Sunday Scrapbook #9

Regency-inspired ATCs made July 2011

(via Your Profile/My Profile ATC Swap at Swap-Bot)

 

 

 

Georgiana Darcy's Diary by Anna Elliott

Georgiana Darcy's Diary: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice continued by Anna Elliott

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

"The fact is, that you were sick of civility, of deference, of officious attention. You were disgusted with the women who were always speaking, and looking, and thinking for your approbation alone. I roused, and interested you, because I was so unlike them."

- Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

Had Jane Austen taken the minor character of Georgiana Darcy, younger sister to Fitzwilliam Darcy in Pride and Prejudice and filled her out with thoughts, opinions and substance, it would not have surprised me in the least had her sentiments of possible suitors been much the same as Elizabeth Bennet's surmisation of Darcy's feelings of his own (above) at the end of Pride & Prejudice.

Georgiana Darcy's Diary begins in the Spring of 1814, a pastime that Georgiana takes in response to the aggravation and boredom she feels at her Aunt de Bourgh's insistence on finding her a suitable, reputable husband. Georgiana is 18 years old, and Pemberley, the home that she shares with her brother and his wife Elizabeth, is bustling with guests, most of whom have been invited by Aunt de Bourgh to rustle for Georgiana's hand in marriage.

But Georgiana Darcy doesn't want to marry just anyone, and she certainly isn't going to marry someone who has no interest in her save for her fortune. Georgiana wants the romantic dream that her brother Fitzwilliam and his wife Elizabeth found in each other, yet she fears the man she is in love with will not feel the same of her.

Georgiana starts out as a shy and insecure girl not quite ready to step into womanhood. However, as the story develops so does Georgiana: Through her associations with the Pemberley guests, Georgiana becomes more open, more confident, and more certain of what it is she wants, and more determined to secure it. Finding her own voice she is able to move on from her indiscretion with George Wickham; helps her sickly cousin Anne discover life and love; stands up to her demanding Aunt de Bourgh; and at the end of the story declares herself a woman who has found her perfect gentleman.

It is interesting that at times throughout the story, the author elected to have the characters do things, or speak of certain topics that did not fit my perception of Jane Austen's England. In fact, some things I felt would have been considered unseemly to say and/or do during that era, and aren't necessarily what I would have expected Jane Austen to write at all. However, that didn't make the story any less enjoyable for me, as they were still in keeping with the personalities of the characters that Austen had created, and didn't deviate so much that it became entirely unbelievable. The fact that Elliott decided to write the story in the form of a diary allowed Georgiana's character to be more unrestrained in what she chose to write about, and her opinions may actually reflect those that many girls the same age and of the same class had at that time, but never got to speak about.

A common mistake that I often make is to compare the author of Austen sequels to Austen herself. I had to remind myself that Anna Elliott is not Jane Austen, and it would be unfair if I were to try and compare Elliott's style to Austen's: Even Elliott acknowledges this in the author's note at the beginning of the book where she writes, "I can't begin to match Jane Austen's immortal writing style, and wouldn't even pretend to try".

In writing Georgiana Darcy's Diary, Anna Elliott has taken an important yet undeveloped character from Austen's masterpiece and given her those sentiments I would have expected her to have had Austen developed the character more herself. A quick read, Georgiana Darcy's Diary was a fun Regency romance that left me smiling, just as Austen's Pride & Prejudice has done so many times before.

View all my reviews

Sanditon &c by Jane Austen

Title: Sanditon, The Watsons & Lady Susan

Author: Jane Austen
Category: Fiction

Jane Austen Reading Challenge 2010

Sanditon, The Watsons & Lady Susan is a collection of Jane Austen's unfinished works.

Sanditon is the least complete of the three, and as such is rather difficult to form an opinion on. It is based around the seaside town of Sanditon and the locals' attempts to make it a popular attraction for those sickly folks seeking the healing remedies of the ocean.

The Watsons tells the story of widowed Mr Watson and his young daughters as they seek love and fortune. Mr Watson's youngest daughter, Emma, is sent back into her father's care at the age of 19 after having been raised and educated by a wealthy Aunt, and this is where the story begins. After she attends a local ball she becomes the talk of the town and earns the admiration of many wealthy local men.

Lady Susan is the most complete of the three stories and is an episotolary novel (in the form of letters) about the flirtatious escapades of a wealthy young widow as she hunts down a new husband and creates for herself a questionable reputation in the process. Self-absorbed, petty, cruel and vain, Lady Susan is not one of Jane Austen's more likeable characters, but the story is most enjoyable.

Overall an easy read: 3 out of 5 stars.

Jane Austen's Selected Letters

Title: Selected Letters (Oxford World's Classics)

Author: Jane Austen (Introduction by Vivien Jones)

Category: Non-fiction, Biography

Jane Austen Reading Challenge 2010

"Little Matters they are to be sure, but highly important."

