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Monday, January 3, 2011

Review: Charlotte Collins, A continuation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

I've been following Jennifer Becton's journey as an author for a little while now on her blog Skidding in Sideways. She's worked long and hard to get this book into the world, and I finally got around to ordering my Nook version and read it over the weekend.  I read it in two sessions, which would have been one if I could make myself stay up past 2am anymore. 

Plot in one sentence (ok, maybe two or three):
After Mr. Collins' death, Charlotte finally is on her own to make her own choices and find security on her terms, however, chaperoning her sister Maria throws her into the society of some men that she doesn't know if she should trust. Should Charlotte follow her practical nature or break with tradition?

What I liked:
Everything.

No, really.  It was a great story that was masterfully done.  The plot mimics Pride and Prejudice in many ways, but also keeps the reader guessing.  The novel is edgier in many ways than what Austen would have written, but still manages to keep Austen's characteristic tone. 

What I didn't like:
Really, there wasn't anything that stood out to me.  I'm sure that if I re-read the novel, I could nit-pick and find something to complain about, but I had so much fun reading the book that my mind glossed over any of these things.  Not many novels have the ability to make time speed past like that.

If you're interested in checking out the novel (and please do, remember, Becton is doing this on her own), you can find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've always wondered what the copyright law is on using older, more classic published fiction...

You see the books all the time, but I really wonder if you can just publish something connected.

Hayley said...

I'm definitely going to check this out! I love Jane Austen (esp. P&P) and there are so many modern continuations out there. I read one last year and it didn't do it for me (the characters personalities were completely different from the ones Austen portrayed) but I'd love to try another. And love that it's about Charlotte, too!

Hayley said...

Oh, and I forgot to add... Tabs, I *think* a lot of the classics fall under public domain now, which is how books like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies are ok.

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