Scan barcode
booksofjj's review against another edition
2.0
Not as good as The Other Bennett Sister. Did far too many changes to the characteristics of the characters for my liking.
alex_k99's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I quite enjoyed the language and overall plot of the book, and I find that Moffett imitates Austen's style quite well. But I do have some qualms with how sinti and roma are talked about, most importantly the use of the g-slur on multiple occasions and the reproduction of harmful stereotypes made me very uncomfortable. While this may reflect views the characters and Austen herself might have had, it does not have a place in a novel published in 2020. Especially because this sideplot could have easily been replaced with something less insulting. While I don't really recommend the book itself, I did find the audiobook to be very enjoyable and really like the narrator's voice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Infidelity
Moderate: Racism, Terminal illness, and Child death
Minor: Miscarriage, Vomit, and Pregnancy
catelam's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
roisinmarie_'s review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
One of my favourite ‘Classic’ books is Pride and Prejudice, and I loved being back in that world whilst reading this book. This book follows the character of Charlotte Lucas, who then becomes Charlotte Collins. In the original, Charlotte is the best friend of Elizabeth Darcy/Bennett, and is mostly referred to as the unlucky plain woman who will inevitably become an old maid. She then surprises everyone by announcing an engagement with Mr Collins, the Bennett’s cousin who was spurned by Elizabeth.
This book gives new life to the character of Charlotte. This book is predominantly set seven years after Pride and Prejudice, where Charlotte’s third child and only son has recently died, after fighting illness throughout his three years of life. This book details the process of grief devastatingly accurately but also beautifully and I think gives credit to grieving tmothers and fathers. It was very emotional to read at times so I can only imagine how this would affect grieving parents but I think it is a realistic display of the difficult and long process of grief. We also, in the form of Charlotte retelling her story to a third party, see her point of view of her growing up and her view of herself. She managed to almost mastermind her way into becoming Mrs Collins, with her realising that he was maybe her only option. I admire her spirit and her being able to find pleasure in a seemingly simple life. She isn’t in love with Mr Collins, but there is love, comfort and familiarity in their life and history together.
However, I was slightly shocked but riveted by her affair with Herr Jacob Rosenstein and I think that their relationship was so passionate and loving that it made total sense to me. I found myself wishing she could divorce Mr Collins and marrying Jacob, but obviously in the early 1800s it wasn’t to be. I was happy reading the epilogue and seeing how Charlotte’s life had come to be and that her family had grown in size, love and station with the help of Anne de-Bourgh. This book shows the perspective of women in regards to children - how difficult it can be to become mothers, how difficult it can be to not become mothers, the choices you have to make when parenting boys and girls, and all that womanhood entails. This book mostly focuses on women’s decisions and it is focused more on character than plot, but if you like Pride and Prejudice, I recommend this book as I think every woman will see a bit of themselves in Charlotte’s character.
This book gives new life to the character of Charlotte. This book is predominantly set seven years after Pride and Prejudice, where Charlotte’s third child and only son has recently died, after fighting illness throughout his three years of life. This book details the process of grief devastatingly accurately but also beautifully and I think gives credit to grieving tmothers and fathers. It was very emotional to read at times so I can only imagine how this would affect grieving parents but I think it is a realistic display of the difficult and long process of grief. We also, in the form of Charlotte retelling her story to a third party, see her point of view of her growing up and her view of herself. She managed to almost mastermind her way into becoming Mrs Collins, with her realising that he was maybe her only option. I admire her spirit and her being able to find pleasure in a seemingly simple life. She isn’t in love with Mr Collins, but there is love, comfort and familiarity in their life and history together.
However, I was slightly shocked but riveted by her affair with Herr Jacob Rosenstein and I think that their relationship was so passionate and loving that it made total sense to me. I found myself wishing she could divorce Mr Collins and marrying Jacob, but obviously in the early 1800s it wasn’t to be. I was happy reading the epilogue and seeing how Charlotte’s life had come to be and that her family had grown in size, love and station with the help of Anne de-Bourgh. This book shows the perspective of women in regards to children - how difficult it can be to become mothers, how difficult it can be to not become mothers, the choices you have to make when parenting boys and girls, and all that womanhood entails. This book mostly focuses on women’s decisions and it is focused more on character than plot, but if you like Pride and Prejudice, I recommend this book as I think every woman will see a bit of themselves in Charlotte’s character.
alba_marie's review against another edition
4.0
{4.5 stars}
“[Anne de Burgh] lived in comfort and even splendour. For as long as she lived, the handsome roof over her head was secure. She need never fear deprivation or something worse …As much as anyone who lived under Lady Catherine’s way was able, she had only herself to please. Why would any woman fortunate enough to find herself in these circumstances expose herself to the risks, the haphazard lottery of marriage?”
