White Rose: Sincere and Simple Thoughts: May 2020

Sunday, May 31, 2020

Another Richard Armitage Challenge! Social Distancing Edition #22

Your Favorite Audiobook?

I am a fan of Richard Armitage's narration, performance more accurately, of audiobooks. I believe he is an amazing voice actor. And in many ways being a good voice actor is more difficult than other forms of acting. Especially if you are creating an entire cast of characters with just your voice. I truly think that it's not as valued by the industry and by audiences as it should be.

If you have ever listened to a bad audiobook narration, or even a bad documentary narration, think about the skill of the good actor that can transport you with their voice alone to another world.

With the exception of maybe one audiobook that is not currently available in the US or through another source, I have listened to every audiobook Richard Armitage has narrated since I discovered his first audiobooks around 2006 inspired by the Robin Hood series and his unforgettable character of Guy of Gisborne.

From 2006 to today my favorite Richard Armitage audiobook is still The Lords of the North by Bernard Cornwell.

Richard and a microphone (ADR for The Hobbit)

I've listened to the book countless times throughout all these years. The characters really come alive as distinct human beings and it's difficult to remember that it is only Richard in a studio with his voice creating these vivid characters and scenes.

Below is an excerpt of one of my favorite reviews of Richard's narration of Lords of the North. I love the review because it reflects so well and much more eloquently than I could exactly how I feel:

"One of the reasons why this reading succeeds so brilliantly is that it is a first person narrative. This actor takes on completely the character of the narrator hero; he manages to sound as though he’s wearing the clothes, carrying the swords, sporting the trophy arm rings of this Anglo-Saxon warrior. By his commitment to the hero and his voice, Richard Armitage has connected with the story-telling tradition of the age of Beowulf and earlier, and has shown himself to be a true ‘Skald’ – a bearer of tales of heroes."

Click link below for the entire review:

https://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2010/09/10/the-lords-of-the-north-by-bernard-cornwell-read-by-richard-armitage/

Looking at my 10 CD set, it was produced by BBC Audio in 2007.

I consider my 10 CD Lords of the North narrated by Richard Armitage set to be a treasure since the audiobook is no longer in the market available for purchase.

It is sad to me that Richard only narrated this one book from Cornwell's Saxon Stories and even more sad that no one seems to know who owns the rights to Armitage's narration of the book.

I know Armitage fans, including me, have contacted Audible to see if there's a way for them to find who owns the rights to this audiobook and to purchase it. Armitage narrations have been very successful for Audible and you would think Amazon with all their money would have an interest in purchasing this wonderful version of Cornwell's book.

I'm dusting off one of my old videos below for a small taste of Richard Armitage narrating Lords of the North:

"Fate is Inexorable"

Friday, May 29, 2020

RA Blog Reunion May 29 - I Haven't Gone Anywhere

I've been looking forward to the RA Blog Reunion since it was announced to see who would post and to read all the posts of Armitage Bloggers.

You see that's how I became involved in the Armitage Fandom - All the Blogs!

I used to be pretty active commenting on the Armitage Blogs at the beginning, at least for someone who is an introvert. Though contrary to popular opinion, being an introvert doesn't mean we don't like people or don't enjoy socializing in moderation. But like my fellow introvert Richard Armitage, we do need our alone time and have no problem keeping our own company.

But I can't claim to be a legacy RA blogger and I haven't moved on to anyone else but Richard Armitage (and Sean Bean) in my fandom posts. I haven't stopped blogging, though I sometimes take long pauses in between posts.

But I saw my friend and fellow RA fan Fanny mentioned me in her blog today. So here I am, with my RA Blog Reunion post.

Richard Armitage is still #1 for me.

I've been going through Guylty Pleasure's Armitage Challenge, so if you want to know how I feel about RA you can follow my Challenge 2020 posts at the link below.

http://whiterosewritings.blogspot.com/search/label/Another%20Richard%20Armitage%20Challenge%202020

And his interviews, have I mentioned that I really fell in love with Richard Armitage because of his wonderful interviews.

Not that I don't have an eye for others in addition to Richard and Sean. After all I do have the Other Men in My Life on Pinterest!

I just love the infinite variety of being a Richard Armitage fan. From North & South to Castlevania, from a wealth of amazing audiobooks to surprising Wolverine podcasts!

I do miss The Hobbit days and looking forward every Hobbit year to all the fan events around the world, and attending Hobbit fan events in New York with fellow Armitage fans. And seeing Richard in the flesh! 😊 Those were fantastic and fun years. I'll never forget them.

I was lucky to see Richard on stage in Love, Love, Love and hope that in that not too distant future, when theaters open again, that I'll see him on stage in New York again. Or maybe, just maybe, in Washington DC, my town. How about theater in DC Richard? We are also a theater town in the good times.

I also used to make Armitage fan videos, if you can believe it. Though I'm the Grandma Moses of videos. They are very primitive. I did stop doing so a while back, I don't know why. But I did enjoy it.

