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nglofile 's review for:
Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas
by Stephanie Barron
First, I love the nod that the 12th book in the series is themed with the twelve days of Christmas (the English festival of twelfth night, not the insufferable yuletide carol). Barron's penchant for meticulous historical detail brought to life has always been one of the primary recommendations of this series, and providing glimpses into Austen-era holiday traditions is wonderfully transportive.
On one hand, this work nearly rediscovers the best qualities of the earliest books in the series; on the other, it seems to try to recapture that magic by thinly remaking specific scenes, characters, and developments from those very narratives. For instance,.
No matter. Austen devotees are well-served not only in the details of Jane's lifestyle, travels, and insights, but also -- perhaps most especially -- in the revealing relationship with her beloved sister Cassandra and the character inspirations she may well have drawn from life. Though there are hints of familiar personalities who will eventually appear in different novels, it is the most ridiculous characters of Persuasion who bear the brunt of exposure here.
One additional quibble: the structure of dividing sections with "The First Day," "The Second Day," and so on would have made more sense if those chapters didn't repeatedly contain events that crossed evenings and mornings. The technique of retreating a few steps to explain context is fine, but it's distracting and unclear when paired with calendar day separations.
On one hand, this work nearly rediscovers the best qualities of the earliest books in the series; on the other, it seems to try to recapture that magic by thinly remaking specific scenes, characters, and developments from those very narratives. For instance,
Spoiler
one simply cannot escape déjà vu when reading of Jane's nighttime hallway encounter with a mysterious and dashing gentleman while clad in a nightdress with her hair loose down her backNo matter. Austen devotees are well-served not only in the details of Jane's lifestyle, travels, and insights, but also -- perhaps most especially -- in the revealing relationship with her beloved sister Cassandra and the character inspirations she may well have drawn from life. Though there are hints of familiar personalities who will eventually appear in different novels, it is the most ridiculous characters of Persuasion who bear the brunt of exposure here.
One additional quibble: the structure of dividing sections with "The First Day," "The Second Day," and so on would have made more sense if those chapters didn't repeatedly contain events that crossed evenings and mornings. The technique of retreating a few steps to explain context is fine, but it's distracting and unclear when paired with calendar day separations.