Period Drama Week Tag Questions Part 1

It's Period Drama Week over at Miss Elizabeth's lovely blog Elegance of Fashion. One way in which to get involved in this special event is to participate in this tag, which is compiled of 20 questions relating to Period Drama's.
I really enjoyed answering these questions and hope that you enjoy reading them. Don't forget to stop by Elegance of Fashion to see what other exciting things as happening throughout the week.



1. How did you get into period dramas?

I remember as a child staying at my grandparents and seeing  The King and I. I became entranced by the costumes and language which seemed so foreign as child who mostly grew up on Disney films. So it started there but it really wasn’t until about 5 years ago where I became trapped in the period drama world.

2. What is it that you like about period dramas?

This is a hard question, really its everything about them, I suppose the simplest way to put it is to borrow a few words from Amanda Price from the mini-series Lost in Austen :

"I love the love story. I love Elizabeth. I love the manners and language and the courtesy."

3. Do you usually read a book and then watch the adaptation or do you watch the adaptation and then read the book?

Usually try to read the book first and in most cases I have read the book before I have even heard of the film adaptation. But I think as time goes by and as  more novels are made into films and as life gets busier I think this will change.

4. What are your top three period dramas and why?

Another hard question. I don't have a top 3, I have a top 15 or 20 I think. I am going to leave out the Austen adaptations because I have already spoken enough about them. So here are 3 films I love from my Top 15 :)

1. The Abduction Club (2002)
This one was an easy choice. I love this film, it has action, adventure, romance, a little comedy, exquisite costumes, dashing gentlemen, feisty young ladies, gorgeous scenery and a Irish-styled soundtrack- what more could you want! It is my favourite movie to sit down and watch with one of my sisters (the one closest to me in age), we both adore it and spend hours, literally, speaking about it afterwards.

2. Lorna Doone (2000)
I watched this film for the first time earlier this year, since then I have watched it so many times I don't even want to think about it. I love the time period in which this film is set and the scenery is lovely.

3.  The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008)
Picking the 3rd one was a little harder but when it came down to it I knew it was going to be this one. This film is gorgeous but terribly sad, I think it has some of the most amazing acting performances in a movie. Two of the lead characters are young boys who have to carry the film and they do it magnificently.

5. From those three period dramas that you picked, who are your favorite characters in each one?

Catherine Kennedy from The Abduction Club. I love Anne, Catherine's younger sister too so it was hard to choose but I love Catherine because she reminds me so much of Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility (Anne's a lot like Marianne too). Catherine is protective, sensible, beautiful and responsible. She cares so much for her family that she is willing to set aside her own feelings to try and do what is best for them.

Lorna is my favourite character from Lorna Doone.  She is strong, feisty but also beautiful, serene and kind. I loved Amelia Warner's portrayal of her, I thought it was very captivating and the emotion she put into her performance was so believable.

Shmuel from The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, he is seriously the cutest little kid ever. I just wanted to take him home! I cried almost every time I saw him on the screen, he was so gorgeous. And seriously who cannot love a kid with huge eyes and a name like "Shmuel" it is such an awesome name!

6. Which author do you like the adaptations of their works best?

Jane Austen, I suppose because she is my favourite author, its just so hard not to like the good adaptations of her work. But I still think that adaptations of Elizabeth Gaskell’s novels are the most well adapted films from novels- Wives and Daughters and North & South were so beautifully filmed and scripted and stayed so faithful to the novels. And although I haven't yet seen Cranford  (but I just bought the novel so once I have read it I plan to see it) but I have heard it too is very good. 

7. Which period drama characters are the funniest to you (Keep it under three)?

Squire Hamley
I cannot help but laugh at almost laugh at almost everything he says in Wives and Daughters.

John Thorpe
I know that he could easily fall into the 'most annoying' category but I just find him hilarious. He has no idea that no one cares at all about what he is saying or that his gig has this or that. I loved William Beck's portrayal of him in the 2007 adaptation, I must admit that although he was super creepy I found that it only made it all the more funny for me.

Mrs. Hyacinth Gibson
I don't think I ever laughed so much in a period drama movie than in one particular scene in Wives and Daughters where Hyacinth Gibson (played by Francesca Annis) at almost the very end of the film does some quite hilarious waving actions through the window (I don't want to give away too much for those of you who may not have seen this film). Anyway it had both my Mum and I in tears.

8. Which period drama characters are the most annoying (Keep it under three)?

Mary Musgrove
She is the reason that I don't often watch the 2007 adaptation of Persuasion- well along with the marathon scene at the end. Mary really annoys me, I will leave it at that because I already wrote about it here during Jane Austen Week.

