Viejos amigos y nuevos amores

by Sybil G. Brinton

Elizabeth Bennet (ahora Darcy) confía a su marido, Fitzwilliam Darcy, su inquietud sobre el reciente compromiso entre la hermana menor de este, Georgiana, y su primo el Coronel Fitzwilliam: cree firmemente que no están enamorados. Incapaz de mantenerse al margen de la felicidad de dos personas a las que adora, intercede para descubrir los verdaderos sentimientos de ambos.

Este es el punto de partida de la historia que narra las aventuras y desventuras amorosas de tres de los personajes secundarios femeninos más conocidos del universo Jane Austen: Kitty Bennet, hermana de Elizabeth Bennet; Georgiana Darcy, hermana de Mr. Darcy (ambas de Orgullo y prejuicio); y Mary Crawford (de Mansfield Park). Todas ellas vivirán numerosas situaciones en sociedad junto a otros personajes de todas las novelas de Jane Austen, que serán aliados o se convertirán en obstáculos en la consecución de su felicidad sentimental.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Classics, Historical, Regency, Historical Romance

310 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1913

About the author

Sybil Grace Brinton

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The original ~ 1914 ~ Jane Austen fan-fiction.

Initial reaction? I finally finished it!!! Are you sure that was only 377 pages? It felt like 3,000.
Second reaction? Wow...that was really, really satisfying.

In this "imaginary sequel" to Jane Austen's novels, Sybil G. Brinton takes all the secondary characters from Austen's six major novels and pairs them up. Ever wonder what happened to Kitty Bennett, Georgiana Darcy, Anne Steele, or James Morland? Well, now is your chance to find out!

I struggled with this book initially because I could not remember half of the characters and their original novels. This, of course, called for a Jane Austen Marathon to re-watch all the movies and catch myself up. A delightful challenge.
Having reminded myself of the existence of Mr. Yates, William Price, and Mary Crawford, I jumped back in with much more enthusiasm. Only to ignore the novel for several months...
But I picked it up again and I am glad I did! This book is a worthy, rambling, and fun homage to the original novels. I probably wouldn't have paired the couples up the way she does, or made Emma so annoying, but it works and stays true to the original characters.

I strongly recommend this one to all lovers of Jane Austen. If you don't love/remember her characters, it might be harder to jump into. About half the plot is Georgiana sitting in silence wishing she could ask for details to plot points the reader already knows

[Katharine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to laugh at the subtitle of Old Friends and New Fancies - an imaginary sequel? I don't know. It seemed like a real book to me. But it was written in 1919, before anyone had invented the word "fanfiction" so I suppose "imaginary sequel" was the best description they could come up with.

It's interesting that the first published Austen paraliterature is also the best I've ever read – a delightfully rambly story that includes characters from all six of the original Austen novels. The author's creative way of imagining relationships between surprising pairings is enough to make me wish there were more modern cross-novel fanfic. She also writes in a very authentically Austenian style. I noted several startlingly good passages with that uniquely JA way of communicating worlds in a few phrases.

My complaints? Only a few. Although the writing style is on-target, the characterizations lack any of JA's sharp insight or sparkling wit. The plot is fairly well-crafted, but not as tight as an Austen novel. It develops in a leisurely way and comes to a satisfying conclusion, but not with any breathtaking brilliance.

Really, though, if I can only condemn a book for being not quite a genius as Austen, that's fairly high praise!

I would have given it five stars, except for one unfortunate final note: the author clearly misses the entire point of Emma, and that is my favorite novel. Alas.

Still, I recommend this more whole-heartedly than any published Austen fic I've read yet.

[bookstories_travels🪐 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo primero de todo, dos aclaraciones:

1)¿ Es posible que la puntuación de cuatro estrellas sea más de lo que se merece esta obra? Pues mira, si nos centramos en lo meramente literario, es posible que si, para que mentir. Pero me da igual.

Me lo he pasado estupendamente leyendo este libro y me ha hecho tanto bien que para mí no llega a las cinco estrellas de milagro. Estaba en una época muy apática en cuanto a leer, en la que no encontraba ningún libro que me entusiasmara empezar o que me enganchara. Y gracias a “Viejos Amigos y Nuevos Amores” he podido sacarme de encima un poco de esa apatía, y noto que ya que tengo más ganas de leer.

2)No es una novela de Jane Austen, no esperéis encontrar eso. Pero si eres fan de esta autora te lo pasaras pipa con esta lectura.

Tenia muchas ganas de leer algo de mi siempre querida Jane Austen, o relacionado con ella, desde el verano, cuando Netflix saco la nueva versión de “Persuasión” (spoiler: como puro flim tiene un pase, incluso me entretuvo visionarla. Como adaptación de la obra literaria homónima… sin comentarios. Horrible es poco. ¿Y nadie le pudo decir a Dakota Johnson lo mal que hace el acento británico?). En un principio, por supuesto, pensé en volver a leer las novelas que escribió. Pero como no hace tanto que hice la relectura (que en cualquier momento volverá a caer junto a los de las Bronte) de las mismas, no estaba del todo convencida. Hasta que descubrí la existencia de este libro, al cual me lance de lleno y con todas las ganas del mundo en cuanto pude.

“Viejos Amigos y Nuevos Amores” es una secuela de todas las obras escritas por Jane Austen que resulta una delicia para cualquier amante de sus trabajos. Gracias a esta novela podremos ver a personajes de distintas obras de Austen interactuando entre si. Así podremos saber más cosas del carácter de Mary Cranwford (“Mansfield Park”) gracias a su amistad con los Darcy (los emblemáticos protagonistas de “Orgullo y Prejuicio”); comprobar como la Emma que da titulo a ese libro sigue ejerciendo de alcahueta cuando puede, esta vez con Kitty Bennet (también de “Orgullo y Prejuicio”), a la cual mete historias raras en la cabeza con la ayuda de la señora Jennings (“Sentido y Sensibilidad); o como el señor Yeats (“Mansfield Park”) la lía junto al matrimonio Ferrars (“Sentido y Sensibilidad”). El hilo conductor de todas las tramas de las que se compone este libro, y que están íntimamente relacionadas entre si como la tela de una araña, serán las relaciones amorosas de Mary Crawnford con el coronel Fritzwilliam, y el triángulo amoroso entre Kitty Bennet y Georgiana Darcy con William Pryce (“Mansfield Park”).

Es una verdad universalmente conocida que los lectores de cualquier obra amada se divierten mucho imaginando continuaciones de la historia y haciendo todo tipo de cábalas sobre la misma. Los “que pasaría si”… han dado lugar a todo tipo de conjeturas que hacen las delicias de los lectores, y de ahí han surgido los fanfics que tanto buenos y malos ratos (porque de todo hay)suelen dar. Y así es como se vende este libro, como el primer fanfic existente de la obra de Austen. Desde luego resulta muy divertido ver las combinaciones de personajes y relaciones que recrea Sybill G. Brinton. Es una autentica diversión ver como se relacionan entre si los personajes de los distintos libros. La autora se vale de los personajes y parejas principales de Austen para recrear una secuela en la que continuan sus aventuras y desventuras, y que respeta el estilo de los originales y las personalidades de sus caracteres.

