dapinaymrs

Hi! Thanks for the friend request! Nice list you have there! Hope you're enjoying it here at MDL! ^-^

Oh yeah, the RIGHT curls. I must tell you, I have a thing for curly hair! XD XD But I didn't find it particularly appealing on Colin Firth...I don't know why! XD

But to see them in the suits, cravat and breeches! The charms of an Englishman. <3 <3

You might be in for a surprise.

Oh my dear! Any fan of Richard Armitage is a welcome friend! :D *Squeeeeaal!* I love North and South as well! Actually my obsession for English costume dramas recently began when I read Pride & Prejudice and never knew what N&S was until an esteemed MDLer recommended it to me. Oh my, watching it did NOT prepare me to fall for Richard Armitage!

And come to think of it, I'm exhausted of watching Asian dramas as of the moment and that has brought me to BBC dramas! XD

I think Mrs. Gaskell intended to follow the way she entitled her first book (by giving the spotlight to the female protagonist in the story), but I agree with you, there could never have been a more apt title than North & South.

We have a regional publication in the North like that where writers come out with a serialized novel, publishing one chapter a month. But nowadays the novels hardly become books anymore. The ones that had more chances of becoming movies though were the old serialized comics (usually melodramatic ones). Those kind are just too weird for me.

I adore Colin Firth there and to see his long legs under tangled with the bedsheets. What a sight to behold! XD I can't stand a weak female lead much more an idiotic one. Ugh.

It is so weird to see that you messaged me 17 hours ago and here I kept on checking at MDL to see if you wrote me one! :P

I tried to watch Bridget Jones' Diary 1 and 2 where Colin Firth played the other Mr. Darcy--the man is sexiness. Q__Q Ah, but I couldn't stand her in 2! I had to stop a number of times because I just couldn't take all the embarrassment!

Smashing indeed! XD

And have I got some trivia for you! While I was trying to read the Introduction of North and South, I noticed that Mrs. Gaskell wrote that the novel got revised and a few chapters were added. I was confused and had to make sure I was reading what she intended to write that I read the wikipedia page. I found out that N&S was originally serialized in a publication where *surprise* Charles Dickens was Mrs. Gaskell's editor! Dickens actually criticized her work and made her and she was challenged by his 'Hard Times' (which is apparently also a social novel).

But then, I think he did her a favor because she owes it to Dickens that her novel was entitled, 'North and South', as opposed to what she wanted, 'Margaret Hale'. Dickens said the title would be integral to the contrast of polar cities as well as the differences of the protagonists in the story.

Hahaha! XD I can see from the yt clips he's naughtily handsome. :D

I saw an RA interview yesterday where he was asked about what he thought of Tolkien's works and his answers were very insightful! And it made me like him all the more because he analyzed what Tolkien went through at that time and how his life experiences reflected and affected his works. I think he said something about the Jews as an underlying I thought he was profound!

Thanks, I think I'll start the book hunt on local second-hand book shops. ;) I'm sure I'll find them.

I honestly expected more (esp. from Ms. Wade and Tattycoram) but in retrospect, I think I'm generally satisfied at how the characters turned out and the way the revelations unfolded. Monsieur Blandois literally brought the House of Clennam upon him LOL and I got satisfied with that. Mrs. Clennam miraculously getting up from her wheelchair, finding Amy and ordering her to open the letter and asking if she could forgive her was I think the closest she ever got to admitting she loved her son and that she wanted him to forgive her.

I liked how they showed a parallel when Mrs. Clennam was about to leave the house; it somehow echoed the feeling of anxiety that Mr. Dorrit felt when he stood looking outside the gates of the Marshallsea.

I could see the nepotism and red tape at the Circumlocution office and am very much reminded of the local government offices here--bureaucratic and farcical.

My dear, I've finished Little Dorrit this morning and even though I was busy all day, it still had this lingering effect on me. The actor who played William Dorrit is a brilliant actor! I had tears in my eyes when he lost it in Mrs. Merdle's farewell party in Venice. I thought Charles Dickens had many layers of social truth and criticism in his time and meshing them together must have been a challenge.

I wasn't completely sold on the romance although that was understandable since the story had a lot of secondary characters to develop.

Oh another heist movie.

(here I found the game! XD http://thefrencharmitagearmy.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/richard-armitage-characters-click-and-drag-game/) They were flashing so fast I couldn't read their names and the only one I got was "Sleeping with: Thorin Oakenshield" lmfao

I had to tell you, I was laughing so hard yesterday XD ah but as soon as I started on Little Dorrit, I got hooked again! And not only that, I downloaded books on our tablet North and South and Persuasion are already on there. I'll add Little Dorrit and Anne of Green Gables series if they're free too. I tried JRR Tolkien's works but not only were they all paid copies, they were expensive too. O_O If only I could get hold of the real books, I'd be in heaven.

