Lost in Literature

Across the pond on ITV (a British television station) they currently broadcast a miniseries entitled Lost In Austen. It tells the tale of modern day girl, Amanda Price, who wanders into and gets trapped in the novel Pride and Prejudice. (Pictured to the right: Elizabeth Bennet, Amanda Price, and Mr. Darcy). Amanda unintentionally trades places with the novel's heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, and proceeds to make a mess of the novel's major plot points, i.e., Jane marries Collins, Bingley runs off with Lydia. Additionally, she seems to cause almost every male character and at least one female character to lust after her. The greatest enjoyment of the miniseries, however, is to watch this modern-day girl run into much beloved characters and discover how closely or how distantly they resemble a reader's opinion from the book.

So that got me thinking. What pieces of literature would I enjoy getting literally lost in? If I had to chose an American novel, I think I'd pick The Winds of War. Sure, it's dangerous, what with the whole world war brewing, bombs falling, and Jews deporting, but I would dearly love to meet Victor "Pug" Henry and his family. I would dearly love to smash a very sharp object over Aaron Jastrow's head. I would dearly love to hang with Pamela Tudsbury. And I'd dearly love to brush shoulders with history the way Pug did. It'd be great fun, just so long as none of the bombs hit me and the Nazis stay far away from wherever I am.

Click through to see what other novels I'm contemplating losing myself in and to see my mini critique of the miniseries Lost in Austen.

The mini critique
Two parts of the Lost in Austen miniseries do disappoint me.

• The script lacks clever wit and snark. Jane Austen's writing style demands this kind of homage. See the movie Clueless for proper, modern script treatment of a Jane Austen work. 
  
• The script lacks clever references to other works of Jane Austen. For example, modern-day girl Amanda Price shares a surname with Fanny Price, the heroine from Jane Austen's novel Mansfield Park, but the script fails to elaborate on whether the surname is a coincidence or a purposeful wink. I'd appreciate a reference by Amanda to a scrupulously moral older sister or her nosy Aunt Norris. Another example, when Amanda briefly takes on the persona of a wealthy merchant's daughter and attempts to bring Bingley and Jane as well as Mr. Collins and Charlotte Lucas together, the script fails to point out Amanda's similarity to Emma, the know-it-all, rich, matchmaking heroine in the Jane Austen novel Emma. 
  

Those are just my tiny nitpicks.

Happier thoughts continue as I get lost in........

The Great Gatsby. I just want to go to one of those fabulous parties that Gatsby throws, catch a glimpse of the man, maybe chat a bit with Nick Carraway (if that snob will even talk to me) and then head west and get away from that corrupt lot as quickly as possible.

The Three Muskateers. I would hang out with the boys: Athos, Porthos and Aramis. I will convince them not to waste their time on that pesky d'Artagnan and let me join their little group. If I catch sight of Milady de Winter, I'll warn Athos and he'll take care of it. I'll tell them Richelieu is not such a bad guy and we'll just take it easy. Sure, the plot of the novel will be ruined, but I'll be chillin' with my Muskateers, so who cares!

Northanger Abbey. If I had to chose a Jane Austen novel to lose myself in, this is it. I would absolutely LOVE! to talk to Henry Tilney. He is the only Austen hero who while being funny and charming still manages not to be a complete cad. He loves books and fashion, his sister is pretty cool, and his future wife Catherine is sweet with a fantastically wild imagination. Also, I'm as big a sucker as Catherine is for grand old abbeys, and hanging out in Bath in the 1800s would be quite fun and enlightening.

Lonesome Dove. Okay, I wouldn't want to stay lost for long in this novel for fear of losing a leg, or an arm, or my sexual dignity. The world in Lonesome Dove, while adventurous, is dangerous and hard. The novel has a high death count. But I would love to just sit and listen to Gus and Call bicker using them purty, McMurtry words.

I might think of some more novels later. Let me know in the comments what novels you'd get lost in.