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The Pemberley Chronicles #4
The Ladies of Longbourn
"A masterpiece that reaches the heart." ― Beverley Wong, author of Pride & Prejudice Prudence The bestselling Pemberley Chronicles series continues the saga of the Darcys and Bingleys from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and introduces imaginative new characters. Anne-Marie Bradshaw is the granddaughter of Charles and Jane Bingley. Her father now owns Longbourn, the Bennet's estate in Hertfordshire. A young widow after a loveless marriage, Anne-Marie and her stepmother Anna, together with Charlotte Collins, widow of the unctuous Mr. Collins, are the Ladies of Longbourn. These smart, independent women challenge the conventional roles of women in the Victorian era, while they search for ways to build their own lasting legacies in an ever-changing world. The ladies find strength, companionship, and friendship together as they work to build a children's hospital, deal with a deadly outbreak of influenza, and help a gentle lady flee a violent and destructive marriage. Jane Austen's original characters - Darcy, Elizabeth, Bingley, and Jane - provide a framework of solid values and commentary to anchor a dramatic story full of wit and compassion. "Interesting stories, enduring themes, gentle humour, and lively dialogue." ― Book News
292 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2008
21 people are currently reading
503 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Ann Collins
25 books66 followersRebecca Ann Collins is the pen name of a lady in Australia who loves Jane Austen’s work so much that she has written a series of sequels to Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, following Austen’s beloved characters, introducing new ones and bringing the characters into a new historical era.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 1, 2020
This is as good as the third book! Even though I read it more slowly, I really enjoyed it! I also like how it seems like in each book, the author focuses on a different member of the family — like in the last book it was Jonathan, and in this one it's Anne-Marie. I wonder what will happen in the next book!
January 10, 2009
While Ms. Collins writes well, I finally realized what it is about this series that disappoints me.
First, all of her main characters are so disgustingly good and modern in their outlook. The reason we like Darcy and Elizabeth is that they are flawed, and those flaws almost keep them from the person best suited to them. The fact that they slowly learn and become better people is half the fun of P&P. The worst that can be said of any of these later characters is that they make mistakes in judgment, quickly rectified. They also are so politically correct in outlook that they're not entirely believable (they support votes for all, treat their tenants amazingly well, are worried about environmental concerns, etc.). Jane Austen gave her characters flaws to make them more interesting.
Also, there is no real suspense or tragedy in their lives that isn't overcome very easily. Anne Marie is saved from a bad marriage by a very fortuitous death (this isn't a spoiler since it happens right at the beginning of the book). This also isn't the first time it's happened in the series, as it happened earlier to her father. There's also no suspense in what will eventually happen to them. There's part of it that's almost bland, since there's no real surprise.
That being said, the books do well at showing the history of the time period. Her writing is good, and her characters are likable. Just know that there aren't any real surprises.
First, all of her main characters are so disgustingly good and modern in their outlook. The reason we like Darcy and Elizabeth is that they are flawed, and those flaws almost keep them from the person best suited to them. The fact that they slowly learn and become better people is half the fun of P&P. The worst that can be said of any of these later characters is that they make mistakes in judgment, quickly rectified. They also are so politically correct in outlook that they're not entirely believable (they support votes for all, treat their tenants amazingly well, are worried about environmental concerns, etc.). Jane Austen gave her characters flaws to make them more interesting.
Also, there is no real suspense or tragedy in their lives that isn't overcome very easily. Anne Marie is saved from a bad marriage by a very fortuitous death (this isn't a spoiler since it happens right at the beginning of the book). This also isn't the first time it's happened in the series, as it happened earlier to her father. There's also no suspense in what will eventually happen to them. There's part of it that's almost bland, since there's no real surprise.
That being said, the books do well at showing the history of the time period. Her writing is good, and her characters are likable. Just know that there aren't any real surprises.
February 20, 2022
Have re-read this several times. It vies with Legacy of Pemberley as one of my two favourites in this series but other books in the series are also very good. It starts with a funeral which provides a date of 1861 for the beginning. There is an exquisite balance in the book between the dark times of life and the beautiful.
Throughout the book the author explores relationships, life values, political values, service to the community. A book to inspire.
Throughout the book the author explores relationships, life values, political values, service to the community. A book to inspire.
January 16, 2015
Wonderful! Fantastic! Amazing! Incredible :) I really could go on and on about how much I loved this book. Anne-Marie and Colin *swoon* Twists and turns from beginning to end. I laughed out loud several times, gasped in shock and was moved to the verge of tears.
