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I love my dad. Every year he wants to color Easter eggs. You know, for himself. He's in his 60s. :D In the process of making plans to get together that weekend, one of his emails ended with "can we color eggs?"

And in other news, I picked up the latest miniseries "Emma" the other day since I wanted something long to watch while on the treadmill. Confession: I've never actually read Emma, but I have seen how many ever adaptations of it. One thing I really like about this new series is that it seems to go into more depth than I'm used to, and I'm assuming it's much closer to the book. Very nice insight into the reasoning behind things and so on.

But one thing that's cracking me up is that everyone is so bitchy in this! XD It seems like everyone is in this perpetual state of crabbiness, and that goes for Emma and Mr. Knightly as well. I'm not quite half way into it, so maybe people eventually chill out. (And maybe this is how the book really is.) Also, I'm not overly wild about Jonny Lee Miller's Mr. Knightly, but maybe he'll grow on me.

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Emma certainly is Austen's most 'catty' book. She wrote it last (I think?) and had written that she expected everyone to hate Emma because she has very real flaws. Emma IS very rude and bitchy and doesn't ever really think about how things affect people because her wealth and privilege protect her. But I find that it makes it more exciting to read gossip than to read about virtuous people. I always prefer adaptations of Emma to adaptations of Mansfield Park, which was the most boring book for me to read of Austen's work. UGH, FANNY PRICE, DIAF.

BWAH! I've never read or seen Mansfield Park, so I'll have to take your word for it.

In the adaptations I've seen in Emma, they've made her with more good intentions than this adaptation. Sounds like this is closer to the book.

ICON!

OH MY GAWD I TRIED TO READ THAT PESTULANCERIDDEN BOOK ONCE WHYY DID IT EXIST.

ahem. yes, fanny price is definitely a character whose...uh, charm is lost in the several-generations gap.

Oooh, Austen! I didn't know there was a new adaptation out. Let me know if it's good!!

So far it's interesting. :D

Man, I can't stand Emma. Never been able to finish the novel, either reading or audiobook... I get bored/annoyed. Plus in my head she's always played by Gwenyth Paltrow, which is just... unpleasant.

I have an odd affection for the Gwenyth Paltrow version, even though it's...how should I put this...empty-headed. :D

Empty-headed is a decent description. I was head-desking during most of it.

Emma is the one Austen novel I don't hate. (Well, I don't completely despise Pride & Prejudice, I suppose.) Emma is definitely bitchy and self-absorbed, but she gets schooled in the end. And Mr. Knightley's brand of sarcasm is pretty awesome. Plus, no simpering females! Hurrah!

It will be nice to see her taken down a notch, that's for sure! :D

That's 'cause coloring eggs is awesome :-D

Yeah, I'm not 100% sure how I feel about the new Emma either. Like you, I've never read the book but have seen adaptations: 1996 Gwenyth Paltrow/Jeremy Northam, 1996 Kate Beckinsale/ Mark Strong. Ha, actually I just finished watching Clueless for the first time tonight. I know the Kate Beckinsale version was pretty faithful to the novel but I'm partial to the Gwenyth Paltrow version. Actually, I liked Kate Beckinsale's portrayel but that Mr. Knightly just seemed, idk, mean. But, as you, said perhaps that was closer to the book, I'm not really sure.

LOVE this part.

The new miniseries...idk. I liked the opening but so far not really loving the Emma or Mr. Knightly. I only watched an episode though so it may grow on me.

I've made it about half way through now, and I'm starting to think that Emma and Mr. Knightly were miscast. Or they're just not that great of actors.

oh, i love that miniseries. and yeah, everyone's kinda bitchy, but that's part of the humor of it; Jane Austen wanted to write about a character that she would love, and the King would absolutely hate. so.

also, Austen is all about irony, and i think the bitchiness helps you to distance yourself from it and realize the subtlety of it all. or possibly i am talking out my ass.

Maybe I need to look at it from a different perspective.

I love the book Emma! And that mini series is lovely!

I watched it when it aired and then...aqquired it and watched it again!

I quite liked the Gwyneth Paltrow movie, mostly because it was so pretty to watch! But it did take some liberties and did smooth over some things.

The mini series is much, much closer to the book!

It really is a charming series. I don't think it truly breaks down into the individual episodes that well, though, so it's better to watch in a row.

I had a feeling it was closer to the book. It goes into detail that aren't really necessary to the plot, so I've gotta figure they were in the book. :D

And I'm glad I've got to watch it all in a row.

Heh, the only plus of these miniseries is that it's very pretty and the music is pretty,too, otherwise, I must say that if you seen them all Gwyneth Paltrow was the best Emma, as Jeremy Northam was the best Knightley XD I did, of course, read the book as I'm an Austen-geek and it's actually my favourite of hers (I read it before watching any adaptation), in others it's usually "poor girl marries a wealthy man" while here there's no actual profit in the marriage, AND Mr Kinghtley ♥ moves in with her which is about as feministic as it might get in Austen's time XD
I know many people don't like Emma but she is not bitchy, in these new miniseries I found that Emma is a bit too loud and too quick-tempered and not classy enough. But I still loved watching it for good picture and the length XD

I'm not overly wild about Jonny Lee Miller's Mr. Knightly
I wasn't happy when I learnt about the cast, I was like "But...but...he's Edmund! And Mr Knightley must have brown thick hair, totally XD"

On Emma - yeah. The thing is that I'm having a hard time figuring out why other characters like her at all in this. I get that she's supposed to be this deeply flawed character, but at the same time she's supposed to be oozing with charm. (Which is why she can manipulate everyone.) This Emma doesn't seem to have any charm, really.

The thing is that I'm having a hard time figuring out why other characters like her at all in this
Well, she actually has impeccable manners and is very lady-like and classy and she is kind to her inferiors (in the social situation), the only time she misbehaves in front of people is that time when she says mean thing to Miss Bates (even though it's true and Ms Bates is indeed very annoying and trivial it's still unkind), she's not DEEPLY flawed, her major flaws are self-deceit and a knack for match-making, which are actually very girly flaws, she basically reasoned herself into falling for Frank Churchill after she first met him and only later she realised she never loved him at all, for example, but she has a very good heart and she is talented just doesn't have enough patience to follow through, it's just since everyone around always thought she was sheer perfection there was no one but Mr Knightley to show her where she was wrong and what I adore most about their story is that he always loved her despite of all her flaws not like others(all the ambience) who just loved her because they thought she was perfect.

This Emma doesn't seem to have any charm, really.
She reminds me of a savage child most of the time XD

I just watched the new version last week. I really enjoyed it. I read Emma for a class in college and didn't really love it, and I've never really liked any version of it (except possibly Clueless) until now. Now I'm wanting to reread the book to see if I like it better now.

And I have never understood the appeal of Mansfield Park. The main character is completely lame and annoying. Emma is a refreshing change from that.

I'm further along in the series now, and I am starting to warm up to Emma and Mr. Knightly. Maybe it was seeing Mrs. Elton in comparison. :D

(Of course, all I can think of is Lilith from The Shakespeare Code when I see her.)

all I can think of is Lilith from The Shakespeare Code when I see her.

I did not make that connection.

Yeah, Mr. Knightly especially grew on me as I went on.

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