Dreams and Expectations

Top half dozen icky quotes from Dreams and Expectations:

"[Mr. Collins'} beady eyes examined every feature of the girls' figures minutely as well, returning several times to the two eldest, which induced a distinct feeling in both of being soiled by his gaze."

"[Mr. Collins} was only half concealing what his hands were holding. He dropped one of Elizabeth's undergarments back into the drawer and closed it."

"Mr. Collins moved uncomfortably close to Elizabeth. She tensed and felt a need to move away, but Mr. Collins took hold of her arm in an almost possessive way, preventing her escape. Mr. Wickham unnerved Elizabeth with his leers at her person which, though not quite as obvious as Mr. Collins's had been, were even more disturbing in their intensity. As the two men spoke, Mr. Wickham moved closer until she was trapped between them; she could not move without her body brushing against one or the other. The entire situation was alarming. She tried to back away from the pair, but every time she moved to do so they adjusted their positions, and one or the other would graze against her."

[Lady Catherine],"Ruin [Elizabeth] in every way possible, Wickham!"

"Elizabeth sat on the floor.... Dried blood smeared her bruised face, and someone had stuffed a filthy rag into her mouth as a gag. Her dress was torn, revealing flashes of pale, silken flesh. [Wickham] towered over her, swigging from a liquor bottle held in a blood-stained hand. His free hand gripped her bound wrists."

"[Wickham's] hand wandered licentiously over Elizabeth's figure."

Of all the P&P spinoffs I have bought, this is the only one I regret having read. Actually, the distaste I feel about it goes beyond wanting my money back. I hope to spare somebody else the experience.

This was one of the most imaginative versions I have read. The Author stayed within the mainframe of the story and fleshed out some of the minor characters which gave greater depth to the action and relationships.

The Darcy/Elizabeth relationship was almost painful to experience as it developed, due to the element of suspense which exists when two people in love with each other are not sure of the other one's feelings.

Wickham, Collins, and Lady Catherine were particularly awful people - I felt they deserved everything that they had coming. Miss Bingley also met with her just desserts. It was a most satisfying read!

I was reading and enjoying the book until about half way through. At that point the author begins to develop a story of a land deal in India which has problems, but more importantly the evil trio of Wickham, Mr. Collins, and Aunt Catherine get involved in land deals. Very poorly written, totally implausible and not very realistic. Variations are supposed to do just that, vary from the original to tell an interesting but similar story, but Aunt C, Collins and Wickham involved together in the plot? How in the world can these three characters be involved with the other in shady land deals? No way. As a result I was involved in this story until the India land deal and the evil trio working together were introduced. Frustrating to read this far to only give up on a story because it is so bad. Col. Fitzgerald's bona fides are also questioned by Col. Foster with regard to Wickham. How can that conceivable be?

2.75 stars
This book has moved me to tears many times, so I eagerly looked forward to rereading it. After this read, I found that the tortured love story is instead merely torture.

Not only does the story drag, but Darcy is an absolute heel to Elizabeth! They’ve been friends from the beginning, but I have no idea why. He’ll ignore her...until he can’t. He’ll not dance with her...until he does. He doesn’t even tell her he’s leaving Meryton until the night before, AND THEN he sees her off that night by kissing her palms! Most unconscionably, he leaves Meryton knowing that Collins and Wickham are still a threat to her.

And the plot! A coven including LCdB, Collins, and Wickham could work...but not in this book. While I’m sure the author strove to weave a complex plot, she unfortunately left us with a convoluted, unrealistic clunker peopled by caricatures and written in clichés.

And India! Why on earth would you throw India in as a plot twist? Had the British Isles run out of possibilities? Of course, the geography of said Isles isn’t exactly nailed down. At one point Darcy goes off on his urgent mission to save Lizzy, going from Rosings to Broadstairs via London. Why, why, why?

I encourage you to read Sotis’ Gypsy Blessing, instead.

In this JAFF, EB and FD are drawn to each other, almost from the start. While she concludes he couldn't ask for her, he is haunted by the image of his Mother telling him to marry well. Our couple undergoes unecessary disappointments until the conclusion, but in the meantime an assortment of lechers, bootleggers, thieves, kidnappers and murderers make you afraid for every decent character. This is an interesting story, an easy read, and quite an adventure. Now for the con(s): in recent publications of JAFF there are more than a couple instances of Mr. Collins trying to get into Lizzy's knickers, Mr Wickham being paid to deflower Lizzy, a poisonous teacup, and Aunt C. Gone mad with one thing or another. I grant you that a dash of seasoning helps carry us through the old sweet story, but sometimes too much evil is just plain mean. In addition, for reason of editing or ?- some of the spellings were UK and some were US. How strange! Era editing could also use a little fine tuning.