Synopsis
A continuation of Jane Austen’s Emma from the perspective of Emma’s love interest, John Knightley, as its title suggests, Mr. Knightley’s Diary is told in a diary format.
Between managing his estate and visiting his brother in London, Mr. Knightley is both exasperated and amused by his irresistibly beautiful, outrageously mischievous neighbor, Emma Woodhouse, whose misguided attempts at matchmaking are wreaking havoc in the village of Highbury. But when a handsome newcomer arrives and catches Emma’s attention, Mr. Knightley is shocked by his reaction. Amusement gives way to another emotion entirely — for his unreasonable dislike of the handsome newcomer seems suspiciously like jealousy.
Dive into the mind of the title character as he discovers how he really feels about his longtime neighbor and friend.
My Reaction
I really don’t have much to say about Mr. Knightley’s Diary, as I could not finish it. I understand what the author was trying to do. Retelling Jane Austen’s Emma through the eyes of John Knightley, Emma’s love interest, would be a good book. But this was not the way to go about it. And the “diary” format of the book is such a tired trope. Unless done well, diary formatted novels end up seeming like a cop-out in order to move the story’s timeline forward.
Overall, nope, nope, nope. I’ve even tried to read a couple of Grange’s other works, like Dear Mr. Darcy, but sadly, I just do not enjoy her writing at all.
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Rating
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