Why haven't they made the movie: Child of Awe?!

Child of Awe

Set in the mystical highlands of Scotland, Child of Awe traces the life of Muriella Calder, a young girl with the power of second sight. The Roses and the Calders, two warring families, marry their children hoping for peace. But after her father's premature death, Muriella inherits the vast fortune of the Calders while still a baby. With peace in the highlands never attained, Muriella's life remains in danger.

The King of Scotland entrusts her guardianship to the strongest clan in the Highlands: the Campbells. At the age of 13 she is brutally uprooted from her home and taken to the Earl of Argyll - Archibald Campbell; she is to marry the Earl's second son, John Campbell. Her inheritance is a way of ensuring the young man's future who would have nothing as the second son. With so much wealth, Muriella remains the target of all in the Highlands. All know that an alliance - forced or otherwise - with her would bring them inconsiderable wealth.

Soon, John and Muriella get married, but that is only the beginning of their problems. Muriella's second sight gives her visions of the future and what she sees is her own fall. This keeps her away from her husband never trusting or loving him. Knowing that the marriage was inevitable, they both bear a grudge against the other: John for the necessity of marrying for money, and Muriella from being taken from her home. Guarded within the walls of the castle, Muriella is no better than a prisoner. She must try to break free not only from these walls, but those of her own making, overcome her mistrust and open her heart to love.

The movie:

This novel would be a great period piece with all the props and wonderful costumes. The book is extremely detailed on the various clothing and the customs of the time blending them in with all the fantasy. Muriella and John Campbell were real people (although this story is fictional) which adds more romance to the story, for who wouldn't wish to live the life of a Highland princess? Besides the main story, the side story of Elizabeth Campbell and her husband Hugh Mclean is also moving. It almost rivals the main plot and should be played up in a movie.

The only thing I would change for the movie is the ending which doesn't do justice to the rest of the novel. It is almost like a let down after all the intensity and drama of the rest of the story.

Who to play the characters?? For John Campbell I imagine Chris Hemsworth. But since I recently saw The Lord of the Rings again, I can also imagine the actor who played Eomer, Karl Urban.

Source

Muriella Calder is a little more difficult. Delicate, ivory skin, red, curly hair, green eyes and petite with a frail physique, I can't think of anyone that would fit. I leave that to the Hollywood producers! I don't think any of the existing faces would do, someone new and fresh would look best.

I'm hoping for a movie, Hollywood!

The Loving Spirit: Daphne du Maurier Challenge

Reading the first few pages of the The Loving Spirit, my initial reaction was that Janet, the protagonist, was a cross between a sweet L. M. Montgomery heroine, and a religious minded Jane Eyre. I was so wrong. The book has nothing in common with Jane Eyre's piety or the sweet and content characters of L. M. Montgomery. Here we have a heroine, who is not openly ambitious, but has dreams widely different from her chosen sphere in life. She is not fiercely passionate, and yet, you get the feeling that she is living a suppressed life and the dam must blow.

But, when it does, it doesn't appeal to me. Janet dreams to live the life of a man, and when her society doesn't allow her this, she dutifully marries and bears her husband children. I would have liked it much more if she had broken free of restraints and found a way to satisfy her desires. Instead she tries to live vicariously through her son. This dream is doomed from the beginning and in every generation the vicious cycle repeats itself. The loving spirit is the unique connection between parent and child that is present in the Coombe family. Janet is where this spirit starts.......all the way down to Jennifer.

I have to say I didn't really enjoy this book. And not because it continued through three generations. I just didn't like the relationship between Janet and her son Joseph. It reminded me vaguely of The Thorn Birds and how Meggie hated her mother's favoritism towards her brother Frank. Although the books are widely different, I disliked the similar preference and total exclusion of everyone else in her life. I actually sympathized, though did not condone Philip's jealousy of his mother's love for Joseph.

This was Daphne du Maurier's first book and at times this is apparent: her writing lacks the polish of her later works and she is not able to carry the story so well through the generations as she does in her later work Hungry Hill. Cause and effect is not so clear because she didn't take the time to acquaint us with the characters' personalities. I didn't develop any attachment to them and had to force my way through most of it. In between, I lost sight of certain characters it would have been pleasant to read more about. I wouldn't recommend this to a Daphne du Maurier fan.