Review: The Heart of Princess Osra (novel)

Some prequels are very good. And then there's this sort of prequel. The one that leaves you wondering "why was this even written?"

The Heart of Princess Osra by Anthony Hope was published in 1896. It's a prequel to The Prisoner of Zenda, and is about a great-aunt (several times removed) of both Rudolfs.

Instead of having a central plot like the other books in the series, this is essentially a short story collection. All the stories revolve around the incredibly boring romantic entanglements of the eponymous princess. Every story (except one) involves yet another man falling in love with her and bringing ruin on himself or someone else. Seriously, you'd think Osra was Lúthien or Arwen, from the way all these men go crazy for her!

There are exactly two likeable characters in the whole novel: Osra's brother Prince Henry, and the Bishop of Modenstein, AKA Frederick of Hentzau -- presumably a great-uncle or some other relative of the more (in)famous Rupert of Hentzau. Everyone else is either dull as dishwater or utterly infuriating. Rudolf III (the ancestor of the two Rudolfs in The Prisoner of Zenda) is exactly the sort of scumbag I expected him to be. Princess Osra herself has all the personality of a doll. Her steady stream of suitors are either despicable or incredibly stupid.

The one high point of the book is that it gives the reader a glimpse into the history of Ruritania. Unfortunately, to get to the historical references one has to wade through the sleep-inducing saga of the latest man to fall in love with Osra. Yawn.

If the book had less romance and more of a plot, it might have been a decent addition to the Ruritanian trilogy. Instead, it's very much the weakest of the three books.

Is it available online?: Yes, on Gutenberg, if for some reason you want to read it.

Rating: 1/10.

Review: The Magician's Nephew (novel)

Some stories are in the odd position of being written as prequels but making more sense as sequels. This is one of them.

The Magician's Nephew was published in 1955. Chronologically it's the first of the Narnia books, but it was the second-written and sixth-published.

The story begins when Digory and Polly decide to explore an abandoned house, and accidentally end up in Digory's uncle's study instead. Uncle Andrew is a magician who's been trying to find a way to another world, and he tricks Polly into going there. Digory follows her. They end up waking Jadis (who you might know better as the White Witch), accidentally bringing her back to London, and then dragging her, and Uncle Andrew, and a cab-driver and his horse, into a different world. They arrive in what seems to be nothingness, but then someone starts singing...

The Magician's Nephew is basically Narnia's equivalent of the Book of Genesis. It shows how Aslan creates a world from nothing, how evil enters the world, and how Aslan prepares to destroy that evil. But at the same time it's a great fantasy novel in its own right, with many memorable moments. The White Witch's arrival in London, and the chaos she causes, is probably the only time a scene involving her is amusing 😄

Digory's confrontation with the Witch in the garden is one of my favourite scenes in the whole series. A close second is Uncle Andrew's... ahem... "gardening adventures" 😏😆 Am I the only one who wanted to see the animals keep him as their pet?

The idea of the Wood Between the Worlds is a fascinating one, and I wish C. S. Lewis had revisited it in other books. The children's trip to Charn, and its utter emptiness, is the eeriest scene in the book. And then there's the hilarity of the Witch's trip to London, and the explanation of how a lamppost came to be in Narnia. And, of course, Aslan giving Digory a cure for his mother (which is a downright tragic scene when you consider the real-life inspiration for it).

I read this book after The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, so I understood all the references and in-jokes to the rest of the series. There are so many references, though, that if you start the series with this book you'll miss out on an awful lot.

Is it available online?: I don't think so.

Rating: 10/10.

Review: Great Expectations (2011)

Great Expectations has never been one of my favourite Dickens novels, as you'll know if you've read my review of the book. But BBC period dramas are generally good (Bleak House, Pride and Prejudice 1995, Our Mutual Friend...), so I decided to watch this adaptation.

This is a three-episode miniseries adaptation of the novel. I'd like to know who thought adapting a Dickens novel into three episodes was a good idea. Nicholas Nickleby (2001) just about gets away with two episodes, but all Dickens' works post-Barnaby Rudge are too long and too complicated to fit into anything less than five episodes. Remember how Our Mutual Friend (1998) had to remove subplots and characters to squeeze the story into four episodes? Filmmakers (and series-makers) should really have learnt by now that Dickens adaptations need to be long, or a whole lot ends up cut.

