A Matter of Class / Mary Balogh. 2010


Here's a short review because Mary Balogh's latest is a short book, slightly longer than a short story that would appear in an anthology, but shorter than one of her old traditionals. And it's an unusual story because of the way that it explores the wide gulf that existed between the classes in Regency England.

There's a cover quote from Debbie Macomber that says in part: This is a not-to-be-missed story with a surprising twist. And really, that's it in a nutshell. Of course, I'm a die-hard MB fan who never misses any of her books as it is. The twist caught me by surprise, although the way it's written allows you to catch on to the fact that something is up from almost the beginning. But I did not see the full extent of what she had done until the last chapter. And then I did something I never do. I went back to the beginning and read the whole thing over again. This time I caught the double-meanings that were laced throughout the book. Very cleverly done.

I'm not going to say a word about the plot. I don't want to give anything away. But there are several themes woven into this little book that are worth mentioning: the very wide gulf between the aristocracy and everyone else in society, how even grown children will strive to please their parents, how sons and daughters could be bartered in marriage in order to secure a family fortune, and how important it was for young women to have an absolutely spotless reputation. Balogh has often used issues of class, family, and money to great effect in her books. This one is no different. It's quite a gem. Oh, and check this out. The book has its own website complete with questions for use at a book club.

I read a library copy. If I can get my hands on a decent coupon, I'm buying this in hardcover to add to my MB collection.

Comments

  1. Lusty ReaderJanuary 15, 2010 at 12:42 PM

    yay bookshelf photos! sorry im such a nosey parker, can't help it.

    and really? not a word on the plot? sigh, i have to admit i am intriguied by the sound of this twist, but i was honestly disappointed by some of her latest books on the Huxtable family so im not in a rush to read more MB at this time. while 2 of her books (A Summer to Remember and Slightly Dangerous) are two of my favorite romance novels of all time im not a big enough fangirl to pick up everything.

    ReplyDelete
  2. PhylJanuary 15, 2010 at 2:32 PM

    OMG, A Summer to Remember! That is THE book that got me started reading romance again. I LOVE that book! What a great proposal scene. But back to AMOC. I still don't want to give the plot away, but I will tell you AMOC is nothing like the Huxtables. I hope you will try it one day and let me know what you think. Get it from the library if you can.

    And bookshelf photos are fun, aren't they? I have shelves slotted sideways in my sewing room closet and they can be a pain to get to. E-books are easier, but they don't photograph well :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. ChristineJanuary 18, 2010 at 8:22 PM

    I could've sworn I left a comment here last week. I think I had your blog open in one of the many tabs in my browser and then poof! I closed them all without finishing my comment. Anyway... I'm here now.

    I put a reserve on this book at my library, but I'm second in line, PLUS they don't even have it in the library yet. LOL. Hopefully I'll get it in a few weeks. Hilcia of Impressions blog also reviewed it and enjoyed it very, very much as well. Thanks for the review.

    Also, I have to say your bookshelves are almost just as fun and colorful to look at as your fabric shelves!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. PhylJanuary 18, 2010 at 11:22 PM

    Thanks for coming back and for telling me of Hilcia's review. I hadn't visited that blog before. Always happy to find a new one :-)
    You'll have to let me know how you like the book when you've read it.
    And maybe we should start a meme posting pictures of our bookshelves :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Janet WebbJanuary 20, 2010 at 12:32 AM

    I did EXACTLY what you did: I read it, gasped, smiled and then started from the beginning and read it again. Just loved it.

    Aren't you looking forward to Angie's story? I sure am :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. PhylJanuary 20, 2010 at 10:24 AM

    Do you mean Angeline, the sister in the Mistress books? Yes to that, and Gwen's story as well.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Cheryl St.JohnFebruary 2, 2010 at 12:40 AM

    Okay, can't resist. I'm ordering this book right now.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I think I have ADD

Image
I'm one of those people who constantly moves from project to project. I do finish things, but midway through one project I'll stop and pull out fabric to start another one. Or something will come up that makes me start in on something else--a challenge, a class, a need to make a gift, or a new fabric purchase. All of those things change my focus. I don't want to admit how many UFOs (UnFinished Objects) I have here, but if I were totally honest, it's probably at least a dozen. Here are 3 I started this summer. And I'm not including the one I started the other night because I couldn't get a decent picture of it. This first one is from a class I took in June with 2 friends. I still have 4 more flowers to add to it. This is funky and fun, but it's large and appliqueing down the flowers is awkward at times. A while back I posted a picture of some flower blocks that I'm doing as part of an exchange with the same 2 friends. I had another set of blocks to finis
Read more

TBR Day. Conor's Way / Laura Lee Guhrke. 1996

Image
Back in the early 2000's, when I began lurking at the old AAR  boards, I heard talk of this book. And according to Amazon, I apparently broke down and purchased a copy for myself via Marketplace in 2004 for a "mere" $4.75. Today a used print copy goes for about $25. I don't know why I waited so long to read it. I'd keep seeing references to how good it is, especially from KristieJ who has been nagging our TBR hostess to read it forever. I think I was saving it for a day when I knew I needed to read a really good book. But when I saw that this month's theme was "Recommended Read" it was clear that this was the book I had to read. I was really, really stupid to wait 8 years to read this. Frankly, I should just end this review with that statement. I am writing this Tuesday evening. Earlier today I saw on Twitter that at least 2 other TBR participants are reviewing this for today as well. And they'll probably do a better job at it than me. B
Read more

57, 3, 15

Image
57 years. 3 months. 15 days. That's how old my sister was when she died on December 30, 2015. Char spent four and a half years in a tug of war with cancer. For a while there she seemed to be in total control. But that insidious disease came back and this time would not let up. Here's the kicker. She had uterine cancer, just like me. Only hers was Stage 4 when they found it. Mine barely qualified as Stage 1. Life is often unfair, but that seemed the cruelest irony of all. As I wept that she was dying, she wept because I was not. It's taken me a long time to process this and to be willing to talk openly about it. Some of you reading this have been very open with your own struggles with health, grief, death, and dying. I've wanted to be, but I think I needed for the worst of it to be over first. Every time I tried to write about it, I'd sit paralyzed at the keyboard. I just wasn't ready I guess. Char decided to suspend further treatment last August. It wa
Read more