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eemi42's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I recently watched and enjoyed the Apple TV adaptation of The Buccaneers, and when I was a kid I watched the BBC adaptation with my Mom and I remember liking that too. So naturally I wanted to read the original.
While the plot progressed slowly, there were some really beautiful parts that made it worth continuing. I really liked the first half of the book, but it kind of went downhill afterAnnabel married the Duke.
I've seen so many complaints about where Mainwaring took over, and I kept trying to guess where that point was, thinking there'd be some obvious, horrendous change. But there wasn't.
While the plot progressed slowly, there were some really beautiful parts that made it worth continuing. I really liked the first half of the book, but it kind of went downhill after
I've seen so many complaints about where Mainwaring took over, and I kept trying to guess where that point was, thinking there'd be some obvious, horrendous change. But there wasn't.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Miscarriage, and Addiction
readingoverbreathing's review
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I tried reading (a different edition of) this years ago at a point in my life when I didn't have a lot of time to read. What with the new Apple adaptation out and me being on a bit of a Gilded Age kick at the time I started this, a revisit certainly seemed in order.
To begin: Edith Wharton is one of my favorite authors. I will genuinely read anything of hers, from her very first work on interior design to her autobiography which I also read earlier this year. This novel, however, was left unfinished upon her death and later completed by preeminent Wharton scholar Marion Mainwaring, so I braced myself and my expectations a bit.
I thought there would be some kind of noticeable turn where Wharton's manuscript ended and Mainwaring's speculation began, but I was never really able to pinpoint that much of a distinction between the two, unless it was where the timeline jumped ahead a few years and took a darker turn. Perhaps in the two and a half months it took me to read this I missed it somewhere.
I will say that the overall writing style and tone here felt very different to me than other Wharton novels I've read (though admittedly it has been a while — I've spent a lot more time with her nonfiction recently). It felt lighter, sillier, less literary, and more candid. There are overt references to sex and even a miscarriage that I wouldn't usually expect from Wharton, though perhaps that's just indicative of how late in her life this was written, the furthest from the prewar gilded world of her girlhood. It's difficult to determine how much of all of this was Wharton versus Mainwaring.
Though this tone wasn't what I was expecting, that's not to say I didn't have a good time here. The plot is a bit more fabricated than other Wharton novels, but the whole concept is just so fun that you can't help but have a good time, at least in that first half.
Overall, you could definitely tell there was something a bit off here, but I did find this a refreshing and fun break from my regular reading, especially as someone who has now spent years living in both England and America, albeit 100 years and several social rungs apart from those the St George girls and their friends occupy. I can see why Apple chose to adapt this at this present moment — the contemporary appeal is definitely there.
To begin: Edith Wharton is one of my favorite authors. I will genuinely read anything of hers, from her very first work on interior design to her autobiography which I also read earlier this year. This novel, however, was left unfinished upon her death and later completed by preeminent Wharton scholar Marion Mainwaring, so I braced myself and my expectations a bit.
I thought there would be some kind of noticeable turn where Wharton's manuscript ended and Mainwaring's speculation began, but I was never really able to pinpoint that much of a distinction between the two, unless it was where the timeline jumped ahead a few years and took a darker turn. Perhaps in the two and a half months it took me to read this I missed it somewhere.
I will say that the overall writing style and tone here felt very different to me than other Wharton novels I've read (though admittedly it has been a while — I've spent a lot more time with her nonfiction recently). It felt lighter, sillier, less literary, and more candid. There are overt references to sex and even a miscarriage that I wouldn't usually expect from Wharton, though perhaps that's just indicative of how late in her life this was written, the furthest from the prewar gilded world of her girlhood. It's difficult to determine how much of all of this was Wharton versus Mainwaring.
Though this tone wasn't what I was expecting, that's not to say I didn't have a good time here. The plot is a bit more fabricated than other Wharton novels, but the whole concept is just so fun that you can't help but have a good time, at least in that first half.
Overall, you could definitely tell there was something a bit off here, but I did find this a refreshing and fun break from my regular reading, especially as someone who has now spent years living in both England and America, albeit 100 years and several social rungs apart from those the St George girls and their friends occupy. I can see why Apple chose to adapt this at this present moment — the contemporary appeal is definitely there.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage
inkandbooksforever's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Given the time the book was written in, I think it was pushing forward themes like equality that were not common. I liked the book and especially Nan who ressembles a more modern heroine. The plot was a bit too long at times, but it corresponds with the genre. Themes of duty, honour, social rank, and romance.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage
sweetlikepi's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This is a review of the unfinished and unedited manuscript. The book flitted through perspectives that appeared unimportant to the narrative. Less focus on the main characters than expected. Period typical racist language but surprisingly there are non-white characters in the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexism, and Racism
Minor: Pregnancy, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Infidelity
bookbelle5_17's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Review of The Buccaneers
By: Edith Wharton & Marion Mainwaring
Set in 1870s, first in New York City and then England, the St. George girls, Virginia and Annabel “Nan” are having trouble coming out in society, because they’re of “New” money. Their mother hires a new governess for Nan from England, Miss Testvalley, and feeling sympathetic to the girls suggests that their mother send them to England. At first, it goes well, and Nan sees it as a magical experience, but when she marries the Duke of Tintagel the marriage begins to break down her spirit. She meets Guy Thwarte, whose passion matches her own and the couple fall in love.
There are characters that I feel are relatable in books I have read, but only a handful that I feel I am a lot like. I feel Annabel is someone I could see myself in, minus her situation obviously. Her dreamy eyedness and her looking at going to England as a magical adventure. I think the main reason why her marriage to the duke, failed is because both Annabel and the Duke fell in love with an idea of each other. The duke is cold hearted and a momma’s boy. His hobby of clock making is endearing at first, but he looks at Annabel something to own and be fixed like a clock. He lets his mom do everything that he doesn’t want to deal with and expects Annabel to fall in line. While Nan has a stronger connection with Guy than the duke. They have the same interests and see the world the same way. Guy doesn’t treat Nan as a child, but the duke sees her as someone to be controlled and scolded. He talks down to her and dismisses her. The fact that Nan’s sister and her friends disappear from the story demonstrates how isolated she is. He keeps her captive and all he cares about is how she can preserve his legacy by giving him an heir. He doesn’t even care about being a father just that he needs an heir, and it has to be a boy. Out of Wharton’s works I have read, this one has the most hopeful ending, but that could be because a Wharton scholar took over since she died before she could finish the novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage and Misogyny
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