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Portraits of British Canonical Authors

27-02-2012

Screen adaptations of Pride and Prejudice

1. Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice January, 1813: first published (2nd: November, 1813; 3rd: 1817) original title: First Impressions (1796-97) title: from Fanny Burneys Cecilia (1782)
"The whole of this unfortunate business," said Dr. Lyster, "has been the result of PRIDE and PREJUDICE. ... Yet this, however, remember: if to PRIDE and PREJUDICE you owe your miseries, so wonderfully is good and evil balanced, that to PRIDE and PREJUDICE you will also owe their termination..."

1813: first foreign language translation the novel was well received

2. Popularity of Pride and Prejudice nowadays 2003: UKs Best-Loved Book: second place 2008: survey of Australian readers: first in a list of the 101 best books ever written 3. Adaptations stage: o 1936: play by Helen Jerome, London television: o 1938, 1952, 1967; 1980 and 1995: BBC mini-series (latter: most successful BBC drama ever) film o 1940 (Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier) o 2005 (Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen) other: o Broadway: 1959 (First Impressions) o 1995: musical concept album o 2008: Pride and Prejudice, The New Musical o Bride and Prejudice; Pride and Prejudice: A Later-Day Comedy; Lost in Austen, etc.

Edit Lukcs

Portraits of British Canonical Authors

27-02-2012

4. Pride and Prejudice (2005) director: Joe Wright screen writer: Deborah Moggach Oscar-nominated performance: Keira Knightley reason: story of Lizzie and Mr. Darcy as core of many films time to film Austens original story, concentrating on Lizzie truthful to the book: wanted to present the story as it was written (in modern way) treat as a piece of British realism + be as honest as possible main theme: falling love at first time (younger actors than in the 1940 version); however, the way the emotions change isnt very clear in th e movie Austens dialogue some parts are different from the book (e.g.: ending) but in most of the cases the film follows the book

References: Sutherland, K. (2004). Jane Austen and the Serious Modern Novel. In: Keymer, Thomas and Jon Mee, (Ed), The Cambridge Companion to English Literature 1740-1830 (pp. 244-262). Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2004

Pride and Prejudice (n.d.) Retrieved http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_and_Prejudice

February

27,

2011,

from

Pride and Prejudice (2005 film) (n.d.) Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_%26_Prejudice_(2005_film)

Pride & Prejudice: The Production (n.d.) Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://focusfeatures.com/article/pride___prejudice__the_production?film=pride_and_preju dice