Below is a link if anyone wants to visit my old videos. Once in a while an Armitage fan finds one and posts one of them on Facebook and it always makes me smile.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaOtPSs5eFC37KvHnSwK7zg

I have some very dear and long time online friendships that I've made as a result of being in the Armitage fandom. I thank Richard Armitage for these friendships and the joy that following him has given me all these years, and continues to give me.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Another Richard Armitage Challenge! Social Distancing Edition #21

Imagine your favorite chaRActer - assign them a color, a scent, and a chocolate flavor?

LUCAS NORTH

COLOR

DARK BLUE - NAVY BLUE

SCENT

Combination of Cedar, Leather, Rose

CHOCOLATE

DARK CHOCOLATE -VODKA AND ROSE WATER TRUFFLE

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Another Richard Armitage Challenge! Social Distancing Edition #20

Thorin Oakenshield Richard Armitage GIF from Thorinoakenshield GIFs

From tenor

Best Costume/Look?

No contest for me, Richard's best costume look is

Thorin Oakenshield.

MAJESTIC

Monday, May 18, 2020

The Answer to My Question - The Chekhov Collection of Short Stories- Richard Armitage

Chekhov's Short Stories - that was Richard's Answer to
My Question

And wonder of wonders we will have them to listen to in June.

From Audible of course

___________

I feel a bit special about this audiobook because it was the answer to my question. 💗

Though I realize when he gave this as his answer he and Audible must have been planning it or at least talking about it at that time.

I'm particularly looking forward to this:

"Richard, whose interest in the work of Chekhov was sparked by his appearance as Astrov in a stage production of Uncle Vanya, also introduces the collection with a brief overview of each of the stories and his thoughts on why Chekhov’s short stories are not to be missed. "

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Another Richard Armitage Challenge! Social Distancing Edition #18 and #19

18 . *Your Consolation Show? (The go-to show when you need distRAction?

Richard Armitage is my consolation.

Whenever I feel melancholic or anguished or disconsolate I turn to watching or listening to Richard Armitage.

It depends on my mood or what consolation I'm craving at the time. Sometimes I'm in the mood to watch Season 7 and 8 of Spooks (MI-5) because I love Lovely Lucas North. Sometimes I'm in the mood to watch Strike Back and John Porter, because I need a hero. Sometimes I'm in the mood to watch The Hobbit (An Unexpected Journey and Desolation of Smaug), because I need my King. Sometimes lately I find I need to re-watch The Stranger because I need a virtual hug from Adam Price.

Sometimes I listen to Richard narrating Venetia by Georgette Heyer, because I need a rogue.

Podcast - Interview with Richard Armitage

https://naxosaudiobooks.com/venetia-podcast-with-richard-armitage/

But when I need truly emotional consolation I watch North and South.

After my mother died, when everyone stops calling and taking you to lunch and sending you cards, there came that first weekend when I was truly and totally alone. And on that morning I thought all those I was closest to are now gone, how can I continue to have hope in life and face the world.

Suddenly a thought came to me. I hadn't watched North and South for three years or so, but I knew I had the DVD. And I spent that first totally alone day watching the entire series. Yes I cried, but at the end I knew I could and must continue to live life. And I will always be grateful to Richard and to North and South for giving me hope.

_______

(*and sometimes a touch of Sean Bean for consolation, I have my favorites of his too)

19. Theatre or small/big screen?

I was so very lucky to be able to see Richard Armitage on stage in New York in Love, Love, Love.

There is nothing like the experience of live theater. And in a perfect world, if I lived in London, or had the funds to fly around the world to see Richard on stage whenever and wherever there is that opportunity, I might say theater.

And if he's back on the New York stage in the future, I will be there to see him.

Realistically the best opportunity to see Richard Armitage at work is the small screen.

I feel very encouraged by the success of The Stranger on Netflix. That is a big deal, it really is. I hope when all gets back to normal around the world from the Coronavirus pandemic, either because of a successful treatment or a vaccine, that we will see more of Richard in great series on Netflix, or Amazon, or HBO, or the BBC, or any other streaming site or broadcast network.

I hope he produces the Jackman and Evans series and we get to see him as DI Rowan Jackman.

Saturday, May 9, 2020

Another Richard Armitage Challenge! Social Distancing Edition #17

Favorite Century?

I had a difficult time with this question. Do I have a favorite century in relation to Richard Armitage's work?

The 19th Century

The first time I saw Richard was in North & South.

In the age of catalogs, I used to get lots of catalogs that sold VHS tapes (yes, I'm that old) and later DVD's of UK shows, often shows that had not been broadcast in the US. Not too long after I had seen North and South, I clearly remember the catalog that had the DVD for The Impressionists. It was starring Richard Armitage, so of course I had to buy it. To this day it is one of my favorite Armitage series.