Recent Reads {Pride's Prejudice}

Pride's Prejudice by Misty Dawn Pulsipher - I'm not entirely sure, but I think this modern day take on Pride & Prejudice is intended to be young adult fiction. In any case, it was surprisingly enjoyable! I definitely appreciated that it was a modern romance that stayed clean and that the characters had high moral standards. Yet it wasn't "preachy" as if it was attempting to force some moral point on the reader.

Beth Pride is a college student who meets young businessman William Darcy at a charity fundraiser dance when neither of them are having a very good day. Just as in Austen's original, each of them form some first impressions that aren't accurate and lead to continued misunderstandings and prejudice. Beth feels that William insulted and humiliated her, and she is unwilling to forgive and forget, or to accept that he may be a much nicer guy than she's given him credit for. As it turns out, Beth's roommate and best friend is soon in a relationship with William's best friend, so the two find themselves in each other's company frequently. Beth struggles to set aside her prejudicial attitude about William as he tries to get her attention and win her affections. Although the main character motivations were rather unclear at times and I noticed some minor plot holes, on the whole this was a cute and clean love story with characters that were modern yet had the noble and honorable character traits of Austen's Darcy and Elizabeth.

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {The Matters at Mansfield}

The Matters at Mansfield, Or, The Crawford Affair by Carrie Bebris - I had read this fourth novel in the Mr & Mrs Darcy Mystery series before, and I found that I enjoyed it much more the second time through, which isn't to say I didn't like it the first time. After my first reading, I'd said it was "definitely an enjoyable read" but also thought is was the "weakest outing of the four" in the series I'd read so far. Hmmm. I'm not sure I still agree with that assessment! This one is different from the first two in that it doesn't include a supernatural element to the mystery. Darcy's cousin Anne DeBourgh has finally summoned enough backbone to do what she wants to do, and to the great surprise of everyone, she elopes with the dashing Henry Crawford in order to escape the plans Lady Catherine has to marry her to a titled gentleman with a reputation for being anything but gentle or honorable! Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam ride after the couple but arrive too late to stop the marriage. An accident delays them in the village of Mansfield, where it is discovered that Anne's new husband has quite a history of romancing the ladies, and has even married at least one of his conquests, although under an assumed name. Elizabeth and Lady Catherine join the group at Mansfield and all are involved in trying to untangle the affair, which soon includes murder and further plotting.

What disappointed me in this book was the number of times that Lady Catherine is incredibly rude - even for her! - to Elizabeth, and Darcy does not defend his wife. Elizabeth doesn't tattle about all of this to Darcy, of course, but when he is standing in the same room and his aunt calls Elizabeth a "stupid, common baggage" I certainly thought he would have drawn a line at that, no matter how distraught everyone was at the time. Lady Catherine is also terribly rude to Meg, the young woman claiming to be married to Crawford, which seemed to me to be slightly out of character. I would have expected Lady Catherine to act as if Meg (a commoner, and a serving girl) was completely beneath her notice. Meg provides some welcome humour, however, as she blithely assumes that Lady Catherine is perhaps losing her mental faculties and speaks to her and about her patronizingly. 

My comments from a previous read: The Matters at Manfield. 

By the same author: The Intrigue at Highbury, North By Northanger, Suspense and Sensibility, Pride and Prescience. 

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {Loving Mr Darcy: Journeys Beyond Pemberley}

Loving Mr Darcy by Sharon Lathan - I should have known better, after suffering through the inanity of the first book in this series. Actually, I did know better, but I'd intended to read all three so I set out to get through the second. This offering is just as full of repetitious bedroom scenes, and just as devoid of anything resembling plot as the first. In fact, I could sum up the book as follows: Darcy and Elizabeth continue to be completely ruled by raging hormones and immature obsessive passion all the way through Elizabeth's pregnancy. There is a pattern to most of the chapters that basically describes some tedious detail of their daily life and then includes a rehash of the standard breathless rush to the bedroom to once again reach the heights of passion and delight. <insert eyeroll here> 

What the book lacks in plot, it makes up for in complete absence of direction and momentum. What it lacks in intelligent dialogue, it makes up for in overly sentimental and repetitious moaning and wheezing of endearments during lustful encounters. (Both Darcy and Lizzy frequently "wheeze" during their lovemaking - not very attractive, in my opinion, but it provided a moment of amusement for me when I read it.)

