Enjoyable, not too fluffy reads.

Constance Savory The Reb and the Redcoats (Revolutionary war from a sympathetic but British perspective)

Elizabeth Pope The Sherwood Ring (ghosts, Revolutionary war, romance, mystery, hidden passages, more romance)

and also by Elizabeth Pope

The Perilous Gard (Elizabethan gothic, fairies have never been so creepy un-cute)

To say Nothing of the Dog – I’d tell you all about it, but DH and B have posession of the book right now, I skimmed the end, but didn’t savor the last 1/4, it’s sort of PJ Wodehouse on time travel duty, complete with intimidating aunt.

The latest Northanger Abbey and Sense and Sensibility dramatizations (OK, they aren’t reads, and be a bit careful with younger viewers, the seductions are dramatized, and there is a quote from the Monk.) The first episode of Sense and Sensibility is a LOT like the Emma Thompson movie, but after that it gets more independent.  Edward is more grown up, Mr Willowby is wimpier, and Colonel Brandon gets electric guitars in his liet motiff! The Katherine in this one is a little bit more than a pretty face, which gives a nice feeling that she’ll do fine as an adult, there is even a scene when she is helping with her little brother’s home education!
I do have an affection for the Northanger Abbey with Peter Firth, even though the music is a little over the top (We refer to it as “Le-e-et’s all watch God-zil-la,” try it, it fits the romantic music scansion).  I saw it while staying up late to finish knitting something or other summer break from college.  The scene where Mr Tilney and his sister discuss drawing while rowing made me long to be invited into a set of smart people, preferably with one with handsome, honorable, intelligent men.  DH was in another state, and would that telephone ever ring?

Now when I watch that scene, I wonder if Mrs Moreland has had quite enough time to train Katherine, or if Mr Tilney’s parsonage management will be over her head, and is she really clever enough to keep up with him later on when pretty isn’t quiet so important?

But I still enjoy the last scene.  DH bought me the DVD for our anniversary last year, and he watched it with me!

2 Replies to “Enjoyable, not too fluffy reads.”

  1. When we were watching Northanger Abbey, with Peter Firth, B wanted to watch something more “interesting”. So he started singing “Le-e-et’s all watch God-zil-la”, to the 80’s theme music in that movie. The song stuck. Now we sing it any time we are thinking of watching the movie again.