Alexandra Leaving

Merlin, a new BBC show to take the 7.30 slot on Saturday, starts tomorrow. I am going to be definitely watching this. For one thing, 7.30 slot means you will be able to watch it with your children . For another, I am an old fan of Merlin.

Looking at the promotional pictures, the show is filmed gloriously and has some of the new interesting actors as well as some of the old favourites. It promises us two strong female characters, a complex relationship between Arthur and Merlin and Guinevere who likes Merlin more than Arthur (this is a new move!).

Also there is a promise of Anthony Stewart Head as King Uther:



( Promo pictures )

The official BBC page is Here, very pretty but sometimes slow

Frinde: episode 2 It is may be not the best show but I love love love it.

Happy birthday to soniag and earlgrayhot. It has been wonderful to "meet" you on LJ, so many good times ! Thank you very much, ladies!

I have tried to find similar interests for both of you. I am not sure if I am correct but it seems that both of you like tea and BBC adaption of Elizabeth Gaskell's "North and South". In honour of your birthdays, one of my favouritest scenes in "North and Sounth", in which Margaret is pouring tea for Mr. Thornton, in pictures. Oh, Smoldering glances! Oh, hand touching!

I adore the following passage from the book. Mr.Thornton is having tea with Hale's family for the first time and Margaret pouring it:

"It appeared to Mr. Thornton that all these graceful cares were
habitual to the family; and especially of a piece with Margaret.
She stood by the tea-table in a light-coloured muslin gown, which
had a good deal of pink about it. She looked as if she was not
attending to the conversation, but solely busy with the tea-cups,
among which her round ivory hands moved with pretty, noiseless,
daintiness. She had a bracelet on one taper arm, which would fall
down over her round wrist. Mr. Thornton watched the replacing of
this troublesome ornament with far more attention than he
listened to her father. It seemed as if it fascinated him to see
her push it up impatiently, until it tightened her soft flesh;
and then to mark the loosening--the fall. He could almost have
exclaimed--'There it goes, again!'"



( More screencaps behind the cut )

This is just a rant, but I just can’t curb my feelings. **

The rant stems form the watching ”Our mutual friend” - very well-made adaptation, lovely actors, settings, and altogether great 8 hours of watching.. Truly, the dramatization was really good!

Nonetheless, I just must say that I don’t like Dickens. I feel very weird saying it. His first book I have read was “Oliver Twist” . It was saccharine, sentimental and had little boys dying. Was a string-pulling sort of book for me. I have also read “Nickolas Nickelby” and this book made the same impression – saccharine plus dying. I found this book and “David Kopperfield” also very long and **gasp** boring. I haven’t finished “David Copperfield”. If I don’t like the book, I usually quickly look at the ending to get to know what happened and leave it. I never can read a book I am not interested in **Feels very guilty**

I have watched few TV series made from the Dickens books, but it is not really fare to make an impression about the book writer from the series..

I am torn and wrong, but I don’t like:

1. There seem to be same types of characters in every book : Poor but saint girl, Old childless couple of saints, dying boy, Scheming underworld characters…
2. The stores are far-fetched – lost children, false identities, inheritances..
3. There is always somebody dying FOR A VERY LONG PEROID of book-time from consumption, or wounds..
4. Too much saccharine
5. Too long


UPDATE This all said, dangermousie just reminded me (thank you!!) that The Pickwick Papers Is Dickens's book too. AND - I ABSOLUTELY ADORE THE PICKWICK PAPERS, but again, this book is a little different from the rest ;)

I am dissatisfied with myself , I AM A BAD-TASTED person who doesn’t appreciate one of the greatest English writers O WOE! WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME??????????