Elizabeth's progressing pregnancy tends to give the illusion of a storyline, but mostly it serves as a reason for Darcy to be sentimental and overprotective, and for the reader to (presumably) be even more impressed that Elizabeth continues to be just as lascivious and enthusiastic in the bedroom as her baby bump grows. Towards the end of the book, Darcy takes Elizabeth on a tour of Derbyshire and plays the part of tour guide. There are several chapters of description of the sights and history of the region, which are frankly, horribly boring, and are still punctuated by their insatiable lust. The bedroom scenes became boring long ago, because they are all basically the same. Then they are set upon by highwaymen at one point and unbelievably, even that event turned out to be ho-hum because it was resolved within the chapter, and completely predictably. How can you include a scene with an armed robbery, violence and attempted rape and murder, and still not achieve a sense of tension or crisis in the narrative? Incredibly, Lathan manages it.

As in my review of the first book, I do have to temper my harsh criticism with something positive. I really do appreciate a point that I think Lathan is trying to make. I have the impression that by being very clear that Darcy and Elizabeth have both remained completely chaste until their marriage, and then indulging in scene after scene of their intense physical satisfaction within marriage, the author may be attempting to show that the most secure and fulfilling marriage relationship is best achieved by waiting until the wedding and being completely faithful to each other. That said, I firmly believe that the point could have been made more effectively with far less description of "burgeoning desires" and "evidence of arousal" etc. 

Why these books are receiving favorable reviews is completely beyond my understanding. Despite my original intention to read all three in this series, I refuse to put myself through the literary torment of even skimming through the third. I have the book which I believe is intended to be the fourth, and focuses on a character Lathan invented, Darcy's uncle Dr George Darcy. In hopes that it might actually have something sort of resembling a storyline, I may give it a chance at some point. My hope is slim, however. 

By the same author: Mr & Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcy; and one of the novellas in A Darcy Christmas. Neither of which is worth your time or trouble either, and certainly not any of your money, in my opinion.

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {Mr & Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One}

Mr & Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One by Sharon Lathan - Have you ever read a book from the Best Seller List that everyone else was raving about, but it totally left you flat? That's kind of what my experience with this book was. I'm glad I only borrowed it and didn't pay for it, and I am baffled as to why this author is acclaimed by many as one of the best writers of P&P sequels. 

My first complaint is that this "novel" doesn't even have a storyline! When I was in school, I was taught that a good story has to have some kind of conflict that is resolved. There is little of that in this selection, and as such, there is no ongoing plot to tie the book together. As the book starts with the Darcy wedding day, the wedding night jitters that Elizabeth experiences are presented as being a sort of conflict, but of course that is resolved within the next chapter and this sets the tone for the rest of the book (I'll get to that in a moment because it is another complaint.). Then there really is nothing else that might qualify as conflict until almost the end, when Elizabeth suffers an accident that threatens her health and when Darcy discovers that the inappropriate advances of another man were the cause of the accident, he challenges the man to a duel. But overall, I can summarize the "plot" and save you the trouble of reading the book this way: Darcy and Elizabeth get frisky in every room of Pemberley, and nothing else very interesting ever happens. Actually, their panting and lustful obsession isn't very interesting either, because it's just the same thing recycled in every chapter.

That is my second complaint - essentially the book is a series of bedroom scenes, actually the same scene presented over and over again with some minor variations in location and position, and each one accompanied by a sickly sweet and ridiculous 'dialogue' of "Precious love... I need you so... Beloved wife... Adored husband..." BARF. Okay, I'm glad they love each other and have a mutually satisfying marriage bed - I'd expect no less - but 1) I don't need to hear or read about it over and over again; and 2) it's just very badly done and unbelievable. Like I said, same scene over and over again with a couple of minor variations. At least they are not overly graphic in terms of dirty language or body part descriptions, but still. There is little storytelling value in all the "rising desire... blissful union... breathless passion..." nonsense that makes up at least three-quarters of the pages.

I also take exception to the reader reviews that say "this could have been written by Austen herself" and wonder whether those readers have actually read any of Austen's works or just some of the poorer fan fiction. Thankfully, Lathan does have a solid command of the English language and the writing itself is not bad, but it certainly is not comparable to Austen's style, especially the dialogue.

