Lit Reader > Recent Status Updates

Random aside: it is a bit off-putting to me to read the word “relax” in a modern meaning in the midst of a Regency story.

Relaxation (& related words) was used, even by Austen, in the context of making something that’s tight or tense loosen up = a grip, a hold, something tied, or to relax one’s brow. The word is NOT used as a verb of leisure or emotional wellbeing (“to relax”) as we use it today.

I started by reading the 2nd story (A Man Without Faults) & enjoyed the re-read. I found my first rating 7 years ago was too generous, and by today’s standards I would give it 3 stars, and still say I enjoyed it. The story has that cozy feel of earlier JAFF that’s sadly missing nowadays.

The 1st story (Sketching Mr. Darcy) is more irritating because of petty misunderstandings and sudden personality changes.

This is a re-read for me, a way to revisit old comfort JAFF and re-calibrate my ratings in the face of recent over-puffed narration and AI descriptions.

Wish me luck !!

[Letter from Darcy to Georgiana] “London being huge, that will mean that it takes much longer to get from our house to hers”

No, London is not huge, it is just more crowded than the countryside. Assuming Mr Dacy’s house was in Mayfair, the walking distance to Gracechurch Street is just 2.5 miles, LESS than the distance from Longbourn to Netherfield.

Bingley says >> “Oh, a role reversal!…”

This sums up the writing style perfectly !


“Netherfield Park’s manor house was more box-shaped than Pemberley”

This Elizabeth, because of her sight impairment, is extremely perspicacious to unveil Wickham’s lies.

She proposes a plan to her friends and neighbors… the only problem is that Wickham is only just arrived in Meryton and hasn’ had any time to accumulate any debt yet !

“… In the morning, we need to separate and talk to every merchant in town. Let us find out if he has run up debts.”

The story emphasizes Christmas every other paragraph = Christmas time dictating characters’ presence and movements, Elizabeth being a Christmas present to the family, an upcoming Twelftht Night ball being particularly significant.

It makes me think the story was planned as a seasonal release and somehow the actual launch was pushed forward for some reason…

The whole timeline is wrong = Elizabeth’s father is Cnel Fitzwilliam’s uncle; the Cnel is said to be 29 years old, and to have been “secretly” named for his uncle, but under pretense of being called after another relation because of the “scandal”.

But the scandal only happened when E’s father eloped with E’s mom 1.5 years before Elizabeth was born.

Elizabeth is only 20 years old at this point.

Mr. Bennet says >> “You are an heiress, Lizzy.” He chuckled. “How could I have forgot that?

INDEED ! HOW IN THE WORLD did he manage to “forget” that pesky detail of inherited wealth ?? [ eye roll ]

Are we supposed to believe that Mr. Bennet conveniently “forgot” the name of his only sister’s husband, and little Elizabeth’s father, even after receiving a letter from his sister’s hand, and documents of his brother-in-law’s will ??? Because he was distracted, there was family turmoil, and then Old Mr. Gardiner’s office (conveniently) burned down ????? [ eye roll ]

At this point the Matlocks + Lady Catherine keep parroting that the Whickhams are honorable & trust-worthy because Mrs. Wickham “is family” (a distant connection)… but they are deaf & blind to the fact that Fitzwilliam Darcy is literally their nephew by blood, son of the Earl’s sister, so they keep insulting him and accusing him because Mrs. Wickham is OWED their trust — it doesn’t stand scrutiny!

There is theft at Pemberley, we all know this, Darcy knows this, Elizabeth knows this, a local attorney knows this, an under steward and two clerks know this. But the issue needs to be explained, mansplained, rehashed and presented as SHOCK several times over different chapters [ eye roll ]

Details like these make me think of different drafts written & more than one added to the final copy instead of picking one

In the last 40%-ish small glitches become evident — for example, Elizabeth’s companion is sent to Hertfordshire on an urgent, important errand, next thing she is said to be at home, before she has had time to accomplish it, or is said to arrive back.

The use of language is overwhelmingly rich, precise, and somewhat nuanced. Some (few) modern words/modern usage is made conspicuous by contrast >> bully, for ex.

Several short scenes, conversations, and exchanges are repeated (copy-pasted?) more than once…

This slow burn tease has found some “closure” at precisely the halfway mark.

If Longbourn is mentioned, each one of its inhabitants is listed and cleverly described in a few witty lines ; if the dinning room is broight up, each one of the room’s features is mentioned in animate detail (having opinions, judging, rebelling)… wallpaper, drapes, table, chairs, fireplace !

It goes beyond “a style”, and into an aggressive campaign of word padding, in my opinion.

Elizabeth has been busy meeting with several men of business, only socializing with elderly ladies (friends of her late aunt who took her as a ward).

And only NOW we are told the Gardiners exist and live in London ?????? Why hasn’t she met with them at all ? Never invited them for tea, never asked her uncle for help or advice until now !

“My aunt and uncle Gardiner may know someone suitable,”

The narration is VERY repetitive; everything must be told & retold, a handful of features to be summarized every time a name gets mentioned — it gets tiresome…

Elizabeth and Darcy meet by chance on the street; he is in reduced circumstances, and it seems so far it’s Elizabeth who is interested and might take action to pursue him — interesting !

The mystery is solved, Elizabeth was 6 when she was taken to London, meaning Mary was “copying verses” aged 4 (so precocious…)

The timeline is strange. Lizzy is supposed to be still a small child, yet a line reads “Mary offered an improving verse copied badly on a folded paper” (while Lydia is said to be a baby).

If Mary was copying verses, she would have been AT LEAST 5-6 years old (being generously lax), meaninh Lizzy would be 7 or 8, to old for how she is described so far !

Another glitch >>

Mrs. Bennet says “Sir William and Lady Lucas were the only people of rank I knew. How am I supposed to behave in the presence of earls…”

But we were told the Bennets visited their cousin the Earl every other year, and Mrs. Bennet had previously said she felt welcome there.

So Lady Catherine is a Baroness now ???? (according to Lizzy)

Sir William is at Hunsford visiting Charlotte, but it falls to Elizabeth to disclose to Charlotte (after many weeks!) that Whickham was pursued by Sir William for debt, he run, stole a horse, was caught and hanged… WHY didn’t Sir William share this? Why didn’t gossipy Lady Lucas tell Charlotte in one of her letters? Why didn’t candid Maria Lucas tell her sister upon arrival to the parsonage?

Sloppy planning

Weird phrasing all around !

“How can one contract such a sum so swiftly?”

The whole plotline about the secrecy over Mr. Bennet’s new title is ludicrous ! First the Bennets visit their cousin every two years and no one in Hertfordshire knows he is an Earl. Then Bennet inherits and they tell NO ONE (except the Gardiners) for months; silly, gossipy Mrs. Bennet doesn’t spill the beans. Once in London, after a Court presentation, they STILL keep it a “secret”.

WHY ???

Language is over florid and phrasing is convoluted beyond the flow of natural sentences.

For ex.
“… bright orange plumes bobbed like reeds in a breeze.”

One expects reeds to sway in the breeze; bobbing conveys the idea of a repetitive up & down motion, or rhythmically floating in water.

Miss Bingley exclaims >> “Why on earth would you ask a tradesman’s wife to accept our acquaintance?”

Everything that should be subtle and already known by the readers is made crudely explicit and vocally explained to the reader. Very awkward !