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Lydia Bennet's Story: A Sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
Lydia Bennet is the flirtatious, wild and free-wheeling youngest daughter. Her untamed expressiveness and vulnerability make her fascinating to readers who'll love this imaginative rendering of Lydia's life after her marriage to the villainous George Wickham. Will she mature or turn bitter? Can a girl like her really find true love?
In Lydia Bennet's Story we are taken back to Jane Austen's most beloved novel, Pride and Prejudice, to a Regency world seen through Lydia's eyes where pleasure and marriage are the only pursuits. But the road to matrimony is fraught with difficulties and even when she is convinced that she has met the man of her dreams, complications arise. When Lydia is reunited with the Bennets, Bingleys, and Darcys for a grand ball at Netherfield Park, the shocking truth about her husband may just cause the greatest scandal of all ...
"A breathtaking Regency romp!"-Diana Birchall, author of Mrs. Darcy's Dilemma
In Lydia Bennet's Story we are taken back to Jane Austen's most beloved novel, Pride and Prejudice, to a Regency world seen through Lydia's eyes where pleasure and marriage are the only pursuits. But the road to matrimony is fraught with difficulties and even when she is convinced that she has met the man of her dreams, complications arise. When Lydia is reunited with the Bennets, Bingleys, and Darcys for a grand ball at Netherfield Park, the shocking truth about her husband may just cause the greatest scandal of all ...
"A breathtaking Regency romp!"-Diana Birchall, author of Mrs. Darcy's Dilemma
351 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2007
25 people are currently reading
1595 people want to read
About the author
Jane Odiwe
18 books143 followers Jane Odiwe is a British author with a special interest in writing novels inspired by Jane Austen's works. Her books continue the stories of beloved characters like Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy in Mr Darcy's Secret, or tell Jane Austen's own story, as in the novels, Searching for Mr Tilney, Jane Austen Lives Again, Searching for Captain Wentworth, and Project Darcy. Other works include the novels Willoughby's Return, Lydia Bennet's Story and the novellas, Mr Darcy's Christmas Calendar, and Mrs Darcy's Diamonds. Jane's short story, Waiting, was published in the short story anthology, Jane Austen Made Me Do It.
Born in Sutton Coldfield, England, Jane gained an arts degree in Birmingham where she indulged her great loves of Fine Art, Literature, and History. After teaching in the Midlands and London for some years, writing novels took over her life. Jane lives in London with her husband, children and two cats, but escapes to "Fairyland", Bath, whenever she can!
Born in Sutton Coldfield, England, Jane gained an arts degree in Birmingham where she indulged her great loves of Fine Art, Literature, and History. After teaching in the Midlands and London for some years, writing novels took over her life. Jane lives in London with her husband, children and two cats, but escapes to "Fairyland", Bath, whenever she can!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
December 7, 2017
*Warning* Since I refer to storyline from the original Pride and Prejudice story, this review may be spoilerish in nature.
Lydia had not appreciated how much of a natural propensity for shameful conduct and wanton fancy she possessed until she fell in love with George Wickham..She was as addicted as a poor soul who craved a draught of laundanum or a bottle of gin. She knew he would lead her to the very devil before he was done with her, but she could only embrace this reflection with an open heart and mind.
There you have it; a Jane Austen P&P retelling from the point of view of Miss Lydia Bennett. I suppose it is debatable whether we as readers can state whether or not Lydia makes for a good fallen woman story. Like the original, Jane Odiwe's Lydia is as foolish as Austen's characters felt her to be. On the other hand, we can see that Lydia wasn't naive to her actions as her two older sisters perceived her to be when she ran away from George Wickham. Nope, Lydia's competitive nature deemed her to be the first to marry and so it was.
There is some attempt to make "Lydia great again" because of course her marriage doesn't go very well given Wickham's dubious behavior. I am still not sure whether it was a good fit ending or not. Jane Austen retellings tend to try and be more naughty in nature and in the scenario of this story, I find it hard to reconcile the ending with the real life Regency rules.
Overall, I was invested in the story from beginning to end, but nothing beats the original.
Lydia had not appreciated how much of a natural propensity for shameful conduct and wanton fancy she possessed until she fell in love with George Wickham..She was as addicted as a poor soul who craved a draught of laundanum or a bottle of gin. She knew he would lead her to the very devil before he was done with her, but she could only embrace this reflection with an open heart and mind.
There you have it; a Jane Austen P&P retelling from the point of view of Miss Lydia Bennett. I suppose it is debatable whether we as readers can state whether or not Lydia makes for a good fallen woman story. Like the original, Jane Odiwe's Lydia is as foolish as Austen's characters felt her to be. On the other hand, we can see that Lydia wasn't naive to her actions as her two older sisters perceived her to be when she ran away from George Wickham. Nope, Lydia's competitive nature deemed her to be the first to marry and so it was.
There is some attempt to make "Lydia great again" because of course her marriage doesn't go very well given Wickham's dubious behavior. I am still not sure whether it was a good fit ending or not. Jane Austen retellings tend to try and be more naughty in nature and in the scenario of this story, I find it hard to reconcile the ending with the real life Regency rules.
Overall, I was invested in the story from beginning to end, but nothing beats the original.
December 20, 2016
Another Backlist Find
I have recently arrived at the conclusion that I regret not having discovered JAFF earlier. Then I would not have to dig into the piles of publications to find a wonder like Ms Odiwe's "Lydia Bennet's Story". Her exploration of the universal teenager as embodied in Lydia is stunning. And, Odiwe's brings such depth to the young woman's journey. If there is a complaint, it rests in the somewhat sudden ending at a mutual declaration. There were problems like eft to overcome and may have been addressed in an Epilogue. For that, my 5 stars tends toward 4.5.
I have recently arrived at the conclusion that I regret not having discovered JAFF earlier. Then I would not have to dig into the piles of publications to find a wonder like Ms Odiwe's "Lydia Bennet's Story". Her exploration of the universal teenager as embodied in Lydia is stunning. And, Odiwe's brings such depth to the young woman's journey. If there is a complaint, it rests in the somewhat sudden ending at a mutual declaration. There were problems like eft to overcome and may have been addressed in an Epilogue. For that, my 5 stars tends toward 4.5.
January 13, 2010
The true misfortune , which besets any young lady who believes herself destined for fortune and favour, is to find that she has been born into an unsuitable family. Lydia Bennet of Longbourn, Hertfordshire, not only believed that her mama and papa had most likely stolen her from noble parents, but also considered it a small miracle that they could have produced between them her own fair self and four comely girls - Jane, Elizabeth, Mary and Kitty - though to tell the truth, she felt herself most blessed in looks.
Chapter 1
It was no surprise to me when I discovered that Elizabeth Bennet’s impetuous little sister Lydia had been honored with her own book, Lydia Bennet’s Story , only amazed that it had taken so long for it to arrive on the Janeite bookshelf in the first place. Of all of Jane Austen’s characters in Pride and Prejudice , Lydia Bennet was one of the most intriguing creatures to recklessly flirt and scandalize a family; and for readers who enjoy a good adventure well worth her own treatment. In a bus accident sort of way, I have always longed to know more about her, and now we have been given our chance in this new edition available October 1st from Sourcebooks.
The novel can be categorized as a retelling and a sequel since the story begins about one third of the way into Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice as Lydia’s older sisters Elizabeth and Jane are away from the family home of Longbourn respectively visiting the Collins’ at Hunsford and the Gardiner’s in London. The second half of the novel picks up after the conclusion of Pride and Prejudice when Lydia and her new husband George Wickham have moved to Newcastle. Interestingly, author Odiwe has chosen to tell the story by excerpts from Lydia’s journal supplemented by a third person narrative which Austen also employed allowing us the benefit of Lydia’s unbridled inner thoughts and a narrative of other characters dialogue and action to support it. A nice touch since both Austen’s and Odiwe’s Lydia are a bit over the top in reaction and interpretation of events, and the narrative gives readers some grounding for her breathless emotions.
And, reactions and emotions are what Lydia Bennet is all about and why I believe many may be intrigued by her. Just based on the fact that she is the youngest of five daughters raised by an indolent father and imprudent mother, one could be inspired to write psychological thesis on all the mitigating factors in her environment that contributed to her personality! However, what Jane Austen introduced Jane Odiwe has cleverly expanded upon picking up the plot and style without a missing a beat. Not only are we reminded that thoughtless, wild and outspoken Lydia is “the most determined flirt that ever made herself and her family ridiculous” , we begin to understand (but not always agree) with her reasoning’s and are swept up in the story like a new bonnet bought on impulse. Oh, to be but sixteen again without a care in the world except the latest fashions, local gossip, and which officer to dance with at the next Assembly are a delightful foundation for this excursion into Austenland that is both an amusement and a gentle morality story.
