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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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