While I consider myself to be reasonably web savvy,there are still areas of uncharted territory that I have yet to click upon. Web series,such as The Guild,are one of those pop culture items that I wasn't sure about getting entangled in. However,wherever Jane Austen is involved,then I'm more than willing to climb abroad.
Laurie Viera Rigler's time traveling/body swapping flights of fancy,Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict were such delightful reads that it was surprising that no one had snapped them up for either big screen or small adaptation.
Someone did think that these interconnected stories of two women in different realities who share a deep love of Jane Austen was worth acting out somewhere and thanks to the website Babelgum,we have our adaptation of both books as "Sex and the Austen Girl," which has modern day Courtney Stone(Arabella Field) and Regency period Jane Mansfield(Fay Masterson)comparing and contrasting their culture shock as they adjust to their new supernaturally arranged environments.
Despite the title of the series,this is not a raunchy show and tell. Courtney and Jane do have very different notions about life and love yet are tastefully amusing about that subject. Meeting men is tricky in any time period yet Courtney does draw the line,however,about cousin marrying which is reasonable in more ways than one:
Wardrobe options are another major change,with Jane delighting in being allowed to wear trousers as Courtney realizes a major undergarment item is missing from her ensemble. Considering the social and moral restrictions of the time,it is interesting to note that particular lack of physical coverage:
New episodes appear on Mondays and remain on the site in their archives. The latest one has the girls discussing technology,where Jane is thrilled with the "moving pictures" of Pride and Prejudice on her TV screen and Courtney is suffering from serious internet withdrawal.
In a weird way,I can identify with both perspectives. There is a refreshing appeal to having less to do with the gadgets and gizmos that insist upon intruding into our lives minute by minute. On the other hand,you do get jonesing to check your e-mail or update your Facebook status after some time away from those wonderful toys:
Speaking of Facebook,a new fan page for this series has started up to ask "Can we see more "Sex and the Austen Girl" by making it a TV series(please)"-you gotta love the please at the end there. Yes,I signed up and think it would be a great idea. There are dozens of network and cable channels out there who could use a smart and funny new show with a strong fan following behind it.
I also hope that many of the folks who haven't read the books that the web series is based on will now do so. Both are available in paperback and make for fine beach reading(or just about any season)as well as welcome respite from the worries and stresses of the regular world. It's also a safe way to learn your lesson about thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence,or in this case,century:
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