Additional+Text+Set

**BOOKS**
 * Annotated Text Set **  **// Concept in the English Content-Area: British Literature //**

Asquith’s book about the political and social climate of Elizabethan England really puts Shakespeare’s plays into a broader context. She examines some of the intentionality of what Shakespeare wrote, and what it said about his views on the strife and unrest at the time. Reading passages from this book would allow students in British Literature to gain deeper meanings from Shakespeare’s plays, and perhaps arm them with the ability to relate the plays more readily to their own time. Reading the entirety of the book would also be a neat challenge for higher-level students who want to engage more with their texts.
 * __ Shadowplay __**** (2005)—by Clare Asquith **

This book is a spoof of Jane Austen’s classic, following the same basic storyline, but adding in several—eccentricities. It might be neat for students to read right after __Pride and Prejudice__ so they can track the major plot points from the actual work, using it as a mode for making comparisons. Also, students with special needs might really take to reading this novel since technically, it is a young adult book, and demands a much lower reading-level.
 * __ Pride and Prejudice and Zombies __**** (2009)—by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame Smith **

**__ Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict __**** (2008)—by Laurie Viera Rigler ** This is a fun novel that tells the story of an avid Jane Austen reader who goes back in time, and is forced to face the harsh realities of England at the turn of the nineteenth century. Austen’s traditional romance is there, but so are difficulties that she had never thought of in the context of the novel. Students who really get into reading Austen in class would definitely like to approach this for free-reading, and if it is used for an in-class discussion circle, many parallels between the works could be made. The teacher could also read the more humorous selections of the book to set the scene for reading Austen in class, and this would be a great way to get boys engaged with what is usually a more girl-geared unit in British literature.

This book is a collection of letters between the Bronte sisters, and illuminates how much of themselves, like their emotions and experiences, went into their novels. Also, it simply provides a deeper peek into the minds of much beloved authors. Students could each take a letter, and analyze it for similar style and language to the novels, or even similar themes. Higher-level students might just enjoy reading this work as a supplement to their studies for more background knowledge and enjoyment.
 * __ The Brontes: A Life in Letters __**** (2002)—by Peter Mayer **

This book is a special edition of the original text, so it includes the full novel, as well as many full-page color and small black and white illustrations. Since the pictures really capture the gothic tone of the novel, they would allow students to recognize that tone more easily in the writing. Teachers could use the images as attention-getters for the openings of lessons and discussions, prompts, or even starting points around which to base assessments for students with special needs.
 * __ The Illustrated Jane Eyre __**** (2006)—By Charlotte Bronte, Illustrated by Dame Darcy **

This is literally a history of England that Charles Dickens wrote; in it he catalogues the reign of every monarch from the start of recorded history to his own 19th century experience. Since he intended it for children, it is written in a storytelling style that lends itself well to being used for enjoyment. Students could read chapters of this whenever it relates to what they are reading in class—for example, while reading Chaucer, they might read Dickens’ chapter on that period. This would allow them to gain a new perspective on the background of what they are reading. It would also place many of their assignments into a historical context, while exposing them more to excellent writing.
 * __ A Child’s History of England __**** (2009)—By Charles Dickens **

This is a great reference text for giving students background on many of the periods they must grapple with during their readings in British literature. It’s colorful and concise, yet incredibly detailed. It would be a great resource for students to use for research projects before starting a new novel, or even simply for the teacher to use, choosing selections to share and visuals to show in order to make the class more aware of the times they are reading about.
 * __ The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Royal Britain __**** (2009)—By Charles Phillips **

A major part of British Literature, and all literature for that matter, is working with poetry, and for many, this can be an unpleasant and daunting task. This extended piece of poetry is a modern work that follows a man as he meets his ex-girlfriend for lunch in London one day. It captures the emotions and thoughts that go into the experience of a moment, and since its language is so frank, it makes the poetry accessible for everyone. I think exposing students to a work like this might prevent them from becoming turned off to poetry, just because they might not like, (or be able to handle), Keats and Woodsworth. Going through it with the class might seem disconnected from studying sonnets and the Romantics, but it would be worth it if it allows students to see how relevant poetry can be to their own experiences. The BBC adapted Reid’s poem for a television broadcast in 2010, and that short film is in the “Films” portion of this annotated text list.
 * __ The Song of Lunch __**** (2010)—By Christopher Reid **

**FILMS**

This is the most faithful adaptation of Austen’s novel, particularly because it does not cut out any content; the miniseries is six hours long. It is a highly regarded work, and literally became a media phenomenon in England during its original broadcast in the nineties. The teacher could show clips of it to supplement sections of the novel that are hard for students to understand, or just to allow the book to come alive more for the class. It would even be nice to establish a small “Austen Club” during the reading of the novel for interested students after school, where they could watch all of the film, and discuss it in terms of the book. For those who are interested, Colin Firth's legendary portrayal of Mr. Darcy is a real treat.
 * // Pride and Prejudice //**** (1995)—Starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle **

These two adaptations of Charlotte Bronte’s __Jane Eyre__ can be used in conjunction with each other and the novel to establish the importance of imagery in the book, as well as mood, and how these aspects can come across visually. Since there are at least four reputable adaptations on film, the students would have great opportunities to try out their comparative skills—(which are standards based), especially when analyzing the differences between the same scenes. Also, having students find textual evidence for directorial decisions would be both fun and illuminating. I chose these two adaptations because the 1997 BBC production has stellar performances, and is rather lively. The newer 2011 version is truer to the book in tone, and it also features actors that students would be familiar with. In using film performances to supplement the learning of literature, I believe that familiarity equals comfort, and comfort leads to engagement.
 * // Jane Eyre //**** (1997)—Starring Ciaran Hinds and Samantha Morton **
 * // Jane Eyre //**** (2011)—Starring Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikowska **

This short BBC film is an adaptation of Christopher Reid’s poem that follows a man’s experience as he meets up with his ex-girlfriend one day for lunch in London. In a British literature class that encompasses so much poetry that can seem very dense to kids, and anyone for that matter, I think that exposing students to an accessible work of modern poetry might prevent them from being turned off to the genre altogether. The film version of this poem really captures the liveliness of the work, particularly its detailed engagement with the mundaneness of everyday. Used along with the text of the poem, it would allow students to see how detailed visuals can stem from minimal words. Also, it stars Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson, so students who are familiar with these actors from the Harry Potter films might find that their familiarity will lead to comfort with the poem, and hopefully, engagement and enjoyment. This film can be difficult to get a disc of, but there are several YouTube links that show the majority of the work.
 * // The Song of Lunch //**** (2010)—Starring Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson **

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