Willoughby's Return by Jane Odiwe: A Review by Raquel Sallaberry

When I read Vic's review of Willoughby's Return on this blog it stirred my curiosity to read the book. I already knew about Jane Odiwe's site and blogs, and thought to myself "She who can create those delicate drawings inspired by Jane Austen will certainly not write nasty things about my beloved characters." For Jane Austen's characters have become ours over time. When I received the book, I wrote not so much a review for my blog, but my impressions.

Three years after Marianne's marriage to the colonel, we find both the Brandon and Ferrars families living in a quiet way with their children, just as Jane Austen foreshadowed. The heroine of the moment is Margaret Dashwood, an exact mixture of her older sisters, sensible and yet extroverted. The would-be hero, Henry Lawrence, reminded me at times of another Henry: Mr. Tilney from Northanger Abbey.

Life continues quietly for our characters until the arrival of John Willoughby. Despite being a shameless gentleman - for I can not call him a scoundrel - he arrives to do the responsible thing and take care of his property, Combe Magna. The house is very close to Delaford, where Marianne lives. And from this point on the adventure begins.

I always thought that the marriage of Marianne and Colonel Brandon would not turn out to be exciting, though certainly happy. And I confess I've never stopped to think about Eliza's and Willoughby's child. Jane Austen mentioned Colonel Brandon's sense of duty to Eliza, which Jane Odiwe uses to drive the plot.

I will not tell more details to prevent spoiling the reading for you. Let me just say that it was a pleasure to read this book and return to Sense and Sensibility and its characters.

EDITION: Sourcebooks, 2009
REVIEW: previous post at Lendo Jane Austen: http://janeaustenemportugues.com/leituras/2010/05/o-retorno-de-willoughby/

Posted by Raquel Sallaberry, Jane Austen Em Portugese