REVIEW: Captain Wentworth’s Diary by Amanda Grange
When one feels that one’s support of Jane Austen paraliterature is a hopeless business as the genre has become a quagmire of revolting twaddle written by people who think Jane Austen was a sweet little spinster penning pretty romances, it is a real relief to be reminded why we still bother. There are some gems to be found in the sludge, Gentle Readers, and Amanda Grange’s previous two books, (Mr.) Darcy’s Diary and Mr. Knightley’s Diary, are among them. We are pleased to relate that her latest offering, Captain Wentworth’s Diary, does not disappoint.
The point of these hero’s point of view tales is to present backstory, to show the parallel to the heroine’s journey. In this retelling of Persuasion we are given a real treat: the whole story of the summer of the Year Six, when Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth fell in love. Young Wentworth is as full of “intelligence, spirit, and brilliancy” as Jane Austen described him; fresh from his heroics at St. Domingo, he rolls into Somerset ready to dance and flirt with every pretty girl. The last thing he expects is to fall in love–especially not with the quiet Anne; and when he does, and offers for her, and is accepted, the very last thing he expects is for her to break their engagement. He leaves Somerset, injured and angry, to make his fortune. Eight years later, Napoleon has been confined on Elba, and the Royal Navy comes home; and of all the great houses in England to lease, his brother-in-law chooses Kellynch, the scene of that mortifying romance. Wentworth arrives, fresh from the painful scene of helping his friend Benwick cope with his fiancee’s death, still resentful at his own rejection, and convinced that Anne Elliot’s power with him was gone forever. The stage is set, and the game is on.
When we read Persuasion, customarily we become angry on Anne’s behalf when Wentworth first appears; angry at his rudeness, at saying to the pretty young Musgrove girls that Anne was so altered he would not have known her. He had to know it would be repeated to her; he had to know how those words could hurt; how could a man once so in love say such a thing? He ought not, he does not! But Ms. Grange is gentle with her hero; we are shown his shock at first seeing Anne, beaten down by eight years of disappointment and regret, and mistaking her for a nursery-maid; at being so distracted by this change, and the emotions it engenders in himself, that he thoughtlessly utters the hurtful words. Instead of harboring our own resentment (or yelling salty naval expletives aloud, as is our custom), we found ourself, much to our astonishment, in sympathy with him.
Another interesting device is a paralleling of Anne and Wentworth’s stories. For instance, we know of Anne’s pain when Mrs. Croft talks of her brother being married; Anne thinks she means Frederick, when she means the eldest brother, Edward. In this story, the Crofts tell Wentworth that Miss Elliot is still very handsome, and her sister is married to Charles Musgrove. Wentworth, knowing the propriety of such a match for Anne, assumes she is Mrs. Charles rather than Mary, and experiences the same pain and same relief as Anne when he discovers his mistake.
The Year Six episode takes the first third of the novel, so some elements of the main story were, in our opinion, a bit more rushed than we would like; but we are a devoted Persuasionite and can never get enough of these characters. (We are “those Austen people” that Rupert Penry-Jones referred to, and he can *quarterdeck expletive* if he doesn’t like it.) There certainly is satisfaction to be had: in following Wentworth’s change of heart as he acknowledges his true feelings; his self-reproach as he realizes his thoughtless flirtation with Louisa Musgrove could have serious consequences; his jealousy of Mr. Elliot and fear that he is too late to win Anne at last; thoughts streaming in bursts and gasps of emotion as he listens to a conversation and writes a letter; and a lovely, long talk on a walk from the White Hart to Camden-place, “spirits dancing in private rapture.” Like the other books in Ms. Grange’s series, scrupulous attention is paid to the original, even while interpreting what is not explicitly shown, and some well-known scenes are fleshed out while others are condensed, nicely complementing the original.
Anne Elliot is Jane Austen’s most mature heroine, and unlike her sister heroines has experienced her journey of self-knowledge prior to the opening of the novel. It is Wentworth who has the real journey in Persuasion, and in Captain Wentworth’s Diary we take that journey with him, from brash young officer to a mature man, shaped by experience and loss but still able to seize an opportunity when he can listen no longer in silence, and although we know the ending, we cheer when hope returns.
Captain Wentworth’s Diary is available direct from the publisher or from Amazon.co.uk; it will be published in North America by Berkeley next year.
July 6th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Can’t wait to read it! Do like Grange’s work and Persuasion is one of my six favorite JA works! Recently reread Mr Darcy’s Diary and was impressed at how deftly Grange shows Darcy’s maturation and realization of how proud and above his company and selfish he has been.
I do wonder if she’s going to go on to give us all the heroes’ diaries? I must say I am not that eager to read Mr. Edmund Bertram’s Diary….
July 6th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
I am informed that His Lordship of W’ville is up next and then a certain flannel-waistcoated gent.
July 6th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Hmm … perhaps Mr. Tilney keeps no journal?
July 6th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
I can’t wait to read this! I read “Mr. Darcy’s Diary,” and am eagerly awaiting the publication of “Mr. Knightley’s Diary” in the U.S. — I loved the first in the series, and I’m sure that I won’t be disappointed with the rest!
