Sunday Salon: It's a Lizzie Bennet Diaries Easter

I mentioned briefly last week that I have somewhat belatedly discovered The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and by belatedly I mean just before it wrapped up once and for all! I watched the first 40 episodes last weekend, but managed to restrain myself from watching anymore during the week because I intended to start from the beginning again with a friend this weekend.

On Saturday morning, I set up the room ready to go. Snacks...check. Laptop receiving wi-fi signal..... check (eventually). Laptop connected to the TV screen....check. Ready to go!

While I waited for my friend I thought I would, you know, just watch a couple of episodes and then would start again when she arrived, except she ended up arriving a lot later in the day than expected and so I had watched the first 40 episodes again before I decided that I need to make cookies (which my son still hasn't tried - not that I am bitter about that) and made dinner! And then, I watched the first 50 or so with her. If you are counting along at home that means that yes, I watched the first 40 episodes three times. The difference being this time, that once my friend went home, I just kept on watching, right until the end, even though that kept me up until 2.30 in the morning.

And then there's today. No, I didn't start from the beginning again - even I would find that a bit of overkill - but I did start from the beginning on the website and read through all the additional material that is included and watch all of the other videos, like the ones that Lydia Bennet did, or later in the series those that Darcy's sister Gigi did, and so many more!

For those of you who are wondering what on earth I am talking about, the Lizzie Bennet Diaries are a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice using YouTube as the primary source of storytelling, but also using other forms like Twitter and Tumblr to progress the story. Whilst the book is clearly identifiable as being the basis of the story, many of the themes have been updated to reflect modern concerns. For example, while for Mrs Bennet the need to find good husbands is still very important especially in the light of the family's financial difficulties, for Lizzie and Jane and Charlotte the focus is more on their careers.  I found many of the modernisations to be fascinating. For example, Mr Collins was still irritating and in the metaphorical pockets of Catherine de Bourgh, but he wasn't a minister in this case. He was a ..... actually, I don't think I will tell you because it is one of the cleverer ways that the makers adapted the book.

I thought I would do a brief list of a few things that I learned from spending this entire weekend immersed is the world of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

1. Try and space your watching out over a few more than two days. Seriously....I am really tired now... and yet I can't stop watching certain episodes over and over! (and yes, you know the ones that they would be...le sigh). If you can't stop yourself, then it's not like I won't understand how that feels!

2. I basically put the Youtube stream on and let it play just the Lizzie Bennet entries. My advice to you would be to NOT do that. Follow all the posts from the website so that you get to see all the additional videos and Twitter conversations that help to colour the world and so that you can see the other action that is taking place away from Lizzie!

3. Don't let the fact that you have/have not read Pride and Prejudice stop you from enjoying the series. I haven't yet read it (shh.....I know alright) and I normally strongly avoid all the spin off books. Then again I tend to avoid the spin off books of the ones I have read too!

4. There are so many amazingly clever people out there who have created gifs, fan art etc. You could lose days just looking at this stuff if you aren't careful.

5. When the next adaptation, Welcome to Sanditon, starts some times in May, get in at the beginning. Yes, it means that you will have to wait for each new development to happen along with millions of other people, but I am sure that is half the fun...right? Right?

Oh, and to Livia Day whose book, A Trifle Dead, I intended to review yesterday .... sorry! I got a tad obsessed with LBD but I will get back to the book and do the review asap. Maybe even tomorrow, assuming that I can stop rewatching the videos tonight and tomorrow.

For your viewing pleasure, here is the first episode of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Currently watching

Nothing.

Oh, who am I kidding. I think I might just watch the last 10 or so episodes again before I go to bed.

Currently Reading

A Trifle Dead by Livia Day (again...sorry) and listening to Tuscan Rose by Belinda Alexandra

Up Next

The Chevalier by Cynthia Harrod-Eagle and From the Kitchen of Half Truths bu Maria Goodin


****Oh, nearly forgot! Don't forget to enter the giveaway that I am hosting of Back on Track by Donna Cummings - full details here****