"The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it." (James Bryce)

Thursday, February 26, 2015

PEMBERLEY or PRIDE & PREJUDICE CONTINUED (Emma Tennant)

As the title suggests, this is a sequel to Pride and Prejudice.  I have to admit that I am more of an Jane Austen movie watcher than a reader (although I loved reading Northanger Abbey), but I found Tennant's treatment of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy to be very believable.  I can imagine Jane Auten writing something along the same lines.  All of the familiar characters are there with the exception of Elizabeth's beloved Mr. Bennet, who had died.

Elizabeth is in despair because after a year of marriage she still has not produced an heir for Pemberly.  Through a series of invitations and some conniving, the entire cast of characters assembles at Pemberly for Christmas, including Jane, who is expecting her second child momentarily, Mrs. Bennet (fussing and criticizing, as usual), snooty Lady Catherine de Bourg and her daughter Anne, who was meant to be Mr. Darcy's bride, and the despicable Wickham along with his wife, Lydia, and their 4 children.  Everyone gets up to their usual antics and Elizabeth suffers mightily both from criticism over her housekeeping and questions as to whether or not she will be bearing a child in the near future.  To top it off, Darcy's tendency to disappear without communicating causes a misunderstanding that prompts Elizabeth to plan on leaving her home to work with the poor.  All in all, Tenant has done of great job of recreating the chaotic atmosphere of life with the Bennet family and the Darcy relations.  I would read more.

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