I had not forgotten, but Miss Elizabeth Bennet is a creature I scarcely know any longer. How very far away she seems! How little she knew of life, all the while congratulating herself on her clever perception and insight into the world and its ways!
(from More Letters From Pemberley, page 241)
More Letters From Pemberley is the follow up to Letters From Pemberley, a Pride and Prejudice sequel comprised of letters from Elizabeth Darcy to her sister Jane Bingley during her first year of marriage in 1813. This time around, the letters span the years 1814 to 1819, and their recipients include Jane Bingley, Aunt Gardiner, various new friends (who are very similar to characters from other Jane Austen novels), and even Mr. Darcy himself.
Jane Dawkins does a great job telling a story through letters, showing all the work it takes to run an estate the size of Pemberley, giving readers a glimpse of Elizabeth and Darcy as proud parents, and portraying the arguments and tragedies that accompany an otherwise happy marriage. When tragedy struck, I was as heartbroken as Elizabeth, and I even questioned whether the book could have a happy ending, but thankfully, it wasn’t a complete downer.
There is more of a plot to this novel compared to its predecessor, and I was glad that the letters were written to other characters, rather than just Jane. While it was a pleasant reading experience, I enjoyed the first book more, maybe because this one felt like more of the same, but without the charm and the lightness of those carefree newlywed days. I wonder if including some letters to Elizabeth from some of the other characters would have broken up the monotony a bit?
Still, I would recommend More Letters From Pemberley to lovers of Austen-inspired novels, simply because the Darcys face trials and heartache. Of course, I’d like to think they live happily ever after, but I’ve grown tired of sequels that portray a marriage that is nothing but sunshine and roses. Dawkins shows that tragedy touches many people; the Darcys are not immune, no matter how much they love each other, and Elizabeth’s reaction was so honest and real. After turning the last page, it even made me miss writing letters and anticipating their arrival in the post. What a shame that letter writing will soon be a lost art!
Disclosure: I borrowed More Letters From Pemberley from the public library.
© 2012 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
Writing or receiving letters is a pleasure! And reading these Pemberley epistolary books sounds like a pleasure as well. I’ve enjoyed both of your reviews, Anna.
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Thanks, Suko!
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Oh no what happens…he does not cheat does he?
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My lips are sealed…but do not fear!
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This sounds like another good read.
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I enjoyed it well enough.
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You have Austen fever! Maybe you needed a break from this format.
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I don’t think I needed a break, I just think there really didn’t need to be a sequel. Still, I did enjoy it overall.
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I miss letter writing too! I think an author who can write a whole book through letters is pretty talented. It’s not easy to do.
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And writing from just one POV must make it even harder!
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These are going on my TBR list. Thanks for reviewing them. I love letters.
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My pleasure! Hope you enjoy them!
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More Letters From Pemberley sounds cute, as does the first one.
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Yes, I think you’d enjoy them!
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There really is nothing like receiving a personal letter in the mail. I do love to read books written in letters. I may have to pick up the first one of these.
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I hope you get a chance to read it. It was a nice way to spend a couple of hours.
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Another one to add to my list! I love a more realistic portrayal of marriage too!
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I enjoy a little realism with my light reading, LOL
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You have me curious as to what kind of tragedy befalls the Darcys (though I may have an inkling). While I like everything to be HEA, I do like real portrayals of married life. I think it makes the characters appear realer. Thanks for another great review, Anna!
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It seems like lately I’ve found books like these that go heavy on the tragedy or books where they don’t butt heads at all. LOL
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