March 28, 2019
This book picks up from where the previous book left out and like the previous volume it is a book that combines a serviceable romantic plot with a lot of extraneous elements that are highly irritating, especially the book's blatant political biases. This book is a classic example of a book where less would have been so much more. Without the author's strident pro-radical and anti-conservative bias, the book would have been easy to celebrate, but as a book with a heavy-handed political bias that I am personally hostile to, the book is irritating where it should be pleasant. That is a serious flaw, and as it is a flaw in the book as a whole, it is a wonder that no one (not even the author's agent or editor) thought it worthwhile to explain to the author that those who are fond of Regency and Victorian fiction as well as Jane Austen might even be more conservative and traditional than the average contemporary reader. Who is this author aiming a book at? Other non-traditional writers who love Jane Austen but who can't bear to imagine themselves caught up or endorsing relationships conducted on prudential grounds? Clearly the author has failed to understand something key about the time she is writing about, for all of her interest in Darcy family.
Apparently learning nothing from the suffering of her father Jonathan Bingley in an unhappy marriage, Anne-Marie marries a decent man who she does not love and who does not love her and she is made miserable by it. Knowing this author as we do, we know that he is not long for this world and lo and behold, he dies barely a year into their unhappy marriage. Anne-Marie is driven to help with the medical care of the people of Hertfordshire, and she manages to catch the interest of the new Tory MP of the area, one Colin Elliott. Given the heavy-handed approach of the author, we know that they will end up getting married (they do) and that Colin will eventually leave the Tories and become a radical (he does). An author who was more savvy and less of a partisan blockhead would show that decent people can be Tories (and an accurate-minded person would understand that Tories are often far more decent than Radicals in all sense of the word, but that is far beyond the moral imagination of this author), and a less brutal author would not kill off all of the decent people in less than wonderful marriages.
Again, this book is a perfectly serviceable if unspectacular romance novel that is dragged down by its extraneous elements and by the lunkheadedness of its author. The course of the novel is mostly predictable, there are a lot of deaths of people we do not care particularly about, and everything ends happily and all too conveniently. For me, at least, the best part of this novel came when Colin and a group of other people (including the local newspaperman, whom Colin is friends with and possibly the patron of) engage in a dramatic rescue of some children who have been kidnapped by a violent father and a criminal collaborator, and of course Lydia finds herself involved (of course), but even this is a heavy-handed and rather wooden portrayal. Unfortunately, the limited moral imagination of the author and her lack of understanding of the richness and complexity of human life thanks to her blinkered and narrow-minded perspective makes her novels far less insightful and enjoyable as the ones she is so clearly and so unsuccessfully imitating.
Apparently learning nothing from the suffering of her father Jonathan Bingley in an unhappy marriage, Anne-Marie marries a decent man who she does not love and who does not love her and she is made miserable by it. Knowing this author as we do, we know that he is not long for this world and lo and behold, he dies barely a year into their unhappy marriage. Anne-Marie is driven to help with the medical care of the people of Hertfordshire, and she manages to catch the interest of the new Tory MP of the area, one Colin Elliott. Given the heavy-handed approach of the author, we know that they will end up getting married (they do) and that Colin will eventually leave the Tories and become a radical (he does). An author who was more savvy and less of a partisan blockhead would show that decent people can be Tories (and an accurate-minded person would understand that Tories are often far more decent than Radicals in all sense of the word, but that is far beyond the moral imagination of this author), and a less brutal author would not kill off all of the decent people in less than wonderful marriages.
Again, this book is a perfectly serviceable if unspectacular romance novel that is dragged down by its extraneous elements and by the lunkheadedness of its author. The course of the novel is mostly predictable, there are a lot of deaths of people we do not care particularly about, and everything ends happily and all too conveniently. For me, at least, the best part of this novel came when Colin and a group of other people (including the local newspaperman, whom Colin is friends with and possibly the patron of) engage in a dramatic rescue of some children who have been kidnapped by a violent father and a criminal collaborator, and of course Lydia finds herself involved (of course), but even this is a heavy-handed and rather wooden portrayal. Unfortunately, the limited moral imagination of the author and her lack of understanding of the richness and complexity of human life thanks to her blinkered and narrow-minded perspective makes her novels far less insightful and enjoyable as the ones she is so clearly and so unsuccessfully imitating.