Because there are only three episodes, I decided it wasn't worth splitting this review. So expect a long, rambling review full of remarks on things I liked, didn't like, or just noticed particularly.

I only recognised a few actors:

Gillian Anderson (Lady Dedlock in Bleak House 2005, and Lily in The House of Mirth 2000) as Miss Haversham

Ray Winstone (voice of Mr. Beaver in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Mac in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) as Magwitch

Vanessa Kirby (Princess Margaret in The Crown) as Estella

David Suchet (Melmotte in The Way We Live Now) as Jaggers

Harry Lloyd (Young Steerforth in David Copperfield 1999) as Herbert

From the opening scene it's obvious that visually, as well as thematically, this is going to be one of the darkest BBC period dramas. At first I wondered if it was in black-and-white. Nope, it's in colour, but it manages to make Little Dorrit look cheerful and brightly-coloured in comparison.

At first it looks like it's going to start the same way as the book: Magwitch finding Pip in the churchyard. But instead Pip leaves the churchyard, and Magwitch... jumps out at him from under a bridge? What? Then there's an unexpectedly violent scene of Magwitch trying to drown Compeyson in the marsh. This doesn't happen in the book, so its presence here serves no purpose beyond making the series even darker.

Young Pip and Magwitch

Anyway, Pip meets Magwitch and steals a file for him, then the soldiers recapture Magwitch and Compeyson, another escaped convict. Then Pip is invited to visit Satis House, where the mysterious Miss Haversham and Estella live.

Miss Haversham

Young Estella

What on earth is up with that cabinet of butterflies? I don't remember anything in the book about Miss Haversham's brother collecting butterflies. It feels like a heavy-handed attempt at symbolism, especially Miss Haversham's remarks about "stabbing beauty in the heart". And then there's Estella calling Miss Haversham "Mother". Umm... I'm pretty sure that never happened in the book. Estella is Miss Haversham's ward, which isn't quite the same as an adopted daughter, and she wasn't raised as her daughter.

The interiors of Satis House are very well done. Extremely creepy, covered in cobwebs, falling apart, exactly like in the book. Of course, in the book there were more wedding decorations and fewer stabbed butterflies, but I'll try to overlook that. We do eventually see the wedding decorations, so at least they didn't forget them entirely.

Some of the interiors, including the decaying wedding decorations.

Pip keeps visiting Miss Haversham, to the annoyance of her relatives, the Pockets. While at Satis House he meets Jaggers, Miss Haversham's lawyer, and Herbert, his future best friend. And, of course, he's starting to fall in love with Estella.

One of the weirdest scenes in the series is Miss Haversham's... tantrum? I really don't know what else to call it. She goes from speaking calmly like she always does to almost crying and then to screaming about her relatives like an angry teenager. When did that happen in the book?

After this Miss Haversham tells Pip not to visit any more and arranges for him to become his uncle Joe's apprentice. We get two unnerving scenes in fairly quick succession, and neither was in the book. One is between Pip's sister and Orlick, foreshadowing Orlick's murder attempt, and the other is between Miss Haversham and Estella, showing plainly how Miss Haversham is manipulating and emotionally abusing Estella. Then Joe and Pip go home... to find Pip's sister has almost been murdered.

Years pass. Pip, now grown up, goes to visit Miss Haversham again. He meets Estella, also grown up, and -- idiot that he is -- falls in love with her. Episode one ends when Jaggers arrives to tell Pip about his mysterious benefactor and his great expectations. So off Pip goes to London, thinking Miss Haversham is his benefactor.

Pip and Estella as adults

Episode two starts with Pip in London, meeting Mr. Jaggers again. A lot of this is lifted straight from the book -- the crowds waiting to see Jaggers and the gruesome heads on the wall especially. Then Pip moves into his new lodgings and meets Herbert again. I don't remember Herbert teaching Pip to dance in the book, but it's one of the few funny and relatively light-hearted scenes in this series, so I don't mind too much.

Jaggers

Herbert

In this version Herbert has been kicked out of his family because of the girl he loves. Er... what? When did this happen in the book? The Pocket family don't really have much to do with the plot, but if the director didn't want to include them, he could have just left them out. 

