After reading the novel, I was skeptical of the Lizzie Bennet diaries. I'll admit that watching the you tube series and reading the novel definitely projects different opinions of some of the characters. I was excited to see how the diaries compared to the novel. The Lizzie Bennet diaries definitely helped me visualize the characters and there personalities. While it took me awhile to understand the characters and their personalities while reading Pride and Prejudice.
After a couple episodes the series just seemed a big gossip blog. Although the series was meant too watch two episodes a week and I watch it all within a couple days. I can definitely see why the diaries could have been such a successful show. The first half of the series was dragged out a bit for my tastes. The second half really started to get interesting. When Lizzie started incorporating different locations and setting it didn't seem as repetitive as the first half which really helped a lot.
Watching the diaries definitely helped me to visualize the story better as well. The diaries did change how I felt about Lizzie though. In the book, I always saw her as a headstrong person who could stand up for herself but in the diaries, she just came off as mean.
ReplyDeleteI agree about liking the second half of the series more as well. It definitely helped to have new characters popping up and new things happening in the plot.
I think that the reason both the series and book gives different opinions is because its in a way fanfiction. I feel like adaptations give the same feeling that the original did. I would agree that I understood the original characters better from watching the Lizzie Bennet Diary's. I think that what made the first half boring was that not much was going on and you constantly see Lizzie in the same space.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I definitely agree with you about the second half of the series. I was so bored by the first half that I really struggled not to just give up and not watch it at all. But after I toughed it out- in part thanks to the fact that our essay is on this- I discovered the latter half of it wasn't the worst thing ever.
ReplyDeletePersonally I still don't care for it, but it was MUCH more tolerable later on. I agree with your feeling that the first half was more or less just gossip; I think that's what made it so very obnoxious to me.
I as a first interested in what the Lizzie Bennett Diaries were going to be like compared to the novel Pride and Prejudice. It definitely used the modern version of communication through the video blogs and cell phone calls and texts well enough. But like you said, there was a lot of gossip. Plus some of the characters like Lidia were too ridiculous for me. But once I started watching the second half of the series, it did get more interesting.
ReplyDeleteConnor,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you about the setting being a bit too repetitive at times. One thing I've wondered was would it make a better fanfiction if there was actual vlogging? Like holding a camera and going around? It may come off more awkward and not "Pride and Prejudice"-ish, but this could make it livelier(?).
LA
I found that I enjoyed the second half of the diaries a lot better than the first, especially after Lizzie realizes how awful she was. The repetitive settings did and didn't bother me, because if you looked closely the setting did change each episode.
ReplyDeleteI also watched all of the bonus content for the LBD and more enjoyed those.
I'm with Lauren, if instead, she picked up her camera and went to people when she left to her sister's rooms, I think we would've gotten more of a vlogging feel. She could leave it stationary most of the time, but pick it up and move to go to people's rooms to give it more of a feel.
Great post. I experienced the exact same emotions as you did while tackling the Lizzy Bennett Diaries. In the beginning I thought it was perfect for bringing all the characters to live and getting to understand their personalities fully. However, mid way through I couldn't stand all the gossip that did not apply to me or my life so I was bored. They did step up with the second half of the videos I also thought with locations and new characters which was much needed. I do wish I had watched the videos when they were released and not consuming all the gossip in such a short amount of time.
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