9. Which period drama characters are in your top three?

1. Catherine Morland from Northanger Abbey (2007)
The heroine of my favourite novel, just as I said during Jane Austen Week "I adore Catherine, she is the un-heroic heroine of literature. She possesses little of the "traits" that a heroine is expected to. She is not wealthy, or exceptionally beautiful or altogether intelligent. And I feel she is just so easy to identify with because she comes across at the beginning of the novel as an ordinary young girl who in general is nothing special. But as the novel progresses we see such a transformation of her character where Catherine becomes a heroine in her own special way."

2. Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind (1939)
Okay, this one seems a little strange but she has always been high on my favourite characters list. I love her despite and because of her many obvious flaws, to me she is so human and so easy to identify with in many ways. I admire her determination and sympathise with how dearly she holds onto the old life/world as everything changes around her. And Vivien Leigh was simply beautiful in the role, she really is Scarlett.

3. Will Scarlett from Robin Hood (TV series)

Harry Lloyd's Will Scarlett is my favourite male character in any Period Drama (followed closely by Richard Armitage's Mr. Thornton). He is one of those characters who rarely does anything for himself, its all about the people he can help and what he can do to ease their pain and suffering.

10. When you watch period dramas, what is it that you pay the closest attention to (ie. costuming, scenery, etc.)?

I suppose it is faithfulness and chemistry. Firstly if it is based on a novel I tend to get extremely frustrated if they deviate significantly from the original storyline. I also pay close attention to the chemistry between characters. For me costumes, hairstyles, make up, scenery and music all play a huge part in a film but if one is lacking I don't ever feel the movie is bad- it can usually be compensated for however if their is no chemistry between the two lead characters, there is nothing in my opinion that can fix the film, from there it just...flops.

Love Mel xx

Tag; The Ultimate Book Bash -Part 2

I am so sorry for the delay in posting this 2nd part of The Ultimate Book Bash Tag. Unfortunately as I said in my earlier post I broke my laptop and was therefore unable to post/comment/look at anything for the past few days.

But that is all over now and here I have part 2 of this awesome tag. And even though The Book Bash is technically over you can still head over and check out Charity U's wonderful blog Austenitis.



What's your favorite time period to read about? 
I don't really have a favourite period, I love to read books which are all set during different time periods. However I have noticed I read a lot of novels from the Regency period- but when I think about it, it's not my favourite.

G. A. Henty, J. R. R. Tolkien, or Charles Dickens? What's your favorite book or series by the author you chose?
Charles Dickens! absolutely, I have this new found respect for him now that I am re-reading Great Expectations (my favourite Dickens' book). He, in my eyes is the master of words, I don't know how he does it- he is amazing.

Ivanhoe or Ben-Hur?
Well, I haven't actually read either but I plan to read Ivanhoe.

Name three books everyone should read.
1. The Bible, of course
2. City On Our Knees by Toby Mac. This book was so uplifting, I loved it! The book is a collection of short stories from different people whom God has used to change the world.
3.Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. I just have to throw it in here. It's one of those novels that tends to fall between the cracks (in this case the cracks are Pride & Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility). Oh, it's my favourite novel.
and just because...
Love Comes Softly Series, because too many people I know have only seen the films and every book in this series is better than any of the films! Its just that simple. I won't go into detail because I will go on forever and just get mad and frustrated. But I do have to say one thing in favour of the films is Logan Bartholomew's portrayal of Willie LaHaye it was just...well he was Willie- enough said.

Name two books we wouldn't have expected you to enjoy.
1. Star Wars. I have shocked quite a few people with that revelation.
2. Darwin Strikes Back by Thomas Woodward. As a Christian who is studying Ecology at University- a course which is filled with loads of Evolution, I feel it is so important to read as many books which support Intelligent Design/Creationism as possible.

Name three books that have good movies to go with them.
1.North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell. Thanks to Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe's performances in the 2004 BBC mini-series the film was a hit! Although I do prefer the book, I don't think a film could be made any better than this one.  
2. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Despite Christian Bale's performance of Laurie being so entirely wrong - I loved the 1994 version.
3. Emma by Jane Austen. I really didn't want to mention this one simply because I think it has received rather too much attention, but that's not to say that it doesn't deserve it because it most certainly does. It stays quite true to the novel and the actors are brilliant.

Any books coming out soon that you're looking forward to?
Not that I can think of at the moment, although I am always pleased to see new Janette Oke or Tracie Peterson books.

Name two authors you'd like to talk to.
1. Janette Oke. I love Janette's novels so much that I collect everything I see her name attached to. Her novels gave me such peace and enjoyment during some really tough times. I would love to be able to thank her for that.
2. Jane Austen. Two words "Jane Austen", really what more can I say.

Science fiction or a fairy tale?
Science fiction definitely however I still enjoy reading the odd fairy tale.

A classic book you haven't read is...?
There are actually quite a few, I'm sorry to say, but I am working on it. I just bought George Eliot's Silas Marner which I plan to read for the first time shortly.