Charlotte was a decent retelling (or rather expansion) of the Pride & Prejudice storylines. In this book, Charlotte has been married for 6-7 years. She has just buried her son, and travels to Pemberley to share her grief with Elizabeth, who has had yet another miscarriage. Through this visit, we see her relate her life and her reasons for marrying Mr Collins, becoming a wife, and later a mother, as well as grieving for her son. We also see her burgeoning friendship with Anne de Burgh, who in this book is awesome. There's no other way to say it. (In some ways, I almost wanted the book to be about Anne, or at least this version of Anne, rather than Charlotte, but the book was still fulfilling).
In the Afterward, Helen Moffat says has always been fascinated by the character of Charlotte Lucas, and she was inspired to write her tale on the basis of "What if Charlotte had overheard the rude and injurious things Mrs Bennet said about her to the Bingleys and Mr Darcy on the infamous Bennet visit to Netherfield Park after Jane falls ill?" It's not something I've ever really thought about, and truth be told, Charlotte has often felt a bit more like a plot device than anything else. Though I remember reading the book for the first time as a girl being at first bewildered by Charlotte's choices, and later starting understand, going as far as to say that I might have done the same thing in her place.
Charlotte grows into her new life and her new roles, and slowly is able to (finally!) take control of her own destiny, securing a future for her daughters Sarah and Laura, developing a meaningful friendship with Anne de Burgh, keeping her close friendship with Lizzy, as well as finding love and even appreciating sex ;)
This is my second P&P retelling of 2021 - the first was Janice Hadlow's brilliant The Other Bennet Sister, which focuses on Mary Bennet. Though her debut novel, Hadlow has an impressing way with words that successfully mirrors an original Austen book and I found her story utterly entrancing. Charlottewas good too - but slightly less stunning.
Let's talk about Anne. She was SO unexpected. She is a minor character in the original, a plot point, a mere hinderance to Elizabeth and Mr Darcy. In here, she is a fully fledged - and awesome - woman with a life, fears and dreams. Though wealthy, she too must make difficult choices - to marry, and gain security, but lose all access to her own money? Or to become an old maid - alone, but in control of her fortune and life? She also does some unusual things that were a little out of place for the original P&P. At first I found it a little jarring, but by the end, it was refreshing.
One thing I find interesting - Charlotte is surprisingly 'woke' for the time period. In some ways, you can tell that this was written in the 21st century. Not that the things that happen in he book wouldn't have happened then - just that they might not have been recorded in a novel meant for the middle class Regency era women. Charlotte visits gypsy camp and doesn’t seem concerned, she is surprised at meeting a Jewish man, but is overall very welcoming towards him. She is aware of the limitations put on her as a woman and mentions this repeatedly (did women really discuss this? Or was it just accepted as "well, it is what it is..."). Anne dresses in men’s clothing and gallivants across the countryside and while Charlotte is surprised at that, she ultimately just kind of shrugs it off. Maybe eccentricity in the rich was something that people of the time just raised their eyebrows and shrugged off?
The last thing that bothered me a little in the first quarter of the book was that Charlotte had a steady internal monologue going but says very little of what she is thinking - which is a little strange then that people keep coming over to her and spilling their deepest fears/secrets/wishes - particularly Anne, Elizabeth, even the gypsy woman. She had so much to say - we heard it! - but no one else did. I think this may have been done on purpose though - she feels liberated in telling her story to Jakob the musician at Pemberley.
I loved the end when she stood up to Lady Catherine and was actually able to get one over on her! Similar to Elizabeth in P&P, Charlotte is able to get what she wants i.e. by exploiting a flaw in Lady Catherine's worldview (ie an heir to Pemberley).
Some comments about the audiobook: The voice used for Elizabeth really annoys me - she sounds like she’s about to laughable the time - even when she’s discussing serious matters like miscarriages and marriage and death. It’s weird and so un-Elizabeth-like. Also, Charlotte keeps calling her ‘Eliza” but in P&P, she was always “Lizzy” - maybe I'm wrong, but to me, Eliza doesn’t suit her!!
“[Anne de Burgh] lived in comfort and even splendour. For as long as she lived, the handsome roof over her head was secure. She need never fear deprivation or something worse …As much as anyone who lived under Lady Catherine’s way was able, she had only herself to please. Why would any woman fortunate enough to find herself in these circumstances expose herself to the risks, the haphazard lottery of marriage?”
