Review & Interview: 'The Ghostly Father' by Sue Barnard (2014)

Romeo & Juliet - was this what really happened? 
When Juliet Roberts is asked to make sense of an ancient Italian manuscript, she little suspects that she will find herself propelled into the midst of one of the greatest love stories of all time. But this is only the beginning. As more hidden secrets come to light, Juliet discovers that the tragic tale of her famous namesake might have had a very different outcome...
As an English Literature student, I have read (both willingly and occasionally also slightly unwillingly...) all kinds of classics, from Chaucer to Jane Austen to, of course, William Shakespeare. There are some great classic books out there and I love picking up retellings or sequels to these old stories, providing us readers with a new perspective. So, when author Sue Barnard contacted me about possibly reviewing her novel 'The Ghostly Father', an adaptation of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', I couldn't say 'yes' quickly enough. I was really curious to find out what the author had done with one of the most famous love stories of all time, and had my fingers crossed for a good read!
Juliet Roberts is asked by her grandfather to translate an old manuscript from Italian to English for his birthday. The story manages to exceed all Juliet's expectations, as it turns out to be the actual story of Romeo and Juliet, made famous by playwright William Shakespeare. The story of Romeo and Giulietta, told from the point of view of a monk named Lorenzo who experienced it all up close and personal, continues to surprises Juliet with every page and she can't help but wonder whether this might be the actual story of what happened between these famous starcrossed lovers...
I had to read lots of Shakespeare plays at university and 'Romeo and Juliet' was undoubtedly my favourite. However, as a hopeless romantic and a sucker for happy endings, the ending of the story always broke my heart and I love retellings of the tale, to see what other authors do with the characters and the storyline. Thankfully, Sue Barnard has done a tremendous job rewriting a classic like 'Romeo and Juliet' and she has really managed to give it her own twist. The story is quite different from the original, but I won't say much more about it because I don't want to give too much away. Of course, the essence is still the same: two young people fall in love but as they come from two feuding families, they have to fight to be able to actually be together.
The author's writing style is really comfortable to read; well-paced, a good dosage of both description and dialogue, and befitting to the original story and the time in which it is set. I really enjoyed the fact that the story was told from the perspective of monk Lorenzo, whose story was also really interesting and results in the reader being given more than just Romeo and Juliet's tale. I really enjoyed this and I can't wait to see what Sue Barnard will come up with next. 'The Ghostly Father' is a beautiful and captivating retelling with respect for the original story, but with its own twists and style; a thoroughly enjoyable read!

Rating:9/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Author interview with Sue Barnard!

