| Created 007.11.16; Updated 2007.11.16 |
This article originally appeared in British Weekly.
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Austen's Elizabeth Writes Home in…Letters from
Pemberley SANTA MONICA, CA (British Weekly) 11/02/07 — Letters from Pemberly is not so much a sequel as a continuation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth's first year as mistress of Pemberley is told though 25 letters Elizabeth writes to her beloved sister Jane. The joy, making new friends and living as Mrs. Darcy at Pemberley is evident in every letter, even when Elizabeth talks about Lydia and her frequent requests for money to help her and her disreputable husband Mr. Wickam. More... |
There were many wonderful moments in the book. Elizabeth conveys to her sister the thoughtful things Mr. Darcy does to make the transition easier for Elizabeth at Pemberley. Mr. Darcy takes care that Elizabeth is not only the mistress of Pemberly, but feels it's her home, too. Even though we don't get to read Jane's answers to Lizzy's letters, we get the idea of what she says to Lizzy.
Jane Dawkins weaves characters and even the personalities and lines from Jane Austen's other work seamlessly into her novel. The characters are disguised. If you're a Jane Austen fan you'll know who they are. If not, you'll have fun guessing. The book reads as an Austen book in tone and vocabulary. It's one of the best Austen sequels I've read.
The one thing some people may take issue with is that Dawkins set the book in 1813, just after the book Pride and Prejudice was originally published. However, I didn't affect my enjoyment of the book. As a regency era aficionado, this book lives up to my expectations. A must read!
Letters From Pemberley , Trade Paperback: 224 pages Publisher:
Sourcebooks Landmark (May, 2007) Language: English ISBN 978-1-4022-0906-2
$13.95