Even though author Odiwe succeeded in delivering a lively rendering of an impertinent young Miss bent on fashion, flirting and marriage, she missed her opportunity of a more expressive title which should have read something like ‘ Lydia Bennet’s Romantic and Sometimes Naughty Adventures ’! Not only is Miss Lydia a professional flirt approaching Beck Sharpe of Vanity Fair’s territory, she gets to travel to Brighton, London, Newcastle and Bath and have a few escapades along the way. Her determination to follow her latest flirtation George Wickham to Brighton and then infamously elope with him is renowned. Her unchecked impulses continue as the novel progresses through their patched up marriage and her new life in Newcastle where her husband has sadly grown tired of her and moved on to the next romantic tryst. Months pass, and after visits with her sisters Elizabeth at Pemberley and Jane at Netherfield, the reality of her husbands faults and her rash decision to marry him became soberly apparent.
Wednesday, October 27th
I feel so wretched I think I might die. All my hopes of making George love me have been completely dashed. In my heart I known this is not the only time I have been deceived; the rumours I have heard are more than gossip. Misery engulfs me…I had imagined that life would be so perfect with George, but I now know that my marriage is a tarnished as the copper pans in my kitchen.
No, there is only one way to deal with this problem. There is nothing I can do but forgive him. I am far too proud to have anyone catch a sniff of scandal and am determined to carry in as though nothing has happened. After all, surely most me are tempted at one time or another. The risk of sending him running off into his lover’s arms is great, and I do not want that above anything else. My heart might be broken, but it is not irreparable.
And later, her hopes are entirely dissolved.
Monday, May 2
…There are few to whom I would admit these thoughts, and on days like this, when I am consumed with sadness for what might have been, I find it hard to be at peace. For my own sake, I keep up the pretence that I am giddy and lighthearted as ever; I would not give the world the satisfaction oh knowing anything else-in my heart, I am still the young girl who believes that perhaps my husband will realize that he has been in love with me all along and cannot do without me. But, I suspect, my longings are in vain.
How it all turns out for the young lady from Longbourn in Hertfordshire, I will not say. However, I will only allude that the concluding adventure of the most determined flirt to ever make her family ridiculous, might make Jane Austen smile. Lydia Bennet’s Story Adventure is rollicking good fun with a surpise twist. Now that my hope of a novel about her has come to fruition, it can only be surpassed by Lydia Bennet the movie. Imagine what folly and fun would ensue. La!
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
It was no surprise to me when I discovered that Elizabeth Bennet’s impetuous little sister Lydia had been honored with her own book, Lydia Bennet’s Story , only amazed that it had taken so long for it to arrive on the Janeite bookshelf in the first place. Of all of Jane Austen’s characters in Pride and Prejudice , Lydia Bennet was one of the most intriguing creatures to recklessly flirt and scandalize a family; and for readers who enjoy a good adventure well worth her own treatment. In a bus accident sort of way, I have always longed to know more about her, and now we have been given our chance in this new edition available October 1st from Sourcebooks.
The novel can be categorized as a retelling and a sequel since the story begins about one third of the way into Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice as Lydia’s older sisters Elizabeth and Jane are away from the family home of Longbourn respectively visiting the Collins’ at Hunsford and the Gardiner’s in London. The second half of the novel picks up after the conclusion of Pride and Prejudice when Lydia and her new husband George Wickham have moved to Newcastle. Interestingly, author Odiwe has chosen to tell the story by excerpts from Lydia’s journal supplemented by a third person narrative which Austen also employed allowing us the benefit of Lydia’s unbridled inner thoughts and a narrative of other characters dialogue and action to support it. A nice touch since both Austen’s and Odiwe’s Lydia are a bit over the top in reaction and interpretation of events, and the narrative gives readers some grounding for her breathless emotions.
And, reactions and emotions are what Lydia Bennet is all about and why I believe many may be intrigued by her. Just based on the fact that she is the youngest of five daughters raised by an indolent father and imprudent mother, one could be inspired to write psychological thesis on all the mitigating factors in her environment that contributed to her personality! However, what Jane Austen introduced Jane Odiwe has cleverly expanded upon picking up the plot and style without a missing a beat. Not only are we reminded that thoughtless, wild and outspoken Lydia is “the most determined flirt that ever made herself and her family ridiculous” , we begin to understand (but not always agree) with her reasoning’s and are swept up in the story like a new bonnet bought on impulse. Oh, to be but sixteen again without a care in the world except the latest fashions, local gossip, and which officer to dance with at the next Assembly are a delightful foundation for this excursion into Austenland that is both an amusement and a gentle morality story.
Even though author Odiwe succeeded in delivering a lively rendering of an impertinent young Miss bent on fashion, flirting and marriage, she missed her opportunity of a more expressive title which should have read something like ‘ Lydia Bennet’s Romantic and Sometimes Naughty Adventures ’! Not only is Miss Lydia a professional flirt approaching Beck Sharpe of Vanity Fair’s territory, she gets to travel to Brighton, London, Newcastle and Bath and have a few escapades along the way. Her determination to follow her latest flirtation George Wickham to Brighton and then infamously elope with him is renowned. Her unchecked impulses continue as the novel progresses through their patched up marriage and her new life in Newcastle where her husband has sadly grown tired of her and moved on to the next romantic tryst. Months pass, and after visits with her sisters Elizabeth at Pemberley and Jane at Netherfield, the reality of her husbands faults and her rash decision to marry him became soberly apparent.
Wednesday, October 27th
I feel so wretched I think I might die. All my hopes of making George love me have been completely dashed. In my heart I known this is not the only time I have been deceived; the rumours I have heard are more than gossip. Misery engulfs me…I had imagined that life would be so perfect with George, but I now know that my marriage is a tarnished as the copper pans in my kitchen.
No, there is only one way to deal with this problem. There is nothing I can do but forgive him. I am far too proud to have anyone catch a sniff of scandal and am determined to carry in as though nothing has happened. After all, surely most me are tempted at one time or another. The risk of sending him running off into his lover’s arms is great, and I do not want that above anything else. My heart might be broken, but it is not irreparable.
And later, her hopes are entirely dissolved.
Monday, May 2
…There are few to whom I would admit these thoughts, and on days like this, when I am consumed with sadness for what might have been, I find it hard to be at peace. For my own sake, I keep up the pretence that I am giddy and lighthearted as ever; I would not give the world the satisfaction oh knowing anything else-in my heart, I am still the young girl who believes that perhaps my husband will realize that he has been in love with me all along and cannot do without me. But, I suspect, my longings are in vain.
How it all turns out for the young lady from Longbourn in Hertfordshire, I will not say. However, I will only allude that the concluding adventure of the most determined flirt to ever make her family ridiculous, might make Jane Austen smile. Lydia Bennet’s Story Adventure is rollicking good fun with a surpise twist. Now that my hope of a novel about her has come to fruition, it can only be surpassed by Lydia Bennet the movie. Imagine what folly and fun would ensue. La!
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
September 20, 2018
I liked this one very much. The first part is very familiar to everyone. I liked hearing more of Lydia's thoughts in Brighton. The second half is after her marriage. I thought the author showed much insight into Lydia's character and her reasoning. I have to admit that it all made sense to me even though I could not fathom L's behavior before. Well done!
June 21, 2015
Oh, Lydia. La, you are so silly.
It's always an interesting undertaking, picking up a Jane Austen spin off. It's hard not to picture Jane Austen herself, wringing her hands and saying, "Well, you've all missed the point completely, haven't you?"
I've noticed that a lot of the spin offs tend to be kind of racy. They often have naughty Regency romps in them, which is weird -- I know we're all thinking it, but still. Really?
Still Lydia gets a little bit more of a rounded character here -- some things seem to be off, and I can't agree that that's how Lydia would really have reacted, or sometimes think that Odiwe is forgetting vital facts about Austen's original work. Still, it's cool to see Lydia change a little -- you never think she will in P & P, and here, you have different feelings toward her. She's not just a plot device.
Good story -- very fast paced, and page turning. You'll enjoy reading it, if only to think about if it could really happen that way.
