How many of you are Jane Austen fans? I was raised with aunts who adored Jane Austen, so I've watched the movies since I was little--then, as I got older, read some of the books. Well, today, I'm excited to be a part of a Vintage Jane Austen tour!
I have gotten to read three of these books and they have been great fun. Today, I'm sharing the first lines from three of these books...but keep reading! There's more to this post than just First Line Friday!
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| See my review HERE |
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| See my review HERE |
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| See my review HERE |
Now that you've read some first lines, hop over to Hoarding Books to read more (after, that is, you read the lovely information of this unique series ;) )!
Have you read any retellings of anything? What is your favorite retelling?
My Review of Suit and Suitability
(Since I had to choose one or else this post would be a mile long!)
Out of all of the Jane Austen’s I have read and watched, Sense and Sensibility was my least favorite. I could get through the movies, but the book I just couldn’t finish. There was nothing substantial in it. It was all frivolous, worldly matters. At the same time, I really did like the storyline and I could imagine it retold in a way where Eleanor was the strong, godly sister, and Marianne the flighty dreamer, pulled to the lures of the world. This doesn’t happen often, but Suit and Suitability met my expectations—and I had high expectations going in. Wow. Ellen was SUCH a great, godly character—yet real-life and human. Marion. Oh, Marion. I have a sister of her personality so could completely sympathize with Ellen’s fears.
For a retelling, I really liked this. It was a fresh approach to an old story—not merely changing names, faces, places, and time. There were some things that took place in Suit and Suitability which are original. For me, that’s important in a retelling. If I want the original, I’ll read the original. If I want a retelling, I want the familiarity of the original, but I want to be surprised. This suited it completely.
Calvin Bradley had to be my utmost favorite character. He was solid, likeable, and godly—yet again, still human. I love it that the characters were human.
The setting was marvelous. I actually felt like I had stepped back in time with all of the phraseology and descriptions. Very well done.
There was definitely a God-centered theme throughout this book. It wasn’t as strong as some Christian books I’ve read (as in, it didn’t particularly challenge me in my personal walk, but that could just be because I’ve learned many of the lessons that Ellen and Marion learned throughout the story), yet the story would have been very weak without it.
Yes, there was romance. There is Marion’s infatuation with Wilkie, which I think was handled very well—in a way that will cause girls to think about their actions and daydreams. Ellen constantly guarded her heart and gave her romantic life over to God. I really appreciated that. I consider this to be a very clean romance and would allow my younger teen sisters to read it.
In conclusion, this book left me wanting to re-read it. Definitely a 4.75 star rating in my book.
*I received this book from the author and happily provided my honest review*
What would it be like to see Elizabeth Bennet in 1930’s clothes? What if Emma Woodhouse was the daughter of a car dealership owner? What if Marianne Dashwood was seeking to become a movie star in the golden age of film? The Vintage Jane Austen series explores the world of Jane Austen, set in 1930’s America. Five authors took on Jane Austen’s five most popular novels and retold them set in the depression era, remaining faithful to the original plots. As an extra bonus to the series, there is a collection of short stories that were inspired by Jane Austen. Which of these books do you most want to read?
Giveaway!
As part of this special blogging event, we are giving away a $25 Amazon gift Card.
Enter to win below:
About the Series
Emmeline by Sarah Holman (Emma): The talk of stock market crashes and depression isn’t going to keep Emmeline Wellington down. Born to wealth and privilege, Emmeline wants nothing more than to help her new friend, Catarina, find a husband. Emmeline sets her sights on one of the town’s most eligible bachelors, but nothing seems to go right. Even her friend and neighbor Fredrick Knight seems to question her at every turn.
Suit and Suitability by Kelsey Bryant (Sense and Sensibility): Canton, Ohio, 1935. Ellen and Marion Dashiell’s world crumbles when their father is sent to prison. Forced to relocate to a small town, what is left of their family faces a new reality where survival overshadows dreams. Sensible Ellen, struggling to hold the family together, is parted from the man she’s just learning to love, while headstrong Marion fears she will never be the actress she aspires to be. When a dashing hero enters the scene, things only grow more complicated. But could a third man hold the key to the restoration and happiness of the Dashiell family?
Bellevere House by Sarah Scheele (Mansfield Park): It's March, 1937 and Faye Powell couldn't be happier. After moving to live with her uncle, a wealthy banker, she's fallen into the swing of life with his exuberant children--including Ed. The one she'll never admit she's in love with. But she hadn't reckoned on the swanky Carters getting mixed up in that vow. Ed seems to be falling for charming, sweet Helene Carter. And when Faye's cousin BeBe trusts her with a secret about Horace Carter, Faye is in over her head. Will she betray the confidence BeBe's given her? Will she lose Ed to Helene? The days at Bellevere House are crowded with surprises and only time will tell how God plans to unravel Faye and Ed's hearts.
Perception by Emily Benedict (Persuasion): Upstate New York, 1930. Thirteen years ago, Abbey Evans was persuaded to break off her engagement to a penniless soldier headed to the front lines of the Great War. A daughter of one of America’s wealthiest families could never be allowed to marry so far beneath herself. But Black Tuesday changed everything. With her family's prominence now little more than a facade, Abbey faces the loss of her childhood home. As if that weren’t enough, the only man she ever loved has returned after making his fortune – and he wants nothing to do with the young woman he courted before the war. With the past forever out of reach, the time has come for Abbey decide her own fate, before it is too late…
Presumption and Partiality by Rebekah Jones (Pride and Prejudice): Coming soon…A retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice… set in 1930s Arizona.
Second Impressions: Jane Austen's stories have inspired writers for generations...in this collection they inspire fiction across the genres! From the English Regency to the American 1950s, in Houston or a space freighter, fairytale land or a retirement center...Austen's timeless characters come to life again.
Visit these blogs during this week to find interviews, book reviews, and much more!
November 5
Review of Emmeline - Once Upon the Ordinary
Review of Bellevere House - Kaylee's Kind Of Writes
Series Spotlight - A Real Writer’s Life
Interview with Kelsey Bryant - Resting Life
Series Spotlight - Kelsey’s Notebook
November 6
Interview with Sarah Holman - J. Grace Pennington
Review of Emmeline - Kaylee's Kind Of Writes
Mini-Reviews and interview with Sarah Scheele - Deborah O’Carroll
Interview with Rebekah Jones - Livy Lynn Blog
Review Suit and Suitability - Resting Life
November 7
Interview with Kelsey Bryant - J. Grace Pennington
Review of Perception - Kaylee's Kind Of Writes
Review and Interview of Perception - Purely by Faith Reviews
Review of Second Impressions - The Page Dreamer
Series Spotlight - Finding the True Fairytale
November 8
Interview and Review Suit and Suitability - Once Upon the Ordinary
Review of Suit and Suitability - Kaylee's Kind Of Writes
Review of Perception - A Brighter Destiny
November 9
Series Spotlight - God’s Peculiar Treasure
Review of Second Impressions and Suit and Suitability - Ordinary Girl, Extraordinary Father
Interview with Rebekah Jones - Kaylee's Kind Of Writes
Series Spotlight – Christian Bookshelf Reviews
November 10
Review of Suit and Suitability - With a Joyful Noise
Series Spotlight - Liv K. Fisher
Review of Second Impressions- Kaylee's Kind Of Writes
Review of Perception - She Hearts Fiction
Interview with Sarah Holman – Rebekah Ashleigh
November 11
Series Spotlight - Reveries Reviews
Review of Suit and Suitability - Faith Blum
Interview with Sarah Holman - Kaylee's Kind Of Writes
Interview with Hannah Scheele - Peculiar on Purpose
Review of Bellevere House - Seasons of Humility
9 comments:
Thank you for participating in the tour and for your review(s), Amanda! It was also really neat to see the first lines showcased like that. :)
I love Jane Austin books, especially Pride and Prejudice and Emma. :-) These re-writes sound interesting.
My first line is from an anthology called Out of the Blue Bouquet. The first story is Sourting Callie by Hallee Bridgeman.
“Callie Vaughn felt the telltale shudder of the car through her seat just as she started to pull through the gate.”
Thanks for sharing about this tour and giveaway, Amanda. I actually have never read any Jane Austen books or watched the movies, though I've heard they are good. :) What ages would you recommend them for, and do they have any bad words or scenes I should watch out for?
Love
Ashley
Yes! I love Jane Austen! In fact, I had the pleasure of visiting her home in Chawton, England when I was in college. :) I cannot imagine reading a retelling of her stories, because the originals are so wonderful, but these do look like good books. Happy Friday!
I've not read Jane Austen's books.
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
SEPTEMBER 1943
Esther's father halted the lazy swaying of the porch swing. - While We're Far Apart by Lynn Austin
What a fun idea for a novel series!
My First Line Friday is related - I'm sharing the first line from The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay over on my blog. It's a novel all Austen fans will enjoy.
That series looks so interesting! I've read some of Melanie Dickerson's retellings.
I’m sharing the first line from A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade on my blog today, but I’ll share the first line from a book near the top of my TBR pile here. “Blizzard-like conditions are expected to last through the evening.” That line is from The Engagement Plot by Krista Phillips.
Whoa!!! I am checking these books out as soon as I finish posting!!
Happy Friday!
I'm showcasing The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner on my blog this week. So, here I will share a line from the book I'm currently reading, Deadly Proof by Rachel Dylan. I'm just starting chpt. 15, so that's the line I'll share:
"On Monday morning, Kate heard her email ping and saw the message was from the Northern District of Georgia. Her heartbeat sped up as she clicked to open it."
@ Kelsey - you're quite welcome! <3
@ Phyllis - those two are probably my favorites of Austen's as well. :) Nice first line! I need to read Halee's books sometime!
@ Ashley - I'd recommend them for 16+ years. Some of them are more... descriptive. For example, the newest Sense and Sensibility that came out about six years ago begins with a terrible scene (I actually have never seen it, but was told not to). After that, it's fine. Just a very bad first scene. The long Pride and Prejudice also has one quick, questionable scene. Other than that, most of the ones I've watched are decent (I haven't seen ALL of the variations, though; I've heard some variations of the movies are bad). As for the books, I've only read Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion, and Jane Austen really is an excellent writer and doesn't give more than appropriate details.
@ English Mysteries - you visited her home?! How cool!!!! Yeah... I was unsure how I'd like the retellings but they are kind of neat in their own way. ;)
@ Caryl - ooh, I read that one and really liked it!
@ Iola - that one's on my TBR pile!
@ Sprinkles and Pink - oh yes, Dickerson! :) She's got it for the fairytale retellings. :)
@ Nicole - yay! I hope you get to read them. :) And Deadly Proof!!! LOVED that one!! :D
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