Take a photo of a barcode or cover
9 reviews for:
Dangerous to Know: Jane Austen's Rakes & Gentlemen Rogues
Amy D'Orazio, Katie Oliver, Karen M. Cox
3.63 AVERAGE
9 reviews for:
Dangerous to Know: Jane Austen's Rakes & Gentlemen Rogues
Amy D'Orazio, Katie Oliver, Karen M. Cox
3.63 AVERAGE
katrina_ingram's review against another edition
dnfed after 2 stories, well I didn’t even finish the second story to be fair. I think part of the problem is that I don’t like these rogues and don’t want to hear justification for the way they acted. I think another part of the problem is that the justification is because they were seduced by older women! Maybe the other stories don’t do this and it’s an unfair assessment but I have no inclination to continue and find out. Finally I found the stories I read not quite fitting to my understanding of the world, like Elizabeth and Darcy canoodling in public just didn’t sit right, and then wickhams relationship with Darcy and his father seemed off too. I’m reading another anthology by the same editor and enjoying that one (rational creatures) I just wasn’t taken with this one
lormclor's review against another edition
5.0
This book quickly became one of my favorites. It includes stories by some of my favorite JAFF authors and the others are now included in that list. The LOL moments were plentiful--Col. Fitzwilliam swooning, the beginning of The Art of Sinking about John Thorpe being an echo of Jane's own words about Catherine Moreland-- and the poignant moments that led to these men become rogues or eventually led them from that path were heartfelt. I particularly enjoyed For Mischief's Sake about Henry Tilney and The Last Letter to Mansfield about Henry Crawford, both of which gave much insight into the characters souls. I will read this book again because I'm sure there's much I missed.
Thank you to Christina Boyd for compiling and editing such a wonderful book aboiut our favorite bad boys.
Thank you to Christina Boyd for compiling and editing such a wonderful book aboiut our favorite bad boys.
chrissie57's review
1.0
I read this some time ago but have been debating my review. This is a collection of stories which purports to tell the stories of Austen's bad boys; the stories are uniformly well written although I am a little perplexed by the inclusion of Tom Bertram, who seems headstrong rather than villainous and Colonel Fitzwilliam, who isn't a villain at all (I note that another reviewer says the reason for his inclusion is clear in the story but I am not inclined to find out, sorry) but apart from one very disturbing fact I think this could have been a 4, or even 5, star read for me - I love bad boys which is why I picked this up in the first place.
What completely turned me off this book was that about three quarters of the stories place the blame for the way the men behave on a woman, generally a woman of somewhat easy morals but at least once (Henry Crawford) an actual prostitute (although to be fair the Admiral plays a large part but Crawford is not meant to be stupid). . I was absolutely horrified - what century are we supposed to be living in? Basically the majority of the bad boys are granted absolution because some naughty, naughty girl was nasty to them in their youth. Words.Fail.Me
I will not elucidate further because spoilers but reading these stories all together left me feeling physically rather ill.
What completely turned me off this book was that about three quarters of the stories place the blame for the way the men behave on a woman, generally a woman of somewhat easy morals but at least once (Henry Crawford) an actual prostitute (although to be fair the Admiral plays a large part but Crawford is not meant to be stupid). . I was absolutely horrified - what century are we supposed to be living in? Basically the majority of the bad boys are granted absolution because some naughty, naughty girl was nasty to them in their youth. Words.Fail.Me
I will not elucidate further because spoilers but reading these stories all together left me feeling physically rather ill.
blodeuedd's review
3.0
“Willoughby’s Crossroads” (John Willoughby, Sense and Sensibility) by Joana Starnes
Oh Willoughby, I so saw you there and then you went and made a mess of things. It is a look at what happened before he ever met Marianne, and the choices he made.
“A Wicked Game” (George Wickham, Pride and Prejudice) by Katie Oliver
I actually liked Wickham! He was just a young fool, who later in life made so many mistakes. Poor guy. And then he married Lydia in the end, I mean poor guy will pay for that his entire life.
“Fitzwilliam’s Folly” (Colonel Fitzwilliam, Pride and Prejudice) by Beau North;
Fitzwilliam has a bit of a rep with the ladies, but he is an honorable rake, and here he meets his match
“The Address of a Frenchwoman” (Thomas Bertram, Mansfield Park) by Lona Manning;
MP is the one I have seen the least, or read. I really can not recall anything of Thomas, but I liked how he was here and how he fell in love.
“Last Letter to Mansfield” (Henry Crawford, Mansfield Park) by Brooke West;
Oh Henry, you dug your own grave. I still liked him
“An Honest Man” (Frank Churchill, Emma) by Karen M Cox;
Nope, I will never like Frank. It was not a good thing he did, and here we see how he and Jane fell in love, or lust.