De todas formas no vamos a engañarnos: indudablemente Brinton no es Austen. La primera tira en esta obra (la única que escribió) más de lo romántico y de la satisfacción de permitirse manejar como suyos a unos personajes tan conocidos y tan queridos por el público y por ella misma. Desde luego, y eso Brinton lo hace muy bien, aún nos muestra una sociedad indolente, pasiva y cerrada que solo se tiene a si misma como medio de distracción. Pero en esta ocasión no encontraremos con tanta contundencia las ácidas críticas a la sociedad de la regencia, que tan sutil y nítidamente realizaba Austen; ni su pormenorizado estudio de la psicología y la mente humana; ni su fino e inteligente uso de la ironía. Si hay algo que me has escamado durante la lectura ha sido que muchas de las situaciones que suceden a lo largo de ella se nota mucho que están inspiradas o directamente sacadas de las propias novelas de Austen. De ahí que en muchos momentos me haya parecido que la historia no era muy original, precisamente. Aunque hay muy buenos diálogos, muchos de ellos me han parecido un tanto absurdos e infantiloides, muy alejados de la manufactura, elegancia, perspicacia y fina sátira de Austen. Y a sus personajes les faltan los matices que Austen les proporcionaba, esa patina de humanidad que hacia que te los creyeras aunque fueran sátira pura. Con Brinton se nota mucho que no sin creaciones originales de ella, hay algo de acartonamiento en como los trabaja y maneja.

Pero aún así la labor de Brinton me parece más que encomiable. Tenia un reto difícil y consigue superarlo bastante bien. Logra respetar el estilo y la prosa de Austen muy bien, como solo una acérrima y fiel amante de la autora, y gran conocedora y lectora de su obra, podría hacer. La ambientación está muy bien conseguida, y la forma en que maneja a tantos personajes (la mayoría, como dije antes, tan conocidos y queridos por muchos lectores) es realmente buena dentro de lo que cabe. Leyendo no podía evitar pensar que Brinton se ceñía demasiado a Austen, en ciertas ocasiones no me hubiera importado ver algo más de su propia forma de escribir o de pensar, o más originalidad en las tramas; que se olvidara de tratar de imitar lo que hizo anteriormente su escritora preferida. Pero, por otro lado, tengo que reconocer que lo que buscaba en este libro era una nueva historia de Austen, algo que a grandes rasgos lo he conseguido la mayor parte del tiempo. Que no siempre, por lo que he comentado anteriormente. Pero al menos me ha llevado a recordar las sensaciones que percibí la primera vez que leí las novelas de Austen. Y eso solo puede ser digno de elogio.

Si hay algo que me ha gustado especialmente es que la autora pone el foco en secundarios de las obras de Austen, cuyas historias no quedaron cerradas del todo. Brinton les da, esta vez, la oportunidad de tener su propia historia y voz, de tener sus propios romances y, muchas veces, incide más en su personalidad que lo que hizo su creadora original en su momento. De esta manera, podemos conocer más a personajes como el coronel FritzWilliam, Tom Bertram, William Pryce, o la hermana del señor Darcy, Georgiana. Y otros viejos conocidos, como la señorita Mary Crawnford tienen la posibilidad de contar su propia historia y dar su versión de los hechos que anteriormente se narraron, presentándose al lector como un carácter totalmente nuevo respecto a lo que conoció anteriormente en “Mansfield Park”. Además, la autora se permite dar una evolución a la mayoría de ellos a lo largo de la historia, lo cual me ha parecido muy refrescante. Nunca un título me ha parecido tan acertado como el de esta novela, porque realmente nos reencontramos con viejos conocidos a los que se les da una nueva historia y se les saca nuevo jugo.

A todo esto, se añade la satisfacción de que esta novela haya salido publicada por un sello pequeño y recién nacido. Me parece muy valiente la labor de Universos Alternativos de traernos esta secuela de las obras de Austen. Y lo hace con una edición con ilustraciones y detalles interiores y una excelente traducción. Quizás me haya fallado que a veces hay algún pequeño error tipográfico o de ortografía. Pero no son muchos, y la mayor parte del tiempo nos encontramos ante una edición muy cuidada y que se lee muy bien.

“Viejos Amigos y Nuevos Amores” debe verse como una carta de amor hacia Jane Austen y su legado, y como la materialización de las preguntas y conjeturas que sus lectores pueden haberse hecho sobre el destino de sus personajes y las posibilidades que dejaron en el aire. Es una novela que los amantes de Jane Austen disfrutarán plenamente, y que les brindará la posibilidad de reencontrarse con personajes ya conocidos y queridos, en situaciones diferentes y formando vínculos que traspasan lo que ideo la propia Austen. Su lectura ha sido muy agradable, personalmente la he disfrutado mucho.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old friends and New Fancies is a real charmer of a Jane Austen “sequel” that is really 6 sequels for the price of one. The author, Sybil G. Brinton, incorporates important characters from all 6 Austen novels to essentially pair off 3 couples that were left unmatched in the original works. The story is pretty much based around Pride and Prejudice., her most famous and beloved novel, and whose gentle and shy Georgiana has long been the focus of the most speculation and spinoffs about her future. She is frequently paired up with Colonel Fitzwilliam, another well liked character from the novel for whom Austen devotees wish a happy ending. And this is how this one starts off.

Brinton does an admirable job of maintaining the integrity of Austen's characters, even while developing and maturing them. She brings much of Austen's population, including the villains and the ridiculous but lovable, together in a natural believable way that never seems forced. Three of her heroines have become have acquainted with each other and are well on the way to becoming fast friends. They like and esteem each other: Elizabeth Darcy, Elinor Ferrars, and Anne Wentworth. It was an amusement to me that Fanny Bertram And Emma Knightly are not included in this circle. As William, Fanny’s beloved brother, says, and I paraphrase, “ Fanny is very good, but she is very strict.” She does not make an appearance. Emma is in the book. Although happily married to Mr. Knightly, She regrettably hasn’t changed a bit.

“it was always a little difficult for Emma to realize that people had important affairs of their own; and that they should have had any existence apart from that which she had chosen to imagine for them”

In fact, she is, not surprisingly, due to her foolish and clueless matchmaking, the catalyst for a big misunderstanding regarding two of our main couples that causes much pain and heartache and drives much of the plot.

“Emma, though fond of Donwell, had grown weary of the neighbourhood, and took a keen pleasure in forming round her in London a large circle of acquaintances, whom she loved to entertain, and in whose characters and careers she took the deepest interest.”

Needless to say, those whom she takes the deepest interest are those whom she can influence and manipulate. Not those who can influence and elevate her. Enter Kitty Bennett.

Those who are very familiar with Austen’s novels will begin to notice that Brinton cleverly incorporates well-known scenes from the originals, only turned on their heads and put in a new light and context. I started to notice these inside joke-like Easter eggs about halfway through. I’m sure if I re-read the book, I would discover more.
The theatricals that caused so much trouble in Mansfield Park, are echoed by a game of charades produced and directed by Tom Bertram. Only this time, they are a lot of fun and stay firmly inside the line of propriety.
What does this exchange remind you of?

