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Shakes Inspired!

Happy World Book Day AND Shakespeare Day!

To celebrate, we wanted to share some of our favorite bard inspired stories as well as some others we have come across.

Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine is inspired by Romeo & Juliet BUT is about Benvolio.

Enter Three Witches by Caroline B. Cooney is a retelling of Macbeth. But it’s told from a perspective that is not found in the play.

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be sure to listen to the full first part of our book discussion of Again, But Better by Christine Riccio before part two drops in a couple weeks!

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A new episode is coming on Tuesday (2/11)! Any guesses what book we will be diving into?

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Which novel adaptation that has a fully stacked cast do you think we'll be talking about on Tuesday?

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Clue: Jane Austen's Version [League of Lit's Version]

We had so much fun discussing who would be who if Clue has been casted with Jane Austen's characters. So here are our notes that could help you follow along with the episode if you haven't listened to it yet, or if you would like to listen again!

LEAGUE OF LIT'S OFFICIAL CASTING

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Mr. Body: Mr. Elton (Emma)

Informants: 1. Mary Musgrove (Persuasion) 2. Mr. Collins (Pride & Prejudice) 3. Anne Steele (Sense & Sensibility) 4. Mary Bennet (Pride & Prejudice) 5. Henry Crawford (Mansfiled Park)

Ms. Scarlett: Isabella Thorpe (Northanger Abbey)

Col. Mustard: Col. Fitzwilliam (Pride & Prejudice)

Ms. White: Augusta Elton (Emma)

Mr. Green: Frank Churchill (Emma)

Mrs. Peacock: Ms. Bates (Emma)

Prof. Plum: John Thorpe (Northanger Abbey)

WEAPONS

Valve Handle

Length of Muslin

Letter Opener

Candle Stick

Revolver

Fire Poker

ROOMS

Library

Hall

Ballroom

Kitchen

Study

Dining Room

Parlor

Drawing Room

Music Room

CIARA'S NOTES

Mr. Body: - Captain Tilney - Lady Catherine - The Thorpes (probably just Isabella)

Informants: 1. Mary Musgrove2. John Dashwood

Ms. Scarlett: - Lady Catherine

Col. Mustard: - Captain Tilney - Mr. Wickham

Ms. White: - Caroline Bingley - Augusta Elton

Mr. Green: - Mr. Willoughby - Henry Crawford - Captain Tilney - Louisa Musgrove

Mrs. Peacock: - Lady Catherine - Mrs. Bennet - Mrs. Dashwood

Prof. Plum: -

KARA'S NOTES

Mr. Body: - Wickham - Mr. Elton - Whiloughby - Captain Tilney - Mr. Elliot - Frank Churchill

Informants: 1. Mary Bennet 2. Mr. Collins 3. Henry Crawford 4. Mary Musgrove

Ms. Scarlett: - Mary Crawford - Isabella Thorpe

Col. Mustard: - Col. Brandon - Col. Fitzwilliam - Wentworth - General Tilney

Ms. White: - Caroline Bingley - Fanny Dashwood

Mr. Green: - Jane Bennet - Frank Churchill - Elinor Tilney

Mrs. Peacock: - Mrs. Bennet - Ms. Bates

Prof. Plum: - Mary Bennet - John Thorpe - Mr. Collins

How would you cast Clue with Jane Austen's characters? Let us know and we'll share our favorites on our instagram!

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Which of Jane Austen's characters do you think would have committed a crime? Who do you think would snitch on those characters? And who would be the body?

Those are just a few of the questions we tackled in this month's episode. Be sure to check it our on Spotify as there is a fun poll we'd like to know your thoughts on. So cast your vote over there!

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New Episode coming Tuesday, December 10th! Any guesses what we're

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Eustace's Voyage of Self Awareness

In C. S. Lewis' Voyage of the Dawn Treader we are introduced to a boy who "almost deserved" his name - Eustace Clarence Scrubb.

At the top of the 1952 novel, a very clear picture is painted about how unimaginative Eustace is - almost incapable of the act based on what we are told. He does not call his parents affectionate names like "mother" and "father", but by their first names (very formal). He is apparently "far too stupid" to come up with his own ideas. The moment he is in Narnia he starts shouting about being kidnapped and wanting to be taken to the British Consolt. We get this clear set up of Eustace's starting point in his character journey.

I think the true starting point of Eustace's personal journey is not the moment the picture becomes the portal and brings him and the Pevensies into Narnia, but the moment he decides to start a diary. He starts that diary after he is on the Dawn Treader because he feels so unheard that this provides him a window to be heard. Journaling is such a common practice these days - therapists recommend it to help you sort out your thoughts. There are so many different ways that it could be done. I wonder what type of journaler Eustace would be if he knew of the different types that we have now. Is this only providing an audience of one? Kinda. But this allows us as an audience to get to know him more as diaries offer unguarded thoughts a place to land.

