[Mercedes-Lackey] Enthusiasitic

[Michael R N Dolbear]

My copy has just arrived so I can fully endorse the recommendation below of
'Flirting with Pride and Prejudice' (published last month and On Topic
because there is a fine short from Misty about Earth Master Althea and a
house party at Pemberley).

Paperback of Phoenix and Ashes also arrived but I don't need to recommend
that here.

Please skip all this if you don't like Jane Austen.

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LMB listee Marty L. Adkins, later endorsed by others posted the following 
from LMB listie Catherine [OShea] McLean, who's been having difficulties
posting:

So I went to Rendezvous last night and asked Myrna, "What's something nice 
and light that I'll really like?"  And she went and got me 'Flirting with
Pride and Prejudice'. Before I go on and on about how fantastically
enjoyable this book is, I need to point out once again how brilliant Myrna
is at knowing not just exactly what I will like in a book, but exactly what
I want to read Right At This Moment.

In fact, I read the whole thing between dinner and bedtime... which turned
out to be a bit after 1am, thanks to this book.

It's a collection of essays, short stories and general responses to Pride
and Prejudice by a variety of romance novelists, chick-lit authors, science
fiction/fantasty writers, critics, academics, and essayists. And one of the

writers from Buffy. And it's really, really fun. The stories are everything
from Mary Bennet's side of Pride and Prejudice (very well-done, though I'm
not entirely certain of the premise), a modern retelling of Charlotte
Lucas' story (I always did like Charlotte!), a story for Georgiana Darcy
(slight, but quite in character), to what Pride and Prejudice would have
been like if everyone had mobile phones (hilarious), as a reality TV show
(not quite my thing, but effective), and a set of letters from Lord Byron
about an imaginary meeting with Jane Austen (extremely good and doesn't
feel like fiction.

The essays/responses include money in Pride and Prejudice, how well various

screen adaptations of the book have worked, and why, what makes Darcy so
appealing, the Napoleonic Wars and their appearance, or lack thereof, a
comparison of Fiddler on the Roof with P&P, in the book, a cute dialog 
between a reader and a critic, which does a nice job of showing how
post-colonial theory and sexuality (I really don't know what this theory
would be, but it's exemplified in an article called "Jane Austen and the
Masturbating Young Girl"), and the important question of whether Jane
Austen writes broccoli, potato or onion stories (see, now you have to read
it to find out what that's about).

And there are a lot of other things, too. Many of them added new authors to
my 'must read' list. One, sadly, added an author to my 'do not read even if
trapped on a desert islant with only one book' list. But overall, it was
hugely entertaining, and I need to read it all again at least 6 times, and
also watch the BBC miniseries again. And Fiddler on the Roof, which I've
always wanted to see and now have another reason for.

Authors include Teresa Medeiros, Jo Beverley, Jane Espenson, Jill Winters,
Michelle Cunnah, Laura Resnick, Alesia Holliday, Mercedes Lackey, Jennifer 
Coburn, Sarah Zettel, Elisabeth Fairchild and many others. It's introduced
and edited by Jennifer Crusie.

Go and read it now. I think it's my new favourite book.

P. S.  by Jerrie:  note:  I've already ordered it, based solely on this 
recommendation.

P. S. S.  Lois strongly recommends both the movie "Bride and Prejudice" and

the works of Jennifer Crusie, so it's even sort-of LMB ontopic.   :)

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  	Little Egret