The Wrong Way to Woo

The Power of Persuasion by Shelagh Watkins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I'm not a huge fan of Jane Austen, in fact, I think the zombies improved Pride and Prejudice or, if not the zombies themselves, the kicking of Darcy into the fireplace, which was so richly deserved.  Consequently, Beth Durban's disdain for F. William D'Arcy, the overweening critic at the newspaper, seems to me equally richly deserved.

The style of writing in this novel of modern manners reminds me of some of Alexander McCall Smith's Edinburgh stories, with meandering digressions and flashbacks giving a snapshot of Beth's travels and past.  Her wanderings take her to places I know as well as to exotic locations: Chichester and Singapore, Boston and New Zealand.  Her life is so full, it's not surprising that romance was not her focus.

I did sort of wonder if it was paranoia that kept D'Arcy popping up.  Was it all in her head?  Is there anyone named D'Arcy in the real world?  And, if there is some man saddled with the name D'Arcy, can't he be forgiven for hating Jane Austen?



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