John Lampard
I liked this. An intimate, fly on the wall, exposition of the decline of the House of Trelawney. About the only thing I didn't go for was the on-again, off-again romance of one of the characters. It had became grating - to say the least - by the tenth (or whatever) “breakup”. BUT if they adapt this for the small screen, or even the big screen, I guess it'll make for edge of seat viewing.
[3.5 stars] A fascinating scenario, Jane Austen is sent forward through time to find a marriage partner. An enjoyable read. For instance Jane (may I call you Jane?) trying to negotiate the tube in latter day London was equal parts harrowing and hilarious (haven't we all been there?). On the downside, I thought a subplot involving the hint of a romance between another character and a librarian to be distracting, annoying even. It felt a little too contrived. Otherwise a page-turner.
[2.5 stars] I believe the author is an accomplished journalist and academic writer, but this is her first work of fiction. While highly readable, it took me 4-5 evenings to complete, I was left wondering what the point of the story was. Rachel, the protagonist, suffers two significant setbacks, one quite random, the other through her own lack of caution, but seems to bounce back relatively quickly, and resume her enviously prefect life. A bit more grit, and genuine hardship, might have made this a more substantial read. Had to laugh though, we went to Catalina at Rose Bay for lunch, the day before I read about Rachel's visit there! I'd still be keen to read further works of fiction by this author.
