World Book Day! (and Giveaway Reminder)

It's World Book Day today!  Celebrate by giving a relative/friend/colleague/aquaintance a book to promote the joy of reading or check out the website for events near you.

Don't forget to enter my book giveaway by the end of Friday.  You can enter by leaving a quick comment here.  Good luck and happy reading!

Miss Pettigrew: Puttin' on the Savoy

Just a quick post about my thoughts on the film Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.  It was a light, short film which does nicely to pass the time and the locations and interiors were dazzling.  I especially loved the jazz and big band music.  However, don't expect a faithful adaptation of the novel as plots and characters are quite altered.

I stated before that I didn't warm instantly to the character of Miss Lafosse in the novel but I'm afraid that I didn't like her at all in the film.   She was even ditzier and her instant warmth and protectiveness towards Miss Pettigrew in the novel is not to be found in the film.  Miss Dubarry - my favourite supporting character - is greatly changed and is indeed an adversary of sorts rather than being the woman who teaches Miss Pettigrew about the art of 'self-improvement' (in the looks department, that is).  The bond between the two was completely lacking.

The men in the story are also greatly changed, for example, Michael is near penniless and in Nick's employ and he comes across as less feisty and headstrong than his original incarnation.  Still, it was entertaining to see Lee Pace (of Wonderfalls and Pushing Daisies fame) playing the role of Michael with an English accent (of sorts).  Joe was played by the great Ciarán Hinds but was alas also not as robust and hearty as the book's depiction.

My favourite character of the film was, of course, Miss Pettigrew as portrayed by Frances McDormand.  Her acting was excellent but it was that of a more downtrodden and penniless (indeed starving) Miss Pettigrew.  I think that the film underplayed her gumption and also muted her physical transformation while at the same time removing her naiveté concerning matters of the heart.  The film exaggerated the frivolity in each character but then contrasted it sharply with the threat of World War II, which seemed to hang over all the characters and served as an impetus for them to live a more purposeful life.

It was an entertaining film but I felt that the novel had more charm and they could have included more of it.  I believe that all of the characters would have translated quite well to the screen without the need for personality transplants.  I was surprised to learn that Winifred Watson sold the film rights as long ago as 1939 and that it was to be filmed as a musical but WWII intervened.  I am therefore grateful that it was produced after such a long time and that it helped the sale of Persephone Books and created greater awareness for them and Winifred Watson.  Enjoy it as a movie that bears some resemblance to the book and you shouldn't be disappointed.

Snapshot Sunday

A view of Lamb House (the house on the right with the black door) and its adjoining garden as seen from the top of St Mary's Church in Rye, East Sussex.  This is the house (Mallards) and secret garden that is featured in the Mapp and Lucia novels where Miss Mapp climbs to the top of the church tower and spies the 'apparently' flu-ridden Lucia exercising in the garden.  The crooked chimney belonging to Mallards Cottage, where Georgie lived, is visible in the forefront.

World Book Day and a Giveaway

It's World Book Day on Thursday, 4 March 2010 and it is a day to promote, share and enjoy the pleasure of reading books.  This year sees events taking place in various areas around the UK.  You can visit the World Book Day website for a list of events or check out your library, favourite bookstore and local newspaper for additional events, promotions and talks.

To celebrate World Book Day, and in anticipation of the next book in this series to be published in July, I am giving away a brand new, unread hardback by one of my favourite writers, Alexander McCall Smith.  The book is The Unbearable Lightness of Scones and is the fifth instalment in the 44 Scotland Street series.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this series, it was originally published in The Scotsman newspaper in daily instalments and follows the comings and goings of a group of people who share an address in Scotland Street.  It bears McCall Smith's characteristic humour and charm with a dash of philosophical musings (usually witty) and each chapter is a self-contained gem, making it easy to read in small bites if required. 

Edinburgh is a beautiful character in this series and many places are featured in the book.  Check out this link for a free location guide to 44 Scotland Street - a handy little guide (which opens in pdf format) for when you're next in Edinburgh and hoping to place the book in context.

Whether you're a McCall Smith fan, or McCall Smith curious, please feel free to enter your name in the draw by leaving a comment on this post.  I am happy to post anywhere in the world.  This draw is open until the end of Friday, 5 March 2010 (UK time).  The winner will be drawn from a hat and announced on Saturday, 6 March 2010.  Good luck!

Capuchin Classics

Today I received one of the loveliest catalogues.  Capuchin Classics is a publishing house that concentrates on "reviving great works of fiction which have been unjustly forgotten or neglected" and they have created a strong, identifiable brand within the aesthetics of their books.  Each book appears with an attractive sketch on a paperback with serene green bands across the top of the book.  I was surprised to find that the 'book' in my package today was in fact the 2010 catalogue; a collectable in itself.  The catalogue devotes two pages to each of their publications with plot outlines and brief bios of the authors and foreword writers accompanied by a sketch and a quote pertinent to each book.  A charming compilation.   I came across a few books that entice me, particularly The Unbearable Bassington by Saki, Juan in America by Eric Linklater and Highland Fling by Nancy Mitford. They are currently doing a 3 for 2 on online orders and also invite suggestions for books for publication.  Their website and blog are well worth a visit.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

This novel is Persephone Books' best selling item and reviews are bountiful on the Internet, along with reviews about the film that was released in 2008.  I won't repeat the plot, as I'm sure most readers are aware of it, but I will touch upon my impressions of it.  I also hope to post a short review about the film soon and to briefly compare the two.

