The Heiress

Not being a fan of Pride and Prejudice - shock horror! - my limited knowledge of Anne de Bourgh, Lady Catherine's sickly daughter and Darcy's cousin, comes from Rosamund Stephen's silent, bespectacled portrayal in the 2005 film adaptation. I'm not really sure why I wanted to read this continuation about Anne's life after Darcy and Lizzie's meeting at Rosings, but I'm glad I did!

And because I was ill, nothing ever changed in my life from year to year, and so I had nothing to talk about.

I really enjoyed Anne's narration in Molly Greeley's sequel. First person narration can sound clumsy and unnatural when forced on a bland character but Anne's voice is wonderfully lyrical and thoughtful:

My breast filled with affection for the ivy: its show more rustling three-pronged leaves, its apparent stillness and inexorable creep. And at the same time, I was sometimes punched by sympathy for the tree, for, just as inexorably, it was being smothered.

The author doesn't try to ape Austen, which I appreciated, and creates instead almost her own world inhabited by characters with familiar names.

I also loved the back story explaining Anne's delicate health in Pride and Prejudice - dosed on laudanum since she was a colicky baby, Anne is an addict by the time we meet her at Rosings, and her mother Lady Catherine almost guilty of Munchausen's by proxy! Shocking but also believable and more dramatic than a mere nervous complaint or leaving her as a frail, fainting maiden. Her path to recovery is also well done, and I loved the emphasis on Anne's inheritance of Rosings and the way the house gives her strength.

The romantic subplot also felt natural to me, if a little reminiscent of Mrs Everything by Jennifer Weiner. Turning Anne into Gentleman Jack might appal some Austenites - like the reviewer who announced that she deleted her copy after a kiss! - but I feel there is too much heteronormativity in Austen sequels and welcome a different view.

The middle section of the book in London could have been shortened - whole years fly by in a chapter and then interminable drawing room scenes drag on forever - and there a few anachronisms and Americanisms but overall this was a delightful sequel! show less

In "The Heiress," Molly Greeley focuses on Anne de Bourgh, a minor character in Jane Austen's Regency-era classic, "Pride and Prejudice." Anne's mother, Lady Catherine, had long ago betrothed her daughter—who will someday inherit Rosings Park in Kent, her family's lavish estate—to Anne's cousin, Fitzwilliam Darcy. Unfortunately, when Anne was an infant, she cried loudly and incessantly, and following the instructions of the local doctor, her nursemaid dosed the baby with laudanum (tincture of opium) to quiet her. Anne became an addict who had hallucinations, strange dreams, and little appetite. She grew up in a bubble, with no friends and limited knowledge of the world. Anne, who narrates, says mournfully "I had been dormant as a show more winter tree, waiting for a spring that never came."

The author beautifully depicts Anne and the people who influence her, for good or ill. Aside from Lady Catherine, there are John, Anne's goodhearted cousin; his wife, Harriet, who is initially put off by Anne's strange demeanor; Mr. Watters, Harriet's brother, a potential suitor; and Eliza Amherst, a young woman who opens Anne's eyes and mind to a host of unconventional thoughts and feelings. Greeley's writing is poetic and occasionally sublime (Anne describes her younger self as "ill-defined as the edges of a ghost"). When she comes into her own, Anne is overwhelmed by unfamiliar ideas and emotions. What choices will she make in the future? Will she abide by or reject society's expectations of her?

Greeley captures the wonders of nature, from tiny insects to chittering birds and towering oak trees. For Anne, Rosings Park is both a blessing and a curse. Because she will eventually own this splendid property, she is beholden to no one. However, Anne and her dictatorial mother clash when Lady Catherine balks at the prospect of surrendering her authority. "The Heiress" is a rich and fascinating tale in which Greeley uses Jane Austen's work as a starting-off point, and then makes it her own. This is not a light comedy of manners with serious undertones. Instead, it is a poignant psychological study of a caged bird attempting to escape her confines, and of those who support her determination to chart her own destiny. show less

Anne de Bourgh was the woman Mr. Darcy was promised to when he elected to wed Elizabeth Bennet instead and this novel is her story. Anne is the heiress to a wealthy estate only slightly less impressive than Pemberley and the only daughter of the overbearing Lady Catherine. Considered a sickly child, Anne lives for years in an opium-induced haze until she decides to take her fate into her own hands. I loved this story of a woman discovering who she is and making her own path and finding her own happiness, especially with a romance unconventional for the era. I enjoyed the references to well-known Pride and Prejudice characters, but this novel is very much its own tale and asserts its independence from that classic story, just like its show more heroine. show less

The author’s debut The Clergyman’s Wife was a profoundly beautiful book that made me sob for almost half of it, so I was very much anticipating this sophomore novel of hers. And as someone who loves any books set in the extended Pride and Prejudice universe, I was very excited to know the story of Anne de Bourgh.

The writing style in this book felt very familiar because I hadn’t forgotten my experience of the previous one. It was beautiful and evocative, the descriptions of Rosings Park and the nature surrounding it as well as a newcomer’s experience of London very lush. The author also makes us really feel the depth of emotions that the characters feel and that’s why I again found it very easy to get lost within the words of show more this book. This is also definitely a character focused slice of life kinda story, so there wasn’t much plot, and it probably wouldn’t satisfy someone looking for a fast paced story, but I nevertheless really enjoyed following along.

Anne is a really sympathetic character, not only because she is never given the opportunity to overcome her childhood sickness and grow up, she is also very intimidated into submission by her strong willed mother. But due to the influence of other women who come into her life unexpectedly, she decides to finally take her life into her own hands and I loved her slow transformation. She really comes into her own, understands her desires better, and ultimately makes resolute decisions despite any criticisms. I was pleasantly surprised by some of the turn of events, but I thought the author did a wonderful job making us believe that Anne was capable of carving out a successful independent identity for herself and be a worthy mistress of her estate.

The side characters don’t always get enough page time but many of them like Miss Hall, Miss Amherst, Harriet and cousin John play significant roles in Anne’s character development and I came to like each of them for their varied influences. Lady Catherine was as always a force of nature who I don’t think can be liked much, but I could empathize with her towards the end because she seemed genuine in her affection even if not in her manners.

In the end, this was a very quiet, emotional and interesting look into the life of Anne, who is always on the periphery when we read Austen’s P&P. This is a quiet sort of story that grips you right away and slowly sucks you in. I would definitely recommend this to any readers who love reading spin-offs of Austen’s works because this is a worthy addition to the world. And I can’t wait to see if the author writes more in this universe. show less

I don't read a lot of [Pride and Prejudice] retellings or spin offs, but this novel was recommended by a friend and then I saw I signed copied in an independent bookstore that I visited while on vacation in Traverse City, MI. [[Molly Greeley]] lives there and so I felt I had to pick it up.

As this genre goes, this was really good. The crux of her story is that Anne de Bourgh was given laudanum as a baby and continued to have it administered as "medicine" into her teens. A governess finally awakens her to the fact that her illness is caused by her medicine instead of helped by it. The rest of the book follows what happens when her mind clears and she becomes part of the world.

I think this book works because it doesn't take much from show more Austen except Anne de Bourgh and her mother. Darcy and Elizabeth make appearances and are part of the story, but they aren't developed characters, so the reader is allowed to keep their own picture of those much-loved characters in their head. Most of the people Anne ends up interacting with are the author's own invention.

Some of the writing is a bit overdone and things work out a bit too neatly, but all in all this was enjoyable. show less

One of the most dismissed characters, besides Mary Bennett, from Pride and Prejudice is poor, sickly Anne de Bourgh. The Heiress attempts to flesh out this oft overlooked character and tell her story. I have to admit I never gave her much notice either when reading Pride and Prejudice or watching the several depictions of Anne de Bourgh from the film adaptations. I certainly never pondered that her troubles may have been due to the amount of laudanum she had been prescribed.

Although I did not enjoy the book quite as much as an original Jane Austen. I thought this author, Greeley, wrote a compelling story and created a likable Anne de Bourgh. I truly was rooting for her. If you've never read Pride and Prejudice at all, you could still show more read this novel without any issues, as it does not rely on knowing Pride and Prejudice very much at all. It stands on its own merit. show less

Anne was a fussy baby and, at a doctor's recommendation, her mother began administering laudanum to soothe and quiet her. Now, after more than two decades of having been assured her "medicine" was necessary due to her weak constitution, the heiress determines to get out from under her mother's authority and the fog of opium and flees secretly to London to say with her cousin, where she endures chemical withdrawal but also begins to exercise control over her own life and her future.

When I picked this up I was unaware of (or had forgotten) Anne de Bourgh's presence as a character in Pride and Prejudice, so I was a few chapters in before I began to sense a familiarity with that other famous novel. I'm a fan of spinoff stories that focus on show more well-known novels' minor characters, and I indeed enjoyed this one, without regard to its connection to P&P. Recommended for readers of historical fiction seeking strong women and unique plot elements. show less