“Do, pray, Miss Bennet, come down!" exclaimed William, and several other persons joined their entreaties to his. "Do not try to do it; you will set your dress on fire—your sleeve is so dangerously near. Do let me help you down, lest you fall and hurt yourself."

(Persuasion in Lyme)
And this?

“Miss Bennet! It is possible that you thought I was paying attentions to Miss Bennet? Miss Darcy, you cannot be serious. This is too frightful”

(Emma and Mr. Elton)
There is a conversation regarding the fickleness of sailors that echoes the debate that Anne has with Captain Bennick in Persuasion.
Kitty Bennett’s pining for the object of her affection recalls Marianne’s suffering in Sense and sensibility:

Though William’s avoidance of her during the latter part of the previous evening, his strange altered looks, and his embarrassed way of saying goodnight had undermined her hopes to such an extent that she had been all night facing the terrible desolation caused by the thought, "If he does not care for me after all," yet she had not actually given all up in despair until the moment of hearing him leave the house. Some note, some message, might have arrived—might still arrive; but since parting from him, Kitty had not been able to quell the horrible fear that all was over.

Being almost 120 years closer to Austen’s time than we are, The tone and the style of Brinton’s writing is very similar. It does lack the sly wit, although there are some amusing exchanges. When Elizabeth is trying to repair a fractured romance, Darcy remarks,

“I know you are prepared to undertake herculean tasks in the interests of your friends, my dear, but when a man has been so decidedly repulsed, it is a delicate manner to heal the breach. I imagine your scheme would be straightaway to invite Miss Crawford here, and send them both off for a walk, with instructions to return in half an hour an engaged couple?"

Still reserved (shy?) Darcy has reluctantly agreed to host a ball at Pemberley. His feelings provide an insight into his and Lizzie’s relationship:

“…and not having altogether looked forward to the evening, he surprised himself by discovering how much, with Elizabeth at his side, he could enjoy both his own pleasure in entertaining guests, which he had not previously done on so large a scale, and also the pleasure of others who were important to him, Elizabeth, Georgiana, and the Bingleys.”

(Italics are mine.)
Isn’t that sweet?
I enjoyed Brinton’s work thoroughly. It is probably the most authentic Austen pastiche I have ever read. I was at times awestruck at what she was able to accomplish. I’m sure I am not the only Austen devotee to wonder about this mysterious obscure talent and regret this is her only work. I would recommend this book only to those very familiar with the books and/or movies.

https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....

[ꕥ Ange_Lives_To_Read ꕥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in 1913, this was one of the earliest published examples of Jane Austen fan fiction. I have just finished a re-read of all six of Austen's novels, and I suggest that is probably the best way to enjoy THIS novel, otherwise you would probably spend a lot of time trying to remember who the hell are all these people, because Brinton throws in a mention of pretty much every character.

The IDEA of the Bingleys, Darcys, Wentworths, Knightleys, Tilneys, Ferrars, and Bertrams all becoming acquainted with each other during visits to Bath, and then corresponding and visiting each other, is really fun. Unfortunately, I think, the author didn't really nail the execution of that idea. The wit that elevated Jane Austen's original novels is completely absent here.

The plot threads that she chose to follow just didn't thrill me. Of all the secondary characters available, this story focused on Colonel Fitzwilliam, Georgiana Darcy, and Kitty Bennett (P&P); matching them up with no great zing to Mary Crawford and William Price (Mansfield Park) and James Morland (Northanger Abbey.)

A few other complaints. The author killed off Colonel Brandon on the first page, making Marianne Dashwood a young widow! Also, I don't think Brinton really "got" the beloved character of Lizzie. She turned Mrs. Darcy into an uninteresting and somewhat silly, meddling woman - almost a version of Emma Knightley, who by the way apparently learned nothing and is still up to the same matchmaking nonsense that caused so much trouble in her own novel. I didn't hate this, but I don't think Jane Austen fans are missing much if they never get around to reading it.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This "imaginary sequel" to the novels of Jane Austen is distinct from the plethora of published Austen fan fiction in two ways. Firstly, it is the first such work ever published, in 1913, which made it of interest to me (I probably wouldn't have sought it out otherwise). Secondly, it includes characters from all six of Austen's novels, a very ambitious undertaking which makes for quite a crowded book.

While nothing in the style of writing or characterization grated, the language did seem a little flat (it probably wasn't the wisest idea to read this immediately after rereading Emma, Persuasion and Sense and Sensibility), and the story-line plodded along at a very dull pace, and the ending was predictable in all respects. Still, I found the book to be interesting as a curiosity, and it was amusing to see who Brinton chose to pair up -- it would be rather fun to discuss and argue her choices with a like-minded reader. Amongst the large cast of characters Georgiana Darcy is given the most attention, but Brinton also did an admirable job of bringing Kitty Bennett to life, although I'm not sure she deserves the fate Brinton gives her. In this book Elizabeth Darcy, Elinor Ferrars, and Anne Wentworth all know each other and are great friends (they all roll their eyes a bit at Emma Knightly), and seeing them all together gave me the realization that a great part of the reason they are such wonderful characters in their respective books is that each one is such a contrast to the idiotic people surrounding her. Seen altogether, they rather lose their power, and I couldn't help wondering if they really would esteem each other as much as all that. Austen's own Emma amply illustrates the fact that we don't always like the people we know we should.

Yet another book that I'm glad to have read but am now glad to pass along to its next reader!

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been written in 1913, this is a classic in it's own right. A sequel to all six of Jane Austen's novels in one book is quite the feat and might very well be the first to approach a sequel telling of any let alone all of Austen's full-length stories.

Old Friends and New Fancies is a book I've been meaning to read it for some time and finally did so. What an engaging, touching, and heartwarming piece. The style of writing was vintage if not quite Regency though ever so enjoyable for bringing to life Austen's characters.

Before I go much farther, I will say that this is definitely a book that should be treated as true sequel in that the reader will get the most out of it if they have at least read Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park, but preferably all six novels.

The author started the tale with the Darcys a few years into their marriage. They are getting ready for the annual trek to Bath where they join Lady Catherine. They take along Colonel Fitzwilliam, but not Georgiana after this pair were briefly engaged, but realized their affections were familial rather than romantic. In Bath, they find Lady Catherine surrounded by a sycophantic pair of sisters, Lucy Ferrars and Anne Steele and others, but the Darcys and Colonel are more taken with the bewitching Miss Crawford and her sister. The Elliots, Wentworths, and a James Morland with the Tilney family are also present. Into their midst comes Mr. Yates who drops a tantalizing story into the wrong ears.

The story shifts to London when certain gossiping lips break up the party. Now, the focus is on Georgiana and Kitty who encounter a cheerful and handsome Mr. William Price through the introduction of the Knightleys. Kitty fancies herself in love. Colonel Fitzwilliam is willing to try again with his lady love.

But, it is back in Derbyshire where the drama is at it's height and the Edward Ferrars family, Mrs. Jennings, the Bingleys, and Mr. Tom Bertram join in. Georgiana is the last to fall in love and it is an impossibility so she keeps her secret feelings to herself, but does her realization come too late? Does another woman discover her true feelings too late as well?

