I’ve been so busy watching kdramas, that I feel guilty for neglecting all my “to be read soon” books sitting on my shelf. Let me just say that I loved Matthew MacFadyen in P&P. I think he fit the role of Darcy and the overall production style very well (loved that single camera span, too). He even surpassed Colin Firth (my favorite Darcy until then) in my book, keeping in mind that the movie and mini-series are two totally different styles, and each have their own pros and cons. He is such a fantastic actor (MI-5/Spooks), and I can’t wait to watch Death at a Funeral (with wife Keeley Hawes, another one of my favs – Under the Greenwood Tree, MacBeth-Shakespeare ReTold). I also loved Tom Hollander as Mr. Collins. His body language alone made me laugh out loud a couple of times.

I also like Elizabeth Gaskell’s novels, but I prefer BBC productions. Wives and Daughters is a must-see (Keeley Hawes, Justine Waddell, Anthony Howell, and Tom Hollander), but my ultimate favorite is North & South. I rank it right up there with P&P. Richard Armitage really brought out Thornton character (much more than the novel). I must have watched over half a dozen times. Too bad he plays the villan in Robin Hood. I haven’t read any Trollope yet, but after watching so many BBC productions, I guess I should give it a try (after I catch up on all my kdramas). Haha.

ellerdnic – I also love reading Phillippa Gregory, one of my favorite historical fiction authors. I hear they’re making a new movie version of The Other Boleyn Girl.

My all-time favorite British comedy is Coupling. I can’t even count the number of times I laughed-so-hard-till-my-belly-ached/almost-spit-out-my-food while watching. Why can’t American TV ever be that funny? Oh yeah, first there need to be better American actors. What was with the HORRIBLE casting in the US version?

I’ve never watched any daily kdramas before, but AZN started playing Here Comes Ajumma recently. At first, I couldn’t really get into it, but given there wasn’t much else to watch, I gave it a try. The first twenty or so episodes weren’t too exciting, but then I found more episodes on veoh & now I’m hooked. Why can’t we get KBS America in N.Cal?

Marzy I saw Becoming Jane and it’s okay…I guess I’m just a sucker for happy endings and that ruined the movie for me.(oopps! too much info?)

I can’t believe that a lot of people like Pride and Prejudice as well! I was so excited when they started showing the trailer and LOVED it as soon as I saw it in the theatre. Matthew McFadyen is the ULTIMATE Mr. Darcy for me. I disagree with Da Vinci Code though. I thought it was really interesting when I first read it but its popularity kind of ruined it for me. A lot of similar books came out and in the end I kind of got sick of it.
As for good books right now, I like the Devil and Miss Prym by Coelho and I heard Middlesex and Kiterunner is really good. I am reading The other Boleyn Girl which is a cross between history and drama. I just thought it interesting that King Henry VIII took an interest to Anne Boleyn’s sister first before he married her. Anyway, it’s pretty good so far.
On a different note, I can relate to being drawn to watching Gossip Girl despite its “Mean Girls” tendencies. The actresses that play Serena and Blair are really not that credible as high school students. They look more like working girls but I am really drawn to the lifestyle of the rich and famous…not to mention the things that they wear in the show! Wow! I’d just have to say, I love Blair’s fashion sense more than Serena’s…

btw, who wrote everything is illuminated?

rai, yes, I’ve read Norwegian Wood. You know, despite liking the book, it isn’t my favorite because it’s so different from his others. It’s the least “Murakami-esque” in style yet it’s one of the books he’s most known for. He’s been said to break from the rigidity of classical Japanese literature — Kawabata, Mishima — and while most of his works are wildly different from his predecessors, Norwegian Wood is the most simple and autobiographical. (Supposedly.) But it IS a beautiful book.

blab, I think the cast you’re referring to was Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility?

And uh, do you happen to remember any good bad novels to read?? I’ve been having difficulty trying to find something quick to entertain me now that I have a lapse in school work.

I’m completely devoted to british lit–enough to minor in it–and adore charles dickens, keats, eliot, the bronte sisters (ah, the beauty that is wuthering heights!) almost all the heroes of eng lit…excluding jane austen. I could never, ever stand her, and last year I decided maybe I was just unfairly biased because of the reason you described, and gave her another shot with Emma, and I think I read half of it but all the while wanting to strangle the main character, slam the book and never try again! I’m not sure why i have such an intense adverse reaction to her writing…I actually do believe I’m missing on something great, but I still can’t make myself go through P&P or S&S! Its not the genre, I think, because on the other hand Louisa May Alcott is one of my favorite American authors, and her books trail the same paths often (in a very different style), its just something about the way the story runs and her characters in general….i know its a pity, missing out on experiencing a literary genius. Maybe I’ll give it one more shot one day….

talking about Pride an Prejudice, i loved the other cast better with Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Kate Wintslet etc… This new cast was good, but Darcy didn’t do it for me… I just couldn’t buy it coming from him….oh well

Currently on my third episode of flowers for my life… liking the humor and the characters… Na Ha Na is crazy hilarious!! guys check it out, not only because javabeans said it was good, but because you get another person , ME, confirming it… ^_^

OMG!!! is this some sort of virtual telepathy or what?? me too i’ve been wanting to read more…pilled up about 5 books on my night table and getting ready to devoure them….”Life of pi” is right up there with “A lesson before dying”… both look interesting…

oh i love open threads!!! lol