Marriage by Susan Edmonstone Ferrier

(Mirrored from Goodreads review)

(Another Project Gutenberg read; I didn't read it in paperback.)

It's okay. At the beginning, it's very similar to Austen, and I thought Ferrier was going to become a new favorite. I think she might have gotten a bit lost, though, because it wanders on for a long long time (often quoting whole pages from other books just to pass the time) before winding down to a resolution. I would say that, in the end, the reading experience came down somewhere between Austen and Thackeray, but it's much less mean than Thackeray is.

Some good lines:

Volume 1, Chapter 26: "The monarch on his throne is less awful than the beggar in his shroud."

Volume 2, Chapter 14: "Cupid has many counterfeits going about the world, who pass very well with those whose minds are capable of passion, but not of love."

Volume 2, Chapter 31: "It is novelty only that can lend charm to things in themselves valueless; and when that wears off, the disenchanted baubles appear in all their native worthlessness."

Problematic elements: Period-typical English bigotry (brief, negative references to "Hottentots and Hindoos"; one nasty antisemitic comment near the end)

Weakest element: Vignettes targeting specific "types" of people for parody. There are quite a few scenes where character pop in to visit acquaintances with humorous names who illustrate characteristics the author would like to make fun of. They aren't connected to the plot in any way, have no impact on the characters, and make the book much longer. The religious prating was also pretty tiresome, but wasn't unexpected given the time period.

Strongest element: Lady Emily, definitely. The story is a thousand times more fun when she's onstage.

Other honorable mentions: I would like to visit the Scottish Highlands now. The author's love for her homeland really shines through.