To be fair, there are some things I did appreciate about this book. Having read some fan fiction that was riddled with horrible mistakes in everything from grammar to historical accuracy, I was glad to find little to complain about in that regard. There were a couple of word usages that I thought were out of their time (for example, Elizabeth telling Darcy he was "cute" as if they had suddenly been transported to the 1980s) but overall that aspect of the writing was very good. Inasmuch as I hated the repetitious and unrealistic lust scenes, I need to say that I truly appreciate that Lathan's Darcy and Elizabeth both remained chaste until their wedding day. It seems to be popular among the fan fiction writers to portray Darcy as a complete rake with vast sensual experience, and in my opinion this is completely opposed to the character Austen created. Lathan's Darcy makes it very clear to Elizabeth that he has waited for marriage. (This actually creates a problem though, because on their wedding night, he seems to be extremely knowledgeable. Lathan "solves" this problem by having him confess later to Elizabeth that he is in possession of a couple of "instructional" books. Good grief.) And Lathan does a commendable job of having the characters continue to act in keeping with their descriptions by Austen, although their dialogue is certainly simpler.

After so many complaints about the book, it shames me somewhat to admit that I will probably read the rest of this series, simply because I have the fourth book and feel like I should read those in between. I have no great expectation that the second and third will differ much from this one, so it likely won't take me long to get through them. I plan to skim the lust scenes since they are all the same anyway. 

By the same author: one of the novellas in A Darcy Christmas. It's interesting to note that my review of that particular story was summarized as "Not much of a storyline, but I had no complaints either." I guess since it was a short story and Elizabeth was heavily pregnant, there was probably only one lust scene. LOL

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Movie Night {Pride and Prejudice}

Pride and Prejudice - Kennady and I enjoyed a movie night last week and watched the movie version of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. I guess I should say up front that the BBC mini-series starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth has been my favorite, and as much as I am willing to give other versions a chance, that is the standard that I measure by. Thankfully, this film adaptation measured up very well in comparison. In condensing the entire novel into just a bit more than two hours, it's to be expected that certain details and bits of dialogue would be left out. I think that this was very well done, and I didn't feel that any conversation that was truly important was left out. In fact, we had nearly reached the end of the movie before it occurred to me to mention to my daughter that the movie had entirely omitted a couple of minor characters - Mr and Mrs Hurst, and Maria Lucas - as the story was carried without their presence. The focus seemed to be on the interactions between Elizabeth and Darcy, which were very well played. Darcy was very serious and reserved, and Elizabeth was spirited and teasing. It was quite apparent that Elizabeth had determined that she would dislike Mr Darcy because of the slighting remark he made about her at the assembly, and yet she found herself drawn into conversations with him and liking him despite her resolve. The scene of Darcy's first proposal was excellently done, and Elizabeth's growing regret of her hasty and uncivil rejection was moving.

I did not care much for the portrayal of Bingley. In my opinion he appeared more of a buffoon than the agreeable and over-eager gentleman that Austen describes. On the other hand, Mr Collins is perhaps portrayed more kindly in this version than others, and isn't as completely ridiculous. As for Mr Bennet, I went back and forth as to whether I liked him as played by Donald Sutherland, but by the end when he interviews Elizabeth before giving his blessing to the marriage, I had warmed to him considerably and quite enjoyed that scene in particular.

While the BBC mini-series remains my favorite, this movie is so beautifully done that it will hereafter hold a very close second place. Highly recommended!

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {North By Northanger}

North By Northanger (Or, the Shades of Pemberley) by Carrie Bebris - Darcy and Elizabeth have a tough time finding peace and quiet. After the exhausting London season they've just endured, they only want to enjoy a quiet holiday at Bath before heading home to Pemberley to await the birth of their first child. While in Bath, however, they receive an invitation from Captain Tilney to visit him at Northanger Abbey on their way home. Apparently, their mothers were once good friends and Captain Tilney would like to renew the acquaintance. Their reception at Northanger Abbey is extremely odd, and within moments of their arrival they are wishing to be headed home. They do cut their visit with the Captain short, but at their next stop they are detained and find themselves accused of having stolen diamonds from the Abbey. Darcy must even spend some time in the jail. It appears that someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to implicate the Darcys. Desperate circumstances call for desperate measures, and Elizabeth contacts Lady Catherine DeBourgh for just such a favour. It is a mixed blessing indeed, for Lady Catherine does succeed in having Darcy released from the prison so they can return to Pemberley - but at the cost of the couple being subject to her as their chaperone. They continue to work to clear their names while at Pemberley, as they unravel clues about the friendship between Darcy's mother and Mrs Tilney. And all the while, Lady Catherine is trying Elizabeth's patience sorely. 

