Douglas Booth as Pip in the 2011 BBC adaptation of Great Expectations.
Sometimes the hero of a Dicken’s novel is amongst its least colourful and dynamically interesting characters but Pip is a portrait of real psychological depth and complexity. His slow journey towards self-knowledge is a masterpiece of first person narration, the sound of someone talking to themselves, rather than a writer addressing a reader.
Favourite Dickens Characters in The Telegraph.
Dear Aunt Janey,
I have recently separated from my husband when I found out that he had an affair with a married ex-girlfriend. The affair started shortly after we got married and ended when the lecherous ex-girlfriend had a miscarriage. It is unfortunate though that I only found out about it after the fact. I wouldn’t delve into the details but leaving him was the right decision.
Since the discovery I am now partially healed and trying to move on. The prospect of dating again is now very much appealing. In fact I have dates slated for next week. But the thought of dating again scares the hell out of me. My husband was my first in every sense of the word. I have not been with any other man. I was barely out of school when we got together. Now I have no idea how to handle being single. I also feel like Im committing adultery which in the strict legal sense I am actually.
I was ready to move on and start dating again when ex-husband and I started talking and seeing each other again. He is trying to win me back and to be honest Im undergoing relapse. A small part of me is hoping but I still can’t figure out whether or not my hope is motivated by fear or whether it is a legitimate hope because we are meant to be together.
It is difficult for me because everyone thinks I made the right decision leaving him and every time we spend time together, I am again convinced that I still love him but as soon as we go our separate ways, I want to date other men again. I am plagued by this desire to try other fish in the big big sea. I seriously don’t know what to do or how to act.
Yours truly,
Separada in Heat
Paul Mazursky’s An Unmarried Woman starring Jill Clayburgh is on youtube in its entirety.
Dear Separada in Heat,
It is only adultery in the strict legal sense when you have sexual intercourse with a guy not your husband while your marriage is still legally in effect. So when dating, you cannot go all the way but you can go pretty far. Some groping, kissing, rubbing, body contact and the things you do with your mouth will not put you in jail.
You are still adjusting and well out of your comfort zone. At a young age, you had gotten married and you have never truly known what it is to be an adult on her own. So of course, you would consider getting back with your ex. Routine is more preferable to the unknown. Humans are creatures of habit after all.
I will not bitch-slap you to knock some sense into you. I would just like to point out that he had lied to you from the beginning of your marriage. In a sense, the marriage was a lie despite the legal trappings. Now he has the gall to come crawling back to you? If the affair was merely a lapse of judgment or a one-night stand, it would have been acceptable, for me, to forgive him. But what your husband did was very willful. A conscious choice to betray your trust and play you a fool. He had you for many years yet he did not value you. Why would you go back to someone who never thought much of you in the first place? Be forgiving if you like, but do not be a fool. If you were meant to be together, he would not have cheated on you right at the start of your marriage.
Now, about the dating. Do not pour yourself out to your date all at once. Dates are not therapy sessions. The last thing anybody wants is damaged goods. If he asks, tell him the truth. You are legally married yet you are already separated. If asked why the marriage did not work out, just say that your husband cheated. Do not behave like a wounded animal. If you still hold some bitterness, best keep it in. I am not saying that you should deceive your dates. I just want you to appear strong and dignified. A woman who is still holding her head high despite the setbacks in her life.
Date as many men as you can but do not be too over eager and overreaching. Do not appear desperate. Do not be clingy and do not think of these men as your new hope for such disposition may make you a prey for abusive types of men. Regain your faith in yourself by doing things that help you build your self-esteem. Do not ever rush into another relationship. Take your time and have some fun. Take very good care of yourself.
Always remember that your happiness is in your hands. It will never be the responsibility of other people. It will take time for things to be in order once again. Just be patient and remain strong.
Truly Yours,
Auntie Janey
Fincher and Reznor (and Zeppelin)!
What are the chances of Peter Jackson using Misty Mountain Hop or Battle of Evermore in The Hobbit?
Our friend has a serious beef with the way Steven Zaillian’s screenplay has futzed with the source material. We’re delighted that the movie does not sound like the book. (Granted it may be a victim of inept translation.)
My knees hurt. My legs are cramping up. It’s 11pm and I need a drink badly. The crowd is yelling in my ears. Do I have the strength left to finish this match? Could I possibly hold out for another set, then probably another one after that?
And all I’m doing is sitting in the front row at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, watching the Australian Open men’s singles semifinal between defending champion and world number 1 Novak Djokovic and world number 4 Andy Murray. I could easily get up (Well, during the changeover), walk to the Lacoste Lounge outside, and have champagne, oysters and prawns so fresh they leap off the plate, while gawking at models with razor cheekbones.
Who am I kidding? No one is going to budge from their precious seats until this epic is over.
You picked the winner of the Weekly LitWit Challenge 8.3: Cruel Rejections. It’s VenusdeSupsup! Congratulations, Venus—it appears you voted for yourself more than twice; fortunately other readers agreed. You may claim your Carson McCullers hardcover any day starting Thursday, 2 February 2012, at the Customer Service counter of National Bookstore at Power Plant Mall, Rockwell, Makati.
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The book being The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, the movie being the adaptation of the same by David Fincher. Explain your answer in 500 words or less. Oh and try not to write like Stieg Larsson; make your prose compelling.
The winner will receive the bestselling Scandinavian thriller The Boy In The Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis
and a copy of the official Fincher movie poster (see above). Consider it a limited edition: You won’t be seeing this poster displayed in cinemas due to the racy artwork.
Three runners-up will each get a poster, courtesy of Jay and Columbia Pictures. David Fincher’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo opens in Metro Manila theatres today.
We’re accepting submissions until Tuesday, 7 February 2012 at 12 noon.
The Weekly LitWit Challenge is brought to you by our friends at National Bookstore.
From the Coens’ Blood Simple, a smart movie about people doing stupid shit.
That title goes out to our friend The Bone. What’s our one movie of the year this year?
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There’s no gentle way to put it: People who give in to racism and prejudice may simply be dumb, according to a new study that is bound to stir public controversy.
The research finds that children with low intelligence are more likely to hold prejudiced attitudes as adults. These findings point to a vicious cycle, according to lead researcher Gordon Hodson, a psychologist at Brock University in Ontario. Low-intelligence adults tend to gravitate toward socially conservative ideologies, the study found. Those ideologies, in turn, stress hierarchy and resistance to change, attitudes that can contribute to prejudice, Hodson wrote in an email to LiveScience.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>