Welcome back, Celeste Connally aka S.C. Perkins! I am so happy she’s here to celebrate the release of a first in a new series, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord!
Celeste: One of the perks of writing historical mysteries is that I can legitimately re-watch my favorite Jane Austen adaptations for the umpteenth time and call it research. (Not that I ever had any shame in said umpteen viewings, but still. “Research” sounds so much better, yes?)
Whether they be movies or TV miniseries, I love historical dramas in general, but my favorites are those taking on Austen’s few, but brilliant, novels. Emma, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, I love them all.
Well, OK, let’s get this out of the way: Mansfield Park is my least favorite—and appears to be most people’s—and it’s the one adaptation of her six finished novels that I’ve only watched twice, and not recently.
In its place, however, I have watched the PBS series adaptation of Austen’s partially finished novel, Sanditon, and more than once. At first, I wasn’t the biggest fan, but once I stopped thinking of it as not anywhere as good as any of the other Austen miniseries and just let myself enjoy the Regency-era story and the performances, I really got into it. Though I realize I may be in the minority here…
Nevertheless, it was watching these adaptations during the pandemic—along with others such as Bridgerton—that gave me the idea for my mystery set in the Regency era and featuring the daughter of an earl who becomes an amateur sleuth after she shockingly decides to remain unmarried.
As it was Austen’s Emma Woodhouse and her initial desire to remain unmarried who was one of the inspirations for my main character of Lady Petra Forsyth, of course that meant I needed to watch my two favorite adaptations of Emma again. One being the 2009 miniseries starring Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller—the former who is a delightful Emma, and the latter who is my favorite Mr. Knightly. The other being the 1996 film starring Gwyneth Paltrow, who showcased Emma’s big-hearted yet spoiled nature to utter perfection (and that is a movie-related hill I am willing to defend).
Then, of course, it was important to have excellent visuals of dresses, hairstyles, houses, furnishings, carriages, and every other little Regency thing you can think of, so that merited watching Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility again. Various adaptations of both novels have merit, of course, but I’m firmly a fan of the 1995 miniseries starring Colin Firth, and the 1995 movie starring Emma Thompson. Neither could have been made better, in my opinion. And is there any actor who can show so much emotion in his eyes whilst looking Regency-single-man-in-possession-of-a-good-fortune haughty better than Colin Firth? Really, I think not.
But when it came to steadfast love and heartbreak, for me, it’s Persuasion. And for me, the 1995 version starring Ciarán Hinds and Amanda Root cannot be matched. She was the perfect Anne Elliot, and he was the most dashing Captain Wentworth. That scene at the end where she slides her hand into his is one of the most romantic things I’ve ever seen! The only actor who’s ever matched Hinds in playing Wentworth is Rupert Penry-Jones in the 2007 PBS movie version. Seriously swoon-worthy and played stoically lovesick well, both of them.
What’s clear to me is that half of why I re-watch these adaptations with such gusto are the handsome men, and I’m completely fine with that. Bring on the “research,” I say!
Readers, which Jane Austen adaptation is your favorite?
Author bio:
Celeste Connally is an Agatha Award nominee, and a former freelance writer and editor. A lifelong devotee of historical novels and adaptations fueled by her passion for history—plus weekly doses of PBS Masterpiece—Celeste loves reading and writing about women from the past who didn’t always do as they were told.
You can also find Celeste on Instagram and Facebook at @celesteconnallyauthor and at www.celesteconnally.com
Buy links:
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/act-like-a-lady-think-like-a-lord-celeste-connally/19473490?ean=9781250867551
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/act-like-a-lady-think-like-a-lord-celeste-connally/1143870209?ean=9781250867551
The Wickeds 
Research, indeed, Celeste. I love the premise for your new series, but I’m afraid I’m not an Austen movie/show devotee, and I didn’t like Sanditon at all. The handsome men, though? Bring it on!
