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3.11 AVERAGE
3.11 AVERAGE
I was enjoying it at first but the middle was so slow. No actual plot. It's a good thing I love Darcy and Elizabeth or I would have probably DNF it. They were moments I was smiling though, this is a incredibly sappy book, which is something I do enjoy most the time.
Found the prose to be repetitive and somewhat juvenile; but being the Austen addict that I am I finished the book anyway.
Don't read this book. This book deserves the single star it gets because the grammar was correct throughout most of it. Other than that I have nothing good to say about this book. This is, at its heart, a badly-written, plot-less fan-fiction of the 2005 Pride & Prejudice movie starring Kiera Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen. Don't mistake me, I enjoyed that movie. Not so this book. There is one interesting part in it. It starts on page 239 and concludes at the end of Chapter 18.
This book is so bad that I had to break down the reasons why into categories:
1) There is no plot. I mean this literally. At no point in this novel was there a discernible, over-arcing plot. It's not as though it were written in the style of, say, Little Women, where each chapter is it's own miniature story. This book contains nearly 300 pages of pointless drivel that at no point takes the shape of a cohesive story. Oh, there are times when it threatens to, and gets the reader's hopes up that finally, finally we've gotten to the point of the story, but no. Your hopes will be dashed every time.
2) There is no conflict. The closest thing we have to any kind of challenge or conflict or goal in this book are the occasional marital spats between Elizabeth and Darcy. These are short-lived. Only once does it approach becoming interesting. Elizabeth makes friends with no trouble. She learns to become mistress of the house without even trying. She wins people over instantly. She gives amazing gifts accidentally. Darcy showers her with presents; money is no object. He is suddenly transformed into a perfect sociable gentleman. It is, in a word, boring. Everything comes far, far too easily to each and every character.
3) These are not the characters we know and love. These characters have the same names and reside in the same place as those in Pride and Prejudice, but there the resemblance ends. Elizabeth is somehow transformed into her mother - or even Lydia. Darcy becomes Colonel Fitzwilliam, Colonel Fitzwilliam becomes Bingley. Georgiana is suddenly Jane. Aunt Gardiner morphs into Mrs. Charlotte Palmer from Sense & Sensibility Not a single character trait is shared by the people in this book with the characters they are supposed to be. I was outraged throughout reading this as a result. And of course, Lathan justifies these sudden changes with, "it's all because of love!" Yeah, okay.
4) It's poorly written. Darcy and Elizabeth "beloved" and "my love" and "dearest" one another with every breath they take. This is not an exaggeration. My ability to read was hindered by the times I physically rolled my eyes because of their repetitive, unimaginative, affected manner towards one another. And that is just the surface of how badly this thing is written. The sex scenes are plentiful, repetitive, intrusive, and so poorly written that they are completely and utterly dissatisfying. I enjoy a good sex scene in a novel, don't get me wrong. These were not good. And honestly, I wouldn't qualify this book as a novel. As bad as the sex scenes were, the sword-fighting scene was somehow worse: clumsy, inarticulate, and utterly unbelievable.
In general, the writing was all "tell" and no "show." Random character backstories were dropped in as an afterthought to justify actions that otherwise made no sense. I read about seventeen different instances where the exact same concept was emphasized for no reason. That's for the one concept, mind. It happened endlessly for all manner of concepts. Character traits central to the point of the book were written off without so much of a thought or with a pitiful explanation. The foreshadowing was clumsy, where it was there at all. The book attempts dramatic reveals but does so by having the characters speculate on a single possibility that - surprise - ends up being the thing that gets revealed. The list goes on.
5) Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship is not healthy. Darcy is an abusive asshole who makes up for his treating Elizabeth like shit by giving her presents and money. Elizabeth acts like a brainwashed cultist, essentially worshiping Darcy to the point of injuring herself and others, all because of "love." No. You do not forego self-care and deny yourself basic comforts because of "love." This display makes me genuinely concerned for the author and her family.
6) It isn't historically accurate. It doesn't even approach being historically accurate. Basic tenants of the book are so completely wrong that anyone who has so much as attended a renaissance fair would see them, and yet they somehow managed to escape the notice of the author and the publisher. It's as though the author can't figure out where technology was during the Recency era. It waffled between Elizabethan and Victorian with alarming rapidity. One moment things are lit by torches, the next by gas lamps. The basic social structure - such as people calling on a newly married couple, or even calling on one another at all was completely and utterly ignored... unless it made it in as an afterthought. And the worst part is, the book tried so hard to emphasize the historical time it takes place in. It did such a bad job it would be funny if I weren't so utterly repulsed by every other aspect of this book. There is even a point at which a doctor laments not being able to see inside someone's head. Really.
