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Janice Meredith
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434 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1899
About the author
Paul Leicester Ford
172 books4 followersPaul Leicester Ford was an American editor, novelist and biographer. He was the great-grandson (on his mother's side) of Noah Webster Jr. and the brother of historian Worthington C. Ford. He was murdered by his other brother, Malcolm Webster Ford, a famous amateur athlete in the United States.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Shelved as 'dnf'
November 22, 2022Listopad 2022: Ustawiam jako DNF, bo czytam ją od ponad miesiąca i jakoś nie mogę się wciągnąć. Na pewno do niej wrócę.
February 14, 2017
Janice is a spunky young lady who at first is interested only in having fun. She is the only living child of an aging couple, and as the story opens, she accompanies her father to select a new servant they need around their farm. She is intrigued by the most surly fellow of all the indentured servants available and asks her father to hire him. She hardly expects him to dare fall in love with her, nor show surprising gentlemanly traits, but she will put up with none of it...especially when he angers her father by daring to drill the townsmen into marvelous military order as the war begins. He runs away to join the Continentals, becoming an aide to Washington himself. But it turns out that they meet again in the most unexpected ways and the most unusual places. Is he her Nemesis or her destiny?
June 10, 2013
24th book read in 2013.
Number 115 out of 315 on my all time book list.
Follow the link below to see my video review:
http://youtu.be/qaiGvq-RWcg
Number 115 out of 315 on my all time book list.
Follow the link below to see my video review:
http://youtu.be/qaiGvq-RWcg
August 15, 2023
Główną bohaterką tej powieści jest Janice. To nastolatka, która równocześnie jest rozpieszczana przez ojca oraz strofowana przez matkę. Pewnego dnia do posiadłości ojca przybywa kontraktowy sługa Karol, który od razu zauważa urok dziewczyny, ale z drugiej strony nie jest on do końca tym za kogo się podaje, więc musi uważać co robi. Akcja powieści rozpoczyna się zaraz przed amerykańską wojną o niepodległość, więc w kraju stworzyły się dwa obozy - rojaliści czyli tych co popierają rządy króla Anglii oraz rebelianci czyli strona przeciwna. Bardzo szybko okazuje się, że w rodzinie Janice, ojciec jest rojalistą, a cała okolica popiera działania rebeliantów, więc mamy zderzenie dwóch obozów na tzw. jednym podwórku.
Po przeczytaniu blurba, podeszłam do tej książki ze sporym entuzjazmem i naprawdę dałam jej duży kredyt zaufania, myśląc że przypadnie mi to wszystko do gustu. Niestety w tej powieści jest kilka wad, które postaram się wyszczególnić.
Książka składa się z dwóch elementów: wojna o niepodległość oraz Janice. Czyli w zasadzie to co nam obiecano, że zastaniemy. My jako czytelnicy odbijamy się od stron wojennych do stron gdzie każdy mężczyzna, który przyjedzie do posiadłości ojca Janice, robi maślane oczy do córeczki dziedzica. Nic dodatkowego nie zostało nam dodane. Jak na to że powieść ma ponad 600 stron liczyłam że będzie troszeczkę bardziej rozbudowana.
Kolejną wadą jest to, że kiedy książka całkiem dobrze wystartowała i była ciekawie poprowadzona, to potem wchodzą straszne dłużyzny, które bardzo mocno hamowały fabułę.
Sceny romantyczne zostały opisane bardzo płasko, ponieważ mężczyźni zwracają uwagę wyłącznie na wygląd Janice, a nie to co ona ma do powiedzenia. Ona ma tylko stać, pachnieć, rumienić się i ładnie się uśmiechać. Poza tym, żeby wytworzyła się jakaś relacja romantyczna to bohaterowie muszą ze sobą trochę porozmawiać, żeby to zaiskrzyło, a tutaj dziewczyna robi wszystko, żeby tylko nie być sam na sam z adoratorem. Natomiast sceny wojenne nie zostały opisane w sposób zrozumiały dla osoby, która do tej pory nie interesowała się tym okresem i co się działo w Stanach Zjednoczonych. Jedyne co to skojarzy to fakt, że wtedy był Jerzy Waszyngton. Książka w żaden sposób nie oddała powodów, a nawet nastrojów przez które wojna o tę niepodległość wybuchła. My tylko widzimy skutek, że ludzie są dla siebie agresywni i staczają walki.
