First Impressions

by Charlie Lovett

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

It seems like the perfect plot for a Jane Austen enthusiast right? Oh, how I wish that was true. I felt that First Impressions read like fanfic. The writing felt a little amateur particularly in relation to Sophie, who came off as Shaggy from Scobby Doo with regards to uncovering the mystery manuscript and, wanted to wring her neck several times.

As a Janeite myself, the idea, even fictitious, that Jane Austen may have plagiarized her novels seemed disrespectful and had to hold back my outcry. The plot was a bit messy and the threats derived towards the plagiarism prospect appeared preposterous, adding another chink to the chain.

I enjoyed Jane Austen’s hypothetical relationship with clergyman Mansfield and climb up the literary ladder with her authorship of Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. Although, the majority of the book dealt with Sophie and we all know how I felt about her. I even listened to a bit of this on audio, hoping that it would bring life into the story but the narrator, Jayne Entwistle inhabited valley girl Sophie perfectly and therefore just annoyed me more.

Overall, First Impressions was a lackluster reimagining and did nothing to impress.