From Publishers Weekly
Although it's more thoughtfully conceived than Julia Barrett's Presumption (reviewed below), Tennant's ( The Adventures of Robina ) continuation of the Austen classic only faintly rewards the reader. Unlike Barrett, Tennant makes a strong case for her endeavor. A preface demonstrates that Austen continued to think about the heroines of Pride and Prejudice long after the work's completion; from there it's easy to become interested in the dilemma proposed by Tennant: if Darcy and Elizabeth are to live happily ever after, how on earth are they to cope with their respective in-laws? The fatuous Mrs. Bennet, the supremely condescending Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the silly Lydia and her odious husband, Wickham, and the rest of the extended family convene for a Christmas at Pemberley, the Darcy estate. Fidelity to Austen is not strict--e.g., the "real" Jane and Elizabeth are wed on the same day, but Tennant's Elizabeth has been married about a year when Jane gives birth to her second child. Tennant does draw forth some comedy, but it dissipates quickly into soap opera. Elizabeth's high spirits are rendered as foolishness, with the heroine leaping to melodramatic assumptions about Darcy (she believes him in love with a dead mistress who has given birth to Darcy's son). The tone, moreover, is low--what would Austen have said of a Mrs. Bennet who talks of douches at the dinner table, or of a suitor who converses of chamberpots?
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
It is the Christmas season, and Elizabeth Darcy (Elizabeth Bennet of Pride and Prejudice ), now the uneasy mistress of the great estate of Pemberley, anticipates the holidays with growing trepidation. Her foolish widowed mother and two of her sisters, flighty Kitty and pedantic Mary, are soon to descend upon the household. Adding to the guest list, as well as the complications, are her husband's formidable aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and the Wickhams (the cad who eloped with Elizabeth's sister after his unsuccessful attempt to run off with her sister-in-law). Sweet-tempered Jane will also be present, but her imminent confinement is a constant reminder to Elizabeth of her own barrenness. This latest entry in the "Jane wars" has more psychological depth than Julia Barrett's Presumption ( LJ 9/15/93), but it lacks the ironic touch and feel of Austen that is so notable in that book. Devotees will demand both.
- Cynthia Johnson Whealler, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, Mass.Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