June 8, 2023
This is as good as the third book! Even though I read it more slowly, I really enjoyed it! I also like how it seems like in each book, the author focuses on a different member of the family — like in the last book it was Jonathan, and in this one it's Anne-Marie. I wonder what will happen in the next book!
September 23, 2018
Enjoyable.
May 26, 2021
I absolutely LOVE this series!! I wish they were available on Kindle Unlimited though....
August 7, 2022
This is the fourth book I have read in this series, and I am certainly getting to know the characters more and more. I would not recommend reading out of order.
March 13, 2024
Boring and repetitive. Could have told the story in 1/3 of the time.
January 14, 2015
Alors tome 4 *soupir* Anne Marie s'est mariée mais ce n'était pas une union d'amour (ce que tout le monde condamne alors que concrètement, c'était monnaie commune non ?) Donc on retrouve les mêle tout habituels : Emma Watson, Caroline Fitzwilliams.... le tout sous la houlettes des matrones bien pensantes : Elizabeth & Jane... Du reste, rien ne change : par exemple tout le monde appelle Elizabeth "Lizzie" mais Mr Darcy reste Mr Darcy.... Donc on déroule l'histoire et tout y est tellement attendu que s'en est particulièrement pénible. Dans ce 4eme tome nous avons donc une apparentée Darcy qui se prend des idées de charité et s'implique dans une GRANDE cause sous le regard fier de sa parentèle (ainsi que de l'infortuné personnage qui aura l'honneur de devenir son mari, delighté par le sens civique de sa femme) Sérieux on ne pourrait avoir une "connasse" une fille futile, qui apprécie sa vie opulente et se fout éperdument du sort des veuves et des orphelins ? Tant de bonté et de générosité me tapent sérieusement sur les nerfs .... La suite est le scénario classique des Rebecca Ann Collins : Il l'aime, elle n'est pas sûre de l'aimer... Ils font un passage à Pemberley ce qui donne l'occasion à Lizzie de ragoter et se remémorer son histoire avec Darcy... Il y a un mort (RIP Oncle Gardiner, en même temps il devait bien avoir 100 ans non ?). Lizzie et Jane ragotent sur les amours de leurs apparentées (sérieux, elles n'ont donc que ça à faire !!!) , s'autocongratulent sur leur bonheur, et parlent étiquette (où est donc la jeune fille impertinente : dans le sens spirituelle, et vive d'Orgueil et Préjugés ?) Ensuite nous avons un drame... qui rapprochent les héros avec dans le rôle de la méchante ... LYDIA ( bah oui hein) et bien entendu les matrones bien pensantes qui ont tellement honteeeeeeeeeeeeeee (Lizzie et Jane). Lizzie a une super idée qui sauve la situation au grand delight de Darcy et les amoureux se marient ( et sont delighted... d'autant plus que la "méchante" amie d'Anne Marie n'est pas si méchante, ouf on est rassurés pffff). Bref ce quatrième tome a exactement le même scénario que les trois précédents.
Ce que j'aime : en fait c'est voir les personnages mourir peu à peu : ça me soulage
Ce que j'aime moins : le scénario est toujours le même, il n'y a aucune nuance dans les personnages qui se ressemblent tous : les gentils sont toujours engagés dans une grande cause et prompts au jugement.... (et j'oubliai, ils sont tous parfaitement beaux)
En bref : Un nouveau tome dépourvu d'inventivité et d'intérêt. On s'ennuie ferme et les personnages, tellement clichés et bien pensants finissent par en devenir antipathiques tant leur traitement est superficiel.
Ma note
1/10
Ce que j'aime : en fait c'est voir les personnages mourir peu à peu : ça me soulage
Ce que j'aime moins : le scénario est toujours le même, il n'y a aucune nuance dans les personnages qui se ressemblent tous : les gentils sont toujours engagés dans une grande cause et prompts au jugement.... (et j'oubliai, ils sont tous parfaitement beaux)
En bref : Un nouveau tome dépourvu d'inventivité et d'intérêt. On s'ennuie ferme et les personnages, tellement clichés et bien pensants finissent par en devenir antipathiques tant leur traitement est superficiel.
