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Charlotte
Everybody thinks that Charlotte Lucas has no prospects. She is twenty-seven years old, unmarried, plain, and seemingly without ambition. When she stuns the neighbourhood by accepting the proposal of buffoonish clergyman Mr Collins, her best friend Lizzy Bennet is angry at her for undervaluing herself. Yet the decision is the only way Charlotte knows to provide for her future, and marriage will propel her into a new world, of duty, marriage, children, grief and ultimately illicit love, and a kind of freedom.
Jane Austen cared deeply about the constraints of women in Regency England. This powerful reimagining takes up where Austen left off, showing us a woman determined to carve a place for herself in the world. Charlotte offers a fresh, feminist addition to the post-Austen canon, beautifully imagined, and brimming with passion and intelligence.
Jane Austen cared deeply about the constraints of women in Regency England. This powerful reimagining takes up where Austen left off, showing us a woman determined to carve a place for herself in the world. Charlotte offers a fresh, feminist addition to the post-Austen canon, beautifully imagined, and brimming with passion and intelligence.
368 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 277 reviews
September 16, 2020
3.5 -4 stars
This continuation story of Charlotte’s character in a full book was surprising, it was unexpected in terms of the story direction and wholly enjoyable overall. Charlotte is a character who has always had my attention every time I’ve read or watched Pride & Prejudice. I think we’ve all struggled to understand her decision over Mr Collins, at least initially. This book explored her as a person but also their relationship as a couple. However this book is all Charlotte as a women in all her facets.
The book joined Charlotte seven years into her marriage to Mr Collins with three children, but tragedy was around the corner. This book navigated Charlotte’s journey through life’s hurdles, difficulties and grief. How Charlotte got through her emotions, anger and desire sometimes made by eyebrows raise but it felt tangible and good storytelling.
The cast of characters in the background of this book were rich and familiar. Lizzy, Anne de Bourgh and Catherine de Bourgh brought some excellent reading and some surprising elements. I enjoyed the friendship and confidence between Anne and Charlotte and Charlotte had also won the respect of Anne’s mother.
“But what really has my admiration is that my mother considers this an excellent plan of action. This leads me to all but suspect witchcraft on your part, Mrs Collins. Did our gypsy friends weave a spell, perhaps?”
Some of Charlotte’s experiences were heart-aching and on the flip side, her passionate nature was surprising. I liked where the story ended up in terms of her passions and I will say no more.
I had both an ebook ARC and an advance audio copy. I listened mostly and read some by ebook. The narration was perfect for the book and really conveyed Charlotte as a character.
Thank you to Bonnier Books for the early review copies.
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities Blog.
This continuation story of Charlotte’s character in a full book was surprising, it was unexpected in terms of the story direction and wholly enjoyable overall. Charlotte is a character who has always had my attention every time I’ve read or watched Pride & Prejudice. I think we’ve all struggled to understand her decision over Mr Collins, at least initially. This book explored her as a person but also their relationship as a couple. However this book is all Charlotte as a women in all her facets.
The book joined Charlotte seven years into her marriage to Mr Collins with three children, but tragedy was around the corner. This book navigated Charlotte’s journey through life’s hurdles, difficulties and grief. How Charlotte got through her emotions, anger and desire sometimes made by eyebrows raise but it felt tangible and good storytelling.
The cast of characters in the background of this book were rich and familiar. Lizzy, Anne de Bourgh and Catherine de Bourgh brought some excellent reading and some surprising elements. I enjoyed the friendship and confidence between Anne and Charlotte and Charlotte had also won the respect of Anne’s mother.
“But what really has my admiration is that my mother considers this an excellent plan of action. This leads me to all but suspect witchcraft on your part, Mrs Collins. Did our gypsy friends weave a spell, perhaps?”
Some of Charlotte’s experiences were heart-aching and on the flip side, her passionate nature was surprising. I liked where the story ended up in terms of her passions and I will say no more.
I had both an ebook ARC and an advance audio copy. I listened mostly and read some by ebook. The narration was perfect for the book and really conveyed Charlotte as a character.
Thank you to Bonnier Books for the early review copies.
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities Blog.
June 23, 2020
Anyone who knows me will have a pretty good idea that Regency-era novels are possibly not quite on my radar, but I'm a firm believer of reading widely and reading outside of my chosen genres, so here goes. Charlotte by Helen Moffett is the sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice you didn't know you needed to read. But truth be told, I'd heard so much about darling Charlotte that I went and read Pride and Prejudice so that I'd be suitably prepared with all the back story in place.
I'll start by saying that P&P is an important book to read, and a clever one, because it sneakily delivers biting social critique for its time, and in that sense exists as a capsule reminding us how far we've come in terms of women's rights. Moffett takes up where Austen has left off, and instead of doing the expected, rather continues the story from the point of view of Charlotte Lucas, who is so easy to overlook otherwise yet who nevertheless also has a compelling story. While Mr Collins is the opinionated, somewhat buffoonish, brown-nosed idiot I absolutely loathed in P&P, Moffett does the last thing I expected – she redeems him.
The underlying theme of Charlotte is clear: it's about women not meekly accepting the conventions and expectations laid down by society, but bit by bit finding ways to subvert them and overcome them. This may be seen in how Charlotte deftly handles a matter of inheritance or how an absolutely delightful secondary character goes haring off on a most unsuitable adventure for gently bred women. Even if Moffett does, I feel, take a few more liberties with characters' actions than I think Austen would back in the day, the end result is still plausible and satisfying.
Not only has Moffett continue the storyline with her own, signature twist, but she's also preserved Austen's style of writing, which in itself is no mean feat. And while Moffett's own particular brand of poetry creeps out in key scenes this is in no way jarring. Moffett takes this opportunity to display her rare talent for evocative imagery that had me feel as though I were walking right there on the grounds of Pemberley.
I won't spoil anything further, but I'll urge anyone who's ever loved Pride and Prejudice to go and track down a copy of Charlotte. Moffett has certainly left enough tantalising breadcrumbs that may lead to further stories to follow on from this one.
Charlotte was exactly the comfort reading I needed to read the moment I tucked into it, and I savoured every page.
I'll start by saying that P&P is an important book to read, and a clever one, because it sneakily delivers biting social critique for its time, and in that sense exists as a capsule reminding us how far we've come in terms of women's rights. Moffett takes up where Austen has left off, and instead of doing the expected, rather continues the story from the point of view of Charlotte Lucas, who is so easy to overlook otherwise yet who nevertheless also has a compelling story. While Mr Collins is the opinionated, somewhat buffoonish, brown-nosed idiot I absolutely loathed in P&P, Moffett does the last thing I expected – she redeems him.
The underlying theme of Charlotte is clear: it's about women not meekly accepting the conventions and expectations laid down by society, but bit by bit finding ways to subvert them and overcome them. This may be seen in how Charlotte deftly handles a matter of inheritance or how an absolutely delightful secondary character goes haring off on a most unsuitable adventure for gently bred women. Even if Moffett does, I feel, take a few more liberties with characters' actions than I think Austen would back in the day, the end result is still plausible and satisfying.
Not only has Moffett continue the storyline with her own, signature twist, but she's also preserved Austen's style of writing, which in itself is no mean feat. And while Moffett's own particular brand of poetry creeps out in key scenes this is in no way jarring. Moffett takes this opportunity to display her rare talent for evocative imagery that had me feel as though I were walking right there on the grounds of Pemberley.
I won't spoil anything further, but I'll urge anyone who's ever loved Pride and Prejudice to go and track down a copy of Charlotte. Moffett has certainly left enough tantalising breadcrumbs that may lead to further stories to follow on from this one.
Charlotte was exactly the comfort reading I needed to read the moment I tucked into it, and I savoured every page.
September 3, 2020
The Charlotte who emerges from the book is loyal, honest, intelligent, an attentive, loving mother and wife. Above all, she’s a pragmatist, her aim being ‘to secure a future free of anxiety and material want’ for herself and her children. The author provides the reader with a different picture of the relationship between Charlotte and Mr Collins than might be imagined from Pride and Prejudice. Although a marriage of convenience initially, there is mutual affection and, at times, even desire between the pair. Yes, really. Granted, Mr Collins remains his overly talkative self and pathetically grateful for every favour that comes his way from his patron, Lady Catherine, but there are some touching scenes in which he and Charlotte are brought together by grief.
The author has some fun imagining “what happened next” to the other Bennet sisters and expanding the role of some of the secondary characters from Pride and Prejudice, notably Anne de Bourgh, daughter of the formidable Lady Catherine. There are also literary allusions to spot such as a first meeting on a moonlit road, a female character with a fondness for wearing men’s clothes and a wet-shirted emergence from water.
An invented character, Austrian musician and piano tuner Jacob Rosenstein, acts as a vehicle for Charlotte to recount, in a series of flashbacks, scenes from Pride and Prejudice (seen from her point of view) as well as details of the early part of her marriage. He also acts as a welcome distraction from her grief over a family tragedy.
The book is written in elegant prose reminiscent of, but not slavishly copying, Jane Austen’s style. Much tea is consumed, health-giving country walks are taken and musical evenings are enjoyed.
A repeated theme of the book is the inferior status of women whether manifested through inheritance laws, social conventions or the constraints of marriage. It leads Charlotte to reflect on ‘the swinging unfairness of the lot that made her a woman’ making her ‘little better than a parcel to be lodged where first a father and then a husband decreed’. Having said this, Charlotte proves herself adept at subtle manipulation and the end of the book sees her influencing the turn of events.
The author has some fun imagining “what happened next” to the other Bennet sisters and expanding the role of some of the secondary characters from Pride and Prejudice, notably Anne de Bourgh, daughter of the formidable Lady Catherine. There are also literary allusions to spot such as a first meeting on a moonlit road, a female character with a fondness for wearing men’s clothes and a wet-shirted emergence from water.
An invented character, Austrian musician and piano tuner Jacob Rosenstein, acts as a vehicle for Charlotte to recount, in a series of flashbacks, scenes from Pride and Prejudice (seen from her point of view) as well as details of the early part of her marriage. He also acts as a welcome distraction from her grief over a family tragedy.
