Take a photo of a barcode or cover
2.96 AVERAGE
2.96 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
dark
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Quite unlike P.D.James' usual murder mysteries. Written very much in Jane Austen style and follows on from Pride and Predujice. A very rewarding read.
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
The audacity of taking one of the greatest novels ever written and writing a fanfic sequel poorly...
This novel turns Lizzie into a wet lettuce who feels faint, stays out of the way of whatever important things the men are doing, bites her tongue and, perhaps most criminally, is no longer witty.
Another memorable (though more minor character) who makes a reappearance is Colonel Fitzwilliam, who for some reason has had an entire personality transplant to serve the author's requirements for this sequel. Even other characters remark on how changed he is, which doesn't make it any less odd a choice.
The direction of the mystery is too obvious because of how much attention some characters get who you would not expect to get more than a passing mention.
The plot is also incredibly repetitive. I was about ready to give up after having to read for the upteenth time about the exact details of Denny exiting a coach.
The author repeatedly uses near-exact turns of phrase from the original novel (for example, (the polluting of the shades of Pemberley is mentioned multiple times, for example) perhaps to remind us fondly of that book, but it just served to remind me what a pale imitation this is.
All in all, I would not recommend this.
This novel turns Lizzie into a wet lettuce who feels faint, stays out of the way of whatever important things the men are doing, bites her tongue and, perhaps most criminally, is no longer witty.
Another memorable (though more minor character) who makes a reappearance is Colonel Fitzwilliam, who for some reason has had an entire personality transplant to serve the author's requirements for this sequel. Even other characters remark on how changed he is, which doesn't make it any less odd a choice.
The direction of the mystery is too obvious because of how much attention some characters get who you would not expect to get more than a passing mention.
The plot is also incredibly repetitive. I was about ready to give up after having to read for the upteenth time about the exact details of Denny exiting a coach.
The author repeatedly uses near-exact turns of phrase from the original novel (for example, (the polluting of the shades of Pemberley is mentioned multiple times, for example) perhaps to remind us fondly of that book, but it just served to remind me what a pale imitation this is.
All in all, I would not recommend this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Suicide
This book may not be given a high rating by an Austen purist however, for those of us who love Fan Fiction simply so the story continues in a familiar way, this book is delightful. I love Elizabeth and Mr Darcy and it is my opinion this book represents them beautifully!
I love mysteries, and I love Jane Austen, so I thought I couldn't go wrong with this book. All the right ingredients -- even a voice that blended well with Austen. The problem with this book for me was that the plot involved characters I don't care about. Don't get me wrong, I don't wish Elizabeth had been murdered, but the point of extending a novel is to allow the reader to fantasize about the bits they loved in the first place. These characters were not sympathetic or central... And the ball gets cancelled! What fun is that?
This book is very flat. I heard about it initially from the glowing New York Times Review, but I really do not understand why. I felt almost no emotional response to the characters, rare for me. All of the action and interesting part happens in the last one tenth of the book. There are so many moments when clues or people could have led to really interesting threads, but the author doesn't take them anywhere. Where is Elizabeth's spunk? The one interesting theme is Darcy's conflict between choosing personal happiness and the great responsibilities he feels to his family, estate, and society.
3 stars assuming I would have enjoyed this slightly more if I wasn't doing it as an audiobook. Very Darcy-heavy for perspective, and a bit far fetched, but a fun romp with a close approximation of some favorite old characters.
Cosa dire? Sono rimasta fortemente delusa. Credevo di poter ritrovare fra queste pagine l'atmosfera austeniana che amo tanto, invece ho trovato solo personaggi piatti privi di personalità (Lizzie Bennet, where are you??), dialoghi artificiosi (le persone non parlano come carta stampata, e non lo facevano nemmeno nel 19° secolo!), uno stile di scrittura eccessivamente descrittivo, ricco di dettagli di cui si poteva fare decisamente a meno, e una trama che all'inizio sembra intrigante, ma che poi diventa banale e priva di risvolti interessanti. Meglio che non parli dell'epilogo, se ci penso mi torna il calo di zuccheri!
Insomma, sono partita ricca di entusiasmo per poi ritrovarmi a contare le pagine che mi separavano dalla fine. Dal libro risulta chiaro che l'autrice sia una grande fan della Austen (tanto che a volte fa quasi un copia-incolla di certi dialoghi di "Orgoglio e Pregiudizio"), ma secondo me non ha saputo rendere giustizia ai suoi personaggi. Peccato.
Insomma, sono partita ricca di entusiasmo per poi ritrovarmi a contare le pagine che mi separavano dalla fine. Dal libro risulta chiaro che l'autrice sia una grande fan della Austen (tanto che a volte fa quasi un copia-incolla di certi dialoghi di "Orgoglio e Pregiudizio"), ma secondo me non ha saputo rendere giustizia ai suoi personaggi. Peccato.