I enjoyed the blending of story paths and way the author brought so many characters together. I thought there were some touching moments, but not just a few moments of misunderstanding that seemed to drive the conflict. I was cheering on all three main romance outcomes and long before those people figured them out.

I thought the ending was somewhat abrupt, but at least the plot threads were all wrapped up at that point.

All in all, I had a lovely time visiting with so many of Austen's characters all in one story and appreciating the pioneering work this author did to write Jane Austen Fan Fiction before it was a thing. Definitely recommend to the Austen lovers.

[Dafne · Rating 5 out of 5]

In quest'ultimo periodo ho sentito una forte nostalgia per i romanzi di Jane Austen. Avevo voglia di ritrovare i suoi personaggi ma allo stesso tempo non volevo fare una rilettura di uno dei suoi romanzi, allora ho optato per la lettura di questo volume scritto da Sybil G. Brinton che si ispira ai romanzi di Jane.
Mi sono ripetuta più volte, ogni volta che ho finito di leggere un libro che si ispirava o riscriveva i romanzi della Austen e mi aveva deluso, che non sarei più caduta in questo vortice malefico dei sequel, prequel & compagnia bella. E invece eccomi qui ancora una volta che ci sono cascata di nuovo con tutte e due i piedi.
Vecchi amici e nuovi amori però è un libro completamente diverso da tutti quelli che ho letto negli anni precedenti che appartengono al filone dei sequel e vengono stampati numerosi ogni anno.
Questo libro è il capostipite di questo filone in quanto è stato stampato nel 1913, esattamente un secolo dopo la prima uscita di Orgoglio e pregiudizio, e mescola in maniera brillante diversi personaggi provenienti dai sei romanzi canonici della Austen.
Sono passati pochi anni dal matrimonio di Elizabeth e Darcy, i due vivono a Pemberley con due piccolini e con Georgiana, che recentemente si è fidanzata ufficialmente con il cugino, il colonnello Fitwilliam. I due cugini hanno sempre provato simpatia e affetto l'uno per l'altra, ma ben presto si accorgono di non sentire quel sentimento e attaccamento profondo che renderebbe felice il loro matrimonio. Elizabeth si accorge di questa situazione e allora suggerisce che sarebbe meglio sciogliere il fidanzamento tra i due, naturalmente con grande dispiacere di Lady Catherine. Dopo questo avvenimento, come ogni anno i coniugi Darcy si recano a Bath, dove sono stati invitati ad un ricevimento da Lady Catherine de Bourgh, e passano così un breve soggiorno nella città termale. Qui i due rincontrano e rivedono alcuni vecchi amici che hanno conosciuto negli anni passati; rivediamo tante nostre vecchie conoscenze come i coniugi Wentworth, James Morland, Eleonor Tinley (da “L'abbazia di Northanger”), le sorelle Lucy e Anne Ferrars e tantissimi altri. L'arrivo di questi personaggi crea un circolo di personaggi e di storie che si intrecciano durante tutto il racconto.

Tutti noi che abbiamo ammirato i libri della Austen, tanto da rileggerli più volte (mi ci metto anch'io fra questi), giunti al termine di uno dei suoi romanzi ci siamo sentiti un po' orfani e magari ci siamo chiesti “e poi che succede?”. Deve aver provato i nostri stessi sentimenti ed essersi fatta le nostre stesse domande anche Sybil G. Brinton, autrice praticamente sconosciuta che ha scritto solo questo romanzo. Leggendo il romanzo si capisce che l'autrice doveva essere una grande ammiratrice di Jane Austen, perché spinta da questa sua passione ha creato quest'opera, ed è inconsapevolmente riuscita a dare il via ad un genere letterario tutto nuovo. Vecchi amici e nuovi amori è, infatti, il primo sequel austeniano di cui si ha notizia. Questo titolo quando venne pubblicato nel 1913 non ebbe molta fortuna, perdendosi ben presto nel dimenticatoio e trascinandoci la sua autrice con sé, decretandone così l'immediato declino della sua esperienza letteraria.
Vecchi amici e nuovi amori è il miglior sequel che ho letto. Per un amante dei libri della scrittrice inglese ritrovare i personaggi che ha amato tutti insieme – che si conoscono, si frequentano e si parlano – in un solo libro, è stato veramente incantevole. Certo la Brinton non è la Austen, non ha la sua tagliente ironia, e certo c'è qualche errore o imprecisione, ma quest'opera mi ha piacevolmente colpito. La sua bravura è stata quella di utilizzare molti personaggi creati dalla Austen ed inserirli in un unico racconto senza che il risultato possa apparire artificioso; riesce a rispettare il modo di scrivere dell'autrice originale raccontando i personaggi e le loro rispettive vicende con estrema cura, sagacia e dovizia di particolari; allo stesso tempo, riesce a far sentire la propria voce grazie all'utilizzo di uno stile di scrittura, un lessico e un intreccio molto godibile, vicino a quello originale.
La Brinton prende, approfondisce e dona spazio soprattutto ai personaggi secondari, che la Austen abbandona un po' al loro destino alla fine dei suoi romanzi, facendo evolvere e arricchendo loro e le loro vicende; e questa scelta si è rivelata vincente perché stimola il lettore a scoprire cosa succederà ai protagonisti di queste nuove vicende raccontate. I collegamenti si intersecano e si legano bene tra loro; sono tutti ben realizzati, congegnati e ideati. L'intreccio dei personaggi è molto bello, la loro caratterizzazione, soprattutto di alcuni è notevole; non sono stati snaturati più di tanto e sono ripresi abbastanza fedelmente all'originale; è come se la Brinton gli accompagni, uno per volta, lungo un percorso basandosi su indicazioni date dalla stessa Austen ai suoi familiari. C'è solo una forzatura soprattutto nel personaggio di Mary Crawford, qui descritta come una donna morigerata, modesta e introversa, anche se io in “Mansfield Park” la ricordo decisamente diversa. Rincontriamo molti personaggi che abbiamo amato o odiato,ad esempio: Lady Catherine de Bourgh che non si smentisce mai perché anche qui è autoritaria, inflessibile e sfacciata come sempre; oppure la querula e chiassosa Mrs Jennings, sempre prodiga nel dare speranze sentimentali alle giovani ragazze che spesso, però, si rivelano infondate; incontriamo l'odioso Robert Ferrars e le odiose sorelle Steel, sempre a caccia di qualche buon partito da accalappiare; e poi la dolce, timida e riservata Georgiana, che si sacrifica per il bene di un'amica vivace e allegra ma un po' fatua e volubile come Kitty Bennett, che non è cambiata poi molto in questi anni; come non è cambiata Emma Woodhouse, sempre impegnata a creare nuove coppie.
Fra i personaggi maschili posso dire che mi sono letteralmente innamorata di William Price, prestante e perfetto tenente della marina di sua maestà.

