The List...#5 & #6

#5.  Pride & Prejudice

I love Jane Austen.  I love Pride & Prejudice.  I love everything about the 19th century, particularly in England.  I love historical fiction. 

I majored in English in college (or as we say it, at the University!) back in Australia, with a concentration on early and late 19th Century literature.  From an early age, I had a love for reading.  I remember crawling into bed with a torch (or flashlight), and had to go under the covers to continue reading after it was past my bedtime.  It was without surprise that I had to wear glasses at the young age of 7, because of my constant escapades with reading in very poorly lit environments!  But reading was my form of escapism.  I dived right into the world of fiction and adventure.  My first favorite author was Enid Blyton who was an English children's writer, and she wrote the 22-book series called "The Famous Five".  It is similar to the American version of the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew.  I also read her entire collection of "The Secret Seven", and all the books of the "St. Claire's" series, which is about twin girls going off to boarding school in England.  As my love for reading grew, so did my love for writing.  I wanted to grow up to be a freelance journalist, possibly traveling the world and writing...my 2 great passions at that time.

When I was in secondary school (which is equivalent to junior high/high school), I was introduced to Jane Austen, and the wonderful world of Pride and Prejudice.  And there was no turning back after that!  I fell in love with everything Jane Austen!  I read and reread all her books.  While I enjoyed Sense and Sensibility, Emma, and Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice captured my heart, and it became my favorite book of all times. 

I loved the spunkiness of Elizabeth, and secretly wished that I could be more like her - smart, witty, confident, self-assured, not really caring what other people thought of her, stayed true to herself and her convictions, fought for what is right and stood up for herself (loved it when she stood up to Lady Catherine de Burgh!  or Catherine de bleh!...as I used to call her!).

I'm such an Austen nerd that I made it a point to visit Chawton in Hampshire when I was in England.  In 2005, I was visiting my sister who lived in London at that time, and made a day trip out to the English countryside!  I was giddy with excitement on the bus to Chawton, and Jared was a good sport to accompany me on my crazy quest to find the birthplace of my favorite author.  The bus took us to the small town of Chawton, and we literally had to walk across the grassy knolls to get to Jane Austen's house.  Of course I had to pretend that I was an Austen character and was living out the day-to-day routine of having to walk from place-to-place if a carriage was not available.  It took everything in me to not steal anything from the Austen household!  I was mesmerized and in awe of being there (I think Jared was probably wondering if there was a nearby pub that had ESPN).  After spending some time there, we took another bus which took us to Winchester Cathedral where she was buried.  I had to pay my respects to her.

It was an amazing day for this Jane Austen fan!

     

Jane Austen's house

Jane's writing desk!

Anyway, this year, as a tribute to the 200th Anniversary of Pride & Prejudice (as well as it being on my 40 List!), I wanted to reread the book and re-watch all the movies that have been made about the book.  Needless to say, it was an enjoyable feat!  So, if I haven't already bored you, here's my account of the movies that I own and have seen umpteenth times:

My Pride & Prejudice movie collection!

Pride & Prejudice - BBC version with Colin Firth:

By far my favorite!  This version stays truest to the story of P&P.  The fact that it's a 6-hour mini series gives it liberty to work the details of the story into the movie, unlike the Hollywood versions who try to cram everything into 90 minutes or so, which doesn't give the book justice at all!

Pride & Prejudice - Hollywood version with Keira Knightley:

It was okay, though I really like Matthew McFadyen as Mr. Darcy.  While the movie stayed true to the story, the writers/producers took a lot of liberty with the script.  They added their own interpretation of what Austen wrote.  I've never been a big fan of Keira Knightley, so I thought they could have cast someone better.  But casting Tom Hollander as Mr. Collins was brilliant.  He was awkward, funny, and highly entertaining!

Lost in Austen:

This is fun modern-day-meets-19th-century-world-of-Elizabeth-and-Darcy movie.  It's about a woman who loves Pride and Prejudice and everything about it, and she somehow finds a portal that transports her to the Bennett household.  She and Elizabeth Bennett actually trade places (yes, Lizzy comes to live in modern day England, while Amanda becomes a guest in the Bennett household).  But the story is more about Amanda meeting all the characters of Pride and Prejudice, and how she tries to prevent certain plots from occurring because that would just ruin the whole story, like forcing Mr. Bingley to NOT fall in love with her because he needs to fall in love with Jane to remain true to the story.  For Downton Abbey fans, Hugh Bonneville (Sir Grantham) is Mr. Bingley.  And by far, this version has the creepiest Mr. Collins EVER!  Eek...he literally makes my skin crawl!  Overall, this movie is different, but entertaining!