Charlotte was a decent retelling (or rather expansion) of the Pride & Prejudice storylines. In this book, Charlotte has been married for 6-7 years. She has just buried her son, and travels to Pemberley to share her grief with Elizabeth, who has had yet another miscarriage. Through this visit, we see her relate her life and her reasons for marrying Mr Collins, becoming a wife, and later a mother, as well as grieving for her son. We also see her burgeoning friendship with Anne de Burgh, who in this book is awesome. There's no other way to say it. (In some ways, I almost wanted the book to be about Anne, or at least this version of Anne, rather than Charlotte, but the book was still fulfilling).
In the Afterward, Helen Moffat says has always been fascinated by the character of Charlotte Lucas, and she was inspired to write her tale on the basis of "What if Charlotte had overheard the rude and injurious things Mrs Bennet said about her to the Bingleys and Mr Darcy on the infamous Bennet visit to Netherfield Park after Jane falls ill?" It's not something I've ever really thought about, and truth be told, Charlotte has often felt a bit more like a plot device than anything else. Though I remember reading the book for the first time as a girl being at first bewildered by Charlotte's choices, and later starting understand, going as far as to say that I might have done the same thing in her place.
Charlotte grows into her new life and her new roles, and slowly is able to (finally!) take control of her own destiny, securing a future for her daughters Sarah and Laura, developing a meaningful friendship with Anne de Burgh, keeping her close friendship with Lizzy, as well as finding love and even appreciating sex ;)
This is my second P&P retelling of 2021 - the first was Janice Hadlow's brilliant The Other Bennet Sister, which focuses on Mary Bennet. Though her debut novel, Hadlow has an impressing way with words that successfully mirrors an original Austen book and I found her story utterly entrancing. Charlottewas good too - but slightly less stunning.
Let's talk about Anne. She was SO unexpected. She is a minor character in the original, a plot point, a mere hinderance to Elizabeth and Mr Darcy. In here, she is a fully fledged - and awesome - woman with a life, fears and dreams. Though wealthy, she too must make difficult choices - to marry, and gain security, but lose all access to her own money? Or to become an old maid - alone, but in control of her fortune and life? She also does some unusual things that were a little out of place for the original P&P. At first I found it a little jarring, but by the end, it was refreshing
Spoiler
such as dressing in men's clothes and riding out at night, befriending the gypsies, running away several times while in France, and choosing to foster/adopt Charlotte's son as heir of Rosings. I admit, the one thing I wanted was for Charlotte to be Anne's companion for her next trip abroad, and I don't think that happened, or at least it wasn't super clear. But I'd like to think they did go abroad, maybe with the kids they are sort of co-parenting.One thing I find interesting - Charlotte is surprisingly 'woke' for the time period. In some ways, you can tell that this was written in the 21st century. Not that the things that happen in he book wouldn't have happened then - just that they might not have been recorded in a novel meant for the middle class Regency era women. Charlotte visits gypsy camp and doesn’t seem concerned, she is surprised at meeting a Jewish man, but is overall very welcoming towards him. She is aware of the limitations put on her as a woman and mentions this repeatedly (did women really discuss this? Or was it just accepted as "well, it is what it is..."). Anne dresses in men’s clothing and gallivants across the countryside and while Charlotte is surprised at that, she ultimately just kind of shrugs it off. Maybe eccentricity in the rich was something that people of the time just raised their eyebrows and shrugged off?
Spoiler
the sex scene at the end would also fall into this category. Of course it happened but would never have appeared in a like book from this time!The last thing that bothered me a little in the first quarter of the book was that Charlotte had a steady internal monologue going but says very little of what she is thinking - which is a little strange then that people keep coming over to her and spilling their deepest fears/secrets/wishes - particularly Anne, Elizabeth, even the gypsy woman. She had so much to say - we heard it! - but no one else did. I think this may have been done on purpose though - she feels liberated in telling her story to Jakob the musician at Pemberley.
I loved the end when she stood up to Lady Catherine and was actually able to get one over on her! Similar to Elizabeth in P&P, Charlotte is able to get what she wants i.e.
Spoiler
staying in the Rosings parish instead of taking over LongbournSome comments about the audiobook: The voice used for Elizabeth really annoys me - she sounds like she’s about to laughable the time - even when she’s discussing serious matters like miscarriages and marriage and death. It’s weird and so un-Elizabeth-like. Also, Charlotte keeps calling her ‘Eliza” but in P&P, she was always “Lizzy” - maybe I'm wrong, but to me, Eliza doesn’t suit her!!
friedatweehuysen's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Well, I'm definitely going to have to read Pride and prejudice again (although this makes me wonder if I actually ever did read it...).
This was delightful, so soothing. Not that there wasn't high emotion but that life was slower and, if you were at least comfortably off, it was somewhat enviable. I don't want that whole thing because some things are much better now and I am not sure how I would feel dealing with some of the more uncomfortable issues.