Vecchi amici e nuovi amori è stata una piacevole e scorrevole lettura che mi ha coinvolto ed emozionato sin dalle prime pagine. Un libro che si fa leggere, ricco di equivoci, accadimenti, innamoramenti, pettegolezzi; con una trama articolata, ambientazione, dialoghi e descrizioni credibili; in cui troviamo alcuni schemi, frasi o impostazioni usate dalla Austen e anche numerosi riferimenti e rimandi alle creazioni originali.
È in queste minuzie che si nota la passione, l'ammirazione e la profonda conoscenza dei romanzi austeniani della Brinton.

Come è facile credere a qualcuno, se solo lo si desidera!

[Abigail Bok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old Friends and New Fancies, published in 1913, is often cited as the first Austenesque novel, but while it is the first Austen sequel, The younger sister by Catherine Anne Austen Hubback (1850) is undoubtedly the first book to be inspired by Austen and use her characters. Nevertheless, Sybil Brinton’s book is close enough to Austen’s era in terms of cultural evolution that it displays far fewer of the faux pas in manners that mar most of today’s Austenesque fiction.

Brinton set out to weave a sequel not just to one of the novels but to all of them, making for a character list that would be daunting to anyone unfamiliar with the original novels. But her intended audience was doubtless Austen’s growing fan base, who shouldn’t have any difficulty keeping track. Her aim was clearly to marry off all those characters who deserved to be settled in life but were left single at the end of Austen’s stories.

Pride and Prejudice was clearly closest to Brinton’s heart, so it comes as no surprise that the central figure is Georgiana Darcy—though Mary Crawford, ever the scene stealer, gives her a run for her money. The story is in some ways less concerned with birth and family ties than the original novels, and in some ways more so: characters who would be considered unsuitable marriage partners by Jane Austen are here united by romance, but the cost is the unceremonious offstage slaying of unfortunate relations.

The book is written in an elegant style and has many charms, though the edition circulating today at least is distractingly full of errors. I can’t say whether those errors are from the original 1913 edition or were introduced in reprint; the presence of misused terms, however, leads me to suspect the former. Still, it is a fine effort that honors the personalities of the characters and brings them together in intriguing ways.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old Friends and New Fancies, first published in 1913, holds the distinction of being the first ever "sequel" or continuation of Jane Austen's novels, a type of book that has become practically a genre to itself nowadays. I'd heard of it before, but was always hesitant to read it because I just couldn't see anybody being able to do justice to Austen's characters, even a hundred years ago. But after reading a friend's enthusiastic review, and happening to be in an Austenish mood after re-reading two of her novels, I decided to go for it. And I'm glad I did! It's really quite good fun. You won't find the depth of a genuine Austen novel, but you will find a very pleasant imitation of her style, and a plot whose main object seems to be to link together as many of her characters as possible in one story. That's where much of the fun lies—it seems entirely natural that Mr. Gardiner would be acquainted with John Knightley, that the Wentworths would know William Price, and that Mr. Yates would be a friend of Robert Ferrars.

Brinton wisely, I think, doesn't try to do too much with the major characters, but instead focuses on developing some of the best supporting ones—concocting happy endings for deserving people like Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana Darcy, and making a very creditable effort at imagining what a reformed Mary Crawford would look like. She catches the personality of several supporting characters quite well, such as Kitty Bennet, Mrs. Jennings, and the Steeles. There are a few minor missteps, of course—I have a hard time seeing Mr. Knightley standing for Parliament and living in London, for instance; and I think rather too drastic measures were taken to get Edward and Elinor Ferrars to Pemberley!—but not enough to spoil anything. But by far my favorite thing about the book was what Brinton does with the character of William Price. I always thought he was such a nice boy in his supporting role in Mansfield Park, and here he's given a real chance to shine, developed into one of the most engaging and lovable characters in the book. Some of the conversations between him and Georgiana sound like the closest thing to real Austen-like dialogue that we get; and the ending of his storyline...well, I won't spoil it for you!

While I don't have any great desire to read further Austen sequels, that's possibly in part because I liked most of the endings imagined by this one so well! The pleasant old-fashioned style and the author's obvious affection for Austen and her characters are what makes it do justice as a tribute to the original novels, and the result is a very sweet and entertaining read.

[J. W. Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT: This review may contain *** SPOILERS ***

>>Rating: teen
>>Angst Level: slight
>>Source: Own
>>Trope: Sequel from 1914

The blurb speaks of this story hosting characters from all six of Austen’s novels. That was true and the stage was full of characters and their machinations. With the addition of so many story threads, it was confusing at times as to who was doing what and where. We were all over England. The various locations depicted the story threads. Seeing many characters from the other stories in a P&P storyline was a surprise. Although, this could be a sequel to all the stories. There were strange pairings within the pages of this book. I had to laugh. Several engagements took place by the story’s end. It was interesting but too chaotic for me to enjoy. [3.5 stars]

[Rita Deodato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Published at:
https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpre...

Old Friends and New Fancies is the first Jane Austen fan fiction book to have ever been written, being originally published in 1913, so I was incredibly excited to read it.

In this book, the author creates a whole new story of romantic entanglements using a cast of characters from all of Austen’s major novels, with Kitty Bennet, Georgiana Darcy and Mary Crawford taking the lead roles in what can only be described as a mash up sequel.

I enjoyed how so many Austen characters from so many different novels were combined in one single book, how they interacted with each other, how their relationships were developed and all the while maintaining their original personalities. The author cleverly entangles minor and major characters’ lives with each other and that was the highlight of this book for me as I kept thinking who would show up next, whom would that character be connected with, how their personality would interfere with the narrative, etc. The only exception was Mary Crawford who becomes the love interest of Colonel Fitzwilliam and seemed a bit out of character, but once I overcame my displeasure over her original character, I started enjoying her new romance.

Although I loved the entire story line and the progress of the narrative from Bath to London and Pemberley, I did find the ending somewhat abrupt, especially Georgiana’s storyline, even though I could see the outcome coming for a long time, I would have enjoyed if that had been further developed.

Overall, I enjoyed spending time with so many Austen’s characters in a single book and I am extremely grateful for this author’s pioneering work way before Jane Austen fan fiction became popular. I believe that everyone who loves Jane Austen’s works will enjoy this book and I highly recommend it, if for nothing else, for it’s historical relevance.

[Mela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author was able to give the characters voices enough similar to the original. I appreciated the faithfulness to the original, where I saw it.

Yet, I also must agree with those readers who pointed out the inconsistency of some characters, the "bombardment" with the characters, and the fact one needed rather good knowledge (recalling) about the original stories to comprehend fully who was who.

I did enjoy listening to an audiobook (from LibriVox), but I was also a bit bored, because, in a way, there wasn't much plot. The novel lacked Austen's wit too. Moreover, one can discuss Austen's books for hours. Sadly, there was nothing to talk about "Old Friends and New Fancies", except what was the author's idea for "what happened next".

Perhaps if I remembered better the original versions I would have enjoyed this one more - I don't know. I will think of it with warm feelings, but I don't give it a high note.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the better Jane Austen continuations, having also the distinction of being the first of its kind published. The advantage this one has is that it focuses on what were secondary characters (such as Georgiana Darcy and Kitty Bennet) rather than former main characters. The first half of the book is rather slow and suffers from a glut of characters from all six Austen novels being thrown at the reader in quick succession. So much so that even an avid fan might struggle with remembering who all the characters are supposed to be.

