I’m not usually a big fan of continuation novels where someone takes a expertly crafted classic and then jumps off of the story to one of their own, never quite reaching the level of the previous novel, a glaring comparison that tends to grate on one’s nerves or is just plain bad.
Jane Austen seems to inspire many such sequels, prequels and alternate reality stories. There are a whole slew of Mr. Darcy’s daughters, sons and relations that get into all sorts of regional romance trouble. One of the most famous is the tongue-in-cheek zombie versions, which I confess that I haven’t touched, despite many of my friends laughing their way through them.
So I was prepared to groan all of the way through Charlotte Collins by Jennifer Becton, but then I remembered Wide Sargasso Sea, a 1966 parallel novel by author Jean Rhys, a brilliantly crafted tale in which the author invented an entirely new story that pay homage to it’s inspiration rather than attempt to copy its style.
To Becton’s credit, she doesn’t attempt to write as Austen does, but still retains the structure of time period, down to the mores and social rules, where as Edith Wharton once wrote in The Age of Innocence, it was a world, “balanced so precariously its harmony could be shattered by a whisper.” In this case, it is embroidered glove and an unscrupulous villain.
The story centers around Charlotte Collins, who originally believed herself to be fortunate by marrying the boorish parish pastor, securing a comfortable home and financial security for herself. When Mr. Collins dies, she is prepared to live out a somewhat frugal but still comfortable life in her little cottage. Her sister Maria changes things. Of age to seek a husband, Maria needs a chaperone. A little older and wiser, Mrs. Collins is determined to make sure that Maria marries for love, but scandal threatens them all including a chance at true love for Charlotte herself.
The book is available in both paperback and Kindle. Right now the Kindle version of this novel is free. Always check before placing an order, since prices are subject to change.
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