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I Could Read Jane Austen All Day and Be Perfectly Happy

What book could you read over and over again?

Author. Satirist. Protofemist. Icon. Inspiration. Romantic. All around badass.

Miss Lattimore’s Letter Book Review

Objective observation is very often the best way to learn about anything. The facts are laid out in such a way that prejudices are less likely to get in the way of the final decision.

Miss Lattimore’s Letter, by Suzanne Allain, was published in 2021. After an early heartbreak, Sophronia “Sophie” Lattimore has given up on love and marriage. These days, she is acting as a chaperone for her younger cousin who is on the marriage market herself and looking for a husband. After overhearing a conversation between a couple and having a gut feeling about this relationship, she writes an anonymous letter to the gentleman.

That letter soon makes its rounds in society. Sophie quickly becomes the matchmaker of the hour. Of the many who seek out her advice is Sir Edmund Winslow. Instead of marrying just any woman, he is seeking a true life partner. Believing that Sir Edmund is only seeking her out for her “expertise”, she hides her disappointment that she does not return her affection.

When her first love comes back, it becomes apparent that Sophie has two men vying for her hand. Does she go back to the one who broke her heart in the first place? Or does she take a chance on someone completely unexpected?

There is a reason why Allain is one of my favorite Regency romance writers. Any Jane Austen fan worth their mettle will appreciate both the story and the meta references to Austen’s work.

Though Sophie is living in a time in which her options are severely limited, she is an intelligent and capable woman who does not cow-tow to the idea that a woman ought to dumb herself down just to be referred to as “wife”.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Miss Lattimore’s Letter is available wherever books are sold.

Flashback Friday: Pride and Prejudice, Cut (2019)

Adaptations of classic works are an easy mark for writers and producers. They are a known product with a built-in audience and (if released more than a century ago), free from any potential legal issues that come with copyrights.

Pride and Prejudice, Cut was released in 2019. In this modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, Katie Miller (Lexi Giovagnoli) is an American vlogger who has been cast as Elizabeth Bennet in a big-screen reboot of Pride and Prejudice. Cast opposite her as Fitzwilliam Darcy is Liam Walker (David Witts). As expected, they don’t exactly hit it off.

Two obstacles lay before Katie: Can she master the accent and keep her vlogging to a minimum until the director yells “cut” for the last time?

It’s cute. It’s not brilliant or creative in its execution. But It is light and enjoyable. I liked how the relationships between the actors/creative team parallels the ones on screen.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Happy Birthday Jane Austen

Here to the wit and wisdom of Jane Austen. May your work last forever.

You, Again: A Novel Book Review

I don’t always believe in fate. But I do believe that some people are put in front of us for a reason.

You, Again: A Novel, by Kate Goldbeck, was published in September. Set in New York City, Ari and Josh’s meet-cute comes via one of Ari’s roommates. She is an NYC transplant who is sexually fluid when it comes to her romantic/sexual partners, a free spirit, and has come to the Big Apple to become a comedian. Josh is a Manhattan native who has two goals in life: open a successful restaurant and find “the one”.

When they initially meet, there is both an immediate dislike and an unwanted attraction. The only thing that Ari and Josh have in common is that they are sleeping with the same woman. They think that this encounter is one and done. Neither can foresee that they will meet again and discover that the other could be their person.

This is basically the literary love child of When Harry Met Sally and Pride and Prejudice. I liked the chemistry between Ari and Josh. I could feel the tension between them. I also liked that Goldbeck kept them apart for years before bringing them together. It allowed both of her protagonists to grow to the point in which they were ready for a relationship.

One aspect of the narrative that I found interesting is that Josh is the romantic one. Normally, it is the female (in a heterosexual relationship) who believes in true love.

The problem is that by the time I got to the halfway point, the magic that should kept me reading dimmed considerably. I didn’t want to, but I had to put it down.

Do I recommend it? No.

You, Again: A Novel is available wherever books are sold.

Hana Khan Carries On Book Review

Life is full of ups and downs. What matters is if we can roll with the punches or metaphorically drown in the grief of what could never be.

