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Colonel Brandon's Diary (Jane Austen Heroes #5)

by Amanda Grange (Goodreads Author)

3.79 · Rating Details · 1,106 Ratings · 142 Reviews

At the age of 18, James Brandon's life is set fair: he is in love with his father's ward Eliza, and he is looking forward to a lifetime of happiness with her. But his world is shattered when Eliza is forced to marry his brother and James joins the army in despair.

Hardcover, 224 pages

Published July 31st 2008 by Robert Hale & Company

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Jul 28, 2009 Stacey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2009, jane-austen, reviewed

The book starts off with an 18 year old Brandon being desperately in love with his father's ward, Eliza, who shares his feelings. Alas, they cannot marry due to his greedy father's plan of marrying Eliza to his older brother Harry instead.

Shocked and heartbroken, Brandon enlists in the army. After a few years he returns to find that his brother has divorced Eliza, who in turn has no choice but to rely on empty promises of other men. When Brandon finds her, she is dying of consumption. She has a ...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Callixta rated it really liked it · review of another edition

http://blue-moon.fr/spip.php?article7955

Avis de Callixta

Dans les innombrables auteures qui ont voulu écrire la suite d’un livre ou le point de vue de l’un des personnages de Jane Austen, voilà sans doute une qui atteint son but, surtout dans ce roman qui présente un des personnages secondaires les plus émouvants et réussis de l’oeuvre de la célèbre romancière britannique qui n’a jamais été aussi en vogue qu’en ce moment. En effet, Amanda Grange nous propose le point de vue du colonel Brandon dan http://blue-moon.fr/spip.php?article7955

Avis de Callixta

Dans les innombrables auteures qui ont voulu écrire la suite d’un livre ou le point de vue de l’un des personnages de Jane Austen, voilà sans doute une qui atteint son but, surtout dans ce roman qui présente un des personnages secondaires les plus émouvants et réussis de l’oeuvre de la célèbre romancière britannique qui n’a jamais été aussi en vogue qu’en ce moment. En effet, Amanda Grange nous propose le point de vue du colonel Brandon dans Raison et Sentiments, cet homme loyal, silencieux et follement amoureux de la sœur de l’héroïne, Marianne Dashwood.

Il n’est pas besoin de connaître l’oeuvre de Jane Austen pour apprécier ce livre, il y a sans doute même une forme de découverte de son histoire que n’éprouvent pas les lecteurs qui ont lu le roman de Jane Austen. Sachez cependant que l’histoire respecte scrupuleusement le texte original et ne permet que de faire surgie ce personnage peu charismatique apparemment et qui n’avait qu’un rôle secondaire mais pourtant indispensable. Le talent de Jane Austen est tel qu’elle a laissé la place au développement de telles histoires inspirées d’un personnage qui n’avait pourtant pas cette vocation.

Amanda Grange va peu à peu faire surgir cet homme de l’ombre qu’il affectionne car le Colonel Brandon n’est pas expansif, pas un grand séducteur comme d’autres hommes dans l’oeuvre de Jane Austen. Il est d’ailleurs le parfait contrepoint du séduisant et creux Willoughby, vil suborneur de jeune fille et dont s’éprend la romantique et sensible Marianne. Amanda Grange revient sur la jeunesse de cet homme qu’on découvre déjà mûr dans le roman de Jane Austen et nous conte les grandes étapes de sa vie, au fil d’un journal qui commence aux alentours de ses dix-huit ans et se terminera, avec le roman Raison et Sentiments alors qu’il approche la quarantaine.

Le Colonel Brandon est un personnage si romantique et touchant sous la plume de Jane Austen qu’Amanda Grange a beau jeu de nous conter sa si belle et émouvante histoire. Ses qualités apparaissent d’autant plus que nous avons cette fois son point de vue : sa patience, sa gentillesse , son attention aux autres qui le fait courir à l’aide des femmes de son entourage. Dans cette période où le déshonneur, la ruine, l’abandon voire les violences faites aux femmes sont si nombreux, il est une sorte d’ange-gardien, silencieux et discret que Jane Austen avait très bien mis en valeur. Nous le découvrons donc ici dans toute sa splendeur. Amanda Grange écrit bien, utilise remarquablement bien ce format du journal pour développer le point de vue de Brandon et met en pleine lumière ce personnage. Elle ajoute juste ce qu’il faut pour combler ce que nous ne savons pas de lui, s’appuyant sur Jane Austen et sa connaissance impeccable de son œuvre.

