Jane Austen's Charlotte

Rating:
Summary: I will never read another book by this author
Review: As a JA lover, I was excited to receive a copy of this book, and eager to like it. Unfortunately, that was impossible, as Barrett's continuation on Austen's chapters is exceptionally poor work. Barrett introduces extraneous characters for no apparent reason, wastes pages outlining their motives and mental states in tedious detail, and then leaves them to accomplish nothing in particular. You know something is seriously awry with the plotting and pacing when the heroine's relationship with the hero hardly makes an appearance until the final 2.5 pages of the book!

The writing, too, is extremely disappointing, with convoluted sentence structures and seemingly random chapter closures. Worst of all, the work completely lacks Austen's understated and sparkling wit.

I strongly recommend skipping this work altogether, and reading "Sanditon" instead. It's a charming and satisfying completion of the JA fragment that, unlike "Charlotte," remains true to Austen's original characters and prose style.

Rating:
Summary: Skip this book entirely, and read "Sanditon" instead
Review: As a JA lover, I was excited to receive a copy of this book, and eager to like it. Unfortunately, that was impossible, as Barrett's continuation on Austen's chapters is exceptionally poor work. Barrett introduces extraneous characters for no apparent reason, wastes pages outlining their motives and mental states in tedious detail, and then leaves them to accomplish nothing in particular. You know something is seriously awry with the plotting and pacing when the heroine's relationship with the hero hardly makes an appearance until the final 2.5 pages of the book!

The writing, too, is extremely disappointing, with convoluted sentence structures and seemingly random chapter closures. Worst of all, the work completely lacks Austen's understated and sparkling wit.

I strongly recommend skipping this work altogether, and reading "Sanditon" instead. It's a charming and satisfying completion of the JA fragment that, unlike "Charlotte," remains true to Austen's original characters and prose style.

Rating:
Summary: I will never read another book by this author
Review: As I was reading this book, I could tell to the sentence exactly where Jane Austen left off and Julia Barrett began. The plot became confusing, and characters began to be inconsistent. Lady Denham, whom Charlotte finds to be very mean (stingy) suddenly decides to fund a lavish entertainment. Sidney Parker enters the scene just before the break, and it is implied that they will see more of him in just a few hours. However, somehow Charlotte doesn't see him again until the aforementioned entertainment, a chapter or two later (even though she is staying with his brother). The rest of the novel is incredibly fragmented, with whole chapters dwelling on some of the very minor characters, with practically no character development of the two protagonists, whose love story covers at most five pages. Instead the novel dwells on some very unlikely developments involving horses, gambling, and smugglers. It was a very disappointing read. _Sanditon_ was a much more satisfying completion.

Rating:
Summary: dreadful - inconsistent with Austen and itself
Review: Even casual readers of Jane Austen understand that all her writing exists within a certain range. All her novels contain some variation of certain plot elements - the hero, the female rival(s) for the hero's affections, the decoy hero, the wouldn't-marry-him-even-if-he-was/even-though-he-is-worth-10,000-a-year anti-hero. Austen's genious was not in original plotting, but in her use of this formula to explore character, human nature and society. The opening chapters of _Charlotte_, those penned by our beloved authoress, set up all these elements brilliantly. Unfortunately, when Julia Barrett takes over the narrative, we find no social commentary (forgiveable perhaps since Ms. Barrett does not live in the society described), but more importantly, a plot which ambles about as non-sensically as a drunk who has lost his sense of direction. The heroine spends most of her time outside the hero's company, and a considerable time outside of Sanditon and away from most of the characters introduced. The characters clearly intended by Austen as rivals disappear from the pages between their introduction and their marriages, approximately 90% of the story. I can hardly critize Ms. Barrett for not writing in Austen's style or with Austen's formula. I only expect such deviations to be done well, in a manner that is internally consistent with the characters introduced, which _Charlotte_ is not.

Rating:
Summary: dreadful - inconsistent with Austen and itself
Review: Even casual readers of Jane Austen understand that all her writing exists within a certain range. All her novels contain some variation of certain plot elements - the hero, the female rival(s) for the hero's affections, the decoy hero, the wouldn't-marry-him-even-if-he-was/even-though-he-is-worth-10,000-a-year anti-hero. Austen's genious was not in original plotting, but in her use of this formula to explore character, human nature and society. The opening chapters of _Charlotte_, those penned by our beloved authoress, set up all these elements brilliantly. Unfortunately, when Julia Barrett takes over the narrative, we find no social commentary (forgiveable perhaps since Ms. Barrett does not live in the society described), but more importantly, a plot which ambles about as non-sensically as a drunk who has lost his sense of direction. The heroine spends most of her time outside the hero's company, and a considerable time outside of Sanditon and away from most of the characters introduced. The characters clearly intended by Austen as rivals disappear from the pages between their introduction and their marriages, approximately 90% of the story. I can hardly critize Ms. Barrett for not writing in Austen's style or with Austen's formula. I only expect such deviations to be done well, in a manner that is internally consistent with the characters introduced, which _Charlotte_ is not.

