Interview With An Author – Mitzi Szereto
Author of ~ Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts
Mitzi: Why, Mr. Darcy, of course. He’s just so sullen and sexy!
2) Your favorite Austen book.
Mitzi: Pride and Prejudice, obviously! So I guess it’s no surprise that I decided to reinterpret it for my own version, Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts. There’s just so much brilliant fodder to work with, and so much Jane Austen left unsaid (and un-acted upon). Let’s just say that I took matters a bit farther than Jane did, though I suspect she would have approved, especially since she hinted at enough inappropriate goings-on in her novel.
3) Which actor would you chose to be YOUR Mr Darcy and why?
Mitzi: He’s already been chosen: Colin Firth. No one either before or after him has come remotely close to portraying the character as well as he has, or as authentically either. In my view, he IS Mr. Darcy. And I bet Jane Austen would agree. I even credit him in my book as a source of inspiration!
4) Who would be your perfect Elizabeth?
Mitzi: I’d have to say Jennifer Ehle, who played opposite Colin Firth in the 1995 BBC TV adaptation. She interpreted the character very much along the lines of how Jane Austen wrote her. At the risk of sounding repetitive, I haven’t seen anyone come close to portraying Elizabeth Bennet as well as Jennifer did.
5) Your favorite book of all time by any author?
Mitzi: I have various favourites, all of which are different from each other. If you had to push me on this, then I’ll go with Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. I’m also a big fan of the film version starring Jeremy Irons. Film versions can either enhance or destroy the literary versions, so when you find one that’s truly excellent, you often become as enamored of the film as the book.
6) Your favorite Austen film or TV adaption?
Mitzi: Definitely the aforementioned 1995 BBC TV series Pride and Prejudice. The production is flawless. It’s as if the actors had stepped right out of the novel, they are so perfectly cast. When I wrote Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts, it was these actors I saw and heard in my mind. They were superb and will never be equalled or surpassed.
7) You are having a dinner party and can invite four Austen characters which would they be.
Mitzi: Well, I certainly wouldn’t want it to be dull, so I’d have to say Mr. Darcy (for the hottie factor), Elizabeth Bennet (for intelligent conversation), Mrs. Bennet (for comic relief), and Mr. Collins (for yet more comic relief, along with a bit of slapstick). Since you’re only allowing me four characters, I guess we’ll have to do without the entertainment of Mary singing and playing the pianoforte.
8. Why have you chosen them?
Mitzi: I refer to my previous answer.
9) Which character would you like to play in a film?
Mitzi: Pride and Prejudice’s Elizabeth Bennet. The other women in the novel simply don’t have the depth of character, or the intelligence and wit. Elizabeth was a woman who had her own mind, and was not afraid to let others know it either. Plus she lands Mr. Darcy. That alone makes taking on the role worthwhile!
10) Tell us about your next planned book (whether Austen related or not).
Mitzi: My next book is something rather different from Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts. It’s a collection of short stories entitled Red Velvet and Absinthe: Paranormal Erotic Romance (http://mitziszereto.com/redvelvetandabsinthe/). The anthology takes its inspiration from the Gothic literary tradition (think the Brontës through to Anne Rice) and features work from a variety of authors, myself included. It’s got it all: vampires, werewolves, ghosts, howling wind, not to mention a generous amount of eroticism and sensuality… The book will be published in September 2011.
A Very Big Thank You To Mitzi Szereto.
I will be reviewing Mitzi’s Book, ‘Pride and Prejudice Hidden Lusts’ in a few shorts weeks