Evidemment, il ne s’agit pas d’une romance historique classique même s’il s’agit bien de trouver l’âme sœur pour le Colonel Brandon qui pensait l’avoir trouvé au début de sa vie d’adulte. Pas de passion exacerbée, ni de grandes aventures mais la vie de la Régence dans cette petit noblesse britannique qui était celle de Jane Austen. C’est autant l’histoire de ce personnage que son histoire d’amour mais c’est un superbe moment de lecture qui ne pourra que vous donner envie de lire ou relire Raison et Sentiments ou d’autres livres de cette auteure qui garde un petit air de modernité tout à fait étonnant aujourd’hui. ...more

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Aug 05, 2010 Jennifer Gentry rated it really liked it

Shelves: on-my-kindle

WHAT YOU WON'T FIND IN THIS BOOK - Sex scenes. Many of the Austen continuations have them, making them unreadable for me. I appreciate Ms. Grange for NOT including them in her book!

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Mar 26, 2014 Becca rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

OK, to begin with I just want to make a couple of things clear. One – the fact that I gave this Diary four stars does not mean that it won't be worth five stars to some people; it just didn’t live up to my expectations, which were admittedly high. Two – the fact that some of the other Diaries are rated higher does not mean that Colonel Brandon is not my favourite Austen hero. WHICH HE IS. (OK, on a good day Henry Tilney is his equal, but I don’t need to admit that, do I?) And three – this review ...more

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Nov 02, 2009 Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: jane-austen

Do you find Colonel Brandon romantic? Do you sometimes think he is better suited for Elinor than Marianne? Do you think he fell in love with Marianne because she resembles Eliza? Perhaps you'd like to get to know Colonel Brandon a little better and discover the answer for these questions yourself... If you are unfamiliar with this series, it is the retelling of Jane Austen's novels from the perspective of the male hero. No, it isn't all new and original material, but there is much understanding Do you find Colonel Brandon romantic? Do you sometimes think he is better suited for Elinor than Marianne? Do you think he fell in love with Marianne because she resembles Eliza? Perhaps you'd like to get to know Colonel Brandon a little better and discover the answer for these questions yourself... If you are unfamiliar with this series, it is the retelling of Jane Austen's novels from the perspective of the male hero. No, it isn't all new and original material, but there is much understanding to gain by hearing the same story from another person's point-of-view. In “Colonel Brandon's Diary,” Amanda Grange brings us new insight and comprehension for the seemingly silent and grave Colonel Brandon. In addition, she illustrates a heartrending backstory of his tragic love affair with his father's ward, Eliza.

As a young man studying law at Oxford University, James Brandon is looking forward to only one thing on his holiday from school, and that is spending time with his beloved Eliza. He anticipates spending hours in her company, basking in their love for each other, and discussing future plans of marriage together. When his father announces that Eliza is to marry his libertine and alcoholic brother, James desperately seeks for a way to save Eliza from this fate and unsuccessfully attempts to elope with her. Unfortunately, James is unable to stop the marriage and in his anguish decides the best course for him is to join the army and leave England.

Fourteen years later Brandon returns to England and inherits Delaford since his father and brother have both passed away. The only family he has remaining is Eliza's orphaned daughter, also named Eliza, who spends most of her time away in a boarding school. Colonel Brandon takes on the position of estate owner with adroitness and determination, and he works on restoring and improving Delaford and the land surrounding it to its former state before his mother died. He establishes a nice quiet life for himself with friends, tenants, and a ward. Yet this quiet life of his he will soon discover is not complete...

