Longbourn

Locations
Call Number: Fiction, Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Baker, Jo, Adult Book / Fiction / Romance / Historical / Baker, Jo
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Malletts Creek Branch, Pittsfield Branch, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Historical / Baker, Jo	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Romance / Historical / Baker, Jo	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Romance / Historical / Baker, Jo	4-week checkout	Due 05-24-2024
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Romance / Historical / Baker, Jo	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Romance / Historical / Baker, Jo	4-week checkout	On Shelf

"Originally published in Great Britain by Transworld, an imprint of the Random House Group Ltd., London."
"This is a Borzoi book"--Title page verso.
A novel whose principal characters are the servants in Jane Austen's Pride and prejudice.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Belowstairs during Pride & Prejudice submitted by sdunav on June 16, 2014, 8:25pm Fascinating novel that fills in the understory of "Pride & Prejudice" - what's happening belowstairs with the housekeeper and maids while Elizabeth is meeting Darcy.

It's gripping, well-written - the language is old-fashioned but not hard to read - and I love what Baker did with Mr. Collins and Mr. Bennett and Wickham.

It's a little graphic, in terms of early 19th c. dirt and work - but that's also fun, reading about the kind of things that Austen never wrote about but that consumed the lives of the servants. Stains, food preparation, laundry (omg, the diapers! ), the extra work visitors entailed - I think Baker did an excellent job of researching this, too.

A+ Historical Fiction submitted by Sara W on August 21, 2014, 8:23pm In the world of Jane Austen’s classic “Pride and Prejudice,” the major concerns include marrying a man of good nature and sufficient wealth, protecting one’s womanly honor and when the next ball will take place. But lovers of historical fiction will appreciate Jo Baker’s exploration of the “downstairs” component life at Longbourn. When Mrs. Bennet calls for housekeeper Hill, or when Jane obediently rings for tea – who are the people who answer?

This story is a fascinating snapshot of the life as a domestic servant in early 19th century Britain. It’s also a love story that lives up to its close relationship with that of Elizabeth and Darcy. The effect of this story taking place in a setting from a classic novel results in a glimpse beneath the calm surface, giving readers the sense of seeing the “real story” going on behind the scenes.

The main character is Sarah, a 17-year-old maidservant who struggles with her longing for a different life somewhere new and the practical appreciation for the security of her situation.

Things change when new faces arrive at Longbourn – handsome, mysterious James joins the domestic staff but refuses to speak of his past. Ptolemy, the black footman from a neighboring estate, brings an air of exotic, far-off places to Sarah’s own ordinary doorstep and stirs her own curiosity. These new people in Sarah’s small world force her to examine aspects of life she has never before considered.

Jo Baker’s story is well-researched, well-developed historical fiction that will appeal to any fiction reader. “Pride and Prejudice” fans will benefit from their prior knowledge of characters such as the ridiculous Mr. Collins, kind Elizabeth, and readers will never look at Hill, the long-suffering housekeeper, in the same way after learning of the epic Bennet household secrets she keeps.

Longbourne submitted by hcf on August 31, 2014, 6:30pm I will read pretty much anything to do with Jane Austen so I read this. It was worth it.

A Great Read! submitted by candyceh811 on June 23, 2015, 12:20pm An interesting new twist on Austin's "Pride and Prejudice"

If you like "Downton Abbey" submitted by Jen Chapin-Smith on August 4, 2016, 12:42pm "Longbourn" tells the story of the servants at the estate of Elizabeth Bennet and her family from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." The story highlights the gross inequalities and injustices forced upon working class people by those in power during the early 19th century.
The story focuses on Sarah, who had to begin working as a household servant when she became orphaned as a child. Her family's home on the village commons has been destroyed as part of the "enclosure movement" or land grab by the gentry.
**Warning: spoilers ahead***
Sarah falls in love with the mysterious James, whom we later learn is the child of Mr. Bennet and the housekeeper, Mrs. Hill, before either of them was married. They sent James to be raised on a farm, where he is treated terribly and in sharp contrast to how Mrs. Bennet's girls are raised. Sarah also flirts with Ptolomy Bingly, a slave originally from the Bingly's sugar plantation. This is a good reminder of how that family got its wealth, something Jane Austen never discusses in her original novel.
The book also reminds us of the horrors of the Napoleonic wars, corporal punishment in the British military, child sexual abuse and the random abuse women suffer at the hands of men they pass in the street, how gay people had to hide their true selves, and the physical demands of the labor the household servants did. This can make the novel hard to read, but realistic in some ways. Of course, Jo Baker's writing lacks Austen's wit and turns of phrase, but "Longbourn" is still well worth reading.

Longbourn by Jo Baker submitted by Fevvers - STAR473 on August 6, 2016, 5:04am Highly recommended for fans of Pride And Prejudice, of course, but also for readers looking for good historical fiction. The details are thorough - cloth, pig-muck, the hazards of doing laundry, food. I found the characters pretty engaging, though a bit predictable at times. But it's a very well-written book, and I really enjoyed it.

Recommended, but.... submitted by mstrasma on August 9, 2018, 1:23pm This is a good idea that adds a very interesting perspective to the well-known story. I generally like anything that gets readers or viewers thinking about the broader context of Austen's world, and about politics and individual experiences of class and gender norms in changing times. The only reason I would give it less than full marks is simply that in Austen's own prose, the social criticism comes with an intelligent and sly humor that no other writer can equal. It seems unfair, because in any other kind of comparison (with modern romance novels, for example), this work would shine. But since the Pride and Prejudice context is always there in the background, the comparison is inevitable. Still warmly recommended.

Longbourne submitted by kenzwhit5665 on August 24, 2019, 1:45pm This was a wonderful spin off of Jane Austen's work. I loved seeing pride and prejudice from the perspective of the staff. I think this is well written and researched.

Great historical fiction submitted by rshah on August 1, 2023, 8:23am Longbourn tells the story of the servants who make the Bennet household run but are rarely seen in the original and is told roughly parallel to P&P. Baker did an amazing amount of research for this book and it shows! Recommended especially for fans of Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs who wanted more downstairs scenes.