- Jane Austen, in a letter to her sister Cassandra, Dec 1808

Jane Austen's Selected Letters are all about the "little matters", yet they provide a fascinating insight into her life. She was a gossip, always ready and eager to share the latest news of her acquaintances with others, especially her sister Cassandra. In one letter she even joked how she was so tired of Cassandra "knowing nobody" and having little gossip to provide in return.

Jane Austen's letters reveal a preoccupation with clothes and fashion, social functions and expectations, family events, politics, reading, and - of course - her novels. Such private correspondence reveals just how clever and astute Jane Austen was, and how much of a tragedy it is that she died so young and so unexpectedly.

Recommended to all true Austenites and those interested in the daily lives of women in Georgian England.

5 out of 5 stars.

Darcy & Anne by Judith Brocklehurst

Title: Darcy & Anne
Author: Judith Brocklehurst
Category: Regency Fiction (Jane Austen inspired)

Jane Austen Reading Challenge 2010

Darcy & Anne is a "sequel" to Jane Austen's classic Pride & Prejudice, focusing on Darcy's cousin, Anne de Bourgh.

After Darcy's marriage to the lovely Elizabeth Bennet, Catherine de Bourgh is anxious to find her daughter, Anne, a suitable husband - "suitable" being a gentleman who would not only raise Anne's status in society, but also that of her elitist mother. When no suitors can be found in their locality, Catherine de Bourgh makes the decision to take Anne to Pemberley and have her nephew, Darcy, and his new wife find a husband for her daughter instead.

After a fortunate series of events, Anne ends up staying in Pemberley with her cousin and his wife much longer than anticipated, and grows more and more independant of her mother and others as each week passes, eventually working up the courage to follow her heart's desire, and not be a part of her mother's controlling schemes.

This was a good "sequel" to Austen's P&P. Brocklehurst has used a relatively minor character from Austen's novel, working a storyline that incorporates P&P's Darcy & Elizabeth without deviating from the original story. A clever interpretation that works well and is most enjoyable.

3 out of 5 stars.

Revised Reading List: Jane Austen Reading Challenge

A Jane Austen Reading Challenge (1 January - 31 December 2010)

I've had to make a change to my reading list for the Jane Austen Reading Challenge that I'm taking part in this year.

I have already completed Jane Austen's novel Northanger Abbey as part of the challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed (my review can be found here). I then decided to follow it up with Mr Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll, which is a sequel to Austen's Pride & Prejudice.

I stuck with it for three weeks, reading only very little each time, and have now decided that it is probably better if I dont finish it. I only got 50 or so pages in, but I feel that it is just too different to Pride & Prejudice and all the wonderful things that make me love that book so much. I'm worried the next time I pick up P&P all I'll be able to think about is Mr Darcy Takes a Wife.

So, I've decided to revise my reading list for this challenge. Rather than force myself to read a book I just dont like, I would much prefer to try something else. So, my revised list is as follows:

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen **COMPLETED**Darcy & Anne by Judith Brocklehurst **COMPLETED**Lady Susan/The Watsons/Sandition by Jane Austen **COMPLETED**Selected Letters (Oxford World Classics) by Jane Austen **COMPLETED**

Shelly from Tea Time was so kind to send me a copy of Selected Letters earlier in the year, and I'm so pleased that I now get to add it to my reading list for the Jane Austen Challenge, but so very disappointed that Mr Darcy Takes a Wife wasnt to my liking.

However, that doesnt mean that someone else wont like it, so if you're interested in giving Mr Darcy Takes a Wife a try, I'm more than happy to send you my copy, since I now have no use for it. If you would like it, send me an email with your address and I'll pop it in the post as soon as possible (please be advised that due to an increase in postage rates I will have to send this one by sea mail to an international address). First in, best dressed!

Happy Reading!

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Title: Northanger Abbey

Author: Jane Austen

Category: Classic Romance

Jane Austen Reading Challenge 2010

Fun, fun, fun!

Northanger Abbey was Jane Austen's first published novel, and tells the story of 17yo Catherine Morland's first social experiences in Bath and then later at Northanger Abbey.

Catherine is a fan of gothic novels, and is a guest of Mr & Mrs Allen's whilst in Bath, where she meets and makes friends with Isabella Thorpe, and is thrust into the social scene with balls and dinners. She becomes the love-interest of John Thorpe, Isabella's older brother, but rejects his advances because not only does she find him annoying and almost unbearable to be with, she is in love with Henry Tilney, brother to another new friend Eleanor. Once her stay in Bath comes to an end, she is invited by the Tilney's to spend time with them at their family home, Northanger Abbey.

