June

Interesting, but I wish it was more depth and less breadth.

Reviewed: 11-08-21

There was a lot of really interesting stuff that was just briefly mentioned that would have given the topic some needed depth. I guess it is a lecture after all. But it felt a little too much like being back in college and you have to bone up on all this tedious info for an exam. It could have been a little more “learning for fun” is all I’m saying.

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Good story, could have been executed better.

Reviewed: 12-28-19

I really liked the idea for the story. I’ve often felt like many of Jane Austen’s more minor characters could have interesting back stories. I wish the author had delved a little bit more into how Caroline became such a byatch. Her brother and parents are so nice and not snobby. So what happened to her? (And Mrs. Hurst, her sister, for that matter.) That could be an interesting story on its own. Caroline Bingley had to deal with the same lack of power that Jane Austins heroines had to deal with. She just had a different value system.

The love story wasn’t super-convincing. I needed there to be more scenes showing that the two were falling in love. I quite disliked the gentleman in question for much of the first half of the novel. I feel like the love-hate relationship could have been portrayed more skillfully.

I definitely found that I was on Caroline’s side. It actually wasn’t a difficult transition to make from P&P where she is such a villain. She is portrayed as sort of a Scarlett O’Hara-esque character. She is a strong woman who has goals and will stop at nothing to achieve them. The romance even reminded me a bit of Scarlet O’Hara and Rhett Butler, albeit not fully fleshed out.

So, all in all, it was an enjoyable read. But, I feel like the characterization in certain plot elements were weak. The narration was good too.

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Dull and forgettable

Reviewed: 12-27-19

I feel mean after writing that title. But that’s honestly the first thing that came to mind. There’s really not very much to recommend it. The author did a good job of writing in Jane Austen style, but the story just wasn’t engaging for me. There are also parts of it that didn’t feel quite authentic to the time period. For instance, Mrs. Austin and Jane and her friend going to a tea shop. It was my understanding that Well-bred young ladies of the time women didn’t really go into public places for refreshments. They visited each other during morning visiting hours, not by meeting up at the coffee shop like we do today. Also there is a scene where Jane’s little brother puts up a flyer to advertise an amateur theatrical she was putting on. Anyone who has read Mansfield park would know that theatricals put on at home would only be performed for family and friends - definitely not advertised in a public space. I couldn’t believe it.

The narration was pretty good, but the voice of Tom Lefroy and, at times, other male characters were squeaky and high-pitched. I mean, it wasn’t high the whole time, but the tone of the voice would go way up on certain words and get squeaky. It was sort of annoying. I only didn’t even make it halfway through before I removed it from my library.

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1 person found this helpful