If this was published today, I could see it being split up into three books, each one focusing on a separate couple while still overlapping in areas.

#2021BookBingo #NewAuthorForYou

[Anna]

Review originally posted on Diary of an Eccentric

Written in 1913 and published the following year, Old Friends and New Fancies is considered the first-ever Jane Austen sequel. Sybil G. Brinton manages to believably bring together characters from all six of Austen’s novels to create happily-ever-afters for several secondary characters. The book centers on the romantic ups and downs of Georgiana Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam (Pride and Prejudice), whose broken engagement in the first chapter leads to some awkward moments as they try to find true love elsewhere. Colonel Fitzwilliam and the happily married Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy make their annual visit to Bath, where Lady Catherine de Bourgh mingles with characters from the other novels.

Mrs. Robert Ferrars and Anne Steele (Sense and Sensibility) are desperate to gain Lady Catherine’s approval, and their loose lips churn up events that Mary Crawford (Mansfield Park) would rather forget, separating her from the man she loves and making her vulnerable to the attentions of the obnoxiously vain Sir Walter Elliot (Persuasion) as he seeks a beautiful, well-to-do second wife.

Meanwhile, Kitty Bennet (Pride and Prejudice) is living it up in London as the protégé of Emma Knightley (Emma), who still fancies herself a matchmaker. Back at Pemberley, Elizabeth and Georgiana warn Kitty not to assume the subject of her infatuation will make her an offer of marriage, but that doesn’t stop Kitty from confiding in the obnoxiously gossipy Mrs. Jennings (Sense and Sensibility) — a move that threatens her happiness and that of Georgiana.

Nearly every important character in Austen’s novels is at least mentioned in Old Friends and New Fancies, with a list included at the beginning of the book for reference. Although I had to pay attention to follow the mingling of the characters, I never felt lost or overwhelmed. I’m glad I waited until I finished all of Austen’s novels before delving into this one, but I suppose you could still follow and enjoy it with at least a working knowledge of Austen’s plots and characters.

Bringing together characters from six novels is very ambitious, but Brinton makes it seem easy. The characters meet in believable circumstances and forge convincing relationships, and Brinton deftly knits together numerous plot threads into a story that captivated me from the very beginning. The story branches out from two endearing but struggling characters, Georgiana and Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Brinton has fleshed them out so that they truly do feel like old friends.

Old Friends and New Fancies is one of the best Austen sequels I’ve read so far. I had so much fun revisiting these characters and imagining a world where they could all live together. If you’ve ever wondered what might happen if characters from one Austen novel hopped into the pages of another, you’ll definitely want to get your hands on this book.

[Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has the honor of being the first sequel to Jane Austen's books ever written. This brave attempt by Ms. Brinton was published in 1913. That being said, the authors attempt at writing a sequel and trying to include characters from Jane Austen's six major novels was, in my opinion very successful. I would recommend being familiar with all six novels before reading this sequel, as you will appreciate and understand all the characters. Those six novels are: Pride and Prejudice (Barnes & Noble Classics),Sense and Sensibility (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) (B&N Classics),Mansfield Park (Barnes & Noble Classics Series),Northanger Abbey (Barnes & Noble Classics),Emma (Barnes & Noble Classics),Persuasion (Barnes & Noble Classics).

The story centers on the characters from Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth and Darcy are overjoyed at the engagement of Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana. But when six months later both are unhappy and don't appear to be in love, Elizabeth takes matters into her own hands.

Throughout the course of the story we meet with familiar people such as: Lucy and Robert Ferrars from Sense and Sensibility, who cause a lot of trouble while trying to get into Lady Catherine's good graces. We also meet with William Price from Mansfield Park, who Kitty Bennet is very attached to and Mrs. Emma Knightley (back to match-making) attempts to set up. In addition, Mary Crawford and Mrs. Grant from Mansfield Park, appear in Bath and become known to the Darcy's. Some characters we see very little of like: Mr. and Mrs. Collins (from Pride and Prejudice), Edmund Bertram and Fanny Bertram (from Mansfield Park), Marianne and Colonel Brandon (from Sense and Sensibility). But let's face it, the author couldn't include them all! It mostly focused on the relationships of Georgiana, Kitty, and Colonel Fitzwilliam.

The story was captivating with a very interesting plot and lovable characters. I believe this book is a must for any Jane Austen fan and I found it hard to put down.

Of course this book is not in Jane Austen's writing and does not use her language. I don't think Jane Austen's writing CAN be duplicated so I wouldn't read this book expecting to hear the voice of Jane Austen. What I would expect is to find the lives of some of our favorite characters intertwined and explore the possibilities of new relationships. For example: What would Elizabeth Darcy think of Elinor Ferrars if they were to meet? Would Mrs. Jennings be a good confidant and friend to Kitty Bennet? What would Thomas Bertram think of the Darcy's?

[Rebecca Huston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is my favourite of the various Jane Austen spin-offs. The language is right, the story is smart, and it feels correct to the time and place. While I didn't agree with some of the author's conclusions, some of them were spot on. Very much recommended.

For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_O...

[Mom · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I would really enjoy this book because it is supposedly written in the style of Jane Austin, however, I was very disappointed. Granted, this book was written in the early 1900s so there's that, but this book is NOT like Jane Austin at all. The author changed a lot of details from the books to mesh it in to one, including changing some of the characters personalities. I didn't care for it at all.

[Schuyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I'm liking this spend-a-Saturday-with-a-vintage-novel-trend.

[Georgiana 1792 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lost in Austen

- Molto prima che Amanda Price si perdesse a Longbourn;
- Prima dei tempi sospetti in cui la televisione ed il cinema potessero influenzare l’immaginario collettivo con i personaggi austeniani che automaticamente vengono personificati da questo o da quell’attore;
- Prima che gli sceneggiatori ci influenzassero con la loro interpretazione dei romanzi;
- Prima del boom dei sequel e degli spin-off, spesso inquinati da presenze aliene di zombie e di vampiri,
Sybil G. Brinton, nel lontano 1913 scriveva quello che è da considerarsi il primo sequel di Pride and Prejudice e non solo, ma anche di Mansfield Park, Persuasion e compagni, con una lingua che è più giovane di un secolo, ma tuttavia decisamente più vicina all’originale.
Il risultato è un romanzo fresco e gradevole, che si legge con piacere, e ci fa ritrovare là dove li avevamo lasciati (tranne uno, ahimè!) i personaggi di tutti i sei romanzi di Jane Austen… tanto che a volte ci si perde (da cui il titolo della recensione).
Infatti la Brinton, per non dover inventare dei nuovi personaggi, come è stato ampiamente fatto in seguito, con risultati discutibili, li ha riciclati.
Ma c’è una pecca: poiché i personaggi appetibili erano già tutti accasati, soprattutto quelli femminili, la Brinton è costretta a trasformare Mary Crawford in un modello di virtù, cosa che, a mio modesto parere, non è affatto (ma io potrei essere influenzata dall’immagine cinematografica di Embeth Davidtz, o anche no).

