In her latest novel, P. D. James carries forward the story of Elizabeth and Darcy six years into their life together after their marriage in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. And, of course, since James is a writer of mysteries, the tale includes a murder. James writes in the style of the late 18th/early 19th century, but, of course, she does not write like Jane Austen. No one writes like Jane Austen. Her sparkling wit, her great gift for creating comic characters and writing dialogue, the thread of irony that runs through all her work...no one can duplicate, and I'm quite certain the object of James' effort was not to copy, but was rather to write an homage to Jane, whose books she greatly admires.
While largely remaining faithful to the characters as Austen created them, James cleverly takes them through rather surprising twists and turns as she continues their story. The book was an enjoyable read, but, in the end, P D James, writing in the style of the turn of the 18th to the 19th century is not James writing at her best. I've read all of her mystery novels, and I think she ranks amongst the best, thus my mild disappointment. At one point, the author hit a real clinker with the word 'lifestyle', which I was pretty certain was not in use in the period in which the mystery is set. It turns out I was right: the first known use of the word dates to 1929.
Since I don't want to write a spoiler review, I won't say more, except that James held me in suspense with the identity of the murderer until the mystery was solved, taking me completely by surprise. Never would I have thought...
Mimi, I'm about 3/4 of the way through with it myself. This was one of those books I knew I was going to read, no matter the reviews, and with the expectation that I probably would be mildly disappointed myself, but still.... Nobody does write like Jane Austen, and James' mysteries have always been wonderful to read. I think homage is the right word here. I am enjoying seeing what is up at Pemberley these days but the characters don't seem quite the same. Glad to know I'll get a surprise at the end!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this, I hadn't heard about the book but will definitely order it now!
ReplyDeletePenny, at first I thought James was taking the characters out of character, so to speak, but when I thought about it a bit more, I decided she was not. Of course, she takes Darcy and Elizabeth, and especially Colonel Fitzwilliam, in directions other than Jane would have.
ReplyDeleteNext up Joanna Trollope's book in 2013.
Erika, do read the book. I think you will enjoy it. By by no means, do I discourage anyone from reading the book.
Yes, I think Colonel Fitzwilliam is the part that stands out as really different. I'm having fun imagining all the parts as spoken by Colin Firth, et al, too!
ReplyDeleteYou mean MP didn't do it? No wonder you were taken by surprise.
ReplyDeletePaul, I didn't say that. Don't you be putting words into my mouth, young man.
ReplyDeletePenny, my picture of Darcy is Laurence Olivier in the old movie, in which the ladies wore hoop skirts, because the Empire dresses of the period looked too much like nightgowns. He was the best Darcy ever, though I don't remember the rest of the cast as impressive. Greer Garson was past the age to play Elizabeth, who was not yet one and twenty.
ReplyDeleteOlivier was beautiful, but MGM hashed up the ending, turning Lady Catherine de Bourgh into a matchmaker rather than a classist snob. By far the best Pride and Prejudice I've seen was the 1985 BBC production with Elizabeth Garvey and David Rintoul. For me, it captured the characters perfectly and I was only distressed at the end when the two final conversations between Elizabeth and Darcy were elided into one -- I wanted MORE!
ReplyDeleteThe much admired 1995 A&E version with Colin Firth was okay, but seemed to put scenery on a par with characters. The 2006 feature film Pride & Prejudice with Keira Knightley and Dame Judi Dench was fun, if a bit jazzed up with modern romantic attitudes.
You know how Clueless gave a delightful Valley Girl spin to Emma? Bride & Prejudice does something similar for Pride and Prejudice. A wealthy young American hotel heir visits India and becomes involved with a village beauty. Mum, the CEO, does not approve. Cultural misunderstandings and personality clashes accrue. There are musical numbers, and elephants at the wedding. I loved it.
Speaking of Judi Dench, I recommend Ladies in Lavender, in which the orderly life of two elderly sisters is disturbed when a young violinist washes up on their Cornish beach. Maggie Smith is the other sister, and the violin on the soundtrack is by Joshua Bell. (He was in our Montessori carpool in 1981, and we knew his dad at the Kinsey Institute.)
Just downloaded it to my iPad. Sounds like good reading for the return cross country trip.
ReplyDeleteMurdoch, my favorite overall is the 1985 BBC version. I still have my video sets of the original BBC productions of all 6 novels. Pride and Prejudice is wonderfully well done
ReplyDeleteClueless was a delight. I loved it. That was Emma.
I saw the P&P movie with Keira Knightley and Dame Judi Dench, but it did not leave much of an impression, because I had to look it up to jog my memory.
I've seen Ladies in Lavender several times, and I adore it.
Amelia, you will enjoy the book as your nightime reading as you travel.
Grandmère, you have excellent taste. The 1985 BBC Pride and Prejudice is superb. We too have the boxed set of that series of Austen stories. Yes, the Knightley version was forgettable. Check out Bride & Prejudice if you get a chance. It's by the director of Bend It Like Beckham, another charming picture about Indians and culture clash.
ReplyDeleteMurdoch, I'll check out your suggestion.
ReplyDeleteWow! This must be PD James week. I read "Death Comes to Pemberly and "The Private Patient". What wide ranging skills she has! Entirely different times, and there she is, right in the middle of it all! In her Dalgliesh novels, there is more info and observation in one paragraph than in a full page by many authors.
ReplyDeleteSomehow I had forgotten her in recent years as I hadn't liked the "The Children of Men" and sort of got off the PD James trail. Now back on the trail and starting "A Taste for Death! What an amazing woman!
nij
Mimi, you didn't tell me that my fair city plays a part in the story! And what fun to catch up on the news from Highbury and Bath.
ReplyDeleteNij, I didn't read The Children of Men, because it wasn't a mystery, and after what you've said, I'm glad, because I probably would have been disappointed. James is amazing.
ReplyDeleteI liked the Adam Dalgliesh series on PBS quite a lot, too.
Penny, I said I didn't want to write a spoiler review. ;-) I enjoyed the references that only those who are very familiar with JA's work would catch.
ReplyDeleteI just read the review in the NYT, which is quite positive.
Is there any sex in PD James's take on P&P? I'm expecting the answer is "no" because James doesn't particularly do sex but I was wondering, so I thought I'd ask.
ReplyDeleteBingo! The answer is no, Cathy.
ReplyDeleteNo, thort not :) Probably for the best.
ReplyDeleteIn the BBC version of Persuasion, I was offended when Anne Elliot and Capt. Wentworth kissed in public as they walked along the street. That did not happen in the novel, and it would not have happened in the period in which the novel was set.
ReplyDeleteI did not like 37 year old Emma Thompson playing 19 year old Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility. Thompson should have swallowed her pride and played Elinor's mother.
I'm quite possessive about how Jane Austen's books are presented on the small or large screen.