I definitely want to find out more about this bacon safe.
A pleasure to read.
This was delightful, so soothing. Not that there wasn't high emotion but that life was slower and, if you were at least comfortably off, it was somewhat enviable. I don't want that whole thing because some things are much better now and I am not sure how I would feel dealing with some of the more uncomfortable issues.
I definitely want to find out more about this bacon safe.
A pleasure to read.
shelleyrae's review against another edition
5.0
I have to confess that Pride and Prejudice was always one of my least favourite Jane Austen novels, until that is I watched the 2005 movie adaptation, which I adore. Since then I’ve read only a few of what must be hundreds of retellings/sequels/reimaginings/modern adaptions of the novels, of which Charlotte is one.
Helen Moffett takes a unique approach to the canon by placing Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth Darcy’s (née Bennett) friend, at the heart of her own story. It begins several years after Charlotte’s marriage to the Bennett’s cousin, Reverend Collins, with the tragic death of their third child and only son, Thomas. His death, and a visit to Pemberley, results in Charlotte contemplating the decision she made to marry Mr Collins, and the vulnerability of her own two young daughters to a fate decided by men.
In many respects, the Charlotte Moffett portrays is just as I imagined she might be, a kind and capable woman with the respect of her community, a loyal wife, and a wonderful mother. Marrying Mr Collins my have been a compromise, but she has made peace with the decision, and has created a life she generally finds satisfying., until the death of her son disturbs her equilibrium.
A months long visit to Pemberley with her girls, to stay with Elizabeth at the behest of a worried Mr Darcy in his absence, gives Charlotte time to mourn. Moffett also uses this opportunity to introduce a new character, an Austrian musician and piano tuner, Jacob Rosenstein, who prompts Charlotte to imagine a different fate for herself.
As in Austen’s novels, there is a strong feminist element at play, exploring the lack of agency women experience, their futures determined at the whim of their fathers, brothers, and husbands. While Charlotte acknowledges a semblance of luck in marrying Mr Collins, whose faults do not extend to excessive drinking or violence, she still resents that she had no real alternative, and doesn’t want her daughters to suffer similarly.
Readers familiar with Jane Austen’s oeuvre will appreciate Moffett’s references to other works, as well as glimpses of an imagined fate for many of the characters from Pride and Prejudice, none more surprising perhaps than of Anne De Bourgh. Purists may be upset by some of the liberties Moffett takes, but I happily embraced them all.
I found the writing to be lovely, in keeping with Austen’s own prose, though not quite as stiff. There is a lot of emotion in this story which I think Moffett communicates beautifully from Charlotte’s journey through grief, to her discovery of passion.
Moving, bright, and charming, I was captivated by Charlotte, and happily recommend it.
Helen Moffett takes a unique approach to the canon by placing Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth Darcy’s (née Bennett) friend, at the heart of her own story. It begins several years after Charlotte’s marriage to the Bennett’s cousin, Reverend Collins, with the tragic death of their third child and only son, Thomas. His death, and a visit to Pemberley, results in Charlotte contemplating the decision she made to marry Mr Collins, and the vulnerability of her own two young daughters to a fate decided by men.
In many respects, the Charlotte Moffett portrays is just as I imagined she might be, a kind and capable woman with the respect of her community, a loyal wife, and a wonderful mother. Marrying Mr Collins my have been a compromise, but she has made peace with the decision, and has created a life she generally finds satisfying., until the death of her son disturbs her equilibrium.
A months long visit to Pemberley with her girls, to stay with Elizabeth at the behest of a worried Mr Darcy in his absence, gives Charlotte time to mourn. Moffett also uses this opportunity to introduce a new character, an Austrian musician and piano tuner, Jacob Rosenstein, who prompts Charlotte to imagine a different fate for herself.
As in Austen’s novels, there is a strong feminist element at play, exploring the lack of agency women experience, their futures determined at the whim of their fathers, brothers, and husbands. While Charlotte acknowledges a semblance of luck in marrying Mr Collins, whose faults do not extend to excessive drinking or violence, she still resents that she had no real alternative, and doesn’t want her daughters to suffer similarly.
Readers familiar with Jane Austen’s oeuvre will appreciate Moffett’s references to other works, as well as glimpses of an imagined fate for many of the characters from Pride and Prejudice, none more surprising perhaps than of Anne De Bourgh. Purists may be upset by some of the liberties Moffett takes, but I happily embraced them all.
I found the writing to be lovely, in keeping with Austen’s own prose, though not quite as stiff. There is a lot of emotion in this story which I think Moffett communicates beautifully from Charlotte’s journey through grief, to her discovery of passion.
Moving, bright, and charming, I was captivated by Charlotte, and happily recommend it.
emilier_h's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0