Play Book Tag discussion

If we had planned ahead we could have made this a buddy read, since several PBT members read this novel - which could almost be described as the Upstairs/Downstairs of the Pride and Prejudice world. Except ... it's almost entirely about the servants who work Downstairs. And Longbourn House isn't nearly as grand as the estate in Upstairs/Downstairs or Downton Abbey.

The novel is told mostly from the viewpoint of Sarah, a housemaid who has been working at Longbourn since she was a young orphan. She is one of only four servants, although that number becomes five when a young man named James with a mysterious background is hired as a new footman. Sarah is suspicious of - and intrigued by - James, but she is also attracted to the worldly footman at the rented Bingley estate - Netherfield Park.

I was surprised to find that some of the Amazon reviewers found this book boring, because I never thought that. It's not told in Jane Austen's style, but fans of Pride and Prejudice will easily recognize the main events from P&P - told from the point of the servants. Servants who see and deal with the mundane and not so pleasant parts of life that the Bennet daughters never saw. After all, someone has to clean the mud from Lizzie's white petticoats after she walks in the rain to Netherfield LOL.

Lovely review! I would have enjoyed a buddy read of this book. As you know, I read it too. Not being a reader of regency novels or of romances, I liked the insight that the book gave of this era in England.

I was one of the readers of this book for the Regency tag. Great review.

Maybe just set up a discussion of Longbourne? With so many reading it for Regency tag, it is still fresh in everyone's minds, and no worry about spoilers.