Having read all the other books in this series, I was very eager to read “Colonel Brandon's Diary.” Although “Sense and Sensibility” is not my most favorite Austen novel and Colonel Brandon is not my most favorite hero, I was looking forward to seeing him in a new light and acquiring a new sense of appreciation for him. Ms. Grange did not disappoint, just like with “Captain Wentworth's Diary,” she created a viable and enlightening history for Colonel Brandon. I was delighted that she spent one third of the book outlining his life prior to meeting Marianne Dashwood, and I took pleasure in witnessing the emotional and poignant journey he experienced as a youth and observing how it impacted his character.

In “Sense and Sensibility,” Colonel Brandon is portrayed as a quiet and unassuming hero, not a dashing, passionate, and Byronic hero like Willoughby. However, after reading “Colonel Brandon's Diary,” the reader will conceive that Colonel Brandon, with his strong character, devotion, patience, and yearning for Marianne is one of the most romantic heroes Jane Austen created. I enjoyed the accurate characterization of Colonel Brandon as well as the seamless integration of “Sense and Sensibility” with Ms. Grange's original material. Ms. Grange always approaches Jane Austen's novels and characters respectfully and knowledgeably and I admire her creativity and perception. My only wish is that she would dig deeper into these characters, tell their story a little more leisurely with more specifics and details.
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Jun 08, 2016 Mummy Cat Claire rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Austen Fans

Shelves: favorites, read-with-heder, read-in-2015

I have a terrible confession to make. It has been a very long time since I have read Sense and Sensibility.

I know! I know!

I loved what Grange came up with. She kept true to all the characters that Austen created. I liked how the reader was able to get to know Col. Brandon better. His relationships were well developed, easy to follow and make sense.

I wanted to read this book. I had to know what happened next. At first, I thought this book was going to be more about his relationship with Eliza ...more

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Jun 07, 2013 Terry Southard rated it really liked it

Enjoyable fluff. I like Austen fan fiction. I like the idea of the "heroes" backstories. I thought this one was well done, bringing a character that we don't really know much about in the original book to life. I don't think the diary format always works well, because it reads too much like a novel than real diary entries, but it's a different way to attempt what others have tried to do in more straightforward ways.

I liked it enough to check the next two out of the library. That says something!

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Feb 15, 2013 Francesca rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, romance

Colonel James Brandon, you're a sweetheart. <3

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Jul 17, 2009 Jessi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: janeites-unite

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I loved Amanda Grange's other Austen retells, and this was no exception. I'm glad she chose to write from Colonel Brandon's point-of-view, rather than Edward's, because 1) I think Brandon's back story is more interesting, and 2) I really, really enjoyed picturing Alan Rickman as Brandon while I was reading it. (Yes, yes, I know: "He's too old to be Brandon!" I don't care. It's ALAN RICKMAN.)

The story begins when Brandon is a student at Oxford; he reveals his feelings for Eliza, their plans to el ...more

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Mar 03, 2014 Christina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: austenesque, historical-fiction

I couldn't wait for the U.S. release so I again, like previous Amanda Grange "diaries", ordered it from Amazon U.K. As soon as it arrived, I started reading it and hardly put it down until it was finished. I believe this is her best yet -- yes, even better than Mr. Darcy's and Captain Wentworth's! Her Colonel is everything I imagined: passionate, honest, melancholy, honorable, thoughtful, heartbroken over his loss of his first love, Eliza... a romantic hero of the highest order. The first half o ...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Summer Kinard rated it it was amazing

I love Amanda Grange's style. She keeps very true to Regency writing in this series on the hero's side of Jane Austen's novels. With Colonel Brandon's Diary, we get to dislike Willoughby more than ever, which is cathartic in itself, but we also see the source of his patience with Marianne. The whole saga of his lost love Eliza is laid out, as are the particulars of the young woman seduced by Willoughby. (She gets a happy ending.) Even knowing how it would all end, I found the happy finale very s ...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Kim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: austen-related

A great, easy read for anyone who loves Col. Brandon and Sense & Sensibility. I would even recommend it to anyone who hasn't read S&S. It's fun to read about what may have been happening in his life while the girls (Marianne and Elinor) were dealing with their own troubles. I thought the storyline was very believable. But then, I like anything by Amanda Grange...I'm sure even she can make Edmund Bertram interesting (that will be my next "Diary" to tackle).

