gjv's review against another edition
2.0
Always a fan of Jane Austen's books, I added this Pride and Prejudice murder mystery sequel to my Nook as a Christmas present to myself. I have to admire those authors with the courage to attempt to write Austen sequels, as they are held to astronomically high standards and the results can be disastrous (case in point: [b:Vampire Darcy's Desire: A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation|6515734|Vampire Darcy's Desire A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation|Regina Jeffers|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275780111s/6515734.jpg|6707533]).
I gave this book two stars because it was just "meh." I felt like I was reading about entirely different characters who happened to have the same names and same stations in life. Elizabeth was no longer witty; she was just quiet and worrisome. The only characters who seemed accurately portrayed were Mr. Wickham and Lydia.
My biggest complaint was the number of times that the events preceding, during, and following the murder were rehashed throughout the novel -- I am not exaggerating when I say it must have been at least ten, and because the author (very effectively, to her credit) emulated Austen's prose style, each time was always extremely verbose. I found myself sighing loudly every time someone was asked to describe their version of the evening's events. I felt that the first 200 pages or so could have easily been condensed down to about 50 without losing any of the story's integrity.
One thing I did like, however, was the author's sneaky insertion of characters from Austen's other books -- Sir Walter Elliot from Persuasion and Harriet Martin from Emma. I have to admit that recognizing those characters made me smile!
I gave this book two stars because it was just "meh." I felt like I was reading about entirely different characters who happened to have the same names and same stations in life. Elizabeth was no longer witty; she was just quiet and worrisome. The only characters who seemed accurately portrayed were Mr. Wickham and Lydia.
My biggest complaint was the number of times that the events preceding, during, and following the murder were rehashed throughout the novel -- I am not exaggerating when I say it must have been at least ten, and because the author (very effectively, to her credit) emulated Austen's prose style, each time was always extremely verbose. I found myself sighing loudly every time someone was asked to describe their version of the evening's events. I felt that the first 200 pages or so could have easily been condensed down to about 50 without losing any of the story's integrity.
One thing I did like, however, was the author's sneaky insertion of characters from Austen's other books -- Sir Walter Elliot from Persuasion and Harriet Martin from Emma. I have to admit that recognizing those characters made me smile!
viewfromthecyclepath's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bcgg's review against another edition
2.0
Stealing the story Pride & Prejudice, the author creates a murder mystery. It is moderately successful, but I still felt it was a lazy thing to do -riding the coat tails of true classic literature.
smithel's review against another edition
3.0
Cute, but not enthralling. I did enjoy it, but I wouldn't say it's a particular improvement on other Jane Austen mysteries (such as Murder at Mansfield Park).
nglofile's review against another edition
2.0
Dissatisfying on several levels, I'm afraid. James works so hard to do justice to Austen's Pride and Prejudice that she overwhelms with lengthy (and often unnecessary) summaries of characters and past exploits. She completely neglects to include the buoyancy or wit, and often the story feels as if it is spinning its wheels with the seriousness of it all. The mystery isn't compelling, and it's hard to care what becomes of Wickham.
For those who truly want a dash of mystery with their Jane, there are much more successful ventures. Two I would especially recommend are the Jane Austen mysteries by Stephanie Barron (though the last couple can be safely ignored) or Carrie Bebris' lighter Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mysteries.
audiobook note: Lovely voicing by Rosalyn Landor. Her reading is subtle, steady, and genteel.
For those who truly want a dash of mystery with their Jane, there are much more successful ventures. Two I would especially recommend are the Jane Austen mysteries by Stephanie Barron (though the last couple can be safely ignored) or Carrie Bebris' lighter Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mysteries.
audiobook note: Lovely voicing by Rosalyn Landor. Her reading is subtle, steady, and genteel.
katreadsalot's review against another edition
3.0
This book was part P&P analysis, which I loved. It was also part mystery, which was fine but I wish some of the revelations at the end would have come throughout. I loved the idea of the characters looking back on the events of the book and analyzing themselves. I also loved the Persuasion/Emma mentions.
zuzi's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
yusteyenny's review against another edition
4.0
I was going to give it 3 stars but then the book made an allusion to Emma and Harriet, which got me so excited that it deserves an additional star.
elliemcc11's review against another edition
1.0
I couldn't get into this. Much prefer to read the real Austen.
bookfilledcottage's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A refreshing twist on a classic romance in the form of a cozy, regency mystery perfect for a stormy autumn night.
P.D. James is a master at lyrically describing feeling, characters and settings without losing the momentum and intrigue of a well-crafted crime novel.
I am especially grateful that we were actually given the pieces of the puzzle to figure out part of the mystery, and then we were given detailed accounta from the characters about the truth of the facts.
I feel like a warning sign might be useful to those who might be extremely sensitive about character treatment. I’m not as protective of this cast as I’d imagined, but beware you might actually get a bit pouty about your favourites being shown in a completely different light.
Will definitely have to read more of P.D. James’ detective novels!
P.D. James is a master at lyrically describing feeling, characters and settings without losing the momentum and intrigue of a well-crafted crime novel.
I am especially grateful that we were actually given the pieces of the puzzle to figure out part of the mystery, and then we were given detailed accounta from the characters about the truth of the facts.
I feel like a warning sign might be useful to those who might be extremely sensitive about character treatment. I’m not as protective of this cast as I’d imagined, but beware you might actually get a bit pouty about your favourites being shown in a completely different light.
Will definitely have to read more of P.D. James’ detective novels!