Happy Birthday Jane Austen!

It's that time of year again, Jane Austen's birthday!

Jane Austen's storytelling has inspired various stories for years! 

The most recent tribute I've seen for Austen was in the TV show Girl Meets World: 

The Riley and Maya, in all their confusion over what happened in Texas, relate to the story Sense and Sensibility.

 "What is essential to the situation, my dear Maya, is to host a ball. A grand ball, a New Year’s Eve Ball. We shall invite all the eligible gentlemen of good (….) standing in the village." - Riley

This episode was so well written, and it foreshadowed possible events in their lives. 

In my opinion: Riley related to Marianne. Her crush on Lucas mirrors the affection that Marianne

 feels for Willoughby. The simple fact that she was only in love with the idea of him. And what about Farkle you ask? Why was he so hell bent on exposing her secret? 

Farkle relates to Colonel Brandon who is always there for Marianne, but she doesn't see that until Willoughby breaks her heart.  

Now, what about Maya? Maya relates to Elinor, who hides her true feelings for Edward for a long time. It's been obvious that Maya has tried to hide her feelings for Lucas since the beginning of the show. 

I loved the shout out to Jane Austen in this episode, and I thought the parallel was well done. 

Austen's works are timeless. 

Some of my favorite adaptions are of course the BBC Pride and Prejudicce: 

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: 

And Emma Approved: 

Happy Austen Day Everyone! ^_^

Sense and Sensibility the musical: a review

As a member of the Jane Austen bookclub, I had the pleasure of viewing Sense and Sensibility the musical this evening. It was a delight! Not only was the dictation in good humor, but the songs themselves took the audience back to 18th century England where tea, gossip and status reign. The costumes were wonderful, from the elegant empire waistlines to the red coats of the regiment. My favorite song was "Awkward" because it was fun and very appropriate for the scene in the play where people in connected situations were put under the same roof. It was a fun show, and even though I asked for the soundtrack, they haven't made one yet, but they hope to make one in the future. 

I recommend the musical to any Jane Austen fan, because some of the dialouge was straight from the novel, and the songs fit in well with the way the story was told. The props were neat, from the hill they moved around the stage to the quaint window seat that overlooked the scenery. 

This was an excellent adaption of an Austen tale, with a light disposition and a witty script!