Ma note
1/10
April 16, 2023
#4 in series follows Anne-Marie, eldest daughter of Jonathan Bingley, from the sudden, unexpected death of her hospital chaplin husband after fifteen months of loveless marriage. Returning to Netherfield she is determined to start a hospital for hildren there and fights great guilt and depression for ever agreeing to a match where she loved not, despite her dearest friend Eliza Harwood's assurance that love would follow marriage to such a good man. Colin Elliot, returning from India, takes over his infamous greedy father's Tory seat in Parliament, but he soon finds he cannot agree with his father's methods or policies and finds himself listening carefully to concerns for health and education for poor children despite wealthy landlords' opposition.
I liked the social awareness and info on the conflicting political parties and their aims- protect the wealthy vs. help the working class and poor- health, education, right to vote.
Must admit that I grew tired of the reiteration: seeing something occur, hearing it written in a letter and then again in a diary. Enough already.
I liked the social awareness and info on the conflicting political parties and their aims- protect the wealthy vs. help the working class and poor- health, education, right to vote.
Must admit that I grew tired of the reiteration: seeing something occur, hearing it written in a letter and then again in a diary. Enough already.
August 28, 2016
Okay, I said I wouldn't read another one from this series, but I had it reserved at the library before I had read the other disaster and yada yada, so I read it. Again, the major fault was that the characters seemed to have no flaws - all of them were whitewashed in a bland kind of floweriness that made them fairly indistinguishable from each other and quite frankly a bit boring. The unerring devotion of the main character Anne-Marie to establishing a hospital for children was just mind numbingly insipid. There was no tension. There was no real drama. There was an inevitability to Anne-Marie and Mr Elliot getting married that was just too long and drawn out and painstakingly annoying. A very pale and poor imitation of Jane Austen with too much focus on the politics of the day and not enough on the minutia of personalities and relationships that is everything in a real Jane Austen. I shall not be reading any more of Rebecca Ann Collins's tripe.
November 3, 2008
A novel which could truly be one of Ms. Collins' finest works, The Ladies of Longbourn is a treasure for any avid Jane Austen fan who adores the beloved novel, Pride and Prejudice.
As this lovely, intricate story unfolds - with an enjoyable and convincing narrative - the reader lives vicariously through thee lives of the three heroines of the time, each with their own moving saga to tell.
These ladies of Longbourn are unforgettable; the story, touching. Indeed, it can be well said - Ms. Collins weaves a masterpiece that reaches the heart.
As this lovely, intricate story unfolds - with an enjoyable and convincing narrative - the reader lives vicariously through thee lives of the three heroines of the time, each with their own moving saga to tell.
These ladies of Longbourn are unforgettable; the story, touching. Indeed, it can be well said - Ms. Collins weaves a masterpiece that reaches the heart.
July 31, 2009
Once again Ms Collins has written a most absorbing story, using the beloved characters of Darcy, Elizabeth, Jane and Bingley as bases for her own characters.
Following the characters of Anna and Anne-Marie Bingley, the Ladies of Longbourn is the fourth of ten ooks in the Pemberley series, one in which I have become deeply absorbed in.
Following the characters of Anna and Anne-Marie Bingley, the Ladies of Longbourn is the fourth of ten ooks in the Pemberley series, one in which I have become deeply absorbed in.
January 5, 2013
It's not Jane Austen. Not a bad read, but the slow pace of Austen that arises from a slower time just gets frustrating from a modern author. In Austen, it is attention to detail. These sequels just endlessly repeat description slightly reworded.
Read
February 12, 2015I enjoyed this book more than the last couple. Perhaps because I wasn't reading it back to back with the rest of the series. \n\nI was able to be more engaged with that characters without thinking of Jane Austen's originals.
February 3, 2016
For Jane Austen fans, the title ptomises more than it delivers. There is very little dialogue and characters are not so believable as JA's books. I wouldn't say it's drivel, but teeters dangerously close to it.
January 29, 2009
Moved a little quicker than the others in this series (or maybe I've just read it in bigger chunks). As a die-hard Jane Austen fan, I've really enjoyed this series.
August 3, 2011
Another solid installment from Rebecca Ann Collins. I have to admit though that the political aspect of this story began to wear on me - lol!
October 31, 2010
I love, love, loved this addition to the PC. Mr. Colin Elliot swept me off my feet that is for darn sure.
Read
February 8, 2012It's a nice story, written in Jane-Austen-ese, and there are lots more in the author's series (yay).
February 4, 2021
I have read and re-read this whole series more times than I can count, sometimes starting at the beginning again when I reach the end
October 22, 2009
Could not put it down!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews