What I Read in June 2015 Part IV

What I Read in June 2015 Part IV ...

A Walk in the Meadow in Rosings Park by Mary Lydon Simonsen --Austenesque novella

A Pride and Prejudice variation. In this version Mr. Darcy left Hertfordshire right after the Assembly, paving the way for Bingley to court Jane. The story takes place when Lizzy visits Charlotte at Hunsford and Mr. Darcy sees Elizabeth for the first time and is smitten.

It took me so long to get this book from paperbackswap.com that I forgot why I wanted to read it. I don't normally like what ifs and variations and this is no exception. I wondered whether this was an updated modern version of the story because Lizzy and Darcy go out for walks on their own and share steamy, passionate kisses. Um no. Not in the Regency period. As Elizabeth points out, unmarried ladies are normally accompanied by a chaperone. There's no kissing in Jane Austen and especially not steamy kisses that make Elizabeth hot and Mr. Darcy um bothered. Elizabeth confides in Charlotte and Charlotte shares details about her married life with Lizzy, who is unmarried. (ew! I don't need to know Charlotte and Mr. Collins regularly perform as husband and wife. YUCK!) The author borrows quotes from the original and places them out of context in various places. The charm of the original is in the banter between Lizzy and Darcy and the gradual change of feelings. Mr. Darcy is an iconic hero because he recognizes he needs to change and changes for Elizabeth. I don't see him teasing and romantic, opening to Elizabeth when they first meet. This just isn't the real Darcy. I did like Elizabeth's objections to the match but the role reversal just didn't work for me.

There's a bonus story Mr. Darcy Steps In in which Mr. Collins plans to marry Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy steps in to save her. Again, I don't see Darcy doing that. He barely knows Elizabeth at this point and yet he's scheming to marry her. It just doesn't make sense. The story was cute though and romantic. It would have been a sweet short story if it was about original characters.


Miss Mackenzie by Anthony Trollope -- Historical Fiction/Romance

Miss Margaret Mackenzie, a middle aged spinster, has spent her life in service to her family. First she nursed her aged father through his final illness and now her older brother, Walter. When Walter's will is read, everyone is shocked he left his fortune to Margaret. None is more shocked than her older brother Tom, of Rubb and Mackenzie, tire manufacturers. Tom's wife takes personal offense at this snub. Margaret is finally getting the chance to live her life and she heads to Littlebath to join society there. Her niece, Susanna, comes along to attend school there with Margaret's money. Margaret is soon caught up in the Evangelical Christian Mrs. Strumfold's society where she meets the squint-eyed minister Mr. Maguire. Margaret is forced to choose between the Strumfoldians and her more morally free neighbors. She tries to straddle both worlds as best she can but Mr. Maguire has Margaret in his line of sight to be his rich bride. She's delighted with visits from her brother's business partner, Mr. Rubb, Jr. and promises to loan her brother money for a mortgage. As she discusses business with Mr. Rubb, she comes to enjoy his company very much and if he should propose... but he isn't a gentleman so naturally he's out of the question. A family tragedy brings her into the orbit of her relatives, Sir John and Lady Ball, their grown children and grandchildren. Sir John's son, John, Jr. is as dull as men come but he becomes a rock on which Margaret can lean on. Then, a chance meeting with her lawyer brings shocking news and Margaret's life will never be the same again.

I think Trollope must have read and enjoyed Jane Austen because this book has many similarities with an Austen comedy of manners. It gets a little more melodramatic in the end but it is at heart a witty social commentary a la Austen and Dickens. Trollope's humor isn't quite as overtly funny as Austen's but with characters named Mr. Slow and Mr. Bideawhile and a clergyman with a squint, you know he is playing with his readers the way Dickens did. Indeed many of the characters bear strong resemblances to Austen characters: Lady Ball is a cross between Lady Catherine and Fanny Dashwood and every manipulative, smothering mother you've ever come across. Mr. Maguire at first seems like a Mr. Collins character but he's no buffoon. She's shrewd and cunning and knows what he wants and will stop at nothing to convince the world he's right. Mrs. Mackenzie of Incharrow is like Elizabeth Bennet's aunt Gardiner with a dash of delightful matchmaker like Emma. I really enjoyed her character. She's manipulative in a good way. Miss Baker and Miss Todd are intriguing characters and I wish they were in the story more.

The main characters are Margaret, Mr. Rubb, John Ball and Mr. Maguire. Margaret is around my age but she seems much older and careworn like Anne Elliot. She's had a tough life and has never been loved so it's easy to root for her and want her to find someone to love. I wasn't thrilled with any of her suitors, they're just too dull, but she knew which one she wanted and so I wanted the match for her. She's a character who is easy to sympathize with. Mr. Rubb seems charming. I liked him. I didn't care for John, a 50 year old widower. I don't see him making a good lover. He's steady and dependable but I would wish for some passion in a relationship. I couldn't figure out who Margaret was going to choose until she did it. The pacing of the novel is quite sow for the first half and then once it gets going, it gets easier to read. I recommend this to fans of Austen, Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell.

What I've Read This Week

What I've Read This Week . . .

Searching for Pemberley by Mary Lydon Simonsen -- Austenesque/ Historical Fiction

After war was declared in 1941, Maggie Joyce left her small coal mining town in eastern Pennsylvania hoping never to return. Since the end of the war she has been working for the Army Exchange Service first in Germany and now in London. Her time in London is probably almost up, so when her friend Pamela, a Derbyshire native, reveals that she grew up near an estate, Montclair, that is rumored to be the home of the real life model for Mr. Darcy, Maggie jumps at the chance to visit Montclair, the setting of her favorite book, and learn more about the history of the Laceys. Her search introduces her to the Crowells, a local family who know more than anyone about the real story behind the novel. Beth Crowell shares with Maggie the story of Elizabeth Garrison and William Lacey through their letters and journal entries. Maggie is fascinated by the story and quickly becomes an honorary member of the Crowell family. That comes with complications as their handsome son Michael is home on leave and very flirtatious. Maggie is uncomfortable and reluctant to respond to Michael's flirting. Soon she meets an American flier, Rob McAllister : handsome, charming and commitment shy. As the lives of the characters intersect, Maggie learns how war can leave invisible scars on people. She must decide where her future lies and hope for the best. Maggie deserves a happily ever after though and she may decide, like Elizabeth, to seize the chance even if happiness seems impractical. This is a very lengthy novel, clocking in at over 400 pages. I confess I didn't read every word because most of the novel is not actually a novel but a history lesson. The author did an amazing job researching the Georgian era to post-World War II England. I applaud her for that, but I didn't like the way she told the story. Large chunks of the book include monologues on the wars and backstories of the contemporary characters. There isn't a lot of actual storytelling in this novel and I really didn't like the way the little bit of fiction was fit in. You think you know the story of Pride and Prejudice, but there are some major differences between the "real life"Garrison/Lacey romance and the story as told by Jane Austen, so Maggie and the reader, are left wondering whether the real people actually were the models for the novel. The truth is eventually revealed. As if the stories within a story, isn't complicated enough, Maggie has her own romantic dilemma to solve. The subplots are incredibly hard to follow as they skip around in time and involve an extraordinary amount of people. It would have been nice to have a family tree and a list of characters because I kept forgetting who the characters were. Because the story is told in a disconnected way, I had a hard time getting into it and feeling anything for the characters. I was mainly interested the the story behind Pride and Prejudice and didn't care about the rest. It was mostly unnecessary. A lot of the history is not needed because it doesn't move the story along. If I wanted a history, I would have picked up a textbook or non-fiction tome. I did start to feel for Maggie in the last third of the book, once her love story became the focus. I could identify with wanting to move away from a small town and wanted her to succeed and be happy. I could also somewhat relate to the religious and ethnic prejudices. The twists and turns of her love triangle are a but surprising. More time is spent with one love interest over the other and drags the story out way too much. I was surprised by some of the events in her story but not surprised at who she chose in the end. For me, the romance wasn't very satisfying because the conclusion comes rather suddenly. Then, there's more plot that just made me want to give up on the book. I decided to push on and finish even though it was very late. I also disliked the number of mistakes in the character names. It was confusing enough to think of the characters from Pride and Prejudice as real people and to have the author confuse them and use the wrong name made it more difficult. For those who want to know: there are some love scenes but only one is depicted a bit too much. This review is nearly as long as the book, so I would recommend parts of the book but would not advise reading every word. Skip most of the first half, read only about the Garrisons and Laceys, skip ahead to the last third and ignore the rest. Janeites will enjoy the story behind the story, Downton Abbey fans will love the World War I romance and history buffs will eat up every single detail of the history in this story.