Tanto per cominciare in questo romanzo i coniugi Darcy sono relegati ad un ruolo di secondo piano: Elizabeth si vota alla sua nuova attività di Matchmaker (non disperate, anche Mrs Knightley non ha perso il vizietto!), Darcy diventa assolutamente marginale, per cedere il posto ai veri protagonisti del romanzo: Georgiana ed il Colonnello Fitzwilliam.
Il romanzo si apre infatti con la rottura del loro fidanzamento e la conseguente ricerca di un partner ideale per entrambi.

La presenza di tanti personaggi austeniani risparmia alla Brinton il disturbo di doverci descrivere e, soprattutto, farci comprendere il carattere di nuovi acquisti, tuttavia, come nel già citato caso di Mary Crawford, il loro comportamento non risulta coerente con il modello creato dalla penna della maestra.
Ed ecco che James Morland è meno sempliciotto di quanto apparisse nell’Abbazia, Mr Yates è sempre chiacchierone, ma meno egocentrico e bamboccione che in Mansfield Park.
E che dire di Miss Bingley e Mrs Hurst, un modello di sensibilità nei confronti di Georgiana, in occasione del primo incontro di questa con Fitzwilliam dopo la rottura del fidanzamento (Mrs Hurst made a vague answer, for both she and her sister werw sincerely anxious to spare Georgiana any embarassment, and they would not, on their own accord have referred to Fitzwilliam until they knew how she was able to bear the mention of his name in public.)

Certo, alcuni personaggi non si smentiscono (vedi John Thorpe, in arte Buzz, che mette in circolazione voci non confermate di fidanzamenti), Mrs Jennings, che spettegola vivacemente nel salotto di Mr e Mrs Edward Ferrars, divertendosi ad accoppiare col pensiero e con battutine intempestive le signorine in età da marito, le sorelle Steele, che macchinano a spese del Colonnello Fitzwilliam (dato che Anne potrebbe essere interessata), e Lady Catherine, inflessibile nei suoi giudizi inappellabili.
Nell’intreccio della storia si intravedono frammenti degli intrecci dei romanzi di Jane Austen, come un’enorme scacchiera in cui le pedine sono state spostate ad interpretare i ruoli che già erano stati di altri.

Ed anche le frasi che già erano state lette, vedono sostituiti i nomi per ottenere lo stesso risultato (Who could think of a Morland when they had been better attracted by a Price! pensa Georgiana, come già Lady Russell aveva pensato riferendosi a Louisa Musgrove ed Anne Elliot), per non parlare delle proposte di matrimonio: un vero patchwork di quelle scritte da Jane Austen.

Tutto sommato una lettura molto gradevole, più vicina all’originale di quanto non si sia mai più riusciti ad arrivare in seguito – e non sto pensando alle contaminazioni con mostri o alle P&P variation, ma ai romanzi più garbati.

Ma non perdonerò mai alla Brinton di aver fatto morire il Colonnello Brandon (lo avesse fatto per un motivo plausibile, che ne so, far sposare Marianne con il Colonnello Fitzwilliam, per esempio)!

[Melliane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mon avis en Français

My English review

Quand j’ai vu la sortie de ce livre, j’avoue que j’ai été très curieuse. Je suis fan des dérivés de tout ce qui touche à Orgueil et Préjugés et maintenant que j’ai lu Emma, j’étais intriguée par le fait que nous retrouvions certains des personnages connus des histoires. Mais ce n’est pas tout, car nous avons aussi la chance de retrouver d’autres protagonistes provenant des autres écrits de l’auteur. Cependant, je pense que le fait de ne pas avoir lu plus de romans de Jane Austen a enlevé un peu d’attrait à l’histoire comme je ne pouvais pas vraiment situer tout le monde dans l’histoire.

Même si nous côtoyons de nombreuses personnes, c’est vrai qu’au final nous suivons principalement les héros d’Orgueil et Préjugés. Nous retrouvons donc Elizabeth au début de l’histoire à essayer de gérer le futur mariage de Georgiana qui n’en semble pas très heureuse. Tout cela se passe plusieurs années après la fin du livre, là où nos héros ont déjà des enfants et sont heureux bien sûr en mariage. Ainsi nous suivons les déboires de chacun, leurs rencontres et leurs amours. C’est assez drôle parce que les personnages gardent vraiment le même esprit que ceux que nous connaissons, notamment Emma qui essaie toujours d’assembler des couples et qui comme toujours se trompe sur toute la ligne.

Comme je le disais j’ai passé un bon moment avec l’histoire et c’était intéressant de retrouver tous ces personnages mais c’est vrai que certains passages sont peut-être un peu longs pour moi. Je pense que j’aurais pris plus de plaisir si j’avais un peu plus compris qui étaient tous les personnages exactement aussi. Dans tous les cas c’était sympa de se retrouver dans le monde et de découvrir la première suite du célèbre roman.

[CindySR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whew! This book about wore me out! It uses 39 characters gathered from Austen's most famous works. They travel hither and yon, staying at each other's estates, engaging in romantic pursuits and of course, living happily ever after.

It begins with the broken engagement of Georgiana Darcy and her cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam. It seems they weren't really in love. So the race was on to find them both new mates. In between Lizzie's sister Kitty needs to be wed as well.

I'm pretty familiar with Austen's characters except for Mansfield Park. I need to read that one this year. If you know the characters you will have an easier and more enjoyable time getting through this story.

[Margie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bottom line: Austen fans will enjoy reading about familiar characters.

However...

This book reminded me of the sixth season of Gilmore Girls; familiar characters and settings, with all the humor and vitality sucked out. The good news is that this illuminates the extent to which Austen was a truly gifted writer. But I'm not sure fans need any convincing in that department.

The author relies way too much on the reader's familiarity with Austen's novels and characters. I've re-read all six Austen novels just in last couple of months, but had trouble with character identification in this book. In some cases the author does little more than name-drop (especially in the first four chapters), and her lack of both context and description made it difficult to get into the story. It gets somewhat better as it becomes clearer who the main characters in this novel will be, yet the author continues to rely far too heavily on Austen's descriptions (and leaves out descriptions entirely herself). As a result, I highly doubt whether someone unfamiliar with Austen (if there are such) would be able to enjoy this at all.

For those who are willing to accept that this is not going to be a Jane Austen book, yet are fans of the characters, this is probably better than most fan fiction. It's not unenjoyable, but it falls far below the impossibly high bar that Jane Austen set.

[Eva-Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable, mostly satisfying read. Colonel Fitzwilliam is so awesome!

