Kell
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I totally voted for it - it's been on my TBR pile for a while and I nominated it. I was well chuffed when it won the poll.
I'll answer a few more of the questions just now and see if it entices anyone else to join in:
6) Did you read Pride and Prejudice prior to reading Longbourn? How do you think your prior knowledge (or lack thereof) affected your enjoyment and understanding of the events in Longbourn?
I have read P&P a couple of times and I think that it did help to have a little prior knowledge of the original novel, but at the same time, because each chapter started with a little hint at what was going on in the original novel at that particular time, and because P&P is a particularly well known story, it was made very easy to follow, even for people who came to this "virgin", as it were. I don't think it affected my enjoyment though - I liked it as a separate entity, AND as a companion piece.
7) What do you think of having specific days for specific household chores (e.g. laundry on a Monday, etc)? How well do you think that would contribute to efficient running of the household? And in a modern household?
I LOVE the idea of specific days for specific chores. In fact, I found a website (called FlyLady) that helps people get their housework organised so they can do it quickly and efficiently, and advocates concentrating on one area of the home per week, which is kind of similar. Personally, I long for a simpler lifestyle and I think I wold feel completely at home in a world without so many modern conveniences (I think I mentioned the same when we read The Little House in the Big Woods a while back). Hubby often comments I was born out of my time - LOL! Even in a modern household, I think many of us can benefit from an old fashioned set routine.
8) How do you feel about the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, given what we learn about Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Hill (the cook)? Does this change how you felt about Mr. Bennet prior to reading Longbourn?
It made me feel a little sorry for a man who is obviously disappointed in his marriage and would perhaps have married someone else given half a chance. I also felt terribly sad for him that he couldn't know his son while he was growing up, especially given the importance of sons in that time when it came to entailed inheritances.
9) How do you feel about Sarah's changing affections? What do you think attracted her to Ptolomy? Why do you think her affections are so easily rerouted to James?
I think many young women are attracted to exotic people, and in a time and place where every day is the same and you only ever see the same few people over and over again, seeing someone so different, both in appearance and attitude, has to be a bit exciting, especially when he shows some interest in her. I think Sarah realises, however, that her affection for Ptolomy is more like a passing crush than something that would be enduring, and once she has a better understanding of James, she sees him as someone worthwhile, with whom she could have a real, solid future, with mutual affection.
I'll leave it there just now and come back to the last few questions another day, in the hopes that by then a few more people will have finished reading and joined in.
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I give the basic information of title, author, ISBN, publisher and release date (because I'm often sent new books to review), and a picture of the book cover. Then I give a brief synopsis of the book (usually from the back cover or Amazon or somewhere similar), then my thoughts on the book - the writing, the characters, the themes and setting, and whether or not I enjoyed it and why. Then I give it a rating out of 5.
1/5 = Dire – don’t waste your time
2/5 = OK, but nothing to write home about
3/5 = Very good – worth a read
4/5 = Excellent
5/5 = Superb – read it immediately!I only give full reviews to the books I'm sent for review by publishers and authors. If it's just a book I'm reading for myself, I give the basic info and just a few lines on how I felt about the book/whether I enjoyed it, and the rating out of 5, and I do all the books I read during the month all together in one blog post.
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Has anyone else read it? Or is anyone reading it just now? Please do join in - I'm feeling a bit lonely in here all by myself!
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Seeing people dog-ear books makes my gut clench in horror! Same with seeing books laid face down and open to keep a page.
I will use any little piece of paper to hand in a pinch, but I have an array of bookmarks - leather, card, metal, plain, decorative, and loads of promotional ones that I received with books I've been sent to review (I like to keep those as little mementos). I also have a little tin of page darts, which are great for people who find their bookmarks slip out, as they slide directly onto the page and point to where you left off! They are the most awesome invention and I wouldn't be without them. They're also great for marking multiple pages in reference books, although I tend to use post-its for that as I can also annotate directly where on the page I need to put the info and I can colour code everything (I'm anal that way).
I rarely lend my books to others, but if I do, it is NEVER to someone who dog-ears!
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I'll kick off by answering a few questions to begin with, then I'll let some others jump in for a bit to see if any discussions start...
1) Who was your favourite character and why?
I liked Mrs Hill best. She was so compassionate and understanding, yet unafraid to stand up for what she thinks is right.
2) Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?
I hated when Wickham was coming on strong with young Polly. It wasn't that I disliked that part of the story or anything, it was more his actions made me squirm. I wanted to punch him square in the face!3) Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?
This was the first book I've read by this author, but not the first spin-off, nor the first spin-off of Pride and Prejudice. I've read a few that are connected with P&P (as well as mash-ups).
4) Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?
Not really. I found it a very easy and enjoyable read overall.
5) Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?
Yes - I would certainly pick up other books by this author, whether or not they had anything to do with P&P.
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The thread is now open. Has anyone read the book? Anyone still reading it? Anyone want to leave their thoughts?
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I've just checked and Wolf Hall was the reading circle book for April 2013 - HERE.
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Have you read Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series? The series starts with Bitten and there are thirteen books in all. The main characters in the first two books are werewolves, after which other "otherworldly" characters are introduced, including witches, vampires, sorcerers, demi-demons, and all manner of other supernaturals. The werewolves continue to feature heavily throughout the series and they're all great reads. They are all actually in my permanent collection - I usually give away my books when I've read them, but I have kept all of these ones.
Jackson Pearce – Sisters Red (Fairytale Retellings 1) is a YA novel with elements of both Red Riding Hood and Snow White ans Rose Red. Well worth a read.
The Southern Vampires series by Charlaine Harris, although mainly about the human and vampire characters, does also feature a lot of werewolves and shapeshifters. The earlier books are better than the last few though. Still, worth a look as they're an entertaining read and differ quite widely from the series they spawned (True Blood).
Midnight by Dean Koontz is another were-novel with a bit of a twist. I love Koontz, and this one is a pretty decent premise.
Hope that's of some help.
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Tough call - I had to toss a coin to decide between I, Claudius and Abraham Lincoln. In the end, Claudius won it, but I would have been happy either way (especially as I've read them both and loved them!). I also have Wolf Hall on Mount TBR, but I fear with it being such a thick book, and us due to start renovating our new home some time in September, I may not have time to read it in time if it wins!
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Continuing my run of excellent news, I managed to secure a last-minute transfer in my job after all! I go back to work in my local branch of WH next Friday, which is one week after my maternity leave finishes, which is great, because I just took a week of holiday pay because I though I was leaving the company! The timing couldn't have been better if I'd planned it myself!
This now means we'll have a bit more money to spare once we've moved, so we're about to feel like we're minted - LOL!
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I ADORE A Midsummer Night's Dream - I always wanted to play Puck.
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Yesterday we had our offer on a house accepted. Today we got our mortgage application approved - we are buying our forever home! It's a total fixer-upper, but we'll be able to make it entirely our own and it's literally 5 minutes walk to Xan's school. Today is a good day.
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IT IS ASSUMED YOU HAVE READ THIS BOOK BEFORE READING THIS THREAD, THEREFORE SPOILER TAGS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN USED IN ORDER TO FASCILITATE EASIER AND MORE OPEN DISCUSSION
IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK AND INTEND TO, PLEASE READ NO FURTHER!
Longbourn by Jo Baker
SYNOPSIS: A brilliantly imagined, irresistible below-stairs answer to Pride and Prejudice: a story of the romance, intrigue, and drama among the servants of the Bennet household, a triumphant tale of defying society's expectations, and an illuminating glimpse of working-class lives in Regency England.
The servants at Longbourn estate--only glancingly mentioned in Jane Austen's classic--take center stage in Jo Baker's lively, cunning new novel. Here are the Bennets as we have never known them: seen through the eyes of those scrubbing the floors, cooking the meals, emptying the chamber pots. Our heroine is Sarah, an orphaned housemaid beginning to chafe against the boundaries of her class. When the militia marches into town, a new footman arrives under mysterious circumstances, and Sarah finds herself the object of the attentions of an ambitious young former slave working at neighboring Netherfield Hall, the carefully choreographed world downstairs at Longbourn threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, up-ended. From the stern but soft-hearted housekeeper to the starry-eyed kitchen maid, these new characters come vividly to life in this already beloved world. Jo Baker shows us what Jane Austen wouldn't in a captivating, wonderfully evocative, moving work of fiction.Some basic questions to consider:
1) Who was your favourite character and why?
2) Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?
3) Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?
4) Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?
5) Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?Some further questions to consider:
6) Did you read Pride and Prejudice prior to reading Longbourn? How do you think your prior knowledge (or lack thereof) affected your enjoyment and understanding of the events in Longbourn?
7) What do you think of having specific days for specific household chores (e.g. laundry on a Monday, etc)? How well do you think that would contribute to efficient running of the household? And in a modern household?
8) How do you feel about the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, given what we learn about Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Hill (the cook)? Does this change how you felt about Mr. Bennet prior to reading Longbourn?
9) How do you feel about Sarah's changing affections? What do you think attracted her to Ptolomy? Why do you think her affections are so easily rerouted to James?
10) Given James' mistreatment and experiences, how did you feel about his final confrontation with Pye?
