The Servants' Perspective

The Bicentenary Challenge has led me to read more Jane Austen fan fiction than I ever thought I’d be reading. Although most of it is quite lovely, a lot of it is just copies of Jane Austen. However, Longbourn by Jo Baker is standalone literature.

Jo Baker takes on the behind the scenes aspect of Pride and Prejudice to show what life is like below stairs in the Bennet household. The book is about a young servant, Sarah, and her desire to have a bigger life, while also following Mrs. Hill, the housekeeper, and James, the new manservant. The book is not just another fan fiction, this is literature that just happens to encapsulate Miss Austen's masterpiece.

Sarah talks about events around the house and we hear off hand, what is happening in the story of Pride and Prejudice in so far as how it affects the servants. The Gardeners have come to stay, meaning more laundry. The ladies want to go visiting, thus James must be dispatched to take them in the carriage. It is realistic and although the tasks may be mundane, the audience never feels lacking for material.

Every time I picked this novel up, I got wrapped up in the characters and setting. Baker is thorough, but not overly detailed, so the book continues to arrest your attention. Baker truly has a talent for storytelling. She twists her words into alluring sentences and, as is the way with a good storyteller, you forget you’re reading, but are instead locked in the narrative.

 If you enjoyed Downton Abbey, this book is for you. Here are some other stories you may enjoy:

• The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. About an elderly butler who wants to be the best at what he does. This was also made into a movie.
• A Spoonful of Sugar by Brenda Ashford is the autobiography of an English nanny who has  cared for children for over 60 years.

A Fitzwilliam Darcy Novel

Fitzwilliam Darcy, a man who has been speculated about, revered, and loved throughout the ages, finally gets his own take on the action of Pride and Prejudice. In Pamela Aidan’s trilogy, including An Assembly Such as This, Duty and Desire, and These Three Remain, we encounter Darcy’s mind and heart on what is happening during the period of P&P.

Having read the first novel, An Assembly Such as This, a few years ago, I was a bit lost on what happened, but it wasn't too hard to catch up in Duty and Desire given this is based on my favorite novel. Duty and Desire starts at the “silent period”, as I've heard it referred to, in P&P where Bingley and Darcy leave Hertfordshire and are not seen for a bit of time. Well now we hear what Darcy was up to.

Darcy goes to Pemberly to visit his sister and see how she’s progressing after the unfortunate incident with Wickham. He finds her altered for the better and becoming a fine young woman. Darcy, himself, feels the need to exercise Elizabeth Bennett out of his system and thus accepts an invitation to an old college friend’s gathering at his estate. While at this gathering, Darcy decides he must seriously start wife hunting and thus sets his eyes on the women at the party. Lady Sylvanie, the stepsister of the host, soon catches his eye with her fairy like looks and mysterious past. What started as a mere gathering of old acquaintances soon turns upon its side. The host, Sayer, is in financial trouble and on the edge of ruin. Darcy’s cousin’s fiancé is overly attentive to Darcy’s person, and an afternoon excursion to a local spot turns sinister. Soon Darcy finds himself in the middle of a mystery and events that can only be described as from a gothic novel.

I was utterly surprised by the turn this novel took. Not in the least did I expect this would take a Gothic twist or that Mr. Darcy would be embroiled in such events. That’s certainly not what I’m sure anyone thought would happen when Darcy was separated from the Bennetts. I think I spent most of the buildup going “no this isn't where Aidan’s taking this novel. She wouldn't turn all Mysteries of Udolpho on us!”. She did. Although it was a turn from Austen’s form of story and writing (outside of the parody in Northranger Abbey), it was intriguing. I cannot say I preferred it to the regular line of Regency drama however. Social graces and foibles are the usual and I missed that.

Aidan gives Darcy a passionate, yet reasonable character who shows affection to those he loves and forethought on his actions. However, this trilogy has left me bored and waiting at points. I want more out of them than what Aidan offers.

I suggest this trilogy for those of you who enjoy Pride and Prejudice and all things Austen and would love to hear how others perceive Aidan’s drawing of Darcy’s character. I will finish the trilogy because the ending is my favorite part and now I must know Darcy’s take on the events that occur. 

Three Colonels and Jane Austen

In June, I will be hosting a number of Jane Austen themed programs including a Jane Austen impersonator. In preparation for the festivities, it’s my duty to read as much Austen inspired literature as possible. What a difficult life I leadJ Thus here is the first installment of my Austen Inspired reading.

