It is a truth universally acknowledged
\nThat a young couple locked in the hold of a ship
\nFor forty days, off the coast of Venice,
\nAre in need of a good book.
\nIt is a probability, widely accepted,
\nThat this book should feature
\nStakes no more severe than
\nVery rich young people
\nVery slightly crossed in love.
\nIt is a choice\u2026 politely accepted
\nThat this book be read back to back
\nFive times.<\/p>\n
It is a truth universally acknowledged
\nThat a young couple locked in the hold of a ship
\nFor eighty<\/i> days, off the same coast,
\nAre in need of the same book.
\nIt is a probability, widely accepted,
\nThat they will cast
\nTheir own *NEW* *HOLLYWOOD* *ADAPTION*
\n(Names in lights)
\n(Set in rural Somerset)
\nIt is a choice politely accepted
\nThat they also cast the Radio 4
\nComedy version.<\/p>\n
It is a truth universally acknowledged It is a truth universally acknowledged It is a truth universally acknowledged It is a truth universally acknowledged It is a truth universally acknowledged <\/p>\n The repeating refrain at the start of every stanza is taken from the first line of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.<\/em><\/p>\n …Which at this point, I know quite well.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It is a truth universally acknowledged That a young couple locked in the hold of a ship For forty days, off the coast of Venice, Are in need of a good book. It is a probability, widely accepted, That this book should feature Stakes no…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2314,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-141827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marathon-poem"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2314"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141827"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141827\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":144890,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141827\/revisions\/144890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepoetrymarathon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThat a young couple now released from their ship
\nBut cast away from gentle streets of gondaliers
\nAre in need of some stability.
\nAnd so it is a probability, widely accepted,
\nThat the next adaption should feature
\nA <\/em>fully<\/i> gender<\/i>–bent<\/i> cast<\/i>.
\nApart from Mel and Sue
\nAs the Gardiners. Obviously.
\nIt is a choice politely accepted
\nThat Mister Hurst be correctly identified
\nAs a cat.<\/p>\n
\nThat this young couple, having made dry ground,
\nHave now been living in close quarters for quite some time,
\nAnd have gotten in their heads a little bit.
\nIt is a probability, widely… accepted,
\nThat actually, no one knows this book
\nAs well as them, that
\nThe average man is wrong
\nAbout Elizabeth and Darcy.
\nIt is a fact<\/em>, agreed to mainly in self-defense,
\nThat he is also wrong
\nAbout Mr Collins.<\/p>\n
\nThat this is tradition now. What would they do
\nTo get to sleep? What? Read a different book?
\n<\/i>Hm. Hmmm\u2026 No.
\nIt is a probability, widely accepted,
\nThat, <\/i>hey<\/i>, <\/i>this book is full of people
\nCompletely silent, wholly uncredited
\nWhere are all the servants?
\nWhat are all their names?
\nIt is a choice politely accepted
\nTo stay up researching regency household staff
\nFor six hours.<\/p>\n
\nThat a young couple on their fifth circuit
\nHave developed something of an obsession
\nRealistically.
\nIt is a probability, widely accepted,
\nThat THIS<\/i> read-through comes with a LIST<\/i> of names
\nAnd character bios. Of forty-eight servants.
\nAnd a tenant farmer.
\nAlso<\/i> very slightly crossed in love.
\nIt is a choice politely accepted
\nTo interject their tales throughout into
\nThe body of the text.<\/p>\n
\nThat a young couple, something like settled,
\nTheir days of adventure not quite behind them,
\nAre still in need of a good book.
\nIt is a probability, widely accepted,
\nThat a sixth read-through should begin.
\nWith stakes no more severe than
\nVery rich young people
\nVery slightly crossed in love.
\nIt is a choice, unusual but cherished
\nThat this book be read bit by bit,
\nBack-to-back.
\nEvery night.
\nEvery night.
\nEvery night.<\/p>\n