A pleasant return to the world of Jane Austen
I always liked the character of Charlotte and to learn more about her after the events of Pride and Prejudice I knew would be intriguing to read about.
This book shows Charlotte to be a strong, kind and intelligent woman who only wants to ensure her daughters grow up happy and secure financially. Living in a time when society is a mans world and the women have an inferior status, Charlotte finds it very difficult to see why men should rule and she uses subtle manipulative ways to get what she wants.
We also hear a lot more about the fragile, quiet character of Miss Anne de Bourgh; Lady Catherine de Bourgh's only daughter who in Pride and Prejudice is very much a minor character but in this reimagining she is brought to life and you see a side to her you most definitely would not have expected. I loved how the author portrays the women in this book. They are not the "delicate flowers" that are usually depicted in these type of books. I am sure Jane Austen would have been more than happy with their feminist ways.
Mr Collins and Charlotte's relationship also was not what I expected, they actually came across as quite a loving couple who both respected each other. The Mr Collins in Pride and Prejudice was talkative and irritating but you are painted a different picture of him in this book which worked well in the story.
The author does a great job of writing in a Austenesque way with country walks featured, musical evenings and men diving into lakes. But the thing is, it is not Jane Austen and it is hard for me to appreciate someone else's writing based on one of her best books. Maybe if I wasn't such a huge fan of hers I would have enjoyed this more. Don't get me wrong, this book was a pleasant, easy read but I must admit that quite frequently it felt like it dragged out a bit, especially in the middle chapters when Charlotte goes to Pemberley to stay with Lizzy. It was great to have one of my favourite book heroine's in Lizzy feature quite a lot in this book but it grew a bit stale after a while. I think I needed a bit more Mr Darcy in this book maybe!
This book shows Charlotte to be a strong, kind and intelligent woman who only wants to ensure her daughters grow up happy and secure financially. Living in a time when society is a mans world and the women have an inferior status, Charlotte finds it very difficult to see why men should rule and she uses subtle manipulative ways to get what she wants.
We also hear a lot more about the fragile, quiet character of Miss Anne de Bourgh; Lady Catherine de Bourgh's only daughter who in Pride and Prejudice is very much a minor character but in this reimagining she is brought to life and you see a side to her you most definitely would not have expected. I loved how the author portrays the women in this book. They are not the "delicate flowers" that are usually depicted in these type of books. I am sure Jane Austen would have been more than happy with their feminist ways.
Mr Collins and Charlotte's relationship also was not what I expected, they actually came across as quite a loving couple who both respected each other. The Mr Collins in Pride and Prejudice was talkative and irritating but you are painted a different picture of him in this book which worked well in the story.
The author does a great job of writing in a Austenesque way with country walks featured, musical evenings and men diving into lakes. But the thing is, it is not Jane Austen and it is hard for me to appreciate someone else's writing based on one of her best books. Maybe if I wasn't such a huge fan of hers I would have enjoyed this more. Don't get me wrong, this book was a pleasant, easy read but I must admit that quite frequently it felt like it dragged out a bit, especially in the middle chapters when Charlotte goes to Pemberley to stay with Lizzy. It was great to have one of my favourite book heroine's in Lizzy feature quite a lot in this book but it grew a bit stale after a while. I think I needed a bit more Mr Darcy in this book maybe!