Bride & Prejudice:

Okay, true confession...watching this movie is one of my guilty pleasures!  It is the Bollywood version of Pride and Prejudice, and it is soooo fun to watch!  There's dancing and singing, and it is so colorful!  You have to overlook some of the cheesiness, but you'll definitely find this fun and entertaining!  The story is based in India, so just imagine the Bennett family as Indians, and the story does stay true to the plot.  I guarantee that you'll be smiling and singing along!  And Aishwarya Rai (who plays the Elizabeth character) is truly gorgeous!  Mr. Darcy (Martin Henderson) isn't too bad himself!

As I was looking on Amazon.com, I noticed that there is an older version of Pride and Prejudice starring Laurence Olivier and Ann Rutherford.  I will have to watch that soon!

If I haven't bored you yet, here's my fantasy cast of Pride and Prejudice:

Elizabeth Bennett - I'm still not sure...it's a huge role!  If Jennifer Gardner can pull off a British accent, maybe it could work.  But she's so sweet, unless she unleashes her Alias character!
Mr. Darcy - toss up between Matthew McFadyen (in the Hollywood version) or Hugh Jackman
Mr. Bingley - Eddie Redmayne (he played Marius from Les Mis)
Jane Bennett - Nicole Kidman or a blonde Jennifer Gardner
Mr. Bennett - Hugh Bonneville (from Downton Abbey)
Mrs. Bennett - Emma Thompson
Mr. Wickham - not sure...who's someone you'd love to hate?  Maybe Ryan Gosling?
Caroline Bingley - Mary from Downton Abbey (I forgot what her real name is)
Lady Catherine de Burgh - Maggie Smith (from Downton Abbey)

Mr. Collins - anyone weird and creepy, though I do like Tom Hollander from the Hollywood version, he's also in the Pirates of the Carribean), or Russell Crowe...haha!

 

And to show you what a freak I am, here are some of my Jane Austen/Pride & Prejudice collectables:

 

I bought this coffee mug and kitchen towel with the inscription of Mr. Darcy's profession of love to Elizabeth.

 

English Tea is my absolute favorite!

 

Books I bought when I was in Chawton.

Yes!  They even have a board book of P&P!  This is a counting book.  I believe the baby board book for Sense & Sensibility covers numbers and Emma covers shapes (or something like that!)

 

#6. Go to the movies by myself

I thought it would be weird, but it wasn't.  It was actually quite nice!  I mean, you don't talk to people during the movie anyway.  I actually walked out of there with a huge smile on my face...maybe because I finally did it, and the movie had a happy ending. 

I was on my personal retreat, and I thought it would be neat to go catch a movie by myself, just to break up the day.  I watched "Safe Haven", another movie based on a Nicholas Sparks book.  I didn't have any expectations, but it turned out to be pretty good.  I loved "The Notebook", and Jared liked "The Lucky One" (oops, I hope he doesn't kill me for disclosing this!).  I think "Safe Haven" is in between, but with a thriller twist. 

'Nuff said.  I did it!  And I'm proud of myself for doing it.  I may have to make this a regular thing!

Shanghai Girls...and a tribute.

 

It's been a while since I wrote a "book report", but I just finished Lisa See's novel "Shanghai Girls".  For those of you who know me, I love historical fiction.  But nothing intrigues me more than reading stories that are set in China or the Far East.  I love reading about different Chinese characters, walking with them through their hardships, their lives steep in culture and traditions, while at the same time, longing to be free of cultural expectations.

I devour these books because I feel there are elements of my Chinese heritage that I want to learn more about, and there are missing pieces in my family history that I've longed to put together.  As I read these novels, I'm intrigued and I'm connected, and I picture my grandmother and grandfather as characters in these stories.

Lisa See is such a gifted story-teller.  Her previous book "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" reminded me of my great-grandmother when she described Chinese women with bound feet, and she gave an intricate account of how a foot is bound.  It was so interesting (and painful!) to read about it, and it took me back to memories of my great-grandmother whom I had the honor and privilege to know for at least 10 years before she passed away.  I remember her small little feet, the way she would waddle, her quiet demeanor, and the love and adoration her children had for her.  At the same time, I remember thinking how blessed I am that I was born in the day and age where feet-binding was not an expectation.  As I think about it, I'm only 2 generations removed from the patriarchal, feet-binding era.  And when I think about the decisions that my grandparents made, particularly their escape from China under Japanese occupation, I would not be where I am today.  It gives me chills to think that I could've been born in China and how my life would be so different from what it is today.

