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2.96 AVERAGE
2.96 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
To me this book reads like fan fiction for non-fans.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Interesting mystery, but the characters felt a little flat. Very good narrator though.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I hate that 2 stars is the "it was okay." I wish I could give it 3, because it wasn't terrible. I didn't struggle through it, which is what I'd give 2 stars.
I am a fan of P.D. James. I am a fan of Pride and Prejudice. This seemed like a great combination for me, but it really wasn't. Our beloved characters are now dull and uninteresting. We are gifted with repetitions of Pride and Prejudice events from a completely different perspective and in doing so, lose all the charm of those scenes and those in them. We see a complete turn around of Darcy's losses as a child, the very losses that shaped him for no real reason. It adds nothing to the plot so I don't see the point in changing something like that. Maybe I'd forgive it for a better story.
The mystery manages to be boring and predictable. I won't spoil it for you but the thinly veiled attempts at dragging these characters into the lives of the Darcys makes it fairly obvious who it is going to be.
I am a fan of P.D. James. I am a fan of Pride and Prejudice. This seemed like a great combination for me, but it really wasn't. Our beloved characters are now dull and uninteresting. We are gifted with repetitions of Pride and Prejudice events from a completely different perspective and in doing so, lose all the charm of those scenes and those in them. We see a complete turn around of Darcy's losses as a child, the very losses that shaped him for no real reason. It adds nothing to the plot so I don't see the point in changing something like that. Maybe I'd forgive it for a better story.
The mystery manages to be boring and predictable. I won't spoil it for you but the thinly veiled attempts at dragging these characters into the lives of the Darcys makes it fairly obvious who it is going to be.
2.5/5
Jane Austen meets cozy murder mystery -- it sounds more exciting than it actually turned out to be. Austen's trademark wit and humor is absolutely missing and the characters just seemed to share the names with the ones in Pride and Prejudice. What is disappointing is that this has none of the flair of James's own mysteries. Passable
PS. Cannot believe that I am saying this but maybe watch the BBC adaptation!
Jane Austen meets cozy murder mystery -- it sounds more exciting than it actually turned out to be. Austen's trademark wit and humor is absolutely missing and the characters just seemed to share the names with the ones in Pride and Prejudice. What is disappointing is that this has none of the flair of James's own mysteries. Passable
PS. Cannot believe that I am saying this but maybe watch the BBC adaptation!
I liked it! Wasn't convinced by the resolution to the mystery but then I'm not a regular mystery reader precisely because I almost never am. There's no winning with me on that front. I also got annoyed at the references back to Austen's P&P; especially quite a ways into the book, when the pacing would be heavily interrupted by the main characters suddenly having a whole conversation about stuff that happened and was resolved six years before. Even less likely were the chunks of solitary reflection on the events in P&P, especially things like Elizabeth mulling over her whole meeting and rejecting and accepting Darcy. You've been married six years! You have kids! You are NOT spending fifteen minutes turning your proposals over and over in your head amid a murder investigation in your home. I wonder if the publishers insisted on so much retelling of the source material as a crutch for readers who don't remember/are unfamiliar with it? If so, that's foolish, because I doubt those readers would bother to pick this up OR find that helpful.
That was a lot of bitching for a book I had fun reading. I enjoyed the setting and the investigative/trial process, and thought the eerie, suspenseful mood was very well-created. And as long as I skimmed the interrupty P&P fanfiction stuff I found it quite quick-moving and exciting.
That was a lot of bitching for a book I had fun reading. I enjoyed the setting and the investigative/trial process, and thought the eerie, suspenseful mood was very well-created. And as long as I skimmed the interrupty P&P fanfiction stuff I found it quite quick-moving and exciting.
A great mystery book involving Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice characters. A few parts (like the trial) were a bit slow but over all a very good book. P.D. James did an excellent job, in my opinion, in keeping the characters close to Jane Austen portrayal.
Several years ago I promised myself that I would never read another Pride and Prejudice sequel. However, after hearing good things about this book, I decided to give it a try. I appreciate the author's desire to remain true to Austen in her writing style and characterization. But there were often times when reading this book felt more of a chore than a pleasure. I would occasionally have to force myself to pick this book up again even when I had no desire to continue - this book just didn't quite hold the suspense and anticipation that Austen is able to contrive in her writing. Regardless, after completing the book, I can say that it is definitely worth a one-time read. This is still one of the better P&P sequels I have read.