Desperately Seeking Jane Austen:
P.D. James’ Death Comes to Pemberley
I read my first Jane Austen book when I was 16. The book was Emma, and 10 minutes after I finished it I was at the library checking out the rest of Austen’s books. I spent the next few weeks happily involved in the machinations of 19th century England. As with all Austen devotees, I’ve read her books many times, and watched the slew of movies and movie derivatives based on her books. One thing I’m always a sucker for is a book that claims to be just like Jane Austen’s. While I’ve enjoyed most of them (Barbara Pym, Anthony Trollope, etc.), they left me wanting, because really they weren’t Jane Austen.Then along came P .D. James and her sequel to Pride and Prejudice. I was skeptical, but after the first paragraph I was hooked. P. D. James, a wonderful author in her own right, is mostly a mystery writer – and so this is Jane Austen with murder. Death Comes to Pemberley is enjoyable on so many fronts. I loved reading about my favorite and not-so-favorite Pride and Prejudice characters, and even some from other Austen books. P. D. James has done a great job with this book, it is Jane Austen but even more. James has managed to capture the cadence of Pride and Prejudice and meandering yet captivating nature of Austen’s books. The characters we love to hate are all there and they get their comeuppance in the end, even if they don’t realize it. All in all a very enjoyable and satisfactory sequel that I think Austen fans will very much enjoy.
– by Mallary Saltzman
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