It's always an interesting undertaking, picking up a Jane Austen spin off. It's hard not to picture Jane Austen herself, wringing her hands and saying, "Well, you've all missed the point completely, haven't you?"
I've noticed that a lot of the spin offs tend to be kind of racy. They often have naughty Regency romps in them, which is weird -- I know we're all thinking it, but still. Really?
Still Lydia gets a little bit more of a rounded character here -- some things seem to be off, and I can't agree that that's how Lydia would really have reacted, or sometimes think that Odiwe is forgetting vital facts about Austen's original work. Still, it's cool to see Lydia change a little -- you never think she will in P & P, and here, you have different feelings toward her. She's not just a plot device.
Good story -- very fast paced, and page turning. You'll enjoy reading it, if only to think about if it could really happen that way.
June 19, 2016
Part two was the best
I looked at all the reviews before I read this book. I dreaded it and struggled with whether I wanted to subject myself to it or not. Having lost the battle due to positive reviews, I succumbed and read it, and was then glad when it was finally over. I now know I do not like stories about Lydia.
I do not feel it was a true portrait of Austen’s Lydia Bennet. This Lydia sounded and acted much older than the JA version of Lydia at fourteen or fifteen. She was too mature in her thinking, actions, conversations, retorts, mannerisms, flirtations and general thoughts on love, life and happiness. It was all wrong.
I kept thinking her speech sounded a lot like Elizabeth rather that the flighty Lydia in P&P. Part One is mainly her writing in her journal, letters to family and Kitty, her thoughts on balls and assemblies and encounters with Mr. Wickham. She jumps too quickly from hating Wickham to being in love with him. The transition to the elopement was not a smooth one. We also had the addition of another male character in Captain Trayton-Camfield. What was his purpose? He was there and then… gone.
Wickham was a pasty version of himself. Yeah, he was a bad boy, but not as wicked as I thought he could or should be. I pretty much speed read through part one and most of part two. It wasn’t until chapter 29 that things started popping. No spoiler here…the surprise is AWESOME and such a shock.
As the light of day finally dawned in Lydia regarding how her life was her own making….I wondered if she had really learned her lesson. Never once did she approach her father to apologize to him for her actions or to her sisters, and lastly, to Mr. Darcy to whom she owes all. She was horrid to him when he was negotiating with Wickham. She caused her family so much trouble and shame and didn’t seem too concerned about any of it. She just went on with a few thoughts of I won’t make that mistake again. No contrition, shame, or embarrassment… really?
Lydia justified or blamed her actions on trying to garner her father’s attention. She felt he thought more of her older sisters than he did of her. That thinking may be a bit too modern for the time period. Even Lady Catherine in P&P spoke of the relationship between fathers and their daughters.
Lydia completely disregarded the flip side to that coin… that she was the apple of her mother’s eye over all her sisters. It was simply a license to act badly. Her HEA came as no surprise and well she doesn’t deserve it but, everyone makes mistakes, can learn from them and hope to grow up and have a HEA.
Read the other reviews…they have done a better job of reviewing this work…my heart just wasn’t in it.
I looked at all the reviews before I read this book. I dreaded it and struggled with whether I wanted to subject myself to it or not. Having lost the battle due to positive reviews, I succumbed and read it, and was then glad when it was finally over. I now know I do not like stories about Lydia.
I do not feel it was a true portrait of Austen’s Lydia Bennet. This Lydia sounded and acted much older than the JA version of Lydia at fourteen or fifteen. She was too mature in her thinking, actions, conversations, retorts, mannerisms, flirtations and general thoughts on love, life and happiness. It was all wrong.
I kept thinking her speech sounded a lot like Elizabeth rather that the flighty Lydia in P&P. Part One is mainly her writing in her journal, letters to family and Kitty, her thoughts on balls and assemblies and encounters with Mr. Wickham. She jumps too quickly from hating Wickham to being in love with him. The transition to the elopement was not a smooth one. We also had the addition of another male character in Captain Trayton-Camfield. What was his purpose? He was there and then… gone.
Wickham was a pasty version of himself. Yeah, he was a bad boy, but not as wicked as I thought he could or should be. I pretty much speed read through part one and most of part two. It wasn’t until chapter 29 that things started popping. No spoiler here…the surprise is AWESOME and such a shock.
As the light of day finally dawned in Lydia regarding how her life was her own making….I wondered if she had really learned her lesson. Never once did she approach her father to apologize to him for her actions or to her sisters, and lastly, to Mr. Darcy to whom she owes all. She was horrid to him when he was negotiating with Wickham. She caused her family so much trouble and shame and didn’t seem too concerned about any of it. She just went on with a few thoughts of I won’t make that mistake again. No contrition, shame, or embarrassment… really?
Lydia justified or blamed her actions on trying to garner her father’s attention. She felt he thought more of her older sisters than he did of her. That thinking may be a bit too modern for the time period. Even Lady Catherine in P&P spoke of the relationship between fathers and their daughters.
Lydia completely disregarded the flip side to that coin… that she was the apple of her mother’s eye over all her sisters. It was simply a license to act badly. Her HEA came as no surprise and well she doesn’t deserve it but, everyone makes mistakes, can learn from them and hope to grow up and have a HEA.
Read the other reviews…they have done a better job of reviewing this work…my heart just wasn’t in it.
Read
November 4, 2017Lydia Bennet has always annoyed me. She was selfish, self-absorbed, and most of all, naive. But I’ve always been curious about her quick marriage to that scoundrel George Wickham that took up a good portion of Pride & Prejudice and made Elizabeth Bennet see Mr. Darcy in a different light.
Lydia Bennet’s Story by Jane Odiwe takes readers on the journey to Brighton, where Lydia’s romance with George Wickham begins. Most of the chapters end with a diary entry by Lydia, so you get a chance to see what’s going on in her head and understand that she was just a foolish child who always had to be the center of attention. She was boy crazy, and with a mother who did nothing but talk about marrying off her daughters, it’s easy to see why. I could sympathize with Odiwe’s Lydia; she fell in love with the wrong man and made numerous mistakes in the name of love.
Odiwe introduces some interesting characters: Captain Trayton-Camfield, who grabs Lydia’s attention when she first arrives in Brighton, and Isabella and Alexander Fitzallan, Lydia’s close friend and her brother who comfort Lydia and extend a helping hand when the truth about George Wickham is revealed.
Lydia Bennet’s Story leaves Brighton and follows Lydia through the ups and downs of her marriage, from visits with the Bingleys at Netherfield to the Darcys at Pemberley. It is not only a physical journey as Lydia travels to get away from talk about her husband, but also an emotional journey as Lydia learns the meaning of love and even grows up a little.
Other than some of the language being racier than what you’d find in Jane Austen’s novels (My favorite quote from one of Lydia’s diary entries after running away with Wickham: “We have not stirred for days, and I do not think we will ever rise again–though for dear Mr Wickham rising often is never a problem!!”), Odiwe’s writing style made me feel almost as though I was actually reading Austen. I had to remind myself it was a sequel several times.
I know not everyone enjoys Pride & Prejudice sequels; there are a lot of them out there. But if you like Jane Austen and her heroines, I recommend Lydia Bennet’s Story. Lydia Bennet is not a name that comes to mind when thinking about Austen’s heroines, but Odiwe’s story of Lydia’s adventures shows her strength and shows that there’s more to the flighty Bennet sister than meets the eye.
Review posted on Diary of an Eccentric
Lydia Bennet’s Story by Jane Odiwe takes readers on the journey to Brighton, where Lydia’s romance with George Wickham begins. Most of the chapters end with a diary entry by Lydia, so you get a chance to see what’s going on in her head and understand that she was just a foolish child who always had to be the center of attention. She was boy crazy, and with a mother who did nothing but talk about marrying off her daughters, it’s easy to see why. I could sympathize with Odiwe’s Lydia; she fell in love with the wrong man and made numerous mistakes in the name of love.
Odiwe introduces some interesting characters: Captain Trayton-Camfield, who grabs Lydia’s attention when she first arrives in Brighton, and Isabella and Alexander Fitzallan, Lydia’s close friend and her brother who comfort Lydia and extend a helping hand when the truth about George Wickham is revealed.
Lydia Bennet’s Story leaves Brighton and follows Lydia through the ups and downs of her marriage, from visits with the Bingleys at Netherfield to the Darcys at Pemberley. It is not only a physical journey as Lydia travels to get away from talk about her husband, but also an emotional journey as Lydia learns the meaning of love and even grows up a little.
