charliesmum | What is this real life of which you speak?

My car broke down on Friday, and is still broken. V. sad. V. annoying. Am not thinking about it.

It is really funny, this LJ thing. I don't think I realised how many times I would say 'oh, can't wait to share that in my journal' until I couldn't do it any more. I mean, yeah, I have RL friends, and they were amazingly helpful this weekend sans car, and they are always there to go to and share stories, but I've really come to rely on the journals and opinions of all my FList.

My friend and I rented and watched Pride and Prejudice this weekend. Nothing like Colin Firth and a 1st rate love story to cheer a girl up.

I saw some where that there is some literary discussion on Charlotte Lucas/Collins character and that perhaps she was gay. One could interpret that, sure, but I don't think we'll ever know if that is what Jane Austin intended. Which brings me to the thought that perhaps Jane herself was a lesbian. She never married, and upon her death Jane's sister got rid of any correspondence that delved too deeply into Jane's life, so who knows.

Oh - and Terry Pratchett. He responded to something I'd said on the B&N class - there was talk about morality and good vs bad, etc, and so I pointed out that Pratchett's best characters are people who are not 'good' so much as 'right' and they do right only because they know how bad they could actually be, if they didn't care so much about right and wrong. I said that I have incorporated into my own personal philosophy that good and bad are just different places to stand, which is something Terry mentioned in one of his books. Probably several. Anyway, he responded to that and said 'thank you for that, I really appreciate it'. So get me, I'm practically an intimate friend. Only not.

And tip - should you ever be lucky enough to speak with Terry Pratchett - don't mention Harry Potter. He's getting pretty bloody sick of people making comparisons, especially when people accuse him of aping JK Rowling. People kept bringing HP up, and he got a bit tetchy.(Well tetchy in a nice way)I'm sure many writers who have been around for a long time feel that way.

And I really liked Joan of Arcadia this week. I wonder if that was really her singing. I will have to look it up.

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As for the Pride and Prejudice thing, have you ever seen the essay where it speculates that Charlotte Lucas was behind Lizzy and Darcy getting together? I came across it once whilst looking for essay help. I'll try to find the link for you, 'cause it's v good!

That would be cool. My friend and I were talking about that - wondering who it was that told Lady Catherine that Darcy was going to propose and stuff. Maybe it was Charlotte trying to move things forward.

FOUND IT!!

I am so getting that P&P sometime before February.

Re: Pterry. OMG U R TEH LUCKIEST!!!! What is the B&N class? That Good vs. Right is one of my favorite things about the books.

Right. Shan't say anything about HP. But what sort of parallels do people draw? I don't see it, myself.

Drat it, I missed Joan last week!

If you go here: http://university.barnesandnoble.com/ you can register for all kinds of 'classes' they have - many of which are free. Currently there is a 'reading group' for Going Postal with participation by the Man Himself! I'm sure you can still sign up - I don't think there is a deadline. It's rather haphazard as far as structure goes - one gets used to the LJ way of doing things - but it is fun.

I didn't read all the HP things, but someone asked about parallels in the books and did he do any of that on purpose, and he tried diplomatically to skirt the question but it kept coming up. I think they may occasionally reference the same folklore, but that's about it. The way I look at it is, JKR takes what is different and makes it familiar (school, etc) whereas Terry takes what is familar and makes it different!

I think the problem is some of the people are from the US and, since his books are really just coming into pouplarity (I used to have to beg people to bring me back his books when they went to the UK) they don't necessarily know he's been writing Discworld since the 80's, and honestly think JKR came first!

Joan was really good - Television without Pity will recap it nicely, but she sang beautifully and it was just really sweet. Love that show.

Did you cry like crazy over Judith? Cause I did. It was embarassing.

I didn't really cry, because I was only half paying attention- doing homework- but my mom did. A lot, because her friend just died.

My little brother decided that he did not like the show.

Ha- I've been in on Discworld since...9th grade...three years ago...2001-2. Which is rather later than when he started, but, well, nobody else in my town knows about it yet anyway, so really this sentence has no point.

Will have to take a look at that B&N thing.

but my mom did. A lot, because her friend just died. I'm very sorry to hear that. That is sad. Yeah - that episode of Joan was not a good one to watch then.

The other one that got me was when Joan was dreaming about Judith still being alive, and she smiled in her sleep. I've had dreams like that.

Saying you were in 9th grad 3 years ago makes me feel about a thousand years old. :) That's okay though. I've aspirations to being a young adult novel writer, so it helps to know, er, young adults, so I don't have my characters saying things like 'grody to the max' and other thing we said when I was in 9th grade!

I read P&P years and years ago, and I don't really remember it, but at that time I was heavily involved in the gay community, so you'd think I'd have noticed. (In fact, that was the year my last remaining straight friend announced that she was a lesbian.) I saw the A&E movie more recently, and my impression of Charlotte in that was that she was pretty asexual, and actually not all that interested in anything physical, only in the intellectual world.

Well, yeah. I think Charlotte was practical. She wasn't that pretty, and didn't have money, and there sure weren't too many opportunities for a single woman back then, so she knew that she would have to be practical. With Mr Collins she got a nice house, and will eventually be mistress of Longborne, and so putting up with a dork of a husband seemed a small price to pay. I never say the "Charlotte is gay" angle myself. I do wonder about Jane Austin though.

I just finished a re-read of Witches Abroad which is where Granny epsouses that bit of philosophy. *loves her Pratchett* I'm now on Lords and Ladies because I can't read one without having to go read all the rest in that set.

I can't believe people are still asking Pterry about HP. Why would you waste an opportunity to talk to him asking him about other books anyway?

because I can't read one without having to go read all the rest in that set. That is so funny because I am the same way. I just re-read Night Watch and now I'm reading Jingo.

I'm so glad he is working on a new Watch book. Love Sam Vimes.

What is this real life of which you speak?

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