BBC's The Other Bennet Sister

Spoilers ahead.

The Other Bennet Sister - Mary and Tom (BBC)

It's been a week since I finished watching The Other Bennet Sister, and I am having a hangover, an obsession. The last time I felt like this was last year's season of The Wheel of Time (I'm still devastated that it was cancelled). I had done one rewatch with my sister. I've invited (more like pestered) friends to watch it. My sister's close friend borrowed my copy of the book, and I already want it back. I devoured clips and tributes on social media, but I still can't get over it! So I hope writing about it will help.

There were several changes made from the book, and I was initially disappointed, but it gradually became its own entity. The book had a more serious tone and rightly so because it followed Mary's thoughts, while the show was more light and funny. It had me alternately crying and in stitches from a combination of second-hand embarrassment and kilig. While the book focused on Mary's growth through her journey from one place to another, the TV series decided to jump to the London plot, a.k.a. the love story, and what a story it was!

Some parts were improved by the show, notably the Pemberley segment. I especially loved that conversation between Mary and Elizabeth and that we got to see more of the sisters in action.

I thought the book needed more scenes between Mary and Tom, and it's still the case with the show. I felt that since the show added a non-book character, Miss Baxter, it lessened what could have been more screen time and development for our couple.

Then there was the proposal. It was beautifully made. In the book, it happened indoors. In the show, it was in a park, which is true to the theme of their favourite poet, Wordsworth. I'm happy that it was still Mary who said 'I love you' first.

Ella Bruccoleri and Dónal Finn were phenomenal! This show has really cemented Dónal's abilities for me. He was great as Mat in The Wheel of Time. I've already seen him as James Moriarty in Young Sherlock's first episode (it's on my watchlist). Plus, he's a musical actor.

I'm so glad that the show is getting more attention. We have definitely been missing some good old-fashioned and meaningful period dramas for years.

The Other Bennet Sister will be released in the US and Canada on May 6th, while the rest of the world is still waiting for an announcement. There are, however, unconventional ways to watch the show, which I used, if you really can't wait to see it. Then support it still when it comes out in your area. Personally, I cannot wait for the DVD!

The Other Bennet Sister

So I finally read The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow, my first book of the year! I particularly sought this out because of an upcoming BBC miniseries adaptation, and was lucky to find a secondhand copy in Shopee last year.

The Other Bennet Sister tells the story of Mary Bennet, the often overlooked middle sister from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The book is divided into five parts, with part 1 recounting her early childhood and the events of Pride and Prejudice told through Mary's eyes.

In this version, Hadlow gives us a background of why Mary became who she was in the original novel. As a child, she learned (from her own parents nonetheless!) that she had neither beauty, wit, nor charm. And she believed it, so much so that she eventually felt undeserving of anything good. As a result, she retreated into her books and music. This core belief is what drives the story. We follow Mary as she pursues her own path, slowly lets go of the lies she held on to, and finally learns to love herself. And in the process, she finds love, of course.

It's funny that as I was reading this book, I kept recalling things I'd learned from therapy and my readings about mental health. Terms like childhood trauma, emotional neglect... "Mary's aunt is teaching her to reframe her thinking"; "Mary's rewiring her brain", and so on... It felt like an example was laid out before me of how healing happens. And in Mary's case, it was through the help of good and healthy relationships, along with self-compassion, that she was finally able to come out of her shell. Mary definitely deserved her own happy ending.

The book is quite long (655 pages!), but if you love Jane Austen and do not mind reading derivative works or fan fiction, then this is for you.

Dónal Finn and Ella Bruccoleri in The Other Bennet Sister (BBC)

I also cannot wait for the TV series! The first-look photos and teaser released last December all looked promising. I'm so looking forward to watching Dónal Finn's (Mat Cauthon in A Wheel of Time) portrayal of Tom Hayward.

Netflix Take Two

The last time I tried Netflix was to watch the Gilmore Girls revival in 2016. With that free month, I was also able to watch Sherlock and some Doctor Who episodes, among others.

