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Scroll.in
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scroll.in
Bonnets, speech bubbles, ‘cheeky easter eggs': A sophisticated graphic biography of Jane Austen
This year is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth and she hasn't aged a bit as the cultural touchstone of classy romance. Her Pride and Prejudice anti-hero, Mr Darcy, perennially pops up in his breeches in Instagram memes, while Regency feminist, Elizabeth Bennet, has been brought to life by a host of contemporary actors. Along with new screen versions of Austen's Sense and Sensibility (starring Daisy Edgar-Jones) and a Netflix version of P&P, there have been adaptations of her classics, Persuasion, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Mansfield Park . And, there are numerous biographies and biopics, including a TV drama about Jane's sister, Cassandra, who burned most of Jane's letters . Now, there is also a graphic biography: The Novel Life of Jane Austen , written by Janine Barchas and illustrated by Isabel Greenberg. Together, they have co-created a storyboard for the domestic life that framed Austen's writing, encompassing her closeness to both Cassandra and her brother Frank, who joined the navy and liked to sew. Unlike a 'cradle to grave' biography, Barchas begins with a teenage Jane in London, with Frank touring an exhibition about Shakespeare and his work. We then follow her, in illustrative comic boxes and speech bubbles, through her publishing rejections, her breakthrough debut Sense and Sensibility, and her rise to become one of most beloved writers in the canon of English literature. The book ends beyond the grave, flashing forward to the present, in a scene where contemporary fans – Janeites – visit Jane Austen's House , the cottage in Hampshire where Austen lived when she revised and published her six novels. It's also a sign of subtle structural polish. Now Jane Austen is as deserving of her own gallery as Shakespeare was when we first met Jane as a young, unpublished author. Barchas – an 'Austenite', as Austen scholars are called – is the author of The Lost Books of Jane Austen , a study of the mass market editions of Austen's work. ( The Novel Life touches on Austen's posthumous appeal with a scene where readers buy Austen books for one shilling at a railway station after her death, aged 41.) Barchas also wrote Matters of Fact in Jane Austen: History, Location and Celebrity , which links Austen's characters to well-known locations and figures in her era. Barchas is the co-creator of the interactive digital exhibition, What Jane Saw , which invites us to visit two art exhibitions witnessed by Jane Austen: the Sir Joshua Reynolds retrospective in 1813 or the Shakespeare Gallery as it looked in 1796. The Novel Life , however, is a more definitive life story. It's also best read in print (although it is available as an e-book) to appreciate Greenberg's illustrations and graphic format. The Novel Life is a gentler, less dramatic style than traditional comics with six-pack superheroes or Japanese manga, similar to Greenberg's previous literary graphic biography foray, Glass Town , about the Brontë sisters. For The Novel Life , Greenberg has drawn a world in which Austen is whimsical, with expressive eyes looming under her signature bangs. She and her sister Cassandra appear in bright yellow or blue empire-line dresses. Most scenes are illustrated in a muted palette of yellow, blue and grey. This palette, Barchas reflects in the preface, represents 'the relative quiet of her (Austen's) life'. When Jane is thinking or writing, however, the pages transform into vivid shades of pink to symbolise her imagination and inspiration. In these pages, The Novel Life is at its best, showing that graphic biography can be both captivating and deceptively sophisticated. Is a graphic biography really a biography in the conventional understanding of the genre? It can upset the perceived rules. Anticipating this, in the preface, Barchas reminds us: 'Any biography of Austen, and there are many, exists at the intersection of speculation and research.' This book is at this intersection. While the dialogue is largely invented, it is grounded in Barchas' expertise and there is a glossary of sources at the end. Throughout, there are also nods to the archive. Barchas begins with a scene of Jane in 1796 writing a letter to Cassandra at a desk while staying in London – one of the few not burnt. A speech bubble quotes an extract from it: 'Here I am once more in this scene of dissipation and vice, and I begin already to find my morals corrupted.' There are also Post-it style notes, separate to the bubbles, offering extra biographical context for readers less familiar with the intricacies of Austen's story. A key scene happens when Jane, 22, receives her first rejection by a