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Excessively Diverted: The Sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
Newlyweds Mr and Mrs Fitzwilliam Darcy begin their married life at Pemberley quite blissfully but it is not long before the tranquillity they relish is cut short by a series of traumas. The formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh makes little attempt to hide her distain for her nephew's wife. She is joined by Caroline Bingley, as sharp tongued and resentful as ever, in the shared amusement of criticising Elizabeth. But the new mistress of Pemberley soon has more pressing matters on her mind, the fact that she is carrying the Darcy heir being the most pleasant of them. The sudden return of her sister Lydia brings cause for concern. Alarming reports of a seduction, blackmail and the need to keep news of another's confinement secret dampen even Elizabeth's notoriously high spirits and Darcy shows his true character when faced with the most difficult decision of his life. Has he been softened by his love for Elizabeth or is his former remoteness about to be resurrected?
233 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
May 30, 2012
Run! Run away before you read this book!
At the back of the book we get a brief biography of Juliette Shapiro which says she is both a published author and someone who loves Jane Austen and regularly re-reads Pride and Prejudice. This does not qualify one to write a sequel.
I don't think we're dealing with an author who has studied Jane Austen or the Georgian period much at all. I think she's read Pride and Prejudice a few times and watched the BBC version and decided, "Hey, I'm going to write a sequel!" I've read other sequels and this one falls well short.
First, It took us several chapters to get around to finding a plot. Shapiro is so enamored with writing scenes for her favorite characters she forgets she's supposed to tell a story. Even when Lydia's crisis hits, it's almost an afterthought.
Secondly, the dialogue is stilted and unnatural. There's no flow to it. Shapiro is trying so hard to mimic Austen's style that she completely misuses the language of the time. Every so often she almost gets it, but no quite. Idioms are misused, phrasing is wrong, and she tries to quote Pride and Prejudice and make it sound like natural discourse. She fails. The characters sound like puppets and all the humor and wit is completely lost.
The characters are all wrong as well. Mr. Bennett is less sarcastic and more henpecked (if he really protested Mrs. Bennett's "solution to Lydia's situation, he wouldn't have written the letter, for example). Mrs. Bennett is more coniving and less hysterical. She has Mr. and Mrs. Bennett traveling to the Lakes, which I can't imagine they would ever do for any reason. Lady Catherine isn't as shrewd, she's just grumpy. Sir William, who loved his new son-in-law in P&P, suddenly can't stand him. The Gardiners now live at Pemberly (I guess running his business is less important than fishing). The only person who seems the same is Jane...but she probably wasn't a hard character to write to begin with.
I don't think she has any idea of Georgian/Victorian etiquette. The most glaring example was of the suitors of the various young women in the story writing to them before the engagement. This simply would not have happened...you didn't write to or receive letters from a young man unless his intentions are clear...that he is going to or has proposed. Yet it happens three times.
Then there is her tossing out the last chapter of the book and writing her own ending. Apparently Jane Austen didn't know what she was doing and Shapiro decided to "fix" it. As a result, although Austen makes it clear that Wickham was never welcome at Pemberly, he is not only invited, but given a home on the estate! Also, at the end of P&P we are told that Elizabeth and Jane work together to keep contact between Kitty and Lydia to a minimum, but here we have Kitty spending an extraordinary amount of time with Lydia...and Georgiana too (and I would think Lizzy would not want her sister-in-law in close proximity to Lydia for any length of time.) We also learn that, instead of becoming her mother's companion after the other girls are gone, Mary becomes the companion of Anne DeBourgh until she makes Lady Catherine angry.
Over all, I think Shaprio was writing what she wantted the characters to be, not who they actually are. She's also basing her sequel on both the book and the BBC movie. She needed to pick one or the other because as a result she has several inconsistencies...Mr. Bennett either does know or doesn't know how Darcy helped Lydia...you can't have it both ways.
Avoid this book at all costs. There are better sequels out there.
At the back of the book we get a brief biography of Juliette Shapiro which says she is both a published author and someone who loves Jane Austen and regularly re-reads Pride and Prejudice. This does not qualify one to write a sequel.