Shakespeare or George Bernard Shaw (who wrote Pygmalion)?
Shakespeare...although I tend to read mainly his Sonnets.

Name a movie (or two) where it's actually better than the book.

The Notebook. I love Nicholas Sparks, he is a great author but I must admit I did enjoy the film (fast forwarding a few scenes) much more than the novel.

Lorna Doone. When I first read R.D Blackmore's classic I enjoyed it, but after watching this film I went back and re-read it and I found it... I don't know...lacking, maybe, in some respects. But then again I love this movie so much that it may have clouded my judgement.
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. I read the book after seeing the film so I don't know whether that has anything to do with it. But I was a little disappointed with the book, I thought the film was much better.



Where is your favorite place to read?
Mostly I enjoy reading in the privacy of my own bedroom, but I'm really not fussed most of the time. That's what I love about books, they are like portable time-travelling devices, it doesn't matter where you are.

What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
A Gown of Spanish Lace by Janette Oke. I have heard that it is in-development, but whether its going ahead or not is anyones guess. But I would love to see it!
Jane Austen's Lady Susan would also be great.
And one/all of The Heirs of Acadia Series T.Davis Bunn & Isabella Bunn. I love this series, particularly the historical aspect. I think these novels would make great movie if (and that's a big "if") they were made right.

What book character do you identify the most with?
There are quite a few that I identify with but all for different reasons. Identify with Catherine Morland of Northanger Abbey and I am a lot like Molly Gibson of Wives and Daughters at times. I identify with Meg March from Little Women (although I can be just as headstrong as Jo)


What are your favorite quotes from books?
I am going to limit myself to 3 because otherwise this will be the longest post in the history of posts if I list all my favourites.

"But when a young lady is to be a heroine, the perverseness of forty surrounding families cannot prevent her. Something must and will happen to throw a hero in her way"

- Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey

"Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts."

- Charles Dickens' Great Expectations

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

- The Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Tag; The Ultimate Book Bash -Part 1

Charity U over at Austenitis is having "The Ultimate Book Bash!" in addition to the special posts she will be having during the week she has compiled a list of questions for us to answer as a tag.

I have decided to split this tag into two parts because otherwise it would be quite a long post. The second part will be posted a little later on in the week.




*Note: The Bible is pretty much a given for most of the answers, okay. It's the book I love the most, I read the most and it contains the greatest love story ever told. It's amazing. So even though I haven't included it below, keep this in mind- its my favourite book :)

Name three books you love.

1. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

2. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

3. A Gown of Spanish Lace by Janette Oke

Name two books you enjoy, but that most people probably haven't heard of.

1. Watership Down by Richard Adams. I love this novel, it was my favourite when I was 13 and is the inspiration behind my love of rabbits and also one of the main reasons as to why I chose the University course I am doing at the moment.

2. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. This was another book that I read when I was younger which I really loved. I have only ever met one person who had heard of it and they were in their mid-forties.

Name three series you love.

1. The Love Comes Softly Series- Janette Oke

2. The Song of Acadia Series- Janette Oke and T.Davis Bunn

3. The Little House Series- Laura Ingalls Wilder

Name three authors you love!

1. Jane Austen

2. Janette Oke

3. Thomas Hardy

How about three adventures or mysteries? 
1. Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
2. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
3. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Ohh and I liked The Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne and I am about to start reading Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island which I am quite excited about.

Three non-fiction?

1.  James Dean by George Perry

2. Lady Jane Grey: A Tutor Mystery by Eric Ives

3. Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides

Ghost Soldiers made me cry so many times, it was a really hard one to read in particular parts but it was so rewarding. The book details the account of the World War II's greatest rescue mission, where a small unit of soldiers undertake a raid on a Japanese prison camp where American POW's (prisoners of war) are been held in Cabanatuan in the Philippines.

Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys? Which book in your favorite set is your favorite?

I haven't read any books from either of these sets. I suppose I have never really been interested in them.

Narnia or Harry Potter? Name your favorite from the series you like best.

Neither I'm not interested in either or these series.

A cookbook or a how-to-sew book?

A how-to-sew book, although I would most likely get more use out of a cookbook because I cook more often than I sew :(

Historical fiction or fantasy? Name three books you like from the genre you chose.

Historical fiction...no doubt about it! It is really hard for me to name only three because I read a lot of novels from this genre and I have so many favourites, so I am just going to list the first three that pop into my head :)
1. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
love, love, love this book :)
2. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
*cries*
3.  aaaand... To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Hardcover or softcover?
Hmm, it all depends. I prefer hardcovers to look at, they seem so special and old but I think softcovers are easier to carry with you, generally they aren't as heavy or as awkward to read.

