A Colouring Classic: Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice by Chellie Carroll
| A Colouring Classic: Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice by Chellie Carroll | |
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| Category: Crafts | |
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Reviewer: Stacey Barkley
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| Summary: Carroll has taken a literary classic and transformed into illustrations that will have you enthusiastically reaching for the coloured pens. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? No |
| Pages: 80 | Date: June 2016 |
| Publisher: LTP | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9781848693265 | |
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Whether it's crayons, pencils, or felt tips, have your colouring tool of choice at the ready.
Not so very long ago, colouring was relegated to the days of childhood past, to the days of no responsibilities and round-the-clock, non-stop fun. Remember how much you enjoyed this? Good, because the time has come to re-embrace a little of those days, and to rekindle our love of carefree colouring with this Pride and Prejudice edition.
It all started when Johanna Basford brought us the adult edition of the Enchanted Forest colouring book. At around the same time, Mindfulness (a type of meditative practice) was fast gaining popularity and the two hit the shelves as a rather successful pairing – mindful colouring; guilt-free time out to be present in the moment focusing only on the intricate patterns infusing a calmness through one's thoughts. This is, in essence, the idea.
Thanks to this trend, colouring for adults is now an altogether acceptable pastime (promise!) and has been developing as a genre ever since. While this development has produced many a book, these have typically been compilations of abstract patterns tied together by on overarching theme, jungle or animals for instance, but all pretty broad. Chellie Carroll, however, has created something entirely fresh; a series of colouring books drawn from the words, and worlds, of some of our literary favourites, and thereby meaningful in the content laid out for us to engage with.
This particular edition is drawn from a classic, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, a fitting choice given the cult status the title is presently enjoying. The cover itself commands the admiration. An elegant white background is offset with illustrative detail and bears the profile of the story's lovers, Elizabeth Bennet, and the handsome suitor, Mr Darcy. The gilded gold detail lends an elegant look to the overall scene; a worthy preamble to what lies within.
For, on turning the page one is transported to the world of Pemberley, with illustrations so intricate in detail that the lifestyle of the time is clear to see, and in this case, to colour. From floral adornments, teacups and invites to tea, to fans, dresses and gardens galore, Pemberley awaits some colour. These illustrations are certainly pretty, but the style is relaxed enough that you can feel free to wield your colours without fear of these being unworthy. Some nice features include a sprinkling of quotes throughout, an aide-memoire of the story itself, and some inspiration for the task at hand.
The ultimate beauty of these editions is the element of creative license they allow us to exert upon the literary worlds we have imagined while reading. There is something distinctly disappointing about illustrations or film adaptations that don't quite match how it was in our head. With these there is no such risk – those Regency dresses can be any colour you so desire (authenticity points for attention to period dress, though!)
If you're an Austen fan, this is a really lovely addition for the collection, and if you're new to her writing, what better way to embrace the period itself. Adult colouring may be a fad, but let's embrace it with some literary flair.
For another colouring book with literary associations, we can recommend Sherlock: The Mind Palace: The Official Colouring Book by Mike Collins. You might also enjoy A Colouring Classic: William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet by Renia Metallinou
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You can read more book reviews or buy A Colouring Classic: Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice by Chellie Carroll at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy A Colouring Classic: Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice by Chellie Carroll at Amazon.com.
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