Pip gets to demonstrate how his new wealth is changing him for the worse. Joe comes to visit him, and Pip is ashamed and embarrassed to see him. Great way to repay the man who helped raise you and who was always kind to you, Pip! 😠 Then shortly afterwards, Pip decides to do something good with his money and arranges for Herbert to get a job. So nice of you to care about your friend and not your uncle, Pip!

Miss Haversham asks Pip to escort Estella to where she'll be staying in Richmond. At the house in Richmond Pip and Estella meet the coarse, brutish Bentley Drummle. There's a certain scene and some crude dialogue that isn't in the book, and therefore has no business being in the series.

Drummle and Estella.

(I keep thinking that's a blood-stain on Estella's dress. Perhaps that's what the costume designer intended.)

This Miss Haversham is much more... short-tempered? Prone to mood-swings? -- than her book counterpart. In addition to her earlier tantrum, there's a scene where she goes from asking Estella about her life in London to yelling at Pip. It shows how mentally unstable she is, but I was expecting her to be coldly arrogant like in the book, so at first I didn't know what to make of this behaviour. I still don't know, actually.

Almost forgot to mention that equally odd scene where Pip and Estella kiss while standing in a river. Huh? Setting aside the sheer weirdness of that scene, this series is set in a time when ladies never showed their legs in front of men. Ever.

Magwitch reappears, in very odd circumstances. Instead of Pip seeing him on the stairs and letting him in the door, he lets himself in while Pip is sleeping. And then he empties a sack of paper all over the carpet, while saying it's Pip's fortune and he's his benefactor? Who thought this was an improvement on the book's version of this scene?

Magwitch and Pip

In episode three, Pip tries to cope with Magwitch's revelation. At first he refuses to believe it, in spite of Herbert's protestations. Then he goes to confront Miss Haversham... and learns Estella is engaged to Drummle. Estella's decision makes even less sense here than in the book. She's seen what a jerk Drummle is, she has no need to get married to anyone, and Miss Haversham raised her specifically to break men's hearts which would be harder to do when she's married. So why on earth did Estella choose to marry him, and why did Miss Haversham go along with this? 😕

A reward is offered for Magwitch's recapture. Pip reluctantly agrees to help get him out of the country. Like in the book, this is the most interesting part of the story.

Estella has married Drummle, meanwhile, in spite of her own objections. Her husband won't let her answer Miss Haversham's letters. The scene of Miss Haversham crying and shouting Estella's name reminds me a lot of a similar scene in Bleak House (the novel, not the series). This scene wasn't in the book, if I recall, so maybe that was an intentional reference?

In this version we see Orlick and Compeyson plotting together. For some reason the director changed Molly's backstory. Instead of murdering a woman she hated, Compeyson tried to rape her and he framed her for attempted murder after she escaped. I'm not sure what to think about this change. On the one hand it makes Molly more sympathetic, but on the other, I tend to take a dim view of unnecessary differences from the book.

Orlick and Compeyson. Ugh.

Miss Haversham's death is slightly different here, and it makes her look like an absolute idiot. Who throws burning paper on the floor when they're wearing a long dress? And who just stands there after they catch fire and don't even try to beat it out?

A disaster waiting to happen. (I spent this whole scene shouting "Move away from the fire, you idiot!")

Pip tries to get Magwitch to safety. The plan fails, and like in the book it ends with Compeyson and Magwitch both dead. Good riddance to Compeyson, but I cried at Magwitch's death.

😭

Pip and Wemmick at Magwitch's grave.

The series doesn't include Pip falling ill and Joe nursing him back to health. (Guess they were running out of time 🤷) It does include Joe paying Pip's debts, though, so I can sort of forgive them for this omission.

Estella's husband has died, so she returns to Satis House. Pip goes to visit her. The series ends with a surprisingly sweet scene of the two of them.

So, what's my overall opinion? ...Good question. It changed with almost every scene. I like Joe and Herbert in most versions, and I like this version of Magwitch, Wemmick, and Miss Haversham (once I got used to Gillian Anderson's acting choices). Pip swings between being more likeable than his book counterpart, and a spoilt brat who sets my teeth on edge. Estella is... well, she didn't leave much of an impression, but at least she didn't drive me up the wall quite as much as book!Estella. In this version we get to see how miserable she is in her marriage instead of hearing about it second-hand, which made me feel more sorry for her than I did when I read the book.

