Review: Well Drawn Characters in this Sequel to Pride and Prejudice
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 09 23, 2011
In Expectations: A Continuation of Pride and Prejudice the majority of the action taking place within the year and half after Austen's story ends.  The novel has several story lines, focusing mostly on the residents of Pemberley - Mr. Darcy, the new Mrs. Darcy, and Georgiana, as well as those who live near Pemberley, including several neighbor families.  Most of the members of the Bennet family, as well as Lady Catherine and Anne de Bourgh make several appearances.Adkins obviously knows her characters well.  The women, in particular, are very strongly drawn.  It is endearing to see Elizabeth adjusting to being a new wife and mistress of a large estate.  These glimpses of Elizabeth's vulnerabilities are quite touching.  I do have some concerns with the character of Darcy, there are secrets and coverups of the previous generation's family intrigues, and Darcy is often absent from Pemberley.  He also tends to be less than upfront with Elizabeth, explaining his actions to her after a particular situation is over or as been acted upon, and this seems out of place for the more humble Darcy we encounter at the end of Pride and Prejudice.There is a lot going on in this book, and that is my main complaint.  There are so many characters and story lines that it occasionally becomes difficult to follow.  Many of these story lines have merit, and the characters are interesting, but the reader is left feeling that they have just scraped the surface of each character and are left wanting more depth.  Julia, a friend of Georgiana's has a very interesting secondary story that I think could be better explored in its own novella, if not a full length novel.  It is quite diverting and suspenseful, and a nice nod to Austen's position as a female author in her time period.I particularly feel that Georgiana's internal struggle to recover from Wickham's deception, as well as her new romantic interests, most of which are surprising to and undesired by her, merit their own story.  To me, Expectations shines most when we are with Georgiana.  I feel that Adkins captured her combination of vulnerability and strength quite well.  I would have preferred, actually, if the novel was more closely focused on Georgiana as she struggles with coming to age and her transformation from a damaged young woman convinced she must remain single the rest of her life, to a young woman in love.  Love isn't an easy course for Georgiana, as she must decline several unwanted proposals, and fate throws up roadblocks to her potential romance with the man she comes to love.Expectations shows that Adkins has a keen eye for Austen's characters, and several unique ideas about what their continuing lives looked like.