I don't think we're dealing with an author who has studied Jane Austen or the Georgian period much at all. I think she's read Pride and Prejudice a few times and watched the BBC version and decided, "Hey, I'm going to write a sequel!" I've read other sequels and this one falls well short.
First, It took us several chapters to get around to finding a plot. Shapiro is so enamored with writing scenes for her favorite characters she forgets she's supposed to tell a story. Even when Lydia's crisis hits, it's almost an afterthought.
Secondly, the dialogue is stilted and unnatural. There's no flow to it. Shapiro is trying so hard to mimic Austen's style that she completely misuses the language of the time. Every so often she almost gets it, but no quite. Idioms are misused, phrasing is wrong, and she tries to quote Pride and Prejudice and make it sound like natural discourse. She fails. The characters sound like puppets and all the humor and wit is completely lost.
The characters are all wrong as well. Mr. Bennett is less sarcastic and more henpecked (if he really protested Mrs. Bennett's "solution to Lydia's situation, he wouldn't have written the letter, for example). Mrs. Bennett is more coniving and less hysterical. She has Mr. and Mrs. Bennett traveling to the Lakes, which I can't imagine they would ever do for any reason. Lady Catherine isn't as shrewd, she's just grumpy. Sir William, who loved his new son-in-law in P&P, suddenly can't stand him. The Gardiners now live at Pemberly (I guess running his business is less important than fishing). The only person who seems the same is Jane...but she probably wasn't a hard character to write to begin with.
I don't think she has any idea of Georgian/Victorian etiquette. The most glaring example was of the suitors of the various young women in the story writing to them before the engagement. This simply would not have happened...you didn't write to or receive letters from a young man unless his intentions are clear...that he is going to or has proposed. Yet it happens three times.
Then there is her tossing out the last chapter of the book and writing her own ending. Apparently Jane Austen didn't know what she was doing and Shapiro decided to "fix" it. As a result, although Austen makes it clear that Wickham was never welcome at Pemberly, he is not only invited, but given a home on the estate! Also, at the end of P&P we are told that Elizabeth and Jane work together to keep contact between Kitty and Lydia to a minimum, but here we have Kitty spending an extraordinary amount of time with Lydia...and Georgiana too (and I would think Lizzy would not want her sister-in-law in close proximity to Lydia for any length of time.) We also learn that, instead of becoming her mother's companion after the other girls are gone, Mary becomes the companion of Anne DeBourgh until she makes Lady Catherine angry.
Over all, I think Shaprio was writing what she wantted the characters to be, not who they actually are. She's also basing her sequel on both the book and the BBC movie. She needed to pick one or the other because as a result she has several inconsistencies...Mr. Bennett either does know or doesn't know how Darcy helped Lydia...you can't have it both ways.
Avoid this book at all costs. There are better sequels out there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2020
This story gives us all the Bennet sisters having their parts. Mary, oddly, is hired as Anne de Bourgh's companion. Lydia shows up back home when she not only discovers Wickham cheating on her (and then abandoning her) but also that she is pregnant. Jane and Bingley negotiate to buy an estate closer to Pemberley. Kitty's part comes late in the story but she is attracted to a parson.
Elizabeth and Darcy have had some time to enjoy their marriage but now invited and UNINVITED guests show up at Pemberley. Mrs. Bennet finally gets to see Elizabeth's home but then they all learn from a letter Collins writes (He is now living with the Lucases due to Lady C.'s anger over the Darcy marriage and Collins' relationship to Darcy's bride.) that Lydia is back at Longbourn and she is not well. Her pregnancy and being abandoned by Wickham creates another scandalous situation so Mrs. Bennet not only dictates that Lydia will move to Pemberley but also that the baby will be raised by the Darcys as their own!!! Wickham shows up in Lambton and we learn that his running off with Lydia was paid for by someone who wanted only that scandal NOT that he would marry her. He lost the second half of his pay-off when he married her and thus the scandal was not enough to end Darcy's attentions to Elizabeth. He is still seeking a way to gain money from that planned seduction.