A już największym problemem w tej książce jest chyba sama Janice, ponieważ jest to tak rozpieszczona, naiwna, próżna, myśląca tylko o tym, by podobać się mężczyznom postać, że głowa mała. Zmienia punkt widzenia w zależności skąd zawieje wiatr lub co jej któryś z kolei adorator nagada. Uroda, którą posiada, jest kartą rozwiązującą wszelkie możliwe problemy. Tych mężczyzn przechodzi trochę przez jej serduszko i każdemu w zasadzie w zawoalowany sposób obiecuje gruszki na wierzbie, ale z góry wiadomo, że ona tego nie dotrzyma. Jednak z drugiej strony tak sobie myślę - co ja się dziwię, przecież sami rodzice też szastają córką na lewo i prawo, raz obiecują zaręczyny temu facetowi, a raz temu, w zależności jakie on ma poglądy polityczne. Jacy rodzice taka córka.
Zostawiam 1,5 gwiazdki. Bardzo naciągane 1,5 gwiazdki. Jednak gdyby zostawić fakt, że potem wchodzą straszne dłużyzny to książka jest napisana w bardzo ciekawym stylu i on podobał mi się od samego początku. Poza tym jest cała masa niedociągnięć.
Po przeczytaniu blurba, podeszłam do tej książki ze sporym entuzjazmem i naprawdę dałam jej duży kredyt zaufania, myśląc że przypadnie mi to wszystko do gustu. Niestety w tej powieści jest kilka wad, które postaram się wyszczególnić.
Książka składa się z dwóch elementów: wojna o niepodległość oraz Janice. Czyli w zasadzie to co nam obiecano, że zastaniemy. My jako czytelnicy odbijamy się od stron wojennych do stron gdzie każdy mężczyzna, który przyjedzie do posiadłości ojca Janice, robi maślane oczy do córeczki dziedzica. Nic dodatkowego nie zostało nam dodane. Jak na to że powieść ma ponad 600 stron liczyłam że będzie troszeczkę bardziej rozbudowana.
Kolejną wadą jest to, że kiedy książka całkiem dobrze wystartowała i była ciekawie poprowadzona, to potem wchodzą straszne dłużyzny, które bardzo mocno hamowały fabułę.
Sceny romantyczne zostały opisane bardzo płasko, ponieważ mężczyźni zwracają uwagę wyłącznie na wygląd Janice, a nie to co ona ma do powiedzenia. Ona ma tylko stać, pachnieć, rumienić się i ładnie się uśmiechać. Poza tym, żeby wytworzyła się jakaś relacja romantyczna to bohaterowie muszą ze sobą trochę porozmawiać, żeby to zaiskrzyło, a tutaj dziewczyna robi wszystko, żeby tylko nie być sam na sam z adoratorem. Natomiast sceny wojenne nie zostały opisane w sposób zrozumiały dla osoby, która do tej pory nie interesowała się tym okresem i co się działo w Stanach Zjednoczonych. Jedyne co to skojarzy to fakt, że wtedy był Jerzy Waszyngton. Książka w żaden sposób nie oddała powodów, a nawet nastrojów przez które wojna o tę niepodległość wybuchła. My tylko widzimy skutek, że ludzie są dla siebie agresywni i staczają walki.