Napoleon Bonaparte has escaped Elba and is back on the continent to claim France as his dominion. Here begins our tale. Over in jolly old England we meet back up with two of our favorite Colonels from Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, that is Colonel Fitzwilliam and Colonel Brandon. There is a newcomer to this bunch in the form of former rogue, Colonel Buford. We follow the three through their romantic entanglements with other well-known characters and then in the end, at the Battle of Waterloo. This novel focuses on new relationships forming between Colonel Buford and Caroline Bingley along with Colonel Fitzwilliam and Anne de Bourgh.

Although it had its eye rolling love scene, this novel was well done. Jack Caldwell did a wonderful job of bringing to life new characters, while keeping the old relationships at arm’s length as to not ruin the relationship the reader had formed with Jane Austen’s characters in former novels. He writes about characters who are seldom mentioned or minor characters in her other books. In this way, he doesn't have the problem of both remaining true to Austen’s main characters and pleasing fans by remaining faithful, yet adding onto the stories.

I found some of the characters' actions a bit unbelievable. For example, though I truly enjoyed her as a character in this book, I do not know that Caroline Bingley could completely reform herself from the woman she was in P&P. Caldwell goes into the detail of how Caroline sees the error of her ways, but it’s just a little too righteous for a character who was such a social climbing ninny. He also has Mr. Collins have a realization about Lady Catherine and even apologize for his errors. No. Stop right there. Mr. Collins is fun and annoying because he is so oblivious. Don’t turn him into something he isn't.

I truly enjoyed the parallel story lines and even the intermingling of other notorious characters from Persuasion and Northranger Abbey. Caldwell also did an excellent job portraying the characters and military strategy during the Battle of Waterloo. Other than my discomfiture with characters’ actions, as stated above, I did not have any complaints. The story is fast and compelling. I found myself wanting to stay up late and get up early to read this novel.

If you are a Jane Austen fan, might I suggest An Assemble Such as This by Pamela Aidan. It is the first in a trio of books written from Fitzwilliam Darcy’s perspective as his journal during the period of Pride and Prejudice.

Falling Stars

A star falls from the sky and puts action into motion in Neil Gaiman's adult fairy tale, Stardust. You see, in Faery, a star is not just a lump of heavenly rock, but a woman. Tracking this woman are a witch, brothers seeking their birth right, and a love sick young man. Faery is a place where trees can be helpful or harmful, and magic and strange creatures lurk around corners.

The novel moved quickly. Adventures were not drawn out and characters were not overly complicated. Although I felt each character had much more to say and do in their time, Gaiman did not spend much time getting into the complexity of each person. He did a good job of holding a balance between giving details and keeping the plot moving. I felt he could have gone into more depth, but I was happy for a shorter read that took me through the fantastical land of Faery. There was one scene, when a unicorn is murdered, that was a little disturbing and went into more detail than necessary.

I listened to the book and thought it was a well done reading. Gaiman was the narrator and I’m always intrigued and somewhat put on guard when the author reads their own work. Some authors don’t know when to give control over to an actor who will read it better, but Gaiman was wonderful. He has a lovely voice and read the book well. I would recommend listening to this if you enjoy books on tape.

Overall, I would recommend this to a reader who enjoys fantasy novels. It felt like a Young Adult novel, but it did brush on more adult language and scenarios at points, so I’d say this is aimed at ages 15-adult. It was not one of my all-time favorite reads, but it was fun and easy. If you enjoy Neil Gaiman’s writing, I would suggest you try The Graveyard Book which is about a boy raised by ghosts. If you enjoy adult fairy tales and magic, I would suggest author Patricia Wrede. She writes alternative fairy tales along with books about magic in an alternative pioneer setting. 

Holiday Reading: Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a fantastic holiday. You gather to enjoy a delectable meal (so long as whoever cooks it is a good cook), you relax, watch football or movies, and give thanks for what you have. No worries about buying presents or having to prepare more than just the meal. It’s truly a lovely holiday.

Well for Thanksgiving, the first book I read was An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott. Alcott, the author of Little Women, sets a quaint scene of family life in early 1800s New Hampshire. The Bassett’s are in the midst of preparing for the Thanksgiving feast that will occur the next day. The girls help their mother cook, while the boys do chores and care for the animals. Suddenly, mother gets word that her mother has become very ill and she must rush away with Papa to be by her side. This leaves the children alone at the house with the oldest child being 16 year old Eph and 14 year old Tilly in charge of all the kids. Now unlike today’s children who would probably run rampant, these children do their chores and maintain the house. The next day, Tilly decides to continue with the Thanksgiving feast anyway because Papa is supposed to be coming home for dinner. Thus her and the girls start cooking their mother’s recipes from memory, which, of course, ends up being a bit of a culinary adventure.

