As a good (well, semi-good) Jewish girl, I’ve never owned an Advent calendar. The closest I ever came was in childhood, when we’d visit my best friend’s home one Sunday night each December to share a meal, light candles, and watch our hosts marvel at the surprises concealed behind each quaint little window.
So it was a great treat for me to happen across this: a digital Mr. Darcy Advent calendar created by Jane Austen fanfiction writer Jane Odiwe. I will leave it to theologians to parse the potentially blasphemous implications of Odiwe's effort -- does this project equate Mr. Darcy with God? And would that be a bad thing? – since, as a semi-good Jewish girl, I’m unqualified to weigh in.
Instead, I will note that clicking on the window for December 1 yields a clip of the ur-text of Darcy-worship – the wet-shirt scene, natch. December 2 contains the rain-soaked, almost-kissing first proposal from the Keira Knightley film of Pride and Prejudice: not my favorite, I must admit, but to each her own. December 3, however, yields the sublime Colin Firth version of that first proposal ("Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections?" Ouch!)
I can’t tell you more, since Odiwe, or perhaps the online template she used, has cleverly (diabolically?) blocked users from cheating by looking ahead. Not that I would ever do such a thing. But I’m eagerly anticipating the treats in store the rest of the month.
2 comments
Dec 4 2014 06:20PM by Jane Odiwe
I'm thrilled you're enjoying the calendar with our 'god-like' Mr Darcy - especially if you've not had the pleasure of having one before! Here in the UK I don't think we're quite so strict or feel we can't be included when it comes to 'Christmas' - I have Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu friends who all happily put up their Christmas trees, send cards, exchange presents, and have Advent calendars. I've tried to include videos for all tastes and eras of adaptation/film, and had a lot of fun doing it - hope you and your readers enjoy the rest!
Dec 4 2014 06:50PM by Deborah Yaffe
Christmas is a vexed question for American Jews, but that's a topic for another day. Meanwhile, thanks, Jane, for indulging the Darcy-love (or would that be -lust?) that we all share.