7) The ending is even terrible. As much as I wanted this book to end, the ending feels like the writer just kind of walked away one day and never came back. There is no closure - not that there was much that closure could apply to - and it neither ends at a cohesive storytelling point, nor at a cliffhanger. It just trails off into nothing. It's like one of the cheap fade-outs from 90's songs that didn't know how to end properly. I got through the whole damned book only to experience diddly squat for the ending.
In conclusion, this book was bad. In fact, I dislike this book so much I wasn't bothered by the dog-eared pages in my copy (courtesy of my local library). Normally I am outraged on behalf of the book but I don't actually respect this book enough to care. It should never have walked off of the A03 or Fanfiction.net boards and into printed format. In fact, if I had been reading it on one of those illustrious sites, I probably wouldn't hate it as much as I do, because it wouldn't be pretending to be something it's not: i.e. something publishable. I've actually read significantly better, and more publisher-worthy, things on such sites. And that's saying something, as I don't read fan-fiction often.
There is a large amount of grotesquely-written graphic sex, violence, and language. I wouldn't recommend anyone ever read this book. Seriously. Put it down and walk away. One star.
This book is so bad that I had to break down the reasons why into categories:
1) There is no plot. I mean this literally. At no point in this novel was there a discernible, over-arcing plot. It's not as though it were written in the style of, say, Little Women, where each chapter is it's own miniature story. This book contains nearly 300 pages of pointless drivel that at no point takes the shape of a cohesive story. Oh, there are times when it threatens to, and gets the reader's hopes up that finally, finally we've gotten to the point of the story, but no. Your hopes will be dashed every time.
2) There is no conflict. The closest thing we have to any kind of challenge or conflict or goal in this book are the occasional marital spats between Elizabeth and Darcy. These are short-lived. Only once does it approach becoming interesting. Elizabeth makes friends with no trouble. She learns to become mistress of the house without even trying. She wins people over instantly. She gives amazing gifts accidentally. Darcy showers her with presents; money is no object. He is suddenly transformed into a perfect sociable gentleman. It is, in a word, boring. Everything comes far, far too easily to each and every character.
3) These are not the characters we know and love. These characters have the same names and reside in the same place as those in Pride and Prejudice, but there the resemblance ends. Elizabeth is somehow transformed into her mother - or even Lydia. Darcy becomes Colonel Fitzwilliam, Colonel Fitzwilliam becomes Bingley. Georgiana is suddenly Jane. Aunt Gardiner morphs into Mrs. Charlotte Palmer from Sense & Sensibility Not a single character trait is shared by the people in this book with the characters they are supposed to be. I was outraged throughout reading this as a result. And of course, Lathan justifies these sudden changes with, "it's all because of love!" Yeah, okay.
4) It's poorly written. Darcy and Elizabeth "beloved" and "my love" and "dearest" one another with every breath they take. This is not an exaggeration. My ability to read was hindered by the times I physically rolled my eyes because of their repetitive, unimaginative, affected manner towards one another. And that is just the surface of how badly this thing is written. The sex scenes are plentiful, repetitive, intrusive, and so poorly written that they are completely and utterly dissatisfying. I enjoy a good sex scene in a novel, don't get me wrong. These were not good. And honestly, I wouldn't qualify this book as a novel. As bad as the sex scenes were, the sword-fighting scene was somehow worse: clumsy, inarticulate, and utterly unbelievable.
In general, the writing was all "tell" and no "show." Random character backstories were dropped in as an afterthought to justify actions that otherwise made no sense. I read about seventeen different instances where the exact same concept was emphasized for no reason. That's for the one concept, mind. It happened endlessly for all manner of concepts. Character traits central to the point of the book were written off without so much of a thought or with a pitiful explanation. The foreshadowing was clumsy, where it was there at all. The book attempts dramatic reveals but does so by having the characters speculate on a single possibility that - surprise - ends up being the thing that gets revealed. The list goes on.
5) Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship is not healthy. Darcy is an abusive asshole who makes up for his treating Elizabeth like shit by giving her presents and money. Elizabeth acts like a brainwashed cultist, essentially worshiping Darcy to the point of injuring herself and others, all because of "love." No. You do not forego self-care and deny yourself basic comforts because of "love." This display makes me genuinely concerned for the author and her family.
