What did you think of the recent BBC production of Emma? I must admit I found it fun. In the Telegraph Charles Moore didn't approve of all the anachronisms - a pedant's dream, he called it. I thought Romola was full of sparkle, perhaps not quite young enough and too modern for the picky, but JLM wasn't my idea Mr Knightley - I prefer him to be tall, dark and distinguished. I couldn't quite believe he lived in that house - I did worry about the fields of oilseed rape and why weren't there any maids? But the energy of the production made me smile, and Romola is the first actress to make the normally rather tiresome Emma so likeable. The Romantic Novelists are faintly hurt that yet again the Crime Writers Assoc in the shape of Ian Rankin have jokily accused us being much more likely to stab each other in the back than they are. It may be that some of the early romantics like Barbara Cartland were tough cookies, but nowadays the RNA is one of the friendliest and most supportive organisations I've ever joined, but life is too short to be offended by crusty old jokes by blokes.
On a different tack, I dare say that Jordan doesn't give a hoot that Linda La Plante has, most robustly, accused her and other celebs of nabbing too much of the publishing purse.