One thing this adaptation does really well is visuals. The marshes are as gloomy and depressing as in the book, and Satis House is shown in all its decaying glory.

I suppose it's best described as "a decent, if rushed, adaptation with some very good moments".

Is it available online?: Yes, on Dailymotion. The link goes to episode 1, but the other episodes are available there too.

Rating: 6/10.

Review: Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Oh look! A review that isn't of a book!

Musicals are rather silly by their very nature. It's not exactly realistic for people to burst out singing at random moments. The mark of a good musical is if it can make the viewers overlook the silliness. Or, if it's Singin' in the Rain, use the silliness to make it good.

Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 musical about making a musical, starring actors playing actors. I swear it makes more sense in the film.

I've heard of most of the actors, but I haven't seen any of their other films, so I didn't recognise any of them.

It's 1927. Lina and Don are the most popular stars of Monumental Pictures, but Don makes all their speeches. Approximately fifteen minutes into the film, we learn why. Lina's voice could peel paint. Everyone knows this... except her. But it's the era of silent films, so her voice doesn't matter to the public, right? 😏

Don and Lina

Then the first ever talking picture appears. While Don and Lina are making another silent film, The Dueling Cavalier. Naturally, the producer decides that instead of giving up on the film currently being filmed, they should turn it into a talking picture. There's just one problem: Lina.

The minute everyone realised there might be a few problems with this "talking picture" business 😆

The film gets made in spite of Lina's voice and sound-related difficulties ("The mike's picking up her heartbeat!" 😆). Only trouble is, said film is utterly ridiculous... which everyone only realises at the preview. Don assumes his career's over. But his friends Cosmo and Kathy have an idea: they'll turn The Dueling Cavalier into a musical, and dub Lina's voice with Kathy's!

Don, Kathy and Cosmo

Unfortunately, Lina has an idea of her own. She wants Kathy to keep dubbing her for years. Things look pretty bad... until she decides to make a speech...

One of the best -- not to mention funniest -- endings ever seen in musicals.

From start to end Singin' in the Rain is frothy, ridiculous nonsense. The frequent out-of-nowhere song and dance sequences are just plain weird. Only two of the songs are memorable. But it's funny enough that I don't care. From Lina's mishaps with the microphone, to Cosmo's hilarious antics, to the side-splitting final scene, the film is full of comical moments. So ignoring the silliness and judging it only on how enjoyable it is, it's a pretty good film!

Is it available online?: Not as far as I know.

Rating: 5/10.

Review: Love Among the Chickens (novel)

What ho there! Jolly glad to see you! Have a spot of tea and join me in reviewing this frightfully spiffing novel! (Can you tell how much fun I had thinking of these opening lines? 😊)

Love Among the Chickens is one of P. G. Wodehouse's many humourous novels, revolving around a misguided attempt to start a chicken farm. It was originally written in 1906, then almost entirely rewritten in 1921.

You can always tell when you're reading a book by P. G. Wodehouse (pronounced "wood-house", illogical though it seems). There's always the long-suffering narrator who gets dragged into a scrape through no fault of his own, and inevitably manages to make it worse. There's always the well-meaning but utterly wrong-headed friend who drags the narrator into the aforementioned scrape. There's always a background cast of colourful, eccentric characters, usually including a love interest for whom the narrator does all sorts of strange things. And of course there's always the comical, unexpected solution to the seemingly-hopeless mess the main characters have gotten themselves into.

Love Among the Chickens is a good example of the typical Wodehouse plot. It has narrator, friend, love interest, eccentric background characters, unexpected ending, and as many amusing moments as the average Laurel and Hardy short.

The plot begins when Jeremy Garnet, an author working on his next book, gets dragged off to Dorset to help his friend Ukridge start a chicken farm. Garnet knows nothing about chickens. Neither does Ukridge, or Mrs. Ukridge. To make things more complicated, Garnet falls in love with a girl staying nearby, he arranges for her father to fall out of a boat (...it makes sense in context), and the Ukridges are getting deeper and deeper into debt...

I first discovered this book while looking for Jeeves and Wooster books in the local library. There were none, but instead there was a copy of this. I sat down to read it. Two hours later I'd finished it, and my badly-muffled giggles had probably convinced the other library-users I was crazy.

There are so many hilarious moments. The incident of the cat stuck in the chimney, for one, and the ill-advised boat rescue for another. And then there's the final lines, when poor Garnet finds he's going to be dragged into yet another of Ukridge's madcap schemes 😆

This book might not be as well-known or quite as well-written as Wodehouse's Jeeves or Blandings books. But it's still very funny, and a good choice if you want something light to read!

Is it available online?: Yes, on Gutenberg.

Rating: 7/10.

Review: North and South (novel)

Apparently I'm on a book-reviewing spree lately 🤷

North and South was Elizabeth Gaskell's fourth novel, published in 1855. It shares many themes with her first (but lesser-known) novel, Mary Barton.

The main plot revolves around Margaret Hale, a newcomer to the manufacturing town of Milton, her attempts to adjust to life in the north after growing up in the south, and how she meets (and initially dislikes) the mill-owner John Thornton.

I watched the 2004 miniseries before reading the book, so I already knew the plot. I was a bit disappointed, though, to find that the book moves much more slowly than the series. The first few chapters are devoted to Margaret's cousin's wedding and its aftermath, and the move to Milton comes later. But once the Hales arrive in Milton, the story moves faster.

Margaret meets a collection of fascinating characters -- Bessy Higgins, who's slowly dying of a lung disease caused by working in the mills; Nicholas Higgins, who organises a strike and sees it go badly wrong; and of course John Thornton, the apparently cold and arrogant owner of Marlborough Mills. All of the characters in this novel are incredibly well-written, and there are times when you could forget you're reading a novel instead of a book about real people.

The story starts out relatively cheerful, with the excitement about the wedding, but it very quickly becomes much more depressing, with events like the strike, the deaths of Margaret's parents, the danger Frederick is in, and Thornton losing his mill. But thankfully it has a happy ending that makes up for all the tragedy!

North and South is often compared to Pride and Prejudice. Both of them are about a romance between two people who initially hate each other, but North and South is decidedly less comical or light-hearted. It's an excellent novel, though, and well worth reading!

Is it available online? Yes, on Gutenberg.

Rating: 8/10.

Review: Great Expectations (novel)

As a child I once sat through an incredibly boring black-and-white film, with a plot I didn't understand and could barely follow. So it's really not surprising that it took years before I decided to read the book that film was based on.

Great Expectations is Charles Dickens' thirteenth novel, published in 1861. It revolves around Pip as he grows up and finds that an anonymous benefactor has given him money.

This is one of Dickens' best-known, most-read novels. Oddly, it's one of his least Dickensian works. Pip, instead of being a good-hearted, decent character like Nicholas Nickleby or Amy Dorrit, grows up to be a selfish, arrogant jerk who doesn't want anything to do with his poor but kind uncle Joe. Estella, instead of being a typical Dickens love interest, is a cold and cruel brat who makes men fall in love with her then breaks their hearts. There is a revelation about a character being secretly related to two other characters, but it has virtually nothing to do with the plot, and only one of the characters involved ever learns the truth.

Most people are of the opinion this is one of Dickens' best works. I'm afraid I disagree. All of his novels have dark moments, but this one is unrelentingly dark from the opening scene in a graveyard to the misty, late-night (and decidedly ambiguous) epilogue. Maybe it's an after-effect of trying to watch the 1946 film at the age of about five, but Great Expectations has never been on my list of "Dickens novels I love".

That's not to say I hate it. It's a fascinating and depressing look at how riches corrupt, and there are some moments of humour (mostly black humour, but that's par for the course with Dickens). There are even some likable characters. The problem is, they aren't the main characters.

The main characters are among the most infuriating people I've ever read about. Estella has virtually no personality beyond constantly tormenting men who fall in love with her, and Pip is one of the many characters I really want to punch. Seriously, Pip? You abandoned Joe and Biddy, who had always been kind to you, for who you thought was Miss Haversham, who never saw you as anything but a way to annoy her relatives? And then you fell in love with Estella, when common sense and even Estella herself warned you this was a terrible idea? What sort of idiot are you? 😒

Luckily, once Magwitch appears on the scene (again) the story stops being about just Pip and Estella, and becomes much more interesting. And unbelievable though it seems, Pip becomes less obnoxious and I was actually able to sympathise with him. My heart was in my mouth during the attempted escape-by-boat, and I cried when Magwitch died 😢 After this, Pip finally realises how horrible he's been and he tries to make amends. That leads us to one of the most vague and unsatisfying endings Dickens ever wrote.

