Customer Reviews

More Letters from Pemberley: 1814-1819: A Further Continuation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As I loved Ms. Dawkin's (pseudonym?) first sequel to P&P, I was thrilled to read this second one -- I can never get to much of Lizzy and Darcy, and the tone, spirit and language of these books does not disappoint. I wish, however, that this volume had been more carefully proofread. There are several minor (but annoying) errors, such as missing words, conflicting dates, and contradictory facts (e.g., the age of a character is given as "one year seven months," and later in the SAME LETTER, as "two years seven months." This is nit-picking, I suppose. All in all, I loved the books, and wish there would be a third.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. I thought it was better than the first installment (Letters from Pemberley). I was especially touched with the clever and subtle way that the author weaved into this novel the date of Jane Austen's death in July 1817. I recommend this book to all those people who are eternally fascinated with Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy.

I somewhat enjoyed Letters from Pemberley and thought I'd give More Letters from Pemberley a whirl as well. This is the sequel to Jane Dawkins's first continuation of Pride and Prejudice and this installment shows a series of letters from 1814 to 1819 that talk about Darcy and Lizzy's marriage. In these letters, Lizzy is more heartfelt as she talks about the different struggles she and Darcy experience with Christmas at Pemberley, family conflict, and the painful loss of a child and the gift of finally having an heir. Lizzy eloquently conveys the message that having good social connections and being the mistress of a respectable estate aren't everything in life.

I liked this installment much more than Letters from Pemberley because Dawkins deals with much more in-depth conflicts and intrigue. Lizzy speaks with quite a somber tone in most of the letters. This installment also has more of a Regency and Pride and Prejudice feel than the previous book. Jane Dawkins's growth as an author is evident here. I still don't like the fact that we only read Elizabeth's letters though. And I still would have liked to see more of Lizzy's wit in these letters, at least in the lighthearted ones. Other than that, this is a great effort. This is a novel in letter format throughout, which doesn't leave too much room for an intricate plot, hence the short review. However, you will enjoy this book and I recommend Letters from Pemberley and More Letters from Pemberley to devoted Austen/P&P fans.

This is the second book of letters from Elizabeth Darcy to her sister Jane and other family members and friends. The first covers only one year while this book covers the five following years of her marriage to Darcy and life at Pemberley. Without giving away any plot elements, this book contains real and sometimes heartbreaking events that Jane Austen would probably not have written about but which made me love Elizabeth even more for her courage and strength. I think you'll find this book like hearing from an old friend again.

The second collection of letters further defines the lives of Darcy and Elizabeth. The death of a child, previously, and the birth of a daughter; finally the birth of a son shows that having a great deal of money and connections does not prevent them from having the same heartache as ordinary folks. It is the love that they have for each other that provides them the capability of dealing with their troubles and also the many blessings they have. A very good book.

Excellent Book! Ms Dawkins was able to write the characters in such a way that made you feel like you were actually reading Jane Austen.

I enjoyed this book much more than the first one. The story picks up where the previous one left off, in 1814 and follows Elizabeth and Darcy for another 6 years. The letters are written by Elizabeth to her sister Jane, her Aunt Gardiner, and Charlotte Lucas, among others. In this story, Elizabeth has matured and grown in her roles as wife, mother and mistress of Pemberley.

The story has more drama in it, but birth and death are a part of life and, for the most part, I felt the situations created here were plausible. Darcy's accident was a bit overly dramatic, but not distracting. No one can replace Jane Austen, and no one can recreate the voice of Elizabeth Bennet. However, this is a charming book and very easy read. I think it might have been richer, if we could have read the responses to Elizabeth's letters.

My only complaint is the same one I had with the first book. Jane Dawkins thought it would be interesting to incorporate some of Austen's other characters into both novels. All have different names and I found it confusing and distracting. With some, it was obvious as who they were supposed to be, but with others is was more annoying. Again, a cute idea that fell flat.

Overall, an easy enjoyable read.

If Jane Austin were alive today, my wish would be that she write more about Darcy and Elizabeth. And still more. Written in her style, these books are entertaining as they slate my curiosity about the married life of two of my favorite fictional characters. Along with Letters from Pemberley, they fill in some history left hanging in the original novel.

The format of this book is unique and interesting. The author has taken great care to write in the style of the Regency period. The characters, for the most part were dealt with in a manner true to the original stories. A great summer afternoon read.

This was a very fast read but to anyone that loves Darcy and Elizabeth this is a must own! As in the first book, the letters are compelling and so well written that you can certainly follow what has happened through out the years -- and not wonder about possible gaps. Enjoyable from the first letter to the last!