What makes this novel so much fun is that once at Northanger Abbey, Catherine lets her imagination run wild with gothic fantasies, which leads to her making a major social faux pas. However, through her error she grows and develops from the mind of a child to that of a young woman, and the affection felt for her by the Tilney's is not diminished by her mistakes.

Groomed by General Tilney as a suitor for Henry, Catherine later leaves Northanger Abbey in a rush of mystery and intrigue. Of course, as is Jane Austen's style, the truth behind her sudden departure from the Abbey is later revealed, and in true romantic fashion: "all's well that ends well".

Fun, quick and easy to read, Northanger Abbey is well-deserving of 4 out of 5 stars.

A Jane Austen Reading Challenge!

"The person, whether it be a gentleman or a lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid"- Jane Austen

I just couldnt help myself, could I? I stumble across a Jane Austen reading challenge and I simply must take part!

This reading challenge runs from 1 January 2010 until 31 December 2010, and although being an avid Jane Austen fan, I will be undertaking the challenge as a Newbie reader, meaning I have to read at least 4 books: 2 by Jane Austen and 2 re-writes/prequels/sequels etc. I figure I should be able to squeeze these in somewhere amongst all the other books I plan on reading this year.

The books I plan on reading for this challenge are:

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen **COMPLETED**

Lady Susan/The Watsons/Sandition by Jane Austen **COMPLETED**

Darcy & Anne by Judith Brocklehurst **COMPLETED**

Mr Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll **ABANDONED**

If you're interested in taking part as well, simply head over to The Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object to get all the particulars of the challenge and to sign up. If you've not read Jane Austen before, then this is a great challenge to get you started!

Happy Reading!

21/6/10 - Revised Reading List

A Jane Austen Giveaway!

"Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way." - Emma

You may well be aware of this already, but I love Jane Austen. It probably comes as no surprise then that when I discovered Shelly over at Tea Time was hosting a giveaway for a brand-new copy of the novel Emma, I just had to tell everyone about it!

I quite enjoy spoiling friends and complete strangers with books, so I think it is wonderfully generous of Shelly to share with one lucky person this great story.

If you would like a chance to win yourself a copy of this book, all you have to do is visit Shelly's blog and leave a comment. She will announce the winner in due course, but hurry: It could be soon!
EDIT: Giveaway ends 28 February 2010, with the winner announced 1 March 2010. Good luck!
From the blurb:
Beautiful, clever, rich - and single - Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and see no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen's most flawless work.

Book Review: Persuasion (Austen)

Recently I read Jane Austen's novel Persuasion.

Unlike other Austen novels in my possession, which have been read until the pages are worn (and in some cases come loose from the binding!), it was the first time that I had read this particular story.

I believe it to be one of Austen's later novels, and found it to be distinctly different to other stories that make up my favourites, such as Pride & Prejudice and Emma.

Persuasion, to me, felt quite sombre. The heroine of the story, Anne Elliott, is just so sad! I was waiting for the Austen sarcastic wit to break through, but it is hard to find anything funny when the heroine's sadness envelopes every bit of the story.

At times I felt that Austen had made attempts to be humourous and ironic, a trait that makes Jane Austen's stories so charming and enjoyable, but in Persuasion it all fell flat. I cannot say that I disliked the story, because the characters were interesting, as was the plot, but it wasnt what I was expecting, and I dont feel it will be added to my favourites list. I never thought I would say this about an Austen novel, but I dont believe I will make the time to read it again.

Have you read Persuasion? If so, what were your thoughts?

Winter Reading List (May - August) Progession:

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Tales of Mystery & Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Pride & Prejudice (& favourite reads).

Last night I finished reading Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen for, oh, the fifth or sixth time (to be perfectly honest I have lost track of how many times I have picked it up off the bookshelf and read it simply because I had nothing else worth reading or because the mood took me).

It is easily my favourite novel of all time. From the opening line to the final chapter it is pure brilliance. So much wit! So much drama! So much romance! So much irony and sarcasm! I would consider it impossible for anyone not to enjoy this book.

My favourite part of the story is when our heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, meets Mr Darcy completely by accident at his home, Pemberley, whilst there with her aunt and uncle, perusing the house and grounds (and thinking Mr Darcy was away at the time). It's there that she realises her opinion of him is not what it should be, and it is this moment that she falls in love with the mis-understood Mr Darcy.

Oh, Mr Darcy! The fictional character upon which every woman moulds her perfect man!

Do you have a favourite part of this story too? If so, I'd love to hear of it.

Or perhaps you'd just like to share your favourite story or novel, Austen or otherwise?

I'd be most interested to know.
After all, books are a most favoured topic of mine.

Winter Reading List (May - August) Progression:

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Tales of Mystery & Imagination by Edgar Allen Poe

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen