Colonel Brandon's Diary by Amanda Grange

At last, a face I can put to the name! (To all the Alan Rickman fans out there, saying Morrissey's portrayal isn't as good as Rickman's just because he isn't Alan Rickman isn't really an effective argument.)Īnd although the novel itself is a bit patchy and slow, I have totally fallen for the Colonel, the 'older' gentleman (he's only 35!) who quietly and patiently waits for Marianne to get over Willoughby. I don't care! I love this series, which really brought the story to life for me, and I love David Morrissey as Colonel Brandon. Oh, Andrew Davies, how the mighty have fallen! And yet - his recent spin on Austen's first novel is my favourite, despite not being blessed by Saint Emma Thompson. Anyway, now I am watching the 2009 adaptation, with Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller (who is a bit young, and a bit short, but still does it for me as Mr Knightley), and the novel is next on my list. Grange has written them for most of Austen's books now, and she is good. But my introduction to the characters was actually Amanda Grange's 'parallel novel' Mr Knightley's Diary, which is a sort of narrative reversal of the original story. Tell me more, Miss Austen' (because Jeremy Northam is lovely). My recent discovery, and I will admit that it was the Gwyneth Paltrow film which made me think, 'Huh. In reverse, and least offensive to the Janeites, order:

I now own three - count 'em - three Austen books, and like two of them so much that I bought the BBC adaptations, too! But, me being me, of course, I refuse to be in with the in crowd. an Austen ZOMBIE ! Well, not quite, but I'm still scared. It's finally happened! Sunday evenings will never be the same again! I have become.

Colonel Brandon's Diary by Amanda Grange