strange and random happenstance

What's interesting about certain projects is what do you do when you're asked to take them further. I remember in undergrad I hated going back and having to re-conceptualize The Cherry Orchard yet again, this time for film instead of stage. Yet I think that was just my underlying hated of that Chekhov play. In fact I think it might be a hatred of Chekhov overall, stupid Three Sisters. But taking something I loved working on to the next level? Well, that's a fun challenge. Here I had to take my paper brochure and repurpose the content as an interactive pdf. Like a "brochure" you could download and watch from the Jane Austen Centre's website. Yes, I had to embrace the digital age while thinking of Austen! I was also required to add new photographic imagery that would be sourced from Getty Images, one that would be rights managed and one that would be royalty free so that I'd learn how to purchase and use the different kinds of stock imagery. But the one thing I was certain of when taking my brochure to the next level was that I still wanted to maintain that special feeling of reading a letter.

Therefore the opening shot was setting the scene of the Regency corespondent. Ink bottles, wax seals, letters, quills, and don't tell anyone that book on the left is actually Cranford. It's our secret OK? This tableaux I created from what I had lying about my office, and yes I'm so OCD that the wax seal is the letter 'A.' While you're not getting the animation here with my static imagery I can easily walk you through it, because the animation is almost secondary to the design and information, just a little something something for fun. If you compare this photo to the one above you'll notice there's now a letter unopened on the desk! It actually flies in from the upper right and lands on the desk and you click on it to turn it over and open it.

And at the click of a button the letter opens and if you're not one of those people who constantly leave their speakers off you will be surrounded by the theme music by Carl Davis to the 1995 miniseries adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. This was to get you in the Regency mood. Because seriously, what fan of Austen can hear that music and NOT get excited? In fact even though my DVD set has the option to watch all the episodes strung together as one I still prefer to watch them as they were originally broadcast and then distributed on VHS with the theme music playing every hour! 

Once past the desk space the design becomes more utilitarian. There's a hyperlink on the lower left to the centre's website and in the lower right a 'previous' and a 'next' button. I still maintain the language of correspondence with the cordial invitation, but again, this is a far more straightforward design. The large section in the center is actually the centre's welcome video which I embedded in the design but which can also be viewed on their website for the curious.

The next few pages are just the information from the previous paper brochure in a new format with added imagery. What I had the most fun with though was the little hidden gems. When you role over the icon of Jane she gets a little speech bubble quoting the opening line of Pride and Prejudice, and yes, it was spoken too! The teacup had the sound of tea being poured. On the following pages the reticule icon had coins jingling and the teapot whistled as it came to a boil, and yes, I know it's a decorative kettle, but it was fun. As for the umbrella icon? That open and closed with the sound of rain. Yes, I fully admit to being a design dork. But I embrace it heartily.

Again this design all came down to the map. Here I could do so much more now that it was interactive! In fact I started to call this my interactive masterpiece because I took Jane Austen sightseeing in Bath to a whole new level! Not only can you click on a dot and bring up facts you can click them all on or off as well as turning the highways on and off to highlight just one route. The details, the facts, the facets, everything about Jane's life and her novels as they are in Bath. The only thing that makes me sad is that between going from CS5.5 to CS6 Adobe really did away with all their interactive content, and they're even now phasing out Flash, which is good in the long run, but that means I can't really view this project anymore as the technology has changed. Therefore it's more a project in memory. Which kind of brings me around to the fact that while this was the culmination of this brochure project it's the first iteration that will have longevity. Technology changes, but paper and ink? Well, they stand the test of time as Austen herself would attest.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Adobe, Bicentenary Ball, Brochure, Chekhov, Cranford, Design, Elizabeth Gaskell, Interactive, Jane Austen, Longevity, Maps, PDF, Pride and Prejudice, Redesign, The Cherry Orchard, Three Sisters, Website

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
Published by: Penguin
Publication Date: 1853
Format: Hardcover, 257 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
Miss Mary Smith often visits Cranford. While she provides an outside view of the goings on of this town of "Amazons," she views herself as a true Cranfordian. She usually stays with Deborah and Matty Jenkyns, and later, after Deborah's death, with just Miss Matty. Yet she has been known to stay with the gossipy and often inadvertently hilarious Miss Pole, in particular during the misunderstanding of what a cage is... to some, a piece of undergarments, to Miss Pole, erroneously a parrot cage. Everything is go in Cranford, from cows in pajamas to imagined burglaries, to widows remarrying way too soon to financial disasters. There is love, romantic and platonic. But most of all there is the bond of friendship between all the towns residents. Sometimes life isn't one logical story from beginning to end, but a series of stops and starts, which is what Mary's cunning eye captures in her loving portrait of her, sometimes batty, friends. Just wait for the fake burglaries to understand how batty these ladies can be! Heaven forbid the thought of sleeping with a man, but sleeping with the silver to avoid a theft by gypsies that may or may not be women or men or hunchbacks, that's just common sense.

Going into Cranford I didn't quite know what to expect. I had heard that it was very much a sweet comedy for many years, that's until I saw the miniseries and my expectations went out the window. Aside from the humor, it felt more like Elizabeth Gaskell was a Victorian George R. R. Martin, willing to kill off a character every five minutes. Watching the miniseries you had to have a thick skin and just expect that everyone was fair game. It could also easily be a drinking game where you'd end up very very drunk. So, I was a little surprised than that the book only had three major deaths. THREE!?! Ok, I know that the miniseries was based on some of Gaskell's other writings as well,* but I wouldn't have put off reading this book for so long if I'd known that all the characters I love and care for make it through the book unscathed. I know Heidi Thomas, who adapted the works, has a love of pulling your heartstrings, so much so that it's now a given if you watch anything she does you end up in tears, but still, gaw, you almost made me not want to read this book Heidi. Also, I'm not forgiving her for killing off Martha! She lives Heidi! SHE LIVES! And Deborah doesn't like eating sliced oranges, so there!