I'm getting this Sweeney Todd feeling where you want to know what really happened in the past and want to see the unresolved get resolved but in the process the characters are exposed of their flaws or end up discovering something extremely horrible. But I can't help it! XD It's too exciting! I just wish to see more chemistry between the leads. Ah but I will have to see!

These English period/novel dramas just makes me crave for more of them after I watch. I blame it on Richard Armitage! I played a click and drag game yesterday just for fun! A blog had these pics of his characters and their names flashing fast with all sorts of 'relationships' above their heads like 'Married to' and you click on the pic to get what character you'd get.

Arrgh, our comment boxes are short. There's still part 4! XD

Her butler is scarier. Flintwinch is a shady character and when he's on screen, he looks like a madman ready to murder everybody in the house! And I don't get Harriet and Miss Wade..yet. I'm having this impression that Miss Wade seems to have a different sexual orientation--what with the kisses she bestows on Tattycoram's cheek so close to her lips? XD Intriguing bordering on controversial...

At this point, I don't feel the romance yet on his side. He's just being a good gentleman who makes it a duty to be responsible for whatever wrongdoing his parents did. I can't wait what happens next with the detective=slash-collector's investigation. Even that was interesting!

There's part 3! XD

Oh that story with Ludwig III does sound interesting! And yes, Ive read a few material regarding Russian nobility. They do have their share of controversy and power struggles. I find Ivan IV's temper shocking but it's nothing compared to the ladies of Russian monarchy. One in particular was Sophia, half-sister to Peter the Great, who found ways to control the tsars while she was at the background. She was a scheming woman. If you've seen a Russian costume drama, tell me about it and I'll gladly check it out!

I'm enjoying Little Dorrit, thanks! :) Claire Foy looks a bit like Kristen Stewart if you ask me. I find Mrs. Clennam and Arthur's relationship kind of heart wrenching but more interesting than any other relationship in the drama. I can't believe a mother would be like that to her son and the fact that she's harboring a secret makes her more interesting.

There's part two! XD

Okay, now I want to see it! Royalty is really shocking, isn't it?! The scandals are so plenty it makes me wonder whether they're for real or just catering to what the audience wants to see. And here I just watched the 2012 Anna Karenina trailer and it was scandalous as well!

But when you say it's based on fact, that makes it all the more shocking! XD Fact is really stranger than fiction.

I think I'll pick up Little Dorrit since I recognize Matthew Macfadyen and your description while watching this--I'd love that too! XD Last time I was like that was when I watched Anne of Green Gables! Makes me want to watch it again! ^_^

This is part 4!

I just saw parts of Elizabeth Gaskell's N&S on a blogsite and I thought her tone was more contemporary and liberal without sacrificing the romance. And that indeed is rare!

I took a quiz yesterday 'What Jane Austen heroine are you?' and at the end of the multiple choice questions, it allegedly say I was Anne Elliot! Ok, I'll need to read that to know whether that's true or not :D

I'll be ready for your recommendations! :D I currently have a site where I can read the books and hopefully if yt doesn't have the adaptations, I still have torrents ::D

I forgot to tick the spoiler box! XD

No, today I got held up by a lot of things that's why there wasn't any part 2! XD My gawd on top of that my daughter came home late and I yapped at her for half an hour lol.

I know! It's like they need to do the role. And it's either a spy, a hot soldier XD or a superhero!

Ok, I envy you now! Kyaaa~! Green eyes! I'd feel special if it were me because everybody else are brown-eyed.

Anyways, I was about to say Elizabeth and Charlotte met in their day and maintained a good friendship, as Elizabeth had with other writers of their time. And after Charlotte's death, Elizabeth wrote her biography but it was a mix of fact and fiction, they said, and she eventually revised it because the people who were mentioned as the reasons for Charlotte's death threatened to sue.

Where was I? I lost track of time. O___O Too many distractions today!

Yes, when you're young, the actors that you usually see are older. I was like that as well but as we get older, the world moves on to fresh, new talents and so we get to see them make their careers.

'A Royal Affair' for sure, is a mature film. (I watched the trailer!) Q__Q I need to see this. Whew, all the royal costumes are gorgeous! Those powdered wigs and livery, and that familiar feeling that scandalous romantic affairs bring to those English films--I feel it! I wonder if the plot has some truth to it as well.

How interesting! They did a modern take on Sherlock! I haven't read any of the books and I think it would be great if the cases they featured had a contemporary twist too.

You'll never believe what I just found out about Elizabeth Gaskell and Charlotte Bronte!

(Part 3 coming up!)