The book is written in elegant prose reminiscent of, but not slavishly copying, Jane Austen’s style. Much tea is consumed, health-giving country walks are taken and musical evenings are enjoyed.
A repeated theme of the book is the inferior status of women whether manifested through inheritance laws, social conventions or the constraints of marriage. It leads Charlotte to reflect on ‘the swinging unfairness of the lot that made her a woman’ making her ‘little better than a parcel to be lodged where first a father and then a husband decreed’. Having said this, Charlotte proves herself adept at subtle manipulation and the end of the book sees her influencing the turn of events.
July 12, 2021
Charlotte Lucas was a character in Pride & Prejudice who I was left wanting to know more about, particularly after her marriage to Mr Collins, to see what their marriage was like and how life was for Charlotte. This book seemed like the perfect retelling to give me exactly what I was hoping for, except sadly it didn't.
The book begins with Charlotte and Mr Collins mourning the loss of their third born child. The emotional connection and moments of tenderness between them as grieving parents was a promising start and I was looking forward to an exploration of their marriage and relationship with each other, especially as theirs was an unlikely and surprising match in Pride & Prejudice.
However the plot very quickly moves away from this and puts Mr Collins firmly in the background as we follow Charlotte's growing friendship with Anne de Bourgh, her extended visit to stay with Elizabeth Darcy at Pemberley and a tedious backstory covering everything we already know, or could work out for ourselves, about how Charlotte and Mr Collins met and came to be married.
I didn't like where the plot went and found it quite dull. It didn't deliver on the aspects of Charlotte's story I was hoping it would, which I understand is my own expectation rather than an issue of the book, but it did affect my enjoyment of it unfortunately.
The book begins with Charlotte and Mr Collins mourning the loss of their third born child. The emotional connection and moments of tenderness between them as grieving parents was a promising start and I was looking forward to an exploration of their marriage and relationship with each other, especially as theirs was an unlikely and surprising match in Pride & Prejudice.
However the plot very quickly moves away from this and puts Mr Collins firmly in the background as we follow Charlotte's growing friendship with Anne de Bourgh, her extended visit to stay with Elizabeth Darcy at Pemberley and a tedious backstory covering everything we already know, or could work out for ourselves, about how Charlotte and Mr Collins met and came to be married.
I didn't like where the plot went and found it quite dull. It didn't deliver on the aspects of Charlotte's story I was hoping it would, which I understand is my own expectation rather than an issue of the book, but it did affect my enjoyment of it unfortunately.
June 14, 2021
Jane Austen and indeed her most popular novel, Pride and Prejudice, continue to fascinate us, and many authors have put pen to paper to imagine how those characters would develop. I’m new to this, having only read The Other Bennet Sister, which I loved, but this new telling piqued my curiosity.
The focus is on Charlotte Lucas and what her life would become, having accepted Mr Collins’s marriage proposal. Austen shows us Elizabeth’s shock to the news, not understanding how her friend could do such a thing. And yet... It did make sense. I always liked the character of Charlotte and could appreciate her difficult situation. Yes, Mr Collins is ridiculous and not the most prestigious of men, but he is not an evil man or indeed a violent one, and he could offer her protection, safety, and a little luxury even. I know, this does not sound very romantic and yet, as Charlotte herself says in P&P, she was never a romantic soul. Rather a realist I would say.
So, how does Moffett extrapolates this life? Pretty well, actually. To see events and places through Charlotte’s eyes was delightful. The one person that surprised me the most was the portrayal of Anne de Bourgh! Now that was something I wasn’t expecting!
In all, a really good tale and one that I enjoyed.
December 29, 2020
I have to confess that Pride and Prejudice was always one of my least favourite Jane Austen novels, until that is I watched the 2005 movie adaptation, which I adore. Since then I’ve read only a few of what must be hundreds of retellings/sequels/reimaginings/modern adaptions of the novels, of which Charlotte is one.
Helen Moffett takes a unique approach to the canon by placing Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth Darcy’s (née Bennett) friend, at the heart of her own story. It begins several years after Charlotte’s marriage to the Bennett’s cousin, Reverend Collins, with the tragic death of their third child and only son, Thomas. His death, and a visit to Pemberley, results in Charlotte contemplating the decision she made to marry Mr Collins, and the vulnerability of her own two young daughters to a fate decided by men.
In many respects, the Charlotte Moffett portrays is just as I imagined she might be, a kind and capable woman with the respect of her community, a loyal wife, and a wonderful mother. Marrying Mr Collins my have been a compromise, but she has made peace with the decision, and has created a life she generally finds satisfying., until the death of her son disturbs her equilibrium.
A months long visit to Pemberley with her girls, to stay with Elizabeth at the behest of a worried Mr Darcy in his absence, gives Charlotte time to mourn. Moffett also uses this opportunity to introduce a new character, an Austrian musician and piano tuner, Jacob Rosenstein, who prompts Charlotte to imagine a different fate for herself.
As in Austen’s novels, there is a strong feminist element at play, exploring the lack of agency women experience, their futures determined at the whim of their fathers, brothers, and husbands. While Charlotte acknowledges a semblance of luck in marrying Mr Collins, whose faults do not extend to excessive drinking or violence, she still resents that she had no real alternative, and doesn’t want her daughters to suffer similarly.
Readers familiar with Jane Austen’s oeuvre will appreciate Moffett’s references to other works, as well as glimpses of an imagined fate for many of the characters from Pride and Prejudice, none more surprising perhaps than of Anne De Bourgh. Purists may be upset by some of the liberties Moffett takes, but I happily embraced them all.
I found the writing to be lovely, in keeping with Austen’s own prose, though not quite as stiff. There is a lot of emotion in this story which I think Moffett communicates beautifully from Charlotte’s journey through grief, to her discovery of passion.
Moving, bright, and charming, I was captivated by Charlotte, and happily recommend it.
Helen Moffett takes a unique approach to the canon by placing Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth Darcy’s (née Bennett) friend, at the heart of her own story. It begins several years after Charlotte’s marriage to the Bennett’s cousin, Reverend Collins, with the tragic death of their third child and only son, Thomas. His death, and a visit to Pemberley, results in Charlotte contemplating the decision she made to marry Mr Collins, and the vulnerability of her own two young daughters to a fate decided by men.
In many respects, the Charlotte Moffett portrays is just as I imagined she might be, a kind and capable woman with the respect of her community, a loyal wife, and a wonderful mother. Marrying Mr Collins my have been a compromise, but she has made peace with the decision, and has created a life she generally finds satisfying., until the death of her son disturbs her equilibrium.
A months long visit to Pemberley with her girls, to stay with Elizabeth at the behest of a worried Mr Darcy in his absence, gives Charlotte time to mourn. Moffett also uses this opportunity to introduce a new character, an Austrian musician and piano tuner, Jacob Rosenstein, who prompts Charlotte to imagine a different fate for herself.
As in Austen’s novels, there is a strong feminist element at play, exploring the lack of agency women experience, their futures determined at the whim of their fathers, brothers, and husbands. While Charlotte acknowledges a semblance of luck in marrying Mr Collins, whose faults do not extend to excessive drinking or violence, she still resents that she had no real alternative, and doesn’t want her daughters to suffer similarly.
Readers familiar with Jane Austen’s oeuvre will appreciate Moffett’s references to other works, as well as glimpses of an imagined fate for many of the characters from Pride and Prejudice, none more surprising perhaps than of Anne De Bourgh. Purists may be upset by some of the liberties Moffett takes, but I happily embraced them all.
I found the writing to be lovely, in keeping with Austen’s own prose, though not quite as stiff. There is a lot of emotion in this story which I think Moffett communicates beautifully from Charlotte’s journey through grief, to her discovery of passion.
Moving, bright, and charming, I was captivated by Charlotte, and happily recommend it.
March 1, 2021
This was an entertaining read. Charlotte has always intrigued me. The introvert in me adores the way she puts aside the risks of romance and settles for the security and solitude of marriage to Mr Collins. I was so excited to read more about her.
Moffet is true to Pride and Prejudice in detail and fact but turns many assumptions and (dare I say it) prejudices about the characters that Austen has reduced to caricature. Charlotte, Mr Collins and even Elizabeth are seen through fresh eyes. But my favourite of all was the secret history of the enigmatic Anne De Bourgh. Plausible and wonderful.
One star is dropped for the cringey sexual encounters. And maybe there were a few too many predictable metaphors and similes - which I'm sure served the author well in school but didn't add to the book for me.
Overall this was great fun and a quick read. I think it is helpful to know that this book's main theme is the loss of a child and miscarriage. It is sensitively written. This isn't an escapist book in that way. But the ending is satisfying.
Moffet is true to Pride and Prejudice in detail and fact but turns many assumptions and (dare I say it) prejudices about the characters that Austen has reduced to caricature. Charlotte, Mr Collins and even Elizabeth are seen through fresh eyes. But my favourite of all was the secret history of the enigmatic Anne De Bourgh. Plausible and wonderful.
One star is dropped for the cringey sexual encounters. And maybe there were a few too many predictable metaphors and similes - which I'm sure served the author well in school but didn't add to the book for me.
Overall this was great fun and a quick read. I think it is helpful to know that this book's main theme is the loss of a child and miscarriage. It is sensitively written. This isn't an escapist book in that way. But the ending is satisfying.
August 15, 2021
For my full review: https://girlwithherheadinabook.co.uk/...
The people of Meryton believed that Charlotte Lucas had no prospects. Mrs Bennet sighed patronisingly that it was a shame that Charlotte was not more handsome. It seemed as if she was destined for a life as a spinster daughter. But then one day, she surprised everyone by accepting the proposal of newcomer Mr Collins, heir to Longbourn. Charlotte's closest friend Elizabeth Bennet is appalled to see an intelligent woman accepting the addresses of such a fool but Charlotte is clear-eyed about the opportunity that the marriage represents. In this thought-provoking re-imagining of Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Helen Moffett examines Charlotte's choice and considers whether it could have brought her contentment.