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Jun 28, 2015 Heather rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, historical-fiction, romance, austen-fan-fiction, read-with-clarissimo, kindle, 2015-read

Amanda Grange pulls me in again. She's a great writer with a great feel for her source. And who hasn't wanted to know more about Col. Brandon and the love he lost and how that all brought him and Marianne together in Sense and Sensibility. Thank you, Ms. Grange, for letting me read fan fiction with pleasure!

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Aug 05, 2010 Leigh Statham rated it really liked it

What a genius idea! To take Austen's most loved stories and retell them from the point of view of the men! So fun and entertaining to revisit these classic stories from a different angle. I started with my favorite Austen hero and I can't wait to work my way through the other ones. Well done Ms Grange! Well done!

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Jul 28, 2013 Amber Guyton rated it liked it · review of another edition

I had some trouble getting into it, but that may just have been because I knew that it would be sad at the beginning. Also, the writing felt a bit off at the beginning (possibly the author trying to show us a less mature Brandon?), but it definitely improved. An enjoyable read.

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Sep 16, 2011 Georgiana 1792 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: old-friends-new-fancies

È il Colonel Brandon l’eroe più attivo di Jane Austen

Inaspettatamente il Colonel Brandon’s Diary è diventato il mio preferito fra i Diari di Amanda Grange, che già apprezzavo tantissimo. Perché? Perché l’ho trovato altamente dinamico. Mi spiego: in Sense and Sensibility siamo portati a guardare al Colonnello quasi con l’occhio di Marianne, cioè come una persona affidabile, ma un po’ avanti con l’età e noiosa e quasi di contorno, tant’è che Jane Austen non lo dota neanche di nome di battesimo.

Qua ...more

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Jan 19, 2017 G Flood rated it really liked it

A delightful surprise! Colonel Brandon was never my favorite hero among all of Jane Austen's books but this diary gives insight to his tragic love affair with Eliza. I especially enjoyed the way how Marianne compared him with Willoughby near the end. What huge differences between these men. It also shows she has truly opened her eyes to who Willoughby is. An enjoyable read!

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Dec 07, 2011 Meredith rated it liked it

Shelves: austen-esque, romance, historical-fiction, 2011, brits

Originally published on The Librarian Next Door:

Of all of Jane Austen’s heroes, Colonel Brandon is perhaps the most mysterious. Henry Tilney and Mr. Knightley tend to say exactly what they are thinking; Edmund Bertram is dull, but not exactly the keeper of hidden secrets; Captain Wentworth’s feelings are laid bare in the letter he leaves for Anne; and Mr. Darcy – well, we all know about Mr. Darcy. Colonel Brandon, however, is a different story. Since Sense and Sensibility gives us two central ro
Originally published on The Librarian Next Door:

Of all of Jane Austen’s heroes, Colonel Brandon is perhaps the most mysterious. Henry Tilney and Mr. Knightley tend to say exactly what they are thinking; Edmund Bertram is dull, but not exactly the keeper of hidden secrets; Captain Wentworth’s feelings are laid bare in the letter he leaves for Anne; and Mr. Darcy – well, we all know about Mr. Darcy. Colonel Brandon, however, is a different story. Since Sense and Sensibility gives us two central romances – Elinor and Edward and Marianne and her entanglements – we don’t always know what’s going on with every character. And while Austen does fill in some of Brandon’s background during a conversation with Elinor late in the book, he remains brooding and undemonstrative for most of the novel.