Why on earth do Pip and Estella just happen to visit the same place at the same time after not seeing each other for eleven years? All right, so it isn't the most unbelievable coincidence in a Dickens novel, but still! And are we supposed to assume they get married afterwards? I have strong doubts about how happy they'd be together. Dickens' original ending, where Pip learns Estella is happily remarried, would have been more depressing but probably more fitting.

Overall, Great Expectations is one of Dickens' grimmest novels, with some of the least likable characters he ever wrote. But plenty of people enjoy it despite that, and it does have some very good moments.

Is it available online?: Yes, on Gutenberg.

Rating: 7/10.

Review: Wives and Daughters (1999) Episodes 3 & 4

Review of the first two episodes here.

Roger, newly-engaged to Cynthia, is on his way to Africa. Dr. Gibson and Squire Hamley aren't overjoyed about the match, but they have no real objections... yet. Mrs. Gibson, meanwhile, is delighted. She's been eavesdropping on her husband's conversations, and knows that Osborne is seriously ill. Money-obsessed brat that she is, she's hoping he'll die so Roger -- and Cynthia -- will get the Hamley estate. I'll let Squire Hamley describe Mrs. Gibson.

Cynthia goes off to visit her cousins in London. While there she gets a proposal from another man, Mr. Henderson, and -- for once -- is sensible enough to refuse him. Her mother isn't happy.

Osborne and his wife Aimee have a child now, and Osborne's health is rapidly deteriorating. His father still doesn't know he's married, Roger is in Africa, and Molly is the only person in England who knows of Aimee's existence. So Osborne gives her his wife's address.

Molly has her own problems. A rumour has been circulating about Cynthia and Mr. Preston, but a misunderstanding leads to Molly's friends believing she is engaged to Preston.

Cynthia returns and finally admits that thanks to her vanity, she borrowed money from Mr. Preston when she was fifteen(!) and agreed to marry him in return. (Yes, people could get engaged at fifteen back then. Doesn't make it any less creepy.) Now she wants to break off the engagement, but he won't let her.

Lydia and Wickham version 2 (with Molly dragged into this sorry mess).

So Cynthia sends Molly to ask Preston for some letters she wrote him. Naturally, someone sees Molly and Preston talking, alone, early in the morning, in a forest. Poor Molly's reputation is almost ruined.

Thanks to some intervention from Lady Harriett, Molly manages to avoid total disgrace.

Lady Harriett

Cynthia doesn't help at all, spoilt brat that she is. Preston disappears from the story (about time!), and Dr. Gibson finally hears the full story of what his step-daughter has been involved with. A terrible argument later, Cynthia decides to break off her engagement with Roger. Thank goodness!

Now comes the most heart-breaking part of the series. Osborne dies 😭

😭

Molly tells the Squire about Aimee, and sends word to her about Osborne. The Squire, after some reluctance, decides to let Aimee stay.

Aimee and Osborne Jr.

Roger comes home, and almost immediately falls in love with Molly. He doesn't think she could love him and she doesn't realise he loves her, but it works out in the end. Adorably.

One of the sweetest proposals in period drama 😍

Sadly we don't get to see the wedding (*gives the director an unamused look*), but we do get a nice scene of Molly and Roger, together, in Africa. Aww 😍

My overall opinion is "great series with some really obnoxious characters". I can't stand that airhead Cynthia, that even bigger airhead Hyacinth, or that creep Preston. Luckily the decent characters are good enough for me to ignore those brats.

The main drawback with this series is the length of the episodes. There are only four episodes, but a lot happens in them. As a result each episode is over an hour long, and there are times when it seems like they'll never end. I get the feeling the series would have benefited from having eight half-hour episodes instead of four long ones. But that's the only real complaint I have about it.

Is it available online?: Yes, on Dailymotion.

Rating: 8/10.

Review: Wives and Daughters (1999) Episode 1 & 2

Hope everyone's having a good 2019 so far! 😃

Today I'm going to review one of my favourite period dramas ever. Well, the first half of it.

