The Men of Austen

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted regularly. I'm very behind on on reviews already and my goal for 2010 was to keep up better this year. I'll see what I can do. I'm probably only 5 or 6 books behind (if you don't count last year's books) so I can definitely catch up if I just take the time to do it.

In the mean time I wanted to share this fun poll that I found on the Masterpiece Classics website. It's called "The Men of Austen" and you choose your favorite man from Jane Austen's books. There is a small picture of each character from the movies but the really fun part is the factoids about each one. Some of them come directly from the books, for example, Mr. Darcy's "turn-ons" include "fine eyes, good manners, women versed in music, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages." Other factoids come from the movies. Under "Games and Exercise" for Edward Ferrars is listed "horseback riding and splitting logs" (I like that scene in the movie when Edward is cutting wood in the rain). But the best part of the whole thing is how their income is compared to today's money. It really puts their situations into perspective. Mr. Darcy's 10,000 pounds a year is compared to $6 million dollars in today's money. Edward Ferrars' 100 pounds a year is roughly $60,000 today--definitely enough to live on but would be considered inadequate by others of the upper class
If you love Jane Austen like I do you'll have to check it out.

Mr. Darcy's Story by Jane Aylmer

Genre: Jane Austen fan-fiction, romance

Published: 2006, 288 pgs

Review: 4/5 stars

If you're expecting any kinds of twists or turns in this novel told from Mr. Darcy's perspective, then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. This is a very faithful account of Pride and Prejudice. I haven't read P&P for a few years so I may be mistaken but this felt the closest to the real thing of any Austen fan-fiction I've read. The story was followed faithfully and the flow and wording rang true to me. There were some instances when I thought that the A&E film version may have served as inspiration for the way Jane Alymer interpreted some of Darcy's thoughts and feelings, but overall I was impressed with the way she stayed true to the original.

Rating 1.1.1 Good, clean read.

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy by Abigail Reynolds

Genre: Romance, Austen fan-fiction

Published: Jan. 2010, 288 pgs

Source: ARC from Sourcebooks

Review: 4/5 stars

Description on Goodreads:

In this sexy Jane Austen sequel, Elizabeth Bennet accepts Mr. Darcy's first marriage proposal, answering the "What if...?" question fans everywhere have pondered
" I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry."
Famous last words indeed! Elizabeth Bennet's furious response to Mr. Darcy's marriage proposal has resonated for generations of readers. But what if she had never said it? Would she have learned to recognize Mr. Darcy's admirable qualities on her own? Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy follows Elizabeth and Darcy as they struggle to find their way through the maze of their prejudices after Elizabeth, against her better judgment, agrees to marry Darcy instead of refusing his proposal.

I should have paid attention to the "sexy" adjective used to describe this Pride and Prejudice sequel before I read it. That is a very apt description for the detailed sex scenes towards the end of this book. Having said that... I really liked this book. I am embarrassed at how quickly I devoured it soon after receiving it in the mail from Sourcebooks a couple of months ago. By the time I got to the objectionable scenes, there was no way that I could set this book aside (they are in the last quarter of the book). While I don't think Reynolds always captured Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth's true characters, her story of their marriage and struggles to find happiness with each other is compelling and quite a page-turner. Reading this book reminded me again of what a hopeless romantic I am. I am ashamed but I've decided to just be open and honest about it. :)

Rating: 5.1.1 Two detailed sex scenes; it is within a married relationship but it is detailed.

Searching for Pemberley by Mary Lydon Simonsen

Genre: Historical fiction, romance

Published: 1 December 2009, 496 pgs.

ARC

Review: 3.5/5

Simonsen's Searching for Pemberley is not your typical Austen sequel. Set in England after World War II, Maggie is an American working in London when a sight-seeing trip to Derbyshire leads to a friendship with a couple who believe that Jane Austen based her novel, Pride and Prejudice, on real people. The story is multi-generational, includes a few different love stories, including Maggie's, and is a history lesson on both World Wars. I've read a few reviews that have called it a "leisurely" read and I think that is a perfect word for it. The story behind the people who were allegedly the inspiration for the Darcys, Bingley, and Bennets is slowly laid out as the main story about Maggie and the couple, named Jack and Beth Crowell, and their family, unfolds.