Other than some of the language being racier than what you’d find in Jane Austen’s novels (My favorite quote from one of Lydia’s diary entries after running away with Wickham: “We have not stirred for days, and I do not think we will ever rise again–though for dear Mr Wickham rising often is never a problem!!”), Odiwe’s writing style made me feel almost as though I was actually reading Austen. I had to remind myself it was a sequel several times.
I know not everyone enjoys Pride & Prejudice sequels; there are a lot of them out there. But if you like Jane Austen and her heroines, I recommend Lydia Bennet’s Story. Lydia Bennet is not a name that comes to mind when thinking about Austen’s heroines, but Odiwe’s story of Lydia’s adventures shows her strength and shows that there’s more to the flighty Bennet sister than meets the eye.
Review posted on Diary of an Eccentric
July 29, 2016
This book is for lovers of kiddie-porn only. I found it to be super-creepy when one remembers that the main character is a naive, frivolous adolescent, below the age of consent, who had not yet had her debut, and because of a statutory rape was forced into an early marriage with a scum-bucket. Although one might believe Austen's premise that Mrs. Foster invited a young friend on a seaside vacation, from whence the foolish child stupidly crept off surreptitiously to meet with a charming seducer, it was unbelievable that Regency chaperons would risk social censure by flaunting social mores to invite their young guest to attend balls, drink in public, and be publicly pursued by much-older lechers. I also found it ridiculous that respectable professionals like James and Alexander would knowingly throw their careers away to pursue their perverted infatuations with this child in such an inappropriate manner--pure social suicide. The story should have been named the Lolita Bennet story since it contained so much pedophilia. I also found the author not only kept forgetting the young age and foolish naivete of the protagonist, but also the villain's hair color since he changed from brown curls to black curls at whim--I guess he was also addicted to hair-dye as well as little girls.
August 24, 2016
I loved this book once it got going. I found the scenes in Brighton a little dull, I know what happens I don't care about the Foresters or who she danced with or if the Prince Regent showed up... but that's me. They were still imaginative and well constructed. The book is told in the perspective of Lydia's diary and regular prose.
There are twists and turns and surprises galore.
There are twists and turns and surprises galore.
August 10, 2022
3,75 stars - English Ebook
Review follows later.
Review follows later.
September 10, 2009
Jane Austen has become quite a valuable commodity within the last decade or so, both in the literary and movie worlds, and reading about a new (or relatively new) Austen sequel has become par for the course.
I found Lydia Bennet's Story interesting and original precisely because Jane Odiwe took a secondary character from Pride and Prejudice and elaborated on her own very twisted and dramatic plot. If you are familiar with Pride and Prejudice, you know that Lydia is Lizzy's youngest sister, and a very spoiled one at that. Due to her recklessness in running away with Wickham, she seriously jeopardizes the potential future marriages of her sisters and very nearly sullies her family's good name.
As she was a secondary character in Pride and Prejudice, we heard briefly about her exploits but not from her point of view; nor did we know what Wickham said to her to cause her to throw caution to the wind with a foolhardy elopement or exactly what happened with the couple during those weeks in London before their hastily arranged marriage or, outside of their return to Longbourne, of their lives as a newlywed couple.
Lydia Bennet's Story alternates between Lydia's diary and a third person accounting, showing Lydia as flirty, flighty, immature and petulent. Ms. Odiwe stays faithful to Jane Austen, both in her portrayal of Lydia as well as Wickham, who naturally reveals himself to be as spoiled and flighty as Lydia.
I enjoyed hearing a portion of Pride and Prejudice from Lydia's viewpoint, as well as having the gaps filled in for portions of the story we were not privy to in Ms. Austen's rendition. Ms. Odiwe's descriptions of the period, the dress, the language, is spot on and a true compliment to both Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice. The introduction of new characters move the story along fluidly and seem as natural as Lydia ogling a new bonnet.
In a market saturated with Austen sequels (not that I'm complaining, mind you, because the more the merrier, in this Austen-obsessed reader's opinion), Lydia Bennet's Story stands out and makes an excellent reading choice.
I found Lydia Bennet's Story interesting and original precisely because Jane Odiwe took a secondary character from Pride and Prejudice and elaborated on her own very twisted and dramatic plot. If you are familiar with Pride and Prejudice, you know that Lydia is Lizzy's youngest sister, and a very spoiled one at that. Due to her recklessness in running away with Wickham, she seriously jeopardizes the potential future marriages of her sisters and very nearly sullies her family's good name.
As she was a secondary character in Pride and Prejudice, we heard briefly about her exploits but not from her point of view; nor did we know what Wickham said to her to cause her to throw caution to the wind with a foolhardy elopement or exactly what happened with the couple during those weeks in London before their hastily arranged marriage or, outside of their return to Longbourne, of their lives as a newlywed couple.
Lydia Bennet's Story alternates between Lydia's diary and a third person accounting, showing Lydia as flirty, flighty, immature and petulent. Ms. Odiwe stays faithful to Jane Austen, both in her portrayal of Lydia as well as Wickham, who naturally reveals himself to be as spoiled and flighty as Lydia.
I enjoyed hearing a portion of Pride and Prejudice from Lydia's viewpoint, as well as having the gaps filled in for portions of the story we were not privy to in Ms. Austen's rendition. Ms. Odiwe's descriptions of the period, the dress, the language, is spot on and a true compliment to both Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice. The introduction of new characters move the story along fluidly and seem as natural as Lydia ogling a new bonnet.
In a market saturated with Austen sequels (not that I'm complaining, mind you, because the more the merrier, in this Austen-obsessed reader's opinion), Lydia Bennet's Story stands out and makes an excellent reading choice.
Read
December 26, 2010This was an entertaining, quick-to-read Jane Austen spinoff. Odiwe throws in a number of new characters and tells us what happened after Lydia marries Mr. Wickham, which makes for a fresh story instead of a retelling of P&P from Lydia's point of view. Her Lydia, a high-spirited, often irresponsible but loyal and loving young woman, is believable and sympathetic. My only real complaint was that there's a loose end that's never tied up, in the form of a young man who pursues Lydia in the first part of the novel and who seems destined to put in a reappearance, but who never does.
July 21, 2015
Lydia Bennet's Story is... interesting? About six months ago I went on a spree where I read as many Austen tie-ins as I could get my hands on, and this was one of them. I'm still not sure how I feel about it.
Lydia Bennet's Story is a tie-in to Pride and Prejudice, following Lizzy's younger sister Lydia as she meets, elopes with, and marries Wickham, and what happens after. Now, I always felt Lydia got kind of a raw deal-- yes, she's silly, and yes, she makes bad decisions, but she's fifteen, poorly educated, and unsupervised in a town full of soldiers in a time when her entire life has been aimed at getting her married. I mean, no wonder she makes the decisions she does. I'm kind of amazed she actually does manage to get married in the end. Odiwe is a great deal kinder to Lydia than I think that Austen was, and manages to wangle a happy ending through an unbelievable but appropriate (I think) twist ending.
The format of the book is a little bit odd; we get third-person narration and occasional diary entries in Lydia's voice. Lydia never struck me as the kind of person to keep a diary in the first place, so it's odd that it's here. I think I'd rather have the whole book in Lydia's voice, much as I dislike first-person, because it would have felt more real.
Thankfully, this isn't one of those pornographic Pride and Prejudice sequels-- if you've read it you know exactly which one I'm talking about and everyone else can find it for themselves-- but it is a bit... eh, I think I wanted more. The plot is twisty and dramatic, and it's just exactly like Wickham to do the things he does in this book, but I think Lydia grew up a bit too quickly with a bit too few consequences. I would have liked to see more from her, I guess. More understanding of what she'd done, more understanding of why her sisters acted the way she did.
Still, this is light and frothy and fun, and it's nice to see a sympathetic look at Lydia. I don't regret reading it.
Lydia Bennet's Story is a tie-in to Pride and Prejudice, following Lizzy's younger sister Lydia as she meets, elopes with, and marries Wickham, and what happens after. Now, I always felt Lydia got kind of a raw deal-- yes, she's silly, and yes, she makes bad decisions, but she's fifteen, poorly educated, and unsupervised in a town full of soldiers in a time when her entire life has been aimed at getting her married. I mean, no wonder she makes the decisions she does. I'm kind of amazed she actually does manage to get married in the end. Odiwe is a great deal kinder to Lydia than I think that Austen was, and manages to wangle a happy ending through an unbelievable but appropriate (I think) twist ending.