A już największym problemem w tej książce jest chyba sama Janice, ponieważ jest to tak rozpieszczona, naiwna, próżna, myśląca tylko o tym, by podobać się mężczyznom postać, że głowa mała. Zmienia punkt widzenia w zależności skąd zawieje wiatr lub co jej któryś z kolei adorator nagada. Uroda, którą posiada, jest kartą rozwiązującą wszelkie możliwe problemy. Tych mężczyzn przechodzi trochę przez jej serduszko i każdemu w zasadzie w zawoalowany sposób obiecuje gruszki na wierzbie, ale z góry wiadomo, że ona tego nie dotrzyma. Jednak z drugiej strony tak sobie myślę - co ja się dziwię, przecież sami rodzice też szastają córką na lewo i prawo, raz obiecują zaręczyny temu facetowi, a raz temu, w zależności jakie on ma poglądy polityczne. Jacy rodzice taka córka.
Zostawiam 1,5 gwiazdki. Bardzo naciągane 1,5 gwiazdki. Jednak gdyby zostawić fakt, że potem wchodzą straszne dłużyzny to książka jest napisana w bardzo ciekawym stylu i on podobał mi się od samego początku. Poza tym jest cała masa niedociągnięć.
November 10, 2011
Janice Meredith is a wonderful book even for a reader that isn't a lover of historical fiction. I wondered, as I read the book, if Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind" was inspired by this novel. Accurate historical events are told, family relationships are revealed, & a tender love story unfolds in this unforgettable story.
August 26, 2012
I read this because my mother claimed that she had been named for a character in a novel. In many ways, a flawed novel, but I found it delightful because of the immediacy it brought to the Revolutionary War. The author wrote the book in the 19C and had been able to talk to people who were alive during the war.
August 23, 2022
Ta książka była taka kiepska, jedynie nawiązania historyczne do wojny secesyjnej były ciekawe
March 4, 2019
The Revolutionary War often gets compressed to a few key events in people's minds: Bunker Hill, Crossing the Delaware, Yorktown...even though it lasted for 7 years. This novel does a good job of humanizing the war by filtering it through the eyes of young Janice Mrredith.
Silly and flighty as she starts out, she emerges as a young woman who has experienced hardship and loss. Her father is a Tory, loyal to the British crown, and his fortunes as a landholder near Brunswick, New Jersey wax and wane as the battle lines move. Caught between New York and Philadelphia, New Jersey was fought over by both sides during the war.
Janice is visiting friends in Trenton when Washington captures the carousing Hessians on Christmas Day. She flirts with General Washington and also General Howe. She is living with her mother in Philadelphia under British rule, and then is evicted when the Americans take over. When her father is convicted of treason, she and her mother travel with him as a prisoner of war to Charlottesville Virginia where she meets Mrs Washington and Mrs Jefferson. And she ends up in Yorktown under siege, where her mother falls ill of smallpox.
Blessed with beauty, wealth and a sunny disposition, she has suitors wherever she goes. One tries to pressure her into marriage for her family's property, promising to protect her father in court. A British officer tempts her with wealth he gained by illegally selling off commissary supplies on the black market. She is torn between love for a Continental officer and loyalty to her father who is determined she marry a loyalist soldier. By the end of the war, however, her faithful lover wins her heart and hand.
Silly and flighty as she starts out, she emerges as a young woman who has experienced hardship and loss. Her father is a Tory, loyal to the British crown, and his fortunes as a landholder near Brunswick, New Jersey wax and wane as the battle lines move. Caught between New York and Philadelphia, New Jersey was fought over by both sides during the war.
Janice is visiting friends in Trenton when Washington captures the carousing Hessians on Christmas Day. She flirts with General Washington and also General Howe. She is living with her mother in Philadelphia under British rule, and then is evicted when the Americans take over. When her father is convicted of treason, she and her mother travel with him as a prisoner of war to Charlottesville Virginia where she meets Mrs Washington and Mrs Jefferson. And she ends up in Yorktown under siege, where her mother falls ill of smallpox.
