What If Elizabeth Developed a Mysterious Illness?
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Source: Gift from Publisher
TYPE OF NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Variation
THE PREMISE: No longer vibrant and full of vitality, Elizabeth Bennet is suffering from a mysterious malaise that saps her strength, produces excruciating headaches, and unsettles her stomach. When Mr. Darcy discovers this, he makes haste to Netherfield with Mr. Bingley in hopes of improving Elizabeth’s opinion of him. But even though Elizabeth feelings for Mr. Darcy have underwent “so material a change,” will Elizabeth’s indifferent health and uncertain future cause her to abandon any chance of love and happiness…?
WHAT I LOVED:
- A Unique Twist: Elizabeth without her spirited liveliness, Elizabeth without her rambling walks, Elizabeth without her independence – such a drastic change! And one I was so eager to explore. Especially since Elizabeth is the picture of vitality, strength, and confidence. And now readers will see what happens when she is stripped of all those things. How does it effect her personality? Does her outlook on life change? I really loved the inventiveness and originality of this premise.
- Firsthand Knowledge: I don’t think it would be a spoiler to say that the condition Elizabeth experiences in this book is one with which the author is very familiar. And knowing that made me love this story even more! I greatly admire the courage and compassion to tell such a story, and to imbue it with all the emotions and experiences that are known to you firsthand. I feel like it is a type of therapy, and I loved that Helen Williams had Jane Austen’s characters be a part of that.
- Sibling Relationships: Elizabeth with her sisters, Mr. Darcy with his sister, even the Fitzwilliam siblings – I loved the focus on different sibling dynamics. And I loved the seeing the “shoe on the other foot” so to speak, with some of Elizabeth’s sisters selflessly taking care of her. It contrasted greatly with the siblings who were apathetic and intolerant. The strong and supportive sibling relationships were moving and heartwarming to witness.
- Valuing What Matters: Threaded through this tale is a moving message about recognizing what is most important. It’s not a person’s looks or abilities – it’s their character and their heart that matter most. Elizabeth Bennet lost a lot of what others saw to be most attractive about her, and with her outward changes their treatment and opinions about her altered. But the people who, from the beginning, saw the worth of her character continued to cherish and value her sterling qualities through her alterations.
WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:
- A Muted Impact: With such a striking alteration in Elizabeth’s life, I was thinking it would produce a drastic impact on Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s journey to each other. And while it did change their journey in some aspects, I felt like we didn’t witness enough of their mental and emotional challenges with these new developments. It sometimes felt like their acceptance was easy and quick. I wouldn’t have minded spending more time in the characters’ heads. And although it may be bleak and dark, I would have loved to have felt more connection to their emotions.
- Busy Nothings: There were some slower parts of the story where nothing of great consequence was taking place. Plans were being discussed for a long time (i.e. the trip to Wales), extended family members were talked about in detail but not introduced on page for a long time (Fitzwilliam relations), and day-to-day events that didn’t really move the story forward sometimes made the story arc feel a little flat. Even with Lady C’s infamous visit…
CONCLUSION:
Despite my quibbles, In Essentials is a beautiful and inspiring Pride and Prejudice tale about facing unexpected changes in life with courage and fortitude. I appreciated the uniqueness and poignancy of this premise, and I applaud the author for her courage to channel her own journey, and illustrate some of her experiences and trials with our beloved Elizabeth Bennet.
Oh! This book is wonderful and a must read in a “heartbreaking, gut wrenching, cry your eyes out” kind of way.
I agree with you 100%. I loved this book and have read it more than once, despite the fact that life is not sunshine and roses for our Lizzy.
I think maybe I like following her journey because it shows that Lizzy perseveres despite life being quite difficult and unfair to her. And she gets a swoon worthy Darcy to support her!
I’m so glad to hear it, Rachel!
It is a wonderfully unique journey for Elizabeth, and this portrayal does indeed show her amazing strength.
I adore this book! Such exquisite angst. Darcy is so steadfast and supportive.
The Audible book is excellent.
Ooh! I didn’t know it had an Audible version. Thanks, Gill!
Thanks so much for sharing, Gill! Mr. Darcy was wonderful, wasn’t he?
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, Laura! I’m so glad you loved it!
I, too, read and enjoyed this story. Great review, Meredith.
Thank you, Sheila! I appreciate it!
I have this book on my kindle but I haven’t read it yet. I wasn’t up to the heartbreak earlier but I think I may be able to manage it better now. So I will definitely be reading it soon. Many thanks as always Meredith for a great review.
Like Jane Austen, Helen Williams doesn’t dwell too long on the heartbreak and bleak parts of the story.
Thank you for the lovely review, you were very right in saying that crafting this story was a type of therapy for me and it really means a lot when people empathise with Elizabeth’s journey, as it is very much linked to my own (albeit over 200 years later and minus Mr Darcy, alas!)
Hi Helen!! Thank YOU so much for courageously sharing this story with us!
Totally agree with all those who loved this book I found it really gripped me from the start sure there some flat bits but at least it was spelt correctly and had good grammar. If memory serves I gave it 5 stars and Darcy was fabulous in it. Lucky Lizzy to know that kind of devotion.
Thank you so much for sharing, Terri! I’m so glad to hear you loved this one!
I couldn’t finish this story. It has been back burnered till I think I can read such a dissatisfying end for ODC. I know this was based on the author’s real life experience. But reading (for escapism) and finding out they don’t have the potential for a full, healthy and complete lie (including children) I dropped it like a hot potato. That isn’t why I read JAFF.
Ouch. I guess your mileage may vary.
As a woman with medical issues which prevent me from bearing children of my own, I am painfully aware that this is a deal breaker for some men. The fact that this Darcy loves Elizabeth for herself, irrespective of her ability to have a child, makes him more swoon-worthy to me than the average Darcy– and makes the story *more* hopeful and romantic, not less so. For me, this work absolutely qualifies as HEA. I was delighted to read a story that dared to say Elizabeth could have a happy life even with physical limitations, and I thank the author for that.
I thought the author did a great job of representing a happily ever after for ODC, even if it isn’t the most conventional looking one. If you ever do feel like trying this one again, know that it does have a happy ending.
Oh this sound very compelling, added it to my to read list.
Wonderful! I hope you enjoy it as much has I did!
Although this is a sad story, it is realistic fiction as opposed to just fiction. It truly imitates real life. Darcy became “more real” because he was willing to “stand by his woman” despite the odds. He reminded me of the Sam Cooke song, “When a Man Loves a Woman.”
Well said. I agree about it being realistic. I love when I see I see these characters face authentic challenges and conflicts.
Thank you for your honest and insightful review, Meredith. Helen did a great job telling this story, and it was a good story. I did cry in several places, and my heart hurt for both of them. I agree with Joan about the story being realistic fiction.
My pleasure, Janet! Thank you so much for reading my review!
I read this story and gave it 5 stars for its originality and poignancy. The realism is undeniable and I appreciated the ending as it reflects the great love of Lizzy and Darcy, one that wasn’t based on the need to have children. I rank Essentials as one of my favorite variations and highly recommend it.
That’s fantastic, Joy! I’m so happy to hear it. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Have yet to read this one, but it siunds really good 😀
Hope you get the chance to enjoy this one soon, Charlotte!
This is near the top of my TBR list so I appreciated your review Meredith. I also liked reading everybody’s comments and I’m looking forward to reading it even more now. Thank you.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts, Michelle! I’ve been enjoying seeing everyone’s thoughts too!