If longbourn is received as a delicious concoction of pride and prejudice meets downton abbey, then, for commercial reasons, no one will feel sorry for jo baker, but for artistic ones, she will have been treated unfairly. That is the premise of jo bakers engrossing novel longbourn, which takes jane austens famous work. She has also written for bbc radio 4, and her short stories have been included in a number of anthologies. Published october 8th 20 by books on tape unabridged, audiobook, 14 pages authors. O, the oprah magazine original and charming, even gripping, in its own. Jo baker was born in lancashire, england, and educated at oxford university and queens university. Jo baker longbourn paperback common by jo baker on. Discover book depositorys huge selection of jo baker books online. Jan 15, 2014 that is the premise of jo bakers engrossing novel longbourn, which takes jane austens famous work, turns it upside down, and shakes out a fully realized and utterly convincing tale of life and romance among the servants.
I will never read pride and prejudice or any novel about the upper classes in the same way again. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read longbourn. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. Neither a sequel nor a disappointment, its an affecting look at the world of pride and prejudice, but from. The epigraph to the novel is from samuel becketts novel molloy. Chapter of the jane austen society throughout, with a special book club field trip to the 2014 jane austen festival at locust grove in july. Longbourn is a profound exploration of injustice, of poverty and dependence, of loyalty. Longbourn paperback the book house of stuyvesant plaza. Be sure to come to our meetings or sign up for our emails to keep in the loop. O, the oprah magazine original and charming, even gripping, in its own right. Jo baker is the author of six novels, most recently longbourn and a country road, a tree. Jo baker was born in lancashire and educated at oxford university and queens university belfast.
Jo baker, whose belowstairs account of the world of pride and prejudice is longbourn photo. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Our july book club book is longbourn by jo baker, the story of. Longbourn, by jo baker, is the tale of servants of longbourn house, the home of the bennet family from jane austens pride and predjudice. Mentioned only fleetingly in jane austens classic, here jo baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of. Oct 16, 20 these quibbles aside, i found longbourn to be a fascinating novel with unforgettable characters who i truly cared about.
It should be said at once that jo bakers longbourn is an exception. Jo bakers novel is the story of the servants who washed the bennet girls linen, soothed mrs bennet when she was distressed, indulged mr bennet when they were obliged to indulge him and all the time carried on with their own unregarded lives. Any page references refer to a usa edition of the book, usually the trade paperback. Longbourn by jo baker 20140617 paperback 1715 by jo baker author. Oct 10, 20 jo baker s longbourn retells the events of pride and prejudice from the point of view of the servants. Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of vintage. The book offers an unflinching look at the unpleasant physical realities of life in the early nineteenth century, from chilblains and lice to hauling water on freezing mornings, polishing floors, scrubbing foodencrusted dishes. Baker tells npr books editor petra mayer that the predicament of the bennet sisters is well. She wrote books such as the picture book and offcomer.
She lives in lancaster, england, with her husband, the playwright and. Aug 19, 20 jo baker, whose belowstairs account of the world of pride and prejudice is longbourn photo. Reading guide for longbourn by jo baker discussion guide for book clubs. Editions of longbourn by jo baker meet your next favorite book. She lives in lancaster, england, with her husband, the playwright and screenwriter daragh carville, and their two children.
It gives an alternative view of the events in jane austen s pride and prejudice, telling the story from the perspective of the servants at longbourn, the bennet family home. She is the author of the bestselling novel longbourn, as well as a country road, a tree. Baker tells npr books editor petra mayer that the predicament of the. Oct, 20 it should be said at once that jo bakers longbourn is an exception. Longbourn is the house in which jane austen set pride and prejudice.
The publication of jo bakers new novel longbourn generated the same sort of excitement as the. These quibbles aside, i found longbourn to be a fascinating novel with unforgettable characters who i truly cared about. Longbourn by jo baker meet your next favorite book. Longbourn is a book that stands alone as having its own story, characters and themeshow far has the author ensured her novel is not pastiche, that it is a novel with a separate identity. Buy the paperback book longbourn by jo baker at indigo. October 10, 20 jo bakers longbourn retells the events of pride and prejudice from the point of view of the servants. Jo bakers novel is the story of the servants who washed the bennet girls linen, soothed.
It has been translated into twentyone languages, was shortlisted for the ibw book award and is due be made into. Jo baker is a novelist with a gift for intimate and atmospheric storytelling. Longbourn is a 20 novel by the british author jo baker. Jo baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of jane austens classic into the often overlooked domain of the stern housekeeper and the starryeyed kitchen maid, into the gritty daily particulars faced by the lower classes in regency england during the napoleonic wars and, in doing so, creates a vivid, fascinating, fully realized. From the same stream that fed austens literary imagination, baker has drawn forth something entirely new and fresh. Pride and prejudice was only half the story if elizabeth bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, sarah often thought, shed most likely be a sight more. Our july book club book is longbourn by jo baker, the story of the servants living in the bennetts household. A country road, a tree by jo baker, paperback barnes. Oct 08, 20 october 10, 20 jo bakers longbourn retells the events of pride and prejudice from the point of view of the servants. That is the premise of jo bakers engrossing novel longbourn, which takes jane austen s famous work, turns it upside down, and shakes out a fully realized and utterly convincing tale of life and romance among the servants. Housemaid sarah often dreams of a life outside of servitude or of some kind of interesting change until mysterious new footman james smith arrives. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
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