Blessed with beauty, wealth and a sunny disposition, she has suitors wherever she goes. One tries to pressure her into marriage for her family's property, promising to protect her father in court. A British officer tempts her with wealth he gained by illegally selling off commissary supplies on the black market. She is torn between love for a Continental officer and loyalty to her father who is determined she marry a loyalist soldier. By the end of the war, however, her faithful lover wins her heart and hand.
January 27, 2021
I'm unsure of the high rating I give this book, because of how much it angered me, but there were too many aspects that I really liked, so four stars it is.
Setting: New England, particularly New Jersey, during the Revolutionary War (from 1774 to 1782). Greenwood is the estate of the Meredith family, but due to the course of wartime events, other settings, such as New York and Virginia, are present, not to mention the maneuvers of both armies, which the book sometimes follows. Being a Revolutionary War novel, the setting is extremely important, and many famous (and non-famous, but I'm sure just as accurate) events are included in the novel--for example the Delaware Crossing, the battle at Trenton, and Yorktown. However, it is not always clear where the Merediths are, though I usually knew when they had to move.
A few of the characters have distinctive dialogues, which I really like. I was able to read it aloud, and actually adopt an accent, which is normally very difficult for me to do. I particularly liked the ability of two characters to adopt a high- or low-bred British dialect, depending on their circumstances.
The setting is one of the main reasons I was excited to read this book (particularly timely now), and I wasn't disappointed in that respect. Though this is a story of an individual and her personal life, Ford includes many national matters, and I greatly appreciate how he ties those in with Janice's personal struggles.
Characters: This is the area which dropped my enjoyment of the book greatly. Almost the whole cast of characters is unlikable. I'll first mention Janice, who is somewhat of an exception. She begins as an empty-headed schoolgirl, but she does improve and mature--war will do that to a person, I imagine. She respects and obeys her father--in the latter end of her character arc, anyway, which is what matters--even when I don't. She doesn't care one iota about political matters, which bugs me, but it's entirely realistic, and appropriate for the story.
The hero of the story (who shall remain unnamed) is, unfortunately, the most annoying of all. Realistic, perhaps, but not someone I'd like to esteem (if I were Janice, I wouldn't want to marry him, but as I think I made clear in the previous paragraph, I'm not she). In the beginning, he is haughty, arrogant, and ill-tempered. Not great for a servant. But he adopts an attribute which is a point in his favor, and I would have forgiven him all his other flaws. But alas, that one admirable aspect is abandoned, and so abandoned my respect for him. From a romantic perspective, his actions are appropriate, but from a Revolutionary War perspective, I find them unacceptable.
To add to the annoying characters: Mr. Meredith (he's a loyalist; need I say more?), Joe Bagby (I don't even want to give him the respectful title of Patriot, because he's a coward), both Hennion men (the younger is actually honorable, but he's still a Tory. To the older I actually have a bit of affection, because Mr. Meredith hates him so), Lord Clowes (at least everyone can agree he's a creepy jerk), and Mobray (he's not so bad, I guess, but he's still part of the British army). I do blame Mr. Meredith for this sorry cast of characters, because he, as one of Janice's favorite people, associates himself with all of those loyalists.
There are, however, two characters whom I wholeheartedly love, which redeem the book for me. General Washington, and later Lady Washington, are the best, more precious characters (which explains why I hate non-named hero so much). Washington's gentle words reflect his perfect gentlemanly personality, and I love his courage and calm demeanor. I don't know if any of his words are historically factual, but they certainly match the legends I've learned about him. He deserves all the loyalty portrayed in this story, and the loyalty given by (most of) the Patriots reminds me of the same toward another (much later) U.S. president. While General Washington is a champion of the war-aspect of the book, Lady Washington addresses the romance part, and her indignation is much-needed.
Plot: The novel is much more than just a romance--and if you come looking for that, you will be bored for a good portion of the story. However, if you look for merely the pure American patriotic conflict, you will be sorely disappointed. Due to the writing style of Ford (I liken it to Dickens), some major plot points are difficult to understand; I had to reread some parts, slowly, to actually grasp what is going on. But the plot itself is good.
