After deciding spur of the moment that I was too unwell to stay in Edinburgh with my chummies for New Year, I bored a train - following tears resulting from feeling shit and a cancelled train - and took myself on the 19:58 services to Glasgow Queen Street. When arriving at my destination, I had time to waste before my connecting train departed. The only place open at 20:53 on the 30th of December 2013 was WHSmith.
Naturally I wandered in searching out a snack, little did I know I would be leaving 2 books heavier and a snack in tow - naturally. I had heard about Longbourn by Jo Baker initially from my Auntie on Christmas Day. As soon as I heard the words Pride and Prejudice, a different take and based below stairs - I was sold!
Initial ThoughtsWhen I don't feel well I do two things: sleep and read. Longbourn is a perfect book to get into if you are feeling a little under the weather, it isn't written in the sometimes confusing and difficult to keep up wording of Jane Austen's novels. Let's be honest, when you feel horrible trying to battle through the turn of the 19th Century dialect is not what you fancy.
Each chapter begins with a short tag line, I guess you could call it, from Pride and Prejudice to keep you up to date with the happenings from upstairs. This allows you to get an idea of the kind of work and preparation that goes into Mr Collins coming to Longbourn, for example, or the Bingleys inviting Jane to Netherfield Hall.
I've a couple of chapters into Volume Two of the book and so far I have been really enjoying reading Longbourn. I haven't been able to predict what is going to happen which is always a good thing!
Final Thoughts
After enjoying the first volume of Longbourn by Volume Two I had lost interest. The plot seemed to be developing at the slowest pace known to man. Eventually I lost interest, if a book feels like a task you have to force yourself to sit down and do - it isn't worth it. With a snappier plot line and less pointless information i probably would have read this straight through. I understand that the mundane, day-to-day tasks for Sarah, The Hills, Polly and James were probably described with such detail to show just that but it did nothing for me.
My next read is Paris Revealed by Stephen Clarke which so far I am really enjoying. This year, I'm setting myself the challenge of reading a book a month so hopefully doing little reviews on here will keep me reading. What are you reading just now?
