Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
3.5 stars, really. I wanted to love this book, and I did for maybe the first half. It's like Pride & Prejudice meets Gosford Park with a little Downton Abbey thrown in. But then I hit the problem. SPOILERS AHEAD. I love Jane Austen and P&P especially. I would totally agree that Wickham is a conniving asshole. But a pedophile? Now you have just gone and messed with P&P too damn much. I can't unsee that. That is a literary no-fly zone for me, so the whole backstory of the war and the kids and Wickham and Polly, just ugh. No thank you. And then the ending wasn't exactly satisfying either. I mean, it is a happy ending, James and Sarah find each other. But I just didn't have a happy, satisfied feeling when I finished. I need to find something fluffy to read to cheer me up ASAP.
In this 200th anniversary year of the publication of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, a new book by Jo Baker called Longbourn is getting a lot of attention. Longbourn is the Bennet family estate, home to Elizabeth, the future Mrs. Darcy.
Longbourn takes place at the same time as the events of Pride & Prejudice, only the focus is on the Bennet family servants. Mrs. Hill is the housekeeper, Mr. Hill the butler, and Sarah and Polly the two maids. The point is made that Polly is really named Mary, but since there is a Bennet daughter named Mary, the maid must be called by another name. The book stresses how different life is for the servants than it is for the family. In Pride & Prejudice, we are made keenly aware that the Bennets do not have a lot of extra money to maintain their estate, but in Longbourn we see how much more work this means for the family servants.
Elizabeth’s youthful high spirits and hardiness are demonstrated by her walk to Netherfield from Longbourn without any regard for her petticoats; in Longbourn we understand the extra work those high spirits cause for the maids who must clean the petticoats. The author does not hold back regarding any of the unpleasant tasks of the day, whether emptying chamber pots or washing the “monthly napkins.”
Longbourn does not read like a Jane Austen novel, although the details about dress and manners are there. It reads like a modern novel written about that time period, rather than a book written at that time. Things happen and are described that would never be present in an Austen novel. I found Longbourn very slow starting; it did not really catch my attention until well into the book. I kept at it because the book is getting so much buzz and because of my affection for Pride & Prejudice.
In addition to the many historical details about what it was like to be a servant during the time of Pride & Prejudice, the plot revolves around Sarah, the housemaid. She is interested in Ptolemy, a footman for the Bingleys, but also shares a high level of awareness with the Bennet family’s mysterious new manservant James.
I understand a movie is already in the works, and I think Longbourn could be a terrific movie, condensed and focused on the most interesting parts. It’s not a bad book, but in the end, my favorite parts were the times we got to see glimpses of the beloved characters from Pride & Prejudice. I might have enjoyed rereading P&P a lot more. Still, many Jane Austen fans will enjoy reading Longbourn.
*spoiler*
Near the end, due to certain circumstances, Sarah is now serving at Pemberley and the man she is in love with has disappeared. When Sarah finds out he has been seen with a troop of road engineers, she leaves her position and goes out to wander about until she finds him. She is not robbed, she is not raped, and somehow she manages to feed herself. I found this totally unbelievable. There had to be a less dramatic, more plausible way to get the two lovers back together by the end.
Longbourn takes place at the same time as the events of Pride & Prejudice, only the focus is on the Bennet family servants. Mrs. Hill is the housekeeper, Mr. Hill the butler, and Sarah and Polly the two maids. The point is made that Polly is really named Mary, but since there is a Bennet daughter named Mary, the maid must be called by another name. The book stresses how different life is for the servants than it is for the family. In Pride & Prejudice, we are made keenly aware that the Bennets do not have a lot of extra money to maintain their estate, but in Longbourn we see how much more work this means for the family servants.
Elizabeth’s youthful high spirits and hardiness are demonstrated by her walk to Netherfield from Longbourn without any regard for her petticoats; in Longbourn we understand the extra work those high spirits cause for the maids who must clean the petticoats. The author does not hold back regarding any of the unpleasant tasks of the day, whether emptying chamber pots or washing the “monthly napkins.”