Caroline is at Pemberely and makes friends with Lady Catherine as they have in common wanting to do everything they can to undermine the Darcy marriage. There are others in this story with their parts, eligible men who attract...even studious Mary. There is also a lady author who wants to write a story about Darcy but, of course, disguising his identity just enough so no one will guess on whom the story is based.
In editing this story from the works contained in Excessively Diverted: The Sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice the author many times leaves out the space that comes after a period at the end of a sentence. Not always but many times - Odd!
This longer story was interesting and keep my attention so I can recommend it here.
Elizabeth and Darcy have had some time to enjoy their marriage but now invited and UNINVITED guests show up at Pemberley. Mrs. Bennet finally gets to see Elizabeth's home but then they all learn from a letter Collins writes (He is now living with the Lucases due to Lady C.'s anger over the Darcy marriage and Collins' relationship to Darcy's bride.) that Lydia is back at Longbourn and she is not well. Her pregnancy and being abandoned by Wickham creates another scandalous situation so Mrs. Bennet not only dictates that Lydia will move to Pemberley but also that the baby will be raised by the Darcys as their own!!! Wickham shows up in Lambton and we learn that his running off with Lydia was paid for by someone who wanted only that scandal NOT that he would marry her. He lost the second half of his pay-off when he married her and thus the scandal was not enough to end Darcy's attentions to Elizabeth. He is still seeking a way to gain money from that planned seduction.
Caroline is at Pemberely and makes friends with Lady Catherine as they have in common wanting to do everything they can to undermine the Darcy marriage. There are others in this story with their parts, eligible men who attract...even studious Mary. There is also a lady author who wants to write a story about Darcy but, of course, disguising his identity just enough so no one will guess on whom the story is based.
In editing this story from the works contained in Excessively Diverted: The Sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice the author many times leaves out the space that comes after a period at the end of a sentence. Not always but many times - Odd!
This longer story was interesting and keep my attention so I can recommend it here.
November 16, 2010
I have lately been reading several Pride and Prejudice alternates/sequels. I have to say this one ranks very high on my list of favorites. 1st - the writing style is reminscent of Austen. The language is very period and the sentence structure is similar. In addition, there is still the sense of taking a microscope to society and finding its humor. Compared to other books in this genre, this one made very striking points that caused me to laugh at loud, similarly to Austen herself in P and P. In addition, there was actually a feasible story line here. Elizabeth and Darcy have been asked to raise not only their own child, but that of Lydia and Wickham by Mr and Mrs Bennet. In addition, further information identifies Wickham was not working on his own when he planned to seduce Lydia. Both story lines fit Austen's style and make the book worth reading. Finally, I found the Elizabeth and Darcy characters in this book to be the closest to the originals in character to any of the fan fiction I have read. I recommend it to those, like me, who have read Pride and Prejudice a dozen times and are interested in a follow-up.
November 28, 2015
There are much better P&P sequels out there - plus I hated the way she constantly recycled dialogue from the original and failed to include many meaningful scenes with Elizabeth and Darcy interacting. I wouldn't recommend it.
December 28, 2020
Oilfield not finish
I stopped reading when mother Bennet decided Lizzy and Darcy should raise Lydia Wickham’s child, as their own. If the story had been interesting enough or funny enough to continue I would have kept slogging on but it wasn’t. Thumbs down.
I stopped reading when mother Bennet decided Lizzy and Darcy should raise Lydia Wickham’s child, as their own. If the story had been interesting enough or funny enough to continue I would have kept slogging on but it wasn’t. Thumbs down.
July 22, 2021
2,5 rounded up to 3
Published at: https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpre...
One of my goals this year is to read more books that were released prior to 2020, so I decided that Mr. Darcy’s Decision from Juliette Shapiro would be a good option.
In this sequel, Mr. Darcy is happily married to Elizabeth, but Wickham and Lydia will once more cause havoc precipitating some controversial decisions from everyone, but particularly from Mr. Darcy.
The book begins with a description of the events that took place in Pride & Prejudice and it’s slow pace along with the page time dedicated to secondary characters, made me feel a little detached from the narrative in the beginning.
