Customer Reviews

Miss de Bourgh's Adventure: A sequel to Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In comparison to the other reviewer, I am NOT a friend of the author's ;) That said, I enjoyed this sequel very much.

This is a short book, but worth reading. The plot is Austenesque without going overboard with melodrama. The characters (who are not my favorites from the original) are still true to JA, but Ms. Delman does a good job of giving them personalities and/strengthening the personalities we'd read about before.

What would happen to a rich, sheltered lady with a domineering mother? Anne's adventure (the choice she makes especially) makes sense, plot-wise.

What I liked the most is the writing style. There's that lightly biting, arch wit that I love about JA which I don't think I've read elsewhere. Pamela Aidan is close (though her prose can be too flowery), but Joan Ellen Delman is wittier.

This is almost like reading an undiscovered novella by Austen herself! I enjoyed reading it even more the second time than the first. I must disclose that I'm a good friend of the author Joan Ellen Delman. BUT I'm also a writer and not easy to please when it comes to things literary. Joan Ellen beautifully captures not only Austen's prose style (which is quite hard to do) but also her manner of wit--especially in the characters of Lady Catherine de Bourgh and the unctuous Mr. Collins, who here deliver themselves of all manner of comically exasperating pronouncements with just the ring of the originals. As for the story, the very idea of the rather wan Miss de Bourgh coming alive in an exciting romance is a plot in itself. It's entertaining to find out what kind of romantic heroine Anne de Bourgh would be if, as Lady Catherine might have said, she'd ever had the opportunity to become one. Now she has, blossoming into a heroine tenderhearted but ultimately with a bit of her mother's indomitable spirit as well. If you're a devoted follower of Jane Austen, don't miss this delightful read!

This novella makes for an enjoyable evening's reading.

The familiar Pride and Prejudice characters are given fine treatment here. Lady Catherine is as opinionated as ever, and it's always delightful when she doesn't have her way. Mr. Collins offers a few "little delicate compliments" as well as an impromptu sermon here and there which I found very amusing. Mrs. Collins shows a depth of wisdom which enriches her character and does not disappoint.

The unlikely heroine Miss Anne de Bourgh is charming and endearing.

Throughout the book, Joan Ellen Delman's writing brought a smile to my face with the turn of a phrase, and her general cleverness and wit.

I would have to respectfully disagree with another reviewer regarding the cover. I think it's unique and beautiful, and the physical quality of the book was up to commercial standards.

Although this can hardly be called a novel because of it's brevity, it is a well written 108 pages, giving Anne de Bourgh a terrific altenative to the dull life one expects she will endure with Lady Catherine after Pride and Prejudice. It is certainly a quick read and might have been more satisfying had it been bound with a few other short stories. Still the themes and characters are endearing. A satisfying read for fans of "Jane Austen" sequels; definite closure for poor cousin Anne. Again, the cost per page is expensive in comparison to other sequels but you will not feel cheated as you might with others that are not as well written or those that take the characters down very unrealistic adventures.

I love this perspective of Anne de Bourg. All the other
sequels I've read has Anne as a wimpy character. This is
a nice change. It is a quick read, and well worth it.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Short novel but good read, especially if you wish to add to your collection the various novels that have been written on the characters originally penned by Jane Austen as well as new characters always being introduced by the many authors that write the "What If's" to Pride & Prejudice. I enjoyed this book. Had an interesting storyline.

Before you decide to purchase this, you might take a look at (...) and make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. The book, while entertaining and written in the Jane Austen style, has the look of a self-published book (or print on demand--take your pick). I wish I paid more attention to the picture of the cover. (The byline is a dead giveaway. How many books have "By So-and-so" on the cover?) I wouldn't have spent the nearly(...) for the book and I certainly wouldn't have paid as much as I did to have it shipped. I blame myself for this oversight. But consider yourself warned.
I have to give the author kudos for having the guts to write a story with a heroine like Anne de Bourgh. She makes a poignant heroine. As a reader, you can't help sympathizing with her. But her adventure is a short one. Some reviews covered that. But I was stunned that not a single review mentioned the packaging aspect. Yes, I know the old saying: you can't judge a book by its cover. Oh yes you can, especially if your dollars are hard earned.

So nice that Anne finally developed a character and was able to develop into a lovely woman....despite her mother....

A well written story that gives Miss DeBourgh a chance to show her stuff--fun and entertaining--