The Heiress

The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh

De: Molly Greeley

Narrado por: Ell Potter

The Heiress has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.

Exceptional

I thought this would be a cute fan service novel, but it was a deep complex character piece. It manages to feel very period through the language and pacing, but contemporary in its mores understanding of human nature.

Mixed feelings

First of all, I loved the creativity of this. Taking a character that we know almost nothing about in the original work and creating a whole story for her is so creative. There was a lot I liked about this book. I think the reason I couldn’t rate it higher, is that it spent soooo much time going into incredibly detailed descriptions of her time in addiction and all the miseries of her life, then once it finally started to lighten up and get good, it was over so quickly. I wish there had been less time spent focusing on the bad times, and her drugged out dreamscapes, and more spent on her healing journey as she rebuilt her life. Also, Elizabeth Bennet is one of my all time favorite literary characters, and she and her family were not cast In a very favorable light in this, so that made me sad, even though I could see why it was done the way it was. The writing is lovely though, and I liked the narration. It’s a very interesting take on the world of Pride and Prejudice. I still think it’s worth checking out if you’re a Jane Austen fan.

Very slow, but interesting

I appreciate the writing style, which far exceeds that of most Pride and Prejudice off-shoots. The poetic diction is lovely to listen to from a poetry standpoint. But this is a bit long-winded as a novel. The narrator did, at time, make me a bit sleepy. I understand the character is lethargic for the much of the book, so I suppose the monotonous tone is a stylistic choice serving to further develop the protagonist. At first, I only made it halfway through the book. Yet, I picked it back up and finished it. There is not a ton of dialogue. I am fully aware this stream of consciousness is a tool for the character when coming out of her shell. To be frank, I do not understand the haze of being drugged for the majority of a life. This character constantly "whines" to herself, about what she cannot do (even look a certain direction) to the point where it lost me a bit. Though I continued it as I wished to see when her character develops into a more confident person, which is the whole point of this book. If you're okay with some sexuality and enjoy naturalistic similies and metaphors, this is the book for you.

Superb

This is gorgeously imagined and told. Molly Greeley has grown in power and passion. The lyrical quality of the book itself is mesmerizing. Narration spot on.

Wonderful, creative update to a classic

I would recommend this book to Austen lovers. Greeley is pushing the social envelope just as Austen did. I sped up the narration to 1.2 speed.