11) Discuss the role of household staff in the novel. How do the roles differ between town and country?
12) How do the characters (or our understanding of them) change throughout the novel? In whom do you see the greatest change? Is that change for the better or for worse? In what way?
13) How does seeing the story from the point of view of the servants affect your liking or disliking of the original characters? Do you feel more or less sympathy for some of them? Who, and why?
14) In what way (if any) does seeing how the original Pride and Prejudice characters treat their servants change how you felt/feel about them?
15) "They clipped past the orchard, in profile and oblivious to the housemaids: Sarah felt herself fade. She could see the leaves and branches through her hand; the sun shone straight through her skin." - How invisible do you think the servants are to the upper classes? How do you think that might affect their self esteem? DO you think the upper classes ever consider how it might make their servants feel?
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I second Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and I, Claudius.
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I have very small, pixie-ish ears. I can never get ear buds to stay in, not can I get the ones that have over-the-ear-hooky-bits to stay on. I have to use traditional over-the-head earphones. I always go for the small ones we used to get with walkman stereos, because the big heavy ones are way too big for my ears (and my head!) and really hurt to wear.
I have a real problem with earphones.
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We were sent Xan's school report for reception year yesterday and it is excelling - he's exceeding expectations in almost every area (and in those he's not, he's still at the expected stage, so that's good), and apparently he's a confident, bright, creative boy with excellent manners and a thirst for knowledge. His reading is also one of his best areas and he's read more books in Bug Club (online computer-based reading scheme) than any of the others in his class. In fact, he's probably read more than any three or four of them put together! Got ourselves a mini bookworm here!
Proud as punch of our eldest son. -
I have bought the following (the ones in bold are part of my permanent collection):
William Shakespeare
Agatha Christie
Enid Blyton
J. K. Rowling
Leo Tolstoy
R. L. Stine
Dean Koontz
Stephen King (The Stand is one of my all-time favourite novels)
John Grisham
C. S. Lewis
Dan Brown
Beatrix Potter (I have all her tales for Xan and Josh)
Michael Crichton
Astrid Lindgren (Ronia, the Robber's Daughter is a childhood favourite of mine)
Paulo Coelho
Roald Dahl (I'm building this collection with Xan at the moment)
Anne Rice
Lewis Carroll (The Nursery Alice is one of my own childhood books which I've kept)
Ian Fleming
Patricia CornwellI have to ask, where is Terry Pratchett on this list???
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For my personal library, I would love floor to ceiling solid wood shelving (probably oak or cherry wood) with those sliding ladders. All the books would be beautifully bound versions, all leather or cloth or something beautiful - all hardback.
The room would be large with huge picture windows letting in plenty of light - there would be comfy window seats at each one. A comfy sofa, a comfy wing-back chair, and a comfy chaise longue would all be placed in front of an open fire for those cold rainy days, and I can choose whether I want to be upright or laid down or whatever. Beautiful handmade blankets would be available to snuggle under as I read, and the cushions would all be hand cross stitched.
There would also be lovely little occasional tables so I can have a cuppa and a snack. There would also be tea and coffee making facilities (with all my favourite Twinings blends) and a small fridge, as well as a beautiful and fully stocked fruit bowl. There'd also be fresh cut flowers, because I think they make a room look elegant.
I'd have a gorgeous antique writing table, fully stocked with stunning stationery and as many stamps as I could ever use, as I do like to write letters. There'd also be an entire shelf dedicated to the prettiest notebooks in creation, simply because I love to look at them and, on occasion, write in them.
I'd have to have a large en suite bathroom so I wouldn't have to leave when I needed to, well, you know, "go", and I could choose to soak in the tub with a book if I felt like it (I'd also have removable plastic covers for my books to protect them when I do this). The bathroom would be well stocked with bubble bath, bath bombs, bath oils, and all manner of bath yummies from the likes of Lush (I love Cerridwen's Cauldron Bath Melt, so there'd have to be a steady supply of them).
Entrance to my bookish paradise would be through a secret door.
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I went to the library with my Mum until I was in my teens (the library was at the other end of the village from where we lived, which was about a mile away), but I always read my Mam's books too and she was well into horror - Stephen King, Richard Layman, Dean R Koontz, etc - as well as classics and a whole host of others, so she already knew I read those by that time (in fact, she used to recommend some of them to me - Lightning by Dean R Koontz is still one of my favourite books, recommended to me when I was about 13 or 14 by my Mam!). Although my parents were quite strict in many ways, in other areas they were incredibly liberal and reading and movies were two areas where I was pretty much allowed to do whatever I wanted.
