After reading An Assembly Such as This, I was hoping that Duty and Desire would redeem the worth of the trilogy in my eyes. I was very sorely disappointed. My patience completely ran out and I have to admit that the only reason I finished this book was so I could have the option of giving a thorough review of it for NeoLibrarium. I am debating on whether or not the buy the last book of the trilogy for the sake of completing my reviews. I am still excluding a lot of commentary from this review because I don’t want to give away the entire book for those who want to read it, but there are a few spoilers ahead because I couldn’t get around mentioning them to make my point. So, here it goes:

Duty and Desire picked up where Assembly left off, and covers the period of time in which Darcy is not present in the story of Pride and Prejudice. Darcy becomes unaccountably obsessed with Elizabeth Bennet, some horribly made characters are introduced further from the previous book and other characters, such as Colonel Fitzwilliam become unbelievable prats. Darcy, misguidedly believing that he can remove his affection from Elizabeth by replacing her with a more “suitable” wife of either equal fortune or rank, sets off to a house party hosted by an old school friend who has managed to gamble himself into a state of near-poverty. This friend hopes to recoup his losses through more gambling, and by marrying off his heretofore unheard of half-sister from Ireland so that he can sell off land bequeathed to him by his step-mother, but only in the case that he arranges an advantageous marriage for his sister.

Darcy becomes intrigued in this sister, only to find that she is the likeliest culprit for strange happenings around the castle that speak of superstitious attempts to gain supernatural power through voodoo-type spells or ceremonies and a faux-human sacrifice via the ritualistic slaying of a piglet wrapped in swaddling at the base of a local landmark. Darcy, unable to leave his host without giving offense, stays through to the end of the madness only to find that his witchy belle’s mother is actually still alive, hiding herself as her daughter’s maid and bent on getting revenge on her wayward son-in-law through supernatural means. As a side note, her plotting does include the match between Darcy and her daughter but Darcy just won’t behave.

In the end, the story takes as many wild and preposterous turns as it can. Had it been about any character other than Darcy, and had it not been marketed as a companion story to Pride and Prejudice…I still would have hated it, but perhaps not as much as I do at this moment. It blatantly misrepresents Darcy’s character (in my opinion), and shows a blatant disrespect to Austen’s works through its sensationalism alone. Austen openly mocked (almost scorned) the sensational Gothic novels that had preceded her own writing, and Aiden seems to ignore this fact in favor of creating what we today consider historical fiction in the barest possible definition. I would expect this kind of literature from Amanda Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz) because that sort of romance is what she sets out to write, and from Quick I would enjoy it.

This kind of story from Aiden, however, flying under the false colors that proclaim it as having anything to do with Pride and Prejudice is utterly disgraceful to the world of literature. I may read the third book in the vain hope that the story will magically get better when Aiden has to use dialogue and events from the actual Pride and Prejudice to tell the story, but since her books are now only available in trade paperback I will certainly not waste the money to buy it when good books are still out there waiting for me.

If you have not read Pride and Prejudice this series may be worth checking out from the library, but if I were you, I wouldn’t waste my time. She had taken the beloved story of a gifted author and narrator and violated it in the worst possible way.

Northanger Abbey was a very enjoyable read once I got into it, but the beginning went slowly for me because I’ve been reading so much new material that my brain has gotten a little sluggish in the struggle to keep all my facts straight. Reading for class isn’t bad by itself; reading for pleasure is always fun. Doing both at the same time can get a little confusing for your mind if you aren’t careful. After all, if you allow the facts to get muddled then the next thing you know, Elizabeth Bennet is trading witticisms with Count Dooku, Darcy is a wizard from Chicago, and Wickham is a sparkly vampire that likes to munch on the population of Seattle in his spare time.

Anyway, my main concern in Northanger Abbey was keeping John and Isabella Thorpe separated from Eleanor and Henry Tilney. The main character, who I want to call Christine, but is really named Catherine is friends with both duos. The confusion is that one is like a set of evil twins, and the other are the good twins (but nobody is actually a twin). Clear as mud, right? Right.