I quite enjoyed this book. I have to admit that it was pretty slow going at first and it was probably about page 100 before I started to really like it. Sometimes there seemed to be too many characters to keep track of and I'd come across someone's name and think, who is that? I enjoyed the journal entries written by Elizabeth Garrison and the letters written by William Lacey who were supposedly the real Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. However, that part of novel was not extensive and the story mainly dealt with Maggie, her love interests and the Crowells. I thought their story was interesting and I really liked the information about the wars and conditions in England during and after the war. I learned quite a bit from that and I appreciated the obvious research that Simonsen had put into writing the book.

Overall this was a pretty good story with interesting characters. I didn't really like the direction it went with the morality/religion/pre-marital sex issues that were brought up so I wouldn't recommend this book for teenagers. It definitely has adult themes.

Rating: 3.1.3 This book contains many sexual situations but not explicit and graphic. Also contains plenty of barnyard language (I didn't think it was excessive, though).

Willoughby's Return by Jane Odiwe

Genre: Romance
Published: Nov. 2009, 352 pgs.
ARC
Review: 3.5/5 stars

Most Jane Austen "sequels" that I've ever seen are about Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Willoughby's Return: A Tale of Almost Irresistable Temptation continues the story of Marianne and Colonel Brandon. As the title suggests, Willoughby comes back to the neighborhood and stirs up a little mischief for Marianne. The story is predictable and a little cliched at times but I enjoyed it. I wish that Eleanor had played a bigger part in the book but it was fun to get to know Margaret and Marianne a little more (as seen through the eyes of Jane Odiwe). Marianne has matured and grown a little more sensible but she is still very much the old romantic Marianne. If you like Jane Austen sequels, this one would be a fun choice.

Reading this story about Marianne and wishing that there was more about Eleanor made me wonder about what other people think about these characters. When I read or watch Sense and Sensibility, I'm all about Eleanor and Edward. Marianne is just a side story that I don't care about very much. She kind of bugs me, to be honest, but I love everything about Eleanor. What do you think about Marianne and Eleanor?


Rating: 1.1.1 Very clean read

The Darcys and the Bingleys by Marsha Altman

Rating: 2.2.2

Category: Historical, Romance

Review: 3.5/5

In The Darcys and the Bingleys, Marsha Altman has picked up where Jane Austen left off in Pride and Prejudice. The book is divided into two parts, Book I and Book II. The first book starts a week or so before Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, and Mr. Bingley and Jane are to be married. Mr. Bingley is nervous about the wedding night and goes to Mr. Darcy for advice (and we come to find out that Darcy is more experienced with women than Mr. Bingley is). Mr. Darcy comes to Mr. Bingley's aid by giving him a book. Now, I looked into this a little (I looked at Wikipedia, so take this information for what it's worth) and it doesn't seem like the part about this book is historically accurate. The book does exist but it wasn't available in English for quite some time after this story takes place. I don't really blame the author too much for this fact, though, of course, she could have been more careful. The introduction of this book does make for an interesting storyline and I'll grant her a little poetic license. Despite the fact that the first part of the book is about ...the "marriage bed," shall we say, there is no graphic material and I would classify it as "clean". The second half of the book, Book II, deals with Caroline Bingley and a love interest for her. Even snobs can find love. :)

So, what did I think of this book? It was an enjoyable read--it was funny in parts and kept me turning the pages. As a sequel to P&P, I can't really say that it was great. If you are a real Jane Austen purist and aficionado, then this book would probably drive you crazy. But for those who really like the characters and don't mind speculating a little about what might have happened after the book ends, this could be a really fun read. Altman tells several stories, including flashbacks, that lead to better understanding of the friendship between Darcy and Bingley. New characters are also introduced that add to the story. For me, I liked the book as long as I wasn't too loyal to my own ideas of what the characters are "supposed to" act like or be. This book is Marsha Altman's idea of who Mr. Darcy is, and it is interesting to read, but that doesn't make him my Mr. Darcy.