*I will also mention here, that because of the two other books integrated into the Cranford miniseries, I went on and read them as well. I personally think that it was a mistake to incorporate My Lady Ludlow and Mr. Harrison's Confessions, seeing as they are, for the most part, where all the depressing resides. My Lady Ludlow was basically a hundred some page treatise on why Lady Ludlow thinks that letting the lower classes read will lead to another Reign of Terror, which was glossed over with one sentence in the miniseries. As for Mr. Harrison, note the "Mr." not "Dr.," it was just the romantic blah that was in the miniseries, but with "Mr." Harrison being far more unlikeable. Enough about Gaskell's other writings, back to the one at hand!

Cranford is more just comical vignettes than a book really. In fact, this is what I would call ideal writing for a piece released in installations, like this one was through Dickens' magazine. You're not overly desperate for the next chapter because the plot doesn't drive the story, the character's quirks and foibles do. Also, while you think a town of widows and spinsters would be sad, Cranford is not depressing, but a melancholy sadness for life and opportunities lost written with wit and understanding. It shows us to make the most out of what you have and to rely on the kindness of your friends. Oh, and cows are awesome in pajamas!

A note on the edition. So, I have to say, that I have coveted the cloth-bound Penguin Classics ever since they started appearing in bookstores a few years ago now. I wanted them all! But, I restrained myself and only bought Cranford. Why only Cranford? Well, if truth be told, I did have other editions, at least two, but the gorgeous lime green with the dark green runner beans was just too too perfect. The thing is, these books where made for display, not for reading, in my opinion. I'm so glad I never bought more of them, because, they're pretty but impractical. Firstly, some of the dark green screen printing has rubbed off with my holding it. Secondly, it was impossible to read because the book didn't want to open. I got cramps in my hand trying to pry the book open long enough to read! It's like Hagrid's Monster Book of Monsters, there has to be an easier way to read it, but I couldn't find it. Also, the fluctuation in font point size depending on introduction, book or appendixes was annoying and pointless. But finally, what put the nail in the coffin of this edition was the superfluity of footnotes and appendixes. There should not be more pages of extraneous "extras" than the actual book is long. Bad job editing Patricia Ingham, I will avoid you at all costs from now on.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Charles Dickens, Cows, Cranford, DEATH, Deborah Jenkyns, Elizabeth Gaskell, George R. R . Martin, Hagrid, Mary Smith, Miss Matty, Miss Pole, Mr. Harrison's Confessions, My Lady Ludlow, Penguin

Elizabeth Gaskell is probably most known among Anglophiles for the BBC's stunning adaptations of her books Wives and Daughters, Cranford and North and South, the later being responsible for the cult of Richard Armitage. She could also be considered the half way point between Jane Austen and the Brontes, being bleak, like the Brontes, but willing to embrace romanticism and love in a way the Brontes never did, seeing as they looked down their noses at the likes of Austen.

Elizabeth Gaskell published Mary Barton anonymously in 1848, though within a year her authorship was widely known. Mary Barton was an immediate success, like her previous venture of a book of poetry with her husband William, a Unitarian minister, Sketches Among the Poor, she dealt with the harsh realities of the Victorian poor. Always an advocate for those without a voice and believing in good works, in early 1850, she wrote to Charles Dickens asking his advice on a young woman she met in prison. While the fate of the young woman is unknown, at least to me, Dickens had praised her work on Mary Barton and invited her to contribute to his magazine, Households Words. Cranford began it's serialization in Households Words the following year, with North and South to follow in 1854.

With the exposure from Dickens's magazine and his help, Elizabeth Gaskell became a popular writer, her Gothic ghost stories being favorites among her readership. While Dickens did help establish Gaskell, whom he referred to as dear Scheherazade, there was a power dynamic between them that lead to constant struggle between the two. From the onset Dickens tried to exert control over Gaskell, making editorial changes to Cranford despite the lack of her approval. He even would deny having gotten letters from her, even though he had, till after the story had gone to press so that his changes would remain. While his main change was to omit the jokes about his own story, The Pickwick Papers, claiming that it seemed like self-aggrandisement, being published in his own magazine, it comes across that perhaps he couldn't take a joke. The reason the reference is funny in Cranford is because everyone knows Dickens and therefore gave the joke a universality!

During the publication of North and South, a title foisted on Gaskell by Dickens, he was also writing of similar material with Hard Times and criticized her story, which he was publishing it must be said, as "wearisome to the last degree." Gaskell herself had a hard time working within the serialized construct of Household Words as well as the technical constraints and time pressure. When her books where eventually published after their serialization, she would often go back in and fix things Dickens had changed and expand on ideas he had made her omit. Their difficult working relationship can be summed up with what Dickens said to his sub editor about Gaskell's work on the magazine as a contributor: "Oh! Mrs Gaskell-fearful-fearful! If I were Mr G. Oh heavens how I would beat her!"

