Missing Scenes
Lauren recently had a very fun contest at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. Readers got to vote on a sexy cover for the inimitable Turnip Fitzhugh, and now Lauren has posted a love scene between Turnip Fitzhugh and Arabella which did not appear in the wonderful The Mischief of the Mistletoe.
It’s a great idea, born about because two different reviewers regretted the lack of a love scene between Turnip and Arabella. It got me to think about “missing scenes” – scenes which don’t take place between the pages of a book which I’ve always wanted to read. For instance:
Darcy and Elizabeth’s engagement conversation. Some authors fade to black for love scenes. Jane Austen does it for the final romantic resolution between her heroes and heroines. In many ways it’s a wonderful literary technique, leaving so much tantalizingly to the imagination. And yet I would so like to know what they actually said and did…
Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane after “Placetne, magistra? / Placet.” and the final embrace at Oxford in Gaudy Night. Busman’s Honeymoon reveals that they spent the rest of the night in a punt madly kissing, but I would so have liked to see that scene dramatized.
Percy and Marguerite’s meeting and their wedding (not to mention their wedding night, not necessarily in a lot of detail, but I can never be certain if they ever actually made love or not), not to mention Percy learning of Marguerite’s denunciation of St. Cyr. Basically all the complicated back story of The Scarlet Pimpernel. (If you’re a Pimpernel fan be sure to check out the great recent discussion of the 1982 film and other adaptations at Dear Author).
Lymond seeing Kuzum again at the end of the Lymond Chronicles, how he dealt with him, what kind of relationship they had.
Sophy and Charles on the carriage ride back to London at the end of The Grand Sophy, not to mention the scene with Sir Horace and Lady Ombersley when they reached Berkeley Square.
One of the reasons I like writing the Fraser Correspondence letters on my website is that they let me explore moments and points of view I haven't dramatized in my books. But now I'm intrigued by the idea of actually writing a missing scene...What "missing scenes" would you like to see dramatized from your favorite novels? Writers, are there missing scenes from your own books you've been asked about by readers or been tempted to write yourself?
Labels: Dorothy Dunnett, Dorothy Sayers, Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, Lauren Willig, Teresa Grant, Tracy Grant
posted by Tracy Grant | 12:00 AM
4 Comments:
I couldn't agree more with those you listed - particularly in regards to Sophy and Charles. I LOVE The Grand Sophy!
I wish there was much less left to my imagination regarding Emily's marriage to Colin - i.e. wish Tasha had not made as big of a leap in the timeline between A Fatal Waltz and Tears of Pearl. Had the story continued from that romantic moment in the rain on through their wedding night, it would've been a delicious read!
As for a scene I’d love to see dramatized, how about the one from Silent in the Grave where Brisbane chases down Julia who is disguised as a man?!?
I love The Grand Sophy too, Blake! I was my first Georgette Heyer (my mom read it to me when I was ten) and it remains one of my favorites.
Great suggestions for scenes in Tasha's and Deanne's books!
It could never be, because Janette Oak writes Christian fiction, but when I read "A Bride for Donnigan" as a teenager, I wanted to know something about how the wedding night transpired since Donnigan and Anna were total strangers when they married.
I wondered the same thing about The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer. How did Horatia and the Earl manage on their wedding night since they were almost strangers? And what was happening between them as tensions were mounting with her reckless behavior?
You know these heroines must have had a few anxious thoughts about their wedding nights since it was the "first time" for each--not to mention it was with a total stranger--but we're left in the dark.
I wondered that about The Convenient Marriage as well, and also April Lady. It's somewhat similar to my Scarlet Pimpernel question. You have situations where the hero and heroine are married, but the state of their sex life (or lack of it) isn't clear. I also wonder about the wedding night in These Old Shades which occurs between the last two chapters. Though Léonie's comment about how nice it is to be a married lady implies quite a bit :-).
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