Longbourn by Jo Baker
Source: Borrowed from library
Where I stopped: Audio disc 5 (of 11?)
Dull. There’s just no other way for me to describe my experience with this one. I went into it with high hopes, expecting a cross between Pride & Prejudice and “Downton Abbey,” and I suppose that’s what I got . . . but I just couldn’t muster up the enthusiasm for Longbourn.
I didn’t need a damp-shirted Darcy skipping between the pages or anything, but the lack of page time for the Bennets was disappointing. Putting that aside, I just wasn’t interested in housemaid Sarah, the mysterious James or the formidable Mrs. Hill. If I’d stuck it out a little longer, I may have been rewarded with a wee bit of romance . . . but when I found my mind drifting repeatedly while listening to the audio book, I knew it was time to cave.
Sorry, Longbourn; I barely knew ye, but I didn’t like what I knew.
Other thoughts:
• AustenBlog
• Dear Author
• Austenprose
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe
by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
Source: Borrowed from library
Where I stopped: Audio disc 3 (of 7?)
Another doomed audio! Non-fiction centering on a brave, entrepreneurial woman in Taliban-controlled Kabul, Afghanistan, I thought this one would be an interesting and inspiring read (listen?) last fall.
Unfortunately, I never emotionally connected with the principle players — and the audio book’s narrator had a distracting, WASP-ish accent that didn’t mesh at all with the strong-willed women she described. I might have enjoyed this one better in print, but I doubt I’ll take that chance.
Other thoughts:
• BookNAround
• Booking Mama
• Reading on a Rainy Day
write meg! 
With audios, it’s always hard to tell if it’s the book or the narrator. Some narrators are so dull that my mind wanders and then I have no idea what’s going on in the book.
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Completely agree, Kathy! Honestly, I didn’t care for either narrator with these — though the stories did nothing to grab me, either.
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My experience with P&P spin-offs is always risky (Emma Tennant, Zombies argh!). I find I have much more fun when the authors just take inspiration, like Bridget Jones, Jane Austen in Boca, Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field.
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I can definitely appreciate that, Alex. I tried to “divorce” the story from Pride & Prejudice, as a friend recommended through Twitter, but it just wasn’t doing enough to keep me going. At some point I ask myself, “Am I actually curious about what happens to any of these people?” And if the answer is no, well . . .
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It has been a few years but I remember really enjoying ‘The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen” by Syrie James (good for the Austenites out there) and an interesting spin-off is “Death comes to Pemberley” by P.D. James. P.D. James is an excellent mystery writer so it is a very different perspective than other Pride and Prejudice spin-offs.
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I don’t know if it is a jaded palate after years of reading but I find if I don’t get hooked in within the first couple of chapters I lose interest. It is the same with some films these days – they are so slow off the mark that about 15 minutes in I am planning my weekly shopping list. It seems insulting to people who have poured their heart and soul into their creative work but I also blame those who have read or edited the books and films for not doing something about it.
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Completely appreciate what you mean. I definitely subscribe to the 50-pages-and-you’re-out philosophy: hook me in that time and I’m in; don’t and, well . . . there are just too many books out there to waste your time with mediocre ones.
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The more I see Longbourn around, the more I figure as much as some people love it, I probably won’t.
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I’m usually pretty good at guessing those things, Kailana — but Longbourn surprised me, unfortunately.
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Right, I’ve got a book coming out shortly, and of course I would love you to review it, but I’m frightened now.
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Don’t be scared, Peter! I try to be fair, honest and balanced in my reviews. Sometimes books just don’t work for me, but I try not to be unkind . . . or mean-spirited.
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I stopped reading Longbourne too — it wasn’t *bad* it just wasn’t what I *wanted* … I did skip ahead (since it was a physical book) to get a sense of what was in the rest of the story – but it didn’t keep me interested enough to finish at the time … Maybe one day? Or maybe not.
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If I’d had a physical copy, I think I would have done the same thing! That’s often what I do with “meh” reads. Once I’ve passed the point at which I no longer care what these folks are up to, I decide to learn their fates immediately and then move on with my life. I’ve rarely thought, “Oh, man, if only I’d hung on just a little bit longer.” In fact, um, I’ve never thought that!
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Interesting reviews. Most people don’t spend time commenting on the books they quit on, but that’s kind of refreshing.
Did the first book have a dry narrator? That’s why I quit with audiobooks. Except for Their Eyes Were Watching God by Nora Zeal Hurston. The southern slang was brought to life by the skilled narrator. Also, I can’t complain about Whoopi Goldberg providing the voices of the Delaney sisters in their story.
Did I just counter myself? haha.
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Yes, Kylie, I’d say the narrator of Longbourn was a bit dry for my tastes — and the quality of a reader’s voice can definitely dictate the experience for me. I’ve struck with books on less-than-interesting subjects because I simply loved the narrator (like Joshilyn Jackson narrating Shine Shine Shine).
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Hmm? Sorry that Longbourn did not prove to be engaging! I liked it, though I was put off by the drudgery of housework, mention of Lizzy Bennet’s arm hair and James’ sojourn into the Napoleonic War. I did get all the way through and would give it a solid 4 stars. It might be better as the movie, which is now in production. We shall see Meg!
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I didn’t know a movie was in the works, Laurel Ann — I find that to be a much more intriguing prospect! And yes, I was quite put out by the mention of the arm hair . . . shudder. While I appreciated that Baker wove in so many realistic accounts of what that daily drudgery must have been like, it got boring after a while. There just wasn’t enough happening for me.
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I’ve ditched a couple of books this year already, too. Basically, I just can’t let anything drag my reading mojo down this early. I set aside Possession and Hunger (by Knut Hamsun).
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Totally agree, Andi. I’ve hit a stride recently — especially for me! — and don’t want anything to bog me down.
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Audiobooks are always a tentative choice for me. I usually go for nonfiction, although that’s not a sure bet as you saw with The Dressmaker…
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I tend to do well with non-fiction, too, Lindsey; something about the reality of it all makes it a more interesting listen. I sometimes find I don’t need to concentrate quite as hard as with fiction, too — important when I’m driving, of course!
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Bueno
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I actually bought the book with my Christmas money since the books had appeared on a few best books of 2013 lists (and I’m a huge Jane Austen fan). I’m hoping that reading the book is more catching than your experience of listening to it; I hate wasting good Christmas money on a so-so book. I’ll let you know in the next couple of months!
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Oh, I hope so, too! I’ve heard from quite a few folks who loved Longbourn, so hopefully I’m in the minority. Totally know what you mean about not “wasting” gift cards and Christmas funds on mediocre reads.
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Well I’m glad you didn’t keep reading if you didn’t like them! Not worth your time.
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Absolutely, Joanne! Onwards and upwards.
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I admire anyone who admits they don’t always finish a book they’d expected to like. When we write, we know how important reading is and I think, sometimes, it almost feels like an assignment we *must* finish. But I love reading as much as I love writing, and I don’t want what I read to feel like work.
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I agree, Elizabeth. It took me a while to reach a point where I didn’t feel overwhelming guilt for “abandoning” a book, but I realized my time is precious — and my time to read is sacred! No sense in suffering through something I’m not enjoying.
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