Needless to say, that she eventually moved on from Dickens and her final piece, Wives and Daughters, was serialized through Thackery's magazine, The Cornhill Magazine. This could be considered a slap in the face to Dickens who was occasionally on rancorous terms with Thackeray. Sadly, Gaskell died in 1865 before Wives and Daughters was complete, which was a true lose to literature. For awhile it seemed as though she would disappear into obscurity, but luckily she now ranks as one of the most highly-regarded British Victorian novelists. I'm sure that her connection to Dickens helped, despite their ups and downs. Also, the miniseries didn't hurt any either, mmm, Richard Armitage.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 4 comments  

Labels: Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte, Cranford, Elizabeth Gaskell, Hard Times, Household Words, Jane Austen, Mary Barton, North and South, Richard Armitage, Thackery, Wives and Daughters

Changeless, The Parasol Protectorate Book 2 by Gail Carriger
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: March 30th, 2010
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Marital bliss can't last long when a surly regiment of werewolves shows up on your doorstep, your husband disappears to the wilds of Scotland and a bizarre plague of humanization strikes London, making werewolves and vampires alike mortal, and shuffling off the ghosties. But Alexia would not be Alexia if she didn't set right to figuring out what's up. After stopping off at a milliner's, always a trying experience with Ivy in tow, Alexia makes the acquaintance of Madame Lefoux, a dashing haberdasher prone to wearing male attire, who happens to be a great inventor on the side. In fact, she's invented the parasol to beat all other parasols, making this umbrella indispensable to Alexia. After an explosive attack while leaving Madame Lefoux's establishment, and rumors that the humanization proceeded her husband to Scotland, Alexia decides that the safety of the supernaturals, as well as her husband, are at stake and to Scotland she must go. Of course, if she must go by dirigible, her long held wish, well then she must. She didn't count on the entourage of a love sick claviger, an engaged Ivy, one of her sisters and Madame Lefoux.

Attempted poisonings and dangerous dirigible daring do lead to a welcome return to Terra Firma. Alexia so hoped she was built for air travel, but perhaps air travel wasn't built with her in mind. But if Alexia thought the troubles before where anything to the troubles to come she was mistaken. Her husbands old pack are not all that welcoming, and they seem to have collected a lot of Egyptian antiquities on their way home for being stationed in India. But if it's the last thing she does Alexia will get to the bottom of everything, little knowing of the shock in store.

Gail Carriger has outdone herself in creating a rollicking good read, with a tighter more thrilling mystery and even more memorable characters than in her first book, Soulless. From creating a proto telegraph telephone to dirigibles riding on aether, she has not bogged down her book with too much unintelligible speculative steampunk gadgetry. She has made an accessible world that you never want to leave and makes the wait for Blameless excruciating. Plus, delving deeper into the mysteries of what exactly a preternatural is, and unearthing Egyptian myths, sheer perfection. There's nothing I love more than Egypt, and while, throwing Egypt in delights me, I find it truly satisfying when it works so well with the plot and advances the narrative. Egypt for Egypt is all well and good, Egypt for a purpose, all the better. If there was one complaint I could make, aside from the cliffhanger, there is not enough Lord Akeldama! But I can't in good conscious make this complaint with the arrival of Madame Lefoux. She is so mysterious and kind of glamorous, and her openly defining the stereotypes of the day is just wonderful. Plus, her flirting with Alexia is just hilarious. Alexia should be a little more world wise with the lifestyle of Madame Lefoux, seeing as she has read her father's rather scandalous journals. But then again, Alexia's naivete makes it even funnier. I hope Madame Lefoux continues to play an important part in the story.

Moste Importante Steampunkery:
Aethographors. Wireless communications devices that transmits messages via aether waves and require little glass tubes and receiving and sending chambers. Much like an upscale version of a telegraph machine combined with early email. Lord Akeldama is one of the first people Alexia knows to have one. A true gossip must progress with the times and the technology available.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alexia Tarabotti, Changeless, Claviger, Cranford, Egypt, Emma Fielding, Gail Carrier, Ivy, Lord Akeldama, Madame Lefoux, Reading Challenge, Scotland, Soulless, Steampunk, The Parasol Protectorate

If you're a reader of my blog you're pretty sure in the knowledge of my love of books. Oh, who am I kidding, I'm obsessed with them! You know it, I know it, everyone is assured of this fever that grips me, especially workers at local bookstores. This blog is one of the many ways I express my love of the written word. But there are other ways! Oh yes, dear readers. Now, I'm not talking interpretive dance, which I would be awful at, but art, which I am good at. Some of you who've gotten to know me better through this lovely thing called the internet know that this blog is just my little side project, my little bit of fun, while what I really do is Graphic Design. After slogging through the University of Wisconsin-Madison and getting out with a BS in Art and a BA in Theatre, I realized that I didn't actually have any marketable skills, what with not knowing how to work a computer. Hence I went back to school at our wonderful technical college and now I have some wicked skills and some outlets for my bookishness. I don't always make my projects about books, it sometimes just happens, just like you just happen to breath. Books are in my blood and I need to express this, and what better way then through art.

As it turns out, my weird book obsession has paid off. Every year the design community gets together and has a big awards show, it's called the Addys, and it's the closest thing we've got to the Oscars, but sadly no Colin Firth. You submit your work and are judged. You are awarded either a Silver or a Gold medal, there is no 3rd best. There are three tiers to the competition, local, regional and national. The local is today! And I've WON! I've won five times and I am over the moon. The pieces are here before you, and yes, they all have a book theme, as I'm sure you've guessed. The piece above is about the wonders of reading and is a Public Service Announcement that would be targeted to entertainment magazines that would encourage parents to read to their kids versus letting the television do it for them. This would be the first in a series of books that were also made into famous movies... I think after The Wizard of Oz, it might be time to show a little love for Alice in Wonderland.

