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Monday, June 6, 2011

CLOSED Austen Country review & giveaway from Meredith

Today's review of the documentary Austen Country comes from Meredith of Austenesque Reviews.  Austen Country tours places in the English countryside that were significant to Austen, which I personally find fascinating (and have since added this to my (endless) Netflix queue).

Austen Country


Review for: Austen Country DVD
By: Delta Entertainment Corporation
Title:  An Elegant and Charming Documentary of Dear Jane
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars HHHH
Date: May 2011


Austen Country, located in Hampshire, a county in southern England, filled with rural countrysides and seaside resorts, was home and inspiration to famous author, Jane Austen.  (It was also the birthplace of Charles Dickens, but as you can see from the title, this DVD is not about him.)  Although Jane Austen moved several times throughout her life, the majority of her time was spent in Hampshire county.  For Jane Austen, living in Hampshire, amongst the hills and its natural beauties, was where she found happiness, peace, and inspiration.  In this informative and engaging documentary of Hampshire, viewers are enabled to travel on a walking tour of Jane Austen's England and journey to places “where she lived, holidayed, visited, and vividly immortalized in her novels.”  

The locations filmed and toured in this documentary include: Steventon, Bath, Lyme Regis, Chawton, and Winchester.  I took pleasure in the visuals of Steventon Rectory, Chawton Cottage, and Winchester Cathedral.  In addition, since I have not yet been to Jane Austen's House Museum, (someday...) I enjoyed the little preview I had of its treasures!  Such treasures include: a patchwork quilt worked on by Jane, Cassandra, and her mother; Jane and Cassandra's topaz crosses from their brother Charles; and of course, Jane's famous writing desk.

This documentary is about one hour long and includes narration by Liam Dale who is also the director and producer.  I'm very satisfied and pleased with the production of this documentary.  Liam Dale has fantastic British narrating voice!  With beautiful images, picturesque landscapes, and Georgian era music playing in the background, I found this documentary to not only informative, but charming and entertaining!

There appears to be three DVDs in this series.  The other two include Brontë Country and Shakespeare Country.  Austen Country was released in 2001 and Brontë Country was released in 2003.  There doesn't seem to be any information about Shakespeare Country, how I would love to track that one down!  I watched and reviewed Brontë Country last summer, and have to admit to enjoying the Brontë documentary slightly more than the Austen documentary.  This is most likely due to the fact that I didn't really learn anything new from watching Austen Country.  If you are familiar with the basics of Austen's life and biography, this documentary, unfortunately, might not teach you anything new.  Nonetheless, I am happy to have this lovely and visually pleasing DVD in my collection, and look forward to watching it again in the future!


*** GIVEAWAY ***
Meredith is offering up a copy of Austen Country to one winner.
To enter, leave a with a way to contact you, and tell us what one place from a Jane Austen novel you'd want to visit.
International
Ends June 30th

Click to be taken to the Main Page & Schedule

36 comments:

  1. I'd like to visit Bath. I've read so much about it, and I'd really like to see it with my own eyes.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    tricia (at) triciaschneider (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'd love to visit Pemberly!

    Thanks for doing the giveaway!

    jenna.czaplewski@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I dont have a particular place in mind...but surely if i get a chance i would visit every place i can think of

    vidishamun@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well, I'd love to visit them all. But if I had to choose one it would be Bath.
    Thanks for a chance to win a copy.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hertfordshire

    sassysasha817 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh dear, hard to pick one. But my top three would be Bath, Lyme Regis and of course, Pemberley!

    I'd love a chance to win the dvd.

    Felicia

    felicialso @ gmail. com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I would love to visit Pemberley, Bath and even London!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I want to visit it tall! But I'd love to see Lyme Regis.

    Margay1122ATaolDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'd like to check out Winchester Cathedral.

    meredithfl at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I want to visit Pemberley, specifically the on in the 2005 film. Thankfully, I've had the food fortune to visit Bath and Stourhead Estate, which is where the first proposal scene in the 2005 film takes place.

    consumedbybooks(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for the giveaway.

    I have always been interested in Bath. It was so popular over a certain period with all the aristocracy even Queen Victoria visiting it. I have seen pictures of the curving rows of houses and of the baths themselves and would love to explore the city myself.

    Carol T

    buddytho {at} gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I would love to visit Bath for I long to see the Georgian architecture that is still preserve there. It would be fun to walk in the same city as Jane Austen does nearly two hundred years later.

    evangelineace2020(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Pemberley is where I would want to go, and since Pemberley in my imagination is Chatsworth House in Derbyshire then I can actually go there! Whether I will get there this fall or next spring is still the question, but I WILL get there!!

    And you know where to find me! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh my! There are so many places I would want to go. Bath, Lyme,Chawton, Chatsworth House, oh and the list just goes on!
    jakki36(at)yahoo(dot)com
    Thanks!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have already visited Bath and Chawton, but the day I went to the Jane Austen's museum the library was closed, you could imagine I disappointed I was so I'd really like to go back there one day :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. I would love to see the Lake District. As well as Bath again. I have been there once.

    Margaret
    singitm@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. The place I would love to visit would have to be Pemberly! It would nice to be able to visit Bath as well though.
    wolfluvr420 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I’ve only been to Bath once but I loved the Georgian atmosphere and want to come back one day. Thanks for this great giveaway. I didn’t even know this DVD existed. Best regards from Barcelona, Spain, martaplayita [at] gmail dot com http://www.englishinbarna.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  19. Pemberly!!!
    clarksrfun at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Persuasion is my favorite Austen novel, so Bath definitely is on my list of places to visit someday.

    diaryofaneccentric(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I would love to visit Pemberly. Thank you for the review and for making this giveaway international!

    Giada M.

    fabgiada (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  22. I would love to visit Bath!

    akaleistar (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  23. Northanger Abbey has always held my fascination. It seems terribly dark & mysterious, or so the flights of fancy from our heroine tell us.

    marypres@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I've been to Bath and wouldn't mind visiting again. I felt at home there!
    So maybe next time I'll try to visit Lyme Regis as well :)

    anairis@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. I would like to visit Bath.
    marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  26. I would love to visit Bath and Pemberley. I think Pemberley is a fictional place but I'm not sure.
    Thanks for the giveaway!

    artgiote at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  27. LYME! the place to be!
    this dvd is one for me to watch. must netflix it ;-D

    ReplyDelete
  28. I didn't even think to check netflix. Sounds lovely! I'd like to visit the Lake District...well actually all the places but if I have to choose just one.
    schafsue at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  29. o thats a hard question. id want to explore and visit it all. if i had to choose, it would be bath. everyone says its beautiful and id love to see it for myself. thank you!
    shadow_kohler@att.net

    ReplyDelete
  30. The peak district!

    colleenday@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. Thank you so much for the chance to win!
    I would like to see Bath :)
    Rathouska.jana@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. I fell madly in love with Chawton when I was there last and I can not visit that place enough - Chawton House Library and Jane Austen's House.

    PelicanJL@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  33. BATH! Thanks for the giveaway :)

    Lindsay
    horne.lindsay@gmail.com
    http://everydayadventure11.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  34. I would LOVE to visit Derbyshire and the Peak District from Pride and Prejudice! From the film adaptations they look breathtakingly beautiful!

    Thank you for the great giveaway!

    stella.exlibris (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  35. I'd love to visit Bath. I love the whole "season" vibe of it in her books.

    truebookaddictATgmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete

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