Jilly Cooper fans...

[MrsJohnCusack]

well, it's culture to ME alright

Have just read this on her website (yes, pretty sad, but life is dull for some of us)

"One thrilling bit of news is that ITV have bought my romantic novel Octavia. Written in the late seventies, and subtitled The Taming of a Shrew, it follows the fortunes of a very glamorous rich bitch, who sets out to pinch her friend?s boyfriend.

I?m really excited about this because it is being made by a wonderful and enterprising television company called Touchpaper, part of the RDF Media Group. and the script writer is Jonathan Harvey who wrote Gimme, Gimme, Gimme so I think we?re all going to have huge fun. If Octavia works, with any luck the rest of my romantic novels might be made into films too, which would be lovely. I?ll keep you posted".

I think this would be pretty cool, especially if they keep them all still set in 70s. My favourite is Prudence, would LOVE to see a film of that

not keen on Anna Friel and Keira Knightly too fragile looking
love the idea of Phlip Glenister as Gareth...

think alan rickman would make a better mat than then he would a cory erskine
think catherine zeta jone could be cable

I also liked the book of short stories she did...there was one about a girl who had terrible legs and another about a disastrous weekend on a narrow boat ...

does anybody else remember how being "over 11 stone" was equated to being morbidly obese

yes - weight was a bit of a thing and yet the girls were probably quite ok - they all scrub up pretty well if they start off frumpy and plain and plump - I remember the description of Imogen's hair after it had been done...

Rivals is one of my all time favourites - most of her other books are crap IMO and wouldn't get published if she were an unknown.

ooh glad I/'ve seen this thread

I must re-read all of these, I did re-read hte novels last year, after reading Wicked and being pissed off so needed to re-stoke the JC flame so to speak, but I didn't do the Harriet, Imogen etc although I do have them.

I never actually watched the TV series of Riders, as you say nobody would be good enough for Rupert. Maybe Jude Law? Maybe not

we had a fabulous thread a while ago with MNers reliving JC moments

"cameron cook only felt alive when she saw her credits roll up at the end" lol (or similar)

Got overwhelming urge to re-read Riders, Rival and, possibly, Polo.

I must re-read the Imogen/Octavia era books as I haven't read them in yonks!

Reading Riders on the bus in the morning at the mo, quality Cooper quote "Tory heaving her 12 stone bulk around the Mill House". She is a total weight fascist, isn't she?

weight fascist is not the word. All the women in her books are
a) too fat (tory, gussie, kitty)
b) curvaceous but think they are too fat (imogen, harriet etc. )
c) too thin (chessie) - although can't see what would be too thin in jc world
d) okay but sometimes get too fat (size 12?) (janey, flora etc. )
e) okay but lose too much weight "to reveal elfin features" as a result of some stress

nobody is happy with their weight, all problems result in food issues. There is a PhD thesis there!

Oh yes that description of Imogen after her hair had been done was AMAZING, I remember it too. she went from frump to sex godess in about 15 mnutes!

www!

Prudence is the best one, I read it loads of times. Richard Armitage would make a great Ace for that I think. Can't think of someone for Prudence.

I think mark ruffalo would be great for nice matt.

DH would like to express the opinion that the culture should not be anywhere near the word Jilly Cooper. I will kick him for you.

"When Matt came back he didn't recognise her. He gave her one of those hard, appraising sexy looks that men only give to very pretty girls. Then he said 'My God!' and a great smile spread across his face.
Her hair hung in a sleek bronze curtain to her shoulders, parted on one side, and falling seductively over one eye.'

(had to go and find my copy)

I saw her in Church once in the Cotswold village that she lives in

all my copies are long gone sadly, though I do look in charity shops !

And, aged about 12, I thought I was the height of sophistication because I insisted on buying some of those little cleansing pads (what were they called - in a round plastic case?), influenced directly by this bit in Imogen, where they're coming into Port-les-Pins:

"Cable got out her make up case. Imogen wished she had some of those little cleansing pads which Cable and Yvonne whipped out on every occasion. Even her flannel was packed in her suitcase in the boot."

What about Pendle? 'Named after a mountain near where I live'

Needs to be someone like Jeremy Irons was - inaccessible and cold, yet curiously sexy.

Yes, a young Jeremy Irons would have been perfect.

Oh god I love these too, all bar the last two (Pandora and Wicked were both rubbish. Would it be really wicked to say 'getting past it?')

Mind you, a good 15 years ago I wrote a review of Polo for a mag I was working on, and she sent me a letter to say thanks. what a pity the review had been under a pseudonym...

Yep, Jeremy Irons too old now. Hmmmm....don't watch enough UK tv to make suggestions

WHatsisname from Spooks? Rupert Penry-Jones?

THANK YOU for the hair quote!