Writing and Sanditon
Oct. 3rd, 2019 07:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessA few days ago, I posted Listen, Don’t Look a Natasha and Peter (Parker) ficlet, written for a dialogue prompt. I wrote it ‘over the weekend’, first draft on Friday, polishing on Sunday, which involved a lot of dithering over the title. The prompt allowed me to write about the male gaze from the female POV and cram in lots about Natasha, so YAY.
This week has been busy and not great, so this is belated:
Sanditon – ep 6
Riveting, but in a ‘is this a coach crash of bad regency novel clichés?’ way, with a sidenote of ‘oh, you might as well adapt Heyer if you’re going haring up to Gretna Green’ and then (this deserves all caps) WONDERING WHERE CHARLOTTE GOT THAT GOWN FROM. Even if it was Georgiana’s (except you’d presume all her clothes were in Sanditon) or Mary’s (ditto) did one of the two servants I saw alter it in next to no time? (We skipped over Charlotte changing her mind/being persuaded to change her mind and go to the masked ball.) Even if Sidney bought it, it’s not like he could get a delivery from GownsRUs, either.
So, there was that.
Also, I kind of fancied Babbington the most because STILL SOLVENT. Sidney was paying off debts here and potentially buying gowns there, while despite being gutted about his rejection, Babbington wasn’t going off to Antigua to discover the slave trade was bad, but helping his friend with good humour and hoping (not against hope, perhaps).
Granted, being turned down after proposing is not the same as being jilted before a wedding. Which would suggest TRUST ISSUES. So, as Tom is an idiot, and hadn’t seen all the audience had seen, although I felt sorry for Charlotte as her sparkle faded, I was still exasperated that she hasn’t stopped believing the last person to tell her stuff.
Although, in Tom’s defence, he’s biased towards reconciliation as he’s in the dog house with Mary.
But what is it with the Parker brothers just letting their partner go in the middle of the ballroom?
Though that was only the most minor of solecisms, and I’m skating over the worst.
Charlotte got a glimpse of why no well-bred lady should turn up in a coach, at night, in London, with nothing but an address. I enjoyed the flash of slang (but again, just do Heyer, then), and okay, it wasn’t entirely absurd that Sidney would turn up there and then to save her from assault.
What ensured was UST and both of them just about saving the other from their bad decisions: Charlotte would be all ‘I know something that I never mentioned before’. He was all ‘stay where you are’. But no, she wouldn’t stay put. I know I’m supposed to be all ‘feisty modern heroine’, but I am instead stuck on how her reputation would be ruined. I don’t think even Lydia Bennet or Maria Bertram would go into a brothel. I also think there’d have been some kind of minder who wouldn’t have let a young lady on her own enter. But it happened, and one was left to wonder if Sidney had frequented the place before or after the engagement.
So, after traipsing about London together in a coach all night, off they went on the road to Gretna Green, and fortunately caught up with the other coach before they had to change horses at an inn, where it wouldn’t just be a madam wondering if they were wed. (At this point, Charlotte would still be ‘Eww, no.’ And Sidney would be ‘Likewise. But I did save your life.’)
Instead we had heroics with a hat on, and Georgiana was rescued. Her captor was suitably gross. I don’t know why Davies bothered with the moment where the chap thought they might eventually get on. The equation of marriage in those days to slavery was made.
I’d dismissed Molyneaux as the abductor the second we heard someone else had picked up his letters, and thought Charlotte and Sidney should have seen he was innocent from the fact he was speechifying, not with Georgiana. Still, it didn’t seem like he made one mistake, it seemed like he was a habitual gambler, and it seemed like Georgiana’s ordeal because of that meant that she was done with him. Although if Charlotte hadn’t talked Sidney into letting them say goodbye, Georgiana might have ended up being more sentimental about her first boyfriend out of stubbornness.
Was I meant to swoon at Sidney apologising to Charlotte? I thought on balance that she had more to apologise for. She had been quite a ninny.
But his listening to her suggestion that guardianship entails more than whining to your ward about how tough it is for you to be their guardian was good.
Anyway, we got backstory for him (has learned to not be pro-slavery), softening of feelings for both, the masked ball and the dance. Some thoughts about that: very pretty and I liked how the couple relaxed and enjoyed themselves, but all TV period drama ballroom scenes now have to be compared to War and Peace’s, and the usual reversal of the second dance in Austen adaptations lost something because of all the unlikely stuff that happened between (seeing him naked, Charlotte going to a whorehouse!)
Oh, and before then, she pours her heart out to a complete stranger, which not even Marianne Dashwood would have done, because it’s not like the events of the past few days might have taught Charlotte restraint. I feel there was a wasted opportunity there (okay, I thought the lady might be Eliza) in that Davies could have written that as a cheeky cameo for another Austen character. But fine, Charlotte now realises she’s in lurve.
And enter Eliza, with Sidney still smiling because of the dance, Tom opens his mouth and – okay, I’m not going to call Charlotte a gudgeon for being depressed at this point.
But Charlotte accusing Sidney of being insensible when his temper shows he is clearly not without feeling made me roll my eyes at her.
Meanwhile, back at Sanditon, Lady Denham was ill and Esther seemed to show more compunction about it than I expected. Forehead went off on one over the will (Lady D should have left it with the solicitor), was outplayed by Clara, and honestly Chin, take your likely second chance at the Regatta, because Forehead is vile.
This week has been busy and not great, so this is belated:
Sanditon – ep 6
Riveting, but in a ‘is this a coach crash of bad regency novel clichés?’ way, with a sidenote of ‘oh, you might as well adapt Heyer if you’re going haring up to Gretna Green’ and then (this deserves all caps) WONDERING WHERE CHARLOTTE GOT THAT GOWN FROM. Even if it was Georgiana’s (except you’d presume all her clothes were in Sanditon) or Mary’s (ditto) did one of the two servants I saw alter it in next to no time? (We skipped over Charlotte changing her mind/being persuaded to change her mind and go to the masked ball.) Even if Sidney bought it, it’s not like he could get a delivery from GownsRUs, either.
So, there was that.
Also, I kind of fancied Babbington the most because STILL SOLVENT. Sidney was paying off debts here and potentially buying gowns there, while despite being gutted about his rejection, Babbington wasn’t going off to Antigua to discover the slave trade was bad, but helping his friend with good humour and hoping (not against hope, perhaps).
Granted, being turned down after proposing is not the same as being jilted before a wedding. Which would suggest TRUST ISSUES. So, as Tom is an idiot, and hadn’t seen all the audience had seen, although I felt sorry for Charlotte as her sparkle faded, I was still exasperated that she hasn’t stopped believing the last person to tell her stuff.
Although, in Tom’s defence, he’s biased towards reconciliation as he’s in the dog house with Mary.
But what is it with the Parker brothers just letting their partner go in the middle of the ballroom?
Though that was only the most minor of solecisms, and I’m skating over the worst.
Charlotte got a glimpse of why no well-bred lady should turn up in a coach, at night, in London, with nothing but an address. I enjoyed the flash of slang (but again, just do Heyer, then), and okay, it wasn’t entirely absurd that Sidney would turn up there and then to save her from assault.
What ensured was UST and both of them just about saving the other from their bad decisions: Charlotte would be all ‘I know something that I never mentioned before’. He was all ‘stay where you are’. But no, she wouldn’t stay put. I know I’m supposed to be all ‘feisty modern heroine’, but I am instead stuck on how her reputation would be ruined. I don’t think even Lydia Bennet or Maria Bertram would go into a brothel. I also think there’d have been some kind of minder who wouldn’t have let a young lady on her own enter. But it happened, and one was left to wonder if Sidney had frequented the place before or after the engagement.
So, after traipsing about London together in a coach all night, off they went on the road to Gretna Green, and fortunately caught up with the other coach before they had to change horses at an inn, where it wouldn’t just be a madam wondering if they were wed. (At this point, Charlotte would still be ‘Eww, no.’ And Sidney would be ‘Likewise. But I did save your life.’)
Instead we had heroics with a hat on, and Georgiana was rescued. Her captor was suitably gross. I don’t know why Davies bothered with the moment where the chap thought they might eventually get on. The equation of marriage in those days to slavery was made.
I’d dismissed Molyneaux as the abductor the second we heard someone else had picked up his letters, and thought Charlotte and Sidney should have seen he was innocent from the fact he was speechifying, not with Georgiana. Still, it didn’t seem like he made one mistake, it seemed like he was a habitual gambler, and it seemed like Georgiana’s ordeal because of that meant that she was done with him. Although if Charlotte hadn’t talked Sidney into letting them say goodbye, Georgiana might have ended up being more sentimental about her first boyfriend out of stubbornness.
Was I meant to swoon at Sidney apologising to Charlotte? I thought on balance that she had more to apologise for. She had been quite a ninny.
But his listening to her suggestion that guardianship entails more than whining to your ward about how tough it is for you to be their guardian was good.
Anyway, we got backstory for him (has learned to not be pro-slavery), softening of feelings for both, the masked ball and the dance. Some thoughts about that: very pretty and I liked how the couple relaxed and enjoyed themselves, but all TV period drama ballroom scenes now have to be compared to War and Peace’s, and the usual reversal of the second dance in Austen adaptations lost something because of all the unlikely stuff that happened between (seeing him naked, Charlotte going to a whorehouse!)
Oh, and before then, she pours her heart out to a complete stranger, which not even Marianne Dashwood would have done, because it’s not like the events of the past few days might have taught Charlotte restraint. I feel there was a wasted opportunity there (okay, I thought the lady might be Eliza) in that Davies could have written that as a cheeky cameo for another Austen character. But fine, Charlotte now realises she’s in lurve.
And enter Eliza, with Sidney still smiling because of the dance, Tom opens his mouth and – okay, I’m not going to call Charlotte a gudgeon for being depressed at this point.
But Charlotte accusing Sidney of being insensible when his temper shows he is clearly not without feeling made me roll my eyes at her.
Meanwhile, back at Sanditon, Lady Denham was ill and Esther seemed to show more compunction about it than I expected. Forehead went off on one over the will (Lady D should have left it with the solicitor), was outplayed by Clara, and honestly Chin, take your likely second chance at the Regatta, because Forehead is vile.
no subject
Date: 2019-10-04 03:33 pm (UTC)And why weren't they wearing their masks at the masked ball? It looked very odd to see them like that - surely someone (everyone) would have objected.
The other thing about Austen heroines is they learn and grew throughout the novel. Charlotte doesn't seem to be doing that at all.
I was amused at Clara's 'I could declare everything before Aunt with the doctor and five or six servants to witness it'. Where was she going to find the servants? None of them saw Forehead spending all night looking for the will - and then surely the footman should have been selling tickets for the sex in the middle of the floor?
Yes, Esther take Babbington!
no subject
Date: 2019-10-05 09:33 am (UTC)The masks bothered me less because it's TV, and at this point, the heroine and hero, at least, are all about being their authentic selves. But you're totally right about Charlotte's lack of learning curve.
There's a fic to be written about what all the servants at Sanditon were really up to, as opposed to being present at their posts. Something like that book Longbourne, which I haven't read.
RUN, ESTHER< RUN.