6) It isn't historically accurate. It doesn't even approach being historically accurate. Basic tenants of the book are so completely wrong that anyone who has so much as attended a renaissance fair would see them, and yet they somehow managed to escape the notice of the author and the publisher. It's as though the author can't figure out where technology was during the Recency era. It waffled between Elizabethan and Victorian with alarming rapidity. One moment things are lit by torches, the next by gas lamps. The basic social structure - such as people calling on a newly married couple, or even calling on one another at all was completely and utterly ignored... unless it made it in as an afterthought. And the worst part is, the book tried so hard to emphasize the historical time it takes place in. It did such a bad job it would be funny if I weren't so utterly repulsed by every other aspect of this book. There is even a point at which a doctor laments not being able to see inside someone's head. Really.
7) The ending is even terrible. As much as I wanted this book to end, the ending feels like the writer just kind of walked away one day and never came back. There is no closure - not that there was much that closure could apply to - and it neither ends at a cohesive storytelling point, nor at a cliffhanger. It just trails off into nothing. It's like one of the cheap fade-outs from 90's songs that didn't know how to end properly. I got through the whole damned book only to experience diddly squat for the ending.
In conclusion, this book was bad. In fact, I dislike this book so much I wasn't bothered by the dog-eared pages in my copy (courtesy of my local library). Normally I am outraged on behalf of the book but I don't actually respect this book enough to care. It should never have walked off of the A03 or Fanfiction.net boards and into printed format. In fact, if I had been reading it on one of those illustrious sites, I probably wouldn't hate it as much as I do, because it wouldn't be pretending to be something it's not: i.e. something publishable. I've actually read significantly better, and more publisher-worthy, things on such sites. And that's saying something, as I don't read fan-fiction often.
There is a large amount of grotesquely-written graphic sex, violence, and language. I wouldn't recommend anyone ever read this book. Seriously. Put it down and walk away. One star.
Ok look. I’m not opposed to fanfiction. I read a lot of fanfiction. But this particular one? Not good at all. First, it’s not a sequel to Pride and Prejudice the book. It is a sequel to Pride and Prejudice, the 2005 movie with Kiera Knightley. A movie that I desperately love. But this was all wrong.
How can someone who claims to love these characters turn them into such caricatures of themselves? Lizzy and Darcy, both known for their stubborn independence, are morphed into pitiful, codependent idiots who panic when they are apart even for a few hours. There is none of the wit and none of the fire that drew them to each other in the first place.
And don’t even get me started on the sex. Good lord. That’s all this book was. Sex and codependency. I was ok with them being all over each other right after they got married. Honestly, I was expecting it. But when I got halfway through the book and there was mediocre sex in lieu of a plot? Yeah, it was a bit much.
I really hate to be mean. I wasn’t expecting much, and I was trying so hard to find redeeming qualities, but this was painful to read.
How can someone who claims to love these characters turn them into such caricatures of themselves? Lizzy and Darcy, both known for their stubborn independence, are morphed into pitiful, codependent idiots who panic when they are apart even for a few hours. There is none of the wit and none of the fire that drew them to each other in the first place.
And don’t even get me started on the sex. Good lord. That’s all this book was. Sex and codependency. I was ok with them being all over each other right after they got married. Honestly, I was expecting it. But when I got halfway through the book and there was mediocre sex in lieu of a plot? Yeah, it was a bit much.
I really hate to be mean. I wasn’t expecting much, and I was trying so hard to find redeeming qualities, but this was painful to read.
I have several issues with this book. One major problem for me was that this book is based on the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Hence it is a continuation of an adaptation. I felt like that movie changed the characters quite drastically and left a lot of story out which made this story feel incomplete. I also felt like there wasn't much story to this book. There is very little plot development or character development. Most of the book is focused on Darcy and Elizabeth's passion and love for each other. I wanted to love this book but there just wasn't enough plot and instead of reading a story it was more like reading about a series of events.
I didn't completely finish this. It's fan fiction about Lizzy and Darcy's married life really. It was all right, but I've read better fluff. Just not something that kept my attention long enough.
This was the second book that I read by this author, I loved her book about Darcy's sister and so I wanted to read this one as well. I think that anyone who likes Pride&Prejudice will like this book. It has the same characters, but it is a creative storyline and one where the characters are developed.
Cute at times. But I couldn't force myself to get past around 30 pages. Just too sickeningly sweet for me.
This title never appeared in the library's system, and I intended to read it in a bookstore sometime until I decided a root canal justified an indulgence. For all its reasonable cover, it is pretty much porn. The only thing there's more of than coitus is adverbs. I'm not as deadset against them as, say, Ernest Hemingway or E.B. White, but damn. So the prose was amusingly appalling. So was the story. Except there wasn't a story: no plot, no development, only telling and description, nothing but sex and expenditure.
