Rating: 
Summary: We appreciate the overwhelming number of favorable comments
Review: We appreciate the overwhelming number of favorable comments received for Desire and Duty. It has been awarded first prize in the 1998 Small Press Book Awards and the Silver Award for fiction with the Colorado Publishers. Knowledgeable critics (from Britain) have few criticisms. We find the few criticisms made to often be in error when discussed.Often the criticism involves something Jane Austen also did. A major Jane Austen critic from the UK has consented to review the screenplay of Desire and Duty.The authors are happy to discuss any perceived "error" by e-mail.
Rating: 
Summary: Read it and decide for yourself
Review: I see many of the reviews for this book are negative. I think that any TRUE fan of Jane Austen would like this book. Many people said that the language is stilted, so's Jane Austen's. As for the Americanisms, I looked a couple of them up and they were all words used by BRITISH authors around that time. Perhaps you should read Jane Austen and not just watch the MOVIES!
Rating: 
Summary: A truly horrible book!
Review: This book is so bad as to be laughable. It is poorly written, with stilted dialogue and unbelievable characters. The authors also offer such tedious sermons that it makes the reader wish for Mr. Collins to step in and read a selection from "Fordyce's Sermons" for true comic relief. It is unimaginable that this book not only got published, but that the movie rights have been sold!
Rating: 
Summary: If you like Pride and Predjudice - Skip this book
Review: I was very excited when I was given this book as a gift. Like most people I like to know what happens to characters after a book is over. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are such compelling characters. I was very disappointed when I read this book. The authors did not do a good job at all in duplicating Jane Austen's style of writing. Some of the dialouge was almost laughable. They made Mr. Darcy very preachy on the evils of strong drink. I suppose this is because one of the authors is a Dr. There is a much better sequel by Julia Barret named Pemberly. It is excellent. Skip Desire and Duty and read Pemberly.
Rating:
Summary: A leaden book lacking the sparkle and wit of the original
Review: As a Brit, the Americanisms in this book are particularly jarring -- the word "sweaters", for instance, leapt off the page. There is also mention of a sleigh ride at Christmas taking place at 4 pm (or 4.30). This would surely have been a hazardous undertaking since at that time of the year in the north of England it would have been quite dark already!
Rating:
Summary: "Fans of Jane Austen will not be disappointed."
Review: This book is receiving excellent reviews. The story begins with the return of newly-wed Mr. and Mrs. Darcy (Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth) to Pemberley. It focuses on the romantic adventures of Mr. Darcy's shy, younger sister, Georgiana. The preface is written by Dr. John McAleer of Boston College (and Jane Austen Society of North America). He says, "[Desire and Duty] not only extends Jane Austen's narrative with a grace that promises to endure. . . it will be welcomed as a worthy companion volume to its predecessor." This book is the only sequel to incorporate the character outcomes that Jane Austen told her family. A movie option contract has been received on this book. If you would like to read a sample chapter, visit our web site
Rating:
Summary: "Fans of Jane Austen will not be disappointed."
Review: This book has been receiving excellent reviews and a movie option contract has been offered on it. Dr. John McAleer, of the Jane Austen Society of North America, wrote the preface to the book and says, "[Desire and Duty} not only extends Jane Austen's narrative with a grace that promises to endure. . . . it will be welcomed as a worthy companion volume to its predecessor." This is the only sequel that follows the ideas Jane Austen told her family when she shared the characters' outcomes
Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your money
Review: Attempting to write a sequal to a Jane Austen novel is a daunting task, to say the least. This book failed in the task miserably. While the authors tried to follow the story line JA set up in the final chapter of Pride and Prejudice, their story fell flat. The writing style was that of an inexperienced writer and something I would expect from a high school student. The characters did not come alive in the pages as they do in JA's novels. The dialog was built of one liners..."Elizabeth said "blah blah". Darcy said, "blah blah blah." Elizabeth said, "blah". You get the picture. In addition to a totally unsurprising plot and juvenile writing skills, the Baders attempted to impress upon their readers a little of their own agenda. In a scene where the Bennetts and the Bingleys have joined the Darcy's for a Christmas dinner, Darcy declares his father to have been an alcoholic and states that wine will not be served in honor of his father, noting that he had died of schlorosis of the liver.This is the first book I have taken the time and effort to return to the store for a refund (where I had purchased the book used). On several attempts at reading it, I came across snippets that were so UN-Austen-like that I'd toss the book aside in disgust. I managed to skim to the end just to see that, sure enough, it ended exactly as I had thought. Then I took the book and the receipt back to the store.
Rating:
Summary: An Easy Read!
Review: This is not the best P&P sequel since it does not further develop the relationship of Eliza and Darcy. However, it is a pleasant read.
Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your money
Review: Attempting to write a sequal to a Jane Austen novel is a daunting task, to say the least. This book failed in the task miserably. While the authors tried to follow the story line JA set up in the final chapter of Pride and Prejudice, their story fell flat. The writing style was that of an inexperienced writer and something I would expect from a high school student. The characters did not come alive in the pages as they do in JA's novels. The dialog was built of one liners..."Elizabeth said "blah blah". Darcy said, "blah blah blah." Elizabeth said, "blah". You get the picture. In addition to a totally unsurprising plot and juvenile writing skills, the Baders attempted to impress upon their readers a little of their own agenda. In a scene where the Bennetts and the Bingleys have joined the Darcy's for a Christmas dinner, Darcy declares his father to have been an alcoholic and states that wine will not be served in honor of his father, noting that he had died of schlorosis of the liver. This is the first book I have taken the time and effort to return to the store for a refund (where I had purchased the book used). On several attempts at reading it, I came across snippets that were so UN-Austen-like that I'd toss the book aside in disgust. I managed to skim to the end just to see that, sure enough, it ended exactly as I had thought. Then I took the book and the receipt back to the store.
|
