Your online source for Jane Austen and her legacy
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: With so much uncertainty and strife in the news, I am always ready for a feel-good, fairy tale getaway movie to escape to for a few hours. I have several favorites to call upon in my library: The Princess Bride (1987), Ever After (1998), and Pretty Woman (1990).... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: For those of us who are fans of Jane Austen movie adaptations and binged the Netflix mega-hit Bridgerton, the announcement of a movie adaptation of Suzanne Allain’s popular Regency-era novel, Mr. Malcolm’s List, was the best news this period drama lover could receive. While our anticipation ran high,... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: On Monday, September 19th I was glued to the TV watching the funeral service for HM Queen Elizabeth II. Since I live in the US and did not want to stay up all night, I recorded the 6-hour BBC coverage. It was a moving and awe-inspiring event; very... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: What do we know about Jane Austen’s love life? Very little. The information that survives is found in her personal letters and from family recollections. Apart from the one proposal by Harris Bigg-Wither, no other known romances or love affairs were documented. For someone who wrote so perceptively... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: In the 41 years of producing television adaptations based on classic literature, Masterpiece Classic (formerly known as Master Theatre), has had a very productive relationship with author Charles Dickens. We have enjoyed two Bleak House’s, two David Copperfield’s, A Tale of Two Cities, Hard Times, Martin Chuzzlewit, Great... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Charles Dickens’ classic novel Great Expectations has been adapted no less than fourteen times for the screen. Like Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, every ten years or so it gets trotted out for a new interpretation; and, for good reason. The tale is... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: The romance of Emma, Lady Hamilton and Lord Horatio Nelson might just rival Romeo and Juliette or Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy as the greatest love story of all time. Moreover, their story is made all the more poignant because it is not a work of fiction created... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: The fourth and final episode of season four of the Miss Marple Mysteries aired on Sunday, July 26th on Masterpiece Mystery with Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, a new adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel on PBS. The new Miss Marple, Julia McKenzie, is growing on me. I... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Julia McKenzie debuted on Sunday as the new Miss Marple in A Pocket Full of Rye on Masterpiece Mystery. She’s the actress who played Mrs. Forrester in last season's Cranford who put flannel pajamas on her cow. We shall see if she can also put a memorable spin... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:Â Take a controversial classic novel, mix in a liberal filmmaker's re-interpretation, amplify the slavery subtext, add in lesbianism and incest, and presto! you have Mansfield Park (1999), writer-director Patricia Rozema's provocative adaptation of Jane Austen's 1814 novel. I am not exaggerating when I say that Jane Austen's fans... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Mansfield Park, Jane Austen's third novel was published in 1814. It's reception by critics and readers has been mixed—not as light, bright, and sparkling as Pride and Prejudice nor as poignant and romantic as Persuasion. It is a complex story about identity, self-worth, and moral fortitude. It's heroine... Continue Reading →
