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Review
An imaginery sequel to the novels of Jane Austen, bringing much-loved characters to life - namely the now married Mr and Mrs Darcy and their families and friends. --My Weekly Magazine
Cleverly written in the style of Jane Austen, this is a must for fans, providing a wonderful read as we weave our way through broken hearts and matchmaker plots to mend them. The unhurried pace of life and clever insight into well-loved characters adds much to the pleasure of this book. --June M Arnold, Chessington
Mr and Mrs Darcy now live in Derbyshire with their two children and Darcy's sister, Georgiana. When Georgiana's engagement to Colonel Fitzwilliam is broken off, matchmaking abounds and scandal and heartbreak follows. Through all of this, Mrs Darcy tries to smooth the way. Jane Austen fans will love this good, old-fashioned example of bygone era. --Ivy Brown, Bridlington
Cleverly written in the style of Jane Austen, this is a must for fans, providing a wonderful read as we weave our way through broken hearts and matchmaker plots to mend them. The unhurried pace of life and clever insight into well-loved characters adds much to the pleasure of this book. --June M Arnold, Chessington
Mr and Mrs Darcy now live in Derbyshire with their two children and Darcy's sister, Georgiana. When Georgiana's engagement to Colonel Fitzwilliam is broken off, matchmaking abounds and scandal and heartbreak follows. Through all of this, Mrs Darcy tries to smooth the way. Jane Austen fans will love this good, old-fashioned example of bygone era. --Ivy Brown, Bridlington
Synopsis
Intertwining the lives of Austen's most beloved characters from all six novels with new characters of the author's devising, Sybil G Brinton does some inventive matchmaking and a creditable job with the inevitable difficulties that numerous pairs of lovers encounter before they are united in the end.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
(3.5*) Entertaining Austen-esque romp,
By
This review is from: Old Friends and New Fancies (Paperback)
Written in 1913 this is being billed by the publishers as the first sequel to Jane Austen, but rather than simply continuing one of her books as so many other sequels have done, this throws in a whole collection of characters from all her books, putting them together in Bath, London and at various country houses.At the centre is Elizabeth Bennett (P&P), Georgiana Darcy, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Kitty Bennett, Mary Crawford (MP) and William Price (brother of Fanny Price), but a whole host of other characters walk on and off scene: Emma Knightley, Anne and Captain Wentworth, Tom Bertram and Mr Yates. Edmund and Fanny Bertram are in the rectory belonging to Pemberley, and James Morland (Catherine's brother from NA) has the living at the Bingley's estate. And, in true Austen fashion, the concern is with love affairs, successful and not, and marriages, suitable or not. I haven't read the vast number of Austen sequels but know they have had very mixed reviews. Being written in 1913 this has a post-Victorian emotional restraint that is more in keeping with Austen herself than some of the modern `versions' complete with sex scenes. But though there is a kind of stately feel to the prose, all of Austen's wit, barb and irony is missing. Here characters are all nice: Mary Crawford has been rehabilitated and is now a close friend of Elizabeth's; Georgiana Darcy's best friends are both Mary Crawford and Kitty Bennett (!); the Miss Steele's (S&S) manage to create a bit of off-scene chaos but all the vulgarity of their speech is missing, and even the notorious rakes Henry Crawford and, to a lesser extent, Tom Bertram, have been neutralised. As well as Austen's acute sensitivity to voice and speech, Brinton also lacks her precise sense of social distinction: characters from different books who come from exceedingly different social positions suddenly are now not just in the same social set but also fall in love and consider marriage... something which Austen would never have allowed. So overall this is a fun read for Austen fans, but I suspect anyone not familiar with her novels would find this a difficult read since it is written on the assumption that you know all the character's pasts and personalities and there is little character delineation done here. A good holiday read-in-the-sun book but lacks all the bite that makes Austen who she is.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
It isn't Jane ...,
By
This review is from: Old Friends and New Fancies (Paperback)
Like the previous reviewer, I'd probably give this 3.5*You will be completely lost reading this if you haven't read all of Jane Austen's novels and you certainly need to be fully acquainted with Mansfield Park and Pride and Prejudice. It's an engaging idea, the first-ever Jane Austen sequel, written by a completely obscure author in 1913. Brinton brings together characters from all the different novels at Bath and London, where they move in the same social circles, and also in Derbyshire where the Bingleys have settled near the Darcys at Pemberley. So here we go ... It's three and a half years on from Pride and Prejudice and we have two new love tangles: this time it's quiet Georgiana Darcy and giddy Kitty Bennet breaking their hearts over handsome sailor William Price, who of course, is Fanny's brother. Are you keeping up? If you can't keep up with this, you won't keep up Old Friends and New Fancies because there is very little explanation, it's assumed that these are old friends and acquaintances. (Actually, it's rather refreshing to read something that assumes a level of familiarity with Austen's novels rather than the TV series!) Meanwhile, there is a misunderstanding between Darcy's cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam and a chastened and wiser Mary Crawford who is still haunted by the scandal at Mansfield Park. Emma Knightley is still matchmaking - Mrs Jennings is as vulgar and well-meaning as ever - Lady Catherine as high-handed - and it was lovely to see a cameo apperance by Mr Bennet as another young gentleman presents himself with a marriage proposal for one of his daughters. Alas, no sign of Mrs Bennet (though Austen herself warned us that she wasn't welcomed at Pemberley). Although there's some amusing moments, unfortunately Brinton lacks Austen's light touch and wit ... but then, who could ever match the original? At least in 1913, she was writing in a better-mannered age so we are spared the vulgarities of later sequels. Worth reading for curiosity value - but I wasn't swept away by it.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars (23 customer reviews) 27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Trying too hard,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Old Friends and New Fancies: An Imaginary Sequel to the Novels of Jane Austen (Hardcover)
This book is only worth reading if you are a Jane Austen fanatic like myself. If you just have to get more of your favorite characters you might enjoy this. It has charcters from all of Jane Austen's completed novels except Lady Susan. It is primarily concerned with the love lives of Georgianna Darcy, Col. Fitzwilliam and Kitty Bennett so it is mainly a Pride and Predjudice sequel. What I did not like about the book was that it tried too hard to include too many characters from too many novels. There are so many characters in the book that many of them have become rather bland. If you love Jane Austen and can never get enough you may enjoy this book. If you're not a die hard fan this probably isn't for you. There are several better written sequels than this one.
