The Third Sister [Mass Market Paperback]

Julia Barrett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1998

A novel that continues what Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility" began. In "The Third Sister", Julia Barrett faithfully evokes Jane Austen's style, characters and ambience to tell just what happens when the youngest Miss Dashwood meets two eligible suitors: the kind and earnest George Osborne and the very dashing and overly bold Lt. William du Plessy. Which man will she choose? Which man will she love? The gentleman or the scoundrel? Online promo (http: //www.romance.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Only a writer with considerable skill and a fair amount of confidence would dare a sequel to Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, especially given the renewed interest in her work, not to mention her status as a classic author. But Julia Barrett, whose Presumption was a sequel to Pride and Prejudice, has produced a novel that pays homage to Austen by following her style while not mimicking it. Her heroines are smart and well-mannered (including cameos by some of Austen's originals), the pace is quick yet controlled, and the story lines, while echoing Austen's style and tête-à-têtes between characters, are innovative. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

"He has an innate propriety and simplicity of taste, which in general direct him perfectly right," remarks Elinor Dashwood of her suitor, Edward Ferrars, in Sense and Sensibility. Would that the same could be said of this work, an ambitious but maladroit "continuation" of Austen's masterpiece by Barrett (the joint pseudonym of Julia Braun Kessler and Gabrielle Donnelley), who previously brought us Presumption, a sequel to Pride and Prejudice. While Barrett mimics her model's vocabulary and cadence competently and re-creates characters and setting with generally scrupulous attention to detail, she invariably misses the mark in terms of tone and characterization. The expert combination of satire and suds that makes Austen so irresistible is here replaced by a plot that whiffs of a Harlequin period romance, and the heroine, 17-year-old Margaret Dashwood, younger sister of Elinor and Marianne, is simpering and self-absorbed. Opening three years after the close of Sense and Sensibility, the narrative finds Margaret living with her mother at Barton cottage and serving as a part-time nanny to her neighbor Lady Middleton's bratty children. This tedious existence is enlivened by the appearance of one William de Plessy, a dashing half-French army lieutenant. Margaret has been so emotionally scarred by her older sister's traumatic courtships that she flees du Plessy's attentions into the unscrupulous arms of George Osborne, a distant relative who turns out to be both a cad and a con man. The poorly paced plot may be enhanced on the movie screen, but Austen devotees will demand more on the printed page. Film rights to Viacom.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 297 pages
• Publisher: Mira; Reprint edition (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551664461
• ISBN-13: 978-1551664460
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,352,452 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost Austen, July 25, 2000

By 

TaraJacobs "vintage_girl" - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Third Sister (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a fun read for Austen fans who are drawn to the mood and social nuance of Austen's work. 'The Third Sister' is the continuation of 'Sense and Sensibility.' We get glimpses into how Eleanor and Marriane are doing in their new lives and marriages, but the true focus of the story is Margaret Dashwood, the youngest sister, who has now grown into a beautiful young woman. Margaret, it seems, took Marianne's traumatic lessons in love much more to heart than any of the others. She's girded herself against flirtacious rogues like Willoughby, and is prepared to resist their wiles staunchly. 'The Third Sister' is the tale of Margaret's coming of age, her adventures in romance, and her mastery of both sense and sensiblity.

This book is well-written in faux-Austenesque prose, and the story is engaging. But, it's a case of so close, and yet so far for me. I found it difficult to overlook the repeated un-Austen-like moments, which kept grounding me in the counterfeit nature of the work. Plus, the story itself, while very like an Austen tale in so many ways, wasn't nearly as gripping, or tension-filled, as Austen's own novels.

Margaret's character, and that of Lady Clara, was well-developed. But her romantic interests were not given the same amount of attention and motivation, which left their relationships with Margaret rather pale and unsubstantial.

So, I recommend this book to Austen fanatics for the little bit of escapism it provides--for those moments when I was able to forget that this book wasn't written by Austen. But, be prepared for those moments to be repeatedly burst by the frequent flaws that continue to announce it an imitation.