As the story progresses, there is less description and more dialogue which makes the book more interesting, however, I still felt that Darcy and Elizabeth where the secondary characters in this story whose focus was spread out among Mrs. Bennet, Lydia, Lady Catherine, Mary, Caroline Bingley etc. I do enjoy books that develop secondary characters, but in Mr. Darcy’s Decision, I felt the attention was too spread out among the characters to allow a true character development. In fact, one of the aspects that I didn’t enjoyed about it was the incoherent attitudes from many of its characters, but especially from Mrs. Bennet who is at first very focused on pleasing Mr. Darcy, and later, has no problems at all in imposing her will upon him by decreeing he raises Wickham’s son as his own.
Mrs. Bennet’s demands are not the passing act of a woman taken by her nerves. In fact, it will become the entire storyline of the book, hence the title, and that was another aspect I could not enjoy in this story. The plot was neither believable, nor pleasing to me. Lydia is abandoned by Wickham and flees to Longbourn. Mrs. Bennet believes she will be disgraced because she is pregnant, even though she was married, and demands that Mr. Bennet writes to Elizabeth to tell her she and Darcy must receive Lydia at Pemberley, hide her pregnancy and then raise the child as their own. Elizabeth shares that with Mr. Darcy and he accepts to pretend the child is his own. I will not reveal how the rest of the story progresses because I don’t want to give any more spoilers, but I must say I was also extremely disappointed with the resolution of the conflict in the story. The villain’s redemption seemed sudden and arrived without anything triggering it, making me feel the entire story didn’t have any meaning apart from showing how altruistic Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth can be by taking that decision.
Because the story was solely focused on Darcy’s Decision to take Wickham’s child as his own, the appearance of the secondary characters seemed a bit forced with too many comings and goings at Pemberley. Everyone seemed to find their way into Pemberley: the Gardiners, the Bennet’s, the Bindley’s, the Collins’s, Lady Catherine, etc., and all of this was not very believable in my point of view either.
I also didn’t like all the dynamics surrounding Lady Catherine’s character, from her behaviour at Pemberley, to her tutelage of Mary Bennet, her dismissal and then forgiveness of the Collin’s and finally her friendship with Caroline Bingley seemed either unnecessary, or out of character.
I really wanted to like Mr. Darcy’s Decision, but unfortunately, it was not my cup of tea. Because it is a sequel, and we do see how our beloved characters’ lives progress and witness as the remaining Bennet sisters find their happiness, I think some readers will still enjoy it, but this one was not to my taste.
Published at: https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpre...
One of my goals this year is to read more books that were released prior to 2020, so I decided that Mr. Darcy’s Decision from Juliette Shapiro would be a good option.
In this sequel, Mr. Darcy is happily married to Elizabeth, but Wickham and Lydia will once more cause havoc precipitating some controversial decisions from everyone, but particularly from Mr. Darcy.
The book begins with a description of the events that took place in Pride & Prejudice and it’s slow pace along with the page time dedicated to secondary characters, made me feel a little detached from the narrative in the beginning.
As the story progresses, there is less description and more dialogue which makes the book more interesting, however, I still felt that Darcy and Elizabeth where the secondary characters in this story whose focus was spread out among Mrs. Bennet, Lydia, Lady Catherine, Mary, Caroline Bingley etc. I do enjoy books that develop secondary characters, but in Mr. Darcy’s Decision, I felt the attention was too spread out among the characters to allow a true character development. In fact, one of the aspects that I didn’t enjoyed about it was the incoherent attitudes from many of its characters, but especially from Mrs. Bennet who is at first very focused on pleasing Mr. Darcy, and later, has no problems at all in imposing her will upon him by decreeing he raises Wickham’s son as his own.
Mrs. Bennet’s demands are not the passing act of a woman taken by her nerves. In fact, it will become the entire storyline of the book, hence the title, and that was another aspect I could not enjoy in this story. The plot was neither believable, nor pleasing to me. Lydia is abandoned by Wickham and flees to Longbourn. Mrs. Bennet believes she will be disgraced because she is pregnant, even though she was married, and demands that Mr. Bennet writes to Elizabeth to tell her she and Darcy must receive Lydia at Pemberley, hide her pregnancy and then raise the child as their own. Elizabeth shares that with Mr. Darcy and he accepts to pretend the child is his own. I will not reveal how the rest of the story progresses because I don’t want to give any more spoilers, but I must say I was also extremely disappointed with the resolution of the conflict in the story. The villain’s redemption seemed sudden and arrived without anything triggering it, making me feel the entire story didn’t have any meaning apart from showing how altruistic Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth can be by taking that decision.