Wives and Daughters is based on Elizabeth Gaskell's last novel. Mrs. Gaskell died before finishing it, so the writers had to create the ending themselves. Unlike most cases of writers adding things when adapting novels, the result isn't bad at all. But more about that later.

The cast is full of familiar faces.

Justine Waddell (Estella in Great Expectations 1999) as Molly

Francesca Annis (Lady Ludlow in Cranford) as Mrs. Gibson

Keely Hawes (Lizzie in Our Mutual Friend 1998) as Cynthia

Bill Paterson (Mr. Meagles in Little Dorrit 2008) as Dr. Gibson

Michael Gambon (Mr. Holbrook in Cranford) as Squire Hamley

Deborah Findlay (Miss Tomkinson in Cranford) as Miss Phoebe

Barbara Flynn (Mrs. Jamieson in Cranford) as Miss Browning

Tom Hollander (Cutler Beckett in Pirates of the Caribbean and Mr. Mantalini in Nicholas Nickleby 2001) as Osborne

Elizabeth Spriggs (Mrs. Jennings in Sense and Sensibility 1995) as Mrs. Goodenough

Barbara Leigh-Hunt (Lady Catherine in Pride and Prejudice 1995) as Lady Cumnor

Rosamund Pike (Jane in Pride and Prejudice 2005) as Lady Harriet

I'm sure I've forgotten someone, but I think that's a long enough list as it is 😃

The series begins with a rather odd, almost surreal sequence of young!Molly wandering around a party and meeting the woman who'll eventually become her stepmother. Then it jumps forward a few years. Molly, now a young woman, has gone to visit the Hamley family, and her widowed father Dr. Gibson decides to marry again.

Dr. Gibson

Mrs. Hamley and Molly

Squire Hamley

Hyacinth (yes, that really is her name!) Kirkpatrick, the future Mrs. Gibson

It's obvious from the start that he made a terrible choice. Mrs. Kirkpatrick is a selfish, mercenary brat who doesn't care about anyone else's thoughts or feelings. Molly is understandably unhappy to learn about her soon-to-be stepmother. And to make things worse, Mrs. Kirkpatrick has a daughter, Cynthia, who's just as spoilt and selfish as she is.

Cynthia

Molly's friends the Hamleys have their own troubles. Squire Hamley is forced to pay his son Osborne's debts, which leaves the family with very little money. Mrs. Hamley dies of what's implied to be tuberculosis. Roger is alternatively looked down on and praised to the skies by his father. And Osborne has a terrible secret that the Squire absolutely must not know: he's married to a Frenchwoman, and his father hates the French.

Osborne

Molly and Roger

Even more trouble starts when Roger -- who Molly is secretly in love with -- falls in love with Cynthia, and the mysterious, sinister Mr. Preston comes on the scene.

Mr. Preston, the closest equivalent Wives and Daughters has to Wickham.

Osborne and his wife are going to have a baby, which means Osborne needs money desperately. But the Squire refuses to give him any, and he doesn't dare tell him the truth. Things look pretty grim for everyone... but then Roger is given a place on a scientific expedition to Africa. He gives Osborne some of his money, gets engaged to Cynthia (terrible idea, Roger!), and goes to Africa for two years. Episode two ends with Molly watching him go. Ouch, poor Molly 😢

😢

The first time I watched this series, it was immediately after watching Pride and Prejudice (1995). That wasn't the smartest idea. I'm ashamed to admit that I was bored for half of the first episode. (You could say I was "Pride and Prejudiced" against it 😊) I thought "yawn, I know how this will go. Mrs. Gibson's going to be a wicked stepmother and Osborne's going to be a villainous brother" -- which was doing poor Osborne a terrible disservice.

But once Pride and Prejudice-induced criticism wore off (because everything looks bad when  compared to something really good), I fell in love with Wives and Daughters. I was especially impressed by the performances of Justine Waddell (Molly) and Tom Hollander (Osborne). Before this series, I'd only seen Justine Waddell in Great Expectations, playing a character that I've never liked, and Tom Hollander in Pirates of the Caribbean, playing a despicable villain. It was odd to see them in such different roles here, where their characters are two of the most sympathetic ones in the series.

Rating: 8/10.

Review of the next two episodes here.