As enjoyers of fantasy, we know some things about dragons that Eustace did not know before becoming one - they hoard treasure and if you touch a dragon's treasure there are consequences. Because of all the ways you can describe someone not knowing things because they lack imagination, Eustace's lack of awareness of dragon consequences mixed with his own level of greed is what causes him to become a dragon. His experience as a dragon is the biggest impact on his voyage with self awareness. The way the others treat him initially almost mirrors to way that he treated them (at least the Narnians) when he first arrived in Narnia - a lot of fear behind the choices made. The way the Eustace-Dragon understands speech is one of the ways that shifts the perspective of the others of the dragon, but Eustace still has to find a way for them to know it's him. It is during this portion of his journey that his attitude shifts the most - he becomes helpful, where before he was either not helping or helping begrudgingly.

The best visual depiction of personal transformation is when Eustace gets to shed his scales with the help of Aslan. C.S. Lewis is known for the alegorical nature of his writings. So it is not surprising to find this moment having the weight of what it feels like standing before God and Him helping us shed our past selves as we become more like Him. But at the same time, I think even if that is not an experience the reader is familiar with, there is still a connecting moment between the reader and Eustace. Because anyone who has had a realization that the way they have been living is not how they wish to continue to live, a change has got to be made. In Eustace's case, he quite literally has to shed some scales.

Due to the new found awareness, Eustace actively tries to be better for the rest of the novel. In turn, everyone else also try to treat him better. By the end we can see how far he has come from being the boy that was "far too stupid" and "almost deserved" his name to being considered a friend and ally to the Narnians.

I think Lewis' choice to say that Eustace almost deserved his name at the beginning is what clues the audience into the importance of his character. That and he is the first character introduced in this novel, which let's us know that there is a shift in focus in terms of main characters for the series moving forward. But the character we meet at the beginning is not the character we see at the end - and can you imagine being told that someone deserves their name that does not sound very nice after going through what Eustace Clarence Scrubb goes through?

Please check out our full episode on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader wherever you like to enjoy podcasts!

Episode: "The Voyage of the Redeeming of Eustace"

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Why Don't They Adapt...?

If there is one thing to be said about Agatha Christie's novels, it's that they stand the ultimate test of time. Witty characters, sharp dialogue and intriguing mystery keep readers coming back time and again. Christie's stories also keep screenwriters, filmmakers and actors itching to adapt them again and again. With over 100 adaptations spanning over film, television, stage productions and radio, it's clear that her words continue to captivate and inspire.

With so many adaptations, one idea we don't see often is the modernization of Christie's works. Most often, we are thrust into period pieces for an incredible journey full of secrets, murder and sometimes romance. When we began discussing our newest episode on Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (out everywhere you consume your podcasts!), one idea we continued to bring up was the idea of modernizing this novel. There is something about Evans that lends itself to a more modern era, despite being set in the 1930s.

When plotting out the modernization of Evans, it was easy to see how well the characters and narrative would translate if the novel were set in the mid 1990s. Frankie's quick wit and rambling personality fit right in with the sitcoms of the times and Bobby's naivete and candor make him an ideal candidate for the romantic comedies that are beloved by so many. The plot would very much stay the same, with only minor differences to account for a slightly more technological world. While there would certainly be easier ways to research many of the information that Frankie and Bobby so desperately need in Evans, set in the mid 90s the technology would not be so readily at their fingertips the way it would should the novel be set in the present day.

The most interesting part of setting Evans in the more modernized 1990s would be watching our antagonist, Roger Bassington-ffrench, navigate this new world. Roger would have to be extremely quick and find ways to use this new technology to his advantage in ways that the original character did not have to worry about. His struggles to maintain his anonymity and commit the multitude of crimes he managed to in the 1930s while living in a world where remaining anonymous was becoming increasingly more difficult would be a highlight of a 1990s adaptation.

In conclusion, this is our impassioned plea for someone, anyone, to bring Agatha Christie into the modern world. Why Didn't They Ask Evans? would be an excellent place to start if you ask us.

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Season 3 of the League of Lit Podcast will kick off on Tuesday, October 8, 2024!

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We have reached the end of our 18 episode journey back in time with Jules & Monty. We hope you have enjoying going on the journey with us. If you have any suggestions for what we could dive into next, please let us know!

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We’re almost done walking through all of Jules & Monty. Be sure to catch up if you haven’t been following along!

League of Lit: Jules & Monty 10th Anniversary | Episode 16

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League of Lit: Jules & Monty 10th Anniversary | Episode 10

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League of Lit: Jules & Monty 10th Anniversary | Episode 6

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League of Lit: Jules & Monty 10th Anniversary | Episode 5

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League of Lit: Jules & Monty 10th Anniversary | Episode 1

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of this wonderful webseries, we are reviewing each episode! Check it out!