This piece here is a glamour spread for an annual report. Annual reports are sent out by a company to their investors to show how they've done in the previous fiscal year. There's charts and graphs and what have you. I chose to do mine on Penguin Publishing, surprise, surprise. I also got the comment from my teacher that he would never let me near any of his copies of Charles Dickens because of what I did to mine, aka, the little penguin on the page. But let me ease your fears, I did not deface a book that could have been read. I went to my local bookstore and searched through old penguin books, because it just HAD to be a penguin book. I found an old copy of David Copperfield that was barely held together any longer, the pages were falling out. But falling out pages was just what I needed! So rest assured, I took a book and gave it new life, I did not murder it!

What I am most proud of, though, is my series of Elizabeth Gaskell DVDs. My teacher is a huge movie fan, and a fan of the movies The Criterion Collection releases. For our final project, we had to choose three related movies and make DVD covers for all three, be it director based or theme based. The thing with The Criterion Collection is that they mainly do off beat or foreign films, in other words, something that is not the typical release. I chose the three awesome miniseries that the BBC has done of Elizabeth Gaskell's books, Wives and Daughters, North and South and Cranford, and not just because getting to rewatch them counted as homework, though that was quite nice, but because I hated these DVDs original packaging too. I wanted to harken back to the old style of Masterpiece Theatre posters that had the elegance of the time period as well as many little things that only those who've read the books or watched the miniseries would pick up on. Utilizing Illustrator, I did all the drawings myself in my trusty computer. For this cover, I have Cynthia, as played by the wonderful Keeley Hawes, the queen bee of the narrative... I mean at one time she's juggling four different suitors! The quote on the back says: "No come on, you can’t go trying to match her eyes like a draper." The remainder of the quote is that Cynthia is Roger's lodestone, hence, I have named this illustration, The Lodestone.
 
For my second piece I have Margaret Hale as played by Daniela Denby-Ashe. As you can see, she has just suffered an injury at the hands of the strikers and holds a newspaper, which details, not only the strike, but the threat of Irish workers and the love of the home she left behind. The background is of cotton, because when she first enters Thronton's Marlborough Mills she says: "I believe I have seen hell and it’s white. It’s snow-white." Not only did this piece win an award as part of the DVD set, the illustration of Margaret also won a separate award. And not to slight Cynthia, this is my favorite of the three.

For my final piece I have Cranford depicted as Miss Deborah Jenkyns as played by the wondrous Eileen Atkins. I don't think I captured her as well in the face as the others because you don't immediately think that it's her. Though I do love how it turned out, in particular the lace (which kept crashing my computer), because "this is no occasion for a sport!There’s lace at stake!" This also won an award as a separate illustration.
 
So there you go! A little look into how my mind works. I should say how my bookworm infested mind works. But all in all, it should be a fun night out! My friends also won awards and I have a nifty new dress, think Edwardian Downton meets just the slightest hint of flapper. Because a period-esque dress was a must.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 3 comments  

Labels: Addys, Cranford, Criterion Collection, Daniela Denby-Ashe, Eileen Atkins, Elizabeth Gaskell, John Thornton, Keeley Hawes, Margaret Hale, North and South, Penguin, Wives and Daughters, Wizard of Oz

Changeless, The Parasol Protectorate Book 2 by Gail Carriger
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: March 30th, 2010
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
Recommended for: Anglophiles, Janeites, Buffy Buffs, Steampunk Supporters and Parasol Paramours
To Buy

Marital bliss can't last long when a surly regiment of werewolves shows up on your doorstep, your husband disappears to the wilds of Scotland and a bizarre plague of humanization strikes London, making werewolves and vampires alike mortal, and shuffling off the ghosties. But Alexia would not be Alexia if she didn't set right to figuring out what's up. After stopping off at a milliner's, always a trying experience with Ivy in tow, Alexia makes the acquaintance of Madame Lefoux, a dashing haberdasher prone to wearing male attire who happens to be a great inventor on the side. In fact, she's invented the parasol to beat all other parasols, making this umbrella indispensable to Alexia. After an explosive attack while leaving Madame Lefoux's establishment, and rumors that the humanization proceeded her husband to Scotland, Alexia decides that the safety of the supernaturals as well as her husband are at stake and to Scotland she must go. Of course, if she must go by dirigible, her long held wish, well then she must. She didn't count on the entourage of a love sick claviger, an engaged Ivy, one of her sisters and Madame Lefoux.

Attempted poisonings and dangerous dirigible daring do lead to a welcome return to Terra Firma. But if Alexia thought the troubles before where anything to the troubles to come she was mistaken. Her husbands old pack are not all that welcoming, and they seem to have collected a lot of Egyptian antiquities on their way home for being stationed in India. But if it's the last thing she does Alexia will get to the bottom of everything, little knowing of the shock in store.

Gail Carriger has outdone herself in creating a rollicking good read, with a tighter more thrilling mystery and even more memorable characters than in her first book, Soulless. From creating a proto telegraph telephone to dirigibles riding on aether, she has not bogged down her book with too much unintelligible speculative steampunk gadgetry. She has made an accessible world that you never want to leave and makes the wait for Blameless excruciating. Plus, delving deeper into the mysteries of what exactly a preternatural is, and unearthing Egyptian myths, sheer perfection. There's nothing I love more than Egypt, and while, throwing Egypt in delights me, I find it truly satisfying when it works so well with the plot and advances the narrative. Egypt for Egypt is all well and good, Egypt for a purpose, all the better. If there was one complaint I could make, aside from the cliffhanger, it is not enough Lord Akeldama. But I can't in good conscious make this complaint with the arrival of Madame Lefoux. She is so mysterious and kind of glamorous, and her openly defining the stereotypes of the day is just wonderful. I hope she continues to play in important part in the story. Also, am I the only one who instantly saw Emma Fielding as Miss Galindo from Cranford as Madame Lefoux? Maybe it's the hat thing, maybe it's the cravat thing, but I think she would be perfect.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 4 comments  

