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A review by krisrid
Magic and Manners by C.E. Murphy
5.0
I loved, loved LOVED this book!!! Unquestionably, one of the absolute best Pride & Prejudice homages ever, and I've read most of them. If you love P&P and you like books about magic, this one is a must!
I have read other books by C.E. Murphy and liked them, but this is an incredibly clever and well-conceived twist on my favourite book. This version of P&P makes everything I loved about the original even BETTER! The characters who were unpleasant are given the opportunity to be better or be redeemed [except the ones who simply don't deserve better!], and the plot points that were not *quite* delightful are made so in Murphy's creative and thoughtful re-imagining! It really is the best of all possible worlds for my favourite story and my favourite characters - I am excessively diverted!!
It's also worth mentioning, that Murphy clearly loves P&P as much as I do, because in her skillful and inventive re-imagining of this story, it shines through that she respects the original, and the love for that original that its fans have for this story and these characters. There is nothing done to the original here that is groan-worthy, or discomfitting to those of us who feel proprietary of these characters and their world.
Instead, there is respect and understanding of precisely the things that made the original so beloved, and these things are not messed with to a degree as to upset those proprietary fans. They are simply augmented and turned just slightly sideways, to allow for magic to be worked into the equation to make this a charming and entertaining new perspective on an old and cherished favourite.
I cannot say enough positive things about this book. As I said, I've read a great many P&P homages, re-tellings, follow-ups, etc., and some have been lovely, while others have been dreadful. This is right at the top of homages I cannot recommend highly enough! This is a wonderful book.
I have read other books by C.E. Murphy and liked them, but this is an incredibly clever and well-conceived twist on my favourite book. This version of P&P makes everything I loved about the original even BETTER! The characters who were unpleasant are given the opportunity to be better or be redeemed [except the ones who simply don't deserve better!], and the plot points that were not *quite* delightful are made so in Murphy's creative and thoughtful re-imagining! It really is the best of all possible worlds for my favourite story and my favourite characters - I am excessively diverted!!
It's also worth mentioning, that Murphy clearly loves P&P as much as I do, because in her skillful and inventive re-imagining of this story, it shines through that she respects the original, and the love for that original that its fans have for this story and these characters. There is nothing done to the original here that is groan-worthy, or discomfitting to those of us who feel proprietary of these characters and their world.
Instead, there is respect and understanding of precisely the things that made the original so beloved, and these things are not messed with to a degree as to upset those proprietary fans. They are simply augmented and turned just slightly sideways, to allow for magic to be worked into the equation to make this a charming and entertaining new perspective on an old and cherished favourite.
I cannot say enough positive things about this book. As I said, I've read a great many P&P homages, re-tellings, follow-ups, etc., and some have been lovely, while others have been dreadful. This is right at the top of homages I cannot recommend highly enough! This is a wonderful book.