The novel opens with Charlotte being awoken in the middle of the night by her husband with heart-stopping news. He has just been past the bed of their youngest child, little Tom. The child, who suffered from hydranencephaly, has died in his sleep. Charlotte's grief is raw even as she maintains her self-control over the coming days. However even as the shock fades, Charlotte's mourning for her adored son is a constant thread throughout the novel. Since having my own son, I have found it difficult to impossible to read fiction featuring the death of children but Moffett handles the issue with great sensitivity. Despite the era and Tom's disability, it is clear that the child has been well loved by all who knew him and his loss is keenly felt.
Moffett takes an explicitly feminist perspective towards Pride and Prejudice, critiquing various of the original characters for their responses to Charlotte. As Moffett's own story progresses, she sends her heroine for a lengthy sojourn to Pemberley along with her children. While there, Charlotte recounts the events of the main novel to a new acquaintance, allowing Moffett a chance to give her own commentary. While generations of readers have expressed horror that Charlotte has made a match with such mercenary motivations, Moffett sets out her case in Charlotte's defence. She points out that Charlotte is the eldest of a numerous family. She has never had space of her own, she has always had work to be done and younger siblings to run after. With so many children and so little money, Charlotte knows that her family cannot afford the expense of a spinster daughter. Unlike Elizabeth, she is in no position to refuse a proposal, particularly when it comes from a decent man.
And this is the point that Moffett makes time and again. William Collins may not be sensible, but he is not so wicked either. He is a young man in his early twenties who has a tendency to become overwhelmed and overly obsequious in the company of those of higher social rank. Basically, he is insecure and over-compensates. But as Charlotte enters into her married life, she sees that she has much to be grateful for. She sees women who have to make excuses about black eyes, those whose husbands are drunkards, who gamble. Mr Collins may be foolish, he may even be cringe-inducing, but he has a good heart. He praises his wife for her domestic talents, he speaks highly of her to all who will listen and the two of them can find common ground in building their home together. Moffett highlights the pleasure that Charlotte finds in running her own home. That the housework which was so exhausting back at Lucas Lodge is a joy at Hunsdon Parsonage. There is something so touching about the scene when Charlotte first tours her new home and looks around it, basking in the fact that she is the mistress. And her silent excitement that one day there would be children. For a character who had believed herself destined for spinsterhood, this was a beautifully caught moment.
Moffett captures Mr and Mrs Collins as co-parents with great skill. While they may not be a love match, they both adore their offspring. I felt genuinely teary at the scene where Mr Collins explains that he had found little Tom dead because he had stopped by to pray for him as he did every night, a habit of even doting mother Charlotte had been aware. Whatever Mr Collins' many faults, Moffett is able to convince the reader that the best of him can be found in the love he has for his children. Another powerful scene depicts Tom's birth, during which the experienced village midwife makes a motion to suggest euthanising the child. Sweaty and exhausted, Charlotte still lets out a roar of protest and snatches the baby herself. Mr Collins stands fast by his wife in her decision, as indeed does their patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh. While Lady Catherine is still recognisably the same woman from Austen's novel, Moffett humanises her with a sensitivity around a mother's love for her children. The solicitude which she offers Charlotte in her grief is understated but affecting.
By contrast, Moffett gives Elizabeth Bennet a much rougher ride. I have noted though that this is a recent trend in Austen-inspired fiction. Charlotte is deeply hurt by Elizabeth's horrified reaction to Charlotte's marriage. Indeed, we rather see that Elizabeth reflects Charlotte's own shame at marrying a man who she does not love. But Elizabeth is younger, she has seen less of genteel poverty, she is also far more headstrong. Elizabeth would have never been able to manage Mr Collins or indeed Hunsdon Parsonage as Charlotte does. But there are other moments however which do not show Elizabeth at her shining best. In particular, Charlotte reacts with fury at Elizabeth's comment in a letter that Wickham is engaged to heiress Mary King, but she sees this as understandable since handsome men must have something to live on as well as the plain. But in that case, fumes Charlotte, what about the plain women? Are they also allowed to wish for something upon which to live? This is Elizabeth's hypocrisy. While we know that Darcy's letter laying bare Wickham's true character will change her opinions, it does not reflect well upon the second Miss Bennet that she was prepared to show sympathy towards a young man she had known a scant few months but not for a woman who she had considered her best friend.
Charlotte is a novel that definitely offers moments of reflection for Austen fans, highlighting previously unconsidered moments of the original novel. However, I found the latter sections in Pemberley and beyond to be less effective. I also failed to connect with Moffett's portrayal of Miss Anne de Bourgh. Her character failed to interest me and the novel dragged whenever she appeared. I can see that she was intended as a kind of Gentleman Jack figure but for me, she simply lessened the impact of Charlotte's main plot. Without that plot strand, I would have been recommending this novel rapturously but with it, I struggled to suspend disbelief. The problem with so many spin-off versions of Charlotte Lucas is that authors cannot accept Charlotte's choice. They must have it that something shifts to allow Charlotte to find love elsewhere. In Scenes Jane Austen Never Wrote, Charlotte takes a lover before and after marriage. Other depictions see her as a lesbian. My personal favourite comes in Lost in Austen where Jane marries Mr Collins instead and so Charlotte takes off to Africa to carry out missionary work. In Charlotte's strongest moments, I felt like Moffett hit on the truth of the character's fate. Charlotte chose to marry Mr Collins because she believed it to be her best option and then she worked to prove herself correct. She was efficient, she was diplomatic and she was industrious. For these virtues she was richly rewarded in the love of her children. Adding extras like cash windfalls and exotic lovers feels superfluous and takes away from the courage that Charlotte showed. Charlotte Lucas' situation was not unique. There were many, many women who made similar choices in marriage and there is true heroism in the homes that they built without the blessing of romantic love. Charlotte almost captures their struggle and triumph but has a bad case of butterfingers in the final section. A close miss but sadly not quite on target.
The people of Meryton believed that Charlotte Lucas had no prospects. Mrs Bennet sighed patronisingly that it was a shame that Charlotte was not more handsome. It seemed as if she was destined for a life as a spinster daughter. But then one day, she surprised everyone by accepting the proposal of newcomer Mr Collins, heir to Longbourn. Charlotte's closest friend Elizabeth Bennet is appalled to see an intelligent woman accepting the addresses of such a fool but Charlotte is clear-eyed about the opportunity that the marriage represents. In this thought-provoking re-imagining of Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Helen Moffett examines Charlotte's choice and considers whether it could have brought her contentment.
The novel opens with Charlotte being awoken in the middle of the night by her husband with heart-stopping news. He has just been past the bed of their youngest child, little Tom. The child, who suffered from hydranencephaly, has died in his sleep. Charlotte's grief is raw even as she maintains her self-control over the coming days. However even as the shock fades, Charlotte's mourning for her adored son is a constant thread throughout the novel. Since having my own son, I have found it difficult to impossible to read fiction featuring the death of children but Moffett handles the issue with great sensitivity. Despite the era and Tom's disability, it is clear that the child has been well loved by all who knew him and his loss is keenly felt.
Moffett takes an explicitly feminist perspective towards Pride and Prejudice, critiquing various of the original characters for their responses to Charlotte. As Moffett's own story progresses, she sends her heroine for a lengthy sojourn to Pemberley along with her children. While there, Charlotte recounts the events of the main novel to a new acquaintance, allowing Moffett a chance to give her own commentary. While generations of readers have expressed horror that Charlotte has made a match with such mercenary motivations, Moffett sets out her case in Charlotte's defence. She points out that Charlotte is the eldest of a numerous family. She has never had space of her own, she has always had work to be done and younger siblings to run after. With so many children and so little money, Charlotte knows that her family cannot afford the expense of a spinster daughter. Unlike Elizabeth, she is in no position to refuse a proposal, particularly when it comes from a decent man.
And this is the point that Moffett makes time and again. William Collins may not be sensible, but he is not so wicked either. He is a young man in his early twenties who has a tendency to become overwhelmed and overly obsequious in the company of those of higher social rank. Basically, he is insecure and over-compensates. But as Charlotte enters into her married life, she sees that she has much to be grateful for. She sees women who have to make excuses about black eyes, those whose husbands are drunkards, who gamble. Mr Collins may be foolish, he may even be cringe-inducing, but he has a good heart. He praises his wife for her domestic talents, he speaks highly of her to all who will listen and the two of them can find common ground in building their home together. Moffett highlights the pleasure that Charlotte finds in running her own home. That the housework which was so exhausting back at Lucas Lodge is a joy at Hunsdon Parsonage. There is something so touching about the scene when Charlotte first tours her new home and looks around it, basking in the fact that she is the mistress. And her silent excitement that one day there would be children. For a character who had believed herself destined for spinsterhood, this was a beautifully caught moment.
Moffett captures Mr and Mrs Collins as co-parents with great skill. While they may not be a love match, they both adore their offspring. I felt genuinely teary at the scene where Mr Collins explains that he had found little Tom dead because he had stopped by to pray for him as he did every night, a habit of even doting mother Charlotte had been aware. Whatever Mr Collins' many faults, Moffett is able to convince the reader that the best of him can be found in the love he has for his children. Another powerful scene depicts Tom's birth, during which the experienced village midwife makes a motion to suggest euthanising the child. Sweaty and exhausted, Charlotte still lets out a roar of protest and snatches the baby herself. Mr Collins stands fast by his wife in her decision, as indeed does their patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh. While Lady Catherine is still recognisably the same woman from Austen's novel, Moffett humanises her with a sensitivity around a mother's love for her children. The solicitude which she offers Charlotte in her grief is understated but affecting.
By contrast, Moffett gives Elizabeth Bennet a much rougher ride. I have noted though that this is a recent trend in Austen-inspired fiction. Charlotte is deeply hurt by Elizabeth's horrified reaction to Charlotte's marriage. Indeed, we rather see that Elizabeth reflects Charlotte's own shame at marrying a man who she does not love. But Elizabeth is younger, she has seen less of genteel poverty, she is also far more headstrong. Elizabeth would have never been able to manage Mr Collins or indeed Hunsdon Parsonage as Charlotte does. But there are other moments however which do not show Elizabeth at her shining best. In particular, Charlotte reacts with fury at Elizabeth's comment in a letter that Wickham is engaged to heiress Mary King, but she sees this as understandable since handsome men must have something to live on as well as the plain. But in that case, fumes Charlotte, what about the plain women? Are they also allowed to wish for something upon which to live? This is Elizabeth's hypocrisy. While we know that Darcy's letter laying bare Wickham's true character will change her opinions, it does not reflect well upon the second Miss Bennet that she was prepared to show sympathy towards a young man she had known a scant few months but not for a woman who she had considered her best friend.