Louisa May Alcott or Lucy Maud Montgomery? Name your favorite book by the author you chose.
I love them both but I definitely have to go with Louisa May Alcott. Little Women and Good Wives were always favourites of mine!

Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte? Name your favorite book by the author you chose.
Jane Austen, without a doubt! and Northanger Abbey of course :)

Would you rather read historical fiction about the sinking of the Titanic, or the Civil War?
The Civil War, I love reading historical fiction set in War times.

What's your favorite classic? Why?
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. It is my favourite for many reasons but particularly because I think it is so cleverly written and the characters are great.

Little Women or A Little Princess?

Little Women, it has always been a favourite of mine!



I hope you enjoyed reading my answers and please be sure to check out Charity U's blog Austenitis for her special posts throughout the week. And don't forget to check back here for Part 2 later in the week.

Love Mel xx

A tag post

I really love reading these tag posts! I think they are a great way for me to learn about the authors of my favourite blogs and fun way for me to share a bit about myself. Thank you Jemimah at Beautiful Blank Pages for tagging me in this tag post!


Are you hot/warm/cold right now? Where are you?
Freezing, its the middle of winter here so its extremely cold. I am at home sitting beside my little dog- he's all curled up and sleeping :)

Upload a picture of the wallpaper you are using.
What an unusal question- I love it!  At the moment it is James Dean & Natalie Wood.

When was the last time you ate chicken?
Chicken? Well I'm a vegetarian. So I don't eat chicken and the last time I ate it would have been quite a while ago :)

What song or songs have you listened to recently?
I'm actually really liking Joe Jonas song "See No More". But in general I have been listening to The Fray non-stop, I honestly don't think a day goes by without me listening to them :) But right now I am listening to the musical stylings of the one and only...Toby Mac! Toby is a legend :)

Do you have any nicknames? If so what are they?
Hmm, I have quite a few but most of them I don't really like (I do like Missie, although not many people call me by that name). I generally stick with Mel (my name as you know is Melissa) but to be honest Mel is kind of a masculine nickname - so really I don't even like it all that much.

 I would love to see your answers to these questions, so if you feel like participating I tag you :) If you happen to have already posted this tag or a similar one, post the link below I really would love to read it :)

My love to you all,

Mel (see its very masculine haha) xx

A tag from Jemimah C.

This is just a little post, to share a little about myself and finally do one of these tag posts which I have never done before- how exciting :) Anyway the tag is from Jemimah C who has an absolutely wonderful blog Beautiful Blank Pages, which I came across a short while ago and I am so happy I did :)

Here are the questions:

1. If you blog anonymously, are you happy doing this? If you aren't anonymous, do you wish you had started out anonymously, so that you could be anonymous now?

I suppose I do blog anonymously under Tristans_Isolde. The only reason I do that is because I'm a really shy person and was a bit hesitant at first of showing who I am to the blogging world.

2. Describe an incident that shows your inner stubborn side.

Hmm, my inner stubborn side. I don't think in general that I am that stubborn but when it comes to opinions of certain topices I can be quite stubborn on my views, which can get me into trouble but I am working on it.

3. What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror?

That is a really hard question. Like most people I don't really like what I see most days, but I am working on it everyday because I know that "I am fearfully and wonderfully made - Ps 139:14". And despite what the world says, and what I think, my God thinks I am beautiful.

4. What is your favourite summer cold drink?

Does a cold glass of milk count :)

5. When you take time for yourself, what do you do?

I don't really take all that time out for myself- like just for me. I often feel bad about spending time alone for myself and think that I should be helping around the house or doing something productive. But I realise how important it is to take time out, so that your not burning yourself out so usually i would read a novel or play with my dog :)

6. Is there something you still want to accomplish in your life?

I suppose there is a lot that I want to accomplish like maybe write a book but I aspire to do many things however firstly I follow God - wherever he leads I will go.

7. When you attended school, were you the class clown, the overachiever, the shy person, or always ditching?

I was the shy, nerd type, the good-two-shoes who spent more time with her head in books than making friends. I suppose even now that I am in university I am still the same.

8. If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment in your life, what would you see?

Goodness me, umm I really don't know. Maybe the day I get married or something like that (wow that sounds so girly- how embarressing)


9. Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog, or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people and events?

It is hard, really hard to share about myself in my blog. I guess it is still the whole "are people going to like me" complex I haven't really gotten out of. A lot of the time I end up deleting posts which I feel share too much about me or leave me in someway vulnerable to the blogging world. But I think as I continue blogging this is getting easier.

10. If you had the choice to read a book or talk on the phone, which would you choose and why?

Definitely a book, I am quite and shy and would most likely not have much to say over the phone.

Like Jemimah I am going to tag anyone and everyone who would like to do this particularly because I don't want people to feel like they have to do it. But if you would like to do it feel free too :)