Author Amanda Grange sets out to change all that with Colonel Brandon’s Diary, a look at the events during and leading up to Sense and Sensibility through the good colonel’s eyes. Grange is one of the most prolific Austen-esque authors writing today and she’s written a whole series of “diaries” from the perspectives of Austen’s heroes. Interestingly, when it came to Sense and Sensibility, she chose Brandon over Edward Ferrars, rightly sensing that his story was much more dramatic than Edward’s ill-fated engagement to Lucy Steele.

Grange begins Colonel Brandon’s Diary by filling in the details of Brandon’s youth, most notably his early love for his father’s ward, Eliza, and their burgeoning relationship. The Colonel Brandon who appears in Sense and Sensibility seems reserved and closed off, as if he was wearied by life itself. Grange imagines a younger Brandon as someone full of life and vitality, much like Marianne. It’s only when his father cruelly forces Eliza to marry his older brother that Brandon begins to lose his joy and happiness. Grange’s novel follows Brandon as he embarks upon a military career, finds the destitute Eliza and her child, and starts to rebuild his life in England after years of unhappy memories. Then readers are taken into familiar territory when he finally meets the Dashwood family and becomes acquainted with Elinor and Marianne.

The story is well-known, but seeing situations and events from Brandon’s perspective gives it new life. In Grange’s creation, Brandon is determined to never marry, believing he cannot and will not find anyone to replace his beloved Eliza, but discovers that Marianne re-awakens his zest for life. It’s interesting to watch Brandon struggle to remain indifferent, especially under the eyes of the ever-watchful Mrs. Jenkins. It’s clear that Marianne stirs up something in Brandon, but he’s also overly cautious and afraid of showing too much emotion too soon, having been burned by his previous experience with passion and love. It’s heartbreaking to watch him watch Marianne fall in love with Willoughby, even knowing what the ultimate outcome will be.

Grange’s Colonel Brandon is much like Austen’s: upstanding, honorable and good. But by imagining his youthful relationship with the equally young Eliza, Grange provides new insight into how Colonel Brandon became Colonel Brandon. I found that I liked learning of his flaws and his mistakes. It somehow made Brandon seem more human and less tragic. The Colonel Brandon who falls in love with Marianne has learned from his past and above all, wants her to be happy more than he wants his own happiness. I was also surprised by the strong friendship depicted between Brandon and Elinor. Austen didn’t expand upon that as much, but here, Grange portrays them as close friends, each attempting to help the other.

When we know a story as well as we do, it’s tempting to think we know everything there is to know about the characters and their intentions and motivations. But this isn’t always the case, which makes it fun and exciting when we can view a familiar story with fresh eyes. In Colonel Brandon’s Diary, Amanda Grange does an admirable and entertaining job of shedding new light on the mysterious Colonel Brandon and gives readers a new perspective on the Sense and Sensibility story. ...more

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Oct 07, 2016 Poornima rated it it was ok

Modern rebelling of Sense and Sensibility from the point of view of the hero. Enjoyable fluff to pass the time. Beyond that, not impressed.

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Mar 21, 2013 Eliza rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Parmi tous les héros des romans de Jane Austen, le colonel Brandon est certainement celui qui conserve le plus sa part de mystère. Déjà âgé lorsqu’il rencontre les demoiselles Dashwood, on apprend d’abord ses mésaventures passées grâce aux confidences de Mme Jenkins. Très amoureux d’une jeune fille dont on l’a éloigné, il est parti aux Indes, puis à son retour a retrouvé la trace de la jeune femme, abandonnée avec un bébé. Lorsque sa mère meurt, il devient le tuteur de l’enfant. Avec ce Journal, Parmi tous les héros des romans de Jane Austen, le colonel Brandon est certainement celui qui conserve le plus sa part de mystère. Déjà âgé lorsqu’il rencontre les demoiselles Dashwood, on apprend d’abord ses mésaventures passées grâce aux confidences de Mme Jenkins. Très amoureux d’une jeune fille dont on l’a éloigné, il est parti aux Indes, puis à son retour a retrouvé la trace de la jeune femme, abandonnée avec un bébé. Lorsque sa mère meurt, il devient le tuteur de l’enfant. Avec ce Journal, l’auteur remonte à la jeunesse de James Brandon et nous fait vivre de son point de vue tous ces événements.