Other content (negative/spiritual): This wouldn't be considered Christian fiction, although everyone is probably nominally Christian, and Mrs. Meredith appeals to Christian behavior. In fact, there is no discussion of principle, other than the honor of a man's word (which turns out for good, and throughout the story has its obvious advantages to Janice's cause, but many times it is bothersome to her). I would be more likely to accept unnamed hero's despicable action if the question of principles/higher loyalties had been addressed. But the highest principle portrayed in the book is that of romantic passion, and while that's nice for a romance, it is actually quite lacking when it comes to settings and decisions shown in a wartime novel.
There is a bit of swearing, but the "really bad words" are blanked out (the "why" explained in detail, to my amusement). To my delight, the forbidding of foul language by Washington is included, completing his gentlemanly picture. (I do think we need to bring this standard back into our society.) However, I think Washington's aversion to cursing is portrayed slightly--albeit subtly--flippantly. Part of this may be due to the historically factual episode related to Lee, which I enjoyed reading, and another part may be due to Washington's calm demeanor, even in the presence of someone disobeying the order. Nevertheless, the message of those two events, however unintentional it might be, makes General Washington's noble order something of a joke.
Anyway, this is a good book, despite all my philosophical complaints. Recommended for readers who are less of a staunch patriot than I.
Setting: New England, particularly New Jersey, during the Revolutionary War (from 1774 to 1782). Greenwood is the estate of the Meredith family, but due to the course of wartime events, other settings, such as New York and Virginia, are present, not to mention the maneuvers of both armies, which the book sometimes follows. Being a Revolutionary War novel, the setting is extremely important, and many famous (and non-famous, but I'm sure just as accurate) events are included in the novel--for example the Delaware Crossing, the battle at Trenton, and Yorktown. However, it is not always clear where the Merediths are, though I usually knew when they had to move.
A few of the characters have distinctive dialogues, which I really like. I was able to read it aloud, and actually adopt an accent, which is normally very difficult for me to do. I particularly liked the ability of two characters to adopt a high- or low-bred British dialect, depending on their circumstances.
The setting is one of the main reasons I was excited to read this book (particularly timely now), and I wasn't disappointed in that respect. Though this is a story of an individual and her personal life, Ford includes many national matters, and I greatly appreciate how he ties those in with Janice's personal struggles.
Characters: This is the area which dropped my enjoyment of the book greatly. Almost the whole cast of characters is unlikable. I'll first mention Janice, who is somewhat of an exception. She begins as an empty-headed schoolgirl, but she does improve and mature--war will do that to a person, I imagine. She respects and obeys her father--in the latter end of her character arc, anyway, which is what matters--even when I don't. She doesn't care one iota about political matters, which bugs me, but it's entirely realistic, and appropriate for the story.
The hero of the story (who shall remain unnamed) is, unfortunately, the most annoying of all. Realistic, perhaps, but not someone I'd like to esteem (if I were Janice, I wouldn't want to marry him, but as I think I made clear in the previous paragraph, I'm not she). In the beginning, he is haughty, arrogant, and ill-tempered. Not great for a servant. But he adopts an attribute which is a point in his favor, and I would have forgiven him all his other flaws. But alas, that one admirable aspect is abandoned, and so abandoned my respect for him. From a romantic perspective, his actions are appropriate, but from a Revolutionary War perspective, I find them unacceptable.
To add to the annoying characters: Mr. Meredith (he's a loyalist; need I say more?), Joe Bagby (I don't even want to give him the respectful title of Patriot, because he's a coward), both Hennion men (the younger is actually honorable, but he's still a Tory. To the older I actually have a bit of affection, because Mr. Meredith hates him so), Lord Clowes (at least everyone can agree he's a creepy jerk), and Mobray (he's not so bad, I guess, but he's still part of the British army). I do blame Mr. Meredith for this sorry cast of characters, because he, as one of Janice's favorite people, associates himself with all of those loyalists.