Labels: Alexia Tarabotti, Changeless, Claviger, Cranford, Egypt, Emma Fielding, Gail Carrier, Ivy, Lord Akeldama, Madame Lefoux, Reading Challenge, Scotland, Soulless, Steampunk, The Parasol Protectorate

Changeless, The Parasol Protectorate Book 2 by Gail Carriger
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: March 30th, 2010
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy
Marital bliss can't last long when a surly regiment of werewolves shows up on your doorstep, your husband disappears to the wilds of Scotland and a bizarre plague of humanization strikes London, making werewolves and vampires alike mortal, and shuffling off the ghosties. But Alexia would not be Alexia if she didn't set right to figuring out what's up. After stopping off at a milliner's, always a trying experience with Ivy in tow, Alexia makes the acquaintance of Madame Lefoux, a dashing haberdasher prone to wearing male attire who happens to be a great inventor on the side. In fact, she's invented the parasol to beat all other parasols, making this umbrella indispensable to Alexia. After an explosive attack while leaving Madame Lefoux's establishment, and rumors that the humanization proceeded her husband to Scotland, Alexia decides that the safety of the supernaturals as well as her husband are at stake and to Scotland she must go. Of course, if she must go by dirigible, her long held wish, well then she must. She didn't count on the entourage of a love sick claviger, an engaged Ivy, one of her sisters and Madame Lefoux.

Attempted poisonings and dangerous dirigible daring do lead to a welcome return to Terra Firma. But if Alexia thought the troubles before where anything to the troubles to come she was mistaken. Her husbands old pack are not all that welcoming, and they seem to have collected a lot of Egyptian antiquities on their way home for being stationed in India. But if it's the last thing she does Alexia will get to the bottom of everything, little knowing of the shock in store.

Gail Carriger has outdone herself in creating a rollicking good read, with a tighter more thrilling mystery and even more memorable characters than in her first book, Soulless. From creating a proto telegraph telephone to dirigibles riding on aether, she has not bogged down her book with too much unintelligible speculative steampunk gadgetry. She has made an accessible world that you never want to leave and makes the wait for Blameless excruciating. Plus, delving deeper into the mysteries of what exactly a preternatural is, and unearthing Egyptian myths, sheer perfection. There's nothing I love more than Egypt, and while, throwing Egypt in delights me, I find it truly satisfying when it works so well with the plot and advances the narrative. Egypt for Egypt is all well and good, Egypt for a purpose, all the better. If there was one complaint I could make, aside from the cliffhanger, it is not enough Lord Akeldama. But I can't in good conscious make this complaint with the arrival of Madame Lefoux. She is so mysterious and kind of glamorous, and her openly defining the stereotypes of the day is just wonderful. I hope she continues to play in important part in the story. Also, am I the only one who instantly saw Emma Fielding as Miss Galindo from Cranford as Madame Lefoux? Maybe it's the hat thing, maybe it's the cravat thing, but I think she would be perfect. When this was first posted Gail agreed with Emma Fielding, only with a slight character shift to that of Sidheag, which I can totally see as well. I love casting things in my head.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 1:43 PM 2 comments  

Labels: Alexia Tarabotti, Changeless, Claviger, Cranford, Egypt, Emma Fielding, Gail Carrier, Ivy, Lord Akeldama, Madame Lefoux, Miss Galindo, Scotland, Soulless, Steampunk, The Parasol Protectorate

Changeless, The Parasol Protectorate Book 2 by Gail Carriger
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: March 30th, 2010
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
Challenge: Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Marital bliss can't last long when a surly regiment of werewolves shows up on your doorstep, your husband disappears to the wilds of Scotland and a bizarre plague of humanization strikes London, making werewolves and vampires alike mortal, and shuffling off the ghosties. But Alexia would not be Alexia if she didn't set right to figuring out what's up. After stopping off at a milliner's, always a trying experience with Ivy in tow, Alexia makes the acquaintance of Madame Lefoux, a dashing haberdasher prone to wearing male attire who happens to be a great inventor on the side. In fact, she's invented the parasol to beat all other parasols, making this umbrella indispensable to Alexia. After an explosive attack while leaving Madame Lefoux's establishment, and rumors that the humanization proceeded her husband to Scotland, Alexia decides that the safety of the supernaturals as well as her husband are at stake and to Scotland she must go. Of course, if she must go by dirigible, her long held wish, well then she must. She didn't count on the entourage of a love sick claviger, an engaged Ivy, one of her sisters and Madame Lefoux.

Attempted poisonings and dangerous dirigible daring do lead to a welcome return to Terra Firma. But if Alexia thought the troubles before where anything to the troubles to come she was mistaken. Her husbands old pack are not all that welcoming, and they seem to have collected a lot of Egyptian antiquities on their way home for being stationed in India. But if it's the last thing she does Alexia will get to the bottom of everything, little knowing of the shock in store.