27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
This book is only OK,
By "betseyrpt" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Old Friends and New Fancies: An Imaginary Sequel to the Novels of Jane Austen (Hardcover)
After reading Pride and Prejudice, and watching the BBC miniseries, I was simply hooked on the story and wanted more, so I ordered this book. I must say I was somewhat disappointed.While the author certainly did keep the style and tone of Jane Austen's writing, the portrayal of some of the characters seemed awkward, especially Lady Catherine. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy do not have any of the witty "repartee" that I was so looking forward to, and there was none of the gentle humor seen in Pride and Prejudice. And there are simply TOO many characters introduced from other Austen novels, with not near enough details given about the characters I loved so much from P & P. This book concerns Georgiana, Kitty and also Col. Fitzwilliam, and those characters, while fairly interesting, are not the ones that had captured my heart and imagination and left me wanting more. I have not read any other Austen "sequels", so I can't compare this one to any of them, I only know that this book didn't satisfy my urge for more Lizzy and Darcy!! Perhaps I was expecting too much!!
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lovely New Fancies with Old Friends,
By LadyJane "of http://aladysdiversions.blogspot... - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Old Friends and New Fancies (Paperback)
I recently read Old Friends and New Fancies and was delighted with it. The author, Brinton, cleverly used characters from Jane Austen's six finished novels in her story, easily creating acquaintances, friendships, and even romances. Most of our old favorites are included and a good number of characters who remained unattached at the end of their novels play large roles. Brinton focused mainly on Colonel Fitzwilliam, Kitty Bennet, and Georgiana Darcy from Pride and Prejudice; Tom Bertram, Mary Crawford, and William Price from Mansfield Park; and James Morland from Northanger Abbey. Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, Mr. and Mrs. Bingley, Captain and Mrs. Wentworth, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Ferrars, Mr. and Mrs. Knightley, and numerous other characters make large and small appearances. The setting is mainly Bath, Pemberley, and the Bingleys' estate. Who wouldn't want to go back to Pemberley?I quite enjoyed reading Old Friends and New Fancies, not least because I was able to meet some of my favorite characters again and visit beloved places such as the Darcys' estate. In the past, I have been wary of reading Jane Austen sequels for fear that the author has taken liberties with the characters and made them behave as they would not. Rest assured, Brinton did no such thing. Her writing style is rather similar to Jane's and I was always delighted to read lines that sounded so like the great Jane's own. For instance, this exchange between Mr. and Mrs. Darcy seems right in line with what Jane might have written: Mr. Darcy: ". . . we have got into shocking ways since my wife married into the family." Mrs. Darcy: "On the contrary, I think I have educated you all admirably." Or this exchange between the irasible Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Elizabeth Darcy: Elizabeth: "We have all been enjoying your piece so much. It must be delightful to be able to play like that. My aunt is such a lover of music that she cannot hide her enthusiasm." "And why should I hide it, may I ask?" demanded Lady Catherine. "My judgment has often been of great service to young amateurs, among whom you might include yourself, Elizabeth." "Yes, I know," replied Elizabeth, good-humouredly . . ." That is just how I imagine Elizabeth would get along with Lady Catherine, once Elizabeth had established herself as Mr. Darcy's wife and mistress of Pemberley, and made it clear to Lady Catherine that she would not be trifled with. Old Friends and New Fancies is full of delightful little moments that remind the reader of Jane's beloved novels. It is amusing to try to figure out who will end up with whom! I am glad to have read Old Friends and New Fancies and would recommend it to any Jane Austen fan. |
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