I had planned on reading a Gaskell book for this pick because Gaskell really is one of my top 5 authors but I just can't seem to get into the remaining books of hers I haven't read. I checked out Ruth twice and haven't passed the first chapter. I'm reading a lot this year but its an interesting selection - some of it is just lighter reads which is fine but I'm also skewing much more modern than usual (in this case "modern" meaning writen in 1943). Perhaps because I'm reading along with Lucy's history and she's hitting the 1900s so I'm gravitating towards that for my personal reading as well? I'm not sure but its not my usual fare and that's showing up in this classics challenge as well.
So I went with D. E. Stevenson and Celia's house. Celia's House is my 5th D.E. Stevenson novel (at least according to goodreads. I think I've actually read more but can't remember the titles so I'm stuck relying on goodreads). She's one of my go-to authors when I need something light, sweet and fairly reliable. I think Miss. Buncle's Book is probably her most well known novel but The Four Graces might be my favorite.
This one was not my favorite. It wasn't bad at first but I was about 1/2 way through when I realized that somewhere around the 1/3 mark (right when it shifted to the next generation), it became a retelling of Mansfield Park. Not a "subtle nod to Mansfield Park" but a straight up retelling with very little being changed.
I'm not necessarily opposed to Jane Austen retellings on principle or anything but it felt a bit deceitful as nowhere on the cover or in the text was I informed that this would be a retelling. It just felt jarring and took my out of the story and world she had created around the house. And of course, even a good writer will have trouble retelling a Jane Austen better than Ms. Austen herself (even though Mansfield Park isn't my favorite Austen) so I'm sure the comparison didn't help.
That said, I really didn't HATE it. In fact, I gave it three stars on Goodreads which honestly means pretty much next to nothing as my goodreads ratings are wildly inconsistent and I've yet to find a remedy for that. I just expected to enjoy it more than I did. But I still won't hesitate to pick up a Stevenson novel in the future.
Celia's House is my Back to the Classics Classic by a Favorite Author selection.
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