So, Catherine is friends with both sets of people and ends up in a sort of tug-of-war between the two young gentlemen in order to decide who she will marry. Catherine, naive and rather oblivious to the contest for her affections is meanwhile becoming more and more engrossed in the Radcliffe’s novel The Mysteries of Udolpho.

Next thing we know, Catherine has managed to shed herself of the Thorpes and is on her way to the Tilney’s residence, Northanger Abbey. Catherine is delighted at the chance to see a real abbey, and on the journey thither imagines all sorts of horrid situations: mysterious locked chests and cabinets, secret tunnels, cobwebs, assassins, and all the other nonsense present in Udolpho. Henry Tilney encourages her imagination until Catherine lets it loose all over Northanger Abbey. In some very tame misadventures Catherine finally comes back down to earth, but just in time to be unceremoniously expelled from the Abbey and sent home under a set of bizarre (and rather inappropriate) circumstances.

The main issue to be resolved then, is how she will ever get her happy ending after leaving the Abbey in such a rush with no chance to apprise her beloved Henry of the situation. All ends well, and Austen does so with her customary wit and narrative commentary. I enjoyed the book even with the slow start, and since I’m taking this whole Jane Austen class I may be able to say later how it fits into Austen’s works in terms of her development as a writer.

I will admit, though, that if you have read one Austen book you have certainly not read them all. Austen’s wit is much more sharp and mocking than it was in Pride and Prejudice, but that just makes it even more enjoyable. It does help you be “in” on the jokes more if you look up the basic plot points in Udolpho first.
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A Vindication of the Rights of Women is next in my lineup for this class, and I’m not sure what I’ll be reading for fun. Now that I think of it though, I may be mixing up characters and plot points for fun and sharing them with posterity for the giggles. Elizabeth and Dooku are just too much fun.

An Assembly Such as This takes on the formidable task of retelling Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice from Fitzwilliam Darcy’s point of view. It is a task that no writer should take on lightly, given how well-loved Jane Austen is as a writer, and how treasured Pride and Prejudice is among her works. Elizabeth and Darcy have achieved in some minds the same near-mythological status of Romeo and Juliet, Eros and Psyche, and such other figures — though Elizabeth and Darcy have a pretty easy time of it compared to those two couples. I expected Aiden, therefore, to write cautiously and with utmost respect to the ideas and conventions of Austen and the time period in which she was writing.
I was actually not at all interested at first, but I read a few reviews that praised it so well that I decided I should give it a shot. After all, the idea is a sound one and Darcy is such a mysterious character that seeing the story through his eyes would prove to be a novel experience. So, I gave into temptation. Within the realm of books that is a rather common thing for me. Thank God it doesn’t apply to alcohol or any other reprehensible behavior.
I was not shocked to find that I was a little disappointed. There were a few episodes that did not quite fit into my image of Darcy. At first, it was a phrase or an action that seemed to speak of a temperamental nature that I had not attributed to him and though he made up for it later the episodes, the little phrases that seemed so off just stuck in my mind. I was not, however, wholly dissatisfied. It was a good effort on Aiden’s part and the premise was too good for me to pass it up.
Unfortunately, An Assembly Such As This only covers events from the assembly at Meryton to a short bit after the Netherfield ball. I was, however, happy for Aiden’s book. It gave depth to Darcy’s character, it added some newness and fresh air to the story of Pride and Prejudice and in providing us with Darcy’s inner monologue he became a much more adorable character in many ways. Still, there are those few incidents, those few phrases, and what seems like a total infatuation with Elizabeth that just don’t seem to fit. In light of that, and having read the next book in the trilogy, I would not very strongly recommend this book to readers. Perhaps if I were to have read this before I came to love Pride and Prejudice or without a good deal of knowledge about history, social classes and mores then I may have found in more enjoyable. The purist in me was not happy with the book in its entirety.

After the spirited response to the last posting, I decided to give this one a go: What are the your favorite opening lines of books you’ve read?

