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2.96 AVERAGE
2.96 AVERAGE
Ugh, it was difficult finishing this book. I really have nothing good to say about it. The beginning is just a recap of "Pride and Prejudice" and the rest of the book is a boring mystery of who killed Wickham's friend Denny.
There is no wittiness in the book, no love or romance and the murder mystery is not very mysterious or interesting at all. My advice is simply do not bother with this book.
It didn't quite catch my interest. Maybe I need to read this instead of listening while at work.
While the characters, setting, and writing style was in keeping with Jane Austen's, I found parts of the novel repetitive and boring. I found I wasn't excited to keep reading.
I first tried to read this without having read [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320399351l/1885._SY75_.jpg|3060926], which was a huge mistake. You must be familiar with most of the characters and events from that novel in order to appreciate this one at all.
I greatly enjoyed more time with the characters and found the main part of the book delightful. The ending was lacking (and I say this as a P.D. James fan, having read all of her other work). Pride and Prejudice ends on an extremely satisfying tone and rather quickly, having spent a long time on buildup and then proceeded at a break-neck pace once the conclusion was inevitable. This novel overstays its welcome with several chapters laboriously explaining what is largely clear to the reader about the "mystery," and then endlessly tying up a plotline that involves characters that the reader has barely seen and certainly does not much care about. The final disposition lacks any satisfying and well-motivated joy, so it stands somewhat weakly compared to how we last left these characters.
That said, it is overall enjoyable and were someone to write an entire series in which Elizabeth Darcy solves crimes, I would be happy to read that.
I greatly enjoyed more time with the characters and found the main part of the book delightful. The ending was lacking (and I say this as a P.D. James fan, having read all of her other work). Pride and Prejudice ends on an extremely satisfying tone and rather quickly, having spent a long time on buildup and then proceeded at a break-neck pace once the conclusion was inevitable. This novel overstays its welcome with several chapters laboriously explaining what is largely clear to the reader about the "mystery," and then endlessly tying up a plotline that involves characters that the reader has barely seen and certainly does not much care about. The final disposition lacks any satisfying and well-motivated joy, so it stands somewhat weakly compared to how we last left these characters.
That said, it is overall enjoyable and were someone to write an entire series in which Elizabeth Darcy solves crimes, I would be happy to read that.
I couldn't decide what to rate this really, so I gave it a three. I love P.D. James and I love her mysteries. I also enjoy Jane Austen, but I'm not sure I can say I loved P.D. James and Jane Austen together. It's a challenge to take a classic and try to "continue" it. While there were some aspects of the novel that I enjoyed, I couldn't help but feel that maybe Ms. James shouldn't have gone down this path.
As another reviewer put it, this is obviously fan fiction. Much of the heart of Pride and Prejudice is gone and in its place is a stodgy Elizabeth. The ending was pretty entertaining but the bulk of the book is brought low by the trial. It was ok but nothing great.
this was fine, nothing extraordinary. the pacing was extremely slow and the whodunnit reveal rather anticlimactic. but the tone of austen’s works was certainly captured. the tie-ins to other austen works seemed a bit forced/unnecessary, but wasn’t pervasive, so didn’t spoil the narrative.
I must admit I was waiting for something a little bit "faster" even if Darcy and Elizabeth are always a pleasure to meet again. My fault not to remeber the style of P.D. James.
Devo ammettere che mi aspettavo qualcosa di un po' più "brioso" anche se è sempre un piacere reincontrare Darcy ed Elizabeth. Colpa mia che non mi ricordavo lo stile dell'autrice.
Devo ammettere che mi aspettavo qualcosa di un po' più "brioso" anche se è sempre un piacere reincontrare Darcy ed Elizabeth. Colpa mia che non mi ricordavo lo stile dell'autrice.
I've never been interested in follow-ups to Jane Austen novels, but good reviews and the twist of a mystery made me pick this one up. It was a mistake. The Darcy and Lizzie Bennet of Austen's Pride & Prejudice are nowhere to be found in James's book. I couldn't find a reason to care about these characters, other than lingering affection from P&P. Luckily it's a quick read; otherwise, I'd have given up fairly early into the book.
I didn't think it was that bad. Yes, I thought it would be better. Yes, Darcy and - more unforgivably - Elizabeth are dull, dull, dull. Yes, there's a ton of exposition and retelling of P&P *just in case you haven't read it*, ha ha! Yes, James played with some of the side characters in ways we can't quite understand. Yes, the word "chaise" appears on every page.
But still - I thought it was fairly interesting, & it was fun to read about Darcy & Elizabeth even if they were turned into upper middle class bores by PDJ! I did not actually guess the ending - though I was close at one point, but I changed my mind. I thought it was adequate & in some places/ways, more than adequate. I got what I wanted which was a "light reading" mystery experience.
But still - I thought it was fairly interesting, & it was fun to read about Darcy & Elizabeth even if they were turned into upper middle class bores by PDJ! I did not actually guess the ending - though I was close at one point, but I changed my mind. I thought it was adequate & in some places/ways, more than adequate. I got what I wanted which was a "light reading" mystery experience.