This Darcy and Elizabeth mystery relied far less on supernatural occurrences or fantasy elements, but there is plenty of intrigue and deception; and Elizabeth's wit and good humour are greatly tested as her pregnancy advances and she must deal with stressful events and people, including Lady Catherine, Mrs Bennet, and her sister Lydia Wickham.

My comments from a previous read: North By Northanger

By the same author: The Intrigue at Highbury, The Matter at Mansfield, Suspense and Sensibility,  Pride and Prescience

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {Suspense and Sensibility}

Suspense and Sensibility (Or, First Impressions Revisited) by Carrie Bebris - The second story of the Mr & Mrs Darcy Mysteries finds Darcy and Elizabeth enjoying the quiet of Pemberley, but not for long. They agree to sponsor Elizabeth's sister Kitty for a London season, and of course the goal is to find a husband for her. It doesn't take long before the seemingly perfect match comes along. Young Harry Dashwood is charming and wealthy, and most importantly, he is devoted to Kitty and the engagement is soon announced. Unfortunately, while wedding preparations begin, Harry's behavior changes dramatically, and gives the London elite plenty of fodder for gossip - none of it flattering. The Darcys do their best to protect Kitty's reputation from irreparable harm and the engagement is broken, but Elizabeth suspects that something supernatural may be the explanation for Harry's suddenly altered personality. She must convince Darcy to help, and they solve another mystery with fantasy elements.

Once again, Bebris combines excellent character development with an entertaining, supernatural mystery. It's particularly enjoyable to have the Darcys interacting with the characters from Sense and Sensibility.

My comments from a previous read: Suspense and Sensibility

By the same author: The Intrigue at Highbury, The Matter at Mansfield, North By Northanger,  Pride and Prescience

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {Pride and Prescience}

Pride and Prescience (Or, A Truth Universally Acknowledged) by Carrie Bebris - Now that I'm reading this series for the second time, and having read many other Jane Austen-inspired sequels and retellings in the meantime, I have come to the conclusion that Carrie Bebris is my favorite author in this genre. Her characters, dialogue, and narrative are so consistent with Austen's that I am even willing to accept the more fantastical elements of the story.

In this sequel, Caroline Bingley manages to steal some of the spotlight on Darcy and Elizabeth's wedding day, by announcing her own engagement and upcoming nuptials. In the first couple of meetings Darcy and Elizabeth have with the newly married couple, they are surprised and even somewhat dismayed at Caroline's behavior and quite unusual circumstances. A storm and some curious accidents force the Darcys to spend several weeks at Netherfield with the Bingleys, the Hursts, and Caroline and her new husband; and the situation becomes more dangerous. Darcy and Elizabeth are the only ones to fully appreciate the possible threats, and even so they do not agree on the forces at play.

Bebris delivers a rather gothic mystery, but does so in a style wonderfully similar to Austen's. A very entertaining read!

My comments from a previous read: Pride and Prescience

By the same author: The Intrigue at Highbury, The Matter at Mansfield, North By Northanger, Suspense and Sensibility

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {Pride and Prejudice}

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - That's right. The original and still the best. I don't know how many times I've read it now, but I never get tired of it. I even find myself purposely reading slowly, just to make it last longer. Anyway, during this most recent reading, I was particularly paying attention to some of the little details of what happened and what was said, because after reading so many retellings and sequels, it becomes easy to assume something happened simply because you've read it in so many other versions. Mr Bennet is one of my favorite characters, because of his dry wit, but obviously he has some failings as a father and head of his household. I found myself wondering as I read his comments and humorous asides (often at the expense of his wife and younger daughters) how he and Mrs Bennet wound up together. That might be an interesting prequel, although I'm sure some enterprising author has already tried it and I'm just not aware of it. As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Austen's understated but witty narration of the classic love story and my only regrets are that her telling of the story ends, and that she didn't write dozens more novels.

