Pirates and Prejudice
By: Kara Louise / Narrated By: Tiffany Halla Colonna
Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
I do sooo love JAFF, like, a LOT -But- would this one go toooo far?!
If it’s Jane Austen Fan Fiction, I’m there. And if it’s a Whispersync with the audiobook for, like, cheap? Oh Good Cow, man: I’m THERE!!! And so I purchased Pirates and Prejudice, but with sooo much other JAFF in m’ Library, I kinda sorta never got around to listening to it. I mean, sometimes I get a trifle annoyed with the Variations as they just seem to be sooo different from canon, as tho’ the author(s) wrote enTIREly different plots (True) but keeping the names of “Elizabeth” and “Darcy” only. I mean, no similarities to the much-loved characters, choosing to have them speak and behave in such eye-rolling ways.
Which, I do admit, I am sometimes in the mood for… I KNOW! It’s not like I’m proud of that, or anything; just copping to what I do.
And so, this has languished in m’ Library ‘cause: PIRATES… Until now, when the week’s Listening is… PIRATES. This, the winner of My Next Listen, inspired an entire week O’ The High Seas. But would it be just tooo much?!
Ahhh, no: ‘Twas just a fun yarn! And Our Dear Couple were actually, surprisingly, fairly true to their original characters. So there’s that…
Darcy has fallen into an inCREDible funk after his egreeegious proposal to Elizabeth fell flat. He’s beYONd unkempt and disreputable, and soon he’s mistaken for a pirate named Lockerly who was apprehended but who’s since flown the coop. This is soon cleared up, but his disheveled and disGUSting appearance are taken into service in an attempt to draw Lockerly out. Darcy will pose as a pirate, captaining Lockerly’s ship, thereby enticing Lockerly to great lengths to get his ship back.
But then duplicitous dealings wind Darcy up on the High Seas, as Captain Smith, crew to innocent young men who just needed a job. Whenst a wrecked ship is found, Smith comes clean to his crew and informs them that they are NOT pirates, but they’re the good guys, and they’re off to help. And oh, Lockerly and his Mateys are causing a ruckus.
Now this shipwreck, as Fate would have it, has Elizabeth and her father as passengers, DESperately in need of assistance (They’d been to Scilly to visit Mr. Bennet’s sister who’s in declining health). Soon, ODC is thrown together, and Captain Smith behaves in such a proper manner, such a valiant manner, that Elizabeth finds herself drawn to him.
Now, as this is a weee bit over 10 1/2-hours, do believe me when I say hijinks ensue, there’s much danger involved, blah blah could conceeeivably run the risk of wearing out its welcome blah.
But it doesn’t. This is, seriously, I’m sooo surprised, engaging and entertaining from start to finish. Darcy is the warm character he comes to be at the end of P&P, Elizabeth is feisty and witty, and there are numerous events that are twists on canon: Lydia causing great shame to the family and Darcy saving the day; Wickham being nefarious; Lady Catherine’s denouncement of Darcy; etc etc et seriously, quite a few enjoyable familiar events and lines cetera.
While Kara Louise’s writing is a delightful surprise, the standout in this production is Tiffany Halla Colonna’s performance. NEVER HEARD OF HER, but now I’ll be looking. Cuz you see, she handles menfolk, whether they’re genteel like Mr. Bennet, or they’re Darcy who then morphs into the “common” speak of Captain Smith. Didn’t hear an Avast ye, matey, but the writing got close, and Colonna snarled and snapped with the best of them. Then she effortlessly! switches to witty Elizabeth. And then as the end (Which is NOT abrupt) begins to tie loose threads together, she’s Jane, she’s Bingley, she’s Mary, you name it, she switches back and forth with ease.
And so here I am at the end, with the single Huh?-response I had to the entirety of this enjoyable romp: The adventures on the High Seas end with PLENty o’ time left in the audiobook, and I was all: Well, huh, how’s Louise gonna handle sooo much time here, and will this get annoyingly drawn out? Nope, as Our Dear Author goes back to P&P canon and brings EVERYthing out to get resolved. Truly, well done.
Just looked up Kara Louise’s Amazon page, and she’s many offerings out there. Alas, there’s but this single audiobook. Drat it all. Ah well, mustn’t be greedy, must be satisfied with a charming outing with Pirates. And maybe?
Well, Tiffany Halla Colonna’s done a LOT of Classics…
Whispersync, anyone?!
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