North by Northanger by Carrie Bebris ****
This series got off to a bit of a rocky start in my opinion, but this book and the previous one have only gotten better. In North by Northanger in particular, Ms. Bebris has really caught the bantering tone that I imagine conversations between Elizabeth and Darcy would have had after their marriage, and the back-and-forth between them over the sex and possible names for their coming first child was one of the most enjoyable parts of the book for me.
The mystery is bizarre and a bit far-fetched but not overly taxing, and mainly acts as a vehicle for bringing together several of the characters we love (and love to hate) so much from Pride & Prejudice, as well as from the other novels. (I wish that Catherine Tilney - née Morland - had made an appearance, though. I would have liked to see how she could have matured from the slightly silly, though good-natured, "heroine" of Northanger Abbey.) There is also some character development, and it's good to see Elizabeth, who at the beginning of the novel feels overshadowed by the memory of Darcy's mother, gain confidence and become truly the mistress of Pemberley, which certainly would have been a daunting task for her, given her modest upbringing. Darcy, too, must still learn some lessons about humility, particularly in his overprotective attitude over Elizabeth's pregnancy. This is made more understandable, however, by the fuller picture that we gain of his childhood, his mother's personality and the relationship between his parents, mainly through letters that Elizabeth must pore over to discover what has become of a precious heirloom.
This series got off to a bit of a rocky start in my opinion, but this book and the previous one have only gotten better. In North by Northanger in particular, Ms. Bebris has really caught the bantering tone that I imagine conversations between Elizabeth and Darcy would have had after their marriage, and the back-and-forth between them over the sex and possible names for their coming first child was one of the most enjoyable parts of the book for me.
The mystery is bizarre and a bit far-fetched but not overly taxing, and mainly acts as a vehicle for bringing together several of the characters we love (and love to hate) so much from Pride & Prejudice, as well as from the other novels. (I wish that Catherine Tilney - née Morland - had made an appearance, though. I would have liked to see how she could have matured from the slightly silly, though good-natured, "heroine" of Northanger Abbey.) There is also some character development, and it's good to see Elizabeth, who at the beginning of the novel feels overshadowed by the memory of Darcy's mother, gain confidence and become truly the mistress of Pemberley, which certainly would have been a daunting task for her, given her modest upbringing. Darcy, too, must still learn some lessons about humility, particularly in his overprotective attitude over Elizabeth's pregnancy. This is made more understandable, however, by the fuller picture that we gain of his childhood, his mother's personality and the relationship between his parents, mainly through letters that Elizabeth must pore over to discover what has become of a precious heirloom.
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