I had the opportunity to ask the author a few questions, that I will list below. I have to say that her answers made me like the book more. They made me like her, too. She seems funny and down to earth and I like that. Without further ado, here is our interview:

Me: Ms. Altman, thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions about your new book, The Darcys and the Bingleys. First of all, I am so curious about the dedication in your book. It reads: To the cheetah kid, You don't know who you are, and I don't remember your name, but thanks for the eighteen years of inspiration. I would love to hear the story behind that. Would you mind sharing?
Marsha: Not at all. When I was in third grade, we had a library class where the librarian generally made some attempt to get us to take out books. One day she held up a one-page story with a picture at the bottom someone in my class had a written and went on and on about how he’d written a “book” about a cheetah. I thought, “I can write a longer book than that!” and started writing my first book, which was 24 pages of nonsense about an alien who came to earth. And that’s how I started writing. I wanted to beat that kid. It took 18 years but I think I did it. I don’t remember who he is so maybe he’s a great author now. I hope I wasn’t in school with Michael Chabon and forgot or something.

Me: When did you read Pride and Prejudice for the first time?
Marsha: High school, AP English. It was the only novel we read the entire year that I genuinely enjoyed. Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying I liked, but didn’t enjoy. Woolf’s To the Lighthouse I hated with a fiery passion that has never been matched. There were some others that don’t come to mind, but Pride and Prejudice we were all crazy about, the women in the class at least. The guys were just utterly confused as to why we were so into it. I’d never seen a gender division like that over a book before. I didn’t read Austen for a long time after that – it remained vaguely associated with the emotional trauma that is the American high school experience until I saw the miniseries while on a vacation, years later.

Me: I read Amanda Grange's Mr. Darcy's Diary last year but this is the first continuation of Pride and Prejudice that I've ever read. I still can't quite decide how I feel about the whole concept of adding on to what is already such a perfect novel. What made you decide to write this book?
Marsha: There seem to be three types of people: People who won’t touch sequels/fanfic because Austen is sacred, people who read and enjoy sequels/fanfic because they would do anything to spend a little bit more time with the characters, and people who generally disapprove of sequels but for some reason buy and read them anyway, mainly to have an argument against them it seems.
The inherent problem is that nobody really wants their notion of who the characters are altered, but the whole idea of a sequel (or a diary, or rewrite) is to do precisely that. It’s impossible to do otherwise. It’s a bit like Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle and the observer effect: You change the outcome by measuring it. If you add a single line about Darcy, you’re probably going to contradict someone’s view of Darcy based on their interpretation of Pride and Prejudice (“Darcy would never go down stairs!”).
I started writing because I wanted to work with the characters, especially Bingley. There’s so much material there, implied by his friendship to Darcy, and yet very few sequels or rewrites give him any ink at all. By presenting my Darcy and my Bingley, I risk running into people who disagree – sometimes rightfully so – about my interpretation, but if that bothered me I wouldn’t have tried to publish an Austen sequel. It’s my hope that the interpretation is at the very least amusing and worth the money they paid for the book.

Me: Have you read a lot of other books that have continued the story of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth? Do you recommend any?
Marsha: I would say I’ve read them all, but that’s not actually true. Rebecca Ann Collins has 10 books and I never managed to get the Australian versions, so I have to wait for Sourcebooks to release them all. There’s also another retelling by Darcy that’s floating around in out-of-print land (not the one by Slayer, Aylmer, Grange, Street, Aiden, Jeffers or Fasman. There’s another one out there somewhere). And of course I have a few that I was just never able to get through but I do technically own.
Because I own so many and have read so much, I tend to award more points to creativity and ingenuity than adherence to traditional Austen-esque storytelling, which is why I’m such a Linda Berdoll fan. Yes, the book had an obscene amount of sex. It also had funny dialogue, an interesting Wickham plotline, and she could make the most mundane details of running Pemberley (usually a pretty boring topic, actually) interesting. Isabel Moffet is another underrated author. She needs a good editor, but she’s the only one who’s really done an interesting subplot with Mr. Bennet. And Carrie Bebris has her cozy mysteries, which are likeable with the subtle details even if you’re not a fan of Elizabeth having magic powers.