On découvre un jeune homme enthousiaste et plein de vie, dont les sentiments s’accordent parfaitement avec ceux de la jeune Eliza, pupille de son père. Mais comme tout cadet de famille à cette époque, Brandon est contraint d’accepter les décisions de son père au profit de son aîné. Lorsqu’il apprend que c’est son frère, débauché et dépensier, qui doit épouser Eliza pour sa fortune, il est fou de désespoir. Finalement le mariage a lieu sans qu’il ait pu l’empêcher, il décide donc de s’enrôler dans l’armée et part aux Indes. Jamais il n’oubliera Eliza. Malgré la simplicité de la traduction, des expressions parfois trop modernes et la naïveté du jeune Brandon, on se laisse facilement emporter dans cette histoire. Et sous nos yeux se façonne progressivement le caractère du colonel tel qu’on le retrouve ensuite dans la société de sir John Middleton : un peu réservé, voire taciturne, mais serviable et généreux sans réserve envers ses amis. Ce n’est pas sans émotion qu’on voit à travers ses yeux le rapprochement de Miss Marianne avec Willoughby, et la peine que cela lui cause. Le colonel Brandon est définitivement un vrai romantique.

Ce récit est le deuxième de la série des Journaux d’Amanda Grange après le Journal de Mr Darcy. Si j’avais été gênée par la forme du journal intime pour un caractère comme Darcy, peu enclin à dévoiler ses sentiments et qui plus est, par écrit, cela n’a pas du tout été le cas pour le colonel Brandon. L’ensemble fut vraiment plaisant à lire, certainement car il y avait plus de choses à dire sur le colonel en dehors de l’espace du roman de Jane Austen, ce qui laisse une liberté plus grande d’imagination à la fois à l’auteur et au lecteur. J’ai aimé retrouver la douceur et le dévouement de ce héros, l’un de mes favoris parmi tous les caractères masculins créés par Jane Austen. ...more

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Jan 01, 2014 Pancake rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, historique

Ayant été plus que charmée par le journal de Mr Darcy, je me suis attaquée avec grand plaisir à celui du colonel Brandon, et, une fois de plus, le style d'Amanda Grange ne m'a pas déçue. Comme pour le journal précédent, le style n'est pas aussi bon que celui de Jane Austen (en même temps, qui pourrait arriver à égaler notre talentueuse miss Austen?) mais il reste très agréable à lire.

Je dois avouer que "Raison et Sentiments" n'est pas mon roman préféré de Jane Austen. De plus, j'ai toujours eu Ayant été plus que charmée par le journal de Mr Darcy, je me suis attaquée avec grand plaisir à celui du colonel Brandon, et, une fois de plus, le style d'Amanda Grange ne m'a pas déçue. Comme pour le journal précédent, le style n'est pas aussi bon que celui de Jane Austen (en même temps, qui pourrait arriver à égaler notre talentueuse miss Austen?) mais il reste très agréable à lire.

Je dois avouer que "Raison et Sentiments" n'est pas mon roman préféré de Jane Austen. De plus, j'ai toujours eu une préférence pour la relation de Elinor avec Edward Fairfax à celle de Marianne avec le colonel Brandon, j'étais donc très étonnée de voir un journal sur le colonel et non sur Edward. Il faut avouer que dans le roman de Jane Austen, le colonel nous apparaît plutôt froid, distant, ne montrant aucune manifestation de son amour pour Marianne. En gros, son charme ne fonctionnait pas sur moi. Mais Amanda Grange a réussi ici à me faire aimer ce personnage, à me le faire découvrir sous un autre jour.