Last August, I was offered the free month again and would not have signed up if not for the movie To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Whereas in 2016 I only played on a laptop, this time I tried it on the television, which I found out was not a good idea because then I got hooked. My watch list reached more than 50 films and series. How could I watch all of that within the free month? So, yeah, in the end I continued my subscription.

Caiaphas, A.D. The Bible Continues

The best thing I got from it yet was A.D. Kingdom and Empire a.k.a. The Bible Continues. I've always loved Biblical films and was usually updated on new releases, but this one I was not familiar with. It might be because I did not bother to watch Son of God or The Bible miniseries for the sole reason that I was not "feeling" the actor playing Christ. So I watched the series with my father, and with no expectations whatsoever.

AD is a continuation of The Bible miniseries. It depicts the events after the death of Christ and follows three groups of people: Pilate and the Romans, Caiaphas and the Pharisees, and the Disciples. It is based on the Acts of the Apostles, which is a term to mean some liberties were taken to add or subtract from the book. That's how films usually are.

The best part of this series was how the characters were presented. They cast actors of different nationalities and colors, which was fine, although I admit it sometimes distracted me from the story.

Pilate, who is usually portrayed somewhat fair, was in this a very cruel man. I've read that his character followed what real historical accounts of him are saying. Then there was Caiaphas, who was a person torn between the Roman law, the law of Moses, and the safety of his people. Couple that with a great actor and you've got a very intriguing character that will make you feel for him. Peter was also a highlight and maybe one of the best portrayals I've seen so far. His costume though... I couldn't take my eyes off his legs. Out of all people there, he was the only one wearing a tunic that hangs above his knees!

Saul before conversion

My favorite in this, however, is Saul. The only other time I've seen a Saul or Paul in a film was in a late 90s miniseries called St. Paul. Looking back through YouTube videos, the 90s Saul was a bit muted compared to THIS Saul. In AD, Saul was scarily strong-willed, harsh, intelligent, full of conviction, extremely passionate about his beliefs, and zealous about his cause you could feel his hate of the Christians in your bones. In other words, the perfect candidate for a leader and preacher. Credits must go to the man who played him, Irish actor Emmett J. Scanlan.

Then I found out AD was cancelled years ago... oh well. Too bad.

The second good thing about Netflix is the wide range of series related to Architecture, Design, Real Estate, Gardening, and Food. It's a haven of informative lifestyle shows you can play anytime or in the background while doing something else. Compared with having cable at home, I think Netflix is a cheaper and better alternative. (But that's just me convincing myself that I made the right decision.)

* * * * * *

P.S. Look, I even found these books in a secondhand bookstore!

Love is a burning thing

I have a new favorite actor. Last night I watched two period movies, both of which happened to star Matthias Schoenaerts. This man:

I realize he looks a bit like David Wenham, aka Faramir.

The first one's an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd. As always, the English countryside looked stunning. The story, however, was obviously rushed (because you can't fit in everything from the book --- the usual reason). Though I haven't read the book, the essential parts were there. Now would I read it? I'm not quite sure as I haven't gotten over my first Hardy novel yet, though it was the lightest of his writings. I can't stand reading about fickle women. I'm talking about you, Fancy Day!




The second film was also based on a novel, written during World War II by Irène Némirovsky, a French writer of Jewish origin, who was arrested and died in Auschwitz. The notebook containing the novel was kept by Némirovsky's daughter, Denise, but was never read for thinking that it might be her journal, until 1998. Suite Française became a bestseller in 2004.

"If you want to see what people are truly made of, you start a war." ~says Ruth Wilson's character

Great Cast: Michelle Williams, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ruth Wilson, Sam Riley




Then today I found this song, which reminds me so much of what I saw last night. It's "Song for Zula" by Phosphorescent.