Charlotte is a novel that definitely offers moments of reflection for Austen fans, highlighting previously unconsidered moments of the original novel. However, I found the latter sections in Pemberley and beyond to be less effective. I also failed to connect with Moffett's portrayal of Miss Anne de Bourgh. Her character failed to interest me and the novel dragged whenever she appeared. I can see that she was intended as a kind of Gentleman Jack figure but for me, she simply lessened the impact of Charlotte's main plot. Without that plot strand, I would have been recommending this novel rapturously but with it, I struggled to suspend disbelief. The problem with so many spin-off versions of Charlotte Lucas is that authors cannot accept Charlotte's choice. They must have it that something shifts to allow Charlotte to find love elsewhere. In Scenes Jane Austen Never Wrote, Charlotte takes a lover before and after marriage. Other depictions see her as a lesbian. My personal favourite comes in Lost in Austen where Jane marries Mr Collins instead and so Charlotte takes off to Africa to carry out missionary work. In Charlotte's strongest moments, I felt like Moffett hit on the truth of the character's fate. Charlotte chose to marry Mr Collins because she believed it to be her best option and then she worked to prove herself correct. She was efficient, she was diplomatic and she was industrious. For these virtues she was richly rewarded in the love of her children. Adding extras like cash windfalls and exotic lovers feels superfluous and takes away from the courage that Charlotte showed. Charlotte Lucas' situation was not unique. There were many, many women who made similar choices in marriage and there is true heroism in the homes that they built without the blessing of romantic love. Charlotte almost captures their struggle and triumph but has a bad case of butterfingers in the final section. A close miss but sadly not quite on target.
November 26, 2021
Read- November 2021
- TW/ Miscarriage, Infant Death
I've been so excited to read this book since before it came out and I genuinely couldn't stand it. I hated the interpretation of Charlotte and think almost everything she did was out of character. This is a spoiler but the book also contains cheating which I just can't stand. I also can't believe that nobody else has ever mentioned the fact that there is a major trigger warning for both infant death and miscarriage in this book. There is so much in depth detail for both of these within the first 7 chapters and it carries on throughout the book and it honestly disgusts me that nobody thought to ever mention this. I really wish I had just dnf'd this book to be quite honest.
- TW/ Miscarriage, Infant Death
I've been so excited to read this book since before it came out and I genuinely couldn't stand it. I hated the interpretation of Charlotte and think almost everything she did was out of character. This is a spoiler but the book also contains cheating which I just can't stand. I also can't believe that nobody else has ever mentioned the fact that there is a major trigger warning for both infant death and miscarriage in this book. There is so much in depth detail for both of these within the first 7 chapters and it carries on throughout the book and it honestly disgusts me that nobody thought to ever mention this. I really wish I had just dnf'd this book to be quite honest.
March 24, 2021
*I received a free ARC of this novel, with thanks to the author, Bonnier Books and NetGalley. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
This is not a book for Austen purists, as Helen Moffett has taken the original Pride and Prejudice characters and used that plot as a background story, for a very different and more modern tale about a woman’s secret inner life, grief and yearning for independence.
Luckily, far from a purist, I revel in anything that expands the world of a book I love and gives me a peek into what could have happened next, before or during the main action, however unlikely it may be. And I struggled to think of anything more unlikely than the cool-headed, intelligent Charlotte Lucas growing to love the excessively small-minded and silly Mr Collins. Helen Moffett deftly proved me wrong there.
One of the most interesting feelings I took away from this story was the bias I had unwittingly fallen prey to when reading Austen’s novel. Of course, we get the whole of that story from the perspective of Elizabeth Bennett, and I wholeheartedly bought into her opinions on side characters like Charlotte, Mr Collins or Anne de Bourgh. But one of the underlying themes of that story is prejudice! Lizzie is proved to be wrong in her assessments of Wickham and Darcy, and in her understanding of how Bingley would view Jane’s behaviour. So why wouldn’t she have been wrong about the others too?
Not that this book completely reimagines the characters. Mr Collins is still not the brightest or most sensitive of men, but here he is seen as human – a kind, well-meaning family man whose edges are softened by his relationship with his sensible wife. We also see a very different Anne de Bourgh, who hides behind a listless exterior by day, but adventures like a highwayman at night; I quite liked this reimagining of her as a woman of some freedom and independence behind the scenes.
This also fit thematically with Charlotte’s story, which is one of the heavy grief of motherhood woven with the fainter healing strands of time, friendship and – eventually – passion. There was a languid lack of tension throughout the story, that allowed Charlotte and the reader to follow events somewhat passively. After all, the worst had already happened at the very start of the book… everything that follows is mere survival.
I found some of the themes, particularly that of women’s rights and of the treatment of Jews, were handled in a bit of a heavy-handed way. Instead of running through the story naturally, blocks of information and opinion were slotted in, interrupting the flow of the story. Similarly, I found it very hard to believe that a woman of Charlotte’s personality, place and time would speak freely to a young, handsome tradesman about her menses, childbirth or her sexual relations with her husband! As a narrative trick to tell the reader about such things, it felt clumsy and anachronistic.
Other than these small inconsistencies, however, I felt that the blending of modern attitudes (equality, openness) with Austen’s characters and setting worked to interesting effect, and really got me thinking about the issues and personalities in new ways. While a slow and mostly undramatic read, it adds nicely to the canon of classical spin-offs and retellings and so is worth reading, for Austen fans, on that basis.
'Charlotte was tired to the bone. Tired of the universally acknowledged truism: that a single woman of no great fortune must be in want of a life, at the beck and call of all who might find her momentarily useful, a blank template waiting for the impress of others. Standing in a lane she had walked since childhood, a shuttlecock batted between the lives of others, she struggled to master sensations of both entrapment and aimlessness.'
– Helen Moffett, Charlotte
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
This is not a book for Austen purists, as Helen Moffett has taken the original Pride and Prejudice characters and used that plot as a background story, for a very different and more modern tale about a woman’s secret inner life, grief and yearning for independence.
Luckily, far from a purist, I revel in anything that expands the world of a book I love and gives me a peek into what could have happened next, before or during the main action, however unlikely it may be. And I struggled to think of anything more unlikely than the cool-headed, intelligent Charlotte Lucas growing to love the excessively small-minded and silly Mr Collins. Helen Moffett deftly proved me wrong there.
One of the most interesting feelings I took away from this story was the bias I had unwittingly fallen prey to when reading Austen’s novel. Of course, we get the whole of that story from the perspective of Elizabeth Bennett, and I wholeheartedly bought into her opinions on side characters like Charlotte, Mr Collins or Anne de Bourgh. But one of the underlying themes of that story is prejudice! Lizzie is proved to be wrong in her assessments of Wickham and Darcy, and in her understanding of how Bingley would view Jane’s behaviour. So why wouldn’t she have been wrong about the others too?
Not that this book completely reimagines the characters. Mr Collins is still not the brightest or most sensitive of men, but here he is seen as human – a kind, well-meaning family man whose edges are softened by his relationship with his sensible wife. We also see a very different Anne de Bourgh, who hides behind a listless exterior by day, but adventures like a highwayman at night; I quite liked this reimagining of her as a woman of some freedom and independence behind the scenes.
This also fit thematically with Charlotte’s story, which is one of the heavy grief of motherhood woven with the fainter healing strands of time, friendship and – eventually – passion. There was a languid lack of tension throughout the story, that allowed Charlotte and the reader to follow events somewhat passively. After all, the worst had already happened at the very start of the book… everything that follows is mere survival.
I found some of the themes, particularly that of women’s rights and of the treatment of Jews, were handled in a bit of a heavy-handed way. Instead of running through the story naturally, blocks of information and opinion were slotted in, interrupting the flow of the story. Similarly, I found it very hard to believe that a woman of Charlotte’s personality, place and time would speak freely to a young, handsome tradesman about her menses, childbirth or her sexual relations with her husband! As a narrative trick to tell the reader about such things, it felt clumsy and anachronistic.
Other than these small inconsistencies, however, I felt that the blending of modern attitudes (equality, openness) with Austen’s characters and setting worked to interesting effect, and really got me thinking about the issues and personalities in new ways. While a slow and mostly undramatic read, it adds nicely to the canon of classical spin-offs and retellings and so is worth reading, for Austen fans, on that basis.
'Charlotte was tired to the bone. Tired of the universally acknowledged truism: that a single woman of no great fortune must be in want of a life, at the beck and call of all who might find her momentarily useful, a blank template waiting for the impress of others. Standing in a lane she had walked since childhood, a shuttlecock batted between the lives of others, she struggled to master sensations of both entrapment and aimlessness.'
– Helen Moffett, Charlotte
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
May 23, 2020
LEAVE JANE AUSTEN ALONE. I'm a glutton for punishment, I've read too many of these weird Austen sequels. This one was... terrible. I realised that about 8% in when Charlotte has an orgasm after about ten seconds of Mr Collins (MR. COLLINS.) thrusting into her 🙄. The book then proceeds to tell a really, really, really boring story of Charlotte falling in love with some bland Austrian musician, interspersed with descriptions of Anne de Bourgh as Gentleman Jack. I'm still not over that bloody scene that rips off the first encounter with Rochester in Jane Eyre, but suffice to say it made me certain Charlotte and Anne would end up together, which would perhaps have been better than what does actually happen later on in the novel. Anyway. I hated this book. Invent your own characters, people. Leave Austen's creations alone.
November 6, 2021
It's definitely not on a par with Jane Austen and the ending is a bit bland, but it was a nice, cosy read for the autumn as the days get darker and you want to be curled up with a book
September 13, 2020
Charlotte Lucas is plain, poor and unmarried at a time when all these things matter hugely to a woman, whose only security in the world resides on that of the matrimonial state.
Determined to change the course of her life Charlotte marries Mr. Collins, an affable clergyman.