This is a sweet story. It gives the reader a descriptive sense of home life during the time and introduces a loving family. The story reminded me a bit of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s stories in the Little House on the Prairie series. The way the family divvies up chores and interacts with one another is similar to Wilder’s accounts. It’s always fascinating to me to hear about how people lived when they had to make most things themselves and live a self-sustaining life. This is a very short account of that.

The story is about fifteen pages long, so yes it is very short. Think of this as a good story to tell your children on the Eve of Thanksgiving. It’s warm and easy to get through. Some of the language is outdated, but remember this takes place in the early 1800s and was written in the 1800s, so it’s no wonder some vocabulary and syntax are old fashioned.

If you enjoy adorable things and family events, then sit down for 20 minutes and read this story. If you regret it, it was only 20 minutes!

A Jane Austen Mystery

I have a penchant for Jane Austen and material inspired by her or her works. Can’t help it! Her novels hit home for me and I’m not alone in this view. She is a literary mastermind and has made a killing in the literary and film community, even if she doesn’t reap the benefits these days seeing as she’s six feet under. Jane Austen fan fiction is fun to read, but hardly EVER done right. How do you imitate an author with a voice from a different era and a distinct understanding of her characters and society in an accurate manner? You don’t. You shoot for the moon and land among the stars.

Well, Death Comes to Pemberley  by P.D. James is the Jane Austen wannabe up for discussion this week. Eight years after their marriage, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam plan to hold their annual October ball. On the eve of the ball, a dark and stormy night of course, tragedy ensues. George Wickham is back at Pemberley as a suspect to one of his friend’s murders.  Could murder be another item to add to his rap sheet? The novel takes place over several months as the case is taken from Pemberley, to the local courts and then to London where a decision is to be made on Wickham’s guilt or innocence.

First let me start by informing you that PD James is a mystery/thriller writer. She wrote the book The Children of Men, which some of you might remember as a Clive Owen movie. But for the most part, she does mystery and is not a Jane Austen fan fiction writer. The novel is apparently meant as more of a mystery with the backdrop of Pemberley, than a Pride and Prejudice fan fiction with murder.

Small amounts of what has happened since we last left off with our characters is given, but mostly, the novel dives into the present. The novel jumped between characters, following Elizabeth sometimes and Jane others, but mostly it stuck with Darcy. He is the male and thus decorum dictates that he is in charge of making sure the proceedings of the murder and the ensuing trial are arranged. Not work for the ladies. Jane Austen has a heightened sense of understanding of character and although I felt James started off well, I did not feel attached to my characters like I do in Austen’s novels. I was disappointed by the way James portrayed characters like the Colonel.

The epilogue felt so misplaced. It went from the wrap up of the murder to Elizabeth and Darcy talking about the past and mistakes they made when they were first getting to know one another. James tried to have it both ways, as a mystery and Pride and Prejudice follow up, but the take on the characters and their lives now just wasn’t there and the epilogue felt like a cop out trying to give Jane Austen fans a little of their favorite book.

Jane Austen’s voice was slightly present, but the ensuing novel felt more like a gimmick to draw in a certain audience than a tribute to one of the great English writers. If you like mystery and police procedurals, than perhaps you should try this, but I don’t even think it’s that interesting as far as mystery novels go.

Verdict: Disappointing, but not unreadable. 

Crazy Lady or Unjustly Accused?

So I must admit, I've never read Margaret Atwood before. Well there are a lot of other books out there and I'm a busy girl! I finally got around to it and read Alias Grace. A friend told me this was one of her favorites and I find it both intriguing and annoying when people tell me to read their favorite book unless I know we have similar taste. It's awkward when someone hands you a book and you can't get through it or dislike something that they adore. It could break up a friendship in extreme circumstances (Fitzgerald and Hemingway were frienemies because Hemingway didn't like Fitzgerald's writing-or-because he thought Fitzgerald was a pansy-don't quote me on that).

Just so happens Atwood is a fantastic writer. A good portion of the story is told as Grace, the main character, talking to a psychologist about her past. A very tricky thing to do well, but Atwood weaves the story's present in with the storytelling. Luckily, I will not be losing a friend on this one. It was a good recommendation.