36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved 3rd Sister!, February 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Third Sister (Mass Market Paperback)

While remaining faithful to Jane Austen's rather predictable plot structure, moral tone and including all the previously spotlighted characters, Julia Barrett's sequel to SENSE AND SENSIBILITY still manages to sparkle with wit, irony, charm and originality. Barrett quickly establishes a tongue-in-cheek light touch in the opening chapter by noting the sheer imprudence of poor Margaret being born third in the family - and a girl yet - spurned even by Austen herself. This quickly involves the reader as being "in" on the hypocrisies of the day. What a great beginning. Luckily, our heroine, Margaret Dashwood, is rescued by none other than Barrett from being fated to remain mere postscript to the story. The author, indeed, has bigger plans for the heroine than the Muse herself. Ms. Barrett spirits Dashwood from a prosaic country existence, whisks Margaret away to the elegant, sophisticated refinement of Brighton, complete with its fashionable balls, high society, and intrigues.

Barrett's heroine, the lovely Margaret Dashwood, is drawn with a sense of adventure, a philosophical, independent and creative turn of mind. She is romantic yet clear-thinking, compassionate, yet not a patsy. And, besides, even if she gets into a real bind, there is always her devoted older friend, Lady Clara, to run interference in matters of the heart. Margaret's declaration of liberation from the sexism of the day to the arrogant chauvinist-cum-artist, Stevenson, resonates with our contemporary sensibilities while making perfect sense in Austen's world.

Dashwood's longing for love and self-identity, fully aware of her lack of social connections, also reflects Austen's themes of the importance of class and status. Her sensitively developed attraction to William du Plessy, a hero worthy of her affections, (though she holds out as long as possible), satisfied my own longing for a believable and winning romance. The exquisite contrast between our two virtuous sweethearts, and the scoundrels, Osborne, and Ferrars, and the appropriate, if predictable ends they all meet does not detract a bit from the enjoyment of the fascinating complications which arise along the way.

I also loved the way the Barrett skillfully wove in the fashions of the day, the attitudes toward the Church, country vs. city life, and the influence of French culture, embodied with such irony by that great caricature and francophile snob, the fair Lady Ferrars. These cultural tidbits enriched my appreciation and understanding of certain segments of 19th century British society.

I couldn't help but admire Barrett's ability to assume Austen's style-cadence, rhythm, diction and syntax-in such a natural and witty manner. For example, she notes that that Margaret's rather dense mother, found herself "admiring impudence as directness, audacity as wit, impropriety as imagination." And toward the end, when the author herself, entreated me as a reader to directly share in the amusement she, herself, was experiencing, thereby breaking the distance between the writer and the reader, well, I found it to be irresistible. The fun and delight of this journey made the reading such a luxurious entertainment. And after the tawdry business of today's news, what a pleasurable escape into a world where character and true love win out over all obstacles. Sound conventional? Not at all. Ms. Barrett's characters are full of vitality, impudence, sarcasm, wit and humor. For those of us who enjoyed Jane Austen's novels, this continuation of the lives of the Dashwood family is a welcome addition. A visually and emotionally compelling tale, THE THIRD SISTER deserves to be read and then to join its predecessors on the big screen.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Just awful, December 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Third Sister (Mass Market Paperback)

If you're looking for a good Austen continuation, read Jane Fairfax by Joan Aiken or Sandition by Another Lady. This one is one of the most poorly-written books I've ever read. Ms. Barrett is so caught up in using Austen-ish language and in staying true to the Austen "formula" that she forgets to include a comprehensible plot. We follow Margaret Dashwood as she meets two young men, we are expected to surmise that she has fallen in love with one (for no articulated reason except that this is the way all of Austen's stories proceed), whom she apparently dismisses in a scene that was so poorly described in the book that I couln't remember it happening at all, then she inexplicably accepts the proposal of the other without any thought, only to find that he is some vague sort of villian. Then, and worst of all, Ms. Barrett takes a time out to reassure the reader that, despite the fact that the book is nearly over, Margaret will find her way to the correct gentleman. This isn't a poor imitation of Jane Austen, this is a poor book, period. Don't waste your money.