Some say love is a burning thing
That it makes a fiery ring
Oh but I know love as a fading thing
Just as fickle as a feather in a stream
See, honey, I saw love. You see, it came to me
It put its face up to my face so I could see
Yeah then I saw love disfigure me
Into something I am not recognizing

See, the cage, it called. I said, "Come on in"
I will not open myself up this way again
Nor lay my face to the soil, nor my teeth to the sand
I will not lay like this for days now upon end
You will not see me fall, nor see me struggle to stand
To be acknowledged by some touch from his gnarled hands
You see, the cage, it called. I said, "Come on in"
I will not open myself up this way again

You see, the moon is bright in that treetop night
I see the shadows that we cast in the cold, clean light
My feet are gold. My heart is white
And we race out on the desert plains all night
See, honey, I am not some broken thing
I do not lay here in the dark waiting for thee
No my heart is gold. My feet are light
And I am racing out on the desert plains all night

So some say love is a burning thing
That it makes a fiery ring
Oh but I know love as a caging thing
Just a killer come to call from some awful dream
O and all you folks, you come to see
You just stand there in the glass looking at me
But my heart is wild. And my bones are steam
And I could kill you with my bare hands if I was free

JJ Feild, Felicity, and Austen

Ladies and gentlemen, meet JJ Feild (not Tom Hiddleston, not Lee Pace). He starred in two Jane Austen films: the TV movie Northanger Abbey in 2007, then Austenland in 2013.

In both these movies, he fell in love with Felicity. This Felicity:

JJ Feild and Felicity Jones in Northanger Abbey

And this Felicity:

JJ Feild and Keri Russell in Austenland

Well, it's Keri Russell. My bad!

Unless you remember her:

That just goes to show how much I miss the 90s! :)

P.S. It's been so long since I last posted that I quite forgot how to use blogger.

Easter Bookhunt 2015

Join the 5th Easter Bookhunt at the Magsaysay Park, Davao City on April 5, 2015! To register, just donate 3 books to Alleycat Tea House from March 23-31, 2015. For inquiries, contact 09085470950 or 09177949431.

Poster by Xiao and Aidx.

Update: The Davao Readers Circle, the organizer of this book hunt, now has an FB page. Like us for news and updates on upcoming events.

The Once and Future King

I started reading this early January. This would have been finished sooner if not for the first part of the book, which was about Arthur as a boy. It wasn't bad. In fact, I enjoyed how Merlin lived backwards so that the 20th century was alluded to many times. It's just that the writing was too queer for my taste. Some of the characters, especially in this first part, were ridiculous, albeit very kind, what?

But after that, the tone slowly started to get serious. It took me back to when we tackled King Arthur in high school, watching First Knight, Camelot, and Merlin (the mini-series with Sam Neill) with classmates. It made several references to Le Morte d'Arthur, the first one I was familiar with but haven't read yet.

Because of recent events, re: the Mamasapano incident, territorial disputes with China, and more and more international threats, it sucked me in. For a fictional(?) story that's at once funny and unfortunate, it presents still very valid points about war and humanity in general. And it would be nice if everyone read this for those arguments alone, if not for anything else. I've quoted some of those discussions in the book below:

"Man is the king of animals." -Wart (young Arthur)
"Perhaps. Or ought one to say tyrant?..." -Badger

"True warfare is what happens between bands of the same species. Out of the hundreds of thousands of species, I can only think of seven which are belligerent. Even Man has a few varieties like the Esquimaux and the Gypsies and the Lapps and certain Nomads in Arabia, who do not do it, because they do not claim boundaries." -Badger

"The destiny of Man is to unite, not to divide. If you keep on dividing you end up as a collection of monkeys throwing nuts at each other out of separate trees." -Merlin

"There is no excuse for war, none whatever, and whatever wrong which your nation might be doing to mine---short of war---my nation would be in the wrong if I started a war so as to redress it. A murderer, for instance, is not allowed to plead that his victim was rich and oppressing him---so why should a nation be allowed to? Wrongs have to be redressed by reason, not by force." -Merlin

"You have become the King of a domain in which the popular agitators hate each other for racial reasons, while the nobility fight each other for fun, and neither the racial maniac nor the overlord stops to consider the lot of the common soldier, who is the one person that gets hurt. Unless you can make the world wag better than it does at present, King, you reign will be an endless series of petty battles, in which the aggressions will either be from spiteful reasons or from sporting ones, and in which the poor man will be the only one who dies." -Merlin

"Morals are difficult things to talk about, but what has happened is that we have invented a moral sense, which is rotting now that we can’t give it employment. And when a moral sense begins to rot it is worse than when you had none. I suppose that all endeavours which are directed to a purely worldly end, as my famous Civilization was, contain within themselves the germs of their own corruption." -Arthur

"War is like a fire, Agnes. One man may start it, but it will spread all over. It is not about any one thing in particular." -Guenever

And for the last pages of the book, White gives in detail the final thoughts of Arthur, which I summarize below:

"Why did men fight?