By the same author: Persuasion, Emma, Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, The History of England (and some brief thoughts I wrote on my last reading of Pride and Prejudice)

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {Darcy Goes To War}

Darcy Goes To War by Mary Lydon Simonsen - To be honest, right from the outset I wasn't sure I would care for this 'Pride and Prejudice Re-Imagining' simply because it takes place after the year 1900. I simply prefer historical novels in earlier settings. I enjoyed it more than I thought, however. Simonsen places Darcy and Elizabeth in the middle of World War II - Elizabeth is doing her part as a lorry driver, and Darcy is a fighter pilot who is stationed nearby. Some of the characters and their general storyline remain similar to Austen's original work, such as Jane and Charles Bingley falling in love, and Lydia Bennet's ill-judged behavior getting her into trouble. Of course Darcy and Elizabeth are destined to be together. For the most part, this is a predictable happy-ever-after love story with characters loosely based on Pride and Prejudice. 

I think Simonsen does a very good job of telling the story in the WWII setting, giving a picture of everyday life for many folks in Great Britain, but it lacks much of the tension and character development of the original. I felt that the characters were rather flat. At their first meeting, Elizabeth overhears Darcy (who has had a pint or two too many) make a disparaging remark about the attractiveness and dancing abilities of the young ladies that come to the dances held to entertain the troops. She's offended and is tempted to hold it against him when next they meet, and he has a sour attitude about the dances in general. But they have barely been introduced to each other before Elizabeth realizes that she is being unfair to judge Darcy harshly for what she overheard so she determines that she will give him another chance. And they immediately commence their falling in love. And that is the full extent of the misunderstanding and hasty judgments that Austen explores in her novel. Character development that takes months and many chapters in Austen's book takes a couple of paragraphs here. Elizabeth is too mature and serious, and Darcy is too outgoing and smooth with his words to be mistaken for their namesake characters. The only real conflict Darcy and Elizabeth face is that they wish to wait until the war is over before planning their marriage. Spoiler alert: Darcy is reported missing after his plane is shot down in enemy territory, and he is assumed to be dead. Everyone but Elizabeth believes he is dead. The reader assumes, along with Elizabeth, that he is okay simply because there must be a happy ending. But this last sequence of events is sensational and the wrap-up is very rushed and simplistic.

Through most of the story, Darcy is trying to push the boundaries of physical affection, but at least the reader isn't subjected to crude and graphic descriptions of lust. That is, until nearer the end when for some reason Simonsen decides to be just a bit crass. I thought it unnecessary to be so descriptive. At one other point, Darcy and Fitzwilliam have a conversation that focuses on Darcy's past conquests that is rather crude. If it had served to further the plot or develop character, I might not have minded it, but it seemed completely unnecessary to me. Not only that, but as far as I could tell, Fitzwilliam's character is wholly unnecessary to the plot, other than for this particular questionable conversation.

Lest I give the impression that I thoroughly disliked the book, let me say that I really did enjoy the read, with the exception of the few brief paragraphs that were unnecessarily crude. This is not Austen-esque literature, by any means, but if you're looking for a light romance without any moralizing or deeper meaning, that's what you'll find here.

By the same author: The Perfect Bride for Mr Darcy

©2008-2013 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads {Lady Catherine's Necklace}

Lady Catherine's Necklace by Joan Aiken - What is it about Lady Catherine's necklace, that it is so often stolen or misplaced in Pride and Prejudice sequels?  This has to be at least the fourth of fifth I've read in which this is the case. Anyway, Joan Aiken is widely regarded as a superb storyteller and one of the best at providing sequels to Jane Austen's work.  For myself, though, I am not impressed.  For whatever reason, her style does not resonate with me, and this particular story seemed to be flying in too many different directions and with a very unsatisfactory conclusion.

The premise of this "Jane Austen Entertainment" is that a brother and sister, the Delavals, find themselves stranded at Rosings after Miss Delaval is injured in a carriage accident.  Lady Catherine reluctantly invites them to stay until the injury is healed, which takes a remarkably long time.  Mr Delaval ingratiates himself with Lady Catherine to the point that she takes his advice on improving her gardens.  The improvement calls for a certain cottage to be demolished, thus leaving the two painters that have lived there for many years homeless.  Lady Anne de Bourgh is upset about this, but feels she can do little about it.  Then Lady Catherine decides to pay a visit to a sister-in-law, and Anne makes the most of some new-found freedom in her mother's absence, by visiting the friends in the cottage frequently, and building a friendship with the garden-boy.  On her journey, Lady Catherine's carriage meets with disaster and she is stranded at a remote farm with a farmer of dubious character.  As a background to all of this, Maria Lucas is visiting her sister Charlotte and keeping her company while Mr Collins is called away. Since Colonel FitzWilliam is in the area, we find that he and Maria have a bit of a past together and there is a hint that they may find happiness together.