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Congratulations on your new series, Celeste! I, too, have done “research” watching many of the adaptations you mentioned. I have performed in stage adaptations (3 of them musicals) of Emma, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey and Pride and Prejudice. Inhabiting an Austen character from the inside out as an actor gives you a unique perspective on Austen’s time and I can safely say I am glad I’m a woman of the 21st century! And though my costumes were fairly comfortable (mind you, we did not go for complete authenticity especially with undergarments – it was for stage after all), I just don’t look great in Regency-period garb and hairstyle (I was always wigged). And we are of like minds regarding Jonny Lee Miller’s Knightley (she swoons)!
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Celeste, congratulations on the new book! It does sound quite interesting so I’m adding it to my list.
As for favorite movie adaptation, I would say for me it is a two-way tie between the Emma Thompson version of Sense and Sensibility and the Keira Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice.
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Congratulations on the release of “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord’!
Love your kind of research!
2clowns at arkansas dot net
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Welcome back! Congratulations on the new book! Reading this made me re-watch the Colin Firth version (the best one) of Pride and Prejudice! I’ve watched it a number of times and loved it as much this time as the first time.
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Congrats on the new series! Big “yes” to Colin Firth as Darcy and Emma Thompson’s “Sense & Sensibility.” Plus Alan Rickman as the Captain! I am “meh” on the Gwyneth Paltrow “Emma,” but I believe I saw a miniseries version that was good. I never saw “Sandition” and I don’t think I’ve seen that 90s version of “Persuasion” – but I did see a movie version that I thought was okay. I may have been the one you talk about. My problem with “Persuasion” is that I want to slap the protagonist too often. Get a backbone, girl! LOL
And yes, Mansfield Park is my least favorite Austen novel.
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I loved Emma Thompson in Sense and Sensibility. aprilbluetx at yahoo dot com
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I love this post, and agree with your adaptation choices. The PBS version of Sense and Sensibility was very good, but the movie is perfection. Persuasion is my favorite of the novels, and that 1995 version is so, so good. Ciaran Hinds is very underrated as a romantic lead IMHO. And yes, bring on the handsome men. Congratulations on the book!
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Britbox has a version of Persuasion with Sally Hawkins as the female lead. Try to find it
.
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I do love anything Jane Austen inspired & look forward to reading your new book! While Persuasion is my favorite book, I do love the Colin Firth mini series of Pride and Prejudice. My favorite, though, is an Austen inspired mini series – Lost in Austen. I hope that The Murder of Mr. Wickham is made into a movie, it would be lovely to see all those Austen characters together on the screen.
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Just like you,Celeste, I highly rate the 1995 versions of Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice. The closer the version is to the book, the more I enjoy it. I’ve been a Jane Austin fan since I was a teenager and I’m now 71 years old. Miriam Cook
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People who haven’t read the novel have no idea how laugh out loud funny it can be, and the 1995 Mr Bennett caught that character perfectly.
Donald Sutherland’s doddering, mumbling character completely ruined the 2005 movie for me
And I’m glad to see you like the Ramola Garai Emma as much as I do. It doesn’t seem to get a lot of love.
Your preference for the 1995 Persuasion is to be commended.
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Dear cousin, congrats on this blog and your new book. I am not a fan of Jane Austen’s books nor the movie adaptations. I do love Colin Firth, dislike Gwyneth Paltrow, but have watched parts of the movies. I am a huge movie fan as you know though. I used to read lots of historical romances but have changed my reading habits. Yours though sounds better due to the mystery function and I like the independence of Lady Petra. An author who has not written in a while but wrote about a woman trying to be a lawyer/detective in San Francisco in 1880. Her name is Sarah Winston, and they were written by Shirley Tallman. It is historical, romantic and a mystery. Not as old as yours set in 1815 and not in the UK but very good. I can’t wait to read yours. I still love the genealogy ones. I hope someone picks them up again if you want to write more. Congrats. Madeleine
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