I found the book on the whole to be charming, diverting and fun although there were doubts about its frivolity along the way.  I don't think that I am over-the-moon about the book (as I expected to be after reading a few reviews) but I did enjoy it.  I liked Miss Pettigrew's character and loved it when she found secret reserves of courage within herself and took charge of a volatile situation.  She is a downtrodden woman who lacks experience in love and the "finer things in life" but she is self-reliant and independent, even if she struggles to pay her way in the world.  Her experience of life may be limited but it is solid and useful and underpinned by her intelligence and integrity. 

The funniest scenes in the book are right in the beginning when she mimics people from her past in order to get the better of an adversary.  Her newfound friend, Miss LaFosse, is her opposite.  She is frivolous and completely devoted to leading a pleasurable life at the expense of others (she relies on men to buy her things and keep her in a luxurious apartment).  A few characters within the book rely upon Miss LaFosse's judgement and intelligence but I found no evidence of such astuteness in her actions.  I'm afraid that to me, she came across as empty-headed and lacking in self-worth as she was easily led astray by men and their influence.   Perhaps I am being prudish, but near the beginning of the book I felt my interest wane as it was revealed that she had a couple of lovers on the go and was tempted to try cocaine.  I persevered and things got better... she did display a kind and giving nature but I felt that this was tinged with her lack of loyalty towards her lover(s) and her failure to be an independent women.  It may be a mark of the times that women were dependent on men and marriage in order to be financially secure, but I found it ironic that the sexually liberated Miss LaFosse was the one who was entirely dependent upon the generosity of men and that the conservative and sexually repressed Miss Pettigrew was the one who (out of necessity) relied only upon herself for her daily bread and butter.

The book is perhaps a peep into the social mores of the time in the late thirties (which makes references to promiscuity and drugs even more shocking to my mind - what did readers of the time make of that?) and as such is interesting from that point of view.  Although set in London, it had a bit of an American flavour to it with its slang and Chicago-style nightclubs.  But it is ultimately a Cinderella story and has a happy ending for our heroine, Miss Pettigrew, which I found the most thrilling bit of all.

I adored the vivid illustrations by Mary Thomson, which add to the richness and gaiety of the book, and help to bring the various characters to life.  One of my favourite characters is the indomitable Miss Dubarry who is confident, successful and happy to help other women in bettering themselves.  Although she too initially relied upon a man in order to make her way in the world, she took the initiative to learn about matters of business and ends up owning her own company.  It is thanks to her that Miss Pettigrew is given a glimpse into the life of the chic and graceful sirens when she is transformed into a beautiful swan by Miss Dubarry's skilful hands.  Miss Dubarry is also quick to assure our Miss Pettigrew that beauty is not always based upon substance and that any woman can improve upon nature... something that a lot of women still practice today.  The book is therefore peppered with dark and light moments and little moral tales, if you ponder upon it long enough, but it is ultimately a happy and comforting read, to be approached lightly and without over-analysis (which I am afraid I am sometimes guilty of!).

This is my second Persephone book and I possess both a copy in the classic grey cover and the colourful Classics edition.  I was fortunate enough to find them each in a charity shop over the course of a few months.  The end papers in the grey edition are graceful and warm and suit the book perfectly.  Persephone books are truly a tactile pleasure as they feel so solid and comfortable, yet light and smooth between your hands... a perfect reflection of the story within this particular book.

RATING:

Snapshot Sunday

"We met next day as he had arranged, and inspected the rooms at No. 221b, Baker Street, of which he had spoken at our meeting. They consisted of a couple of comfortable bed-rooms and a single large airy sitting-room, cheerfully furnished, and illuminated by two broad windows."

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

Jane's Home

Thanks to the entertaining Jane Austen Today blog, I revisted parts of Jane's home via slideshow on the PBS website.   I was fortunate to visit Jane Austen's home in Chawton, Hampshire in 2005 and it was a special feeling to walk through the rooms that she inhabited so many years ago.  It is today a museum and it houses a number of her family's furniture, including her writing table and bed, and other bits of personal items, writing implements and letters.

Jane's kitchen has only been open to the public since last year and that seems a good enough reason to me to make another trip to the area soon.  It is a beautiful village, with a teashop opposite the house and it is quite glorious in Summer.  I should also pop over to 'nearby' Bath to visit the Jane Austen Centre and to once again enjoy the setting of 'Northanger Abbey' and 'Persuasion'.

Please do pop over to enjoy the slideshow here.