Me: What is your response to those who are critical of these kinds of sequels?
Marsha: …You’re not obligated to read them? I’m surprised people are more up-in-arms about trampling on Austen’s fiction than former smut writer Anne Rice writing Jesus fan fiction.

Me: What kind of research did you do to make this book as authentic as possible?
Marsha: I did go to England and promptly got really sick with whatever virus my dad had, and in a feverish haze saw Chawton, Winchester, and Chatsworth. Aside from that it’s been a lot of books – history, books about interpreting history, and some forays into Regency fiction, though I can really take very little of it at a time. People have a certain conception of the Regency – usually based on Austen’s fiction – that is not necessarily accurate. Polite Society was more of an ideal than an actuality. When choosing between history and Regency fiction traditional, I generally went with history.

Me: Do you plan to write more books and make this the first of a series? Is there a second book in the works?
Marsha: Books 2 and 3 are written and under revision. Wikipedia led me massively astray the first time around, which is especially bad because book 2 ventures out into Europe and book 3 into Asia (briefly). The story is planned out through ten books. Then they all nearly die of exhaustion of having been put through the gamut of ten books. I’m not very easy on my characters.

Me: I'm always curious about authors' reading habits. What have you read lately and what did you think?
Marsha: This is where I’m supposed to lie and say I have all of the great classics of literature well-thumbed and dog-eared on my desk, right? And I carry my leather-bound edition of Austen’s six novels everywhere I go?
Remember that TV show Forever Knight? About a vampire cop in Toronto? No? Well, they wrote some tie-in novels and I’m just finishing off the third. It’s definitely better than the first two. Before I got into those I was reading Decency and Disorder: 1789-1837 by Ben Wilson, a nice find while I was in England. I’m generally reading something along those lines. Writing historical fiction leaves very little time for reading actual fiction. Instead you’re reading some that ends the title with a time period specified in dates. I think the next on the list is Religion and Revolution in France: 1780-1804. Oh, and I’m always reading the Mishnah, a second-century code of very, very boring Jewish law. When my grandfather died I said I would read it 40 times, and I’m on 18 ½ or so. I have to reach 20 by November to be on schedule, so if something shows up in my writing about how touching the metal ring on a tent that held a corpse makes a priest unclean to eat the Temple fruit offering for twenty-four hours makes it into my Pride and Prejudice stuff, that’s why. Also the priest might be a cop who is also a vampire.

Me: Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions. I wish you great success with your debut novel.
Marsha: Thank you for reading and reviewing.

Doesn't she sound great? I used her first name in the interview above because she feels like a friend now. I hope that's okay with her. If any of you get a chance to read this book, I'd love to hear what you think.

Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer

Rating: 2.1.2 (PG)
Recommended audience: Mostly adult but some teens might like it
Category: Historical romance
Review:


I was 14 years old when I read Pride and Prejudice and fell in love with Jane Austen and the whole Regency period. I don't know what it is about this time period--the manners, high society, empire waist dresses, social requirements and taboos, sexual tension because of strict social rules, or whatever--I really like to read about it. I also like to read about a good rake (for those of you who aren't familiar with Regency England a "rake" is a real ladies man). Maybe it's one of my weird fantasies that I can fulfill through reading because I don't like "rakes" in real life. So this novel was just my cup of tea. It is about a 29 year old lady who has never been tempted to marry because all of her many suitors have never really been interesting enough. Of course, she is brought together with a very uncivil gentleman of disrepute and can't stop thinking about him. I've never read any books by Heyer before but I'm glad to have been introduced to her recently. Although she passed away in 1974, she had written over 50 books in her lifetime almost all regency romances. From what I can tell, all of her books are clean and not the kind of trash that have covers with women's dresses falling off and clinging to shirtless Fabian-like men. I would definitely recommend her books to all of you Jane Austen fans who want more to read from this time period.

