Jo baker is a novelist with a gift for intimate and atmospheric storytelling. Neither a sequel nor a disappointment, its an affecting look at the world of pride and prejudice, but from. Jo baker, whose belowstairs account of the world of pride and prejudice is longbourn photo. Longbourn, by jo baker, is the tale of servants of longbourn house, the home of the bennet family from jane austens pride and predjudice. Baker tells npr books editor petra mayer that the predicament of the. She has also written for bbc radio 4, and her short stories have been included in a number of anthologies. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading longbourn. Miami herald if you are a jane austen fan with a pronounced predilection for pride and prejudice, you will devour jo bakers ingenious longbourn as the ambrosia from the austen gods it is. Longbourn is a profound exploration of injustice, of poverty and dependence, of loyalty.
These quibbles aside, i found longbourn to be a fascinating novel with unforgettable characters who i truly cared about. Published october 8th 20 by books on tape unabridged, audiobook, 14 pages authors. 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. Buy the paperback book longbourn by jo baker at indigo. Reading guide for longbourn by jo baker discussion guide for book clubs. The publication of jo bakers new novel longbourn generated the same sort of excitement as the. Jo bakers longbourn retells the events of pride and prejudice from the point of view of the servants. I will never read pride and prejudice or any novel about the upper classes in the same way again. Jo baker longbourn paperback common by jo baker on. Jo bakers novel is the story of the servants who washed the bennet girls linen, soothed. Our july book club book is longbourn by jo baker, the story of the servants living in the bennetts household. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Longbourn by jo baker meet your next favorite book.
Housemaid sarah often dreams of a life outside of servitude or of some kind of interesting change until mysterious new footman james smith arrives. Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of vintage. Jo baker was born in lancashire and educated at oxford university and queens university belfast. She lives in lancaster, england, with her husband, the playwright and screenwriter daragh carville, and their two children. Our july book club book is longbourn by jo baker, the story of. O, the oprah magazine original and charming, even gripping, in its own right. Longbourn is a 20 novel by the british author jo baker.
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. Oct 10, 20 jo baker s longbourn retells the events of pride and prejudice from the point of view of the servants. She is the author of the bestselling novel longbourn, as well as a country road, a tree. Longbourn paperback the book house of stuyvesant plaza. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. It should be said at once that jo bakers longbourn is an exception.
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. Oct 16, 20 these quibbles aside, i found longbourn to be a fascinating novel with unforgettable characters who i truly cared about. Aug 19, 20 jo baker, whose belowstairs account of the world of pride and prejudice is longbourn photo. Baker tells npr books editor petra mayer that the predicament of the bennet sisters is well. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read longbourn. Discover book depositorys huge selection of jo baker books online. Be sure to come to our meetings or sign up for our emails to keep in the loop. October 10, 20 jo bakers longbourn retells the events of pride and prejudice from the point of view of the servants. Any page references refer to a usa edition of the book, usually the trade paperback. 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. The questions, discussion topics, and reading list that follow are intended to enhance your reading groups discussion of a country road, a tree, jo bakers gripping followup to her new york times notable book, longbourn. From the same stream that fed austens literary imagination, baker has drawn forth something entirely new and fresh. A country road, a tree by jo baker, paperback barnes. 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. Oct, 20 it should be said at once that jo bakers longbourn is an exception. 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.
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. Jo baker was born in lancashire, england, and educated at oxford university and queens university. 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. The epigraph to the novel is from samuel becketts novel molloy. It has been translated into twentyone languages, was shortlisted for the ibw book award and is due be made into.
1391 1575 303 1261 727 1158 1140 1570 891 1292 1263 852 70 1601 587 585 607 1284 1038 1615 845 768 899 327 1418 361 262 496 307 919 93 956 226 794