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Since I've not been able to read or write as much as I used to, I've
not gotten truly into Hornby's new post-text, Godmersham Park, except
to say it focuses on Anne Sharpe. So when I finish a review I'm trying
to get out on Monday, I'm going to reread Miss Austen. It's the kind
of film adaptation which expects good watchers to have read the book.
I am not sure who is who and I've now watched 2 of the 4 hours-long
segments.

There are 4 not 3 parts, each an hour long.

What's emerging as striking is how deeply troubled are the
undercurrents. The closest Austen film I've seen to this is Gwyneth
Hughes' Miss Austen Regrets (with Olivia Williams as Jane, Greta
Scachi as Cassandra). The Fowle family is hostile to Cassandra coming;
they are hiding hard truths about themselves. They would destroy
Jane's letters to Eliza (I'm not sure which Eliza) if they could. It's
a race between Mary LLoyd Austen, James' wife and Cassandra to find
them.

Cassandra finds them in Part 1 and in Part 2 is trying to read them,
but under surveillance by complicit servants. The Fowlers want her
gone -- w/o having found the letters. Mary Lloyd Austen is suspicious
she has. Elizabeth Austen,, Edward's wife, is a self-regarding
dullard.

Mary wants to destroy these letters too. I didn't read the novel
sufficiently closely I see. There's a sort of Ibsen subtext going on.
Jane has met the young man in Sidmouth (in flashbacks the letters
cover) but seems to want nothing to do with him as she evades
Bigg-Wither too. He is more drawn to Cassandra whose determination to
stay loyal to Tom Fowle wavers. There is much implicitly about male
yranny (Isabellla Fowle is being kicked out of the rectory as Jane
felt she was when James replaced his father). This is a mature adult
or serious version of the kind of thing Ashford tried in her
Mysterious Death of Austen only Ashford resorted to sensational tricks
like Henry or someone was poisoning Jane to hide an affair)

I'm fascinated by all this because I have also read the letters not
only of Jane but other documents in the Austen papers.

Ellen

On Fri, Mar 7, 2025 at 9:54?AM Tyler Tichelaar via groups.io
<tyler@...> wrote:

I've been waiting for it to appear on PBS on Masterpiece. I believe it will do so in May or June.

Tyler