The format of the book is a little bit odd; we get third-person narration and occasional diary entries in Lydia's voice. Lydia never struck me as the kind of person to keep a diary in the first place, so it's odd that it's here. I think I'd rather have the whole book in Lydia's voice, much as I dislike first-person, because it would have felt more real.
Thankfully, this isn't one of those pornographic Pride and Prejudice sequels-- if you've read it you know exactly which one I'm talking about and everyone else can find it for themselves-- but it is a bit... eh, I think I wanted more. The plot is twisty and dramatic, and it's just exactly like Wickham to do the things he does in this book, but I think Lydia grew up a bit too quickly with a bit too few consequences. I would have liked to see more from her, I guess. More understanding of what she'd done, more understanding of why her sisters acted the way she did.
Still, this is light and frothy and fun, and it's nice to see a sympathetic look at Lydia. I don't regret reading it.
January 18, 2009
I am a sucker for anything with Austen or Darcy in the title, and a sucker for anything having to do with Pride and Prejudice.
Some have been good, some have been awful and some have been just right.
I would put this at "almost just right" at a 3 1/2 stars.
I have always kind of liked Lydia, I guess I could connect with her.(having been a silly girl growing up) So it was interesting to see her thought process, her feelings and kind of a "what was she thinking" .
This is a continuation, of sorts, of Pride and Prjudice, a follow up to Lydia's scandalous behaviour. It actually starts in Brighton when she goes on Holiday with Harriet and Captain Forrester and is sweet talked into eloping with Wickham.
It is her story after this hasty and impetuous decision,the aftermath of her rash actions.
I do like the writers style, she does manage to capture some of the Jane Austen spirit in her book. I also like how the story is told, including some of Lydia's journal entries.
I also liked how Lydia started to realize her mistakes and how she grew up in the book.
i WOULD have liked to see her maybe suffer a bit more for her indecent behavior, really repent of her wrong doing and really been made to account for her actions and really realize that what she did was wrong.
I am the kind of reader who likes tidily wrapped up endings, where the villains get their just desserts, and the heroes are rewarded.
This wasnt quite there for me.
but all in all a clean romance, and an interesting take on Lydia Bennet Wickham.
Some have been good, some have been awful and some have been just right.
I would put this at "almost just right" at a 3 1/2 stars.
I have always kind of liked Lydia, I guess I could connect with her.(having been a silly girl growing up) So it was interesting to see her thought process, her feelings and kind of a "what was she thinking" .
This is a continuation, of sorts, of Pride and Prjudice, a follow up to Lydia's scandalous behaviour. It actually starts in Brighton when she goes on Holiday with Harriet and Captain Forrester and is sweet talked into eloping with Wickham.
It is her story after this hasty and impetuous decision,the aftermath of her rash actions.
I do like the writers style, she does manage to capture some of the Jane Austen spirit in her book. I also like how the story is told, including some of Lydia's journal entries.
I also liked how Lydia started to realize her mistakes and how she grew up in the book.
i WOULD have liked to see her maybe suffer a bit more for her indecent behavior, really repent of her wrong doing and really been made to account for her actions and really realize that what she did was wrong.
I am the kind of reader who likes tidily wrapped up endings, where the villains get their just desserts, and the heroes are rewarded.
This wasnt quite there for me.
but all in all a clean romance, and an interesting take on Lydia Bennet Wickham.
March 9, 2011
It was free to download onto my Kindle and I was curious. Lydia isn't a very likeable character in Pride and Prejudice, so I was wondering how the author would manage to make her more sympathetic. This book starts just before Lydia goes off to Brighton and follows her romance with Whickam, the infamous "elopement" and gives you a picture of her marriage to Whickam. You actually do feel sorry for her here because he treats her so poorly and she really had thought he loved her when she ran off with him. You also realize how young she is and understand how she could have acted so foolishly. I was most intrigued to see how the author was going to give Lydia a happy ending, but I must say it was rather unbelievable.
SPOILER
Lydia finds herself free of her marriage when it is discovered that Whickam is a bigamist who already had a wife when he married her. Whickam flees the country out of fear of retribution from Darcy. The family spreads the word that Whickam died at sea, make Lydia a respectable widow. She then turns around and falls in love with, of all things, a preacher! Believe it or not, he actually seems to bear a certain resemblance to Mr. Collins! He is a little more likable though and goes out of his way to help her during this crisis, which is what draws them together. I just can't see him and Lydia being happy together though. Oh well.
SPOILER
Lydia finds herself free of her marriage when it is discovered that Whickam is a bigamist who already had a wife when he married her. Whickam flees the country out of fear of retribution from Darcy. The family spreads the word that Whickam died at sea, make Lydia a respectable widow. She then turns around and falls in love with, of all things, a preacher! Believe it or not, he actually seems to bear a certain resemblance to Mr. Collins! He is a little more likable though and goes out of his way to help her during this crisis, which is what draws them together. I just can't see him and Lydia being happy together though. Oh well.
January 24, 2009
As I read attempted Pride and Prejudice sequels, I'm always hopeful that the latest one will be a delight. They rarely are, and this one is no exception. Lydia was never someone I really cared about as I read Pride and Prejudice. She's more the annoying gnat that keeps buzzing around your head: the one you keep slapping away. This book is simply a light peek into the life of Lydia Bennet, one of the silliest girls in all of England.
The story is told in a third-person narrative, with Lydia's first-person journal entries interspersed. The technique works here. Jane Odiwe has defined Lydia in such a way that we find out why she acts the way she does and we see some of her thought processes. Most of it is plausible. Her main issue is that she craves positive attention from her father, the man who openly favors Elizabeth, but all she ever receives is negative.
The story follows her adventure to Brighton and subsequent marriage to George Wickham. Their marriage is chronicled as is Lydia's embarrassment at her husbands infidelity, and her pleas to Elizabeth and Jane for help. Things wrap up a bit too neatly and Lydia never really suffers for her misbehavior or inappropriate antics.
A promising story that fell flat. I just wanted it to be finished.
The story is told in a third-person narrative, with Lydia's first-person journal entries interspersed. The technique works here. Jane Odiwe has defined Lydia in such a way that we find out why she acts the way she does and we see some of her thought processes. Most of it is plausible. Her main issue is that she craves positive attention from her father, the man who openly favors Elizabeth, but all she ever receives is negative.
The story follows her adventure to Brighton and subsequent marriage to George Wickham. Their marriage is chronicled as is Lydia's embarrassment at her husbands infidelity, and her pleas to Elizabeth and Jane for help. Things wrap up a bit too neatly and Lydia never really suffers for her misbehavior or inappropriate antics.
A promising story that fell flat. I just wanted it to be finished.
July 29, 2012
TYPE OF AUSTENESQUE NOVEL: Retelling AND Sequel
TIME FRAME: Just before Lydia's departure to Brighton
MAIN CHARACTERS: Lydia Bennet, George Wickham, Harriet Forster, Mr. Darcy, and Isabella Fitzalan (new), Alexander Fitzalan (new)
WHY I WANTED TO READ THIS: La! It's a novel ALL about Lydia – who wouldn't want to read it? No...seriously, Lydia is not one of my favorite characters, I quite agree with Elizabeth's assessment of her as “the most determined flirt that ever made herself and her family ridiculous.” She is selfish, empty-headed, and vain – and as far as I've seen, she has nothing to redeem or recommend herself. But... since I LOVED everything I previously read by Jane Odiwe, I pretty much had to give this novel a try.
WHAT I LOVED:
Retelling + Sequel: It's basically a 2-for-1deal here! Readers witness the events of the latter half of Pride and Prejudice from Lydia's perspective AND are able to observe what happens after Lydia relocates to Newcastle with Wickham.
To keep reading, go to: http://janeaustenreviews.blogspot.com...
TIME FRAME: Just before Lydia's departure to Brighton
MAIN CHARACTERS: Lydia Bennet, George Wickham, Harriet Forster, Mr. Darcy, and Isabella Fitzalan (new), Alexander Fitzalan (new)
WHY I WANTED TO READ THIS: La! It's a novel ALL about Lydia – who wouldn't want to read it? No...seriously, Lydia is not one of my favorite characters, I quite agree with Elizabeth's assessment of her as “the most determined flirt that ever made herself and her family ridiculous.” She is selfish, empty-headed, and vain – and as far as I've seen, she has nothing to redeem or recommend herself. But... since I LOVED everything I previously read by Jane Odiwe, I pretty much had to give this novel a try.
