Welcome to the first of the 2016 Bookapalooza! Yes, that's the name. I don't know if I'll actually hit 50 books, but we'll let the chips fall where they may. At the very least, you can see what's on my shelves and read a (hopefully) entertaining account of the tale. Here we go.
Title: Death Comes to Pemberley
Author: P.D. James
Published: 2011
I decided to read this after watching the mini-series of the same name. I watched the mini-series because Matthew Rhys was in it, but I actually liked it, and I wanted more background information. True to form, the book was vastly different from the show, but I still found it to be a fairly enjoyable read.
Death Comes to Pemberley is a sequel of sorts to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. P&P tells the story of Elizabeth and Darcy, their respective families, and how they eventually married despite social custom. To be perfectly honest, I've never read the whole thing. I tend not to enjoy romance novels. Of course, I also don't really like mystery novels, as I suppose this book would be classified. For the purposes of this review, I'm going to assume you have a passing familiarity with P&P.
The book begins several years after the events of P&P. Four of the Bennett daughters are now married, and Elizabeth and Darcy are the happy parents of two children. It's the day before the Lady Anne ball, and Elizabeth is anticipating the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Bingley, Henry Alveston, and Colonel Fitzwilliam (now heir to an earldom). Alveston and Fitzwilliam (which is also Darcy's first name, as well as the name of his first child; it's very confusing) have made their interest known concerning the matrimonial state of Georgiana, Darcy's sister. The calm evening comes to an abrupt ending with the unexpected arrival of Lydia Wickham, screaming that her husband and Captain Denny have been murdered. An investigation reveals the two men in the woodland, Wickham holding Denny's body and crying that he's killed his only friend. As a magistrate and brother (by marriage) to a possible murderer, Darcy knows he cannot investigate personally and so calls Sir Selwyn, a neighboring magistrate, to conduct the investigation.
Investigative techniques in the early 1800s were rather less thorough than they are today (and I'm guessing the investigations today are less thorough than television would led us to believe), and so the question of suspicion is rather short. Colonel Fitzwilliam had gone for a ride and so did not have a ready alibi, but he's a gentleman, so it's unthinkable that he would commit murder. The Bidwells, a tenant family in the woodland, consist of two women and a sickly young man, and so they are dismissed from consideration as well. The coroner believes the wounds are consistent with a murder, and as Wickham confessed in front of witnesses (though later recanted), he is the obvious choice. Darcy, though he loathes Wickham for his treatment of Georgiana, has a hard time believing the man capable of murder.
The book is divided into smaller books, spreading the action over a period of roughly six months. It gives a fascinating picture of murder investigations and the impact on society. The inquest is handled locally, with a jury of the same men as always finding that Captain Denny was probably murdered, and likely by Mr. Wickham. The trial is held in London, a social event for the middle class. The outcome could possibly be deduced, though I didn't think it was overly obvious.
I found it a somewhat difficult read at first. It's written in the style of Austen, so a lot of flowery language and overly formal dialogue. The narrator shifts in perspective from Elizabeth to Darcy and remains with Darcy for the majority of the book. It makes sense, he's a man, but I would have appreciated a little more from Elizabeth, especially toward the end.
It's not a traditional mystery, which I appreciated. It's obvious that the time period was meticulously researched, and for the most part, nestles nicely in the background. Occasionally, however, it was clear that the author found something extremely interesting and wanted it to be in the book, but couldn't figure out how to get it in naturally. I understand the impulse. I'm frequently guilty of it myself. That's probably why I noticed it more. There are also quite a few monologues. Most make sense, but especially at the end, some were out of character or just there to spew information.
Overall, I quite enjoyed the book. Readers who enjoyed P&P will find this a worthy sequel, and the author even sneaks in a reference to Emma for the eagle-eyed. I think USA Today was a bit hyperbolic when they called it "incomparably perfect," but it's a good read and worth the time to parse the language. I probably won't keep it in my collection, but I'm glad I read it.
Favorite lines:
"She had wanted him out of their lives, but not that way--dear God, not that way."a
"I take it, Belcher, that your clever scientific colleagues have not yet found a way of distinguishing one man's blood from another's?"
