Some Concluding Thoughts on Persuasion:

[capri0mni]

I've just finished reading the last two chapters, within the around noon, and here are more thoughts:

1. It occured to me, when I woke this morning, anticipating the final chapters, that the whole novel is structured just like a murder mystery. There's no murder, and no dectective, guiding you along in the search for clues. But when you get to the climatic scene, when the Truth is Finally Revealed, there's the same feeling you get from: "What do you mean it was the librarian?" And then you go back in your mind, and reexamine all the little clues that have been dropped along the way, and think: "Ah, yes! Now I see how it all fits!"
   
   And then, as I was reading the final chapters, that feeling was confirmed to the level of trufax. Austen even includes the equivalent of the dectective calling everyone into the drawing room, and explaining how he'd solved the mystery.



2. Words that made LOLs: "She had promised to be with the Musgroves from breakfast to dinner. Her faith was plighted, and Mr Elliot's character, like the Sultaness Scheherazade's head, must live another day."



3. I loved how Austen wrote the scene in the Musgroves' apartment. It's a masterful use of the subjective viewpoint character, without resorting to the Omniscient Author Voice.



4. I love how Anne is aware of how Captain Wentworth is watching her, and how they both overhear a key part of a key conversation at the same time, and their eyes meet. Pardon the overuse of the word "key," but: that's key. That's where they both recognize and acknowledge their history -- while they're in the same room.



5. And, a bit later, Wentworth dropping his pen, revealing he's as much as eavesdropper as she is -- that was just shiny (especially since Anne correctly suspects the reason for the pen being dropped).



6. For some reason, the screen adaptor, Andrew Davies Simon Burke (oops!), saw fit to cut this scene entirely, and almost does the same to Captain Wentworth's friendship with the Harvilles. And instead of this:
   

   She had only time, however, to move closer to the table where he had been writing, when footsteps were heard returning; the door opened, it was himself. He begged their pardon, but he had forgotten his gloves, and instantly crossing the room to the writing table, he drew out a letter from under the scattered paper, placed it before Anne with eyes of glowing entreaty fixed on her for a time, and hastily collecting his gloves, was again out of the room, almost before Mrs Musgrove was aware of his being in it: the work of an instant!
   
   The letter, with a direction hardly legible, to "Miss A. E.--," was evidently the one which he had been folding so hastily. While supposed to be writing only to Captain Benwick, he had been also addressing her! [...] Mrs Musgrove had little arrangements of her own at her own table; to their protection she must trust, and sinking into the chair which he had occupied, succeeding to the very spot where he had leaned and written, her eyes devoured the following words:

   
   Mister Davies Burke saw fit to replace that entire party scene with the letter being handed to Anne by someone else (it may have been Harville, I honestly don't remember), as he hurries past on an appointment, in a rather rude way, with barely a "Good morning." And poor Anne is left to read the letter on the public street, standing on the sidewalk.



7. No wonder I felt utterly confused and rushed by the ending of this TV version. Davies Burke somehow managed to cut out the majority the preceding scenes, brief as they were, where we we'd have had a chance to see Wentworth cast Miss Elliot a concerned or caring glance (especially in Lyme, after the accident, which is the moment Wentworth admits [in the novel] that he realizes his true feelings. That whole scene is focused soley on Anne, and is also cut short)-- so there were no actions in evidence to back up the words.



8. Are Andrew Simon and Russell T. brothers, by any chance (separated at birth, though some weird twist of fate)? Because rignt now, I'm thinking they're both utterly clueless when it comes to knowing which parts of the Original are Important, and Not to be Touched. ... Maybe it's a genetic deficiency, or something.



9. And finally: A celebration of Grown-Up Love as being stronger and deeper than Young Love! Not just Anne and Frederick all grown up, compared to when they were young and easily swayed, but also the marriages of the Elder Musgroves, and of the Crofts, and the Harvilles. I'd like Hollywood to give us more of this, please, and also to pay a decent royalty to the writers for all their words.

Comments

[trinalin.livejournal.com]

Which version is this? None of the ones on IMDB were written by a Davies (that I could see). (And Andrew Davies would be a MUCH older brother if he were Russell's bro. Course, in Wales, there's loads of Davies families.)

[alto2.livejournal.com]

Fair point--looks like Andrew Davies did not have a hand in the production that just aired on PBS--at least, not according to the IMDB.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

You're right. My mistake. I was getting that idea from Masterpiece's homepage, where they have an interview up with Andrew Davies as the screenwriter for Jane Austen, this time. I read too quickly, and failed to notice that Persuasion is not one of the versions attributed to him. ... I shall now edit my post accordingly.

[alto2.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, I was taken in by that, too, hence my assumption that you were right. Glad someone pointed out the goof, because I found it really disturbing that someone with his track record would have screwed up so badly! ;)

[alto2.livejournal.com]

I don't think Andrew and Rusty are related at all--and since Andrew is significantly older (b. 1936, Rusty b. 1963), I think it's rather doubtful that they're brothers.

I'm rather surprised to hear anyone putting the two of them in the same screenwriting breath, honestly. There's just no comparison. Granted, I've never seen or read Persuasion, so I can't judge, but there's a world of difference between the two Davies. I suspect the Persuasion problem must have been an issue of running time, and it may not be his fault that certain things got cut, since the director may have done some chopping after everything was filmed. But Andrew Davies is the man who adapted the full, not-a-minute-missing, and highly beloved Pride and Prejudice, last year's Bleak House, and the House of Cards trilogy.

I think he's proven himself worthy on those merits, so this one must have been a one-off. The man certainly knows his craft, though, where Rusty is just utterly clueless (and might do better with adaptations, actually, where the plot is already laid out for him!)

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Granted, I've never seen or read Persuasion

Consider this an official Rec, then. Even as I was reading it (Downloaded a free copy from the Guetenburg etext project), I was thinking: "I bet alto2 would like this!"

I shall now try to ferret out the version leenah recommended, yesterday: the one done by the Beeb in 1995. Although I notice from the dvd cover that the actor playing Wentworth is dark-haired, and that will get some taking used to, after I've seen him portrayed as a sunbleached blond...

[alto2.livejournal.com]

Rec taken under advisement--though it may take me a while to get to it, for obvious reasons.

If the version you mention is the one with Ciaran Hinds, I've heard very good things about it and have been strongly encouraged to see it, so hopefully you'll like it more!

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's the version I was thinking of...

Though I just read a review of it on the IMdB discussion boards, from someone who has never read the book, and from what the poster says, it's looks like the ending of that version is even more truncated. :-/...

But I'll look forward to watching it anyway. If people keep renting the different versions, maybe the Industry will get the idea that a 27-year old woman is plenty young enough to be a romantic lead.