Because the story was solely focused on Darcy’s Decision to take Wickham’s child as his own, the appearance of the secondary characters seemed a bit forced with too many comings and goings at Pemberley. Everyone seemed to find their way into Pemberley: the Gardiners, the Bennet’s, the Bindley’s, the Collins’s, Lady Catherine, etc., and all of this was not very believable in my point of view either.
I also didn’t like all the dynamics surrounding Lady Catherine’s character, from her behaviour at Pemberley, to her tutelage of Mary Bennet, her dismissal and then forgiveness of the Collin’s and finally her friendship with Caroline Bingley seemed either unnecessary, or out of character.
I really wanted to like Mr. Darcy’s Decision, but unfortunately, it was not my cup of tea. Because it is a sequel, and we do see how our beloved characters’ lives progress and witness as the remaining Bennet sisters find their happiness, I think some readers will still enjoy it, but this one was not to my taste.
December 30, 2020
December 29, 2020 - Listened to the Audible version of this book.
Narrator isn’t animated enough. Some of Darcy’s warm words are lost to the monotone style. I didn’t like the accent given to the Bennets.
Narrator isn’t animated enough. Some of Darcy’s warm words are lost to the monotone style. I didn’t like the accent given to the Bennets.
March 4, 2014
I was looking forward to this new Shapiro book as I so enjoyed reading Excessively Diverted, so much so, that I just re-read it in anticipation of her Mr Darcy's Decision. Imagine my disappointment, when UPS delivered the same book sans typos and original title-- but with improved cover art.
Still, I will say, since Excessively Diverted, is fresh in my mind, that I did very much enjoy this book. The story-line is compelling, and Shapiro creates believable new characters as well as writing credible Austen originals. It's a delightful page turner, that IF you do not all ready own Excessively Diverted, highly recommend the purchase of this sequel.
Still, I will say, since Excessively Diverted, is fresh in my mind, that I did very much enjoy this book. The story-line is compelling, and Shapiro creates believable new characters as well as writing credible Austen originals. It's a delightful page turner, that IF you do not all ready own Excessively Diverted, highly recommend the purchase of this sequel.
December 24, 2011
after a few chapters in, I was a bored with the book. I rushed through the rest just to see what the author had planned for Elizabeth and Darcy.
Never understood why Caroline was at Pemberley. To much of the book was about Mrs Bennet for my liking.
Never understood why Caroline was at Pemberley. To much of the book was about Mrs Bennet for my liking.
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November 21, 2021I quite liked it! It was nice to see the crew again and what they’ve been up to, in this imagined sequel to Pride & Prejudice. Some humorous moments, some infuriating, some requiring a suspension of disbelief… sounds like a fun read to me!
July 11, 2021
Pretty good variation! Love that it uses quotes from the original.
January 4, 2009
I've read A LOT of P&P spin-offs lately, and this one really bugged me. OK, not as much as the totally smutty ones, but it still bugged me.
First of all, the whole storlyine with Lydia and intrigue with Wickham is unbelievable. The timeline for Lady Catherine trying to ruin the Bennet's just doesn't work from the perspective of the original work. No one got that Darcy was that serious about Elizabeth until after Jane and Bingley were engaged. When would Lady Catherine have had time to set up the ruin of the Bennets, since Darcy and Elizabeth were just getting reacquainted as Elizabeth receives new of Lydia running off?
I found the friendship between Anne and Mary believable as far as their characters go, but not in light of the animosity Lady Catherine had for the Bennet family after Elizabeth and Darcy married.
The author plain disregards any details right at the end of P&P about what happens to the members of the family, particularly the Collinses, the Wickhams and Mary and Kitty. I'm sorry you can't reform Wickham just because you want to. The author also makes some other assumptions that just didn't sit well, like the visit between Mrs. Bennet and Lady Catherine. She made it seem like a jaunt next-door when, if I recall, this was a distance of over 50 miles in the days of horse and carriage--just unbelievable to me.
