LONGBOURN PLOT SUMMARY
Jane Austen meets Downton Abbey is the crude shorthand, but this novel is so much more. Beyond the necessity of the militia as an essential plot device, there is little to establish a time period or political context. I’m not sure why it’s gotten such good reviews, but take it from me-if you want a good servant story, stick with Upstairs Downstairs or Downton Abbey. Darcy’s response to them didn’t ring true. Life has always been more difficult for some. Elizabeth’s generous heart and sympathetic nature seemed to be missing in this novel. I never thought of myself as a purist, but this bothered me. Ptolemy Bingley is with them and tells Sarah that he has seen James.
Jane Austen gave us the restrained, arch, inner life of women of heart, soul, and mind, finding their way in a society that devalues them. Life has always been more difficult for some. It sounds like Pride and Prejudice meets Downton Abbey. The main character is very likeable and if this had been a stand alone novel about servants at the time minus the sweating and poo it could have worked. It was too dreary…. Unfortunately I found this to be a stuffy contemporary literary novel in historical clothing, with none of the brio of Austen’s own style and little insight to contribute about the characters or story of Pride and Prejudice. These are the characters this book focuses on.
It has been described as being a cross between Pride and Prejudice and Downton Abbey. She yearns to be appreciated by the people she serves, yet remains invisible to anyone other than the exacting housekeeper Mrs.
She rather looked forward to their having to lump them. Fits with my fantasy version as well! She started it nicely, but no climactic scene not even a little hot steamy kiss. Do they respect Mr. Despite it all, I just cannot stop myself from continuing to try them all out. It sounds like Pride and Prejudice meets Downton Abbey.
She ends her review by calling the work a “bold novel, subversive in ways that prove surprising, and brilliant on every level” that stays true to the wit of Jane Austen and adds new perspectives and sympathies to the lives of servants. Back to the liberties. The author delivers Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen retold from the servants’ perspective.

Carmela Ciuraru in USA Today warns readers of Longbourn who are looking for a different perspective on Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy they will be sorely disappointed because the book focuses plto the hard lives of Regency-era servants.
Women spent all day preparing or looking after the work of food preparation, and routinely wrote their wills when they became pregnant.
Longbourn – Plot Summary – IMDb
Because I very much like Jo Baker ‘s prose. He enjoys talking to Polly and giving her treats and money, but he also has ulterior motives. Add a star if you are very familiar with Pride and Lonngbourn and are not afraid to think outside the box. Reading raves about this book.
Longbourn – Wikipedia
She is mistaken however, as it is the newly hired footman James Smith. Similarly, there are moments where the protagonist, Sarah, acts in bold or independent ways that seem implausible for a character of her station in that period and unjustified by her personality.
Bennet gets the idea that she must have have her girls at all of the local parties plus throw a few of her own so that the eligible and respectable men will notice her daughters. These are the characters this book focuses on. This must go on my to read list.
Longbourn Book Summary and Study Guide
You could read this not knowing a jot about Pride and Prejudice and enjoy it just as much. The story is mostly told by Sarah, a housemaid who has been working at Longbourn since she was orphaned at age 6. Cheers, LA Like Like.

While Elizabeth shared her novels with Sarah and often offered her kind words, I was disappointed to see her treat Sarah with some selfish inconsideration and thoughtlessness. She rated his abilities much higher than any of the others; there was a longboufn in his reflections which often struck her, and though by no means so clever as herself, she thought that if encouraged to read and improve himself by such an example as her’s [sic], he might become a very agreeable companion.
She feels a closer connection with James and returns home with him and the two begin a secret sexual relationship. Working for the Bennet’s since their nuptials, she has seen it all, suffered through it lonngbourn with them. At first, reading about her duties repelled me as well, and I yearned to go lnogbourn to the nice, clean world of Pride and Prejudice, where young ladies in pretty gowns dance at balls and engage in clever conversation with handsome gentlemen in frock coats and breeches.
I am more excited than ever to read this behind-the-scenes take on my favorite novel — and keeping my fingers crossed for the drawing! This book sounds brilliant. Ptolemy Bingley lingbourn with them and tells Sarah that he has seen James.
Fans of the novel- Pride and Predjudice, the TV simmary Downton Abbey, and the movie- Gosford Longgbourn should love Jo Baker’s take on the lives of characters who usually stay silent in the back round. But that is a mere quibble xummary an otherwise wonderful novel. The contest closes at After James’ departure, Sarah goes through some changes of her own as she leaves Longbourn to become the personal maid for Elizabeth Bennet after she longbuorn married to Mr.
Third, for someone who says she loves Pride and Prejudice, the author sure spends a lot of time trying to convince readers that all of those beloved characters are d-bags. Baker feels that she has upheld Austen’s Mr Bennet by making him “partial and very jaded” in Longbourn.
I usually avoid Pride and Prejudice sequels, prequels, mashups, and detective novels, because no one gets Austen’s sardonic wit, no one. About two-thirds through this tale we take a break from present day and travel back two years and experience some time on the battlefront in Spain and Portugal with the Bennet’s footman, James. The flow of the story is jarred. Wickham is summary suitor of Lydia’s but Mr.
Servants standing in the rain would have happened when any society family went to a ball during a rainstorm. Longbourn is simply tremendous. I have been toying with the idea of giving this two stars. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam: Which made it interesting, since the book is about Sarah, and we care about her. This book did not need to be set in the Bennet household. I was “all-in” on this concept.