It is not a love match but she derives pleasure from being a helpmeet to William and caring for their children until that is the death of her son Tom.
Grieving and unable to get over the loss she goes to stay with her best friend Elizabeth Bennet.
Struggling with the loss of Tom she is on the cusp of making a huge mistake that will change her life forever.
A brilliant addition to the cannon of Jane Austen spin offs in the literary world, not being a huge devotee of Austen like many, I did appreciate hearing the story of Charlotte, an underdog, a woman and product of her time with little option or hope of changing her life or social situation except by the expediency of marriage.
Charlotte as a character I really liked and engaged with and was someone doing her best in a period where women were seen as chattels, ornaments and a way of ensuring heirs or cementing good alliances between affluent families.
The author compassionately wove a tale sympathetic to the period and style of Austen and did a great job telling readers her take on Charlotte's life for all those who ever wondered "what happened next."
Determined to change the course of her life Charlotte marries Mr. Collins, an affable clergyman.
It is not a love match but she derives pleasure from being a helpmeet to William and caring for their children until that is the death of her son Tom.
Grieving and unable to get over the loss she goes to stay with her best friend Elizabeth Bennet.
Struggling with the loss of Tom she is on the cusp of making a huge mistake that will change her life forever.
A brilliant addition to the cannon of Jane Austen spin offs in the literary world, not being a huge devotee of Austen like many, I did appreciate hearing the story of Charlotte, an underdog, a woman and product of her time with little option or hope of changing her life or social situation except by the expediency of marriage.
Charlotte as a character I really liked and engaged with and was someone doing her best in a period where women were seen as chattels, ornaments and a way of ensuring heirs or cementing good alliances between affluent families.
The author compassionately wove a tale sympathetic to the period and style of Austen and did a great job telling readers her take on Charlotte's life for all those who ever wondered "what happened next."
January 18, 2021
Have you ever wondered what happened after Pride and Prejudice ends, who was happy, who got married, who made waves in the world?
There is a good chance that even if you have, you have never given a thought to Charlotte Collins, and what became of her.
But this book is here to remind us that Charlotte was a strong, determined woman - as strong and determined as Lizzy Bennett in fact.
The author of Charlotte did a phenomenal job of recreating the Regency world of Jane Austen, and the writing is so detailed and meticulous. I am honestly astounded by her historical style, and the small things which add up to a pretty fair imitation of Austen's writing.
Now that view takes me up to two thirds of the way in. Unfortunately I do not give her final chunk of the book the same praise. (SPOILER WARNING)
Although initially I enjoyed Charlotte and Jacob's friendship, and even somewhat enjoyed their obvious attraction as a natural and interesting storyline for a reasonably young mother who had married out of sensible obligation rather than out of love or any version of romance. Their flirtation (although somewhat questionable in it's likelihood for a modest character like Charlotte to carry out with her young daughters and Lizzy watching all the time) seemed fairly natural and not horrifically inappropriate. However, when that took a turn and they chose to act on their feelings, I no longer found it reasonable or sweet.
I'm really not a prude, but their relationship was not only morally reprehensible by regency standards (particularly those applied to a vicar's family) but would have been seen as wrong by many, I venture to say most modern viewpoints as well.
Secondly to that, it carried the attitude I hate most in romance fiction, and particularly associate with the tragically lacking book, The Bridges of Madison County. This totally false and unbelievable attitude is that of the modest wife and mother, who on cheating on her faithful husband not only feels zero guilt afterwards, but also feels gratified and comforted by the memory throughout the years. I don't believe that for a millisecond. The character of Charlotte which we came to know throughout the book up until that point fits with that attitude like chalk and cheese. No way is that how she would react.
Anyhow, rant over. All that to say that I was unfortunately very disappointed with the conclusion of the story, and felt that it ran screaming away from the lovely and realistic regency story from the start of this book.
This is certainly not a book for the Jane Austen purist, but I would recommend it to anyone who loves the Regency era, and wants a fresh, feminist look at one of history's most popular novels, so long as they don't mind some romance-novel nonsense being in the mix.
To the first 2/3 of this book I would have given 4 ⭐, but to the final 1/3 I give 2.75⭐.
There is a good chance that even if you have, you have never given a thought to Charlotte Collins, and what became of her.
But this book is here to remind us that Charlotte was a strong, determined woman - as strong and determined as Lizzy Bennett in fact.
The author of Charlotte did a phenomenal job of recreating the Regency world of Jane Austen, and the writing is so detailed and meticulous. I am honestly astounded by her historical style, and the small things which add up to a pretty fair imitation of Austen's writing.
Now that view takes me up to two thirds of the way in. Unfortunately I do not give her final chunk of the book the same praise. (SPOILER WARNING)
Although initially I enjoyed Charlotte and Jacob's friendship, and even somewhat enjoyed their obvious attraction as a natural and interesting storyline for a reasonably young mother who had married out of sensible obligation rather than out of love or any version of romance. Their flirtation (although somewhat questionable in it's likelihood for a modest character like Charlotte to carry out with her young daughters and Lizzy watching all the time) seemed fairly natural and not horrifically inappropriate. However, when that took a turn and they chose to act on their feelings, I no longer found it reasonable or sweet.
I'm really not a prude, but their relationship was not only morally reprehensible by regency standards (particularly those applied to a vicar's family) but would have been seen as wrong by many, I venture to say most modern viewpoints as well.
Secondly to that, it carried the attitude I hate most in romance fiction, and particularly associate with the tragically lacking book, The Bridges of Madison County. This totally false and unbelievable attitude is that of the modest wife and mother, who on cheating on her faithful husband not only feels zero guilt afterwards, but also feels gratified and comforted by the memory throughout the years. I don't believe that for a millisecond. The character of Charlotte which we came to know throughout the book up until that point fits with that attitude like chalk and cheese. No way is that how she would react.
Anyhow, rant over. All that to say that I was unfortunately very disappointed with the conclusion of the story, and felt that it ran screaming away from the lovely and realistic regency story from the start of this book.
This is certainly not a book for the Jane Austen purist, but I would recommend it to anyone who loves the Regency era, and wants a fresh, feminist look at one of history's most popular novels, so long as they don't mind some romance-novel nonsense being in the mix.
To the first 2/3 of this book I would have given 4 ⭐, but to the final 1/3 I give 2.75⭐.
September 10, 2020
I always liked the character of Charlotte and to learn more about her after the events of Pride and Prejudice I knew would be intriguing to read about.
This book shows Charlotte to be a strong, kind and intelligent woman who only wants to ensure her daughters grow up happy and secure financially. Living in a time when society is a mans world and the women have an inferior status, Charlotte finds it very difficult to see why men should rule and she uses subtle manipulative ways to get what she wants.
We also hear a lot more about the fragile, quiet character of Miss Anne de Bourgh; Lady Catherine de Bourgh's only daughter who in Pride and Prejudice is very much a minor character but in this reimagining she is brought to life and you see a side to her you most definitely would not have expected. I loved how the author portrays the women in this book. They are not the "delicate flowers" that are usually depicted in these type of books. I am sure Jane Austen would have been more than happy with their feminist ways.
Mr Collins and Charlotte's relationship also was not what I expected, they actually came across as quite a loving couple who both respected each other. The Mr Collins in Pride and Prejudice was talkative and irritating but you are painted a different picture of him in this book which worked well in the story.
The author does a great job of writing in a Austenesque way with country walks featured, musical evenings and men diving into lakes. But the thing is, it is not Jane Austen and it is hard for me to appreciate someone else's writing based on one of her best books. Maybe if I wasn't such a huge fan of hers I would have enjoyed this more. Don't get me wrong, this book was a pleasant, easy read but I must admit that quite frequently it felt like it dragged out a bit, especially in the middle chapters when Charlotte goes to Pemberley to stay with Lizzy. It was great to have one of my favourite book heroine's in Lizzy feature quite a lot in this book but it grew a bit stale after a while. I think I needed a bit more Mr Darcy in this book maybe!
This book shows Charlotte to be a strong, kind and intelligent woman who only wants to ensure her daughters grow up happy and secure financially. Living in a time when society is a mans world and the women have an inferior status, Charlotte finds it very difficult to see why men should rule and she uses subtle manipulative ways to get what she wants.
We also hear a lot more about the fragile, quiet character of Miss Anne de Bourgh; Lady Catherine de Bourgh's only daughter who in Pride and Prejudice is very much a minor character but in this reimagining she is brought to life and you see a side to her you most definitely would not have expected. I loved how the author portrays the women in this book. They are not the "delicate flowers" that are usually depicted in these type of books. I am sure Jane Austen would have been more than happy with their feminist ways.
Mr Collins and Charlotte's relationship also was not what I expected, they actually came across as quite a loving couple who both respected each other. The Mr Collins in Pride and Prejudice was talkative and irritating but you are painted a different picture of him in this book which worked well in the story.
The author does a great job of writing in a Austenesque way with country walks featured, musical evenings and men diving into lakes. But the thing is, it is not Jane Austen and it is hard for me to appreciate someone else's writing based on one of her best books. Maybe if I wasn't such a huge fan of hers I would have enjoyed this more. Don't get me wrong, this book was a pleasant, easy read but I must admit that quite frequently it felt like it dragged out a bit, especially in the middle chapters when Charlotte goes to Pemberley to stay with Lizzy. It was great to have one of my favourite book heroine's in Lizzy feature quite a lot in this book but it grew a bit stale after a while. I think I needed a bit more Mr Darcy in this book maybe!
May 28, 2020
3.5 to 4 stars
I'm one of the many Jane Austen fans who particularly love Pride and Prejudice. So it is with excitement and nervousness I read Charlotte, I desperately want the world of Pride and Prejudice to live on but also I don't want to ruin my love for it. Don't worry this book will not disappoint.
We meet familiar characters and homes that we know well. We meet Charlotte after she has been married for a number of years. She has a family, is settled into the life of a cleryman's wife, she eats frequently at Rosings Park and yes we meet Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her daughter Anne, who I admit appears quite changed.
