Austenesque Review

Austenesque Review

Cleaning house and moving some reviews around.

Emma Watson: Jane Austen's The Watsons completed by Joan Aiken

This novel attempts to complete Jane Austen's unfinished novel The Watsons. Emma Watson was adopted by an aunt after the death of her mother, 14 years earlier. Now the aunt has remarried and Emma has to return home to her ailing father and three older spinster sisters. Her eldest sister is kind and good, caring for their father and trying to ignore her broken heart from a long ago romance. The other two sisters are busy husband-hunting and their eldest brother is married to a greedy, grasping woman who dislikes Emma. At a local assembly, Emma dances with a young boy who introduces Emma to his kind mother and his uncle, the vicar, who also dances with Emma. Jane Austen left off after the assembly and Joan Aiken attempts to pick up the novel and finish where Austen left off. Emma is a saintly heroine, helping her eldest sister care for their father and their home while despising her other sisters and brother. She befriends little Charlie Blake and his family including Mr. Howard, the vicar and attracts the interest of the interest of the rakish Tom Musgrave and the slow-witted Lord Osborne. Emma experiences many tragedies before she can find happiness. The first half of this novel is well-written and in the vein of Austen but the rest of the story is full of tragedy before it abruptly comes to an end. This isn't the best Austen adaptation. It doesn't seem like something she would write and there isn't really an ending except for an epilogue which tells what happens to the characters. I would recommend this to Aiken fans and Austen fans who are curious about what happens to Emma Watson.
Romance lovers and historians look elsewhere.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

The Stolen Bride by Jo Beverley -- Regency Romance

Lady Sophie Kyle is two weeks away from marrying her beloved Lord Randal Ashby and she can't wait to be alone with him! However, Randal has pulled away from Sophie and she fears that he may not love her. Though they've known each other and been friends since childhood, Randal was forced to offer for her after saving her life and unwittingly compromising her. Sophie's feelings threaten to engulf her and she doesn't know what to do about it. Her new sister-in-law Jane is at her wit's end trying to keep Sophie from committing an impropriety so she calls on her old governess Mrs. Beth Hawley to come to Lord Wrayborne's castle to help chaperone the young bride-to-be.  Along the way Beth meets an acquaintance, Sir Marius Fletcher, who is on his way to the wedding. He needs a ride and Beth offers, after all, she's a widow and a governess, and he's a friend of the groom so there can't be anything improper in that.  Then the travelers come across a frail, injured woman in an overturned carriage. She also seems to be on her way to the wedding but she can not remember who she is. The old woman takes an interest in Sophie and tries to give the girl cautious advice. Sophie is surprised and a bit irritated at this woman's intense interest in her. Sophie has better things to do with her time than entertain a stranger. Her motive is to get Randal alone and find out how he really feels. Meanwhile, her chaperone Beth is stuck with the attentions of the two most rakish guests: Piers Verderan known as The Dark Angel and Sir Marius. Beth is a bit afraid of Ver but he seems to enjoy sparring with her. Sir Marius is kind and attentive and his pretty speeches make Beth blush. She begins to feel an attraction to the man but she's unsure whether she wants to throw her morals to the wind and give in to what she thinks he wants. A tragedy shows Sophie how she can truly support Randal and a villain threatens to undo all Sophie's happiness. This book is part of a series and references events that seem to have happened in Lord Wraybourne's Betrothed, which I have not read. I was intrigued by references to Randal and Sophie in A Regency Valentine and wanted to know more about them. I was disappointed that there was little character development in this story. Randal and Sophie are already in love and engaged and their misunderstanding is trifling and tedious. Likewise Beth and Sir Marius are underdeveloped. Their romance takes a back seat to Sophie's lust problem and is as a result unbelievable and very rushed. The plot references previous events and adds more melodrama on top of the heroine's previously harrowing adventures. How much abuse can one character take? This novel seemed to be basically for the fans of previous novels who wanted to know what happened to the characters and a set up for Emily and the Dark Angel. Perhaps if I had read the series in order I would have liked it better. Jo Beverley's novels are not what is commonly called a "sweet" Regency in the tradition of Georgette Heyer. They don't contain any explicit content but they do deal with feelings of attraction. 

The Smile of a Stranger by Joan Aiken -- Regency Romantic Fiction

Miss Juliana Paget has lived in Florence most of her life with her beloved father who is a writer of well-known histories. She acts as scribe to her ailing father and has developed a crush on King Charles I. After relating to her father an amusing tale of an outraged foreign woman shopping on the Ponte Vecchio, her father suddenly grows very pale and agitated and insists they leave the country for England at once! That is easier said than done for they must pass through France where a bloody revolution is taking place. Along the way, a nice man helps Mr. Paget ease his travel sickness and in turn Juliana saves the stranger from being hanged by a French mob. The stranger, Herr Welcker, an envoy of the Prince of Wales, is in France to collect treasures for the prince. Juliana and her father then embark on a dangerous, dashing journey across the English channel accompanied by Herr Welcker. Upon arriving in England, Juliana discovers family she never knew she had. Her father had been estranged from his family for many years since his marriage to an unsuitable woman and his refusal to join the army like his forefathers. Juliana spends some time in London acting Cinderella to her spoiled ugly cousins while her aunt tries hard to marry Juliana off to the revolting old Sir Groby. Juliana is rescued by the handsome Captain Cox who bears a strong resemblance to King Charles I. Juliana soon discovers that the sheltered life she had led and her father's secrets may put her in grave danger especially from her own mother! She is not without allies though but her innocence may overcome their protection. This story started off exciting full of mystery and a daring escape but quickly turned melodramatic. There is a lot going on in this story and it's too much for one novel. Juliana is too naive for me to like her much. She has been sheltered all her life but her guardians should have done a better job protecting her and helping her understand the danger she was in. I figured out the villain and their motive right away! The romance is very unconventional and mostly a non-romance until the very end. The relationship between the characters should have been built up more. I didn't really like the hero and wished that some of the story was from his point of view so the reader could get to know him better. Some of the secondary characters were very appealing and I enjoyed reading about them more than Juliana. The eighteenth century setting seems well-researched except for some factual errors, one of which may have been deliberate by the character and one may have been a typo. The setting is the best part of the whole book. I can fully visualize 1794 England. I would recommend this book to fans of the traditional Regency plot.

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!