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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I thought this would be pure fluff, but I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of the characters and story. Not a perfect book, but very enjoyable.
Read for 52 Book Club Challenge #18 Jane Austen inspired. Pride & Prejudice is one of my favourite all-time reads - a book that I regularly re-read. Telling the story of Longbourn from the servants' POV adds a real depth to P&P. Behind the balls, romance and intrigue are an army of servants, washing out the mud and blood and keeping everything upstairs going. Jo Baker gives them compelling lives and stories of their own and shows the impact that Mr Bennett's entail has on the security of his whole household. And like The Other Bennett Girl, it also rescues the characters of Mary and Mr Collins. A recommended read for Janeites everywhere and anyone who enjoys well-researched historical fiction.
#the52bookclub2022
#the52bookclub2022
Didn't realise how much I loved P&P until I read this and watched Jo Baker destroy all the characters.
So fun. If you are a fan of Austen or P&P, I recommend.
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Many of the reviews already posted here on GoodReads have spelled out the things that I didn't care for about this book, as well as the things that I did. I disliked the constant reminders of the dirtier parts of eighteenth-century servants' lives. Yes, it was a difficult life for someone, but the constant reminders of chamberpots, menstruation, etc. got a bit jarring. One or two mentions would have been more than enough.
That said, there were some moments that I enjoyed. Mrs. Hill's relief over Mr. Collins choosing Charlotte Lucas as his wife coupled with her sadness over Mary Bennet's heartache from being overlooked yet again, the look into James' life before he came to Longbourn and his time as a soldier are just a few that were rather interesting. Many readers of Pride & Prejudice have commented over the years that Mary and Mr. Collins would have made a good match, but I tend to think that Jane Austen forbore to go that route because as tedious and irritating as Mary could sometimes be, she didn't deserve to have to deal with Mr. Collins for the rest of her life. Charlotte Lucas went into her marriage with her eyes wide open, which Mary probably wouldn't have in the same position.
Most readers have liked the main protagonist, Sarah, but I just couldn't get behind her as a reader. She just didn't speak to me, and I found myself more interested in characters like Mrs. Hill and James. They were far more intriguing to me.
That said, there were some moments that I enjoyed. Mrs. Hill's relief over Mr. Collins choosing Charlotte Lucas as his wife coupled with her sadness over Mary Bennet's heartache from being overlooked yet again, the look into James' life before he came to Longbourn and his time as a soldier are just a few that were rather interesting. Many readers of Pride & Prejudice have commented over the years that Mary and Mr. Collins would have made a good match, but I tend to think that Jane Austen forbore to go that route because as tedious and irritating as Mary could sometimes be, she didn't deserve to have to deal with Mr. Collins for the rest of her life. Charlotte Lucas went into her marriage with her eyes wide open, which Mary probably wouldn't have in the same position.
Most readers have liked the main protagonist, Sarah, but I just couldn't get behind her as a reader. She just didn't speak to me, and I found myself more interested in characters like Mrs. Hill and James. They were far more intriguing to me.