Both Jane Bingley and Elizabeth Darcy are in the book, including the rather outspoken Mrs Bennett. The book was a pleasure to read, I felt like I was on safe ground back in Georgian, England. A joy to see many of the characters we know but through the eyes of Charlotte,thus seeing them in a new light. Charlotte continues to be a close friend to Elizabeth though they now live many miles apart and in very different circumstances.
Go on, pick up the book and find yourself lost in the world of Jane Austen again thanks Helen Moffett's imagination.
The books does stand alone, you do not need to have read Pride and Prejudice. But why would you have not? For me there was a single point in the story line when I thought no I don't believe that Charlotte Lucas would of done such a thing. That has prevented me from giving the book full 4 stars and rating it 3.5 stars.
Thank you to Manilla Press and Bonnier Books for an advance readers copy of this book on Net Galley for me to review.
I'm one of the many Jane Austen fans who particularly love Pride and Prejudice. So it is with excitement and nervousness I read Charlotte, I desperately want the world of Pride and Prejudice to live on but also I don't want to ruin my love for it. Don't worry this book will not disappoint.
We meet familiar characters and homes that we know well. We meet Charlotte after she has been married for a number of years. She has a family, is settled into the life of a cleryman's wife, she eats frequently at Rosings Park and yes we meet Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her daughter Anne, who I admit appears quite changed.
Both Jane Bingley and Elizabeth Darcy are in the book, including the rather outspoken Mrs Bennett. The book was a pleasure to read, I felt like I was on safe ground back in Georgian, England. A joy to see many of the characters we know but through the eyes of Charlotte,thus seeing them in a new light. Charlotte continues to be a close friend to Elizabeth though they now live many miles apart and in very different circumstances.
Go on, pick up the book and find yourself lost in the world of Jane Austen again thanks Helen Moffett's imagination.
The books does stand alone, you do not need to have read Pride and Prejudice. But why would you have not? For me there was a single point in the story line when I thought no I don't believe that Charlotte Lucas would of done such a thing. That has prevented me from giving the book full 4 stars and rating it 3.5 stars.
Thank you to Manilla Press and Bonnier Books for an advance readers copy of this book on Net Galley for me to review.
June 10, 2020
There are so many things that I loved about this book, many of which have been mentioned previously on this platform, so I’ll just list a few. I loved:
• being reminded of the wit, stylistic genius and relevance of Jane Austen, and being taken back in time;
• the richness of the language and imagery;
• how different Charlotte is from other excellent new literature;
• the descriptions of the countryside, seasons (with associated activities in the garden and kitchen), and the activities, particularly the horse-riding and walks; and
• Charlotte…oh, Charlotte, her pragmatism, intelligence and loyalty, and the depth of her emotions, including her grief, lust and love.
Helen Moffett has created a beautiful, unique piece of art and kudos too, to the designer of the cover. I read Charlotte on my Kindle, but, as soon as I can, I’ll buy a copy of the printed version and I’ll treasure it.
• being reminded of the wit, stylistic genius and relevance of Jane Austen, and being taken back in time;
• the richness of the language and imagery;
• how different Charlotte is from other excellent new literature;
• the descriptions of the countryside, seasons (with associated activities in the garden and kitchen), and the activities, particularly the horse-riding and walks; and
• Charlotte…oh, Charlotte, her pragmatism, intelligence and loyalty, and the depth of her emotions, including her grief, lust and love.
Helen Moffett has created a beautiful, unique piece of art and kudos too, to the designer of the cover. I read Charlotte on my Kindle, but, as soon as I can, I’ll buy a copy of the printed version and I’ll treasure it.
July 26, 2020
Charlotte Lucas for me is the hero of P&P so I was eager to read this recommended feminist addition to the post-Austen canon. It was well written and mostly sympathetic to the characters of P&P but unsatisfying too - I could not imagine Charlotte, dear Charlotte, behaving quite like that.
September 1, 2020
A lovely continuation of the story of Charlotte Collins, the inimitable Austen character from Pride and Prejudice. Equally heartbreaking and hopeful, Moffett weaves an emotive and sweet tale where Charlotte comes into her own as a mother, a wife and a heroine.
August 25, 2020
Charlotte's turn...
Bit of a confession to make...despite being a fan of the tv adaptation of Pride & Prejudice (particularly Colin Firth's Mr Darcy!), I've never finished the book. I've tried a couple of times, but I never seem to be entertained enough to get through it. Classics are just not my go to! Subsequently, this book is something I wouldn't normally gravitate towards, but I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it.
I was totally lost in the side-story of Charlotte's character and her life both before, during and after the timeline featured in Pride & Prejudice. Through different characters, the storyline deals with inheritance rights and the unfair differences between men and women - interesting and not something I expected from this book.
Whilst being familiar with Pride & Prejudice will help, it's certainly not essential to enjoy Charlotte.
Thanks to Readers First for providing an ARC.
Bit of a confession to make...despite being a fan of the tv adaptation of Pride & Prejudice (particularly Colin Firth's Mr Darcy!), I've never finished the book. I've tried a couple of times, but I never seem to be entertained enough to get through it. Classics are just not my go to! Subsequently, this book is something I wouldn't normally gravitate towards, but I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it.
I was totally lost in the side-story of Charlotte's character and her life both before, during and after the timeline featured in Pride & Prejudice. Through different characters, the storyline deals with inheritance rights and the unfair differences between men and women - interesting and not something I expected from this book.
Whilst being familiar with Pride & Prejudice will help, it's certainly not essential to enjoy Charlotte.
Thanks to Readers First for providing an ARC.
January 9, 2024
I have read both book and movie of Pride & Prejudice. I am quite a fan of Jane Austen's books, especially Emma. It depicts a young, single woman trying to navigate through life, until she found Mr. Darcy. They met and fell in love.
In this book, however, I felt it is a sequel to its original plot. Only now it focuses on Elizabeth Bennett's friend, Charlotte, who ended up marrying Mr.Collins. I liked that the book included other people other than Elizabeth, so as to we get to know the character better. Charlotte ( Mrs. Collins ) is navigating through life when she discovered her youngest son died. She found comfort when she sees Elizabeth again.
Other than focusing on Charlotte, I liked that the book also gave a brief storyline on Lydia, Elizabeth Bennett's younger sister, who ended up marrying Mr. Wickham, hence, Mrs. Wickham. I felt sympathy for Lydia, for she found out that Mr. Wickham died in the war he partook in. She then became a widow and ended up remarried.
So far, I liked the book. I would highly recommend this book to any fan of Jane Austen.
In this book, however, I felt it is a sequel to its original plot. Only now it focuses on Elizabeth Bennett's friend, Charlotte, who ended up marrying Mr.Collins. I liked that the book included other people other than Elizabeth, so as to we get to know the character better. Charlotte ( Mrs. Collins ) is navigating through life when she discovered her youngest son died. She found comfort when she sees Elizabeth again.
Other than focusing on Charlotte, I liked that the book also gave a brief storyline on Lydia, Elizabeth Bennett's younger sister, who ended up marrying Mr. Wickham, hence, Mrs. Wickham. I felt sympathy for Lydia, for she found out that Mr. Wickham died in the war he partook in. She then became a widow and ended up remarried.
So far, I liked the book. I would highly recommend this book to any fan of Jane Austen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
From the people who brought us:
“What a superbly featured room and what excellent boiled potatoes!”
And
“I’m 27 years old. I’ve no money and no prospects. I’m already a burden to my parents. And I’m frightened.”
…comes this domestic take on Pride and Prejudice from a different angle.
More insight into the practicality of their choices, the weight of domestic responsibilities, and the everyday realities of life—the ordinary moments that shape it all.
I loved the portrayal of friendship. For me, that was the real highlight. Not always entirely convincing how they got there, but I liked what they did with it.
The cheating, though? Didn’t see that coming.
P.S. Never thought I’d come out of this with a changed perspective on Mr. Collins, but here we are—and I’m surprisingly okay with that.
From the people who brought us:
“What a superbly featured room and what excellent boiled potatoes!”
And
“I’m 27 years old. I’ve no money and no prospects. I’m already a burden to my parents. And I’m frightened.”
…comes this domestic take on Pride and Prejudice from a different angle.
More insight into the practicality of their choices, the weight of domestic responsibilities, and the everyday realities of life—the ordinary moments that shape it all.
I loved the portrayal of friendship. For me, that was the real highlight. Not always entirely convincing how they got there, but I liked what they did with it.
The cheating, though? Didn’t see that coming.
P.S. Never thought I’d come out of this with a changed perspective on Mr. Collins, but here we are—and I’m surprisingly okay with that.
September 9, 2020
Charlotte explores the life of Elizabeth Bennet's closest friend after the events of Pride and Prejudice. Having married the generally disliked Mr Collins, whose proposal Elizabeth had previously rejected, Charlotte moved to a new life away from everything she knew. This book is set about seven years later, though it also takes some familiar turns back to events from the original novel. I enjoyed how these flashbacks were tied in, and known events from Austen's book were made part of Charlotte's history, from her perspective, and integrated with her present. Charlotte's concern for her two young daughters, who will have to marry well in order to secure their futures, has echoes of Jane Austen’s creation. This reimagining explores the ways in which women of the time were bound by their circumstances, and how they may have pushed back.
It could even be considered that the beginning of her story, and the root of her troubles, lay in the fact that she, Charlotte, had been born a woman--a gentle woman of impecunious means. This had never been a productive route for contemplation, and yet, if she was honest, perhaps her current situation stemmed from that one significant day back in Meryton, that moment she had stood in the lane between Netherfield Park and Lucas Lodge, experiencing all the helplessness of her situation as a single woman with no prospects. Perhaps the spark of her present history had been set at that moment of frustration.
The beginning is powerful, darker (and more realistic) than the events of the original. From these first scenes, it was clear that this book would portray a less romanticised version of Jane Austen’s Regency world, in context of the harsh realities of the time. From what I remember, Charlotte came across as a bit of a weak character in Pride and Prejudice--it was great to explore her perspective, and her life after the original book was set. I always thought she had an interesting story to tell.
It would be easy to believe that this book was written in the early nineteenth century by someone who knew the places well, as far as settings and social customs go, anyway (Disclaimer: I base this statement almost entirely on novels and adaptations set in this time period). The book is mostly written in keeping with the style of Pride and Prejudice, while not copying Austen's writing. But the feminist characters are taken a step further, at times to a point which may not have gone down well with readers in Austen's time.