[Elizzy B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hace ya algunos años, cuando estaba de viaje de negocios por Bélgica, compré esta novela en inglés. Aunque austenita, suelo sospechar de "secuelas" y "variaciones", pues suelo tener el prejuicio de considerar que los autores que hacen estas cosas, no tienen el genio de Austen y en su mayoría sólo quieren aprovecharse del nombre de la autora. Así pues, siempre encontraba excusas para que el libro siguiera durmiendo el "sueño de los justos" en mi estantería.
Este año pasado, me llevé la sorpresa y alegría de saber que Universo Editorial sacaba por fin esta novela en castellano. Y además, contaba con el Salón de Té para darla a conocer entre muchos austenitas, con gran cariño y consideración.
Llegado este momento, por fin la he leído para nuestro Club de Lectura del Sitio de Jane, y debo confesar que debería haberla leído mucho tiempo atrás, pues es una obra a la que se le nota el cariño y tiene la originalidad de ser "la primera secuela" publicada de la obra de Austen. Así, Brinton la publicó en 1913, sabiendo que no llegaría al genio de la escritora que tanto queremos, pero como un homenaje a la autora que "tantas horas de alegría nos proporcionaba", y yo me sentí ya cercana a esta señora que había publicado hace casi un siglo. Considerando esto, intenté alejarme de la obra de Austen y apreciar el libro como una obra de entretenimiento, y me ha proporcionado una gran distracción.
La obra, que se centra principalmente en los personajes de Orgullo y Prejuicio, Mansfield Park y Sentido y Sensibilidad, principalmente, con pequeños ecos y guiños o préstamos de Persuasión, Northanger Abbey y Emma, nos habla de conocidos de Elizabeth Bennet, que es el hilo que los une, y se centra en tres solteros en particular: el Coronel (Robert) Fitzwilliam, Kitty Bennet y Georgiana Darcy, que se irán cruzando con diferentes personajes y siendo el objeto de los deseos de otros personajes o bien, cayendo irremediablemente enamorados de otros personajes que vienen de otras novelas.
Como en la obra de Austen, habrá malentendidos y mucho cotilleo, que hará que el "camino del amor no sea un cauce sinuoso", aunque nunca llega a estar al nivel de los libros a los que homenajea, y se centra más en el "comadreo" que en dotar a las historias de una mayor profunidad. Especialmente reseñable es la poca aparición de algún casado... Hay guiños a la obra de Austen, y también apariciones de personajes bien queridos, o no tantos, sabiendo el destino de algunos de ellos, si es que está la suerte de ser citados.
Al contrario que en secuelas más actuales, que hablan de problemas de pareja, o pasiones más "contemporáneas", se nota que la autora da desde el primero momento el "final feliz" a las parejas originales (o casi), y se centra en los que puede emparejar, preocupada por un juego de coqueteos y cortejos que se hace muy interesante, y dotando de intenso espíritu romántico muy agradecido, especialmente a la mayoría de las parejas que acabarán como protagonistas.
Teniendo esto en cuenta y obviando que la autora tenía sus propios favoritos e ignora a ciertos personajes o les da una sorprendente personalidad a algunos que usa de secundarios (ver spoilers), la lectura de "Viejos Amigos y Nuevos Amores" resulta un pasatiempo distraído, y un ejercicio original de cómo continuaban la historia los austenitas de hace 100 años.

Spoilers:
Ha habido varias cosas que me dejaron algo "de piedra":
- La muerte de Brandon para que los Ferrars se muden a Derbyshire. Es innecesaria y no tiene sentido, especialmente viendo que los Ferrars no hacen mucho en la historia (salvo dar una habitación a Mrs Jennings). Apenas se nombra a Marianne sólo para decir que fue a ayudar a su hermana cuando tiene un hijo. Realmente pensé que la autora era "pro-Willoughby".
- Que los Knightley vivan en Londres. Eso no me lo termino de creer en serio, como si la florecilla de Emma, y más ya casada, se fuera a ir a la ciudad. Mientras al señor Knightley queda bien retratado, parece increíble que Emma siga metiendo la pata como si no hubiera crecido en su propia novela.
- Que aparezcan Sir Walter, la hija y Mr Crawford, para que la trama siga, pero desaparezcan sin más (en otros casos se entiende más).

Luego estaban las cosas buenas como el romance de Georgiana o sobretodo, el de Fitzwilliam, y ver lo romántico que es, o hacer a Mary Crawford madurar (y no pensar en Edmund). Especialmente reseñable es el final con "carrera" incluída, como en una comedia romántica actual.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It had a very pleasing tone, quite Austenesque. The author brought in so many characters I almost made a diagram to keep all the old and new friends in order. I thought some of the author's renderings of Austen's beloved characters were a little off, (she was especially ungracious to Emma) However, she captured the feel of her stories very well.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who was this mysterious Sybill G. Brinton? History records very little about her more than her dates of birth and death. She was childless and no known photograph of her exists! What a shame she never wrote anything else. I found her book to be delightful. All the major Jane Austen characters are back and no one, by the end of the book, remains single. Because this book was written in 1913 (says so on the cover), the turn of phrase and general style is much more like Jane's than anything these modern day Jane Wannabe's come up with. But being so much closer to our time, the prose is very comfortable for the modern reader. I found the book to be very pleasant and never ridiculous. I highly recommend this to any fan of Jane Austen. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finally read this, after a DNF a few years ago and...meh. There were way too many characters included--if she had stuck with a P&P/MP mashup, it might have been a bit more manageable and streamlined. There is no central character followed; instead it jumps around to various love stories for women who didn't get an HEA in the original books (Mary Crawford, Georgiana, Kitty Bennet). In general, too unfocused.


DNF on 1st read:
Got about 100 pages in and couldn't go any further - just too bored. Trying to cram literally almost every single Austen character into one book is just too much; it overloads and overwhelms the book and makes it very unfocused. I like the IDEA of the book - I am interested in tracing how JAFF has evolved - but don't like the book itself.

[Miriam · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was interested in reading this since it is apparently the first Austen fanfic ever published, but I'm sorry I spent any money on it. As soon as I realized that the author had killed off Colonel Brandon I had a feeling I wasn't going to like it, and when Mary Crawford came back on the scene I was sure I wouldn't. A lot of the characters only have the same names and backstories as the original Austen characters; they don't act anything like them. I would skip this one.

[MH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Son tres estrellas de cariño hacia la autora por ser la primera en hacer algo que hoy vemos en todas partes y por su admiración hacia Jane Austen… pero, si soy sincera, durante las primeras cien páginas estuve a punto de abandonarlo varias veces porque me estaba aburriendo muchísimo. A partir de ahí, sobre todo cuando Georgiana se convierte en el centro de la historia, mejora bastante el ritmo y se lee de un tirón, pero en cuanto a calidad literaria y tal, pues eso... ¿Se puede leer sin haber leído las seis novelas de Jane? Como poder se puede, pero os va a resultar imposible seguir las referencias, porque lanza personajes sin ton ni son de los seis libros y como no conozcáis bien la obra de Jane es imposible saber de donde salen y qué pintan ahí (aparte de los numerosos spoilers sobre las novelas, claro).

Sí debo decir que no busquéis un estilo literario parecido al de Jane porque la autora ni lo intenta (esto es lo que es, que a nadie se le olvide. Brinton no era escritora). De hecho se lee tan moderno en tantos aspectos que si me dicen que alguien escribió esto el año pasado me lo creo (y no tiene que ver con la traducción, es la forma en la que está narrado y estructurado). En fin, llevaba años queriendo leerlo y leído está :)