Rating:
Summary: Worst book I've ever read cover to cover
Review: I received this as a gift because I am a huge JA fan. I read it through to the end because I read all books related to JA. I cannot believe this book has a rating of 3/5 stars. The plot, as continued by Barrett is absurd in the extreme, and, as others have pointed out, inconsistent and capricious. There is almost no dialogue, a distinct departure from Austen's usual style. A smarmy, confused, verbose narrator conveys most of the "story line." Adding insult to injury is the unnatural and awkward writing style. Barring a few grammatical constructions and vocabulary changes, Austen's language is not so different from our own. Barrett would have us believe that people, in truth, fly everywhere and use the conditional every other word. Would that eager JA readers could but be warned away from this unhappy collection of words!

Rating:
Summary: Kudos to Ms. Julia Barrett for Jane Austen's Charlotte
Review: I truly enjoyed this novel, as much as I did its predecessors "Presumption" and "The Third Sister", I think, though each of the three had its own individual, special delights. Though by no means an expert myself in Jane Austen or late 18th Century England, it seemed to me that "Jane Austen's Charlotte" like the two others, did indeed "engage and entice" back into that world, and I believe they kept to the "great lady's" own standards of wit, warmth, and intelligence.

I think the aspect of these novels, and most recently "Charlotte", that impresses me the most is the prodigious imagination required of a writer in today's world to imagine and bring to life these very real-seeming characters in an age not like ours at all in so many ways, especially in language. Julia Barrett definitely has a "felicity" with language much like the "great lady". I loved the turns of phrases, the chapter beginnings, the extremely insightful observations on human nature, both its strengths and foibles, and above all, the way she, like her wonderful predecessor, makes the characters individualistic and memorable without a lot of physical description or observation.

And, the satirical asides and situations in "Charlotte" seem to have more contemporary resonances than in the previous novels or even in Jane's. I was constantly smiling and even laughing out loud at Lady Denham and Mr. Parker and how they got caught up in the seashore health fads and get-rich-quick enthusiasms of the "new day" dawning in England in the early 1800s. If they could only see the modern world mania for "development" and dubious investments as well as today's corruption and avarice gone wild almost everywhere.

Like Jane Austen, Ms. Barrett brought the story to a close most satisfactorily with the heroine getting her fairly predictable education in life and a fine, upstanding husband to boot, and with little collateral damage to those relatives and loved ones least guilty of the shenanigans that brought Sanditon to near ruin. Barrett really did open up "Charlotte" to the rest of the world, hinted at in her two previous works as well by the "great lady" herself in her later novels, but she also somehow maintained the high level of wit and charm and intelligence that are so enjoyable in her mentor. So, kudos and many thank yous for another very enjoyable visit to Jane Austen land. As with a few other books I've really enjoyed, I'm sure I'll take them down in a couple of years to re-read. And, I'll definitely recommend them to whomever I run into who seems capable of enjoyment of such a high order. To those who think no one should "sully" Jane Austen's memory or tread on her legacy, I say nonsense and challenge them to give Julia Barrett a try. Jane Austen has indeed a worthy successor these days. I eagerly await an addition to the canon.

Rating:
Summary: A Captivating Novel
Review: Julia Barrett's 'Charlotte' is a great treat! I had prepared myself for a let-down when I passed from the first twelve chapters, written by Jane Austen, and embarked on those Barrett wrote. Who can complete with Jane Austen? No one can, of course, but Barrett has the wisdom not to complete. She doesn't try to ape Jane Austen. She keeps her own integrity by writing in a style and manner that harmonize with Jane Austen's. You turn the page from Austen to Barrett without a jolt, and the narrative runs on smoothly and neatly.

Whatever Jane Austen herself intended to do in 'Sanditon' (as her twelve chapters are usually called) is a secret she took to her grave. Julia Barrett has of course followed Austen's clues in particulars, but more importantly she perceptively realized that Austen was distinctly moving in a new direction, intending to write a novel quite different from her earlier ones. A writer with less skill and insight, less perspicacity, would have ignored this and wrenched the narrative back into Austen's familiar old pattern. Julia Barrett has trusted her own instincts, bringing real inventiveness and originality to 'Charlotte.' Her boldness provides surprises and is vivid with a sense of fun that captivates the reader!

Rating:
Summary: A Captivating Novel
Review: Julia Barrett's 'Charlotte' is a great treat! I had prepared myself for a let-down when I passed from the first twelve chapters, written by Jane Austen, and embarked on those Barrett wrote. Who can complete with Jane Austen? No one can, of course, but Barrett has the wisdom not to complete. She doesn't try to ape Jane Austen. She keeps her own integrity by writing in a style and manner that harmonize with Jane Austen's. You turn the page from Austen to Barrett without a jolt, and the narrative runs on smoothly and neatly.

Whatever Jane Austen herself intended to do in 'Sanditon' (as her twelve chapters are usually called) is a secret she took to her grave. Julia Barrett has of course followed Austen's clues in particulars, but more importantly she perceptively realized that Austen was distinctly moving in a new direction, intending to write a novel quite different from her earlier ones. A writer with less skill and insight, less perspicacity, would have ignored this and wrenched the narrative back into Austen's familiar old pattern. Julia Barrett has trusted her own instincts, bringing real inventiveness and originality to 'Charlotte.' Her boldness provides surprises and is vivid with a sense of fun that captivates the reader!

Rating:
Summary: very dull and witless
Review: This was a dull read that I had to force myself to finish. The plot wanders aimlessly and is hard to follow. Mnay of the other continuations are better than this so I would recommend saving your money.