Tangled Web [Paperback]

 

 

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One of the joys of reading historical fiction is the ability to immerse oneself in a different world. Readers of Regency fiction have come to love the manners and modes of a society delightfully different from our own. Generally, one expects the author of such a work to have a passing familiarity with their chosen setting. In this case, however, Donna Bell combines a turgid writing style with so many dreadful inaccuracies that it positively blocks any possible enjoyment of the book. A sample: * Bath is described as a "small, unfashionable hamlet" (in 1816?) where the heroine goes to "enjoy the sea air" (in an inland town?); * A critical plot device centers on the heroine taking her father's "stamp" to frank a letter (stamps were not used until the 1840's; franking consisted of a nobleman signing the upper right corner of a letter); * A "major" commands the 92nd Gordon Highlanders (surely a colonel or lieutenant colonel?); .... and her mashing of social rules of the era: * the heroine inherits a property from a great aunt, occupies it, and plunges into society without even a hint of mourning; * young ladies sending flowers to men; * butlers romancing members of the gentry; * men "shaking hands" upon being introduced (no bowing? showing a leg?); The whole book has an air of being tossed together without benefit of editorial scrutiny. For example, upon arrival of guests a butler informs a footman to "have the maids make up the guest bedrooms," while half a page later we are informed that this is a curious household without maids. The Bath Master of Ceremonies appears in a five-line dialog scene to ask for their attendance at the Assembly and collect their subscription, without a word about the recently-deceased great aunt (or, for that matter, any indication of how he knew that the ladies had arrived). Ms Bell's dialog will make your teeth grind. To introduce background in the beginning of the book, she has her heroine's mother say thing like "dear, do your remember your twin, Tranquility, who is married to that French nobleman and does not have any children yet?" I'm sure the twin needed the reminder, because she is portrayed as a truely brainless widgeon. My favorite, however, is when the French cook gives a "Gaelic shrug" (Gallic, perhaps, Ms. Bell?). I have given the book TWO STARS -- what was otherwise a solid one-star effort was enlivened by all the flubs, inaccuracies, and truely monumental inaccuracies -- the Rocky Horror Picture Show of Regency Romance.

"A Tangled Web" is the final chapter in the trilogy dealing with the Hartford sisters -- "An Improper Pursuit" centered on the eldest Hartford sister, Chastity; while "Sweet Tranquility" focused on Tranquility Hartford; "A Tangled Web" deals with Tranquility's twin, Serenity, and takes place a few years later. Since the first two books are currently out-of-print, I'll paint a quick background sketch for anyone who's not familiar with the Hartford family. The three sisters have been brought up by a rather cold and domineering woman (Divinity Hartford), whose sole purpose in life seems to be to see her daughters married off properly and to her credit. Her two daughters, Chastity and Tranquility, while they did marry well, did so in such a ramshackle manner, that she is still angry and chagrined to this day. And she is determined that her remaining daughter, Serenity, will marry well and in a circumspect manner.

Serenity is twenty-three years old, and she's quite tired of always doing what others want her to: first, she did whatever her twin, Tranquility, decided that they should do; now her mother expects her to marry to please her! Tranquility however wishes to marry for love as her two sisters did. And when she rejects yet another proposal, her mother angrily banishes her to her Great Aunt Prudence's home in Bath. The thought of an entire summer spent with her mother and an aunt she has met only once before, fills Serenity with dread; so that when she discovers that her aunt is dead and she is her heir, Tranquility comes up with a scheme to evade her mother and her continuous demands. Serenity forges a letter from her aunt, inviting only Serenity and Serenity's governess, Miss Cobb, to Bath, hinting that Divinity will not be made very welcome. Serenity also writes to Prudence's lawyer pretending to be her father, and asking the lawyer to open up the house in Bath, and to see that the ladies have ample funds during their sojourn in Bath.

Serenity thinks that she has thought of everything. What she wants is to spend some time free of her mother and her constant nagging. She's also decided that she doesn't want to marry, and that she's rather like spending her life as an independent woman of means. And soon Serenity is coming into her own, enjoying the many amenities of Bath and even has her own set of friends (though how she was able to achieve this given that her aunt had just recently died and that Serenity should actually be in mourning for her, quite escaped me). She's even fallen under the spell of a rather handsome and dashing gentleman, Sir Simon McKendrick, whom she cannot help but daydream about, even as she tells herself that her attraction for him will come to nothing, esp since Sir Simon seems to disapprove of her completely. But all too soon Serenity's castle comes crashing down about her: her mother's written threatening a visit. Will Serenity be able to forestall her mother? And what of Sir Simon -- should she attempt to change his mind about her, or should she stick her guns about never marrying?

"A Tangled Web" is a really delightful story about a young woman coming into her own. Donna Bell does an excellent job of portraying Serenity's feelings -- the claustrophobia she feels at being hemmed in on all sides, and always having to do what others want, and her exhilaration at having finally circumvented her parents -- these are depicted really well. And while Serenity's constant giggling does exasperate at first, once you realise that in many ways Serenity is still quite girlish esp because of her domineering and emanding mother, you forgive her this fault completely. I especially liked the affectionate relationship that Serenity had with her governess, Miss Cobb. Serenity and Miss Cobb are very close, and through it we get to see the generous and warm spirit that resides within Serenity. The story unfolds swiftly and smoothly, and the principal characters are well developed, esp Sir Simon, who is almost a peripheral character in this novel but who is very well depicted nonetheless. Mostly however, this is Serenity's story, and Donna Bell does an excellent job of chronicling her coming into her own. A really fun read.

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