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Title: Not a purist, but disappointed all the same...
Review: I am always eager to read completions of Jane Austen's work, unlike those who find it unthinkable that anyone should touch the gems she left behind. I find Ms. Barrett's work disappointing, however, because it appears to me that it lacks the subtlety and charm so characteristic of Jane Austen's: the minimal changes of place and scene, the delicate development of character through conversation and observation, the wry humor she employs and the focus of thought and action through the eyes of her primary characters. This Charlotte is too full of inconsistencies of characterization and plot (Lady Denham throwing lavish entertainments? Lurid tales of piracy and gambling?) for me, and I didn't enjoy reading it. I liked Sanditon by Another Lady much better - I think she did a lovely job of capturing JA's essence and finishing the novel in a manner more consistent with it's original author's style and pattern.
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