Jane Austen fans, has anyone else read The Watsons by John Coats?
Posted: 18 Nov 2020, 18:25
The Watsons (as the cover of the book says) is Jane Austen’s fragments continued and completed by John Coats. When I first snagged this book from my sister I only knew that it was a story mostly written by someone other than Jane Austen, from a story that she had started. I didn’t realize it was done by a male author, so when I finally got around to picking it up to read and I saw that the author was a John Coats, I felt a little apprehensive about him doing a good job with a Jane Austen story. But right off I was totally surprised! Of course, he wasn’t Jane Austen, but I really couldn’t tell where she ended and he began! In a really good way! It had me from the start! I was enjoying it so much by halfway through I thought, “I’m pretty sure this is going to be a new favorite, and I’m going to make all my sisters read it!”
But then, just before the end, he threw in a surprise that totally spoiled it for me! I was so...mad. Haha! I felt like throwing it across the room in disgust. (Probably a slight overreaction considering the offense.
) I don’t normally get that “involved” in the books I read, but for some reason I was enjoying it SO much that the unexpected blunder, as I call it, instantly left me a lot more deflated than I would have been if I hadn’t liked it so much up to that point.
In the author’s defense, as sometimes female authors make mistakes in their men character’s behavior, I think that was the case with this story, only in the reverse. Male author with female characters.
I think the author went for a complete surprise, when he should have gone with a subtle knowing. Then it could have been one of my favorite books instead of the disappointment it ended up being! (Where is the wailing emoji when I need it? Haha!)
Anyhow, I would love to discuss it further if anyone else has read it! I’m so curious if I’m the only one that was bothered so much by that one aspect, and if anyone else enjoyed the author’s writing as much as I did!
I still made my sister read it, and I can’t quite bring myself to get rid of it, it was just such a fun read up to the last couple of chapters! My sister did agree that it wasn’t very realistic under the circumstances, but that I was probably right, that it was just because the author was a man and didn't realize the mistake he was making. She was warned, so she didn’t feel nearly as disappointed as I had.
But then, just before the end, he threw in a surprise that totally spoiled it for me! I was so...mad. Haha! I felt like throwing it across the room in disgust. (Probably a slight overreaction considering the offense.
) I don’t normally get that “involved” in the books I read, but for some reason I was enjoying it SO much that the unexpected blunder, as I call it, instantly left me a lot more deflated than I would have been if I hadn’t liked it so much up to that point. In the author’s defense, as sometimes female authors make mistakes in their men character’s behavior, I think that was the case with this story, only in the reverse. Male author with female characters.
I think the author went for a complete surprise, when he should have gone with a subtle knowing. Then it could have been one of my favorite books instead of the disappointment it ended up being! (Where is the wailing emoji when I need it? Haha!)
Anyhow, I would love to discuss it further if anyone else has read it! I’m so curious if I’m the only one that was bothered so much by that one aspect, and if anyone else enjoyed the author’s writing as much as I did!
I still made my sister read it, and I can’t quite bring myself to get rid of it, it was just such a fun read up to the last couple of chapters! My sister did agree that it wasn’t very realistic under the circumstances, but that I was probably right, that it was just because the author was a man and didn't realize the mistake he was making. She was warned, so she didn’t feel nearly as disappointed as I had.