I'm really excited to welcome author Sue Barnard to the blog today to tell us some more about her novel 'The Ghostly Father', her own favourite books and her future plans as an author!   Can you tell us something about your novel, ‘The Ghostly Father’? It’s based on the traditional story of Romeo & Juliet, but with a few new twists and a whole new outcome.  It’s a sort of part-prequel, part-sequel to the original tale, and is told from the point of view of Friar Lawrence (although he’s called Fra’ Lorenzo in this version).  The book’s title, The Ghostly Father, is based on a quotation from the play, and it’s how Romeo addresses  the Friar.   Where did you get the inspiration for your novel? Why did you decide to go with a Shakespeare play as the basis? I’ve always loved the story of Romeo & Juliet, but hated the way it ended.     A few years ago, I came across one of those lists of “Things You Should Do Before You Die” – and one of them was “Write the book you want to read.”     The book I’ve always wanted to read is a version of the Romeo & Juliet story in which the star-cross’d lovers don’t fall victim to a maddeningly preventable double-suicide.     Why, I asked myself, should there not be such a book?  And the answer came straight back: Why not indeed?  And if it doesn’t exist, then go ahead and write it.   Can you tell us a bit more about the main character, Juliet Roberts?  Juliet is the modern narrator, who is given the task of translating the old Italian manuscript which contains the story.  By showing her reactions to the tale as it unfolds, she provides the link between the historical narrative and the reader.     There’s a great cast of supporting characters in the novel as well. Which character did you most enjoy writing? I think the Friar would have to be my favourite.  I’ve always been fascinated by him, and I’ve often wondered why, in the play, he behaved as he did.  By giving him what I hope is an interesting and thought-provoking backstory, I’ve tried to offer some possible answers.   I also had fun developing the characters of Lord and Lady Montague (or Montecchi, as I’ve called them in the book).  In the play they barely step out of the shadows.  Benvolio, too, is given his own story which is missing from the original version.   Did you do any particular research for parts of the book? I had to research what life would have been like in a medieval Franciscan friary.  And as the Friar is a herbalist, I also had to learn a little about herb-lore.   Can you perhaps tell us something about your future plans? Are you perhaps already working on a next novel? My second novel, a romantic intrigue entitled Nice Girls Don’t, was published in July last year.  It’s set in 1982 and is a story about family secrets.   For my third novel I’m returning to Shakespeare.  The Most Unkindest Cut, due out later this year, is a murder mystery set during an am-dram production of Julius Caesar.  As with The Ghostly Father, the title is a quotation from the play.   I’m currently working on a time-slip novel based on an old French legend.    Do you have any tips for aspiring writers? Try to write something each day, even if it’s only a haiku.  And believe in yourself.  If you have a story to tell, then don’t keep it hidden!    What is the last book you read that you’d like to recommend to others? It’s a while since I read it, but I’d highly recommend That Devil Called Love by Lynda Chater, which was first published about fifteen years ago.  It’s based on the Faust legend, but is brought up to date and told with great perception and humour.  The heroine of the story finds out the hard way that youth, beauty, wealth and fame don’t necessarily hold the key to lasting happiness.   Which book could you not live without? Facebook!  I’ve made lots of lovely friends on there, and it’s also how I found my wonderful publisher, Crooked Cat.   And last but not least, if you had to describe ‘The Ghostly Father’ in just three words, which words would you pick? Love conquers all.   Thanks so much, Sue! :)

Review & Interview: 'First Impressions: a Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice' by Alexa Adams (2013)

In Pride and Prejudice, Fitzwilliam Darcy begins his relationship with Elizabeth Bennet with the words: "She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present togive consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men." What would have happened if Mr. Darcy had never spoken so disdainfully? First Impressions explores how the events of Jane Austen's beloved novel would have transpired if Darcy and Elizabeth had danced together at the Meryton Assembly. Jane and Bingley's relationship blossoms unimpeded, Mary makes a most fortunate match, and Lydia never sets a foot in Brighton. Austen's witty style is authentically invoked in this playful romp from Longbourn to Pemberley.
As some of you might know, I’m a big fan of Jane Austen and absolutely everything that is related to her or her work. So, when author Alexa Adams contacted me about possibly reviewing her three-part-series of books based on Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’, I couldn’t possibly say no! It has been over 200 years since Austen’s first novel was published and since then the love story of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy has been retold in numerous different voices and different ways. However, if I’m honest, I simply can’t get enough of the retellings of this classic romance tale, so I couldn’t wait to get started in ‘First Impressions’!
We all know what happened when one of the greatest couples of all time, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, first laid eyes on each other. While Mr. Darcy decided the young woman ‘not handsome enough’ to tempt him, Elizabeth immediately wrote Darcy off as too proud. But how would their love story have turned out if things had been different? In this novel the whole storyline of Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is altered by a big change at the start of it all: Darcy and Elizabeth dance with one another at the Meryton assembly and slowly start to fall in love, which also alters the paths of almost all the people around them...
Over the years I’ve read many adaptations of Austen stories, and I have to say that this is definitely one of my favourites so far. I loved what Alexa Adams did with the plotline; changing almost everything by altering a detail at the beginning of it all. The novel still has Austen’s beloved basic storyline and keeps close to the events in the original and characters at its core, but with a fascinating twist. I especially loved the focus on characters like Mary Bennet, Kitty Bennet and Georgiana Darcy, who don’t play very big roles in the original, and how this focus gives them the attention they deserve and manages to answer questions readers might have about what could have happened to these characters. 
It is clear Alexa Adams treats Jane Austen’s writing and original novel with respect and I was surprised by how she managed to get close to Austen’s writing style and that authentic feel of her work. This adaptation has enjoyable dialogues and wittiness, and is a read I’d definitely recommend to lovers of Austen and/or ‘Pride and Prejudice.’ Alexa Adams’ ‘First Impressions’ is a wonderful debut novel; a charming and well-written retelling of a classic many of us can’t get enough of, and I personally am already excited about reading the two other sequels the author has written!
Rating:

