He could see from Emma’s face that she was a little taken aback by his harsh words. He did not repent them, however. She had been wrong before and suffered humiliation; if he could keep her from doing the same again, he would.
(from Charity Envieth Not, page 149)
Charity Envieth Not is the first of two novels by Barbara Cornthwaite about George Knightley, the hero of Jane Austen’s Emma. It’s a delightful retelling of Emma through Mr. Knightley’s eyes, from the start of Emma’s matchmaking schemes through Emma and Frank Churchill’s plans for a ball in Highbury.
Unlike some of the other Austen heroes, it’s obvious from the start that Mr. Knightley is among the best of men. He is intelligent and generous, has impeccable manners, and is always honest. In letters to his brother, John, Cornthwaite shows off Knightley’s humorous and playful side. However, Mr. Knightley’s one flaw is his tendency to find fault with Emma Woodhouse, the sister of his brother’s wife and a young woman he has watched grow up. He has 16 years more worldly experience than Emma, and he is more than willing to pass his wisdom onto her.
It’s true that Emma needs someone to guide her toward right behavior, especially since everyone else in Highbury goes overboard in flattering her — especially the vicar, Mr. Elton, whom Emma has chosen for her dimwitted friend, Harriet Smith. When Mr. Knightley realizes exactly how he feels about Emma, it’s quite possible that his admonishments may have pushed her into the arms of Frank Churchill, whose air of mystery and playful charm seem to have bewitched her. Mr. Knightley, however, sees nothing but flaws, particularly Churchill’s inability to defy his overbearing aunt and pay his respects to his new stepmother, Emma’s former governess.
In Charity Envieth Not, Cornthwaite gives readers a look into Mr. Knightley’s thoughts, showing his reasons for sometimes being harsh with Emma and for disliking Frank Churchill, the evolution of his feelings for Emma, and all the anxieties of a bachelor in his late 30s who finally understands his heart but is powerless to act. She also gives readers a glimpse into his everyday responsibilities as master of Donwell Abbey, a landlord, and a magistrate, from caring for the needs of his tenants to hearing accusations of petty crimes and dealing out punishments.
I loved Cornthwaite’s Mr. Knightley, and given that she incorporates Austen’s actual dialogue at times, I had to keep reminding myself that this Mr. Knightley isn’t Austen’s brainchild. From the story behind his dislike of dancing to his adopting his niece’s cat, Madam Duval, to his tortured heart upon the arrival of Frank Churchill, Cornthwaite made me fall in love with Mr. Knightley all over again. I also like how Cornthwaite fleshes out certain secondary characters, like Mr. Elton, in the scenes in which only the gentlemen are present. She also introduces some interesting new characters, like Mr. Spencer, Donwell’s new curate who, along with Madam Duval, becomes Knightley’s confidante.
Charity Enviety Not made me wish Emma was more popular among the authors of Austen-inspired fiction. I loved seeing one of my favorite novels from the hero’s point of view, and this retelling is richer and more enjoyable than the diary versions of the heroes’ stories. You’re going to want to have book two, Lend Me Leave, on hand when you start this one — even if you’ve already read Emma — because you’re not going to want to wait to find out what happens next.
Disclosure: Charity Envieth Not is from my personal library.
© 2013 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
Awwww lovely 😀 I wanna fall in love with him again too
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Then you definitely need to read these!
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That title is quite a mouthful! I’m glad to see you enjoyed the book so much!
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Yes it is, but there’s a reason for the title so it’s all good. 😉
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Mr. Knightley is one of my favorite male characters of the Austen books. I can see why you loved this book so much. It’s the story of Emma from his POV, something that would perk my interest too.
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I spent much of Emma wondering what he was thinking, so that made these books perfect for me.
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I LOVE Barbara Cornthwaite’s work. Tell you what, Barbara writes circles around the rest of us. Is it because she lives in rural Ireland and captures the cadence and swing of English? 🙂
Thank you for calling attention to her gentle, absolutely lovely George Knightley, Gentleman. These are the sort of books you read again and again just for the joy of it.
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Yes! I can totally see myself reading them again and again.
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I second Laura Hile’s sentiments. I have also read and thoroughly enjoyed Barbara’s work.
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These books were such a pleasant surprise! They’re probably my favorite Austen-inspired novels so far.
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Sounds like the perfect series of books for you! Glad you enjoyed it. I might be interested in reading this if I read Emma again.
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Well you don’t have to re-read Emma first to enjoy them. You can borrow them whenever you’d like.
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I should re-read Emma, because I have a bad view of that book from the movie version with Gwenyth Paltrow. I can’t stand her, hence that I don’t like Emma as much. Crazy I know.
Always liked Knightly so I’ll be sure to add this to my list!
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I like that movie version, not for Paltrow but because Jeremy Northam IS Knightley. Hope you get a chance to read these.
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Thanks so much for the kind review! I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
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I meant that last comment to be made using my writing blog account! 🙂
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You’re very welcome! I hope someday you’ll revisit your Knightley and Emma. 🙂
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Barbara’s writing is some of the best in the Austen-based world. I love it and recommend it without qualification.
Write more soon, Barbara!
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Yes, I second that!
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This book sounds wonderful! I admit that I’m a bit of a ‘stuck-in-the-mud’ traditionalist and not a fan of many of the books inspired by Jane Austen’s terrific novels. {sorry, Anna :o) } But this is book I really interests me. I adore Emma, the book and the character, too, but I always felt Emma needed someone more in her life who didn’t flatter her but, instead, told her the truth. Plus, Mr. Knightley is a terrific character. I think I almost swooned when I read in your review that he adopts his neice’s cat! lol
It sounds like Barbara Cornthwaite has written a great ‘follow-up’ to Emma as well as a terrific stand alone book. I’m really looking forward to getting to know Mr. Knightley again and even better than in “Emma”!
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Well, if you’re every going to like an Austen-inspired novel, it’d probably be this one!
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I’m with you about wanting more re-tellings of Emma. I adore that one and this one sounds wonderful. I’m headed over to Amazon to check it out!
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I think I only have 3 more Emma-inspired books on my shelf, and that makes me sad!
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So glad to see you loved this one, Anna! I think Barbara did such a magnificent job with Mr. Knightley for all the reasons you stated in your review! I hope she decides to take on another Austen hero soon!
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Ack! Sorry I didn’t realize my name wasn’t in the comment!
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That would be wonderful! I really loved her writing.
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[…] « Review: Charity Envieth Not (George Knightley, Esquire #1) by Barbara Cornthwaite […]
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Emma is the one Austen book I don’t love. I’m glad you enjoyed it though!
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I can see how it would be difficult for some readers to love. I’m surprised I loved it so much, given that Emma is hard to take sometimes.
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I didn’t fall in love with Emma or Mr. Knightley, but this retelling could change my mind, right?
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Oh, yes! 😉
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