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Title: The Bargain
ISBN: 0451198646
Author:
Mary Jo Putney
Publicate Date: 1999-10-01
Publish: 1999-10-01
List Price: $7.50
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $3.00
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.01
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1: A cure for insomniacs
I don't think I've read a novel as uninviting, as boring and as unimaginative as Mary Jo Putney's THE BARGAIN in quite some time. I read the re-write without having read the original. In THE BARGAIN, you have the aristocratic and domineering Lady Jocelyn Kendal, a heroine with commitment issues who flees her kind, down-to-earth hero Major David Lancaster after he conveys words of love. Romance novelists savor shattering the arrogance of male aristocrats while lauding and respecting that same quality in their lady heroines (an arrogance often mistaken for obstinacy and spirit). Lady Jocelyn represents the crown of beauty, elegance, compassion and aristocracy to David, but I disliked Jocelyn's superior, snide demeanor, often directed towards David's sister Sally (more than once, the beautiful Jocelyn thinks Sally's bland looks beneath her station). Granted, Sally inflames their belligerent interactions, but it's always Sally apologizing to Jocelyn (twice at least), it's Sally begging Jocelyn to allow her dying brother to stay in Jocelyn's home (p. 69). David's patience with the commitment-wary Jocelyn knows no bounds as it takes over 320 pages for something to happen in this 371-page rewrite. I found the exchanges between David and Jocelyn completely bereft of passion and chemistry. Putney's David Lancaster is very dry; it's possible to write engaging honorable heroes, but you'd never know it from this book. The book belongs to Jocelyn, her tiresome struggle to overcome a family scandal during her childhood and consequently commit to David. The book isn't big on the something-happening department as it relays an interminable succession of the mundane. A cure for insomniacs to be sure. Impossibly, the prose and writing fare worse than the plotting and pacing. For instance, consider: "[Jocelyn] looked tantalizingly huggable." (p. 116) Nevermind that David's thoughts about Jocelyn being "huggable" here seemed better suited to what a girl wants a guy to think, but tantalizingly huggable? Juvenile prose to say the least.
In spite of the slight gender reversals in personality and status, many things in this book conformed to the romance stereotype. It's David who must pursue Jocelyn and make all the moves. It's David who most chase Jocelyn after she rejects him towards the end. The book mentions Jocelyn is no "green-eyed girl" and yet she's a 25 year-old virgin like all the other virginal heroines. David courts Jocelyn so languidly, so sluggishly, so passively, you have to wonder about their chemistry. Because of her childhood scars, Jocelyn responds so disinterestedly, so apathetically that if the roles were reversed, romance readers would scream for the girl to move on and not waste your time! I know I was screaming for David to move on and let Candover have her. All the while, Jocelyn yearns for the notorious rake, the Duke of Candover. Towards the end, Putney sets up a vulnerable Candover for a future book. A rake and libertine shielding a deep vulnerable side, where have we heard that one before? I was hoping to see Jocelyn realize her dream of sleeping with Candover. At least then David would be free of her.
I thought Sally steals the show completely and she deserved much more appreciation and love from her brother David for everything she does for him. Sally survives independently as a governess, visits her dying brother daily, perseveres to cure him despite the odds, nurses her brother, and then aids Dr. Ian Kinlock immeasurably with his finances and practice. She's spirited, giving, resilient and unafraid to make the first move. There isn't a guy in the world that wouldn't fall in love with Sally Lancaster. Compared to Jocelyn's uninspiring pedestal of superiority and aristocracy, Sally shines and perseveres.
Anyway, a very exasperating book to a vaguely interesting idea.
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2: Good Read
Not my favorite Putney book, but still good. I just didn't connect with the characters as well as from her other books I have read.
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3: A re-write which didn't work for me.
According to the information provided by the author on the back of this book it is a re-write of her novel The Would-Be Widow from 1988. I know I am bucking the review ratings but I just did not like this book and my dislike can be traced directly to the heroine.
Lady Jocelyn Kendal had waited until she had only one month to go before her 25th birthday to fulfill the conditions of her father's will. If she had not married by that time she would loose virtually all her inherited wealth and be left with only a small stipend to live on. None of the men who had courted her had come up to her standards except one. The only problem was that that one had no intention of asking her to marry him. While visiting a wounded returning soldier in the hospital she met another officer waiting for death to end his suffering. An idea comes fully formed into her mind and she asks this man she has never set eyes on before to marry her so that she can inherit. In fairness to Lady Jocelyn, she was honest with David Lancaster. He acted in a wonderfully gentlemanly manner and agreed to her proposal, even insisting on a quitclaim so that her fortune did not automatically go to him upon their marriage. I was not liking Lady Jocelyn at all but I was determined to continue reading to give the book a chance. I just totally lost it though when she married David the next day, went home after virtually saying , "Let me know when you die", and then she went to a ball that night and made an arrangement to have an affair with another man starting several months into the future. From there on I had to FORCE myself to continue reading because I disliked this heroine so much.
Ms Putney never was able to convince me that Lady Jocelyn was a sympathetic character. I always saw her as unloveable, conniving, cold, and self centered. Even very late in the book when her personal demon was uncovered it did not change my feeling toward her.
Sally Lancaster, David's sister, was much more interesting and likeable for me. That day she took David to Lady Jocelyn's home (yes, the lovely Jocelyn had not even THOUGHT to remove David from the hospital) she showed me a huge amount of courage and love for her brother. Lady Jocelyn showed me how small and petty she could be with her cutting remark about Sally's looks. Sally was even willing to spend the annuity David had negotiated for her as his part of the marriage bargain by having another doctor review his case. Altogether a character much more suited to my tastes.
I understand that Mary Jo Putney is a favorite author for many Regency romance readers. I have previously only read two stories by her, the book Dangerous To Know which contains reprints of two stories. I really liked both those stories but this one, well, it's difficult to like a book when you so thoroughly dislike the heroine. I actually enjoyed all the other characters much better. David's sister Sally was fascinating to watch. I even liked Marie and Hugh. But Lady Jocelyn, no.
The Epilogue read to me as if Ms Putney had decided to finally put paid to this book. She picked up a loose end, wrote a sentence which tied it up. Picked up another loose end, wrote a sentence which tied it up. Picked up another loose end, wrote a sentence which tied it up. At least as far as I can tell, all the loose ends are firmly tied. At least I hope they are all firm!
Not recommended by me. From now on I will be MUCH more careful in my research before purchasing a book by this author. If you love Mary Jo Putney, read all the glowing reviews and go buy the book. Just make sure to skip those of us who don't like it, wouldn't want to influence you now, would we?*****For those of you who have trouble recognizing it, that last sentence was meant to be read as sarcasm.*****
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4: Wonderful Compromise!
Wonderfully witty and sensational, Mary Jo Putney does it again in a book set right after the war. Lady Jocelyn Kendal has a dilemma, she has to get married before her 25th birthday or she loses her inheritance. She sees the perfect husband in Major David Lancaster, a wounded officer who is fated to die. But it makes a very interesting story when that said officer cheats the fates and makes it through to recovery. Now Lady Jocelyn is stuck with more than she bargained for and there is nothing she can do about it.
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5: Not as good as...
After reading Ms. Putney's "The Rake", this book fell short of my expectations. Nevertheless, well written, believable characters. Ms. Putney masters her craft. I would give this book 5 stars if the story were better. My 3 stars go for technique.
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