Austenesque: Jane Austen spin-offs and sequels

Austenesque: Jane Austen spin-offs and sequels

Everyone who loves Jane Austen seems to want to attempt to recreate her world with sequels and spin offs. Some work well and others don't. Here is a rundown and review of Austenesque books I have read.

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aidan  

Aidan retells Pride and Prejudice through Mr. Darcy's eyes in a three volume novel. Beginning with An Assembly Such as This, we follow Mr. Darcy from the time he meets Elizabeth to the events following the disastrous Netherfield Ball. Part II: Duty and Desire fills in the gap where Jane Austen sends Mr. Darcy away. Darcy wrestles with his feelings for Elizabeth versus doing what is right for his station in life. Part III: These Three Remain concludes the story from Elizabeth and Darcy's meeting at Rosings and reacquaintance at Pemberly to their wedding day! In between we learn about Darcy's feelings, his activities, friendships, family relationships and get advice from his Shakespeare quoting valet. I adore this series and can read them again and again. Aidan really rounds out Darcy by giving him a voice and emersing the reader in his world. These books are full of details about the social and political scene of the time and it helps if you know something about the time period. I really liked getting to know Mr. Darcy personally through these books. The second one is a little gothic but stick with it because important things happen that will affect Darcy's life in the final volume. By far my favorite Austen spin off!

Mr. Darcy's Daughters : A Novel by Elizabeth Aston

Fun and frivilous this story follows the 5 (yes five!) marriageble age daughters of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth as they make their way in London Society while their parents are away. The Darcy ladies fall in and out of love, get into scrapes and generally turn London Society on its' ear during the Season. This isn't the best written book but a good read if you are a casual fan of Austen. Also good are all of Aston's other Darcy novels though they're all retellings of Pride and Prejudice.

A Visit To Highbury
Later Days at Highbury by Joan Austen-Leigh

Written by a descendant of Jane Austen, these two books retell the story of Emma through the letters between Mrs. Goddard, owner of a school for young ladies, and her sister. This is a different, fresh look at Emma through the eyes of someone not of her class. The reader also learns about the trials and tribulations of Mrs. Goddward and her sister.

Novels by Joan Aiken:
Joan Aiken wrote several Austen spin off novels such as

Eliza's Daughter: A Sequel to Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. I did not like Eliza's Daughter because I felt the characterization of Marianne and Elinor wasn't true to the spirit of Austen and the plot was far too complicated to keep track of who Eliza is and what happens to her. The ending was rather coy and annoyed me because I didn't understand it.

I did enjoy Jane Fairfax, the story of the character of Jane Fairfax from Emma which tells the story of Miss Fairfax and describes the events of Emma through her eyes.

None But You

For You Alone by Susan Kaye 

Persuasion told from Captain Wentworth's point of view. Though not as detailed or descriptive as the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman series, this is worth a read. It's well-written and insightful. Capitain Wentworth isn't a god, he's a man and he has faults but none too major. I especially liked his relationship with his brother. 

Mr. Knightly's Diary by Amanda Grange
retelling of Emma from Knightly's point of view. This one is rather boring and the "eureka" moment is kind of silly. I also started Edmund Bertram's Diary but also found it boring.

Vanity and Vexation: A Novel of Pride and Prejudice by Kate Fenton

A modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. In the novel, BBC is remaking Pride and Prejudice and the locals and actors get mixed up in situations that parallel a novel. A twist halfway through really confused me. I could not like this book as much as I tried. I felt it was too contrived and that Pride and Prejudice just didn't work in that type of modern setting.

Persuading Annie by Melissa Nathan  

A modern retelling of my favorite Austen novel, Persuasion featuring a wealthy, clueless business owner and his daughters. Years ago Annie had a relationship in college with Jake until her godmother interfered. Now her family is on the verge of bankruptcy and Jake is a successful consultant who is hired to save their company. The rest is pretty much a direct retelling of Persuasion which is why it didn't work. Do people really think and act that way anymore? I didn't care about any of the characters. Even Annie didn't have any redeeming qualities and was nothing like Anne Elliot.

Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field : A Novel by Melissa Nathan

Another modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice where life imitates art. Jasmin Field lands the role of Lizzie Bennet in a one night only charity staged event of P&P. If you've read Pride and Prejudice, you know what happens next. The author seems to have taken each scene, tossed in modern people and rewrote the dialogue to reflect the modern situation. It didn't work. I don't think Austen can be directly adapted for the modern world. I enjoyed Bridget Jones and Meg Cabot's Boy series which don't rewrite the original word for word!