Gail Carriger has outdone herself in creating a rollicking good read, with a tighter more thrilling mystery and even more memorable characters than in her first book, Soulless. From creating a proto telegraph telephone to dirigibles riding on aether, she has not bogged down her book with too much unintelligible speculative steampunk gadgetry. She has made an accessible world that you never want to leave and makes the wait for Blameless excruciating. Plus, delving deeper into the mysteries of what exactly a preternatural is, and unearthing Egyptian myths, sheer perfection. There's nothing I love more than Egypt, and while, throwing Egypt in delights me, I find it truly satisfying when it works so well with the plot and advances the narrative. Egypt for Egypt is all well and good, Egypt for a purpose, all the better. If there was one complaint I could make, aside from the cliffhanger, it is not enough Lord Akeldama. But I can't in good conscious make this complaint with the arrival of Madame Lefoux. She is so mysterious and kind of glamorous, and her openly defining the stereotypes of the day is just wonderful. I hope she continues to play in important part in the story. Also, am I the only one who instantly saw Emma Fielding as Miss Galindo from Cranford as Madame Lefoux? Maybe it's the hat thing, maybe it's the cravat thing, but I think she would be perfect.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 3 comments  

Labels: Alexia Tarabotti, Changeless, Claviger, Cranford, Egypt, Emma Fielding, Gail Carrier, Ivy, Lord Akeldama, Madame Lefoux, Reading Challenge, Scotland, Soulless, Steampunk, The Parasol Protectorate

Name: Philip Glenister

First Impression: William Dobbin in Vanity Fair, when he hits his head on that lamp in the entryway.

Lasting Impression: Life on Mars, season 2, episode 7. Could I be anymore specific? I don't think so. But it's the episode where Gene Hunt is wrongly accused of a crime. It made me realize for the first time that this was really Gene Hunt's show and Sam, well... he didn't matter so much. My love of Gene Hunt is not unique, they so made Ashes to Ashes just for him, despite Keeley Hawes being the "big name."

What else you've seen them in: Besides being featured on my blog before... From losing life and limb in Cranford while educating the local youths, to Hornblower to more modern works, like Calendar Girls with Helen Mirren and State of Play with his Life on Mars co-star John Simm. Philip Glenister has been around for quite awhile, but it took a little Gene Genie to get this man some well deserved recognition.

Can't believe it's them: He looks so little in Hornblower, but then all those big named stars who started out here did... Jamie Bamber, Ioan Gruffudd.

Wish they hadn't: Demons... a Buffy-esque show with Mackenzie Crook where he donned a bad American accent... best just to forget about this one for all involved.

Bio: I love me my Gene Hunt! Plus is it just me or has he aged into his looks more?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 4 comments  

Labels: Ashes to Ashes, Cranford, Demons, Gene Hunt, Hornblower, Keeley Hawes, Life on Mars, Mackenzie Crook, Philip Glenister, Spotlight, Vanity Fair, William Dobbin

Cranford finally came to a close... of course I'm sure they'll find a way to bring them all back if this garners as many awards as the previous series did, which I'm sure it will despite not being as good. Overall I was left with the feeling that this entire series was extraneous. It contained one or two laughs, but taken as a whole, it was just trying to be the original, but without the overall Gaskell arc. Despite the original having two extra stories fused into the Cranford text, the first series never felt anything other than a whole, whereas this felt like disparate elements jarring together for 90 minutes. We spent 3 hours and a few seasons with our friends only to have everything that was jostled out of place put back to where it was when we started. The heartache of Gem leaving followed by his return. The railroad which was coming suddenly wasn't, then it was... why bother treading over the same stories over and over. Plus there was a melancholy air that pervaded the whole show and made it more depressing than previously. Where we had the young love and the old guard, now we have the bitchy set upon youth who we aren't emotionally invested in, and then the old favorites are so wistful and sad, realizing that if they don't embrace change and the future their town is dead. Plus the upheaval and taciturnity of Harry doesn't do justice to the Harry that Mr. Carter so believed in... I'm not going to rehash ever bit now, perhaps when it airs on PBS later this month and I'm not worried about spoiling it, I'll dissect more... but new callous youths and wistful old friends does not a riveting series make... also one scene with Tim Curry!?! How horribly underused... even if it was the best scene in the entire series to date.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Cranford, Elizabeth Gaskell, Harry, Mr. Carter, PBS, Return to Cranford, Tim Curry

Well, last night Cranford returned to the BBC airwaves after two years absence. There were many familiar faces, many new faces, and a few faces that were new replacing faces that were old. Yes, that's right, there's been that horror of horrors... RECASTING! Within the first five minutes of the show all hopes of it being truly wonderful were dashed by Martin Shaw not returning as Miss Matty's brother Peter. Nicholas Le Prevost, most noted for being conned out of money for a new window by Geraldine, on the Vicar of Dibley (at least to me), has flamboyantly stepped up to fill Martin Shaw's shoes. The real question is why they needed to be filled in the first place!?! If you can't get the original actor, you work around it, not recast! Anything but recast, because this breaks the reality that the show as created. Aside from that there is much of what we expect from Cranford, giddy, hyper concerned women running through streets and then death. Because nothing says Cranford like a side of a dead main character. In fact, I think they might be trying to break the record established in the first series of a main character kicking it an episode. We've already had three! They really are at the point of having to introduce characters just so they have enough people to put in jeopardy and then kill. I'm not going to spoil it by saying who it is, but one of them was obvious, seeing as the cast member concerned is a regular on another BBC drama and I'm sure they could not have been spared longer. Why couldn't they have done this with Peter? Better to kill them off then to recast any day.