...

¹Was it the wicked leaders who led innocent populations to slaughter, or was it wicked populations who chose leaders after their own hearts?

...

²everything was rooted in the past! Actions of any sort in one generation might have incalculable consequences in another...If everything one did, or which one's fathers had done, was an endless sequence of Doings doomed to break forth bloodily, then the past must be obliterated and a new start made...We cannot build the future by avenging the past. Let us sit down as brothers and accept the Peace of God.

...

³Perhaps the great cause of war was possession...He that would save his life was asked to lose it.

...

⁴Perhaps war was due to fear...Perhaps wars happened because nations had no confidence in the Word. They were frightened and so they fought. Nations were like people---they had feelings of inferiority, or of superiority, or of revenge, or of fear.

...

Suspicion and fear: possessiveness and greed: resentment for ancestral wrong: all these seemed to be part of it. Yet they were not the solution.

...

He saw the problem before him as plain as a map. The fantastic thing about war was that it was fought about nothing---literally nothing. Frontiers were imaginary lines...The imaginary lines on the earth's surface only needed to be unimagined." -T.H. White

With that, Arthur gets the same conclusion as Guenever.

New old books

I need to go out more often. Staying at home most of the time makes me sick, literally. I spent last year's Christmas week in bed, my first time to be ill on Christmas day. Then there are things going on around the city that I missed. My brother just told me that there's a new McDonald's, which has been there quite a while, in front of the first ever Jollibee branch in Davao City (Bolton St.). From what I can remember, that place was still under construction. Did I fail to notice it while riding the jeepney? Did I even go that way this past few months?

It was also just lately that I walked by the new Booksale branch in SM City Davao. Booksale sells second hand books, and when my sister and I looked around, we got these:

yay books!

Since I already have P&P and Persuasion, all I have to find is a copy of Sense & Sensibility.

First up for reading, Mansfield Park. I've seen the 2007 ITV production starring Billie Piper as Fanny Price. It's a fair film, though a bit underwhelming most probably because of its characters, or lead character who isn't at all like the other Jane Austen heroines. With the book, which started out slow, I had to force myself to continue reading after the first few chapters. However, as I'm nearing the middle, I'm starting to like Fanny and the pace is getting better, so we'll see.

What else? I watched Austenland last night. :)

The Hunger Games

Josh Hutcherson is the reason I watched the movie. I have been a fan since Bridge to Terabithia. His character, Peeta, is the reason I read the books, which I finished Monday.

Great read! These are the things I liked about the trilogy, aside from Peeta, of course: the plot, length of the trilogy, strength & variety of characters, and how 'real' it felt.

Though I think it's wrong to compare it to Twilight, I can't help it. This is my gauge, THG was a lot less annoying. The point of view bothers me sometimes, especially during Katniss' confused and whiny states. I would really love to read it again, this time in the third person, and see if it makes an improvement.

Gale was someone I didn't really warm up to. For me, he's character was replaceable, though not insignificant. I also wonder what directions the story would take had Gale been removed entirely. Because surely, he had been there to complete the triangle.

I can't wait for the next movie. Sam Claflin (Finnick) and Jena Malone (Johanna) will be there!

Happy Easter!

This, today.

I'll be bringing two books, crocheted uterus bags and local bread sticks.

The Angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He is risen as He said." ~ Mt. 28:5-6

First Blog Giveaway: 2 Books and a Crochet Pouch [CLOSED]

In celebration of something this February, I am giving away:

• a good copy of American Gods
• a second-hand copy of Foucault's Pendulum
• and a crocheted pouch

to three happy people. Simply tell me which one of these you'd like to win in the comments below. Please make sure I have a way to contact you (e.g. email address). Everyone has until the end of February to join. Good luck!

UPDATE March 1, 2013
Using Random.org, the winners are:
isaw - American Gods
cham - pouch
El-ei - Foucault's Pendulum

Thank you for joining!

The Hobbit starts today

I wanted to review the book first before watching the movie, but someone borrowed it, promised to return in two weeks, and for some reason, the book still isn't here. So I'll just have to enjoy the movie then without being familiar with most of the dwarves. And today I am giving The Hobbit photos and links for you to enjoy!

First look at Bard and Legolas in the third(?) movie There and Back Again.
I'm still waiting for a still of Lee Pace as King Thranduil.

A featurette:

And finally a link to the end credits song for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey by Neil Finn, a founding member of the New Zealand band Crowded House. You can listen to the song at Rolling Stone's website.

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict

My copy of the book arrived this morning. I can't wait! Both of these were won from giveaways -- Rude Awakenings from the author herself last year, Confessions last September -- given by Maria Grazia. Thank you!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

In the wake of the coming movie, I read the book my cousin made me borrow.

Though I didn't really love the novel because it reminded me too much of the Catcher in the Rye, there are some things I LOVED about it. It has its own playlist, book list and movie list. The characters were very memorable. Then it also contained one of the days dearest to me. Lucky day.

ahh good ol' Nick Drake in the list!

I've only read Peter Pan, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Catcher..., and Walden

Still have to watch My Life as a Dog and The Unbelievable Truth

The day I turned 9 :)

My favorite quote in the book is a conversation Charlie, the main character, had with his English teacher, Bill.

~ Do you always think this much, Charlie?

~ Is that bad?

~ Not necessarily. It's just that sometimes people use thought to not participate in life.

As for the movie, it stars Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and a young actor I've been hearing (reading) a lot lately, Ezra Miller. Paul Rudd will be Bill, the English teacher! Yes, he deserves an exclamation mark. :)

Book Spine Poetry

A friend introduced me to book spine poetry (also here) last month. It sounded fun so I tried my hand at it. Here's two short poems from what small collection I had.

In my hands

Old books, rare friends

American gods, eternal enemies

The dark is rising

north and south

The light in the forest

scream nil by mouth

Now it's your turn.
A shout-out to Chi. Your Old books, rare friends featured hehe.

UPDATE:
Check out the posts of my Davao Reader's Circle friends, Aicha and Cham.

June Screenings

June had been a great month for viewing movies and mini series. That's thanks to both HBO and Star Movies Asia! It was fun having to anticipate costume dramas, historical fiction, and book adaptations. I would love more of these kind: Game of Thrones Season Two, The Pillars of the Earth, Black Death, and Treasure Island (2012).

The highlight was The Pillars of the Earth, which I finished last night. Game of Thrones was badass, at least Jaqen H'ghar was! But it's not finished so, back to Pillars...

THE CAST: Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell!, Matthew McFadyen!,
Eddie Redmayne, Hayley Atwell, Donald Sutherland

The Pillars of the Earth was adapted from a historical novel by Ken Follett. It's set in the middle of the 12th century, primarily during the Anarchy, when a succession crisis led to a civil war in England. The novel focuses on the building of a cathedral during this time of turmoil. The story was remarkably good as was the set. But undoubtedly the best part of that series was the cast and their respective characters. I couldn't take my eyes off them. A lot are familiar, regulars in the genre, while some are up-and-coming. What this really means is that, I have new favorites. ;)

From those four films I've mentioned, I can name several actors who appear in two:

1) Sean Bean. They say Sean Bean is a spoiler. He's in GoT and Black Death. Dies in both, among others.

2) Carice van Houten. She plays Melisandre, a priestess, in GoT. And like Sean Bean, she also appears in Black Death as Langiva the necromancer/witch, though I don't really know for sure. Typecasting?

3) Eddie Redmayne has one of the most interesting faces, and striking as a redhead. He's lead in both Pillars and Black Death. This June also saw the release of Les Miserables' first trailer where he plays Marius.

4) The great Donald Sutherland was in both Pillars and Treasure Island.

Alison Pill as Princess Maud

Other actors who are making names are:

Hayley Atwell (love interest of Capt. America, long lost sister of Julia Ormond) who played Aliana in Pillars;

Sam Claflin (Aliana's brother in Pillars) who I recently saw in United (2011) as Duncan Edwards, one of Manchester United's Busby Babes who died in a plane crash. How was he as Snow White's prince in Snow White & the Huntsman?

I've always loved Alison Pill. I think of her as a no-nonsense actress. She played an impressively strong Princess Maud in Pillars.

Douglas Booth, as 15-year old Eustace in Pillars, appearing briefly. Now this one I don't know anything about aside from the fact that he'll be the new Romeo of Hailee Steinfeld's Juliet, and Noah's son Shem.

P.S. Elijah Wood was so bad as Ben Gunn in Treasure Island I felt awkward every time he came on screen. :(

P.P.S. William Hamleigh of Pillars

Don't be fooled. David Oakes plays dark characters. source

Screenplay Collection

Have you ever had that feeling when you find a book and think it was fate brought you together? I was at Booksale last Wednesday just to pass the time and found three amazing books: one about photographer Alfred Stieglitz and his painter wife Georgia O'Keeffe, an encyclopedia of watercolor painting techniques, and a book called Great Graphic Design on a Budget. But I couldn't afford any of those at the time and so headed over to the fiction section. And there it was. The moment I laid my eyes (and hand) on that second title from the far left column, I thought 'it's my book!'. That's what I love about second-hand book shops. You'll never know what easter eggs are hidden. I just found the screenplay of one of my all-time favorite movies: The History Boys!

Clockwise from top left: The Mommy Market, Nil by Mouth (Gary Oldman),
My Own Private Idaho & Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (Gus Van Sant),
The History Boys (Alan Bennett) and Three Screenplays (Ed Burns)

It's starting to look like a collection. That one with the Korean characters is the screenplay for The Mommy Market starring Anna Chlumsky. It came with the VHS tape my father bought in the 90s. This group though is missing my other favorite by writer/director Mike Leigh (right). My friend, who shares this admiration, is its current keeper.

Don't be put off by its title, the movie Naked is heavy and intense, but nonetheless first-rate especially the script and acting. I am in awe of movies that leave you questioning and speechless.

Finally, and as the 'History Teachers' would suggest, I'm ending this post with a 'gobbet.'

"The best moments in reading are when you come across something -- a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things -- which you had thought special and particular to you. Now here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out and taken yours."

~ Hector (The History Boys)

Davao Readers Circle

I have a couple of sites to promote. First up, the Davao Readers Circle Blog is now active. DRC was started in 2008 by a small group of book lovers as a way to share their love of reading. The meetings were scheduled every two weeks and held in different cafes around Davao City. The members would bring books they want to share or lend, then discuss these and other topics such as music, anime, and movies.

First members: (L-R) Raine, Aicha, Jesh, Chi, and Rhea

Last year was a slow one for DRC. The only meeting I remember was the Easter Book Hunting event arranged by Chi. This year though, we've found a new home in a little artsy cafe called Via and so far, the meet-ups have been regular and the members increasing. :)

Visit the DRC Blog

The Stand - Stephen King

Stu & Fran on the cover

What better way to read Stephen King for the first time than to start with The Stand, and the uncut version at that. One of the reasons I wanted to read the book was because I watched the mini-series back in high school and really liked it. I bought the mini-series tie in edition from a second hand bookstore on December 2008 and put it on the shelf. There it stayed until I finally had the courage to read 1,141 pages just this February.

From the back cover:

Imagine America devastated by a vast killer plague that moves from coast to coast. Imagine the countryside destroyed and great cities decimated as the entire population desperately and futilely seeks safety. Imagine then an even greater evil rising to threaten the survivors - and a last embattled group of men and women coming together to make a last stand against it.

For me the start was slow. I was introduced to a lot of characters, something that I'm not really fond of, because I'm bad at remembering names and had to list them down. So about two weeks passed before I got to the interesting part: most of the names died (I just creeped myself out typing that) and the mysterious dreams started. I know a lot of people might be turned off by the religious themes of the novel at this point, but that's what made me read on. I love books about good vs. evil, a fellowship going out to save the world. Yes, just like the Lord of the Rings. In fact, the book mentioned LOTR a couple of times. There's also an eye lurking around.