Hana Khan Carries On, by Uzma Jalauddin, was published in 2021. Hana Khan is straddling two worlds. She is working at her family’s Toronto-based halal restaurant, Three Sisters Biryani Poutine while interning at a local radio station. Her dream is to have a career in radio.

The problem is that the restaurant’s numbers are not what they once were. In between all of this, Hana has her own podcast. After one of her listeners writes in about the show, they become friends.

Adding fuel to the fire is new competition. This restaurant is going to be upscale and threatens whatever customer base Three Sisters Biryani Poutine has left. She doesn’t quite get along with Aydin, the owner of this establishment. The mess becomes messier with the arrival of mysterious family members and a hate-motivated attack.

I loved this book. It is basically a modern Pride and Prejudice set in a Muslim community in Canada. The author was able to balance Austen’s original text with the details that made this world come alive. It is not an easy feat, many have tried and failed to walk this literary tightrope.

Adding in a not-so-subtle nod to You’ve Got Mail made the story even better. It heightened the tension and kept me hooked until the final page.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Hana Khan Carries On is available wherever books are sold.

Prejudice and Pride Musical Review

Pride and Prejudice is one of the most adaptable of the classic novels. Though Jane Austen set the novel in her time, the themes and narrative are timeless and universal.

Prejudice and Pride, a new musical gender twist adaptation of the book, is presently playing at the 59E59 theaters in New York. Bennet Longbourn (Sam Wright, who also co-wrote the show) is the middle child of a working-class family from a small town in Tennessee. Darcy Fitzwilliams (Brigid Casad) is a NY heiress who is less than thrilled with her temporary relocation.

While they get on like oil and water, Darcy’s best friend Carly (Stefanie Stevens) and Bennet’s older brother Jake (PT Mahoney) fall hard and fast for one another. Forced to be in one another’s company, Bennet and Darcy may not hate each other after all.

I’ve read and watched quite a few P&P adaptations over the years. This is one of the best. I love the change of genders, using folk music to tell the story and the reminder that class/money still plays a huge role in our culture.

Without giving the details away, the dichotomy of several actors playing dual roles created an interesting dynamic. There is also an undercurrent of politics that is very Austen and always contemporary.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Prejudice and Pride is playing at 59 E 59th St until August 20th, 2023. Check the website for tickets and showtimes.

Longbourn Book Review

The world of historical romance novels is usually focused on the upper classes. The servants and working class are usually background characters who at best are seen, but not heard.

Longbourn, by Jo Baker, was published in 2014. Baker inverts Pride and Prejudice by focusing on the Bennet’s household servants. The book follows Sarah, an orphaned housemaid. While she goes about her business, Sarah wants more than a young lady of her class should want out of life. She also suspects that William, the new footman is not what he says he is. Sarah has no idea how he will change her world.

I have to give Baker an A for effort. She brings narratives from the original text that I would have never expected. The details are fantastic. I felt for Sarah. She is intelligent and driven, but is closed in by the gender and social rules of her time.

The problem is that I could not get into the book. I really tried, but I just couldn’t.

Do I recommend it? No.

Longbourn is available wherever books are sold.

Being Mr. Wickham Play Review

With age, comes wisdom. It also comes with a side of regret.

Being Mr. Wickam is currently playing at 59 E59 Theaters in New York City. Taking up from where we left him at the end of the 1995 Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Wickham (Adrian Lukis) tells his side of the story.

The son of the old Mr. Darcy’s steward, he was treated as the second son of his father’s employer. Given opportunities that many of his class only dreamed of, he was forced to deal with a series of circumstances (some of which were his own making) that could have destroyed others. Now in his later years, Wickham is looking back and reflecting on his youthful choices.

Though he still relies on the expected charm and cheek, there is a sense of mortality and an understanding of life that only comes with age. What I have come to realize with this performance is that he is a survivor. He has somehow come through everything while holding onto his wit and his playful view of the world.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Being Mr. Wickham is playing until June 11th, 2023. Check the website for tickets and showtimes.