“One Fair Claim” (Sir Walter Elliot, Persuasion) by Christina Morland;
Oh he was such a pompous fool!
“The Lost Chapter in the Life of William Elliot” (William Elliot, Persuasion) by Jenetta James;
I found myself liking him as he fell in love and I felt sorry for him
“As Much as He Can” (General Tilney, Northanger Abbey) by Sophia Rose;
Yes, NA is another one that I do not know that well, but I take it from this that the General was not a good guy ;) But here, awww, I get man, I get it
“The Art of Sinking” (John Thorpe, Northanger Abbey) by J. Marie Croft;
Well this guy is just an idiot. Interesting to hear about, but what a rogue! You had it coming
“For Mischief’s Sake” (Captain Frederick Tilney, Northanger Abbey) by Amy D’Orazio
.THis even had me snorting. At first I was not sure what to make of him, but I guess I get it in a way, and then when he finds love. All is forgiven.
All these rakes and rogues. Some I can not forgive, some are shown in such a good new light here, that I am inclined to forgive them. But they are all interesting to hear about. What made them into rakes and how it shaped their lives.
Narrator
I like his rake voice ;) They sound so very snobbish at times (in a good way) cos it is just so fitting.
Oh Willoughby, I so saw you there and then you went and made a mess of things. It is a look at what happened before he ever met Marianne, and the choices he made.
“A Wicked Game” (George Wickham, Pride and Prejudice) by Katie Oliver
I actually liked Wickham! He was just a young fool, who later in life made so many mistakes. Poor guy. And then he married Lydia in the end, I mean poor guy will pay for that his entire life.
“Fitzwilliam’s Folly” (Colonel Fitzwilliam, Pride and Prejudice) by Beau North;
Fitzwilliam has a bit of a rep with the ladies, but he is an honorable rake, and here he meets his match
“The Address of a Frenchwoman” (Thomas Bertram, Mansfield Park) by Lona Manning;
MP is the one I have seen the least, or read. I really can not recall anything of Thomas, but I liked how he was here and how he fell in love.
“Last Letter to Mansfield” (Henry Crawford, Mansfield Park) by Brooke West;
Oh Henry, you dug your own grave. I still liked him
“An Honest Man” (Frank Churchill, Emma) by Karen M Cox;
Nope, I will never like Frank. It was not a good thing he did, and here we see how he and Jane fell in love, or lust.
“One Fair Claim” (Sir Walter Elliot, Persuasion) by Christina Morland;
Oh he was such a pompous fool!
“The Lost Chapter in the Life of William Elliot” (William Elliot, Persuasion) by Jenetta James;
I found myself liking him as he fell in love and I felt sorry for him
“As Much as He Can” (General Tilney, Northanger Abbey) by Sophia Rose;
Yes, NA is another one that I do not know that well, but I take it from this that the General was not a good guy ;) But here, awww, I get man, I get it
“The Art of Sinking” (John Thorpe, Northanger Abbey) by J. Marie Croft;
Well this guy is just an idiot. Interesting to hear about, but what a rogue! You had it coming
“For Mischief’s Sake” (Captain Frederick Tilney, Northanger Abbey) by Amy D’Orazio
.THis even had me snorting. At first I was not sure what to make of him, but I guess I get it in a way, and then when he finds love. All is forgiven.
All these rakes and rogues. Some I can not forgive, some are shown in such a good new light here, that I am inclined to forgive them. But they are all interesting to hear about. What made them into rakes and how it shaped their lives.
Narrator
I like his rake voice ;) They sound so very snobbish at times (in a good way) cos it is just so fitting.
sophiarose1816's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
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? Yes
For my re-read, I experienced Dangerous to Know in audio format. See to the end for my added thoughts on the audio work.
It can be a gamble to take as one's protagonist a man who has demonstrated by word and action that he has incredible flaws and compel readers to give him a hearing and dare I say, a sympathetic ear? Not to condone his actions, but to understand what lead him to his place in the present.
Well, that was what was accomplished here with some of literature's most infamous antagonists and villains. These authors, who shared this book with me, proved their intuitiveness and insightful-ness and share a bit of the old Pied Piper's magic to make some of the men I have most reviled since I read their stories into men who have shades of gray, though yes, several shade more to black, I will grant you.
As with any anthology written by a group of writers, there is a smorgasbord of writing style, tone, and situation to keep this book fresh with each new story encountered. Authors took a few approaches with their rake or rogue. I found myself sad and a little sympathetic at times, twitchy to smack a few for their idiot choices (the rogue, not the author), and whew, giggle snort my way through one story.
