All that is affectionate and insincere
I have got to stop doing this. And by "this," I mean, "read irritating sequels to Jane Austen novels by contemporary writers." The latest one is The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet, by Colleen McCullough. Colleen McCullough, not usually a major favorite of mine, but I always felt rather drawn to Miss Mary Bennet, who seemed to be a lot like me; nose always in a book, unless practicing piano which she not so secretly had no real at but hoped to to be a bit cooler and often quoting from books just so that she could say something that seemed intelligent. I always felt Jane Austen gave her a bit of the short shrift. So, I picked up the book and read merrily along. Lydia - drunken mess, ok (George Wickham safely packed off to America); Jane steadily and agreeably popping out babies until she physically can't but still agreeably getting pregnant, ok (it's not as if any of us could seriously imagine her saying "no" to Mr. Bingley, whatever the health issues involved, and the thought of Jane Bennet Bingley chatting about birth control just...yeah. Let's not even try to go there); Kitty a wealthy society widow with sharp insights into certain human behaviors...
Huh?
...ok, I can deal with Kitty, especially since she became Lady Menadew at the expense of Louisa Hurst, so, all good; Lizzy --
Unhappy.
Specifically, unhappy in her marriage which has dissolved into misunderstandings and so on and everyone is miserable. Also no sex.
Forgive me for I must SCREAM.
I know writers need to do this, or think they need to do this, to add tension and all that to the storyline, and yes, ok, I know that realistically Elizabeth and Darcy must have had a quarrel or two and had their share of sorrows along with the joys and probably had their moments of going, "I just so do not get him/her," although probably in a more British/Victorian sort of way (Victorian when they got older), but, and this is the main thing: the entire point of the book is that Darcy and Elizabeth earned a happy ending and found they were soulmates blah blah despite really not having any sex however much the BBC likes to put Mr. Darcy into lovely wet and clinging shirts and the latest filmed version liked to have Darcy and Elizabeth lightly and erotically touching each other in the rain and the mist.
And I'm just going to skip over the entire plot involving Mary Bennet.
The book isn't badly written, and it's decently researched, and McCullough clearly shares my need to squish Louisa Hurst, but, auugh.
This entire post brought to you in part through watching Beau Brummel, which was eh, but put me into an overall Regency mood which this book did zilch to satisfy. Oh well. At least Persuasion can be read online. And I sense I'll be doing just that. It's a healing sort of book.
Huh?
...ok, I can deal with Kitty, especially since she became Lady Menadew at the expense of Louisa Hurst, so, all good; Lizzy --
Unhappy.
Specifically, unhappy in her marriage which has dissolved into misunderstandings and so on and everyone is miserable. Also no sex.
Forgive me for I must SCREAM.
I know writers need to do this, or think they need to do this, to add tension and all that to the storyline, and yes, ok, I know that realistically Elizabeth and Darcy must have had a quarrel or two and had their share of sorrows along with the joys and probably had their moments of going, "I just so do not get him/her," although probably in a more British/Victorian sort of way (Victorian when they got older), but, and this is the main thing: the entire point of the book is that Darcy and Elizabeth earned a happy ending and found they were soulmates blah blah despite really not having any sex however much the BBC likes to put Mr. Darcy into lovely wet and clinging shirts and the latest filmed version liked to have Darcy and Elizabeth lightly and erotically touching each other in the rain and the mist.
And I'm just going to skip over the entire plot involving Mary Bennet.
The book isn't badly written, and it's decently researched, and McCullough clearly shares my need to squish Louisa Hurst, but, auugh.
This entire post brought to you in part through watching Beau Brummel, which was eh, but put me into an overall Regency mood which this book did zilch to satisfy. Oh well. At least Persuasion can be read online. And I sense I'll be doing just that. It's a healing sort of book.