Tout en restant très fidèle au roman, l'auteure réussit avec brio à nous faire découvrir ce personnage. On en apprend ainsi beaucoup plus sur son passé, sur l'homme qu'il était avant de devenir le colonel de "Raison et Sentiments". Un homme qui, dans sa jeunesse, était éperdument amoureux d'une femme qui lui a été enlevé par son propre père pour la marier à son frère. Un homme qui est, aujourd'hui, fou d'amour pour Marianne. On le découvre ici fragile, timide et humble, n'hésitant pas à sacrifier son propre bonheur pour celui des autres, à s'effacer aux yeux de Marianne au profit de Willoughby, ne profitant ainsi jamais de sa faiblesse. Mais sous ses airs d'homme sage, elle nous montre qu'il se cache un homme passionné et bouillonnant d'amour, comme Marianne.

J'ai vraiment beaucoup aimé ce livre et je le conseille vivement aux amateurs de Jane Austen et de "Raison et Sentiments", Amanda Grange nous offre une merveilleuse lecture complémentaire au roman de Miss Austen. A aucun moment de ma lecture je n'ai effectué de comparaison avec le livre initial, c'est une suite parfaite. Je l'ai dévoré en deux jours! Par contre, à ceux qui n'ont pas lu le roman de Jane Austen, je leur conseille de commencer par le roman initial, au risque de se voir spoiler toute l'histoire. ...more

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Apr 29, 2011 Marla rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2011, romance, historical-fiction, jane-austen, epistolary-novels

I have been looking forward to reading Colonel Brandon's Diary for quite a while. Colonel Brandon is actually my favorite male Austen figure, so I was very excited to read more about him and get his viewpoints on the events that take place in Sense and Sensibility. I had heard good things about Amanda Grange's diaries, so I was anticipating reading this book even more.

The book begins with Brandon's return home from Oxford for a visit, at which time he is greeted by Eliza, whom he is in love with I have been looking forward to reading Colonel Brandon's Diary for quite a while. Colonel Brandon is actually my favorite male Austen figure, so I was very excited to read more about him and get his viewpoints on the events that take place in Sense and Sensibility. I had heard good things about Amanda Grange's diaries, so I was anticipating reading this book even more.

The book begins with Brandon's return home from Oxford for a visit, at which time he is greeted by Eliza, whom he is in love with and hopes to marry. As the events Brandon described to Elinor in Sense and Sensibility unfold, we find out just how negatively Brandon was affected, as well as his motivations for joining the army. As he experiences hope and then heartbreak, we learn that he is resolved never to love again... until he meets Marianne Dashwood. As the story continues to unfold, we learn about the ordeal that is his ward, Eliza's, disappearance and his discovery as to the identity of her seducer, as well as how that revelation will impact Marianne, the depth of Brandon's feelings for Marianne are examined in more detail than was found in Sense and Sensibility. The fresh perspective that is Brandon's point of view allows for a more in-depth examination of the people and events surrounding him.

Amanda Grange's portrayal of Brandon was very well written and she came very very close to capturing the essence of Jane Austen's writing voice. There was just enough difference to give Colonel Brandon a voice of his own and he was more compelling for it. The only thing that threw me off was the rapidity in which Marianne recovered from her illness and transferred her affections to Brandon. It seemed a little rushed. Even in the diary format it seemed that not many days passed between Marianne's illness and her newly found feelings for Brandon. I think the book could have done with a few more pages to draw things out a bit more.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the fresh perspective on Sense and Sensibility and Grange's writing was shown to advantage within. I look forward to reading more of her diaries and novels. ...more

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Jan 01, 2014 Becky rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2014reviews

When I decided to reread Jane Austen in 2014, I had a feeling that I'd also end up rereading Amanda Grange's Diary series. After finishing Austen's Sense and Sensibility, I felt the need to reread Colonel Brandon's Diary. It was just as lovely as I remembered. In fact, if I hadn't fallen in love with Amanda Grange's novel, I might not have gone back to Austen's novel again and again. The first time I read Sense and Sensibility, something was missing. I suppose I wasn't in the proper mood to read ...more

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Jul 11, 2009 Megan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: jane-austen-like, fan-fic

This book really consists of two parts. The first part, or more accurately, the first half of this book is about James Brandon’s life before he met Marianne Dashwood. That’s right, that means we find out what happened between him and Eliza (his first love), from Ms. Grange’s imagination of course. So, the first half of the book is rather slow and we get to see quite a different Brandon than the one we know and love from Sense and Sensibility. The second half of this book consists of (now) Colone ...more

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Jul 03, 2014 Luciana Darce rated it liked it

Embora nunca tenha entendido completamente o amor de Brandon por Marianne – faço parte da turma que acha que ela francamente não o merecia – a terna e silenciosa dedicação do coronel sempre me encantou. Assim, foi com certa ansiedade que me lancei à leitura desse volume, esperando adentrar um pouco da carapaça do homem.