WHAT I LOVED:
Retelling + Sequel: It's basically a 2-for-1deal here! Readers witness the events of the latter half of Pride and Prejudice from Lydia's perspective AND are able to observe what happens after Lydia relocates to Newcastle with Wickham.
To keep reading, go to: http://janeaustenreviews.blogspot.com...
January 13, 2010
You know you're in for a story when the title has two (count them, two) subtitles. I feel that Jane Odiwe really did a good job of capturing the essence of the characters originated by Austen. The Bennet family and crew are all true to the originals, but also built up and fleshed out for modern readers, without feeling stilted or forced into unnatural molds. Odiwe clearly respects Austen, but writes in a very convincing early-Regency voice that is her own.
Lydia is vivacious and naively self-centered, but never obnoxious (to this reader, anyway). She is an extremely entertaining character to read. Her adventures with Wickham and their life together, the way she falls in love with him, her world-view and reactions to disaster are all spot-on to what you imagine could have happened.
Bottom line: This story is well-reasoned, well-intentioned, and well-written. Two thumbs up.
Lydia is vivacious and naively self-centered, but never obnoxious (to this reader, anyway). She is an extremely entertaining character to read. Her adventures with Wickham and their life together, the way she falls in love with him, her world-view and reactions to disaster are all spot-on to what you imagine could have happened.
Bottom line: This story is well-reasoned, well-intentioned, and well-written. Two thumbs up.
October 12, 2013
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I was initially reluctant to read it, as it was about foolish Lydia Bennet, and I could name a host of other characters I would rather read about.
The first half leads up to her marriage to Wickham, and the last half is a new tale about Lydia's life after that fateful day in London. The second half was far more interesting, but I feel that had a lot to do with the growth in Lydia's character.
The first half leads up to her marriage to Wickham, and the last half is a new tale about Lydia's life after that fateful day in London. The second half was far more interesting, but I feel that had a lot to do with the growth in Lydia's character.
September 18, 2018
In this story we see Pride and Prejudice from Lydias's eyes, her acts and thoughts. Which then continue with her life after with Wickham. With this story we have the introduction of quite a few new characters which are very welcome.
I have not been a fan of Lydia (she and Kitty are much too silly for me) but you can certainly start to feel sorry for this Lydia.
A well-written and enjoyable story.
I have not been a fan of Lydia (she and Kitty are much too silly for me) but you can certainly start to feel sorry for this Lydia.
A well-written and enjoyable story.
February 15, 2011
1.5 stars is more like it. The writing wasn't bad, but the story made me dislike Lydia even more. The plot is a little far fetched too. Lydia is 15 which makes it all the more unreasonable. And Wickham a bigamist? really? Don't read this one just on the off chance that you might remember it have it ruin Pride and Prejudice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2018
Il romanzo di formazione di Lydia
LizzyGee: Non avevo mai pensato che Lydia fosse un personaggio simpatico: Jane Austen la dà per irrecuperabile e la lascia alla mercé di quello scellerato di Wickham e alla compassione delle più fortunate sorelle. In The Bad Miss Bennet, Lydia procede lungo una strada in continua discesa e sembra non trovare mai il fondo. Continua a muoversi nell'Europa del vizio e, anziché riscattarsi, si perde sempre di più. In Lydia Bennet's Story Jane Odiwe, trasforma la più giovane delle sorelle Bennet in un'autentica eroina austeniana.
Elisabetta: Anch’io, all’inizio, la pensavo esattamente come te, anzi ero addirittura un po’ restia a iniziare un romanzo dove era sicuro che avrei trovato antipatica la protagonista. Io ancora non ho letto The Bad Miss Bennet, ma posso portare l’esempio di L’indipendenza della signorina Bennet di Colleen McCullough, dove Lydia vive una vita dissoluta fino alla fine, e quindi non mi sarei mai aspettata un evoluzione del personaggio così profonda.
In Lydia Bennet's story la scrittrice apre una possibilità anche per il personaggio più frivolo e antipatico (forse non proprio la più antipatica, che secondo me rimane Mary) di Orgoglio e Pregiudizio, come non apprezzare la Odiwe per questo?
LizzyGee: [Anche per me è Mary la più antipatica... ma dipende dai sequel]
Il primo libro narra la storia di Lydia dal periodo di Orgoglio e Pregiudizio in cui Jane è a Londra e Lizzy a Hunsford.
Episodi solo accennati da Jane Austen nei racconti di Lydia alle sorelle, durante il pranzo di ricongiungimento alla taverna, vengono magistralmente sviluppati dalla Odiwe, per rivelare una ragazzina di quindici anni a cui è stata data troppa libertà dalla madre indulgente, che la vizia e le permette di fare tutto ciò che fanno le sorelle più grandi (e assennate) di lei e che risente dello scarso affetto del padre, che la ritiene una delle giovani più sciocche d'Inghilterra. È dura essere la più giovane di cinque sorelle, tutte rinomatamente belle, e Lydia cerca il suo modo per farsi notare e meritarsi l'affetto del padre. Vuole primeggiare, non solo nell'altezza; vuole arrivare prima delle sorelle a fare qualcosa; sposarsi, forse, e un uomo sembrerebbe valere un altro purché non sia noioso; magari sarebbe meglio che indossasse una bella giubba rossa.
Elisabetta: Questa prima parte mi ha fatto molto riflettere su come ho considerato Lydia leggendo O&P. La sua insicurezza, i suoi disagi per essere la più piccola di 5 sorelle, passano in sordina leggendo Orgoglio e Pregiudizio, ma grazie alla Odiwe qui riusciamo a vedere il malessere di Lydia, mitigato dal suo brio e dalla sua frivolezza; e ciò ha cambiato il mio giudizio verso di lei. Mi ha colpito come in tutto il libro vengano riportate le parole del padre: “Una delle giovani più sciocche d’Inghilterra” è una frase che spesso riporta Lydia; chi lo sa che non sia proprio questo il motivo per cui Lydia si comporta così da stupidina?
LizzyGee: Pur atteggiandosi a donna di mondo Lydia è molto ingenua e rischia davvero molto. Wickham - che non ha nessuna intenzione di sedurla: è lei che si getta fra le sue braccia - non è il male peggiore. In fondo, il suo atteggiamento da civetta le avrebbe potuto procurare danni ancor più gravi. Il Capitano Trayton-Camfield, un membro della Guardia Reale del Principe Reggente di stanza a Brighton, la corteggia e la bacia anche: sarà stato serio e ben intenzionato? Non è dato di sapere, perché, almeno in questo, la farfalloneria di Lydia l'assiste: baciare il capitano non le scatena alcuna passione, anzi, la ragazzina prova anche una certa repulsione; ciò le permette di capire che il capitano, pur essendo un uomo piacente e un buon partito, non è l'uomo giusto per lei. Ma lo è forse Wickham? Lydia ne è convinta, forse anche perché la sua scelta è stata avallata dalla saggia sorella Elizabeth, di cui un tempo Wickham era un favorito. Anzi, la scelta è dettata da una forte dose di competitività fra sorelle, in una gara che Lydia sente molto più delle altre Miss Bennet, perché ultima arrivata in famiglia.
Elisabetta: Ti dirò, a me non dispiaceva il Capitano. La mia impressione è stata quella di un ragazzo con intenzioni serie, ma non sono rimasta per niente colpita dalla decisione di Lydia di ripiegare su Wickham. LizzyGee(Beh, si presume che - avendo letto più volte P&P - non ci fossero dubbi in proposito. A meno che... non ci toccherà leggerlo un'altra volta per verificare che succeda davvero?) Elisabetta: (Beh, certo, ma nonostante la consapevolezza della scelta che avrebbe intrapreso conoscendo già la storia di fondo, quello che intendo io è che la scelta compiuta è tipicamente nel suo carattere, come se la strada più semplice e più giusta non fosse contemplata nel DNA di Lydia)
Ho notato che in tutta la prima parte la Odiwe accenni spesso a comportamenti tipicamente adolescenziali e la scelta del classico “bad boy” al posto del ragazzo serio è una di queste (c’è poi la risata continua, il fissarsi sulla competizione, ecc)...
