Letters from Pemberley: The First Year

Light, fluffy read. I actually enjoyed this more than E. Aston's Mr. Darcy's Daughters. The addition of Austen's characters from other books was interesting, although I confess I couldn't figure out who a few of them were.

I usually steer clear of Austen sequels since I often find they distort the characters in a way that is unforgivable. However, this was a tolerable pastiche of Austen's work. Focusing on the first few months after Elizabeth's arrival at Pemberley, the novel follows her letters to Jane, describing how she is settling into her new role as Mrs Darcy.
Not only does Dawkins draw on the characters from Pride and Prejudice, she also uses characters from other Austen novels, disguising their names (e.g Mr Knightey as Mr Dayley). I have to confess I found some of this a little contrived. Imagine Mr Darcy being an intimate friend of Mr Eliot and Kitty Bennet being best friends with Anne? Some of the character placing in my opinion therefore show more didn't quite hit the mark.
However, on the whole the novel was entertaining and didn't do anything too horrendous with the P & P characters. Dawkins style is not Austen's and I feel like often the tone of Lizzy Bennet was overly serious, yet a nice easy read for Austen fans. show less

One of the best Pride and Prejucice continuations that I have read, and I have read quite a few continuation books. Did this is one sitting. Loved it.

I've owned this book for nearly two years and have just now pulled it off the shelf and actually read it. I really did like it; it was quite enjoyable, and better-written than the other Austen sequels I've tried (which, granted, wasn't many). The author injects just about every character from the six major Austen novels, as neighbors or friends of the Darcys, but under different (also Austen-related) names, which makes this not only an oh-goody-more-about-Elizabeth-and-Mr.-Darcy sigh-fest, it's also basically one long set of clever puzzles, figuring out who's whom.

I couldn’t help but wish Letters From Pemberley allowed me to be privy to Jane Bingley’s, nee Bennet, letters to Elizabeth rather than just Elizabeth to Jane. Throughout the novel, Elizabeth responses to her sister’s letters but often times, I had wished that I could see exactly what Elizabeth was responding to.
The letters, I have to say, are well written and true to the novel. But somethings missing. Overall, they lack the excitement of Austen’s original. Definitely, they are not as exciting as some other sequels out there.

I would have to say that this is your “safe sequel.” If you’re looking for one where the Darcys, uh, other excursions are not splashed about the pages, than this is the one for you.

Set in the year 1813, takes the form of letters from Mrs Darcy (the former Elizabeth Bennet) at her husband's ancestral home, to her sister Jane. Catches the style and manner of its illustrious original so well that there is scarcely anything to remind the reader that it was not written almost 200 years ago.

Just OK. My first Austen sequel, and perhaps my last. Hated the distracting obfuscation of characters from other Austen novels. I am all ears if someone actually knows of a good sequel to any Austen book. Although no one compares to Jane . . .