Not reading related, but indicative of how cool my Mam is, when I was 15 years old, Channel 4 ran a "banned season" and one of the films they showed was Life of Brian (Monty Python film which features full frontal male and female nudity, blasphemy and lots of swearing - it is incredibly clever and funny!). She came up to my bedroom (where I was reading late into the night, as usual) and said, "Come down and watch this film - it's a brilliant one and I think you'll really enjoy it!" We sat and watched it together and hooted with laughter.
I remember there was a time when a battered copy of Forever by Judy Blume was doing the rounds at school (I must have been about 13 or 14 years old at the time) and everyone was giggling and reading it in secret before passing it on to someone else. (It features a girl losing her virginity to her boyfriend - she's about 17 years old, if I remember correctly) I didn't see what all the fuss was about - I'd already read it - my Mam had already bought it for me a while back along with a whole bunch of other Judy Blumes. I think I'd read them all multiple times by the time I was 12! So I guess, if the library had ever said I couldn't take out a book I wanted, I daresay my Mam would have gone up there and told them I was allowed to read whatever I wanted, or at least would have gt it out on her card for me (probably the former, as she's very outspoken and forthright!).
It wasn't just fiction either - I have followed my Mam in my love of true crime and, like her, I have a fascination with Jack the Ripper. There were always numerous true crime books, some with very graphic pictures and descriptions, on our bookshelves, and I read them all.
I am forever grateful for my cool parents and hope when my own kids get asked a question like this, they'll be able to give a similar answer.
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I was never aware of my Mum monitoring my reading material, but I'm sure that, to a point, she had a hand in guiding me towards material she felt was age appropriate. I must add, however, that I have supremely cool parents and I was allowed to watch Hammer Horror films from around the age of 6 or 7 (as a result, I attempted to rewrite Frankenstein when I was 7 years old), and my reading age was years ahead of my actual age, so I don't suppose there was much my Mum would have objected to my reading. I'm not saying I would have been allowed to read A Clockwork Orange before my teens, but I had certainly read the likes of Animal Farm before I was in secondary school.
I will let my children read anything I feel they are capable of understanding and will let them know they can always come to me with questions if something confuses them.
Xan and I have just started keeping a book journal together, of all the chapter books we read together. It encourages him to think about the books we read and to write about them, and it's something to look forward to doing together each time we finish a book. It will be a nice thing to look back on when he's older too. I'll do the same with Josh when he's a little older.
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1pt - JRR Tolkien
2pts - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
3pts - Charles Dickens
4pts - George Orwell
5pts - Oscar Wilde
6pts - Terry Pratchett
7pts - Jane Austen
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I kind of do at present as Xan is only 5 yrs old. He chooses his own books from the library that he will read himself, and we choose others together that I read to him. We're working our way through Roald Dahl's works at the moment.
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hear hear, i agree!! i didnt even know it was on, i stopped paying attention to eurovision when Katie Price AKA Slagbag Jordan was on it, absolute joke.
Katie Price never represented us. She tried/auditioned, but failed to go through. Javine won and represented the UK that year with Touch My Fire. Greece won it that year (2005) with My Number One.
Longbourn by Jo Baker (August 2014 Reading Circle)
in Previous Reading Circle Books
Posted
10) Given James' mistreatment and experiences, how did you feel about his final confrontation with Pye?
Pye was a despicable person and I reckon that if James hadn't done for him, someone else would have soon anyway. As it was, sooner or later, Pye would have done for James if he hadn't got in first, so it's probably just as well he did. I felt that Pye got what he deserved, even if it did have a long-term detrimental effect on James.
11) Discuss the role of household staff in the novel. How do the roles differ between town and country?
I think in the country, there were more menial jobs for the staff of a household, as there would be gardens and livestock to tend, eggs to collect, etc, whereas in town, there wouldn't be the need for staff to do those things. However, in town, a house of high means would do a lot more entertaining of impressive guests, so more visible household staff would be required in the form of butler, under butler, footmen, extra cooks; assistants and scullery maids, as well as ladies' maids and valets (a really large household in the country would need those things too, but I don't think they'd do quite as much entertaining as their town counterparts). in a household like that of the Bennet's, the staff seem to take on multiple roles, for example, James acts as a butler but also a carriage driver and footman, stable hand, and groundsman/gamekeeper - a more prestigious household would have had different men in each of those roles.
12) How do the characters (or our understanding of them) change throughout the novel? In whom do you see the greatest change? Is that change for the better or for worse? In what way?
I think the greatest changes come in Sarah and Polly - Sarah as she realises that people aren't always as they seem and that exotic doesn't always trump steady; and Polly as she matures and becomes a teacher with a steady temperament when she reclaims her name.