Longbourn does not read like a Jane Austen novel, although the details about dress and manners are there. It reads like a modern novel written about that time period, rather than a book written at that time. Things happen and are described that would never be present in an Austen novel. I found Longbourn very slow starting; it did not really catch my attention until well into the book. I kept at it because the book is getting so much buzz and because of my affection for Pride & Prejudice.
In addition to the many historical details about what it was like to be a servant during the time of Pride & Prejudice, the plot revolves around Sarah, the housemaid. She is interested in Ptolemy, a footman for the Bingleys, but also shares a high level of awareness with the Bennet family’s mysterious new manservant James.
I understand a movie is already in the works, and I think Longbourn could be a terrific movie, condensed and focused on the most interesting parts. It’s not a bad book, but in the end, my favorite parts were the times we got to see glimpses of the beloved characters from Pride & Prejudice. I might have enjoyed rereading P&P a lot more. Still, many Jane Austen fans will enjoy reading Longbourn.
*spoiler*
Near the end, due to certain circumstances, Sarah is now serving at Pemberley and the man she is in love with has disappeared. When Sarah finds out he has been seen with a troop of road engineers, she leaves her position and goes out to wander about until she finds him. She is not robbed, she is not raped, and somehow she manages to feed herself. I found this totally unbelievable. There had to be a less dramatic, more plausible way to get the two lovers back together by the end.
Generally, I'm not a fan of Austen spin-offs. I find they too often try (and fail) to imitate Jane Austen's unique narrative voice and style, and it grates on me. Jo Baker doesn't fall into that trap: her Longbourn is instead a pretty conventional historical novel, with Pride and Prejudice characters occassionally popping up.
The writing style is like one would expect of a modern historical novel, and the plot mostly is too. Added bonuses are the inclusion of characters of colour and the LGBT persuasion.
I can imagine Longbourn doesn't work for everyone - if you expect to swoon over Mr Darcy from another angle, or find some more of Austen's delightful wit, you'll likely end up disappointed. But me, I like a good historical novel, and I like the familiar setting, so it worked very well for me.
The writing style is like one would expect of a modern historical novel, and the plot mostly is too. Added bonuses are the inclusion of characters of colour and the LGBT persuasion.
I can imagine Longbourn doesn't work for everyone - if you expect to swoon over Mr Darcy from another angle, or find some more of Austen's delightful wit, you'll likely end up disappointed. But me, I like a good historical novel, and I like the familiar setting, so it worked very well for me.
Enjoyed the book. Good premise and interesting to see a servants insecure life in those times. Didn't warm to any of the characters though.
I enjoyed it and not really because of the P and P connection but because it shows how the upstairs and downstairs worlds exist next to each other and do not in essence really meet. The limitations to the lives of women, the social rules, the cruelty of war, the problem of cutting out a life of your own whether living upstairs or downstairs, and the role of love when it gets a chance, I liked the way all these aspects were part of the story, and a story well-told
I’ll never be able to read Pride & Prejudice without reading this along with it. Thoughtful. Clever. Extraordinary.
I absolutely lovely the first 2/3 of this book and raced through it. The end was good... but the beginning is just brilliant. The odd swear word seemed a little out of place, specially in the beginning. I'm not sure what they added to the story or feel of the book.
On the whole I loved it, and I definitely recommend it. I'll be hanging onto it and can see myself re-reading.
On the whole I loved it, and I definitely recommend it. I'll be hanging onto it and can see myself re-reading.
hopeful
informative
relaxing
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
This was a fun read. I think some portions were a bit overlong, and the first 50 pages or so was so slow I almost didn't stick with it, but I'm glad I did. I will love Pride and Prejudice forever, but whenever I read it, or any of Austen's others, I always wonder what the servants must think of all their employers' silly fuss. This book satisfied that curiosity, and parts of it were really very sweet.