Review: "The Pursuit of Mary Bennet"

I recently won an advanced reading copy of Pamela Mingle's book "The Pursuit of Mary Bennet" (a "Pride and Prejudice" spin-off) through a Goodreads giveaway. I decided to post my review here as well as on the site.) But first, a synopsis, courtesy of Goodreads:

For most of her life Mary Bennet has been an object of ridicule. With a notable absence of the social graces, she has been an embarrassment to her family on more than one occasion. But lately, Mary has changed. She's matured and attained a respectable, if somewhat unpolished, decorum. But her peace and contentment are shattered when her sister Lydia turns up-very pregnant and separated from Wickham. Mary and Kitty are bustled off to stay with Jane and her husband. It is there that Mary meets Henry Walsh, whose attentions confound her. Unschooled in the game of love, her heart and her future are at risk. Is she worthy of love or should she take the safer path? In her journey of self-acceptance, she discovers the answer

I received a copy of The Pursuit of Mary Bennet through a Goodreads giveaway. I was excited to read it as a big Jane Austen fan. Pride and Prejudice might be my favorite of her novels, and I’ve seen several adaptations and other works based on it. However, before this, I’d only read one spin-off (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which I could never get into.) I stayed away from stories about Lizzy and Darcy as I felt they couldn’t do Austen justice. However, I hoped this book would be different. This was somewhat true.

I enjoyed this book partly because it explored Mary, a character not done justice in Pride and Prejudice or most adaptations. As I began reading, I liked Mary’s character and found her relatable, and enjoyed the portrayals of my other favorite characters. Lydia was unpleasant, but I felt believably so. I liked Mingle’s consideration of the characters’ relationships (for example, Mary’s undecidedness about Darcy’s character – Pride and Prejudice readers might love him, but Mary doesn’t know him like Lizzy does.)

Despite this, I began to like Mary’s character less around the middle of the book. Her actions begin to reveal character flaws, which make her arguably more realistic but less likable. I also became annoyed with her for not recognizing the truth about a certain character when it was plain to me as a reader.

I also became less enamored with the book because (1) I felt it didn’t quite meet my expectations in that it dealt more with childcare and less with light-hearted romance than expected, and (2) Mary’s love interest’s… well, interest… is also established early on, and he and Mary spend a bit of time together. This allowed a faster pace (and therefore faster reading), but I also missed the romantic tension and build-up of Austen’s novels.

tl;dr: The Pursuit of Mary Bennet isn’t perfect, but makes for an enjoyable look at a neglected Pride and Prejudice character.

"Levels of Life" FirstReads Review

I recently won an advanced reading copy of Julian Barnes' new book "Levels of Life" through a Goodreads giveaway. I decided to post my review here as well as on the site.) But first, the book's back cover description:

Part history, part fiction, part memoir, Levels of Life is a powerfully personal and unforgettable book, and an immediate classic on the subject of grief.Levels of Life opens in the nineteenth century with balloonists, photographers, and Sarah Bernhardt, whose adventures lead seamlessly into an entirely personal account of the author's own great loss.  

"You put together two things that have not been put together before. And the world is changed..." Julian Barnes's new book is about ballooning, photography, love and grief; about putting two things, and two people, together, and about tearing them apart.

I received an ARC of "Levels of Life" through a Goodreads giveaway. I was excited to read the book due to positive reviews I'd read of Barnes' other works, especially "The Sense of an Ending" (on my to-read list.) The book was split into 3 parts, which I'll break down my impressions of here:

I, "The Sin of Height": This part didn't meet my expectations. It included various historical details about ballooning which I found curious but ultimately pointless. 

II, "On the Level": This part was an improvement from the first, as it read more like a biography in its focus on Fred Burnaby's brief romance with Sarah Bernhardt. However, though I wanted to enjoy reading Part II, I still couldn't understand the point Barnes was attempting to make in his portrait of Burnaby. I know that he intended ballooning as a metaphor for love, but it never quite worked for me.

III, "The Loss of Depth": I immediately liked Part III, which reads like a memoir, as Barnes discusses coping with the death of his wife. Some of his observations and reflections on grief struck me in their eloquence and truthfulness. As I read, I even underlined several quotes.

Overall, I'm glad I read "Levels of Life." Though I struggled through Parts I and II, "The Loss of Depth" made up for them. I would rate the individual sections:

"The Sin of Height": 1/5
"On the Level": 2/5
"The Loss of Depth": 4.5/5

TCWT Book Review: Torched

For fun, I decided to participate in Teens Can Write, Too!'s February blog chain. This month's topic is:
“Choose one self-published book to read, then briefly review it or talk about your experiences reading it.”

I found this topic interesting because, in my experience, I haven't heard much good about self-published books. It's sometimes been said books are self-published because the writing is bad, so self-pubbed authors can't find representation. However, I found this to be totally untrue for my pick, Torched by Andrea Lynn Colt. 

A little more about Torched, via Goodreads:

Cheerleader Rose Whitfield's senior year goes up in smoke when she's framed for arson. Sure that the culprit is her neighbor Paxton, with whom she's been feuding since middle school, she sets out to clear her name and take Paxton down hard--not necessarily in that order.

To some, Torched might sound like a load of fluff. I was dubious for the book's first few pages, too, but quickly began to enjoy the plot and admire Rose. I found her character refreshingly intelligent and willful, determined to prove her innocence despite obstacles. I also liked her first-person perspective, and the fact that she was flawed. For example: I did feel Rose sometimes jumped to (and held onto) conclusions too quickly, but her actions didn't hurt the story. 

One of Torched's highlights is its combination of mystery and romance. The story kept me guessing, and I loved every scene featuring  Rose's love interest. (I won't spoil but I'm sure you can guess who from the summary.) 

I also like Torched's minor characters. Though I did hate some, I understood their motivations. They weren't two-dimensional like some characters you'll find in light mysteries. 

My verdict: 4/5 stars.* Though I did have my criticisms, I enjoyed Torched more than expected (especially as teen mystery/romances aren't my usual type.) I picked the book because it sounded and looked like a fun, quick read, and it delivered perfectly. 

*Edit: Though bear in mind, I'm not grading as hard as I might if I read mysteries more often (as I rate books by comparison, and what their writers aim for.) If you're turned off by shallow characters, "Torched" also might not be for you.

Follow the blog chain:
February 5th – The Writing Junkie
February 6th – Miriam Joy Writes
February 7th – Musings From Neville's Navel
February 8th – A Poetic Spirit Named Fida
February 9th – Sarah Hudson Scribbles 
February 10th - Avon's Babbles 
February 11th - Notebook Sisters 
February 12th - Mirror Made of Words 
February 13th - Lily's Blog
February 14th - Writer Bewildered 
February 15th - Real Teen Reader
February 16th - Epistolary Girl
February 17th - Incessant Droning of A Bored Author
February 18th - Teens Can Write, Too! (We’ll announce the topic for next month’s chain)