: 978-1-4022-1769-2, Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca, Format: Trade Paperback, $13.99, Source: Personal book collection, Rating: 4.5 Crowns

My thoughts:

Penelope Creed will not marry her fish-faced cousin. She has decided that she will make her way to her childhood friend who she believes will marry her. Escaping out the window, she unexpectedly lands in the arms of a Corinthian.

Sir Richard Wyndham is a true Corinthian who gives Beau Brummell a run for his money. Inebriated and in need of an escape from a forced marriage he discovers what he believes to be a young boy dangling from a sheet making his escape from a window. However, he soon discovers that Pen is no boy but a very intriguing woman and he is determined to aid her on her journey.

Throughout their journey they endure a carriage wreck, Pen befriends a thief, they discover a missing diamond necklace, and find that someone they know has been murdered.

Filled with wicked wit and delivered in a cunning style, The Corinthian has become my favorite Heyer novel. While Pen is a bit young and naïve, I found her to be endearing and quite entertaining. She was so eager to have an adventure that it became infectious. Richard was an amazingly portrayed Corinthian, he fit the bill right down to boxing at Gentleman Jacksons. Charming and sophisticated with just the right amount of rogue, Richard was a fun read. And I loved the way his character came off.

The only problem I had with this novel was that it ended way too soon. It truly was one of those novels I did not want to see end. Fans of Jane Austen will delight in Heyer’s Regeny romps.

The Sunday Salon…Winter Reading

 There is nothing better than a hot cuppa tea and good book (and a pair of fingerless gloves) on a cold winters day. And I must say, I am tired of the snow and ice and more ice although it has offered the perfect opportunity to curl up with a few good books and catch up on my reading. (It wasn’t like I was going anywhere)
I finally finished The Phantom of Pemberley by Regina Jeffers (review to come) as well as a rereading of Darcy and Fitzwilliam by Karen V. Wasylowski. Both books were definitely unique takes on P&P and I had immense fun exploring the worlds they created. I had intended to start Sons and Daughters, the follow up to Darcy and Fitzwilliam, although I forgot to pack the book. (They need to make a suitcase just for books, if they already have one I need to find it.)
I did manage to bring along The Journey by Jane Hahn (review to come), which quickly became one of my favorite P&P retellings. The Watsons has finally been checked off my tbr list as I read it for  a Jane Austen course a dear friend is teaching. Sadly, that was all the Austen-inspired novels that were in my bag.
However, I did manage to make a dent in my Georgette Heyer books. I started and finished The  Convenient Marriage, The Corinthian, and a rereading of Sylvester (I also listened to the audiobook read by Richard Armitage for the tenth time). And I am currently reading Cotillion. (reviews to come)
I am hoping to read through the rest of my Georgette Heyer books (I have 5 left to read as well as a biography of the author) then start North and South. I also have a few new Austen-inspired books that I received in a book gift basket.

Have you caught up on your tbr list?

Happy Christmas!!!

Happy Christmas from my family to yours! 

Pemberley Leaking…Mr. Darcy Temporarily Evicted and a Giveaway

I have a closet that my friends call Pemberley. Inside is a treasure trove of all things Jane Austen. On the floor I have two three-tiered bookshelves that holds my personal Jane Austen Library as well as the collection of goodies I have picked up for giveaways. On the top shelf, I keep large boxes of watercolor pots, watercolor pencils, compressed pastels, stacks of paper, and rolls of canvas.

A little over a week ago, Pemberley (my closet) sprung a leak. Okay leak doesn’t really describe what occurred, it was more of a torrential downpour that brought with it huge chunks of the plaster ceiling and turned my watercolors into something that resembled a melted rainbow that streamed down the walls and puddled on the floor.

Thankfully, the top of bookshelves extended over the shelves which means that the cascaded over most of my books and giveaway goodies. However, Mr. Darcy (as well as the rest of Jane Austen’s heroes and heroines) were temporarily evicted.

Most of the books that did receive an impromptu shower were paperback duplicates. I am hoping that I can salvage the pages and turn them into some kind of artwork.

However, I do have some good news to report; the blocks of paper that I ordered for printmaking finally came in and I have once again started putting them to good use. This is where the giveaway comes in.

 

I have 1 8x10 print of Darcy’s Proposal to giveaway.

Giveaway is international

To enter, please leave your name and a valid email address.

Giveaway ends November 26

Prints are printed upon 140 LB Cold Press Acid Free Archival Print board Paper

If you are interested, I am selling the prints as well.

The Price is $10 for residents of the US  shipping charges included.

If you would like to order a print please email me at ars45123 at yahoo dot com

Until We Meet Again,

Angela

50 Shades of Mr Darcy? And a Giveaway

 

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good riding crop must be in want of a pair of bare buttocks to thrash. At least that is how it seemed to Elizabeth Bennet. -50 Shades of Mr. Darcy: A Parody by William Codpiece Thwackery

A hilarious parody of an erotic bestseller and a romantic classic—those wanting a little naughtiness in their lives should prepare themselves for Mr. Darcy's Blue Broom-Cupboard of Seriously Kinky Sh*t

Lizzy Steele had been brought up to be a proper lady with perfect manners, skilled in conversation, and well respected in the community. But when Mr. Elliot Bingley comes to court Lizzy's sister, she is given the opportunity to learn a somewhat different skill set upon her introduction to his friend, a Mr. Christian Darcy. It only takes one chance meeting with this tall, dark stranger for Lizzy to be lured into Darcy's secret world of lascivious practices and lusty urges. Drawn like a moth to his flame, Lizzy is the mistress of her own undoing, for Darcy has made no protestations of love; indeed, his intentions were made plain from the outset. But even the most innocent and well brought-up of young ladies have urges, and as Lizzy learns that a riding crop isn't just used for going for a canter on her pony, a whole new world is revealed to her—shaded black and leather-clad. (from Amazon)

Heaven and earth, are the shades of Pemberley to be polluted by 50 Shades?

Indeed, it seems so and I have to admit that I was a bit (okay I was a lot) disturbed by this.

One never knows what they will find while searching the internet and today I found something that I am not likely to forget. I discovered the existence of 50 Shades of Mr. Darcy: A Parody by William Codpiece Thwackery.

I have to say this is one P&P adaptation I am not rushing out to buy. While I have read—and enjoyed—several steamy versions of P&P, I have to say that I draw the line at kinky. It is just not for me. The story of Darcy and Elizabeth is supposed to be a sweet love story that does not involve blue broom cupboard where kinky things happen with riding crops.

I want to hear your thoughts on the subject. Have you read it? If so, did you like it? If not, are you going to give it a gander or avoid it like the plague?

Tell me your thoughts and be entered to win the complete Jane Austen Collection and a charming little Blue & White teacup and saucer.

Giveaway is international

Ends November 30

Please leave your name and a valid email address.