The central theme to Lisa See's historical fiction is about relationships between women, usually mother-daughter, or sister-sister.  I love how she has given the Chinese women a voice during a time when male dominance prevailed.  Typically, you see how quiet, demure these Chinese women are.  But surely, they have opinions and feelings just like everyone else.  Girls from a young age were groomed to become wives, take orders from their husbands and mothers-in-law, and expected to produce sons to carry on their husband's family name.  Throughout the course of history, Chinese or otherwise, women are considered lower class than men.  Parents want sons, not daughters.  I know that unfathomable things are done to baby girls in China, even today (hence my holy discontent...but that's a story for another day!).  So, it's refreshing that Lisa See is verbalizing the thoughts and dreams of these Chinese women.  The relationships between the women are powerful.  Back in the day (and perhaps still today), being outwardly affectionate is not the norm nor acceptable.  But the evidence of a mother's love goes beyond words, as account after account of the sacrifices a mother would make for her daughters show the extent of her love.  Lisa See's ability to bring the reader into the world of her characters only benefits, because I get to feel, rejoice, cheer, empathize, and agonize right alongside these women, who may as well be representatives of my grandmother, great-grandmother, and other ancestors.  Their powerful relationships make sense since they only have each other to lean on for comfort and empathy as they go through similar experiences. 

I can't help but think about my beloved grandparents, and what they had to go through.  I know that they escaped from China (just like in the book), though I don't know how and what they must have seen or experienced in their escape.  I know that my grandmother was a young bride, and my grandfather a handsome sailor.  Perhaps it was a blessing that he had the means to transport them via sea and headed south to the British colonized island of Singapore, where their new life began.  I picture them bringing my great-grandmother along, as well as all of my grand aunts and uncles.  What a crazy, and probably dangerous undertaking! 

If they had stayed in China, and let's just say I was born there, I wonder if I would've been given up or left on the side of the road because I was born a girl?  I wonder if my feet would be bound?  I wonder if I would be married to a strange man who was arranged for me, and whom I would only meet on my wedding day?  I wonder if I would've been sterilized after my first child?  I wonder if I would be able to read or go to school?  I wonder if I would be separated from my family and live to serve my in-laws?  I wonder if I would come to know Jesus?

For this and so much more, I am so thankful to my grandparents for their sacrifice of leaving their homeland in search for a better life elsewhere.  The desire for freedom is innate in every person, and it was their desire for life and liberty that provided a better future for their children and future generations, me included.  I adored my grandparents!  They took care of my sister and I when we were little while my parents worked.  While they maintained a lot of their Chinese decorum, I saw playful sides of them too.  I saw how my grandfather served my grandmother (he did all the cleaning, ironing, and laundry!  That's so counter-cultural in their culture!).  My grandmother was a fabulous cook!  I treasure my many memories of her, especially when she brushed my hair, fanned me while I took my naps, protected me from my hot-tempered parents, loved me beyond measure.  I adored my grandfather, and remember him being so silly as he made my sister and I laugh.  He always sang songs and was incredibly goofy.  I remember him picking me up from school and we'd walk home hand-in-hand, and he'd let me play in the park and bought me ice-cream sandwiches almost every day.  My grandfather is the coolest because he took me to see "Grease" seven times in the movie theaters!!  Yes, 7.  And he didn't even speak English! 

Truly, the best part of me, I attribute it to them.  And I miss them dearly.  Though they are no longer alive, I hope that they are proud of me.  I think about them a lot, often when I'm the loneliest, and sometimes wish I could go back in time and be able to go over to their house because it was my safe haven.  I grieve over the fact that my children will never know them.  But as I start sharing my story and my childhood with Joshua, Jenna, and Becca, I pray that my children will see a glimpse of who my grandparents were and how much I loved them.  And no matter what, we are family, and a piece of my grandparents will always be with us.

I didn't intend to make this blog post about my grandparents, but I find it a fitting tribute to them as I review the book I've been reading.  In conclusion, Shanghai Girls is a story about 2 sisters who escape China during the time of the Japanese invasion.  It is about their struggle to adapt to life in America, while trying to remain true to who they are.  They bring with them emotional baggage and secrets from their homeland.  As readers, we cheer them on in their attempt to create a new life in the States, knowing the hell that they went through in China.  But their story doesn't end in this book.  Along comes the next generation as their daughter Joy tries to find her identity as a Chinese American. 

And I can't wait to read the sequel "Dreams of Joy"!