Even in my brief and simplified description, it seems like there are at least three plots for the story, along with several sub-plots.  At less than 200 pages, it's quite an undertaking to develop all these storylines sufficiently, and the narrative jumps from one to another willy-nilly.  There is far too much going on and at the expense of character development.  In addition, several of the events and circumstances are far-fetched and ridiculous.  At some points I felt that the characters had little in common with those invented by Austen other than their name. 

I questioned a number of aspects of the story, and will mention a few here, as examples of the inconsistency of the writing.  1) At the outset of the story, Anne is said to be about seventeen years old.  Only a few pages later, the friendship between Anne and the two painters is said to have begun about three years earlier, when Anne was about sixteen years of age.  Which is it?  2) Are we really expected to believe that Lady Catherine placidly accepts how ill she has been used when she finds that her own relatives plotted to have her detained while on her visit to her sister-in-law?  And that Lady Catherine's brother really needed to resort to such subterfuge in order to hunt about for his belongings in Lady's C's attics?  3) What happened to change the characters of Mr Collins and FitzWilliam? Mr Collins appears only briefly and has remarkably little to say.  Had FitzWilliam not been identified by name, he would not have been recognizable as the cheerful, witty, but self-deprecating gentleman Austen told us about.  4) Are we so lacking in choices of names that Charlotte's midwife had to be named Mrs Hurst? Or maybe we are not supposed to remember that Charles Bingley's sister was a Mrs Hurst.

In the end, I felt the story was inept in resolving any of the conflicts that it presented, and the conclusion was abrupt and disappointing.  Half the cast simply disappears as we turn the page to the last chapter, and we get brief descriptions of where they've gone and why only as Lady Catherine's brother tells her where they've all run off to. And apparently, she has little reaction to any of it, as shocking as the news is.  In other words, nothing is really resolved, the reader simply comes to the last page in the book with most of the characters having disappeared. I didn't love the other book by Joan Aiken that I read (Jane Fairfax) and considered this one rather a waste of my time, so I will not be likely to read her work again.

By the same author:  Jane Fairfax

Recent Reads {Pemberley Ranch}

Pemberley Ranch by Jack Caldwell - Let me start out by saying that this ranks fairly high on my personal list of Pride and Prejudice spin-offs.  I was expecting a simple retelling of P&P in a post-Civil War setting, but this is definitely an American Western with a nod to P&P. Caldwell's characters are clearly intended to be based on Austen's, and the general outline of the story is very similar.  But he hasn't just dropped Darcy and Elizabeth and their retinue into the American south, he has given the entire story a uniquely American and western feel.  Beth Bennet and her family are Ohio Yankees who move to Texas after the Civil War for a fresh start.  Beth is particularly devastated by the loss of her brother, who died as a Union soldier, and while she makes new friends in her new home, she is still unwilling to forgive Confederate soldiers.  Will Darcy is the wealthiest rancher in the community, and also a returning Confederate officer.  Eventually their paths cross, and the familiar love story follows its course.  Causing trouble along the way is carpetbagger George Whitehead, who makes his inspiration, George Wickham, look like a pretty decent guy.  And Will's haughty and conniving cousin, Cate Burroughs, makes Lady Catherine seem charming.

Austen fans will also find some other familiar names among the town's inhabitants, including the parson, Rev. Tilney, and most of the characters from P&P. Some of the characterizations are different, so that only the names are similar.  Caldwell treats us to some background to the loyal friendship between Will and Charles Bingley. Some readers may be happy to find out that Charlotte Lucas makes a much more fulfilling relationship; and that cousin Anne and little sister Gaby (Georgiana) have more personality of their own.  Gaby even takes a hand in trying to help her brother win Beth's affection.  Since Whitehead and other 'bad guys' in this story are thoroughly reprehensible villains, they meet a suitable Western justice.  In the final shoot-out scene, the dialogue between the villains is laced with profanity, but <shrug> it was in keeping with their characters.