My opinion on this book shifted a few times while reading it, and I can see why there may be some polarised feelings from readers. Charlotte in particular deviates from how she is portrayed in Pride and Prejudice, and this movement away from the ingrained view of her character is not easily believable at surface level. This book explores a side to her character that is hidden, and as she didn't get much of a look in before now (certainly not at the intimate level of a POV character), there was room for exploration. There was one scene in particular which was so out of keeping with the rest of the book that it was a shock. I've heard mixed opinions on this, but I'm in the camp who think Charlotte's actions do fit her situation which has been built up and developed by this point. This particular scene is brazen in its depictions compared to the rest of the narration.
Anne De Bourgh as a reimagined character is great--seeing how she’s been given personality beyond the barely heard from invalid was a highlight. She's unconventional despite the expectations of her social standing, and this modern take on her character still manages to be believable. In a world where it was a misfortune to be born a woman, and the extent of this misfortune depended almost entirely on how much wealth someone was born into, it was a happy experience encountering her character.
Mr Collins is just as verbose as he was in Pride and Prejudice, but here he is seen from a more rounded angle, and is a much more sympathetic character. There are some emotional scenes where he and Charlotte are brought together by grief, and in these very real moments it's difficult to not feel affection for them both. Theirs is a marriage of convenience, and while there is love, it is a practical kind. Through necessity, Charlotte is a pragmatist rather than a romantic. There are many different forms of love and loyalty throughout this book, through the lens of a complicated and sometimes difficult life during this time period.
I mostly enjoyed how Charlotte blended elements from Pride and Prejudice with this new story, but there were a couple of references to the original book which made me cringe a little, most memorably “his pride, my hasty prejudice”. This is a matter of personal taste, and the instances aren't too common. There is not a lot of speech compared to the average novel, and in this case I think it works in favour of this book. I found the internal thoughts of Charlotte to be the stronger element.
TLDR: this book is in keeping with the style of Austen, without copying it. It was a pleasant read, and engaging to the end. Some Austen fans may struggle with accepting this reimagining, but if you enjoyed Pride and Prejudice, and are willing to accept some decisions which seem on the surface to be out of character, it is a solid read.
Thank you to Zaffre and Readers First for providing an Advance Review Copy, which I have reviewed voluntarily and based on my own opinion.
It could even be considered that the beginning of her story, and the root of her troubles, lay in the fact that she, Charlotte, had been born a woman--a gentle woman of impecunious means. This had never been a productive route for contemplation, and yet, if she was honest, perhaps her current situation stemmed from that one significant day back in Meryton, that moment she had stood in the lane between Netherfield Park and Lucas Lodge, experiencing all the helplessness of her situation as a single woman with no prospects. Perhaps the spark of her present history had been set at that moment of frustration.
The beginning is powerful, darker (and more realistic) than the events of the original. From these first scenes, it was clear that this book would portray a less romanticised version of Jane Austen’s Regency world, in context of the harsh realities of the time. From what I remember, Charlotte came across as a bit of a weak character in Pride and Prejudice--it was great to explore her perspective, and her life after the original book was set. I always thought she had an interesting story to tell.
It would be easy to believe that this book was written in the early nineteenth century by someone who knew the places well, as far as settings and social customs go, anyway (Disclaimer: I base this statement almost entirely on novels and adaptations set in this time period). The book is mostly written in keeping with the style of Pride and Prejudice, while not copying Austen's writing. But the feminist characters are taken a step further, at times to a point which may not have gone down well with readers in Austen's time.
My opinion on this book shifted a few times while reading it, and I can see why there may be some polarised feelings from readers. Charlotte in particular deviates from how she is portrayed in Pride and Prejudice, and this movement away from the ingrained view of her character is not easily believable at surface level. This book explores a side to her character that is hidden, and as she didn't get much of a look in before now (certainly not at the intimate level of a POV character), there was room for exploration. There was one scene in particular which was so out of keeping with the rest of the book that it was a shock. I've heard mixed opinions on this, but I'm in the camp who think Charlotte's actions do fit her situation which has been built up and developed by this point. This particular scene is brazen in its depictions compared to the rest of the narration.
Anne De Bourgh as a reimagined character is great--seeing how she’s been given personality beyond the barely heard from invalid was a highlight. She's unconventional despite the expectations of her social standing, and this modern take on her character still manages to be believable. In a world where it was a misfortune to be born a woman, and the extent of this misfortune depended almost entirely on how much wealth someone was born into, it was a happy experience encountering her character.
Mr Collins is just as verbose as he was in Pride and Prejudice, but here he is seen from a more rounded angle, and is a much more sympathetic character. There are some emotional scenes where he and Charlotte are brought together by grief, and in these very real moments it's difficult to not feel affection for them both. Theirs is a marriage of convenience, and while there is love, it is a practical kind. Through necessity, Charlotte is a pragmatist rather than a romantic. There are many different forms of love and loyalty throughout this book, through the lens of a complicated and sometimes difficult life during this time period.
I mostly enjoyed how Charlotte blended elements from Pride and Prejudice with this new story, but there were a couple of references to the original book which made me cringe a little, most memorably “his pride, my hasty prejudice”. This is a matter of personal taste, and the instances aren't too common. There is not a lot of speech compared to the average novel, and in this case I think it works in favour of this book. I found the internal thoughts of Charlotte to be the stronger element.
TLDR: this book is in keeping with the style of Austen, without copying it. It was a pleasant read, and engaging to the end. Some Austen fans may struggle with accepting this reimagining, but if you enjoyed Pride and Prejudice, and are willing to accept some decisions which seem on the surface to be out of character, it is a solid read.
Thank you to Zaffre and Readers First for providing an Advance Review Copy, which I have reviewed voluntarily and based on my own opinion.
July 14, 2024
3.5/5
As a huge Jane Austen fan, and as someone that has always been intrigued by Charlotte, this one was a natural for me. I thought the first half of the book was very slow, and that the author was trying too hard to emulate Austen's cadence and writing style and not making this something of her own. However, I enjoyed the second half of the book as I found the pacing much better.
As a huge Jane Austen fan, and as someone that has always been intrigued by Charlotte, this one was a natural for me. I thought the first half of the book was very slow, and that the author was trying too hard to emulate Austen's cadence and writing style and not making this something of her own. However, I enjoyed the second half of the book as I found the pacing much better.
Read
June 1, 2022DNF @22%
this just didn’t work for me whatsoever - i’m kinda sad because i’m always excited to read Jane Austen retellings/reimaginings but this just wasn’t it
this just didn’t work for me whatsoever - i’m kinda sad because i’m always excited to read Jane Austen retellings/reimaginings but this just wasn’t it
August 23, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. Sometimes when I read a book, I wish I could hear more about a certain minor character from it and this one about Charlotte Lucas from Pride and Prejudice is a great story. We all know that Charlotte married for survival and not love but now we have a story that tells us just what was going on inside her head during that time and how things worked out for her. It goes back and forth between the time that P&P took place and several years after Charlotte’s marriage. So it was neat to see some of the familiar scenes we all know but from a different perspective other than Lizzie’s. In fact, it was written in a very Jane Austen-y style. She could have written it herself (except for a few scenes and suggestions that she would not have been able to publish 200 years ago.)
September 14, 2020
“You don’t have to be crazy to work here – but it helps.” Remember the stickers you could buy at Cardies, for gifting on a colleague’s birthday or sticking up on the microwave in the communal kitchen, back in a time when we had joke stickers, and offices in which to display them?
In a similar vein, and similarly going back to another era, you don’t have to have read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice to enjoy Helen Moffett’s Charlotte, but it helps.
The fact that there’s a whole genre of Jane Austen fanfic illustrates our appetite for more domestic wit from the queen of Regency romance, and many authors have tried to deliver it, though few as convincingly and charmingly as Moffett.
Moffett’s Charlotte also delivers so much more: feminism, friendship, marriage, sex, love, parenting and house-husbandry in the first decades of the 1800s come to life from the point of view of Charlotte Collins, née Lucas, the plain friend of the richer, prettier and glammer Bennet girls from across the village. To Mother Bennet’s horror, Charlotte marries the Bennets’ distant relative, the reverend Mr Collins, right out from under the noses of his five waiting cousins – imperilling their home and inheritance due to the sexist laws of the Great British Empire.
It’s no spoiler to say Charlotte is aware of the compromises her choice of husband involves – though hers a rather reduced choice when the alternative is poverty. Nevertheless, and despite her occasional railing against societal injustices, Charlotte finds that her verbose and intellectually limited new husband makes a good and kind partner, and that she is able to live a meaningful and even happy life alongside him.
A visit to her best friend Elizabeth Bennet (who has by now married the dashing Mr Darcy), where she strikes up a new friendship, provides the opportunity for Charlotte to tell her own story in her own words, and it is in this part of the novel that the reader is able to relive familiar events from Austen’s novel (or if you haven’t read it, to experience them for the first time).
Seasoned Austenites will pick up Easter eggs the author promises she’s left in the pages of her novel. I am sure most went over my head, and am glad that mention of them was left to the notes at the end of the novel, as I would perhaps otherwise have experienced an anxiety about discovering them rather than being able to enjoy immersing myself in the story as wholeheartedly as I did.
So far, so good: rewriting what Chimamanga Ngozi Adichie might call the single-story narrative narratives is the work of feminists, decolonialists, and others who write from the margins, and it’s delicious and enjoyable to read for its own sake.
But it is when Charlotte’s own story is untethered from the limits set by Austen’s narrative, roughly in the second half of the novel, that Charlotte’s own story can soar. (Metaphor used intentionally, as those who’ve read Charlotte will recognise). Moffett’s pleasure in providing Charlotte and her cast of loved ones with unexpected, satisfying lives and endings is palpable, and in return brings delight to her reader.
Charlotte is South African author, activist, environmentalist and editor Helen Moffett’s first novel, though she has written several other books of non-fiction. This is probably the reason Charlotte doesn’t read like a debut novel at all, but rather the confident and deftly assembled result of a practised hand. I’ve been waiting impatiently for this lockdown-delayed book to arrive from loot.co.za and jumped on it as soon as it did last week. A full five-star, read-it-in-a-weekend rating for this one.