Most of the time, these stories showed that it really came down to choice and the level of strength in their characters to stand firm regardless of past or present circumstances though, yeah, most failed (which I suppose is what separates them from their counterparts, the heroes).
Some of these men chose the wrong path, let their past circumstances govern them, or willfully stepped out to take what they wished. Some were redeemed or were misunderstood offering a few warm fuzzies in this gallery of rogues and rakes, but I also applauded the choice of many authors who left them just as they seemed in Jane Austen's novels.
Love and respect for Austen's work shines forth in each story.
I think that part is what made me wholly appreciate the writing and the stories all the more.
True confession, though, this was not a book that I could read cover to cover in one or two sittings. I chose to appreciate it at a more gentle pace with a few stories each day. I think they resonated better with me as a result.
I was not disappointed by a single one and in a few cases was startled in the 'hey, it really could have happened that way' or 'no, no, no, Sophia, no swooning over the bad boy'.
As to the other lovely features of this book- the forward, the heat scale, the mini character bios, quotes, editing and formatting,cover, and even the order of the stories based on what were the original order their particular associated Austen novel was released- I felt it was a book to be perused with great appreciation and leisure by fans of Austen's works or those who find character sketches and short stories are quite their thing.
<b>Audio Edition thoughts </b>
They say lightning doesn't strike twice in the same spot. Now, I have no idea if that is scientific fact or not. However, I was really hoping it was true when I experienced the second of the Quill Ink anthologies in audio. New narrator, Andre Refig, steps in to take the reins of this second anthology and it was with curiosity and anticipation having never experienced his narrative work before that I put in my earbuds. How would Austen's rakes and rogues and dubious gentlemen fare? From the first words of Joana Starne's Willoughby's Crossroads to the last of Amy D'Orazio's For Mischief's Sake, I was enchanted by Refig's masterful way of bringing each story to life and giving them nuances that weren't always evident in merely reading the words to myself. I felt more engaged with the emotional side of the stories. I suppose I should say that he did well with the technical aspects of accents, voices, genders, tone, and timing, too. Yes, all and all this second outing with the book in audio format was thoroughly enjoyable. </b>
And, one more thing, as Detective Colombo would say. I'm not rating or doing more than sharing my thoughts here because yes, I'm a little too closely associated with the book for more than that and my bias might have poked out a few times. ;)
It can be a gamble to take as one's protagonist a man who has demonstrated by word and action that he has incredible flaws and compel readers to give him a hearing and dare I say, a sympathetic ear? Not to condone his actions, but to understand what lead him to his place in the present.
Well, that was what was accomplished here with some of literature's most infamous antagonists and villains. These authors, who shared this book with me, proved their intuitiveness and insightful-ness and share a bit of the old Pied Piper's magic to make some of the men I have most reviled since I read their stories into men who have shades of gray, though yes, several shade more to black, I will grant you.
As with any anthology written by a group of writers, there is a smorgasbord of writing style, tone, and situation to keep this book fresh with each new story encountered. Authors took a few approaches with their rake or rogue. I found myself sad and a little sympathetic at times, twitchy to smack a few for their idiot choices (the rogue, not the author), and whew, giggle snort my way through one story.
Most of the time, these stories showed that it really came down to choice and the level of strength in their characters to stand firm regardless of past or present circumstances though, yeah, most failed (which I suppose is what separates them from their counterparts, the heroes).
Some of these men chose the wrong path, let their past circumstances govern them, or willfully stepped out to take what they wished. Some were redeemed or were misunderstood offering a few warm fuzzies in this gallery of rogues and rakes, but I also applauded the choice of many authors who left them just as they seemed in Jane Austen's novels.
Love and respect for Austen's work shines forth in each story.
I think that part is what made me wholly appreciate the writing and the stories all the more.
True confession, though, this was not a book that I could read cover to cover in one or two sittings. I chose to appreciate it at a more gentle pace with a few stories each day. I think they resonated better with me as a result.
I was not disappointed by a single one and in a few cases was startled in the 'hey, it really could have happened that way' or 'no, no, no, Sophia, no swooning over the bad boy'.
As to the other lovely features of this book- the forward, the heat scale, the mini character bios, quotes, editing and formatting,cover, and even the order of the stories based on what were the original order their particular associated Austen novel was released- I felt it was a book to be perused with great appreciation and leisure by fans of Austen's works or those who find character sketches and short stories are quite their thing.