Apprezzo inoltre che Lydia abbia fatto la sua scelta anche guardando il suo cuore. Su questo almeno non c’è dubbio: Lydia era innamorata di Wickham e si sa che spesso l’amore rende ciechi.
LizzyGee: La Odiwe è davvero perspicace nel cogliere alcuni aspetti della personalità di Lydia che Jane Austen ha tralasciato. E questo romanzo ci fa rivalutare questo personaggio fortemente negativo in Pride and Prejudice, un caso che sembrerebbe disperato. Ma... la Odiwe, da brava estimatrice di Jane Austen, sa che un'eroina deve compiere un percorso di crescita. Lydia si è sposata troppo giovane per potersi rendere conto di come giri il mondo; crede che sposarsi sia il raggiungimento del sogno, ma si dovrà presto rendere conto che il sogno va costruito giorno per giorno, e con Wickham non si può costruire, ma solo demolire.
Elisabetta: Questa è la parte in cui Lydia mi fa davvero pena... Wickham non solo distrugge la sua fiducia e il suo amore, ma addirittura la umilia, facendosi “beccare” e iniziando un vortice di pettegolezzi senza fine.
Lydia non si trova più fra le sue amiche di un tempo e le “nuove amicizie” se così si possono definire, sono viscide e mirano solamente a screditarla...
Direi che la Odiwe le ha fatto davvero toccare il fondo prima di farle iniziare la risalita!
LizzyGee: Quasi subito Lydia resterà delusa dal matrimonio: fa compassione quando, dopo essere stata ospite prima di Lizzy a Pemberley e poi di Jane a Netherfield, si troverà davanti due matrimoni solidi e felici, esattamente l'opposto di quel che ha lei. Da questo punto in poi inizia la crescita, la maturazione di Lydia, che dovrà fronteggiare una grande vergogna e si rassegnerà a un destino completamente opposto a quel che aveva sperato fosse in serbo per lei. Ma la Odiwe ci riserva delle sorprese e - proprio come Elizabeth in Orgoglio e Pregiudizio - Lydia supererà i preconcetti e, ormai matura, avrà il suo lieto fine.
Elisabetta: Ho veramente adorato gli espedienti che la scrittrice ha utilizzato per il riscatto di Lydia.
Alla fine non mi sembrava più di leggere la vita della frivola e stupida ragazza di Orgoglio e Pregiudizio, ma una versione un po’ più briosa della nostra Lizzy.
L’ultima parte è quella che mi è piaciuta di più perché ho scoperto un lato gentile e altruista di Lydia, che non pensavo avesse.
Ovviamente ho adorato il lieto fine.
LizzyGee ed Elisabetta: Promuoviamo dunque a pieni voti Jane Odiwe e la sua eroina, sulla quale non avremmo puntato un centesimo all'inizio del romanzo e che ci ha piacevolmente stupito.
Potete trovare la recensione completa del libro QUI
LizzyGee: Non avevo mai pensato che Lydia fosse un personaggio simpatico: Jane Austen la dà per irrecuperabile e la lascia alla mercé di quello scellerato di Wickham e alla compassione delle più fortunate sorelle. In The Bad Miss Bennet, Lydia procede lungo una strada in continua discesa e sembra non trovare mai il fondo. Continua a muoversi nell'Europa del vizio e, anziché riscattarsi, si perde sempre di più. In Lydia Bennet's Story Jane Odiwe, trasforma la più giovane delle sorelle Bennet in un'autentica eroina austeniana.
Elisabetta: Anch’io, all’inizio, la pensavo esattamente come te, anzi ero addirittura un po’ restia a iniziare un romanzo dove era sicuro che avrei trovato antipatica la protagonista. Io ancora non ho letto The Bad Miss Bennet, ma posso portare l’esempio di L’indipendenza della signorina Bennet di Colleen McCullough, dove Lydia vive una vita dissoluta fino alla fine, e quindi non mi sarei mai aspettata un evoluzione del personaggio così profonda.
In Lydia Bennet's story la scrittrice apre una possibilità anche per il personaggio più frivolo e antipatico (forse non proprio la più antipatica, che secondo me rimane Mary) di Orgoglio e Pregiudizio, come non apprezzare la Odiwe per questo?
LizzyGee: [Anche per me è Mary la più antipatica... ma dipende dai sequel]
Il primo libro narra la storia di Lydia dal periodo di Orgoglio e Pregiudizio in cui Jane è a Londra e Lizzy a Hunsford.
Episodi solo accennati da Jane Austen nei racconti di Lydia alle sorelle, durante il pranzo di ricongiungimento alla taverna, vengono magistralmente sviluppati dalla Odiwe, per rivelare una ragazzina di quindici anni a cui è stata data troppa libertà dalla madre indulgente, che la vizia e le permette di fare tutto ciò che fanno le sorelle più grandi (e assennate) di lei e che risente dello scarso affetto del padre, che la ritiene una delle giovani più sciocche d'Inghilterra. È dura essere la più giovane di cinque sorelle, tutte rinomatamente belle, e Lydia cerca il suo modo per farsi notare e meritarsi l'affetto del padre. Vuole primeggiare, non solo nell'altezza; vuole arrivare prima delle sorelle a fare qualcosa; sposarsi, forse, e un uomo sembrerebbe valere un altro purché non sia noioso; magari sarebbe meglio che indossasse una bella giubba rossa.
Elisabetta: Questa prima parte mi ha fatto molto riflettere su come ho considerato Lydia leggendo O&P. La sua insicurezza, i suoi disagi per essere la più piccola di 5 sorelle, passano in sordina leggendo Orgoglio e Pregiudizio, ma grazie alla Odiwe qui riusciamo a vedere il malessere di Lydia, mitigato dal suo brio e dalla sua frivolezza; e ciò ha cambiato il mio giudizio verso di lei. Mi ha colpito come in tutto il libro vengano riportate le parole del padre: “Una delle giovani più sciocche d’Inghilterra” è una frase che spesso riporta Lydia; chi lo sa che non sia proprio questo il motivo per cui Lydia si comporta così da stupidina?
LizzyGee: Pur atteggiandosi a donna di mondo Lydia è molto ingenua e rischia davvero molto. Wickham - che non ha nessuna intenzione di sedurla: è lei che si getta fra le sue braccia - non è il male peggiore. In fondo, il suo atteggiamento da civetta le avrebbe potuto procurare danni ancor più gravi. Il Capitano Trayton-Camfield, un membro della Guardia Reale del Principe Reggente di stanza a Brighton, la corteggia e la bacia anche: sarà stato serio e ben intenzionato? Non è dato di sapere, perché, almeno in questo, la farfalloneria di Lydia l'assiste: baciare il capitano non le scatena alcuna passione, anzi, la ragazzina prova anche una certa repulsione; ciò le permette di capire che il capitano, pur essendo un uomo piacente e un buon partito, non è l'uomo giusto per lei. Ma lo è forse Wickham? Lydia ne è convinta, forse anche perché la sua scelta è stata avallata dalla saggia sorella Elizabeth, di cui un tempo Wickham era un favorito. Anzi, la scelta è dettata da una forte dose di competitività fra sorelle, in una gara che Lydia sente molto più delle altre Miss Bennet, perché ultima arrivata in famiglia.
Elisabetta: Ti dirò, a me non dispiaceva il Capitano. La mia impressione è stata quella di un ragazzo con intenzioni serie, ma non sono rimasta per niente colpita dalla decisione di Lydia di ripiegare su Wickham. LizzyGee(Beh, si presume che - avendo letto più volte P&P - non ci fossero dubbi in proposito. A meno che... non ci toccherà leggerlo un'altra volta per verificare che succeda davvero?) Elisabetta: (Beh, certo, ma nonostante la consapevolezza della scelta che avrebbe intrapreso conoscendo già la storia di fondo, quello che intendo io è che la scelta compiuta è tipicamente nel suo carattere, come se la strada più semplice e più giusta non fosse contemplata nel DNA di Lydia)
Ho notato che in tutta la prima parte la Odiwe accenni spesso a comportamenti tipicamente adolescenziali e la scelta del classico “bad boy” al posto del ragazzo serio è una di queste (c’è poi la risata continua, il fissarsi sulla competizione, ecc)...
Apprezzo inoltre che Lydia abbia fatto la sua scelta anche guardando il suo cuore. Su questo almeno non c’è dubbio: Lydia era innamorata di Wickham e si sa che spesso l’amore rende ciechi.
