The Third Sister

This is a fun read for Austen fans who are drawn to the mood and social nuance of Austen's work. 'The Third Sister' is the continuation of 'Sense and Sensibility.' We get glimpses into how Eleanor and Marriane are doing in their new lives and marriages, but the true focus of the story is Margaret Dashwood, the youngest sister, who has now grown into a beautiful young woman. Margaret, it seems, took Marianne's traumatic lessons in love much more to heart than any of the others. She's girded herself against flirtacious rogues like Willoughby, and is prepared to resist their wiles staunchly. 'The Third Sister' is the tale of Margaret's coming of age, her adventures in romance, and her mastery of both sense and sensiblity.This book is well-written in faux-Austenesque prose, and the story is engaging. But, it's a case of so close, and yet so far for me. I found it difficult to overlook the repeated un-Austen-like moments, which kept grounding me in the counterfeit nature of the work. Plus, the story itself, while very like an Austen tale in so many ways, wasn't nearly as gripping, or tension-filled, as Austen's own novels. Margaret's character, and that of Lady Clara, was well-developed. But her romantic interests were not given the same amount of attention and motivation, which left their relationships with Margaret rather pale and unsubstantial.So, I recommend this book to Austen fanatics for the little bit of escapism it provides--for those moments when I was able to forget that this book wasn't written by Austen. But, be prepared for those moments to be repeatedly burst by the frequent flaws that continue to announce it an imitation.

Nothing can come close to Austen. Having said that, I found The Third Sister quite enjoyable in its own right.Margaret Dashwood, the youngest Dashwood girl, has to choose between two suitors. Who will she choose, the gentleman or the rake? Will she remember what happened to older sister Marianne?If you're into Austen, give this one a try.

While remaining faithful to Jane Austen's rather predictable plot structure, moral tone and including all the previously spotlighted characters, Julia Barrett's sequel to SENSE AND SENSIBILITY still manages to sparkle with wit, irony, charm and originality. Barrett quickly establishes a tongue-in-cheek light touch in the opening chapter by noting the sheer imprudence of poor Margaret being born third in the family - and a girl yet - spurned even by Austen herself. This quickly involves the reader as being "in" on the hypocrisies of the day. What a great beginning. Luckily, our heroine, Margaret Dashwood, is rescued by none other than Barrett from being fated to remain mere postscript to the story. The author, indeed, has bigger plans for the heroine than the Muse herself. Ms. Barrett spirits Dashwood from a prosaic country existence, whisks Margaret away to the elegant, sophisticated refinement of Brighton, complete with its fashionable balls, high society, and intrigues.Barrett's heroine, the lovely Margaret Dashwood, is drawn with a sense of adventure, a philosophical, independent and creative turn of mind. She is romantic yet clear-thinking, compassionate, yet not a patsy. And, besides, even if she gets into a real bind, there is always her devoted older friend, Lady Clara, to run interference in matters of the heart. Margaret's declaration of liberation from the sexism of the day to the arrogant chauvinist-cum-artist, Stevenson, resonates with our contemporary sensibilities while making perfect sense in Austen's world.Dashwood's longing for love and self-identity, fully aware of her lack of social connections, also reflects Austen's themes of the importance of class and status. Her sensitively developed attraction to William du Plessy, a hero worthy of her affections, (though she holds out as long as possible), satisfied my own longing for a believable and winning romance. The exquisite contrast between our two virtuous sweethearts, and the scoundrels, Osborne, and Ferrars, and the appropriate, if predictable ends they all meet does not detract a bit from the enjoyment of the fascinating complications which arise along the way.I also loved the way the Barrett skillfully wove in the fashions of the day, the attitudes toward the Church, country vs. city life, and the influence of French culture, embodied with such irony by that great caricature and francophile snob, the fair Lady Ferrars. These cultural tidbits enriched my appreciation and understanding of certain segments of 19th century British society.I couldn't help but admire Barrett's ability to assume Austen's style-cadence, rhythm, diction and syntax-in such a natural and witty manner. For example, she notes that that Margaret's rather dense mother, found herself "admiring impudence as directness, audacity as wit, impropriety as imagination." And toward the end, when the author herself, entreated me as a reader to directly share in t

Having read MANY disgusting attempts at Austen sequels, I wasdelighted to get my hands on another Austen sequel by Julia Barrett.Of course, the dialog isn't as witty, nor the style as lively as Austen's, but this is a truly satisfying sequel to "Sense & Sensibility." As with "Presumption" (Barrett's sequel to "Pride & Prejudice"), the author wisely stays away from Austen's established characters (there is not too much of Elinor and Marianne), and instead focuses on a character which was scarcely drawn in the original: Margaret, the youngest Dashwood. Fans of the movie version of "Sense & Sensibility" got to see much more of Margaret than Austen ever wrote -- so, if the movie jarred some interest in Margaret, "The Third Sister" will be a sheer delight. Julia Barrett also kept several of the more extreme characters (good and bad) to make this a lively read -- read the book to find out which ones made the cut!

Fanciers of Jane Austen, plus a bevy of fans of the several movies of her works who have recently joined them, are ever on the hunt for fiction in her delicious manner. They shouId revel in a new novel just out from DONALD I. FINE/PENGUIN, USA, THE THIRD SISTER, A Continuation of Jane Austen's SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, by Julia Barrett, is a deft recreation of the great lady's distinct style. With never a false sentiment, scene, or action, it picks up a character with whom Austen dealt little in that first novel, the youngest of the Dashwood sisters. Barrett elects to explore her development after her elder sisters' marriages and their departures from Devonshire and its confined country society. Margaret Dashwood is just seventeen when we rejoin her at the beginning of THE THIRD SISTER. She is without fortune or prospects, and entirely at the disposal of her good-willed, if tasteless relatives, Sir John and Lady Middleton, their spoiled children, and Mrs. Jennings, their grandmother. There seems no hope of escape until not one, but two men appear in her life, as if out of the blue. Yet what appears a promising turn of events instead becomes a set of dangerous risks. It is not only her youth that causes uncertainty: it is also her recollection of the troubles and misfortunes of her two older sisters. Yet, in Barrett's competent hands and in language as economical as it is elegant, she permits us to contemplate the emergence of a charming, thinking Austenian heroine, even while managing to tackle several of Austen's unresolved themes with her own turn of wit. Julia Barrett's THE THIRD SISTER is a definite winner. by Steven Fullerton