<b>Audio Edition thoughts </b>
They say lightning doesn't strike twice in the same spot. Now, I have no idea if that is scientific fact or not. However, I was really hoping it was true when I experienced the second of the Quill Ink anthologies in audio. New narrator, Andre Refig, steps in to take the reins of this second anthology and it was with curiosity and anticipation having never experienced his narrative work before that I put in my earbuds. How would Austen's rakes and rogues and dubious gentlemen fare? From the first words of Joana Starne's Willoughby's Crossroads to the last of Amy D'Orazio's For Mischief's Sake, I was enchanted by Refig's masterful way of bringing each story to life and giving them nuances that weren't always evident in merely reading the words to myself. I felt more engaged with the emotional side of the stories. I suppose I should say that he did well with the technical aspects of accents, voices, genders, tone, and timing, too. Yes, all and all this second outing with the book in audio format was thoroughly enjoyable. </b>
And, one more thing, as Detective Colombo would say. I'm not rating or doing more than sharing my thoughts here because yes, I'm a little too closely associated with the book for more than that and my bias might have poked out a few times. ;)
samhend101's review
4.0
Very clever segments of Austen's big baddies. My favorite was General Tilney surprisingly enough.
Excellent audiobook!
Excellent audiobook!
princessleia4life's review
5.0
Was fantastic! I loved how each writer told their story. It was amazing and I couldn’t put it down.
vesper1931's review against another edition
3.0
Some enjoyable stories about the rakes and rogues that have been created by Jane Austen, tales of their pasts and possible futures and can any of them be redeemed.
kristin's review against another edition
3.0
WILLOUGHBY’S CROSSROADS Joana Starnes
3.5 stars
Willoughby
Interesting to see his first love + why he treated Marianne the way he did.
A WICKED GAME Katie Oliver
3.5 stars
Wickham
starts after P and P, with wickham fighting in Spain and reflecting on his life.
FITZWILLIAM’S FOLLY Beau North
5 stars
Colonel Fitzwilliam
An American heiress needs Fitzwilliam to help her shake off an .5 admirer.
THE ADDRESS OF A FRENCHWOMAN Lona Manning
DNF
Thomas Bertram
Written in TB's POV, incredibly annoying.
LAST LETTER TO MANSFIELD Brooke West
3 stars
Henry Crawford
Henry writes to fanny trying to explain himself.
AN HONEST MAN Karen M Cox
3 stars
Frank Churchill
Frank explains his and Jane Fairfax's relationship.
ONE FAIR CLAIM Christina Morland
3.5 stars
Sir Walter Elliot
The marriage of sir Walter and lady Elliot
THE LOST CHAPTER IN THE LIFE OF WILLIAM ELLIOT Jenetta James
DNF
William Elliot
Boring
AS MUCH AS HE CAN Sophia Rose
4 stars
General Tilney
During a garden party, after the end of Northanger Abbey, Tilney remembers how he and his wife met.
THE ART OF SINKING J. Marie Croft
3 stars
John Thorpe
The story of his life up until the point he meets Catherine.
FOR MISCHIEF’S SAKE Amy D’Orazio
DNF
Captain Tilney
Tilney fights a duel.
3.5 stars
Willoughby
Interesting to see his first love + why he treated Marianne the way he did.
A WICKED GAME Katie Oliver
3.5 stars
Wickham
starts after P and P, with wickham fighting in Spain and reflecting on his life.
FITZWILLIAM’S FOLLY Beau North
5 stars
Colonel Fitzwilliam
An American heiress needs Fitzwilliam to help her shake off an .5 admirer.
THE ADDRESS OF A FRENCHWOMAN Lona Manning
DNF
Thomas Bertram
Written in TB's POV, incredibly annoying.
LAST LETTER TO MANSFIELD Brooke West
3 stars
Henry Crawford
Henry writes to fanny trying to explain himself.
AN HONEST MAN Karen M Cox
3 stars
Frank Churchill
Frank explains his and Jane Fairfax's relationship.
ONE FAIR CLAIM Christina Morland
3.5 stars
Sir Walter Elliot
The marriage of sir Walter and lady Elliot
THE LOST CHAPTER IN THE LIFE OF WILLIAM ELLIOT Jenetta James
DNF
William Elliot
Boring
AS MUCH AS HE CAN Sophia Rose
4 stars
General Tilney
During a garden party, after the end of Northanger Abbey, Tilney remembers how he and his wife met.
THE ART OF SINKING J. Marie Croft
3 stars
John Thorpe
The story of his life up until the point he meets Catherine.
FOR MISCHIEF’S SAKE Amy D’Orazio
DNF
Captain Tilney
Tilney fights a duel.