I did have a couple of disappointments, however.  Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley become a married couple without the reader knowing anything about how they met.  I was left a little confused at the beginning, because it seemed that the Bennets had been in Texas for long enough for Charles to court and marry Jane, and yet they hadn't met Will until the wedding.  We also didn't get a lot of reason to understand why the youngest Bennet daughter even considers running off with Whitehead, but it does provide the plot device for Will to do everything in his power to restore Lily to her family.  More troubling than those minor complaints was the episode near the beginning where Will accidentally happens upon Beth skinny-dipping.  He can't resist taking a good look, and a chapter or so later the reader is given a glimpse into the fantasies he's indulged in as a result.  Those two descriptions worried me, as I thought the story might wind up getting trashy, but thankfully there was no more of that sort of thing.  It seemed out of place, frankly, and I wondered at the necessity of including it.  Will does behave as a gentleman throughout, however.

Overall, an enjoyable read for Austen fans who are willing to see some of their beloved characters portrayed differently in this very new setting.

Recent Reads {Georgiana Darcy's Diary}

Georgiana Darcy's Diary by Anna Elliott - This continuation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is, just as the title suggests, the observations of Georgiana Darcy shared in her diary.  Darcy and Elizabeth have been married for about a year, and while Georgiana is completely content living with them at Pemberley, she also longs to find true love of her own.  Indeed, she believes she knows who she could care for just as deeply, but fears he will never feel the same affection for her.  Lady Catherine de Bourgh has decided it is time she take a hand in finding a husband for her niece, and descends upon Pemberley with the goal of introducing eligible bachelors to Georgiana and making a match.  Georgiana's diary reveals her thoughts about these potential suitors and whether any awaken her interest.  Other characters from Pride and Prejudice that make an appearance are Anne de Bourgh, Caroline Bingley, George Wickham, and Colonel Edward Fitzwilliam.  Edward is the object of Georgiana's affection, but she has heard news that he has become engaged, and in any case, she believes that he will always see her as a child for whom he must act as guardian.

Georgiana and Anne de Bourgh are two characters that figure in Austen's original work as supporting cast, but have little or nothing to say.  In this work, Elliott develops the personalities of both of these ladies that is very believable, and gives them the starring roles.  Georgiana finds the courage to confront her formidable Aunt de Bourgh, the compassion and patience to befriend the colorless Anne, and the determination to take a risk in following her own heart. As a romance, it's predictable in that as soon as Georgiana mentions her affection for Edward in the diary, the reader can tell that they will wind up together, but many of the other plot developments along the way are very interesting. The episode with Wickham's return to make trouble was rather incomplete, in my opinion.  The ending felt a little abrupt; however, it does set up a sequel in which Georgiana and Edward's relationship continues as they move towards marriage.  I enjoyed this charming book and can recommend it to all Austen fans.

By the same author: Twilight of Avalon, Dark Moon of Avalon, Sunrise of Avalon (I didn't realize until I was writing this review that it was the same Anna Elliott!)

The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge

2013 marks two hundred years since Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice was published.  To mark the bicentenary, the blog Austenprose is hosting a Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge.  Participants are encouraged to commit to reading the original masterpiece, some of the many spinoffs or sequels, or view some of the movie versions.  The challenge runs from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013.  Select a level of participation (Neophyte: 1-4 selections; Disciple - 5-8 selections; Aficionada: 9-12 selections); detail the novels or movies planned for 2013 in a blog post; and leave a link in the comments on the Austenprose Challenge post.  There will be giveaways each month, and a grand prize at the end of the year.

Pride and Prejudice is one of my all-time favorite novels, and I never tire of reading it, so I will plan on reading it again this year.  I have a long list of spinoff and sequels or prequels that I would like to read, but I will commit to the following two, because I have them and haven't previously read them:

Darcy Goes to War by Mary Lydon Simonsen

Georgiana Darcy's Diary by Anna Elliott

And because they are among my favorites, I will plan on getting a start on re-reading the Mr & Mrs Darcy Mystery series by Carrie Bebris.  I own the first three in the series of six.

My daughter has watched the BBC versions of Sense and Sensibility and Emma with me (or at least parts of them), and also watched the movie "Becoming Jane Austen" and she enjoyed those, to my delight and surprise.  I'm pretty sure she would like to watch a Pride and Prejudice movie, so I'm going to plan on introducing her to my favorite version, which happens to be the BBC movie starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

I guess that puts me in the Disciple category, with a goal of at least six books and one movie. I'm looking forward to it!