Jane Eyre

[altariel]

Did anyone else watch the first episode of Jane Eyre last night? I thought it looked pretty but was a bit daft. That might be the book rather than the adaptation, of course, it's years since I read it.

For the fanficcers amongst us (surely a minority?), BBC Four have an adaptation of Wide Sargasso Sea coming up in October. Produced by Kudos (they of consistently good telly, e.g. Spooks, Hustle, and Life on Mars).

Comments

[muninnhuginn]

Too gothic, even for my taste. Although the gothic elements are there (I'm remembering from my last rereading a good while back, but I did read it half a dozen times) in the fiction, and there has been until recently, I think, a tendency in broadcast adaptations of many 19th century novels to underplay the gothic elements in favour of realism. Maybe the pendulum's swung too far in the other direction.

Also, I think, too hurried. I know they've only got four episodes, but it cost a lot in terms of subtlety and detail. It's skewed the story, losing the other relationships Jane has in favour of the romance with Rochester.

I liked Jane. And Toby Stephens is fine except he's not got his dad's voice.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I was wondering how many episodes they were giving it: four really isn't enough. They do seem to hurry through classic adaptations these days, I'd rather they were given the space, like with Middlemarch and Pride and Prejudice.

[muninnhuginn]

Better than the radio tho': long gone are he days of weeks of Dance to the Music of Time or even four part adaptations of books. The Classic Serial seems to run to two-hour two-part adaptations for everything. I'm waiting for the Reduced Shakepeare Company to be drafted in to shorten War and Peace to fit the format.

Of course, Bleak House did get the space on the TV last year and was a triumph.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I wish I could listen to the radio and do other stuff at the same time. Just can't split my concentration that way.