Edmund Bertram's Diary Book

I should first and foremost make clear that I am a purist where Jane Austen is concerned, and that Mansfield Park and Persuasion alternate as my favorite Austen novel.

Amanda Grange has many good things going for her. The language is mostly convincing and the characters have continuity with Austen's own. When dialog or events coincide with something already portrayed in Mansfield Park, Grange is pretty faithful in her own portrayal. Most importantly, Edmund Bertram's Diary is a light, funny, enjoyable read.

Perhaps this sounds strange coming from a purist, but if one is going to take on Jane Austen, it should be done with confidence. Be big. Be bold. Add something new to the conversation! (For example, love it or hate it, Patricia Rozema's 1999 film adaptation of Mansfield Park brought something new to the table.) The idea of retelling Austen's works from the men's perspectives has so much potential. There are many things that ladies of that time would not or could not have known that the men would have. What an opportunity to add new depth to beloved stories from perspective unavailable to the author! In practice, on the other hand, this was just a safe retelling. I understand that much of Fanny and Edmund's story occurs when they are together leaving little opportunity for invention. That is what made me look forward to the early years when the boys were at school, Edmund's time with the Owens Family, and Fanny's stay in Portsmouth. (Especially Fanny's stay in Portsmouth.) In the original novel so much occurs offstage for Fanny during these periods that Grange could have expanded on Edmund's perspective in so many ways! Sadly, these are some of the skimpiest areas of Edmund's "diary."

It is Jane Austen's wit, humor, and keen observations that make her books more than just love stories. In the end, Edmund Bertram's Diary just becomes an enjoyable but eminently forgettable copy of someone else's masterpiece. Maybe I just started with the wrong Austen hero? I enjoyed Grange's style - and it is clear that we share a love of Austen - so I will be giving her other books a chance.