If you can totally disregard the personality of the characters and Austen's postscript about their futures, the writing isn't horrible; however, I can't stomach a book that goes this far away from the real thing? Did the author really read P&P or just watch the BBC version?
First of all, the whole storlyine with Lydia and intrigue with Wickham is unbelievable. The timeline for Lady Catherine trying to ruin the Bennet's just doesn't work from the perspective of the original work. No one got that Darcy was that serious about Elizabeth until after Jane and Bingley were engaged. When would Lady Catherine have had time to set up the ruin of the Bennets, since Darcy and Elizabeth were just getting reacquainted as Elizabeth receives new of Lydia running off?
I found the friendship between Anne and Mary believable as far as their characters go, but not in light of the animosity Lady Catherine had for the Bennet family after Elizabeth and Darcy married.
The author plain disregards any details right at the end of P&P about what happens to the members of the family, particularly the Collinses, the Wickhams and Mary and Kitty. I'm sorry you can't reform Wickham just because you want to. The author also makes some other assumptions that just didn't sit well, like the visit between Mrs. Bennet and Lady Catherine. She made it seem like a jaunt next-door when, if I recall, this was a distance of over 50 miles in the days of horse and carriage--just unbelievable to me.
If you can totally disregard the personality of the characters and Austen's postscript about their futures, the writing isn't horrible; however, I can't stomach a book that goes this far away from the real thing? Did the author really read P&P or just watch the BBC version?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2011
Not the best P&P sequel I've ever read. While not the worst, this one has a place near the bottom of the list.
At times the author was trying to write with Austen's language, but just confusing me. I actually had to read the sentences two or three times before I understood what she meant to say, and what could have been conveyed a little easier.
A lot of repeating lines from the original novel, which did frustrate me a little. There was even a part of the novel that showed the entirety of Darcy's letter to Elizabeth from Hunsford! Extremely unecessary - the opening line of the letter and a brief explanation would have sufficed.
The story felt like it didn't really have a purpose until close to the end, and it wasn't really until the last 50 pages or so that I felt I had picked up a half-decent book.
Not one I would recommend to fans of Austen Sequels.
At times the author was trying to write with Austen's language, but just confusing me. I actually had to read the sentences two or three times before I understood what she meant to say, and what could have been conveyed a little easier.
A lot of repeating lines from the original novel, which did frustrate me a little. There was even a part of the novel that showed the entirety of Darcy's letter to Elizabeth from Hunsford! Extremely unecessary - the opening line of the letter and a brief explanation would have sufficed.
The story felt like it didn't really have a purpose until close to the end, and it wasn't really until the last 50 pages or so that I felt I had picked up a half-decent book.
Not one I would recommend to fans of Austen Sequels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2019
This novel is yet another sequel to P&P, and a quick read it was. It spans the first year of the Darcys' marriage. As P&P sequels go, it was not bad. Not incredible, by any means, but also not terrible. Elizabeth produces an heir, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have some amusing conversations, and Lydia causes trouble. Faithful to the original, in many regards. HOWEVER, I find it VERY difficult to believe that 1) Lady Catherine would dismiss Mr. Collins simply for his familial ties to Lizzy, or 2) that Wickham would undergo such a complete change of character at the prospect of becoming a father. Good effort, but not a superb result.
October 13, 2017
Tolerable, but hardly enough to be tempting.
March 19, 2020
A WONDERFUL completion to the Pride and Prejudice story. Highly Recommended to any Jane Austen fan.
December 24, 2021
Holy bad writing. Where was the copy editor for this manuscript??? So many run-on sentences. So many missed spaces or too many spaces between lines. At one point, a word was cut off with a number, and then the rest of the word started the next paragraph. I don’t claim to never make mistakes in my writing, but this is such basic stuff.