July 6th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
I wonder if the author knows what its like for a man to be first accepted then rejected like this? And how would she know how a man such as Frederick Wentworth would vent his hurt and anger? for that matter How did Jane austen know? Was the Character of Frederick based on either of-or-both-of her brothers?
Who were the Crofts based on?
James
July 6th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
There doesn’t have to be a ‘basis’. A good author doesn’t need to actually base a character on someone they knew. A good author has insight and intelligence enough to create a character rather than copy from an actual person.
But Jane Austen did no a lot of men, she had an extremely large acquaintance, she was related to many, many men,including some in the navy and including some who suffered unhappiness in love.
July 6th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
At first I was going to say Heather L won the comments thread, but I changed my mind. James wins for not only bringing up the “Becoming Jane” idea that Jane could only write what she knew, but the recent Austen Blog kerfluffle.
For me, I’ve never read a bit of this paraliterature, but my interest is definitely piqued! Hope her other books are on amazon.ca!
July 6th, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Well, I won’t give James a hard time, because at least he is asking instead of assuming. And it’s a natural question–I would think especially for a man! Many men have wondered how Jane knew them so well. Let’s face it, she was a genius.
As far as what Jane was trying to accomplish in her creation of Wentworth (not the same question but similar), may I suggest a perusal of the wonderful book Jane Austen and the Navy by Brian Southam? He talks about the timeline of Persuasion and when it was written. It is set during the time that Napoleon was confined on Elba–the war broke out again shortly after the main action ends–but it was written after Waterloo, when the war was over. Keep in mind the Navy had very little part in the final action of the war other than as a taxi service to Belgium. After Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington and his “infamous army” were feted and celebrated all over England, and the Navy was sort of forgotten; though only a decade before the Navy was the service that was actually winning the war for England, at Trafalgar (where Admiral Croft participated) and St. Domingo (where Wentworth had his part) and the Nile and Copenhagen and many other famous battles. But after Waterloo, the Navy fell out of fashion. Recall the line in Sanditon (written in 1816-1817) from Mr. Parker, that he wished he had called his house Waterloo House instead of Trafalgar House because it was more fashionable. Brian Southam opines that in Persuasion, in the brilliant and heroic Wentworth and the other portraits of naval officers she created–the bluff, friendly Admiral Croft, the romantic Benwick, the family man Harville–she was reminding the forgetful reader of the value of these men, of their “domestic virtues” as well as their “national importance.” And that inspiration I think it is safe to say she did get from her brothers. So perhaps James wasn’t that far off.
July 8th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
Hats off, gent, er, lad, er, bloggers! (Do we wear hats? Oh, whatever) Jane was a genius. And I’m probably the only one who is very excited about Mr Bertram’s Diary, since I’m president, chair, janitor, and sole known member of the “Edmund is not a wanker/tosser/NASUTH-er” club.
Tis a lonely life. And meetings are rather short.
But maybe the book will bring some in!
I do wish Mr Knightley’s Diary was out in the States. It does sound good.
July 8th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
I don’t mind being the second member of your club ibmiller
because I certainly don’t think Edmund needs a SUTH, or is a wanker etc. just because he was attracted to Mary. I think he was well balanced, and knew where to draw the line.
He gets accused of not being attracted to Fanny instead of to Mary at first, and I say, why not?
July 8th, 2007 at 9:11 pm
Well I must say that this latest offering by Ms Grange is extremely tempting. Persuasion is by far my favorite Austen work, and I’ve yet to venture into the realm of Austen paraliterature. This seems by all accounts to be a good place to start for me.
I have to admit though, the first time I laid eyes on that portrait representing Captain Wentworth on the cover of the book here, I immediately thought of a portrait or two I’ve seen elsewhere of a young Ludwig Von Beethoven! Same period more or less of course, but I wonder where she found that portrait and who it really is?
Since I absolutely adore Beethoven, another reason - albeit more from the heart than the head obvisouly - to give Ms Grange’s effort a try. Good karma all around
July 8th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
According to the jacket, it is “Portrait of Achille-Etna Michallon (1796-1822) c. 1818-19 (oil on canvas) by Cogniet, Leon (1794-1880) / Musée des Beaux-Arts, Orleans, France.”
At first I wasn’t crazy about the painting, I thought it too boyish, but now that I’ve read the book, it fits the Year Six!Wentworth described therein very well.
July 9th, 2007 at 12:17 am
Thanks for the info Mags. And I’d agree, the portrait doesn’t exactly fit my idea of Wentworth either (although the timeframe fits old Ludwig quite well, 1770-1826). But with that said, I think I’ll just have to roll on this one and see if Ms Grange can refocus my mind’s eye as she did yours!
July 9th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Really though, are there no plans to include Henry Tilney’s diary?
Since I am currently reading Persuasion again, I may have to pick this up when it’s released in the states!
July 10th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Mags;
I do like your answer. My question would apply to both Jane Austen and to Amanda Grange.
I guess I will have to order this book to satisfy my curiosity.