In short, you don’t have to be crazy to love Jane Austen, but if you do, you’d be crazy to miss out on Charlotte.
In a similar vein, and similarly going back to another era, you don’t have to have read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice to enjoy Helen Moffett’s Charlotte, but it helps.
The fact that there’s a whole genre of Jane Austen fanfic illustrates our appetite for more domestic wit from the queen of Regency romance, and many authors have tried to deliver it, though few as convincingly and charmingly as Moffett.
Moffett’s Charlotte also delivers so much more: feminism, friendship, marriage, sex, love, parenting and house-husbandry in the first decades of the 1800s come to life from the point of view of Charlotte Collins, née Lucas, the plain friend of the richer, prettier and glammer Bennet girls from across the village. To Mother Bennet’s horror, Charlotte marries the Bennets’ distant relative, the reverend Mr Collins, right out from under the noses of his five waiting cousins – imperilling their home and inheritance due to the sexist laws of the Great British Empire.
It’s no spoiler to say Charlotte is aware of the compromises her choice of husband involves – though hers a rather reduced choice when the alternative is poverty. Nevertheless, and despite her occasional railing against societal injustices, Charlotte finds that her verbose and intellectually limited new husband makes a good and kind partner, and that she is able to live a meaningful and even happy life alongside him.
A visit to her best friend Elizabeth Bennet (who has by now married the dashing Mr Darcy), where she strikes up a new friendship, provides the opportunity for Charlotte to tell her own story in her own words, and it is in this part of the novel that the reader is able to relive familiar events from Austen’s novel (or if you haven’t read it, to experience them for the first time).
Seasoned Austenites will pick up Easter eggs the author promises she’s left in the pages of her novel. I am sure most went over my head, and am glad that mention of them was left to the notes at the end of the novel, as I would perhaps otherwise have experienced an anxiety about discovering them rather than being able to enjoy immersing myself in the story as wholeheartedly as I did.
So far, so good: rewriting what Chimamanga Ngozi Adichie might call the single-story narrative narratives is the work of feminists, decolonialists, and others who write from the margins, and it’s delicious and enjoyable to read for its own sake.
But it is when Charlotte’s own story is untethered from the limits set by Austen’s narrative, roughly in the second half of the novel, that Charlotte’s own story can soar. (Metaphor used intentionally, as those who’ve read Charlotte will recognise). Moffett’s pleasure in providing Charlotte and her cast of loved ones with unexpected, satisfying lives and endings is palpable, and in return brings delight to her reader.
Charlotte is South African author, activist, environmentalist and editor Helen Moffett’s first novel, though she has written several other books of non-fiction. This is probably the reason Charlotte doesn’t read like a debut novel at all, but rather the confident and deftly assembled result of a practised hand. I’ve been waiting impatiently for this lockdown-delayed book to arrive from loot.co.za and jumped on it as soon as it did last week. A full five-star, read-it-in-a-weekend rating for this one.
In short, you don’t have to be crazy to love Jane Austen, but if you do, you’d be crazy to miss out on Charlotte.
May 12, 2020
If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I love Jane Austen and books which are either modern re-tellings of her stories or which feature her characters. The eponymous Charlotte of this book is, of course, Charlotte Lucas from Pride & Prejudice, or Mrs Collins as she becomes. We follow what happens to Charlotte following her marriage to Elizabeth Bennet's cousin Mr Collins and on an extended visit to Pemberley with her daughters.
Helen Moffett has really captured the essence of the early 1800s time period so well and it did feel to me as though I was reading a book that could easily have been written by Jane Austen herself. The author ties in her storylines beautifully with the well known story of Pride & Prejudice. Those who are familiar with the book will happily recognise some scenes told through the eyes of other characters. I enjoyed how the author takes the story past the end of Pride & Prejudice and imagines what has happened not just for Charlotte and Elizabeth but for many of the other well loved characters too.
Mr Collins never really comes across as a very pleasant character in either the book or any of the subsequent film or tv adaptations but we see him here as a much less shallow person. Indeed, we see his emotional side and we see a man who is loved by his wife and family. And Charlotte, as we come to see, has a great capacity to love.
I thoroughly enjoyed Charlotte which was beautifully written and so compelling. I think that Jane Austen would have approved of the woman her character becomes in this book.
Helen Moffett has really captured the essence of the early 1800s time period so well and it did feel to me as though I was reading a book that could easily have been written by Jane Austen herself. The author ties in her storylines beautifully with the well known story of Pride & Prejudice. Those who are familiar with the book will happily recognise some scenes told through the eyes of other characters. I enjoyed how the author takes the story past the end of Pride & Prejudice and imagines what has happened not just for Charlotte and Elizabeth but for many of the other well loved characters too.
Mr Collins never really comes across as a very pleasant character in either the book or any of the subsequent film or tv adaptations but we see him here as a much less shallow person. Indeed, we see his emotional side and we see a man who is loved by his wife and family. And Charlotte, as we come to see, has a great capacity to love.
I thoroughly enjoyed Charlotte which was beautifully written and so compelling. I think that Jane Austen would have approved of the woman her character becomes in this book.
March 27, 2021
First things first - because I know it affected my enjoyment of this book - I was in a reading slump while reading "Charlotte". It took me 8 days (!) to finish this 350-ish pages long book with very big letters. I even spend several train rides (40-ish minutes long) not reading a single page and just listening to music and spending time in my head.
This book lacks content. You could describe the story in three parts:
Even so Charlotte is a lovable main character, they was so much potential that the author didn't use or didn't know how to use. We learn - as every "Pride and Prejudice" has always known - that Charlotte married Mr Collins for practical reasons. In the future (and three kids later), she kind of loves him but we never learn how she came to love him.
Mr Collins is a very unique person in "Pride and Prejudice" but Helen Moffett wasn't able to re-create his uniqueness in her book. Especially Anne de Bourgh has a very different character in "Charlotte".
Things I didn't like: When I read a book that is suppose to be close to Jane Austen - that aims to be like a Jane Austen book - I get really frustrated when the author writes things that Jane Austen would never have written.
For example or the degree of feminism thoughts that just aren't realistic for this time. Don't get me wrong, I love feminism thoughts within books and Jane Austen herself had women empowering thoughts - but for her time! If you lived your whole life believing the earth is flat, it is just unrealistic that a person without external influence, without an education or any connection to science, suddenly declares and deep-heartly believes that the earth is round. Let Charlotte be an early feminist but keep it realistic.
This book lacks content. You could describe the story in three parts:
Even so Charlotte is a lovable main character, they was so much potential that the author didn't use or didn't know how to use. We learn - as every "Pride and Prejudice" has always known - that Charlotte married Mr Collins for practical reasons. In the future (and three kids later), she kind of loves him but we never learn how she came to love him.
Mr Collins is a very unique person in "Pride and Prejudice" but Helen Moffett wasn't able to re-create his uniqueness in her book. Especially Anne de Bourgh has a very different character in "Charlotte".
Things I didn't like: When I read a book that is suppose to be close to Jane Austen - that aims to be like a Jane Austen book - I get really frustrated when the author writes things that Jane Austen would never have written.
For example or the degree of feminism thoughts that just aren't realistic for this time. Don't get me wrong, I love feminism thoughts within books and Jane Austen herself had women empowering thoughts - but for her time! If you lived your whole life believing the earth is flat, it is just unrealistic that a person without external influence, without an education or any connection to science, suddenly declares and deep-heartly believes that the earth is round. Let Charlotte be an early feminist but keep it realistic.
Read
August 2, 2020~I did not see the truth that stared me in the face: a great man, from a great family, marries for one reason primarily: to beget heirs.~
~Charlotte was tired to the bone. Tired of the universally acknowledged truism: that a single woman of no great fortune must be in want of a life, at the beck and call of all who might find her momentarily useful, a blank template waiting for the impress of others.~
~So once my rings and fobs and what-nots were returned to me after the notaries had departed, I selected the smallest and ugliest trinkets and sewed them into the hems of my garments, a trick I garnered from a rather guady romance. Let it not be said that novel-reading is not instructive.~
~'Do you not miss your family?' Charlotte enquired. 'I had no idea they lived so close by. I would have given you some hours off to visit, had I known.'
Katie gaped at her. 'Ma'am, I am the eldest of ten. Every year, there is another baby brother or sister when I visit. Until I cam here, I helped my mam care for them all. There was never any–' she paused and thought for a moment: '–peace. Here I have my own bed, my own room, ma'am." She leaned forward in her earnestness to convey her sense of good fortune. 'My own room!'
~But I would rather have that remembrance than nothing. Where we have once loved, there will always be a tender spot. But we must strive to be rational, and to look forward with hope.~
~There was indeed comfort to be found in knowing, in a world in which we have little say over our destiny, that some things remain unchanging, that their beauty or worth will not decline, or very little, over the passage of years.~
~Charlotte was tired to the bone. Tired of the universally acknowledged truism: that a single woman of no great fortune must be in want of a life, at the beck and call of all who might find her momentarily useful, a blank template waiting for the impress of others.~
~So once my rings and fobs and what-nots were returned to me after the notaries had departed, I selected the smallest and ugliest trinkets and sewed them into the hems of my garments, a trick I garnered from a rather guady romance. Let it not be said that novel-reading is not instructive.~
~'Do you not miss your family?' Charlotte enquired. 'I had no idea they lived so close by. I would have given you some hours off to visit, had I known.'
Katie gaped at her. 'Ma'am, I am the eldest of ten. Every year, there is another baby brother or sister when I visit. Until I cam here, I helped my mam care for them all. There was never any–' she paused and thought for a moment: '–peace. Here I have my own bed, my own room, ma'am." She leaned forward in her earnestness to convey her sense of good fortune. 'My own room!'
~But I would rather have that remembrance than nothing. Where we have once loved, there will always be a tender spot. But we must strive to be rational, and to look forward with hope.~
~There was indeed comfort to be found in knowing, in a world in which we have little say over our destiny, that some things remain unchanging, that their beauty or worth will not decline, or very little, over the passage of years.~
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