Thursday, 6 September 2012

Northanger Abbey - My Favourite Adaptation


This one required absolutely nearly no thought from me in the slightest. As I have said Northanger Abbey is not a firm favourite of mine (book wise) but I do have a firm favourite when it comes to the TV adaptations and it is one of the few occasions where I would watch the DVD over reading the book.

Peter Firth as Henry Tilney
It is the version from 1986.

It is brilliant and had the whole gothicey-ness down to a T. Peter Firth does an excellent job in his portrayal of Henry Tilney - I think with some adaptations the characters come across as being a little too 'pretty' and clean cut. I don't mean that as a criticism at all, as compared to Bronte and Dickens and other authors of the time Jane Austen's writing is downright fluffy (on the surface of things anyway), and to convey this and to appeal to a new generation of viewers the way things are done and cast are bound to change.
Katharine Schlesinger as Catherine Morland

Sorry of on a tangent there.

But yes, when it comes to the 1986 version what tops it for me is the characters

My only issue with the latest adaptation of Northanger Abbey is that it seems to miss out so much Austen goodness and other character's story-lines in an effort to simplify things and fit it into a 2 hour slot. (ITV I love you for your Austen-i-ness but I am talking to YOU)

So there is my pennies worth on my favourite adaptation.

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1 comment:

  1. I'm gonna try to see this one! :D I like the recent adaptation though I've not seen many of thsi book :D

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