Since it will probably be hard for you to choose just one, I have decided to allow up to 3 per commenter. Why 3? Because it suited my fancy.   So start thinking of some books you’ve read whose opening lines have stuck with you.  Once you do, start ranking them in order of your favorites.  Then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, thou shalt return here.

Ready? Go on. Find the books. I’ll wait.  (Softly humming “Raindrops keep falling on my pig” to myself).

Got them? Good. I’ll go first. (I’ll fudge a bit because one of my opening lines actually requires TWO sentences).  So, in no particular order, my favorite opening lines:

•  My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.
  

  The Lovely Bones — Alice Sebold

•  In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
  

  The Holy Bible – KJV

• A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct.
  

  Dune — Frank Herbert

Your turn.

“So there I was, surrounded by the enemy, and running out of ammo…”

So reads the first line of my hypothetical first novel, if it ever even gets written.  Though right now, I would settle for getting past one paragraph.

Some classic novels begin with lines that have entered the lexicon. Others still begin with lines that hardly anyone remembers.  For example, you probably know the novels that begin with the lines:

• Call me Ishmael.
• It was the best of times.  It was the worst of times.
• It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
• My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name Susie.

However, memorable first lines will be a topic for another posting.  Today, let’s talk about you.  Have you ever written a novel? Have you ever wanted to?  Do you have the story all worked in your head, or perhaps just a few key pieces.  If so, what would be/has been your first line? I just gave you mine.  Let’s hear from you now.

After reading some comments on this site – and having passed Salvatore’s name in the bookstore several times – I decided to pick up the Dark Elf Trilogy. This was my first encounter, and I had no idea what to expect despite the guy at Border assuring me that Salvatore was awesome, giving me a short background on the author, and outlining the premise of the story of Drizzt. I really hate getting information about books beforehand beyond the basics. It’s like people telling you what happens in that movie you’ve been waiting to see before you get to see it for yourself. That, however, is a rant for another time.

Reading the “Prelude” to Homeland I was a little put off by how far I was going into the realm of Fantasy, but what adventurer doesn’t feel nervous embarking on a voyage to a new and foreign place? So, I kept reading. Chapter One gave me the hardest time. As much as I love Fantasy as a genre, even I have trouble when it gets too deep and this one gave me trouble. I found my self struggling to reach that state where I could suspend my disbelief and go along with the story. The short introductions, “by” Drizzt, also threw me off. Was the main character giving away precious plot points? There were other issues though, regarding the world being built for the story.

Surprisingly, my main concern was a question of scale. After all, if you can ride around on the back of a lizard relying only on heat-vision…how big can you possibly be? I admit it. I’m like a racist, only with size. I’m a size-ist. I can handle mice as heroes in Redwall because they’re mice and they’re supposed to be small, but humanoid creatures of diminutive size…how can you be a hero to me if I can squash you with my thumb?

Fortunately, a scale was presented to me and my prejudice dispelled. Drow elves are NOT tiny men. It was just a ginormous lizard. I’m okay with that. So, I got into Chapter Two. By Chapter Three I was caught. I didn’t even realize it. I just knew that I finally was getting into the swing of things. I wanted to turn the pages. I had to know what happened next. It wasn’t until the end of Chapter Three that I realized I had become completely immersed in the story line.

It wasn’t until I finished the book and found myself distressed not to have book two at hand that I realized the full truth of the matter. I had been taken for a ride. Not just a ride to the grocery store with your grandpa, but a wild ride. A ride where the road is twisting an unfamiliar but you can’t slow down because you have to know what’s around the bend and you have to know NOW. You want to see that end of the road because somewhere in your mind you are absolutely certain that it is a wondrous thing.

Yes, initially it wasn’t the easiest journey to embark on. I had to leave what I had thought a very comfortable place in my mind and venture out of my comfort zone. After all, I thought that I had been very adventurous in my reading. I’d read books with talking animals, magical powers, and the like. I’d read some David Farland – though I left it behind when I started hating the storyline. I’d become cheerfully obsessed with Anne Bishop, Terry Goodkind, and the earlier of the Anita Blake series. Those all seemed to blur the line between fantasy and reality quite a bit. (Especially since the Anita Blake series took on many qualities of magic realism.) I thought my self-imposed limits were there to keep me from dipping into “bad” fantasy where it is just too improbably and far-fetched to be good reading.