"People should make up their minds whether to live or to die and do one or the other with the least inconvenience to others."
Title: Death Comes to Pemberley
Author: P.D. James
Published: 2011
I decided to read this after watching the mini-series of the same name. I watched the mini-series because Matthew Rhys was in it, but I actually liked it, and I wanted more background information. True to form, the book was vastly different from the show, but I still found it to be a fairly enjoyable read.
Death Comes to Pemberley is a sequel of sorts to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. P&P tells the story of Elizabeth and Darcy, their respective families, and how they eventually married despite social custom. To be perfectly honest, I've never read the whole thing. I tend not to enjoy romance novels. Of course, I also don't really like mystery novels, as I suppose this book would be classified. For the purposes of this review, I'm going to assume you have a passing familiarity with P&P.
The book begins several years after the events of P&P. Four of the Bennett daughters are now married, and Elizabeth and Darcy are the happy parents of two children. It's the day before the Lady Anne ball, and Elizabeth is anticipating the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Bingley, Henry Alveston, and Colonel Fitzwilliam (now heir to an earldom). Alveston and Fitzwilliam (which is also Darcy's first name, as well as the name of his first child; it's very confusing) have made their interest known concerning the matrimonial state of Georgiana, Darcy's sister. The calm evening comes to an abrupt ending with the unexpected arrival of Lydia Wickham, screaming that her husband and Captain Denny have been murdered. An investigation reveals the two men in the woodland, Wickham holding Denny's body and crying that he's killed his only friend. As a magistrate and brother (by marriage) to a possible murderer, Darcy knows he cannot investigate personally and so calls Sir Selwyn, a neighboring magistrate, to conduct the investigation.
Investigative techniques in the early 1800s were rather less thorough than they are today (and I'm guessing the investigations today are less thorough than television would led us to believe), and so the question of suspicion is rather short. Colonel Fitzwilliam had gone for a ride and so did not have a ready alibi, but he's a gentleman, so it's unthinkable that he would commit murder. The Bidwells, a tenant family in the woodland, consist of two women and a sickly young man, and so they are dismissed from consideration as well. The coroner believes the wounds are consistent with a murder, and as Wickham confessed in front of witnesses (though later recanted), he is the obvious choice. Darcy, though he loathes Wickham for his treatment of Georgiana, has a hard time believing the man capable of murder.
The book is divided into smaller books, spreading the action over a period of roughly six months. It gives a fascinating picture of murder investigations and the impact on society. The inquest is handled locally, with a jury of the same men as always finding that Captain Denny was probably murdered, and likely by Mr. Wickham. The trial is held in London, a social event for the middle class. The outcome could possibly be deduced, though I didn't think it was overly obvious.
I found it a somewhat difficult read at first. It's written in the style of Austen, so a lot of flowery language and overly formal dialogue. The narrator shifts in perspective from Elizabeth to Darcy and remains with Darcy for the majority of the book. It makes sense, he's a man, but I would have appreciated a little more from Elizabeth, especially toward the end.
It's not a traditional mystery, which I appreciated. It's obvious that the time period was meticulously researched, and for the most part, nestles nicely in the background. Occasionally, however, it was clear that the author found something extremely interesting and wanted it to be in the book, but couldn't figure out how to get it in naturally. I understand the impulse. I'm frequently guilty of it myself. That's probably why I noticed it more. There are also quite a few monologues. Most make sense, but especially at the end, some were out of character or just there to spew information.
Overall, I quite enjoyed the book. Readers who enjoyed P&P will find this a worthy sequel, and the author even sneaks in a reference to Emma for the eagle-eyed. I think USA Today was a bit hyperbolic when they called it "incomparably perfect," but it's a good read and worth the time to parse the language. I probably won't keep it in my collection, but I'm glad I read it.
Favorite lines:
"She had wanted him out of their lives, but not that way--dear God, not that way."a
"I take it, Belcher, that your clever scientific colleagues have not yet found a way of distinguishing one man's blood from another's?"
"People should make up their minds whether to live or to die and do one or the other with the least inconvenience to others."
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