Grace is a quiet woman and as you get to know her, she starts opening up. The story is based on true events. There was a Canadian woman murderess who killed her employer and the housekeeper. Grace is that woman. Through a back and forth between Grace's narrative and what is happening in the psychologists life, the audience is unsure about what the truth is or if Grace is an anti-social, psychotic murderer. While getting to know the character, it's hard to think of Grace as a murderess. She is well mannered, but strong in spirit. She takes her predicament in stride and carries her burden with...well, grace.

As I believe is Atwood's style, the story has a bit of a supernatural twist. You can pick it up from the beginning, but it's not meant to be a sci-fi novel and it certainly is not a central focus of the novel. Towards the end, it kind of threw me off because the novel was set so much in the rational and scientific look at the human brain and manner, that adding a supernatural element felt a bit out of place. Judge for yourself.

All in all, I would recommend this to the patient reader. It is a bit longer (480 pages) and takes some patience to invest in, but it is a wonderful piece of historical fiction. This is a character-centered book, so if you want to delve into the human psyche and get to know a famous murderess, give this a shot.

Also, if you have recommendations for me, I'm always more than happy to hear them. I love hearing about new material. Just take it with a grain of salt, because I might not read it, or, God forbid!, I might not like it. Hopefully, we can remain friends even if your favorite book rubs me the wrong way:)

Happy Reading.

Broken Axel, Dead Oxen...O the Oregon Trail

Who hasn't played Oregon Trail? Trying to get your wagon across the country to the great beyond while not getting typhoid, avoiding rattle snakes, and not letting your damn oxen die. The great migration west is a solely American event. Never before has something like this happened and it was such a climatic, engaging era. The Water Seeker by Kimberly Willis Holt was recommended to me by my Materials for Youth teacher as a good juvenile/YA historical fiction book. I love the pioneering point in our history, so I was excited for this book. 

Amos is the son of a dowser, a person who can find water with a stick. Jake, his father, rejected his gift of dowsing and instead pursued his love of trapping leaving his infant son with his brother and his sister-in-law. Amos grows up with these two and gets to see Jake once a year, but always dreads Jake might take him from his adopted mother. Tragedy strikes and eventually Jake comes for Amos, but with him he has a new wife, Blue Owl, a Shoshone woman. Amos and his little family move around a lot, but eventually decide to join one of Jake's friends to work on a wagon train going to Oregon City. The trail is an adventure with new experiences, new people, and tragedy. It is on this journey that Amos goes from being a boy to becoming a man.

This book begins before the birth of the main character, Amos. It is an epic of sorts, showing the growth and main events of Amos and other characters' lives. It is hard to give a brief summary of this book because so much happens and it's the story of family and a boy's life. I was surprised because I expected this to be mainly about the Oregon Trail journey, but it was about Amos and his growth. It was really well done. The story about the Oregon Trail was more about the everyday: what they did, how they found their way, and the people in the train. I don't feel I can do justice to the story.

Amos is a creative boy. He has gifts, he is kind, and even though he has seen hard times, he has prospered. He is a great main character and the other characters carry a lot of weight too. They are tangible and add to the tale. Every character is important and has a very defined personality from Jake, the gentle overly talkative mountain man to Blue Owl, a quiet, earthy, wise woman to Amos's Aunt and Uncle, two people who make a brilliantly happy pair, and all the characters met on the Trail.

The Oregon Trail part of the story did not begin until about half way through the book. I kept waiting for that part to start because this novel was marketed to me as an Oregon Trail book. I thought it was a great detailed and well put together story, but I was thrown off by the amount of non-Oregon writing. Still a book I would certainly recommend and that was a great story.

If you are into the Oregon Trail, this era, or pioneering then try the Laura Ingles Wilder Little House on the Prairie series. I loved these books as a child and they're a great source for what life was like at that time.

More Ordinary than Curious

I recently attended the American Library Association's annual conference in New Orleans where I had the pleasure of meeting and receiving complimentary copies of authors' books. One such book was "The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno" by Ellen Bryson. This is a book I saw on a B&N shelf not too long ago and thought it looked interesting. Well what with me thinking the book looked good, and having met the author, I was all ready to enjoy this novel....Anytime now...Crap.

I didn't.

