Lost in Austen

...as they would say, wouldn't they? And then, in a Mr. Bennett manner, aside, "I wonder...", but audible enough to be overheard. I know this sounds a bit delirious, I'm just trying to show I was infected by the first episode - by zest! And a racy perplexity! I mean, the premise of undertaking this demands a serious grip on so many levels: how to make Austen's imitation of language not sound ridiculous, the heroine's punchlines not of-the-wall, the collision of the two worlds plausible and funny, mostly; it's my impression that the team succeeds all-in-all. It seems somewhat elliptic or restrained sometimes, but as Jane points out "without Elizabeth the equilibrium of this house is...fragile". For what does our uneasiness mean regarding the other side of the wall? What is Elizabeth doing in the 21st century? Can she really be enjoying herself? I think yes; I don't think we're going to see her for some time (maybe a sequel; good point!); for she is the splendor of the novel, so, once removed, we feel uneasy about our world and what it's doing, well, there, once we step into it!Hence the excitement, the fun and the suspense. "I wonder..." what comes next!

I've enjoyed Jane Austen's writing but I wouldn't consider myself a big fan. However, I loved LOST IN AUSTEN and I found it to be a readers' fantasy come true.

What would happen, what would it be like, if you had a favorite novel, one that you revisited frequently, a novel that you absolutely loved, one that you could get lost in, and suddenly you did? What would it be like to discover yourself in the middle of that story, not as one of the characters, but as yourself? Wouldn't that be totally amazing?

Well, that's exactly what happens in LOST IN AUSTEN and I loved every minute of it, as anyone who loves to read would also. This is as much a celebration of both reading and storytelling as it is about Jane Austen.

A lot of attention to detail, a cast who look and behave exactly as you expect them to look and behave, a story you're already familiar with, but now toss in the reader herself and stir the mix. WOW!

Magic!

I had a wonderful time watching this and I hope you do as well.

As a huge Austen fan I was excited to see this. Unfortunately it disappointed within the first 15 minutes. The main character supposedly knows the book and Bennets as if they were family yet behaves in a manner that one would expect from the person who learned of the Bennets from Cliffs Notes. There is no relationship or character development. She just pinballs from one chapter to the next.

I loved this series. The scene where Amanda sings "down town" was the funniest thing i've seen all year! I have to say that my favourite scene through out the series was the lake scene. When Mr Darcy declared his love for Amanda gave me goosebumps! The chemistry between the two main characters was such a joy to watch every week. I really enjoyed this series, right from episode one till episode four! I strongly recommend this! The storyline, acting from the crew, and the scenery are all equally fantastic. For me its Elliot Cowen vs Matthew Mcfadyen in the role of Darcy. I know that Colin Firth is said to be the best Darcy, but for me... its just not there. Jemima Rooper was great too. I expected to be jealous of Amanda at the end, but I just ended up going "awwwwwwwwwww" and also played it back at least twenty times! Loved it, loved it, loved it!

Hard to imagine how this could be better. The casting is close to perfect. Mr and Mrs Bennet as played by Hugh Bonneville and Alex Kingston quickly outshine previous inhabitants of these roles. This Mrs Bennet is neurotic but also strong, and Mr Bennet is suitably acidic but also very affable and easy to like. The Bennet sisters are very well presented. Jane has a very gentle quality. Kitty and Lydia and Mary are a pleasure to see on screen. Gemma Arterton is as impressive as we would expect in the role of Lizzie. Best of all is Jemima Rooper as Amanda, a fine young actress who here gets the chance to take centre stage and to properly show us what she can do. The men inhabit their parts well - some very good work from Tom Riley as Wickhan, Eliot Cowan as a smouldering Mr Darcy and Tom Mison as a very winning Mr Bingley. Christina Cole is on great icy form as Mr Bingley's sister. And Mr Collins is truly repulsive as played by Guy Henry, looking like the grim reaper and finding a grotesque comedy in this very oily character. But what is most clever about this new 'spin' on Pride and Prejudice is the way it takes a story we all think we know and then turns it upside down. Guy Andrews writes very funny dialogue for both Amanda as a modern woman and the characters we know from Jane Austen. The comic set pieces are directed with real aplomb by Dan Zeff, but it's also surprisingly moving at times. Costumes and sets all look good. Having seen this I don't know how we'll take another 'straight' Austen adaptation seriously again!