Surpreendi-me, logo de início, ao perceber que a narração começa não da chegada das Dashwood à vizinhança, mas da juventude de Brandon, antes de ele entrar no exército, quando ain ...more

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Jan 26, 2014 Alice rated it liked it · review of another edition

Lorsque j'ai découvert le Journal de Mr Darcy, j'ai adoré. Depuis, je dois dire qu'en plus de m'être un peu lassée du procédé, je déplore aussi d'y retrouver toujours les mêmes défauts. En bref, ce sont des petits livres agréables à lire mais qui restent toujours très en surface du monde austenien.

Ici, tout l'intérêt du livre est de découvrir le passé douloureux du Colonel, une histoire à vous arracher le cœur, du moins c'est ce que l'on croyait. Au final, plutôt que de verser des larmes sur s ...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Judith Lewis rated it it was ok

Oh dear ... Jane Austen this is not! Nice idea, but didn't quite work. It's always going to be difficult writing a book where the ending is known, to be fair. But I didn't feel the author had quite got Austen's voice in terms of writing style, nor her ability to structure a story. There were several characters near the beginning who were never seen or heard of again. The villains were unconvincing and overdrawn, without the humour that Austen gives to her own villainous snobs [think Lady Catheri ...more

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Feb 07, 2014 Everalice rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: jane-austen

http://leslecturesdeveralice.blogspot...

Grâce à Amanda Grange, le colonel Brandon a gagné en charisme, c'est certain. Sous son masque d'impassibilité et de gravité se cache une histoire douloureuse dont il a su, au fil des années, éviter toute rancœur ou toute aigreur, pour devenir un homme loyal et aimant, caractérisé par la bonté , l'honnêteté, et le courage.
Si l'ensemble aurait peut-être gagné à être traité sur un mode plus enflammé, je l'ai trouvé fidèle à l'esprit de Jane Austen : l'histoir ...more

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May 22, 2012 Megan rated it liked it

I wasn't sure about this book when I started. My impression for the first few pages was, "Gee, what a large font." But, it was such a quick read that I kept going, and it really grew on me. It was a light read compared to its source material, but it was pretty good nonetheless.

Okay, I have to add on to this - I just re-read this book, being under the delusion that I had not read this book before. It is only when I got to this very review that I see I did read this at one point. So, you can see w ...more

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Nov 21, 2013 Katherine rated it it was amazing

I always loved Brandon as a good man with a good, affectionate and loyal heart and this novel made me love him more. In Sense and Sensibility we learn of his first love from the gossiping mrs Jennings but to read about it from his own perspective was beautiful. The love they shared and how they were cruelly separated explained how he came to enrol in the army. Eliza, his first love becomes quite destitute, has a child that becomes Brandon's ward and his aim at providing for her when he inherited ...more

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About Amanda Grange

Amanda Grange was born in Yorkshire and spent her teenage years reading Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer whilst also finding time to study music at Nottingham University. She has had twenty-five novels published including six Jane Austen retellings, which look at events from the heroes' points of view. She has also had two books published under different names: Murder at Whitegates Manor (as Eleano ...more

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Jane Austen Heroes (6 books)

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Mr. Darcy's Diary (Jane Austen Heroes, #1)

Mr. Knightley's Diary (Jane Austen Heroes, #2)

Captain Wentworth's Diary (Jane Austen Heroes, #3)

Dear Mr. Darcy: A Retelling of Pride and Prejudice

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