There are, however, two characters whom I wholeheartedly love, which redeem the book for me. General Washington, and later Lady Washington, are the best, more precious characters (which explains why I hate non-named hero so much). Washington's gentle words reflect his perfect gentlemanly personality, and I love his courage and calm demeanor. I don't know if any of his words are historically factual, but they certainly match the legends I've learned about him. He deserves all the loyalty portrayed in this story, and the loyalty given by (most of) the Patriots reminds me of the same toward another (much later) U.S. president. While General Washington is a champion of the war-aspect of the book, Lady Washington addresses the romance part, and her indignation is much-needed.
Plot: The novel is much more than just a romance--and if you come looking for that, you will be bored for a good portion of the story. However, if you look for merely the pure American patriotic conflict, you will be sorely disappointed. Due to the writing style of Ford (I liken it to Dickens), some major plot points are difficult to understand; I had to reread some parts, slowly, to actually grasp what is going on. But the plot itself is good.
Other content (negative/spiritual): This wouldn't be considered Christian fiction, although everyone is probably nominally Christian, and Mrs. Meredith appeals to Christian behavior. In fact, there is no discussion of principle, other than the honor of a man's word (which turns out for good, and throughout the story has its obvious advantages to Janice's cause, but many times it is bothersome to her). I would be more likely to accept unnamed hero's despicable action if the question of principles/higher loyalties had been addressed. But the highest principle portrayed in the book is that of romantic passion, and while that's nice for a romance, it is actually quite lacking when it comes to settings and decisions shown in a wartime novel.
There is a bit of swearing, but the "really bad words" are blanked out (the "why" explained in detail, to my amusement). To my delight, the forbidding of foul language by Washington is included, completing his gentlemanly picture. (I do think we need to bring this standard back into our society.) However, I think Washington's aversion to cursing is portrayed slightly--albeit subtly--flippantly. Part of this may be due to the historically factual episode related to Lee, which I enjoyed reading, and another part may be due to Washington's calm demeanor, even in the presence of someone disobeying the order. Nevertheless, the message of those two events, however unintentional it might be, makes General Washington's noble order something of a joke.
Anyway, this is a good book, despite all my philosophical complaints. Recommended for readers who are less of a staunch patriot than I.
February 25, 2011
Well, it certainly kept me engaged. I suppose that if you want to show both sides of the war, having the main character be the daughter of a staunch Tory and making the man who (really) loves her one of Washington's aides would be a good way to do it. :) We see a lot of the action, though it takes a prior knowledge of the war to pick up on what's happening since dates and names of battles aren't always mentioned. Seems to me that the author knew his stuff...
As for the story, it's a bit more romantically inclined than my usual preference. Janice starts out as an immature and romantically inclined girl of 15, and the story follows her and her family through the entire war. Fortunately she matures, after just about every man in the story (well, five of them) falls in love with her. I was happy to see some character development taking place; the characters aren't just the stereotypes they seem to be at the beginning. I'm not sure that I would wholeheartedly recommend this (some of the characters were overly flirtatious or less-than-honorable in their intentions), but I did enjoy it overall.
As for the story, it's a bit more romantically inclined than my usual preference. Janice starts out as an immature and romantically inclined girl of 15, and the story follows her and her family through the entire war. Fortunately she matures, after just about every man in the story (well, five of them) falls in love with her. I was happy to see some character development taking place; the characters aren't just the stereotypes they seem to be at the beginning. I'm not sure that I would wholeheartedly recommend this (some of the characters were overly flirtatious or less-than-honorable in their intentions), but I did enjoy it overall.
January 17, 2022
Janice… jedyne co ma w życiu to ładna buzie i wolna rękę, która rozporządza tak jak jej wygodnie. Narzeczony w każdym obozie, wykorzystywany bo wyciągać bohaterkę z kłopotów. Jest jak chorągiewka na wietrze, idzie tam gdzie zawiej, a ze jest ładna wszystko uchodzi jej na sucho.
