I just finished reading Experience by Meg Kerr and I have to say, I was blown away. Meg is a modern author writing effortlessly in the style of Jane Austen. I absolutely loved it. I got to spend time with some of my favorite characters again in a totally new way. I may have actually enjoyed this more than the original... it is a strong possibility. Where Pride & Prejudice was mainly focused on Elizabeth Bennett, Experience gave you a little bit of EVERYONE. Some of the characters that served as background fixtures in Jane Austen's novel were brought front and center in Meg Kerr's sequel.
We get to know Kitty a great deal better than we had previously. And we find that without Lydia around as a "bad influence" she is actually an incredibly charming character. Lydia seems as shallow and flirtatious as always (and quite scandalous). And at one point I ACTUALLY felt sorry for Caroline Bingley. But only for a minute. Lady Catherine is as pompous as ever and Mrs. Bennett is completely frazzled and seemingly at her wits end every time we meet her.
Within the first few paragraphs I was already chuckling. Experience is funny. Not in a belly - laughing "Can you BELIEVE it" kind of way. But in a subtle way that's littered throughout the book. It kept me amused the entire time I was reading.
There were definitely frustrating points (nothing to do with the writing but with the way the characters were acting) where I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but still hoped for the best. And Meg definitely didn't disappoint. Everything was beautifully written. It was the type of book where you don't WANT to read it fast because you want to be able to soak everything in. Instead of a run or a jog it was more like a nice leisurely stroll through a peaceful quiet park.
I definitely recommend this book to absolutely anyone. Jane Austen fans, even people who've never read Pride & Prejudice, who may have only seen the movie (whatever adaptation). It's an outstanding book and is definitely a new favorite of mine.
Thanks for the review. There are so many adaptations and fan fiction versions of this book and I'm always so skeptical of them. This one sounds worth picking up, though.
ReplyDeleteWow, fabulous review, hon! :) This book sounds really good! I am a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice, I've read various re-tellings of this story and I always enjoy going back to this wonderful world to explore some more :D Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, thanks to you I now know about this great book!
ReplyDeleteHugs!
Evie