But life continues on much as it always does in Cranford, it's been two years since Deborah died and Maddie's life is settled with Jem and Martha and their little daughter. But of course, time is moving, the railroad is getting closer and things change. New faces are there in the form of the Bells, a grieving family, and the Buxtons, a family returned to Cranford after many years. Mrs. Bell is a nasty overbearing bitch from hell played by Lesley Sharp, who was terrifying on the Doctor Who episode "Midnight". Mr. Buxton is a short tempered, ill humored man played by Jonathan Pryce. Apparently overbearing parents are two for the price of one in Cranford this season. There is also the concern of Septimus... who for once shows up, being even more of a shit that I thought possible, I wanted to enter my television and throttle him, with an effeminate Italian in tow. The only surmise I can make is that this man is Septimus' lover, though it's never stated, and perhaps, the real reason for his stay abroad. The only saving graces of this episode was a parrot and Miss Galindo. By removing Doctor Harrison, who's departure is not explained, other than the fact they probably can't afford the actor anymore, they removed a sort of central figure the women could flutter around. Miss Matty, who, while central in the first season, had a counterpoint with Doctor Harrison. There is no counterpoint and it seems to be flailing a bit. Of course this could all change once I rewatch, rewatching really helps to hone your opinions. Or Tim Curry's arrival next week could also change everything. Overall I would say, mild disappointment and a sense of unmet expectations, but I still hope. But I should say, that my first reaction to Cranford two years ago was about the same, I can't seem to reconcile the inconsequentially and broad humor with the desire to kill off major characters every episode, lest we forget Walter... I would almost say Cranford is bipolar. But I didn't know that going in originally and this time I was prepared... but I was still let down.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 3:09 AM 3 comments  

Labels: Cranford, Doctor Harrison, Doctor Who, Jonathan Pryce, Lesley Sharp, Martin Shaw, Midnight, Miss Matty, Return to Cranford, Septimus, Tim Curry, Vicar of Dibley

Grab a seat and a cup of eggnog as the BBC brings us some wonderfully cheery shows for the holidays. Also because sarcasim can't be typed... that was sarcastic, marginally. I'm really looking forward to this seasons viewings with David Tennant as Hamlet and the new adaptation of The Turn of the Screw... but happy these ain't. They are bordering more on the awkward family get-togethers where old family films are shown and then feuds are revived and all hell breaks loose. Hopefully the ladies of Cranford will add some balance to what would otherwise be a dramatically bleak holiday season. That said... I can't wait! To tide you over to Christmas Eve, here are the trailers for the BBC... they're hoping to light up your season... I think they don't get irony either... unless one of the Addams family was writing the press release... in which case, yes, cheery holiday fare with the Bard and evil incarnate! Also what exactly is Eddie Izzard in? Never mind, The Day of the Triffids it is... see happy! In that disaster film sort of way.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:12 AM 4 comments  

Labels: BBC, Christmas, Cranford, David Tennant, Eddie Izzard, Hamlet, Return to Cranford, The Addams Family, The Day of the Triffids, The Turn of the Screw

December and the holidays are now upon us and the BBC has been plentiful with their presents this year! So let's take a look at what the coming month has to offer us Anglophiles...

Well, the much blogged about (by me) two part Cranford Christmas special is drawing ever nearer. But this little bit of casting news has me in an apoplexy of joy! Tim Curry is in it! He will play the conjurer Signor Brunoni. Also, in an effort to make sure the denizens of Cranford stick to their Gaskell roots, the production is firstly incorporating characters that didn't get included in the first telling, including Signor Brunoni. But secondly it's looking to Gaskell's other works using both her story, The Moorland Cottage and The Cage at Cranford for inspiration. Oh, I can't wait. On a final Cranford note (for now) Carl (P&P) Davis is back doing the score and there will be a behind the scenes special entitled: Corsets, Carriages and Christmas at Cranford (way to go for alliteration!)

In more "classics" news, the new adaption of The Turn of the Screw will also be airing... A new adaptation of A Child's Christmas in Wales staring Ruth Jones of Gavin and Stacey, will be shown and I'm sure harshly judged by my father (it's one of his favorite stories). But as I said, at least Ruth Jones is Welsh! Plus, after her turn in both Tess and Little Dorrit, she has proven she can do period pieces as well as being the best friend to the only gay in the village. But is anyone else a bit worried there was no mention of Lark Rise to Candleford's Christmas episode?

Elsewhere on the BBC, David Tennant is back battling the Master, while Donna, his erstwhile companion Catherine Tate is back for her very own Christmas Special... I really wonder if this one will top her previous foray into the holidays with lots of angry letters from viewers... personally I didn't find it too offensive, unless you really dislike watching Catherine make out with George Michael. There is also going to be a Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special attached to the currently airing 3rd season. Also in what is sure to be the weirdest spoof documentary since Christopher Guest and the gang first created Martin Di Bergi, we have Steve Coogan: The Inside Story to look forward to. Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer help Steve chronicle his rise to fame. Also diconcerting... no mention of The IT Crowd's rumored Christmas episode...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 1:28 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Child's Christmas in Wales, Anglophile, Catherine Tate, Christmas, Cranford, David Tennant, December, Elizabeth Gaskell, Holidays, Lark Rise to Candleford, The Turn of the Screw, Tim Curry

Today is just a BBC Miniseries news day. Shortly after I announced that we had an airdate set for Return to Cranford, PBS then followed it up with a DVD release date! On January 19th you could be the proud owner of the next chapter in the village of Cranford. My guess is that they will split the show up onto two consecutive Sunday nights, the 10th and the 17th of January, with the release on the 19th, as they have been known to do in the past. Great news for those who love repeat viewings of classic miniseries, which this is sure to be.

Need more details? Other than the fact it's 180 minutes and will have a 20 minute featurette called "Cranford in Detail." Let's look to the press release for "the official patter":

"Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, Francesca Annis and Julia McKenzie return in the Emmy-winning drama based on the novels by Elizabeth Gaskell. Miss Matty's house is full of life and bustle. Her dream of having a child in the house has been realized in the birth of Tilly, daughter of her maid Martha and carpenter Jem. Elsewhere, the shadow of the railway still looms, but the line has been halted five miles outside of Cranford - a disaster as far as Captain Brown is concerned.