I maybe could have been more forgiving of the blatant lack of editing if the story hadn’t been so bad, too. Nothing happened for 60+ pages, and then when the drama finally kicked in, it was so ridiculous — I don’t believe for a second that Mr. Darcy would choose not to know which child was his in the name of “equality.” And the way he treated Elizabeth during the situation was terrible, too — it was like he reverted to his Kent proposal self. Plus, I never bought that he let Caroline Bingley stay at Pemberley so long and talk to Elizabeth so condescendingly. And why did the author reprint the entirety of Darcy’s explanatory letter from Kent? Every “Pride and Prejudice” fan ever knows exactly what it says.
I also couldn’t swallow a redeemed Wickham who’s suddenly, genuinely in love with Lydia, or a Caroline Bingley who never marries (she’s way too conniving to not trap some rich gentleman). The perfect and quick happy endings for all the other side characters felt too perfectly tied with a bow. (Not to mention, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Maria Lucas? Really???) I just couldn’t get on board with anything in this book and I’m disappointed that it wasn’t a lot better.
I maybe could have been more forgiving of the blatant lack of editing if the story hadn’t been so bad, too. Nothing happened for 60+ pages, and then when the drama finally kicked in, it was so ridiculous — I don’t believe for a second that Mr. Darcy would choose not to know which child was his in the name of “equality.” And the way he treated Elizabeth during the situation was terrible, too — it was like he reverted to his Kent proposal self. Plus, I never bought that he let Caroline Bingley stay at Pemberley so long and talk to Elizabeth so condescendingly. And why did the author reprint the entirety of Darcy’s explanatory letter from Kent? Every “Pride and Prejudice” fan ever knows exactly what it says.
I also couldn’t swallow a redeemed Wickham who’s suddenly, genuinely in love with Lydia, or a Caroline Bingley who never marries (she’s way too conniving to not trap some rich gentleman). The perfect and quick happy endings for all the other side characters felt too perfectly tied with a bow. (Not to mention, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Maria Lucas? Really???) I just couldn’t get on board with anything in this book and I’m disappointed that it wasn’t a lot better.
November 16, 2020
Review 2.5
Some parts of this story was great, some was not so good. I love books that have Darcy and Elizabeth married, I love it when these books show their love and that they solve problems together. What I didn't like about this book was how Darcy withdraws from Elizabeth, yes it gets explained later but still, it drove me nuts. This wasn't the only out of the ordinary character action either, but without giving things away I won't comment more.
I did like the explanation for why Wickham took off with Lydia, this explanation makes so much sense. I really can't fathom why Wickham would have taken off with Lydia in the first place, so that was great.
I like how we got the epilogue for all of Elizabeth's sisters, as well as Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Caroline. I was a bit surprised with who the Colonel was paired with.
Some parts of this story was great, some was not so good. I love books that have Darcy and Elizabeth married, I love it when these books show their love and that they solve problems together. What I didn't like about this book was how Darcy withdraws from Elizabeth, yes it gets explained later but still, it drove me nuts. This wasn't the only out of the ordinary character action either, but without giving things away I won't comment more.
I did like the explanation for why Wickham took off with Lydia, this explanation makes so much sense. I really can't fathom why Wickham would have taken off with Lydia in the first place, so that was great.
I like how we got the epilogue for all of Elizabeth's sisters, as well as Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Caroline. I was a bit surprised with who the Colonel was paired with.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2021
First few chapters of the book is basically just Mary getting absolutely roasted by everyone else 🤣Once Lydia’s drama finally hit I was like, ‘ohh okay, this is gonna be alright’, and started getting into it. In the end was I wasn’t too impressive with the conclusion. I’m not sure I really agree with Mr. Darcy’s ‘decision’. I’ve not really read any sequels to classics like this, so I didn’t really have a whole lot to go off. It’s not exactly my vibe and add to that the fact I got it for free on audible plus, I didn’t have high expectations. Actually, it was still an enjoyable read for me. I got thought it very quickly and found the characters to ultimately be comfortable and familiar. 3 stars? Maybe 2.5.. I’ll give it 3!
February 4, 2024
The author struggles to carry on and copy Austen's style well. As other reviews have also said, Shapiro seems like a slightly over excited fan who has read Pride and Prejudice a couple of times and seen the BBC adaption but knows nothing of the the era. It's a bit of a crap book to be honest, alot of the conversation between characters really does not seem like what they would realistically say.