Gwyneth vs. Kate

vs.





Okay, so I'm 10 years behind (Gwyneth's Emma was released in '96 and Kate's was aired in '97) but I just saw the Kate Beckinsale version of Emma on Masterpiece and I'm interested to know what you think about the two movies. I read a few reviews on Amazon and it seemed that a lot of people preferred Gwyneth to Kate's Emma. I haven't seen Gwyneth's Emma for a long time so I am probably not a very good judge. Just having read the book, though, and from what I remember of it, Kate's Emma is so much truer to the book. Some reviewers said how they liked Gwyneth's light-heartedness and fun version of Emma and I can definitely understand that. I perceived Emma much more as Kate portrayed her however and so I preferred that version.

Mr. Knightley, of course, is another matter. Gwyneth's Knightley was much more handsome than Kate's which is always nice. :) However, there is a 16 year(?) difference between Mr. Knightley and Emma and I don't think that is very evident in Gwyneth's Emma. Kate's Knightley looks the part better and even though he wasn't really good-looking (though I think he would have looked much more handsome with a decent hair-cut), I think he grows on you more and more throughout the movie, at least he did for me.

So, for me, Kate wins this one even though I did really like Gwyneth too. Just as a side note, my husband HATES the movie Emma with Gwyneth. He thinks it is the most boring movie he's ever seen and says that it's two hours of his life that he'll never get back. Honey, would you be willing to watch the other version and see how it compares??

Emma by Jane Austen

Rating: 1.1.1

Recommended audience: Teens to adults

Category: Romance, classic

I have tried to read Emma a few times before but never could get past the first few chapters. This time I was determined to finish and I'm glad I did. I liked it in the end but it is definitely not on par with Pride and Prejudice or Persuasion to me. (I can't comment on any other of Austen's books because it's been too long since I've read them.) For the first several chapters Emma drove me crazy. Her inept attempts at matching-making made me want to shake some sense into her. She was so blind to everything that seemed so plain. She did grow on me though and I could see her character improve so that by the end I really liked her. There are so many characters that are just ridiculous: Mr. Woodhouse, Miss Bates, and the Eltons, for example. There is so much humour in the conversations and goings-on between all the characters but it is dry and subtle and you have to read carefully to catch it. When I hear people say they don't get Jane Austen's popularity, I hope they continue to give it a chance because I think it does take some time and effort to understand. But once you catch it, you'll love it forever. This book is very wordy with not a lot of anything going on but in the end, definitely worth the read.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Rating: 2.1.2

Recommended audience: 16+

Category: Romance

This book is pure chick-lit, nothing very substantial or thought provoking...but I really liked it. The story is about an early 30's single woman named Jane who has had many failed relationships and blames it partly on her obsession with Mr. Darcy (as played by Colin Firth). She ends up at Austenland, a vacation spot where attendees immerse themselves in the world of Jane Austen complete with the empire waist dresses, corsets, and high tea while actors pretend to be Austenian type characters. Jane's goal is to overcome her obsession with Mr. Darcy so she can finally succeed in a real relationship. This is funny, cute and pure escape fiction but if you like Jane Austen I think you'll like this book. If you love Jane Austen and can seriously critique everything relating to her books, this book might not cut it for you. I don't think you have to have read Austen's books to enjoy this but it is helpful.

Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange

Rating: 1.1.1

Recommended audience: Teen to Adult

Category: Historical romance

4 Stars

This is Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy's point of view. Though it probably doesn't fit into the category of literary greatness, I really liked this book. I will probably read it again and again just like I read Pride and Prejudice over and over again. It can't really be compared to P&P but it sure is fun for all of us Jane Austen fans. Definitely recommended but don't read it before you've read P&P. I'm quite interested in picking up Grange's other books now, like Mr. Knightley's Diary.