I'm now relocated to my new office area at one end of the dining room.
There's still a lot of boxes to sort through, but my shelves are starting to fill up, and essential items are at hand.
Ever since we got broadband at home we've had a router (we're on our second one) and it's started to wear out, so at the end of last week I contacted our broadband supplier and moved to the latest device. Plus I asked if we could replace our old rental phone with a newer model, and yes we could do that too.
The new equipment arrived this morning, so I've got some reading to do before I start connecting anything.
Technology has moved on so much in the last five years and it will also improve the space available for the essentials.
I've still got a big box with books, manuscripts and stationery to empty and arrange on the shelves, so it's still a work in progress, but I can start working meanwhile.
I can now sit at the computer out of the way of the rest of the family, and sheltered from the everyday noise and movements through the house. And when the phone rings I'm there to answer.
And best of all I can't see the tv...
Carol Bevitt's blog on her writing and inspirations, along with occasional literature related news...
Monday 23 July 2012
Saturday 21 July 2012
Austen and Bronte Classics Turned into Erotica...
No, I couldn't believe it either when I heard it, but sadly it is happening.
The 50 Shades trend has now reached the literary classics: Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey and Jane Eyre. :(
Now I've always thought there was an underlying sexual tension between the hero and heroine of these well-known novels; but that could just have been my imagination of course. :-)
And this isn't the first time that Jane Austen's characters have been given new lives in other genres.
There's been Mr Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange, and Vampire Darcy's Desire: A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation by Regina Jeffers.
Admittedly there's always been new stories or alternative versions of the original story- too numerous to mention.
Even P. D. James (Baroness and a best-selling crime novelist) had a novel featuring Darcy and Elizabeth, Death Comes to Pemberley (published in 2011) which takes place six years after Pride and Prejudice, and features Lydia Wickham arriving on the eve of the annual ball declaring her husband-the scoundrel George Wickham- has been murdered.
That I can accept. It's a new story-even though the characters were Jane Austen's invention.
But honestly, an erotic makeover for Pride and Prejudice is so wrong.
If you want to read an example- though the excerpts are quite tame- you should look at this piece from The Independent by Sherna Noah; and if you want to see the book covers, there's a gallery here.
I have to say the covers wouldn't be too out of place among many of the historical romances from US publishers.
Will I read any of them? I honestly don't know.
If I could read a longer excerpt first I might consider reading the rest.
It's sad that literary classics get mucked about with like this just to make money because erotica is the latest big selling trend.
At heart I believe books should be published because they are good and readers will buy and enjoy them. But as a writer who lives in the real world I accept that this no longer seems to be the priority.
The 50 Shades trend has now reached the literary classics: Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey and Jane Eyre. :(
Now I've always thought there was an underlying sexual tension between the hero and heroine of these well-known novels; but that could just have been my imagination of course. :-)
And this isn't the first time that Jane Austen's characters have been given new lives in other genres.
There's been Mr Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange, and Vampire Darcy's Desire: A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation by Regina Jeffers.
Admittedly there's always been new stories or alternative versions of the original story- too numerous to mention.
Even P. D. James (Baroness and a best-selling crime novelist) had a novel featuring Darcy and Elizabeth, Death Comes to Pemberley (published in 2011) which takes place six years after Pride and Prejudice, and features Lydia Wickham arriving on the eve of the annual ball declaring her husband-the scoundrel George Wickham- has been murdered.
That I can accept. It's a new story-even though the characters were Jane Austen's invention.
But honestly, an erotic makeover for Pride and Prejudice is so wrong.
If you want to read an example- though the excerpts are quite tame- you should look at this piece from The Independent by Sherna Noah; and if you want to see the book covers, there's a gallery here.
I have to say the covers wouldn't be too out of place among many of the historical romances from US publishers.
Will I read any of them? I honestly don't know.
If I could read a longer excerpt first I might consider reading the rest.
It's sad that literary classics get mucked about with like this just to make money because erotica is the latest big selling trend.
At heart I believe books should be published because they are good and readers will buy and enjoy them. But as a writer who lives in the real world I accept that this no longer seems to be the priority.
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