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caslater83's review
3.0
*Special Note* I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All reviews are based on my own opinions.**
Okay. I know that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Jane Austen Fans or Jane Austen Purists. If you love Jane Austen, great. So do I. But please DO NOT jump into this book expecting it to be read in the voice of Jane Austen herself. Carolyn Korsmeyer has her own style because she's telling this in the voice of Charlotte Lucus/Charlotte Collins.
Charlotte is the best friend of Elizabeth Bennett/Elizabeth Darcy. We love her dearly because she's level-headed and pretty-well grounded compared to Lizzy's younger sisters. But Charlotte is her person with her own mind and her own opinions. I would imagine that it's not easy to be the wife of the parson. She, not only has to please her husband, but she has to please Lady Catherine--a rather vain and pompous woman.
I noticed that Carolyn Korsmeyer took liberties in this book and really strove to take it down in different directions. True Jane Austen purists will notice when the scenes slightly mirror Pride & Prejudice and when it strays from it. You may not like it, but sometimes it's fun to play "what if we took it down this direction?"
However, there were scenes in which I felt that "No, this doesn't work me." I'll admit that it's hard to escape that way of thinking.
While there is nothing wrong with the book itself, I found that I just cannot love it in the way that I love Jane Austen. I'm not thrilled with Mary, Kitty, or Mrs. Bennett. I really did like how she brought out Anne more.
Honestly, I just can't see myself keeping this book in my personal library. But I do encourage people to read this variation and judge for yourself. Just because I don't care for it should not discourage you from trying it yourself.
Okay. I know that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Jane Austen Fans or Jane Austen Purists. If you love Jane Austen, great. So do I. But please DO NOT jump into this book expecting it to be read in the voice of Jane Austen herself. Carolyn Korsmeyer has her own style because she's telling this in the voice of Charlotte Lucus/Charlotte Collins.
Charlotte is the best friend of Elizabeth Bennett/Elizabeth Darcy. We love her dearly because she's level-headed and pretty-well grounded compared to Lizzy's younger sisters. But Charlotte is her person with her own mind and her own opinions. I would imagine that it's not easy to be the wife of the parson. She, not only has to please her husband, but she has to please Lady Catherine--a rather vain and pompous woman.
I noticed that Carolyn Korsmeyer took liberties in this book and really strove to take it down in different directions. True Jane Austen purists will notice when the scenes slightly mirror Pride & Prejudice and when it strays from it. You may not like it, but sometimes it's fun to play "what if we took it down this direction?"
However, there were scenes in which I felt that "No, this doesn't work me." I'll admit that it's hard to escape that way of thinking.
While there is nothing wrong with the book itself, I found that I just cannot love it in the way that I love Jane Austen. I'm not thrilled with Mary, Kitty, or Mrs. Bennett. I really did like how she brought out Anne more.
Honestly, I just can't see myself keeping this book in my personal library. But I do encourage people to read this variation and judge for yourself. Just because I don't care for it should not discourage you from trying it yourself.
vesper1931's review
2.0
In this Pride and Prejudice variation Elizabeth Bennet has just refused Mr Collins. But soon it is Charlotte’s turn and in the desire for her own home she accepts.
The first half of the story roughly follows canon from Charlotte's point of view. Then we have her life at Hunsford onwards.
While on a visit with the Bennets to Bath, this went wrong for me as I did not like this portrayal of Mary Bennet at all. It really does spoil the story for me as it is so very out of character.
The first half of the story roughly follows canon from Charlotte's point of view. Then we have her life at Hunsford onwards.
While on a visit with the Bennets to Bath, this went wrong for me as I did not like this portrayal of Mary Bennet at all. It really does spoil the story for me as it is so very out of character.
drexedit's review
challenging
slow-paced
2.5
I received a complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book.
Charlotte's Story picks up the story of Charlotte Lucas where Jane Austen left it. In Pride and Prejudice we see Charlotte make a very hasty decision to marry in the wake of the kerfuffle caused by Lizzy's refusal of Mr. Collins. We see Charlotte again briefly at the parsonage at Rosings, but we don't really get an idea of what her life must have been like or what motivated here to make the decisions she made. Carolyn Korsmeyer attempts to answer those questions with this book and imagine what events and people must have come through Charlotte's life.
I think for most part the book is successful in this until things seem to get slightly out of hand (at least for me) towards the end. The writing style is easy to read and evokes an Austen-esque writer and I found the book enjoyable to read, in the main. The first 1/3 or so of the book follows the events in P&P fairly closely, but from the point of view of Charlotte. Once it diverges from the P&P story I think we get a fairly credible narrative on what Charlotte may have done and who she met. But it does get weird towards the end and the author does not treat all of Jane Austen's characters respectfully.
Of course a modern writer must confront what a writer in Austen's time would never do--what about the sex!? While Jane Austen wrote her stories so they would end long before having to confront the fact of sex, the author here has no such luxury as we know Charlotte is married quickly and we know what must happen next. I do not think this was handled well and ultimately it's what turned me off from the book as I felt the author's control over the topic slipping away. It ended up being a bit icky when approached from the context of a woman who marries a man she knows not at all and has no rights of any kind.
Upon requesting the book I had some small hope of a more psychological study of the Charlotte/William relationship, but we don't really get to know William Collins much more than we do in P&P. It's an interesting read for someone who likes Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice in particular, but it's not a book I would put on my permanent bookshelf.
#LibraryThing #EarlyReviewers
Charlotte's Story picks up the story of Charlotte Lucas where Jane Austen left it. In Pride and Prejudice we see Charlotte make a very hasty decision to marry in the wake of the kerfuffle caused by Lizzy's refusal of Mr. Collins. We see Charlotte again briefly at the parsonage at Rosings, but we don't really get an idea of what her life must have been like or what motivated here to make the decisions she made. Carolyn Korsmeyer attempts to answer those questions with this book and imagine what events and people must have come through Charlotte's life.
I think for most part the book is successful in this until things seem to get slightly out of hand (at least for me) towards the end. The writing style is easy to read and evokes an Austen-esque writer and I found the book enjoyable to read, in the main. The first 1/3 or so of the book follows the events in P&P fairly closely, but from the point of view of Charlotte. Once it diverges from the P&P story I think we get a fairly credible narrative on what Charlotte may have done and who she met. But it does get weird towards the end and the author does not treat all of Jane Austen's characters respectfully.
Of course a modern writer must confront what a writer in Austen's time would never do--what about the sex!? While Jane Austen wrote her stories so they would end long before having to confront the fact of sex, the author here has no such luxury as we know Charlotte is married quickly and we know what must happen next. I do not think this was handled well and ultimately it's what turned me off from the book as I felt the author's control over the topic slipping away. It ended up being a bit icky when approached from the context of a woman who marries a man she knows not at all and has no rights of any kind.
Upon requesting the book I had some small hope of a more psychological study of the Charlotte/William relationship, but we don't really get to know William Collins much more than we do in P&P. It's an interesting read for someone who likes Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice in particular, but it's not a book I would put on my permanent bookshelf.
#LibraryThing #EarlyReviewers
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