That being said, I still enjoyed reading it, sometimes reading a bit of a crap romance is fun and if I come across anymore of Shapiro's books I'll certainly pick them up.
This has certainly made me crave Jane Austen's writing and I might just pick up Pride and Prejudice again.
That being said, I still enjoyed reading it, sometimes reading a bit of a crap romance is fun and if I come across anymore of Shapiro's books I'll certainly pick them up.
This has certainly made me crave Jane Austen's writing and I might just pick up Pride and Prejudice again.
February 8, 2021
The extension of the Darcy story wandered down paths I enjoyed well enough. The author has some skill in storytelling, but relied on a device of quoting so heavily from “Pride and Prejudice” that her style was shown up by Austen’s. The use of key phrases and quotes bogged down the prose enough to make it resemble a scholarly review more than a charming story. I am glad to have read the book, but reading it was not very satisfying. Now I plan to plunge back into reading Austen or watching films based on her works to calm the longing this book sparked to spend more time in Jane Austen’s world.
December 8, 2020
OK popcorn novel. I enjoyed the theme of redemption and forgiveness. Found the repetition of key phrases and passages from P&P very tiresome—for example the whole of Darcy’s letter to Elizabeth. Really not necessary. “It is a truth,” “it is universally acknowledged,” etc etc used much too frequently, as well as many other allusions to well known phrases of the original. The characters are caricatures of themselves. Sometimes it’s ok, but it can be really extra.
January 8, 2021
A Plausible Sequel
I'm skeptical of most Pride and Prejudice remakes, but I thought this was excellent, almost as if Ms. Austin would have written it herself. I wanted to hear more about these timeless characters and I appreciate the fact that none of them were out of character. Call me a traditionalist, but this author kept in the genre (mostly) and I came away with a sense of satisfaction.
I'm skeptical of most Pride and Prejudice remakes, but I thought this was excellent, almost as if Ms. Austin would have written it herself. I wanted to hear more about these timeless characters and I appreciate the fact that none of them were out of character. Call me a traditionalist, but this author kept in the genre (mostly) and I came away with a sense of satisfaction.
February 9, 2021
I don't think they way the characters story is continued in this book feels true to Jane Austen. All the characters got wrapped up a little to easily while some of the personalities did seem to match.
So So attempt at a sequel but it was a free audible listen so I tried it out.
So So attempt at a sequel but it was a free audible listen so I tried it out.
February 11, 2021
I’m on a Jane Austen kick and this popped up as a suggestion after The Jane Austen Society. It reads like an epilogue to P&P. There isn’t a lot new here but the characters are so familiar and the author taps into them so well! For that reason it gets 4 stars!!!!
February 21, 2021
I loved this sequel to Pride and Prejudice! It captured the texture and feeling of the original by Jane Austin perfectly. And the narration was delightful! It perfectly reflected the feeling of that time period
April 26, 2021
I did not like this one at all. The characters were either written stiff and proper or so ridiculous on revenge. I just don’t see this as anything Jane Austen would have appreciated. Keep in mind I’m an Austen snob so their are some who might enjoy this but not me.
January 4, 2023
Totally Enjoyable
Being an avid lover of Elizabeth and Darcy. There isn't enough print to satisfy my delight in reading about them. This particular book is wholly enjoyable and satisfying in continuing their saga.
Being an avid lover of Elizabeth and Darcy. There isn't enough print to satisfy my delight in reading about them. This particular book is wholly enjoyable and satisfying in continuing their saga.
December 22, 2024
DNF
Read about 2 chapters. Dreadful.
This was my second DNF in a row; i bought a bunch of books in the local charity shop at 10 for £1 so there is absolutely no incentive to continue if i am not enjoying them. Will take back for resale so at least Age UK has gained.
Read about 2 chapters. Dreadful.
This was my second DNF in a row; i bought a bunch of books in the local charity shop at 10 for £1 so there is absolutely no incentive to continue if i am not enjoying them. Will take back for resale so at least Age UK has gained.
March 18, 2017
excellent sequel to Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice.
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