Rational Creatures: Stirrings of Feminism in the Hearts of Jane Austen's Fine Ladies
The Quill Collective, Book 3
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Rational Creatures: Stirrings of Feminism in the Hearts of Jane Austen's Fine Ladies
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Narrated by:
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Victoria Riley
About this listen
“But I hate to hear you talking so, like a fine gentleman, and as if women were all fine ladies, instead of rational creatures. We none of us expect to be in smooth water all our days.” (Persuasion, Jane Austen)
Jane Austen: True romantic or rational creature? Her novels transport us back to the Regency, a time when well-mannered gentlemen and finely-bred ladies fell in love as they danced at balls and rode in carriages. Yet her heroines, such as Elizabeth Bennet, Anne Elliot, and Elinor Dashwood, were no swooning, fainthearted damsels in distress. Austen’s novels are timeless classics because of their biting wit, honest social commentary - because she wrote of strong women who were ahead of their day. True to their principles and beliefs, they fought through hypocrisy and broke social boundaries to find their happily-ever-after.
In the third romance anthology of The Quill Collective series, 16 celebrated Austenesque authors write the untold histories of Austen’s heroines, brave adventuresses, shy maidens, talkative spinsters, and naughty matrons. Peek around the curtain and discover what made Lady Susan so wicked, Mary Crawford so capricious, and Hettie Bates so in need of Emma Woodhouse’s pity.
Rational Creatures is a collection of humorous, poignant, and engaging short stories set in Georgian England that complement and pay homage to Austen’s great works and great ladies who were, perhaps, the first feminists in an era that was not quite ready for feminism.
“Make women rational creatures, and free citizens, and they will become good wives; - that is, if men do not neglect the duties of husbands and fathers.” (Mary Wollstonecraft)
Stories by: Elizabeth Adams, Nicole Clarkston, Karen M Cox, J. Marie Croft, Amy D’Orazio, Jenetta James, Jessie Lewis, KaraLynne Mackrory, Lona Manning, Christina Morland, Beau North, Sophia Rose, Anngela Schroeder, Joana Starnes, Brooke West, and Caitlin Williams
Edited by Christina Boyd
Foreword by Devoney Looser
Full list of authors includes Brooke West.
©2018 Christina Boyd (P)2019 Christina BoydListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
“Victoria Riley effortlessly transports listeners to England and brings to life all these amazing characters. Each story and character within has its own voice so there is no confusion on who is speaking which creates an enjoyable listening experience. The pacing, the emotion, the articulation are done well for an almost flawless performance.” (InD'Tale Magazine)
"I would recommend this book to fans of Jane Austen and Mary Wollstonecraft, and lovers of Regency romance everywhere who have - on occasion - wanted to shake one of the women in the stories, or take them gently by the hand and promise them there's a better way." (Miss Lawrence Is Hearing Things)
"...short stories mirror the feminist ideas discussed in Mary Wollstonecraft's 'A Vindication of the Rights of Women'.... I was blown away by Ms. Riley's narration and she made the characters shine as bright as the PBS's adaptations!" (History from a Woman's Perspective)
Very good indeed
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Taking a closer look at Austen's women, examining their stories from a different perspective, or re-imagining them let loose, was too tempting a prospect to pass up! I'm very glad I did listen to it as the tales within are witty, charming, and thoroughly entertaining in the main. They are not all entirely true to the characters from whom they drew their inspiration, but each explores a facet of Austen's world in which it feels truly embedded. There were some stories I vastly preferred to others but that is only to be expected when listening to an anthology with so many contributors.
My favourite tales were often those about women whose stories were largely left unexplored in the original novels, with the most enjoyable being Croft's The Simple Things, Starnes' Charlotte's Comfort, Mackrory's Where the Sky Touches the Sea, North's Louisa by the Sea, and Cox's A Nominal Mistress.
As with so many anthologies, I do wish the chapter headings in the Audible app bore the title of the story currently playing. I know it is possible as, for one, Stephen Fry utilises the feature in Mythos. It would make it so much easier to dip back into one's favourite stories at a later date. Bookmarking favourites is all well and good, but requires rather a lot of faffing if the title (or author) of a particular tale is not noted at the very beginning of the chapter. This is where print copies do have something of an advantage, but it is not insurmountable and would be much improved if Audible and its authors used the platform's features to their fullest.
Victoria Riley's performance as narrator is charming throughout, bringing life to the characters and evoking memories of my favourite adaptations. She falls prey to a few mispronunciations of the period language, ("victuals" etc), but they are very few and far between and not detrimental to the overall experience.
At first I thought Riley's crisp, Hayley-Mills-esque cut-glass English accent sounded a little too deliberate at times - as if it was not the narrator's natural manner of speech - but, in a way, that actually complemented the era. Georgian Britain was an age when young ladies like those featured in these stories had to consider their words and actions carefully. Even for the fiercest, most feisty heroine an inappropriate word in the wrong ear could ruin her reputation at a time when a good name may be all she had to recommend her. Honing one's accomplishments and refining oneself was expected amongst the classes represented in this anthology, so it feels rather fitting that the narrator sounds very much like she is trying to present the best account of herself. As the book progressed I came to like her performance very well.
I would recommend this book to fans of Jane Austen and Mary Wollstonecraft, and lovers of Regency romance everywhere who have - on occasion - wanted to shake one of the women in the stories, or take them gently by the hand and promise them there's a better way.
*I received this audiobook free of charge in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
A highly diverting book of re-imagined classics
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Listener received this title free
beautifully written and read
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The book opens with a fascinating foreword by Austen scholar (and roller derby participant) Devoney Looser. The stories are all Regency-set and arranged in order of the publication of their source works. The subject characters are: Elinor Dashwood, Marianne Dashwood, Elizabeth Bennet, Charlotte Lucas, Emma Woodhouse, Hetty Bates, Harriet Smith, Fanny Price, Mary Crawford, Anne Elliot, Sophia Croft, Penelope Clay, Louisa Musgrove, Catherine Morland, Eleanor Tilney and Lady Susan Vernon. Some are prequels, some are sequels and some run alongside the action of their canon stories. Some are first person, some third.
As you can see, although all of the heroines from Jane Austen's six major works are represented, there's a fair sprinkling of some rather unexpected characters. Miss Bates and Harriet Smith as rational creatures? I guarantee you'll never read 'Emma' again in the same light! The same goes for Mrs. Clay and Louisa Musgrove from 'Persuasion'. And Lady Susan's prequel, told in epistolary form as in the original, is exceedingly well done. Of course, the entire collection is wonderful from start to finish and I can't single out any one as being better than the rest; they're all told in style by their respective authors. I'd recommend reading them through in order to start with, then you could dip in and out on a subsequent reading, if you wish.
There's no 'mature' content in any of these tales, though there are sexual references in some.
This is the same review that I posted for the ebook version of this wonderful anthology. I will only add that Veronica Riley's performance of the aforementioned ladies is absolutely fantastic. She manages to imbue each of them with all the qualities one would expect from reading them on the page (or screen!). Five stars seems poor and inadequate.
Rational Creatures? Yes, even Miss Bates!
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Perfect for winter sun
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