17 January 2009

Vanity Fair

Times change, Values change too. Becky Sharp was considered a terrible female when the novel came out. These days she would be considered a smart female, probably at the top of the ladder, a CEO of a large corporate perhaps. Amelia Sedly is all sugar, seeing good in people till you feel sickened. Her fiance is a blackguard, her brother is a fool, her father is a compulsive gambler, but she thinks they are all cats whiskers. Becky can see through a person at a glance, and knowing she has to make her way up in the world through her wits, she exploits the weakness of men and women. Here is a girl who makes lemonade when life deals her with lemons. A true survivor.

These are the thoughts that raced through my head when I watched the recently concluded TV adaptation of Vanity Fair by ye goode olde BBC

The production values are simply superb. The actors are simply APT. Natasha Little brings Becky Sharp to life. Amelia Sedly is played by Frances Grey.

I have read Vanity Fair when I was young. After the first batch of episodes aired (two episodes of an hour back to back) I nearly went and got the book. But then I remembered gutenberg.org and downloaded a free ebook. William Makepeace Thackeray is very witty and I am enjoying re-reading the book. More on this in the book-blog when I am thru.

10 comments:

  1. havnt seen this version, but didnt mira nair's version paint a much better pic of becky sharp, as opposed to the bad-woman-ending-as-alcoholic-etc which happens in the book. and wldnt she just be called a gold-digger now?? must re-read this too, even i read it when i was v. young, and i think it was an ...gulp ... abridged version :( enjoy !!!

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  2. Thank God for the abridged version Papaya.. it got us through many books that we wouldnt have read otherwise ;)

    I didnt see Mira Nair's Vanity Fair, though would love to.

    Gold digger, CEO, what difference does it make.

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  3. sty, you still need to be read to? Shame Shame !

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  4. sty, you still need to be read to? Shame Shame !

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  5. lol @ Shame Shame.

    To be read to is sooo cool. You can fall asleep while the person is reading to you. Bliss!!

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  6. I dont know.. i have never been read to.. my mind could wander.

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  7. which is why its good to be read to... you can do something you cannot while reading a story - you can let the imagination run wild as you are not concentating so much

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  8. well, i remember now once an aunt read The Little Prince to me, it was an unforgettable experience.

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  9. There there - now you know what I was talking about... I used to be read to almost everyday and it was a wonderful experience. pure bliss!

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