Bohaterowie są jednowymiarowi całkowicie źli albo krystalicznie czyści. Czytelnik nie dostaje tu wcale „losów zwykłych rodzin z jednej i drugiej strony barykady” tylko losy jednej rodziny raz tu raz tam!
Powieść napisana przez mężczyznę w bodajże XIX wieku brzydko się zestarzała:
-kobiety głupie, nie powinny o sobie decydować, często zmieniają zdanie (Przy jenice to akurat prawda)
-faceci latają tylko za spódniczkami
-czarnoskórzy niewolnicy to nie ludzie…
Morał z tej książki płynie jeden, wystarczy być śliczna dziewczyna a reszta sama się ułoży! A reszta niech klepie biedę..
Podsumowując książkę czytało mi się przyjemni, ale nie zgadzam się z większością opisanych w niej zachowań ludzkich. Jestem rozczarowana. Ale okładka śliczna!
Bohaterowie są jednowymiarowi całkowicie źli albo krystalicznie czyści. Czytelnik nie dostaje tu wcale „losów zwykłych rodzin z jednej i drugiej strony barykady” tylko losy jednej rodziny raz tu raz tam!
Powieść napisana przez mężczyznę w bodajże XIX wieku brzydko się zestarzała:
-kobiety głupie, nie powinny o sobie decydować, często zmieniają zdanie (Przy jenice to akurat prawda)
-faceci latają tylko za spódniczkami
-czarnoskórzy niewolnicy to nie ludzie…
Morał z tej książki płynie jeden, wystarczy być śliczna dziewczyna a reszta sama się ułoży! A reszta niech klepie biedę..
Podsumowując książkę czytało mi się przyjemni, ale nie zgadzam się z większością opisanych w niej zachowań ludzkich. Jestem rozczarowana. Ale okładka śliczna!
December 20, 2018
It took me ages to finish this book and I have really mixed feelings about it, I'm not sure whether I liked or disliked it. I'm not going to read it again, so I guess I didn't. I quite hated this Janice girl, she seemed so shallow and silly. I really didn't care if she was going to get her happily ever after or not. But I think it was an interesting book and I believe many people could really enjoy it.
December 8, 2014
An interesting perspective on the War for Independence in the United States. I thought Janice was very silly at times but it kept the story going for the length of the war. Very enjoyable and you already know how the war ended!
March 11, 2012
I never could make myself like Janice, who basically parties her way through the Revolutionary War while somehow making just about every man she meets fall in love with her.
December 10, 2017
Great storyteller. Unpredictable. Extreme detail of American Revolution can get confusing. Historical Fiction
November 3, 2022
Rev War — from a woman’s perspective
A forgotten classic, Janice Meredith is a giddy, bored teenage girl at the beginning of the novel. However, reality soon sets in with the beginning of the American revolutionary war. Her father is faithful to the king of England. Throughout the novel, she is forced to contemplate marrying various different men for different unpleasant reasons.
This book highlights the plight of women during a time when they really had no choices. She must do in obedience what her father and mother force her to do. There are grim descriptions of war itself, including some death scenes and smallpox descriptions. There are also descriptions of situations where Janice’s safety, security, and even virtue are in desperate jeopardy. But it never strays into melodrama. Each situation is totally believable and sequentially heartbreaking. The book really does not shy away from discussing the deprivations of war, including hyper-inflation, rapidly depreciation of currency, exchanging items of great value for meager subsistence, horrible living conditions, prisoners of war, and so on.
However, through it all, Janice’s internal and external beauty shine on both the Continental rebels and the British officers. Without flirting or being coquettish, Janice brings light and life to all of those around her, garnering true esteem from others in a desperate situation. It’s a long book, and the language and vocabulary are challenging to modern day readers. But I judge a good book by how many words I need to look up, and this book delighted me for that very reason.