The novel is about Barnum's Museum of Curiosities in New York City post Civil War (1865+ for you Canadians). The main character, Bartholomew Fortuno, is the world's thinnest man. We meet and see the daily lives of several other "curiosities", such as the fat lady, the elastic man, and a strong man, but one day a mysterious woman is added to the museum and Barty's world is tipped upside down. I applaud Ms Bryson for getting her first novel published. The idea is original and interesting, but it fell flat, like her characters.

The characters and plot were 2-D. They didn't jump off the page at you and I didn't feel there was anything or anyone to grab onto. The author made attempts at going beyond surface level, but I'm sorry to say her attempts failed. The main character, Barty, is annoying. He's like that whinny kid in class with no backbone. He knows all the rules by heart and isn't afraid to let everyone know it. I never warmed up to him and found his personality agitating.

The "mysteries" within the novel were not riveting. To say the least I was not turning the pages to figure out what happened. Had I not felt obligated to finish the book I would have put it down ages ago and been better for it. Nothing in the book moved me. Pieces of the plot felt loosely strung together and the "great reveals" were lacking. I wasn't surprised or intrigued.

I found nothing transforming about Bartholomew Fortuno. The author should have explored her characters more, made their relationships deeper, and their perspectives more pronounced and weighty. The curiosities are people who are outcast by the rest of society, but find a home in the Museum among others like them. This is a perspective that reaches all of us in one way or another, but I felt alienated from her characters and I don't feel Bryson tried to make the connection between her audience and the characters. Bryson tried to probe Barty's philosophy on the curiosities and how their presence in the world was a tool, but she never fully latched on to it.

After reading this book, I've decided to take Nancy Pearl's advice: if after 30-50 pages the book doesn't grab or interest you, just put it down. The world is full of books worth reading and life is too short to waste your time on an uninteresting read.

Elementary my dear Reader.

Does Sherlocke Holmes ever go out of style? That's a rhetorical question. If you don't know the answer please stop reading now. Yes I am being a snob, but I think by recognizing that it takes away some of the ill favor that marries itself with snobbery.

Anywho chaps, if you haven't read any Holmes, no worries. Sherlocke is a classic figure that nearly everyone recognizes for good reason. This is one bloody brilliant fictional character (though I doubt Doyle was a dim wit himself) and his stories make for good reading.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is perhaps his most famous book and my second literary encounter with Sherlocke. Always the logical, detail oriented, violin playing, addict, Holmes is up against what he takes to be his most worthy opponent. A family phantom in the form of a wolf is stalking the great Baskerville family, killing the current male taking residence at the family estate. Watson goes with the newest member to take possession to see if he can gather clues for Holmes and what follows is an interesting account of the people, place, and events that occur.

I enjoyed reading this book. I'm not terribly fond of mystery novels because I just want to know what happened or who done it. Doyle is a fantastic writer and keeps his audience engaged and fascinated by the story and Sherlocke's mannerisms and explanations. I still found myself wanting to get to the end so I could learn who the culprit was and why they did it. I suggest giving Baskerville a shot. It's a classic, and not one of the dry ones that everyone says they read, but never did. There is life within these pages and Sherlock is an intriguing character. Sit down, get your pipe, magnifying glass, and plaid cape ready and read perhaps the most famous and brilliant fictional detective that has been written.

Anne

There are those works that leave you hopeless. Once you finish rifling through its pages you're heartbroken and the rest of your day is ruined for the loss of those beautiful words. The characters, plot, writing have touched you in a way that makes it futile to even try for happiness. Your life seems simple and trivial in comparison and you wish for the world of the book back.

Welcome to my current state of being.

I have just put down "Anne of the Island", the third installment of the 'Anne of Green Gables' series. The past two books were enjoyable and I grew to love Anne, the charismatic, imaginative, charming girl of Canada. But it was the third book that blew me away. Anne goes to college to get her BA and she's truly grown up now. Her struggles, triumphs, dashed hopes, and confused romances echoed my own experiences. I connected with Anne in this book as I hadn't in the others. Her encounters with romance and her tarnished girlhood images of what romance should be resonated with me. After four years at college, her sense of loss at having to leave the place that was her home and the girls who became her best friends was almost an exact match to the despondent feelings I felt at leaving my own Alma Mater.

In Anne I find a hero, an ideal, a girl to whom I should aspire. She is good, loving, and kind yet she has faults. I want to be as decided and clear in my morals and attitudes as she is on the page. Anne has become royalty in my world of literary characters. She is a new favorite, the likes of which is rare to find in literature and the world.