Well, I had no idea what I was missing out on. I had walked by Salvatore’s books, and judged them by the covers and the titles. I’d read the blurbs on the backs of the books and thought to myself that it was just too incredible for me to be able to get “into” the books. And, since someone had compared him to Tolkien I had thought, “Man, I love The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but even Tolkien can be a fantastically dry writer. I don’t think I’m interested.” Though, in my own defense I have been reading another type of books upon seeing glowing reviews for them and I feel that I have been badly deceived. I will be reviewing those books soon as well, though I have to let my temper cool before I do. All I can say now is this: Lesson learned. Not everything that glitters is gold. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, et cetera.

For now, Salvatore’s Homeland gets a 9 out of 10. It didn’t necessarily do like my other high-rated books in making me laugh, cry, or yell at inanimate objects and fictional characters, but it did suck me in like no other book has done in a while. I just wish I were a rich gal, so I could go out and buy the entire series for myself. I must console myself with Gail Z. Martin, Terry Pratchett, Karen Miller, and maybe I’ll finally get the nerve to put myself through the end of the Sword of Truth series. I’m sad that it’s over and I’ve been refusing to read the book because I’m in a deep state of denial.

Psychological issues aside, if you haven’t picked up a book by Salvatore then I recommend that you do. It’s worth it.

Sorry for the hiatus, folks. Class, along with personal issues, and life in general have been getting in the way of me updating!
The good news is, I have finished reading The Blood King and will be reviewing it soon. I have to let it sit awhile, though. I just finished it today and if I’m going to say anything besides “omg it’s so chock-full of awesome I could live on it for a week” then I’ll need to allow myself time to put more thought into it. So…be patient.
Also, please note the previous post by my co-admin/guest star: Gambit Blessed with a more reality-oriented, analytical mind, we are fortunate for that post and I hope that some more gems like that will be popping up soon with more opportunities for readers (that’s you) to comment and get involved with NeoLibrarium.
Again, I’m putting out the call for guest reviews/articles, etc. You can send them in comments and I will post it as a legit article, with credit going fully to the person who wrote it. Just be warned that I have discovered the mighty power of google and any kind of plagiarism/impersonations will make me very, very angry. You don’t want to see me angry. I’m like the Hulk that way.
o.o
Anyway, I hope to be posting by sometime tomorrow or later tonight! After all, even if I’m not calm enough to look at The Blood King logically there are other books I can review. I will warn you though: once I post on The Blood King, it may be a while before I post on Dark Haven because even though it’s out in stores and I want to read it, my budget is cramped right now. I do have many other books I need to read and get through (and hopefully review) until I rebuild my book-fund…but maybe I’ll see if Dark Haven is in the poorly stocked P-*ahem-hem cough* Public Library down the street.
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Bibliophiles unite!

The March 8th edition of USA Weekend cover story will be an exclusive interview with Stephen King, in which he will be asked his opinion on other authors.  In an exclusive excerpt (i.e., a teaser to get you to read the whole thing), author Lorrie Lynch publishes some of King’s views of some contemporary authors.

According to King, bestselling author James Patterson is “a terrible writer but he’s very very successful”.  Dean Koontz, King says, can alternate between “writing like hell” and sometimes just being “awful.”

However, the real money quote from King is when asked to comment on two bestelling female authors that most readers of this blog should recognize:

Both ["Harry Potter" Author J. K. ] Rowling and ["Twilight" author Stephenie] Meyer, they’re speaking directly to young people. … The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good.”

Follow this link to read more of the excerpt, including another famous author whom King calls a “terrific writer”.

Some of you may have noticed that NeoLibrarium was down for a good chunk of the day today. I apologize if you were trying to get the page and getting the dreaded 404.
Never fear, we are back and the issues which necessitated the page’s leave of absence have been resolved! Viva NeoLibrarium!