Meanwhile, as Mr. Buxton returns to town with his son, William, and his niece, Erminia. Miss Matty becomes concerned about another young person - Peggy Bell - who lives in an isolated cottage with her mother and domineering brother. She decides to intervene and engineers an invitation that will bring the four young people together. But when tragedy strikes, she fears she has opened a Pandora's box that Cranford will never recover from."

But not only was there Cranford news today... oh no! We also got Jane Austen Emma news! I recently reviewed (yesterday is recent right?) the new adaptation, indicating that it would be shortly stateside... well the wait to know when is over. I know the wait since yesterday has been unbearable for you! Anyway, the DVD will be out February 9th. Indicating that it will air sometime after Cranford and before the release date, around the 24th (confirmed on their facebook page, and yes, they have a facebook page, kind of shocking) till the 7th, indicating to me that they might be doing some "creative editing" to make it three one hour hour and twenty minute episodes versus four one hour... they do like there "creative editing," having done some heavy handed things in recent memory just to fit it in it's time slot or remove objectionable content... Prime Suspect anyone? Or all Captain Wentworth's scenes in Lyme Regis in the new Persuasion! But that's another rant, not the fun filled, yeah Emma that I'm here to announce. So yeah Emma! Can't wait for the extras either, hopefully that costume special will explain why they made Jodhi May all boxy.

Till the next announcement! I'm sure there can't be anymore today! Can there?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 10:54 PM 1 comments  

Labels: Captain Wentworth, Cranford, Elizabeth Gaskell, Emma, Francesca Annis, Imelda Staunton, Jane Austen, Judi Dench, Julia McKenzie, PBS, Prime Suspect, Return to Cranford

What's that I hear? Could it be really good news for those Cranford devotees out there? Why yes it is. Due to the overwhelming popularity of Cranford, PBS is astonishingly doing something that benefits us viewers. Since when has PBS ever done this? But in a move worthy of a chess master...to appease the masses starting on December 20th Cranford will be repeated till... wait for it... Return to Canford airs on January 10th! Kicking off the new Masterpiece No-Longer-Theater Classics season! Mere days after airing in England we will get the new season, thankfully no longer called Cranford 2. I hate being patient... and luckily for us stateside, PBS is granting us our Christmas wish!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 3:22 PM 3 comments  

Labels: Cranford, Masterpiece Theater, PBS, Return to Cranford

Well, you'll probably think you've misread this, I sure thought I did, but it's true...Upstairs Downstairs is returning! (I think I just heard Joss Whedon crying for joy.) The BBC have announced that the writer behind Cranford and Ballet Shoes has starting writing two feature length scripts for BBC One for broadcast next year. What's even better, Piers Wegner has stated that they have the blessing of the original creators and that they are also on board! Yes, Jean Marsh will be back as Rose, and Eileen Atkins will finally get a part on screen! Quite literally the most famous BBC Miniseries of all time and the standard by which all Miniseries are gauged is set for a return!

Set in 1936, 6 years after the original series ended, the house will have a new family occupying it and will be an entirely new show that is an extension of the original and not a remake, which would surely piss off die hard fans the world over! As Eaton Place inches towards World War II the house will once again be embroiled in the politics and world events of it's time. Seeing as the BBC have long desired for this franchise to continue it's not a surprise, a second spin off, the first being Thomas and Sarah, was set to begin filming immediately after the wrapping of the original show. Set at the seaside hotel that Hudson, Mrs. Bridges and Rose were going to buy, the show never made it into production due to Angela Baddeley's (Mrs. Bridges') death. Many other spin offs have been discussed over the years and many variations on the same themes, but they have never come to fruition. Finally it looks like we are indeed heading back to Eaton Place, and in a way that will embrace both old and new fans. Personally I hope that some of the old cast shows up as new characters...it's fun seeing James, Hazel, Sarah and Thomas whenever the pop up on tv, and how fitting would it be for them to drop by Eaton Place?

As Jean Marsh said: "I am hugely looking forward to spending time with Rose. I have missed her enormously." As have we all!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 4:28 PM 3 comments  

Labels: Angela Baddeley, Ballet Shoes, Cranford, Easton Place, Eileen Atkins, Hudson, Jean Marsh, Joss Whedon, Mres. Bridges, Piers Wegner, Rose, Upstairs Downstairs

A new Emma Woodhouse is on the way in the guise of Romola Garai (from the exquisite Daniel Deronda). The new 4 part series will air in England sometime this fall, so it should be stateside by next Spring. The cast also includes Michael Gambon as Mr. Woodhouse, Christina Cole (most known stateside for Hex) and Johnny Lee Miller as Mr. Knightly. Lets hope Mr. Miller's return to Austen is NOTHING like the abysmal Mansfield Park he stared in. But there are high hopes, it is being adapted by the production team that is responsible for the most recent Jane Eyre dramatization.


Get set to return to Cranford! Set for this Christmas the two part holiday episode has the whole cast returning (well those still alive by the end of the series), as well as Septimus, who will finally appear (can you image Lady Ludlow's joy!?!) Jonathan Pryce and Celia Imrie have also joined the cast. To view the official BBC Press release go here.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 4:14 PM 2 comments  

Labels: BBC Miniseries, Cranford, Daniel Deronda, Emma, Emma Woodhouse, Jane Eyre, Johnny Lee Miller, Mansfield Park, Michael Gambon, Mr. Knightly, Romola Garai