Pride and Persistence

By: Jeanna Ellsworth

Narrated by: Nancy Peterson

Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Undaunted by a threatening storm, Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley insists he must deliver his letter to Miss Elizabeth Bennet - then tragedy strikes. Riddled with guilt, Elizabeth comes to the aid of the comatose Mr. Darcy and stays by his side until he regains consciousness. She soon learns that although Mr. Darcy has awoken, he has not returned to himself. And with no memory of his first disastrous proposal, he has concluded that there is nothing he wants more than to propose to Miss Elizabeth. This humorous journey of love leaves one asking, can persistence pacify prejudice? Can Elizabeth see the real gentleman behind the injury, a man who persists in professing his love to her every chance he gets? In this regency variation of Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet both learn the value of persistence.

©2014 Jeanna Ellsworth (P)2015 Jeanna Ellsworth

Uneven P&P retelling, but I’m glad I stuck it out

Real Rating = 3.5* / This book is not part of a series.

This review is not in my usual genre, but I have to confess that I am a closet Austenite. So when I was offered a copy of this book, I took it. It got off to a rough start, at first I only kept reading because I had promised to give a review; but I liked it more and more as it went along.

I listen to the original at least once a year, and the language and characters just didn’t feel same. In particular, Jane Austen was always restrained without being cold. This is a bit over dramatic in comparison. It wasn’t like some books, where I felt someone just took their own story, changed the names, and called it a variation for marketing purposes. But, it definitely had the feeling of a third party telling you someone else’s experiences. I would rate it middle of the pack for variations I have read.

I would have liked it to be anchored a bit more firmly into the original (i.e. start a bit sooner and include more of the original dialog). It starts just after rejection and changed some things from the very beginning (e.g. Elizabeth wanted to run into Darcy on her walk).

Once the main (Groundhog Dayish) part got started, it became very enjoyable. Once they are truly engaged, this book includes much more passion than the original, but remains clean.

NARRATION: Pros - I like the general sound of her voice. I appreciated that she did not attempt to overly distort her voice for male characters / Listened on 1.25 speed (my usual) / Cons - Although I can’t personally judge their accuracy, I did not enjoy her accents.

FAVORITE PART(S): The carriage ride back to Hertfordshire. It was a sweet scene between a loving Elizabeth & Darcy. / I also like that the author acknowledged that Darcy writing the letter was an impropriety. Some modern readers might not realize that.

I COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT: The over-the-top disgusting Mr. Collins. It was his character which, more than anything, almost made me give up listening. / All the stuff with the chamberpot. It really didn’t feel Austen to me, and I thought it dragged on too long. / Lady Catherine’s backstory was an unpleasant addition which I feel was unnecessarily sordid.

OTHER WARNINGS: This book introduces additional Christian details not found in the original (e.g. Darcy is a praying man and the happy outcome is attributed to that).

MY RATINGS:
--Enjoyment: MIXED - I really wasn’t liking the beginning; then it got good; and then a few unpleasant parts were thrown in towards the end.
--Re-readability: MIXED - I will set some bookmarks to allow me to listen to my favorite parts.
--Narrator Impact: AVERAGE

I received this book free in return for an honest review, courtesy of Audiobook Blast dot com."

Persistent Love..

Any additional comments?

This book was based on Jane Austin's "Pride and Prejudice" but was revised with a fan

fiction twist.

I thought that Elizabeth and Darcy were cute together.

The characters were well written and the plot kept me entertained.

I don't want to give too much away, but, overall, this book was definitely a Good Read.


Nancy Peterson did really well with the narration.

Note:
"This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review."

Lots of drama

A wonderful, interesting and entertaining Pride and Prejudice variation. Lots of drama, suspense and angst. Love it. The story was unique from other variations I've read.

Nancy Peterson did a really good job. Great performance.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.

Well Worth It & an Inspiring Love Story

Several times during the story and especially upon conclusion- I found myself giving my wife that which Miss Elizabeth desired from Mr. Darcy and what Mr. Darcy received in return from Miss Elizabeth.

My wife was never aware of the particuler audio book I was listening too- So I simply plagerized the author's account of what "gentlely manners" would look like and my success was complete :)

Very intriguing & keeps you at edge of your seat

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Very intriguing & keeps you at edge of your seat. I would recommend to any one that enjoys a love story and suspense.

What does Nancy Peterson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The voices that she uses in different characters makes it come alive to me.

Juvenile and amateurish

Predictable and inelegantly written with a heavy dose of girlish fancy that made me cringe. I sent this one back. The narrator was fine, though I found myself feeling increasingly sorry for her.

Persistence Pays Off

Pride and Persistence takes Pride and Prejudice in a whole new direction. Pride and Persistence takes place after Elizabeth has rejected Mr. Darcy's proposal to her. In this version, Mr. Darcy tried to win back Elizabeth's hand except he gets injured while delivering a letter to Elizabeth.

Throughout this story, Mr. Darcy proposed to Elizabeth's each day without remembering that he has already proposed to Elizabeth the day before. With the help of Colonel Fitzwilliam, Madeline, the nurse in charge of Darcy's care, and Mrs Wilkinson, the Collins's cook, and the good doctor, Elizabeth might be able to see the man that Mr. Darcy is truly is.

Elizabeth stills has to deal with Lady Catherine and Mr. Collins who wants to keep her from Mr. Darcy. It is a great revelation in discovering Lady Catherine's past. Mr. Collins still remains and is a self-righteous pompous ass and lapdog for Lady Catherine.

The narrator, Nancy Peterson delivers a wonderful narration of the story for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. This is a variation of Pride and Prejudice that readers/listeners are going to enjoy listening. The audiobook gives the perfect personalities of the characters and especially the voice for Elizabeth.

I was given this audiobook by the author/narrator/publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated or influenced in any way for writing this review.

Great read

This was a bit repetitive but it goes with the whole point of the story. Funny parts about Lady Catherine is revealed. Poor thing. And poor Anne :) I liked it. Indeed. Great Jaff

Average

Some parts were good, some parts boring and some parts confusing. It was not a total blow out, but it certainly could have been better.

Wonderfull....

I read Pride and Persistence when it first came out and loved it. I am a person who is in constant motion (work, travel, gym, etc) and listen to a lot of audiobooks, so anytime I can get a audio version of a book I loved, I jump on it. The story is unique, in a nutshell Darcy has an accident and "forgets" the previous day(s) which leads him to "do overs" each day until he gets it right. I won't give away the story but to say that it is wonderful. An addition to a great book the narrator, Nancy Peterson, really put the cherry on top of this wonderful story. Her narration is spot on, absolutely phenomenal !