I do recommend this book, but with the understanding that it is not a modern romance. Rather it is an enduring romance that must undergo extreme trials to prove it’s worth. In a way, it reminded me of The Princess Bride with being forced to marry someone, a dual, desperate situations, and a happy ending.
You do meet actual historical figures, but they do not act outside of historically documented characteristics. I liked this book. It was difficult to read in parts because of the grim descriptions. But overall, I really liked this book and feel that I have a better understanding of what the common people went through during the revolutionary war.
A forgotten classic, Janice Meredith is a giddy, bored teenage girl at the beginning of the novel. However, reality soon sets in with the beginning of the American revolutionary war. Her father is faithful to the king of England. Throughout the novel, she is forced to contemplate marrying various different men for different unpleasant reasons.
This book highlights the plight of women during a time when they really had no choices. She must do in obedience what her father and mother force her to do. There are grim descriptions of war itself, including some death scenes and smallpox descriptions. There are also descriptions of situations where Janice’s safety, security, and even virtue are in desperate jeopardy. But it never strays into melodrama. Each situation is totally believable and sequentially heartbreaking. The book really does not shy away from discussing the deprivations of war, including hyper-inflation, rapidly depreciation of currency, exchanging items of great value for meager subsistence, horrible living conditions, prisoners of war, and so on.
However, through it all, Janice’s internal and external beauty shine on both the Continental rebels and the British officers. Without flirting or being coquettish, Janice brings light and life to all of those around her, garnering true esteem from others in a desperate situation. It’s a long book, and the language and vocabulary are challenging to modern day readers. But I judge a good book by how many words I need to look up, and this book delighted me for that very reason.
I do recommend this book, but with the understanding that it is not a modern romance. Rather it is an enduring romance that must undergo extreme trials to prove it’s worth. In a way, it reminded me of The Princess Bride with being forced to marry someone, a dual, desperate situations, and a happy ending.
You do meet actual historical figures, but they do not act outside of historically documented characteristics. I liked this book. It was difficult to read in parts because of the grim descriptions. But overall, I really liked this book and feel that I have a better understanding of what the common people went through during the revolutionary war.
July 25, 2022
Overall I liked the book. It was a typical Victorian romance set in the Revolutionary War period. Janice Meredith is beautiful and opinionated. She is more liberated than most of her actual contemporaries would have been. She is the Prize for a man to win and is a pawn in the political and financial way of the times. Being a romance of course, it all works out "happily ever after." A fictionalized young General George Washington plays a prominent role with Jan's many love interests being both Whigs and Torys! That part was interesting.
August 15, 2019
I recently learned that the first time the name "Janice" appeared in print was in this book, and since my name is Janice, I thought I would read it. What a painfully, long, silly book! So glad to be done with novel.
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July 9, 2023This is a long book and it takes place during the time of the American Revolution. I found the spoken language at times to be almost unable to be understood. It was fairly slow-paced and I just decided that I had too many good books to read to finish one I felt was dragging.
July 24, 2023
It was a little dry
It was ok for all its worth. A little dry in some parts but it was worth the read. 😀
It was ok for all its worth. A little dry in some parts but it was worth the read. 😀
May 16, 2023
2.75
Jedyne co posiada Janice to uroda, która ratuje ją w każdej sytuacji. (Może jeszcze nieporadność i płochość, chociaż w przeciwieństwie do upodobań bohaterów dla mnie te cechy zaletami nie są). Ciekawie obserwowało się wątki historyczne oraz przebieg wojny secesyjnej, natomiast bezpośredni udział w akcji powieści, postaci autentycznych był dla mnie drażniący.
Jedyne co posiada Janice to uroda, która ratuje ją w każdej sytuacji. (Może jeszcze nieporadność i płochość, chociaż w przeciwieństwie do upodobań bohaterów dla mnie te cechy zaletami nie są). Ciekawie obserwowało się wątki historyczne oraz przebieg wojny secesyjnej, natomiast bezpośredni udział w akcji powieści, postaci autentycznych był dla mnie drażniący.
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