Posted by Barbara on August 17, 1997 at 17:25:23:
I happened to see Elinor & Marianne by Emma Tennant at the library the other day and thought "what the heck" and picked it up. I must say that I liked it better than her other Austen sequels (which is still not saying much). Has anyone else read it??
The book is written in letters between mainly Elinor and Marianne, but also their mother, Edward, Mrs. Jennings, Mrs. Palmer, Col. Brandon, various busybodies, Lucy Ferrars, and Willoughby. The original S&S was written in letters and under this title if I'm not mistaken.
There were two things about the book I particularly dislike. The first is the idea of this utopian commune that Marianne and others want to set up, supposedly based on ideas of S. Coleridge. Does anyone know more about his theories or ideas?? The whole description of what they are trying to set up sounds exactly like a bunch of 19th c hippies.
The other problem is how Marianne goes on and on about how ancient the Colonel is and how she never loved him etc. etc.--it is too cruel. She may not have been in love with him when they married, but I don't believe she ever would have married someone about whom she cared so little.
Barbara
Posting followups to old messages is disabled; instead go to the main index and post a new message which mentions this one.