9/10

For more information about this book: Amazon UK / Amazon US / Goodreads

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Author interview with Alexa Adams!
I'm delighted to welcome author Alexa Adams to the blog today to tell us more about her novel 'First Impressions: a Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice'!   1) Can you tell us something about your novel, ‘First Impressions: a Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice’? First Impressions, the working title for which was simply A Tale of Less Pride & Prejudice, began more as a reaction to other Pride & Prejudice sequels and spin-offs than a novel in its own right. I had been devouring all the Austenesque I could get my hands on, but there were certain things that I always wanted to see happen in the story which I had yet to read, while other notions I felt I’d seen a great deal too much. This book was my way of demanding a share of the conversation.    2) Where did you find the inspiration for ‘First Impressions: a Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice’? Are you a fan of Jane Austen and her work? I am a massive and unabashed Janeite. I’ve loved Austen since I discovered her when eleven years old, and my relationship to her work has continued to grow and evolve since that time. When I wrote First Impressions, I was struggling to find my path in life. Reliable as always, Jane was there to show me the way. I’m eternally grateful.   3) There’s a great mix of characters in the novel. Which character did you most enjoy writing about and why? My favorite character in the novel is Lady Catherine. I can’t seem to get enough of her. I love playing with her imperiousness, and in this book I tried to endow her with rather better motives and instincts than Austen gave to her. This softening allowed me to bring her into the folds of the family, so to speak, and I can’t say how often I’ve relied on her to move my plots along. I think she’d be pleased to know herself so useful.   4) What is your personal favourite Jane Austen novel and why? Persuasion. I think Anne Elliot perhaps the most admirable heroine in literature. She has been an excellent role model, though no mere human could really achieve her excellence. My one quibble with the story is that Captain Wentworth can’t even begin to deserve her.   5) ‘First Impressions: a Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice’ is the first part of a series. Can you tell us a bit more about this series? The second book is entitled Second Glances: A Tale of Less Pride & Prejudice Continues, and it picks up the story a year after the Darcys get married. The novel provides romances for both Georgiana and Lydia, who never marries Mr. Wickham in my version of events, but Kitty is the primary heroine. Holidays at Pemberley, or Third Encounters: A Tale of Less Pride & Prejudice Concludes is the final book, and it goes back in time to tell the story of Charlotte Lucas, who like Lydia has been spared the horrors of her original spouse. By beginning the story at the end of First Impressions and continuing it on past Second Glances, I was able to wrap up the fates of all the characters in a way quite satisfying to myself. I can’t speak for others.    6) Can you perhaps tell us something about your future plans as an author? Are you already working on a next novel? I am currently working on a very different novel called The Madness of Mr. Darcy. It is far darker and a great deal more complex than anything I’ve previously written. It’s premised on Mr. Darcy’s inability to find Lydia after she runs away with Wickham, removing the entire happy ending Austen supplied. Twenty painful years go by before a shattered Mr. Darcy is pushed by his cousins to seek help from one Dr. Wilson, a move which results in his reunion with Elizabeth in the unlikely setting of a Victorian mad house. She is not the only familiar face he meets there, either. Though the primary focus is the Pride & Prejudice story, this novel is my first real attempt at integrating multiple Austen novels into one.   7) Do you have any tips for aspiring writers? Just be persistent. Write as much as you can, good or bad, and don’t let it hinder you when you get negative feedback. Feedback of any sort is valuable, as long as it’s thoughtful. Embrace it, learn from it, and keep plugging along. Who knows if you’re the next great literary voice or not if you don’t keep trying?    8) And last but not least, if you had to describe ‘First Impressions: a Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice’ in just three words, which words would you pick? A playful ode.  

Thanks so much, Alexa! :)