LizzyGee: La Odiwe è davvero perspicace nel cogliere alcuni aspetti della personalità di Lydia che Jane Austen ha tralasciato. E questo romanzo ci fa rivalutare questo personaggio fortemente negativo in Pride and Prejudice, un caso che sembrerebbe disperato. Ma... la Odiwe, da brava estimatrice di Jane Austen, sa che un'eroina deve compiere un percorso di crescita. Lydia si è sposata troppo giovane per potersi rendere conto di come giri il mondo; crede che sposarsi sia il raggiungimento del sogno, ma si dovrà presto rendere conto che il sogno va costruito giorno per giorno, e con Wickham non si può costruire, ma solo demolire.
Elisabetta: Questa è la parte in cui Lydia mi fa davvero pena... Wickham non solo distrugge la sua fiducia e il suo amore, ma addirittura la umilia, facendosi “beccare” e iniziando un vortice di pettegolezzi senza fine.
Lydia non si trova più fra le sue amiche di un tempo e le “nuove amicizie” se così si possono definire, sono viscide e mirano solamente a screditarla...
Direi che la Odiwe le ha fatto davvero toccare il fondo prima di farle iniziare la risalita!
LizzyGee: Quasi subito Lydia resterà delusa dal matrimonio: fa compassione quando, dopo essere stata ospite prima di Lizzy a Pemberley e poi di Jane a Netherfield, si troverà davanti due matrimoni solidi e felici, esattamente l'opposto di quel che ha lei. Da questo punto in poi inizia la crescita, la maturazione di Lydia, che dovrà fronteggiare una grande vergogna e si rassegnerà a un destino completamente opposto a quel che aveva sperato fosse in serbo per lei. Ma la Odiwe ci riserva delle sorprese e - proprio come Elizabeth in Orgoglio e Pregiudizio - Lydia supererà i preconcetti e, ormai matura, avrà il suo lieto fine.
Elisabetta: Ho veramente adorato gli espedienti che la scrittrice ha utilizzato per il riscatto di Lydia.
Alla fine non mi sembrava più di leggere la vita della frivola e stupida ragazza di Orgoglio e Pregiudizio, ma una versione un po’ più briosa della nostra Lizzy.
L’ultima parte è quella che mi è piaciuta di più perché ho scoperto un lato gentile e altruista di Lydia, che non pensavo avesse.
Ovviamente ho adorato il lieto fine.
LizzyGee ed Elisabetta: Promuoviamo dunque a pieni voti Jane Odiwe e la sua eroina, sulla quale non avremmo puntato un centesimo all'inizio del romanzo e che ci ha piacevolmente stupito.
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July 15, 2019
As I read attempted Pride and Prejudice sequels, I'm always hopeful that the latest one will be a delight. They rarely are, and this one is no exception. Lydia was never someone I really cared about as I read Pride and Prejudice. She's more the annoying gnat that keeps buzzing around your head: the one you keep slapping away. This book is simply a light peek into the life of Lydia Bennet, one of the silliest girls in all of England.
The story is told in a third-person narrative, with Lydia's first-person journal entries interspersed. The technique works here. Jane Odiwe has defined Lydia in such a way that we find out why she acts the way she does and we see some of her thought processes. Most of it is plausible. Her main issue is that she craves positive attention from her father, the man who openly favors Elizabeth, but all she ever receives is negative.
The story follows her adventure to Brighton and subsequent marriage to George Wickham. Their marriage is chronicled as is Lydia's embarrassment at her husbands infidelity, and her pleas to Elizabeth and Jane for help. Things wrap up a bit too neatly and Lydia never really suffers for her misbehavior or inappropriate antics.
A promising story that fell flat. I just wanted it to be finished.
The story is told in a third-person narrative, with Lydia's first-person journal entries interspersed. The technique works here. Jane Odiwe has defined Lydia in such a way that we find out why she acts the way she does and we see some of her thought processes. Most of it is plausible. Her main issue is that she craves positive attention from her father, the man who openly favors Elizabeth, but all she ever receives is negative.
The story follows her adventure to Brighton and subsequent marriage to George Wickham. Their marriage is chronicled as is Lydia's embarrassment at her husbands infidelity, and her pleas to Elizabeth and Jane for help. Things wrap up a bit too neatly and Lydia never really suffers for her misbehavior or inappropriate antics.
A promising story that fell flat. I just wanted it to be finished.
January 30, 2017
Nobody is more shocked than I that I loved this book. Generally I am overly critical of books based off of Jane Austen's works. If you are going to try to add to what I consider to be perfection, you better not only be spectacular yourself but also have something worthwhile to add. This told the story of Lydia. Parts of it overlap Pride and Prejudice. I have never liked Lydia. AT ALL. But this book, it had me wanting good things for her. It helped explain why she stupidly ended up with Wickham. After all, she was 16, he was in his mid to late 20s. She acts absolutely ridiculous...but also a lot like a lot of teenage girls really. I often forget how young she really is. It's a little sad to read that she's aware how her father views her, but I did like the portrayal of her growth as a person. After all, it is okay to be vivacious and talkative and social. Within reason. By the end she's much less selfish, though not all the way cured, and considerate of others. I love that the girl who was swept away by a man's looks ends up finding love again in a situation where that couldn't happen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2019
This story really made me sympathize with Lydia. Look at Jane Austen's story from her point of view: her father is always insulting her (and the other girls as well) and half of her family seem indifferent to her. This is largely personality clashes but it's hard on the youngest of five sisters. The isolation the Bennet family lived in was especially hard on someone so young and lively. Then we got to see Wickham's calculated seduction of her. Of course after so much loneliness, when she fell in love she was easily manipulated! And then after she ran off, everyone she encountered considered themselves at liberty to tell her off. Her aunt even insisted on buying her ugly clothes for her wedding.
When she realized what her husband was really like, she gamely did her best to salvage the relationship. Fortunately, the author found a way to give Lydia a second chance at happiness, and to have her mature some without losing her Lydia-ness.
When she realized what her husband was really like, she gamely did her best to salvage the relationship. Fortunately, the author found a way to give Lydia a second chance at happiness, and to have her mature some without losing her Lydia-ness.
December 17, 2017
This was definitely a 'Regency Romp', and it was amusing to see the racier side of Jane Austen's milieu through the eyes of Lydia Bennet, but the style, for me, lacked authenticity. To be fair, it never attempts to reproduce Jane Austen's prose, but all the same I'd expected something a little more in keeping with 'Pride & Prejudice' ... the plot is interesting and believable when it runs parallel to Elizabeth & Jane's stories, but the second half of the story wanders off in a direction that's both predictable and unlikely, and the further it meanders from the original path the more laboured and clumsy both story and dialogue becomes. It was fun, but it didn't draw me in.
March 21, 2021
REVENGE IS SWEET!
I hate books/movies where a seriously foul character goes unpunished, like Lydia Bennet in Pride and Prejudice.
This book started out great, mainly because it could somewhat capture the silly, mindless girl that Lydia was. Her marriage to Wickham was exactly what I imagined it to be, which was a relief. However, the author seemed to love the concept of "happily ever after" too much because she got hers eventually. I would have wanted her to suffer a little more but hey! I am not a very nice person.
I hate books/movies where a seriously foul character goes unpunished, like Lydia Bennet in Pride and Prejudice.
This book started out great, mainly because it could somewhat capture the silly, mindless girl that Lydia was. Her marriage to Wickham was exactly what I imagined it to be, which was a relief. However, the author seemed to love the concept of "happily ever after" too much because she got hers eventually. I would have wanted her to suffer a little more but hey! I am not a very nice person.
May 22, 2018
I enjoyed this book. It was interesting to see what was going through Lydia's mind, and interesting to see how her marriage may have turned out. Ultimately, I don't find it all that believable that it would have happened in Jane Austen's original world, but I was satisfied and entertained nonetheless.
December 3, 2023
an enjoyable & quick read. didn’t completely love how they approached Lydia’s personality at all times but mostly very good. I would put it at more a 3.5 than a solid 3. not exactly sure why, just sometimes not completely believable. shower very fun to see a possible aftermath of the original story.
September 30, 2018
Quite a transformation!
Heedless Lydia Bennet's story begins as you'd expect, though from her perspective, everything seems much more innocent. But marriage, to Wickham?! That's never gong to end well.
Heedless Lydia Bennet's story begins as you'd expect, though from her perspective, everything seems much more innocent. But marriage, to Wickham?! That's never gong to end well.
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