Cranford, The Return.

For the last two weekends I had the opportunity to return to a magical place called Cranford. For those who are uninformed here's where I've discussed my fondness, love, and fascination for this wonderful haven.

*How December Got Awesome
*Television can occasionally be good for you

In my opinion, with very few exceptions, Masterpiece Theater Classic has been an amazing gift for us lit fans over the last two years. This is high quality television that rather than highlight the worst of humanity, it rises above to present us with the best. This tradition is maintained with the sequel Return to Cranford (RTC).

This continuation from last year's was able to capture the humor, tragedy, and progress, of a small 1840s village. The village of Cranford is filled with spinsters who rely on each other as they face the changing times. Of course the oncoming industrial revolution is represented by the railroad, which is still trying to develop a route through Cranford. In RTC the route becomes a necessity as the local economy begins to suffer driving residents to "horrible" towns such as Leeds and Liverpool.

Progress is difficult and inevitable is the theme of part one of this series. And although the time period is the 19th century, I couldn't help but feel the relevancy to our current times. With the economy in the dumps, and no recovery on the horizon, it becomes essential that technological innovation becomes the new driving force. Even in the work that I do (librarianship) it is becoming a case of embracing new technologies, like ebooks, or get out of the way. Not everyone is willing to do this but even in the world of Cranford it is inevitable.


It is a masterstroke and wonderful surprise that the catalyst for change in this story is Miss Matty. Miss Matty, as portrayed by Dame Judi Dench, is the beating heart of Cranford. She remains at the center of events in RTC, but is much more proactive in her influence. As the passive of the two sisters in the original Cranford, in RTC she decides to become a driving force. And how could anyone say no to her? She is the kind of person who is amazingly selfless. Her empathy is untainted by cynicism which is refreshing in this day and age. It is heart-breaking when she has to deal with the often cruel fact that sometimes terrible things happen. I was blown away by how the character of Miss Matty internalizes and takes responsibility for the negative consequences. Further she is able to take that guilt and turn it into a positive action.

Her internal journey gives this story emotional heft that is absent in other characters. I was not as invested in the romantic relationships in this volume. Also the villians were sadly a bit one-dimensional. I'm not sure whether this reflects Gaskell's story-telling or the intentions of director Simon Curtis. It was sad to see Septimus portrayed as such a one-dimensional villian (and btw what was up with the gay overtones? Aren't we past fey gay villian stereotypes in our modern times?) considering the build up that we've had with his character since the first Cranford. Poor Mr. Pryce was given an inconsistent character of Edward Buxton in the second half. One minute he's a good guy, the next he's a manipulative jerk. That's just poor storytelling.

RTC does maintain Gaskell's theme that a strong woman will sacrifice for the better good. Whether it's Miss Matty or Miss Galindo with Harry Gregson, these women are resilient. This series has motivated me to check out Gaskell this year. And I can't wait. In the end I highly recommend checking out Return to Cranford either online here, or on DVD soon. It is completely worth the return trip.

A Gift For Us All

Hello,
Two clips that brought me great cheer. I hope they will for you too.



And



Happy Holidays! Book Slave.

How December Got Awesome.

Hello,
So I was catching up on my Google Reader (isn't it great how once you reach 1000+ they stop keeping track?) and thanks to fellowette my December got awesome. Apparently this month PBS will be reshowing Cranford! Originally shown last year Cranford is a mini-series based on the books of Elizabeth Gaskell. The plot revolves around the relationships in a rural English village in 1840. The mainly female populace of the town is thrown for a loop when a young male doctor arrives.

Okay I'll admit it sounds pretty stuffy (and really not for males who like explosions) but it's hilarious. And touching. These spinsters are happy being in their own company. Unlike Austen or Bronte these females lives are not centered around romance or marriage. They worry about progress, money, and proper etiquette. The oncoming modernity of a railway is feared because of how much it will change these women's lives. They do not want the world to encroach on their simple pleasures. Gaskell, and the writers of this series, realized that the paradox of technological development is that it makes our lives more complicated not easier.

On the other hand the series also does a great job commenting on the inequalities that still exist even in a pastoral paradise. I was captured by the subplot involving the foreman Edmund Carter and his young charge Harry Gregson. Rather than just the usual 19th century reward of money and status, Harry wants something more lasting: knowledge. Money and status can be lost, (prime example: Lady Ludlow) but education sticks. It's lovely how education can help anyone transcend class in this world. Prior to a public education system the poorer classes had to fight to even gain literacy. Edmund Carter represents a positive sociological change.

Whereas Dickens often forced a character's innate goodness down our throats, Gaskell recognizes that positive change needs to be incremental. Otherwise it is feared and rejected. It should be noted that it took 2 World Wars for England to finally get over it's class system. The English don't change easily. But the world keeps moving forward, even in small rural villages.

Cranford is a place where I would love to live. And I can't wait to return.

Television can occasionally be good for you.

Hello Blogosphere,
Tonight you get a short entry because it's late and I'se got some work to do tonight. For television watchers and award show junkies (like myself) tonight was the Emmy Awards. The show actually wasn't bad although I think 5 hosts was a bit much. I am an enormous fan of Tina Fey, 30 Rock, and Mad Men, so it all works out for me.

Well this isn't a TV blog, but there were some literary adaptations that won awards tonight. Now I enjoy lit adaptations. I talked about it here. The best of course can usually found on PBS which airs major Brit adaptations through Masterpiece Theater. This year Masterpiece has not disappointed and Emmy did through some recognition there way. The magnificent series Cranford, which is based on a series written by Elizabeth Gaskell, won an award tonight for supporting actress Dame Eileen Atkins. I found this series to be amazing and delightful and I will be checking out the books. I highly recommend it and here's a trailer to whet your appetites.



The other big winner tonight was an HBO series John Adams, which is based on the book by David McCullough. Again this was a great mini-series and really delivers. I think television is the perfect medium for shedding light on historical events and figures. At 7 hours the audience is allowed to see the complete picture of a man and his times. Bravo to writer Kirk Ellis, who won an Emmy for screenplay, for making history relevant and human. Here's a trailer for John Adams.



(BTW Total Tangent: After watching Adams I am convinced that Laura Linney is the perfect actress for a remake of Little House on the Prairie. Seriously think about it.)

Anyway both of these programs are available on DVD or they'll get rerun soon I'm sure. Check them out. It's much better than reality television.

Have an excellent week! Goodnight and Good Luck. Bookslave.