By the time I got to my third week, I couldn't put the book down. For two nights, I read until about 3AM, and lay down very close to my sister when I slept. That's what you'd do, too, when you get scared. M-O-O-N, that spells scared! =p

Nick meeting Mother Abagail in his dream

I finished the book on the eve of my birthday and watched the mini-series again on the 24th. The mini-series looks a little cringe-worthy now, especially Molly Ringwald's performance as Fran. Sorry. But I still feel they made good casting choices for Stu (Gary Sinise), Nick (Rob Lowe), Tom (Bill Fagerbakke), Mother Abagail (Ruby Dee) and some others. I heard they're going to make a new movie (or movies). The casting should be interesting.

Glen (Ray Walston), Larry (Adam Storke), and Ralph (Peter Van Norden) out to make their last stand

You can't write about a book without mentioning some favorite characters. And here's mine, with their best qualities: Nick and his integrity, Stu's quiet courage, Larry's repentance which developed in him a sense of duty, Tom's innocence, loyalty and bravery, Glen's wisdom, Ralph's simplicity, and Mother Abagail's faith.

W.B. Yeats - A Prayer For My Daughter

A Prayer For My Daughter

Once more the storm is howling, and half hid
Under this cradle-hood and coverlid
My child sleeps on. There is no obstacle
But Gregory's wood and one bare hill
Whereby the haystack- and roof-levelling wind,
Bred on the Atlantic, can be stayed;
And for an hour I have walked and prayed
Because of the great gloom that is in my mind.

I have walked and prayed for this young child an hour
And heard the sea-wind scream upon the tower,
And under the arches of the bridge, and scream
In the elms above the flooded stream;
Imagining in excited reverie
That the future years had come,
Dancing to a frenzied drum,
Out of the murderous innocence of the sea.

May she be granted beauty and yet not
Beauty to make a stranger's eye distraught,
Or hers before a looking-glass, for such,
Being made beautiful overmuch,
Consider beauty a sufficient end,
Lose natural kindness and maybe
The heart-revealing intimacy
That chooses right, and never find a friend.

Helen being chosen found life flat and dull
And later had much trouble from a fool,
While that great Queen, that rose out of the spray,
Being fatherless could have her way
Yet chose a bandy-leggèd smith for man.
It's certain that fine women eat
A crazy salad with their meat
Whereby the Horn of Plenty is undone.

In courtesy I'd have her chiefly learned;
Hearts are not had as a gift but hearts are earned
By those that are not entirely beautiful;
Yet many, that have played the fool
For beauty's very self, has charm made wise,
And many a poor man that has roved,
Loved and thought himself beloved,
From a glad kindness cannot take his eyes.

May she become a flourishing hidden tree
That all her thoughts may like the linnet be,
And have no business but dispensing round
Their magnanimities of sound,
Nor but in merriment begin a chase,
Nor but in merriment a quarrel.
O may she live like some green laurel
Rooted in one dear perpetual place.

My mind, because the minds that I have loved,
The sort of beauty that I have approved,
Prosper but little, has dried up of late,
Yet knows that to be choked with hate
May well be of all evil chances chief.
If there's no hatred in a mind
Assault and battery of the wind
Can never tear the linnet from the leaf.

An intellectual hatred is the worst,
So let her think opinions are accursed.
Have I not seen the loveliest woman born
Out of the mouth of Plenty's horn,
Because of her opinionated mind
Barter that horn and every good
By quiet natures understood
For an old bellows full of angry wind?

Considering that, all hatred driven hence,
The soul recovers radical innocence
And learns at last that it is self-delighting,
Self-appeasing, self-affrighting,
And that its own sweet will is Heaven's will;
She can, though every face should scowl
And every windy quarter howl
Or every bellows burst, be happy still.

And may her bridegroom bring her to a house
Where all's accustomed, ceremonious;
For arrogance and hatred are the wares
Peddled in the thoroughfares.
How but in custom and in ceremony
Are innocence and beauty born?
Ceremony's a name for the rich horn,
And custom for the spreading laurel tree.


~William Butler Yeats