Aha, a new Jane Austen title: Sex and Expenditure. It's not as good as Taxi and Taxidermy or Cunning and Cunnilingus, but it's pretty good.
I was sure Lathan was a fundy Christian before she declared herself one in the acknowledgments (placed at the end): Darcy's a virgin, his Anglican chapel is staffed by a devotee of John Wesley (who founded Methodism), and Elizabeth refers a possible pregnancy as a "blessing." Although Lathan details, with Jean Auel's thoroughness, the physical acts, and describes her characters as wantonly passionate and uninhibited, she avoids any oral-genital contact, and she calls the fucking "loving," as in, "they loved for hours." Yeah, and for the other 21 hours of the day they didn't love each other? Okay, the Darcys wouldn't use coarse language, but Lathan confuses her own religion with theirs.
It's all tell tell tell, and telling with redundancy, wordiness, misspelling, and bizarre, sloppy, and incorrect grammar. They tell each other they love each other, they fuck, and they buy each other stuff, but Lathan gives them no wit, nobility, devotion, or any other characteristic from their source. Instead she gives the reader morsels such as "Bingley nearly was required to physically restrain me"; "in the short time of their acquaintance"; "pausing momentarily"; "usual wont" (my especial favorite); "free reign"; information having "disseminated" (an intransitive verb since when?); "You are from Hertfordshire, I am taken to understand?"; and "[f:]or the subsequent five days, Lizzy slept interminably." Adverbs and redundancy: "Marguerite calmly turned toward her mistress, her face a study in serene indifference, intoning unemotionally ... (96)." Marguerite is "Madeline" once, but goes back to being a daisy before endangering her appendix.
The usual textual inaccuracies and anachronisms: "Darcy House" in London doesn't have the "flamboyant embellishments" Pemberley has. Darcy's father's name is James. Elizabeth calls Darcy "William." Darcy refers to Lady de Bourgh as "Aunt Catherine" (he does not address her). Darcy does address Georgianna as "Georgie." "Georgie" plays "'Ode to Joy' by Beethoven" at Christmas 1816.
Worst of all, the author wrote a sequel not to the novel but to the cinematization with Keira Knightley. She admits as much, and she refers to Elizabeth's visit to Pemberley and Darcy's second proposal as they happened in that film. In which case I wonder she didn't just film a porno instead of writing one.
Aha, a new Jane Austen title: Sex and Expenditure. It's not as good as Taxi and Taxidermy or Cunning and Cunnilingus, but it's pretty good.
I was sure Lathan was a fundy Christian before she declared herself one in the acknowledgments (placed at the end): Darcy's a virgin, his Anglican chapel is staffed by a devotee of John Wesley (who founded Methodism), and Elizabeth refers a possible pregnancy as a "blessing." Although Lathan details, with Jean Auel's thoroughness, the physical acts, and describes her characters as wantonly passionate and uninhibited, she avoids any oral-genital contact, and she calls the fucking "loving," as in, "they loved for hours." Yeah, and for the other 21 hours of the day they didn't love each other? Okay, the Darcys wouldn't use coarse language, but Lathan confuses her own religion with theirs.
It's all tell tell tell, and telling with redundancy, wordiness, misspelling, and bizarre, sloppy, and incorrect grammar. They tell each other they love each other, they fuck, and they buy each other stuff, but Lathan gives them no wit, nobility, devotion, or any other characteristic from their source. Instead she gives the reader morsels such as "Bingley nearly was required to physically restrain me"; "in the short time of their acquaintance"; "pausing momentarily"; "usual wont" (my especial favorite); "free reign"; information having "disseminated" (an intransitive verb since when?); "You are from Hertfordshire, I am taken to understand?"; and "[f:]or the subsequent five days, Lizzy slept interminably." Adverbs and redundancy: "Marguerite calmly turned toward her mistress, her face a study in serene indifference, intoning unemotionally ... (96)." Marguerite is "Madeline" once, but goes back to being a daisy before endangering her appendix.
The usual textual inaccuracies and anachronisms: "Darcy House" in London doesn't have the "flamboyant embellishments" Pemberley has. Darcy's father's name is James. Elizabeth calls Darcy "William." Darcy refers to Lady de Bourgh as "Aunt Catherine" (he does not address her). Darcy does address Georgianna as "Georgie." "Georgie" plays "'Ode to Joy' by Beethoven" at Christmas 1816.
Worst of all, the author wrote a sequel not to the novel but to the cinematization with Keira Knightley. She admits as much, and she refers to Elizabeth's visit to Pemberley and Darcy's second proposal as they happened in that film. In which case I wonder she didn't just film a porno instead of writing one.