publisher for her manuscript 'First Impressions' and is comforted by the loyal Cassandra. The note reads: 'Jane would carry out more than a decade and a half of revisions before she dared to offer the manuscript to another publisher, who released it in 1813 as Pride and Prejudice .' Because of their visual casualness, importantly the notes don't interfere with the intimate, engaging tone of the story. For Austen's committed 'Janeite' fan base, Barchas promises 'cheeky easter eggs ' in the preface. Janeites can delight in well-quoted lines from the novels that appear as dialogue or a character's thoughts. Look, for instance, for Jane reading at a dinner party from P&P : 'It's a truth universally acknowledged […]' and 'she is tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me […]'. It's a truth universally acknowledged too that graphic biography can be confused with the graphic novel, now the third most popular literary genre in sales after general fiction and romance. But, dear reader, there's a tradition of life writing in the medium. The Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic biography/memoir, The Complete Maus , tells Art Spiegelman's father's story of the Holocaust to his son, Art, who struggled to understand his father. Maus portrayed Jewish people anthropomorphically as mice and Nazis as cats. It was described by The New Yorker 'as the first masterpiece of comic book history'. Other high points in graphic biography include Peter Bagge's Woman Rebel , the story of birth control campaigner Margaret Sanger, published in 2013. Not everyone will appreciate a work diverging so dramatically from the expectations of a traditional biography. And those who will most appreciate or scrutinise The Novel Life are, yes, the Janeites and Austenites. Regardless, Austen comes to graphic life in the mind and hands of Barchas and Greenberg. More generally, for those of us who like our biographies in vivid colour – literally – and enjoy experiments in nonfiction storytelling, it's a delightful reading experience, just like Jane Austen. Kerrie Davies is Senior Lecturer, School of the Arts and Media, UNSW Sydney. This article first appeared on The Conversation. The Novel Life of Jane Austen: A Graphic Biography, Janine Barchas, illustrated by Isabel Greenberg, Greenfinch.
The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Two popular Irish stars join star-studded cast for reboot of iconic period drama movie as filming kicks off in UK
TWO Irish homegrown talents have been added to the star-studded cast of a major film reboot. Jane Austen's classic Sense & Sensibility is set to get another outing on the big screen thirty years on from its first film adaptation. Advertisement 3 Jane Austen's Sense & Sensibility will make a return to the big screen 3 Fiona Shaw has been cast as Mrs Jennings in the film reboot 3 Catriona Balfe was announced to play Mrs Dashwood The second adaptation of the legendary tale has already seen some major names cast. While Hanna star Esme Creed-Miles will star as Marianne Dashwood, the emotional and reckless sister. Yesterday it was announced that Advertisement READ MORE IN SHOWBIZ Shaw will be accompanied by another Irish lady - Balfe is expected to play Elinor and Marianne's mum, Mrs Dashwood. George MacKay is also on board the flick as Edward Ferrars, Elinor's adorably dorky love interest. You might recognise him from his role in the critically acclaimed flick 1917. Advertisement MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN Exclusive Frank Dillane will play the roguish John Willoughby, the suitor who ultimately breaks Marianne's heart. He's probably most familiar to American audiences for his role on AMC's series 80s movie star with very famous family is unrecognisable as he rides a motorcycle in LA - can you guess who he is? Filming for the highly anticipated revival of the 90s classic began earlier this month in the However, a release date has yet to be announced for the movie. Advertisement Sense and Sensibility follows the fortunes of the three Dashwood sisters in the 18th century. FAMOUS PLOT Following the death of their father, the sisters and their mother are forced to move out of their family estate and into a cottage with a relative. Their half-brother, who had promised their father that he would support them, is instead persuaded by his wife to withhold financial support. His wife also sets about blocking a potential match with Elinor and her brother. Advertisement Meanwhile, Marianne is attempting to stave off a marriage to the much older, but wealthy, Colonel Brandon, and instead falls in love with the dashing, but weak-willed, John Willoughby. As the plot unfolds, the sisters find themselves experiencing contrasting relationship stories.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Is Emma Stone an Alien in Yorgos Lanthimos' ‘Bugonia' Trailer?
Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone are collaborating again, this time on Bugonia, an eerie, dark-comedy remake of the 2003 South Korean sci-fi film Save the Green Planet!, written and directed by Jang Joon-Hwan. The film's synopsis from Will Tracy's screenplay is as follows: 'Two conspiracy obsessed young men (Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis) kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company (Emma Stone), convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.' More from The Hollywood Reporter Daisy Edgar-Jones to Star in New 'Sense and Sensibility' Film Adaptation Maya da Costa, Myra Molloy to Star in Hayley Kiyoko's 'Girls Like Girls' Movie Steven Flynn, Former Gramercy Pictures and Focus Features Marketing Executive, Dies at 70 In addition to Stone, Plemons and Delbis, Stavros Halkias and Alicia Silverstone round out the cast. The trailer is equal parts unsettling, outlandish and zany. Although its veneer is sheer absurdity, the film's essence seems to be a dark commentary on economic disparity. While it's unclear is Stone's character is actually an alien, she appears like an unbothered Queen Bee, unfazed by the struggling working class. The English-language version of the Korean film was developed by Miky Lee's CJ ENM with Eddington writer-director Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen at Square Peg. Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe are producing for Element Pictures along with Lanthimos, Aster, Knudsen, Stone and Lee and Jerry Kyoungboum Ko for CJ ENM. Stone has worked with Lanthimos on The Favourite, Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness, which also starred Plemons. Universal Pictures will release Bugonia internationally, excluding Korea, where CJ ENM will handle the local release. Focus Features will release Bugonia in select theaters in the U.S. on Oct. 24, followed by a wide expansion on Oct. 31. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Solve the daily Crossword
Elle
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
'Sense and Sensibility': What We Know So Far About the New Adaptation Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones
Good news has arrived for Jane Austen fans. The author's classic novel, Sense and Sensibility, is returning to the big screen. (The book was previously made into the Oscar-winning 1995 film starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet.) Here's everything we know about the remake. Sense and Sensibility follows the three Dashwood sisters and their mother, now a widow, in 18th-century England. The family is forced to leave their lavish Sussex family estate and move in with a distant relative who lives in a quaint cottage. There, the two eldest sisters, Elinor and Marianne, begin contrasting journeys of love and loss. Daisy Edgar-Jones is set to lead the film. She'll play Elinor Dashwood, the eldest sister of the three siblings. In her ELLE US cover story, Edgar-Jones spoke about the importance of playing layered characters. 'It's great that more and more stories are being made with women front and centre,' she said. 'It's also an interesting thing, being a woman in your 20s, wanting to find characters who are not always ingenues. You want to find characters with agency. I want every character I play to be complicated and deep and have layers to them, because that's what it is to be human. I feel lucky that a lot of the characters I've played have had that. They aren't defined by their actions or their experiences, or by the men in their life.' Edgar-Jones celebrated the Sense and Sensibility news on Instagram in a photo posted today that shows her holding the book. She wrote a simple caption, '👀.' On July 11, Deadline reported that Esmé Creed-Miles (Hanna) has been cast as Marianne Dashwood, Elinor's emotional and impulsive sister. Miles shared an Instagram post celebrating the big news with shots of the book and her script side-by-side with Edgar Jones's. On July 21, Variety reported that Caitríona Balfe (Outlander), George MacKay (1917), Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve), Frank Dillane (Fear the Walking Dead), Herbert Nordrum (The Worst Person in the World), and Bodhi Rae Breathnach (So Awkward Academy) have joined the cast. Balfe will play Mrs. Dashwood, Elinor and Marianne's mother; MacKay will play Edward Ferrars, Elinor's love interest; Shaw will play Mrs. Jennings, the woman whom the sisters stay with in London; Dillane will play John Willoughby, Marianne's first love interest; Nordrum will play Colonel Brandon; Marianne's other love interest; and Rae Breathnach will play Margaret, Elinor and Marianne's younger sister. The Sense and Sensibility remake will be brought to you by Focus Features and Working Title Films. Georgia Oakley (Blue Jean) will direct, and the bestselling author Diana Reid (Love & Virtue) will write the screenplay. Yes! According to Reid, the film was set to start shooting in July 2025, and it has. Filming has officially commenced in the United Kingdom. Not yet, though according to Focus Features, 'it's coming soon.' This story will be updated. ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE. Juliana Ukiomogbe is the former Assistant Editor at ELLE. Her work has previously appeared in Interview, i-D, Teen Vogue, Nylon, and more.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Inside the Historic Homes of Famous Authors That Are Open to the Public
It is said that 'each house has a story to tell.' One can know a lot about another person by visiting their house. Today, we have curated a list for literature lovers. Your dreams will finally come true- you can visit some of the legendary authors' houses and get a glimpse of the life they lived and what shaped their stories. Let's get into it and know some interesting info on our famous writers: Jane Austen's House Museum This is a 17th century cottage located in Chawton, Hampshire, which was home to Jane Austen from 1809 to 1817. This is the place where she wrote her six major novels: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, Emma, and Northanger Abbey. After her death, this house became apartments and a workman's club until 1949 but was then restored by the Jane Austen Society into a museum. Literature lovers get a glimpse of her daily life with the tiny writing table, her jewellery, and her manuscripts. Monk's House This house is located in East Sussex, England, and was originally a timber framed cottage, later purchased by Virginia Woolf in 1919. This was the place where Virginia wrote key works including Mrs Dalloway, a widely loved novel. The interior walls of the cottage display painted tiles and murals made by Vanessa Bell, her sister, and one bedroom has a tile inscribed 'VW from VB 1930.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Crypto CFDs May Suit Your Portfolio IC Markets Learn More Undo This is a must visit place for all literary geeks. Rabindranath Tagore's Ancestral Home This haveli is located in Kolkata, West Bengal, and was the ancestral home of the renowned writer Rabindranath Tagore. It has now been converted into a cultural museum where they showcase the Tagore family archives, artworks, personal belongings, and items reflecting rich Bengali culture. Visitors can also see the rooms and courtyards where Rabindranath Tagore wrote most of his famous poems and music, and drew inspiration for his reformist thought. Ghalib ki Haveli This haveli is located in Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi, and was the home of the 19th century Urdu‑Persian poet Mirza Ghalib. He lived and composed his poetry here, and after his death the building was greatly damaged but the Delhi government restored it in 2000. Today, if you visit it, you will find handwritten poems, portraits, a bust, and architectural designs of the 19th century. Shakespeare's Birthplace Everyone knows William Shakespeare—he was a playwright famous for works such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Othello, which continue to be reinterpreted today. His birthplace residence is located in Stratford‑upon‑Avon, England, and is a 16th century half-timbered house. Here you will find the Falcon Inn chair, considered Shakespeare's favourite, and exhibits displaying his books. Brontë Parsonage Museum This house was owned by Patrick Brontë and became home to Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë in 1820. The Brontë Society converted this house into a museum, which now houses the world's largest collection of Brontë relics. Here one can see the dining room where the sisters wrote some of their most famous novels, Charlotte's bedroom, and Emily's study. Visitors can also look at the imaginative miniature books the Brontës made as children. R.K. Narayan's House Visitors can also visit the home of Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayan in Mysuru, Karnataka. He spent many years writing in this two-story building—this is the place where he wrote Malgudi Days and his other famous works. In 2016, this home was converted into a museum, where one can see his manuscripts and personal items, giving readers a glimpse into his life.
