Mrs. Wickham

By: Sarah Page

Narrated by: Jessie Buckley, Johnny Flynn, full cast

Length: 2 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Imagine if you made one little mistake when you were young and were punished for it for the rest of your life. Well, that’s what happened to Lydia (yes, that Lydia, the youngest Bennet sister from Pride and Prejudice), and she’s here to set the record straight. Hold on to your teacups and get ready for sophisticated (and a little bit naughty) hot takes and witty banter that’ll make you laugh—and think.

We meet Lydia just as she is denounced by her family, exiled miles from home, and married to the rogue George Wickham, who seems to love all women...except his own wife. She must learn to summon great bravery to carve out a place for herself in the society that has brutally rejected her.

Lydia isn’t the traditional Austen heroine, and this isn’t a traditional, polite period drama. Lydia is a badass. A trailblazer. She’s fierce and fiercely funny. And she might inhabit the Regency period, but she’s fighting the same battle many of us are today—having to defend the decisions she’s made and the person she chooses to love, to shut out the 'trolls' and gossips, to hold her head high in a world that will judge her for any mistake she makes.

Starring Academy Award nominee Jessie Buckley (Fargo, The Lost Daughter) and Johnny Flynn (Lovesick, Stardust), this hilarious and timely listen is for fans of classics with a twist. Writer and creator playwright Sarah Page says that she wrote Mrs. Wickham to 'entertain people with a romantic, optimistic, and seductive comedy,' but that there’s also a 'message held at its heart to treat each other with kindness.'

If you binged Bridgerton, this one’s for you.

Starring: Jessie Buckley, Johnny Flynn, Emily Barber, Fehinti Balogun, Adrian Edmondson, Leila Farzad, Stephanie Hyam, Jodie McNee, Natalie Simpson, Ray Panthaki and Emily Johnstone

Directed by Eleanor Rhode. Sound Design by David Gregory. Co-produced by Wondermore Productions.

Portions of this audio drama contain mature language and themes. Listener discretion is advised.

©2022 Sarah Page (P)2022 Audible, Ltd

Overall enjoyable

I enjoyed the attempt at resurrecting Lydia's character. overall, it is an enjoyable piece of fanfiction, although not entirely believable. The story and characters could have done with a little bit more development to get them to the point of change. Lydia's character was not entirely believable, she sounded a little bit more like Jane or Lizzy and there was only a few parts where she sounded a little bit more like the Lydia we know from pride and prejudice.

Certain parts of the story definitely felt a little bit rushed, particularly towards the end where everything is wrapped up. Definitely rolled my eyes a little bit at the end.

Overall enjoyable and I liked it, but I think the thing that made it a little bit difficult to become completely immersed in the story was just the fact that it was a little hard to swallow.

SPOILER ALERT

Lydia's complete and immediate reversal of character and change of heart from the get-go needed to be probably a more gradual change and some of the elements of the story and that change could have been fleshed out a little bit more. I appreciate the author keeping things simple and not trying to milk this story for every penny it's got, but I think it could have been longer and had more detail and it would have benefited from that to make it more believable.

I also found little familiar/well known phrases that she grabbed and used from pride and prejudice to be mostly unnecessary. Not sure if it really added anything to her story. While it underlined for the reader that this story belongs in that universe, it also served as a reminder of side-by-side comparison in certain instances with a much greater work, which for something this light probably better off without.

Exciting twists

I so enjoyed this audio! Although, I have to agree with other reviews with the music choice? Not that I disagree with music. Simply just the choice in music.

A must read!

I enjoyed the story very well written and performed 👏. But the music in the back ground did not fit the era.

Glad I Stuck It Out

At first, I thought this was horrible. Wasn’t sure about the music in the background. I’m glad I stuck it out because it ended up being a really good story, with good narration, and a great ending!

Entertaining

Lots of fun. Enjoyed the two hours listening and loved the powerful woman in its center

So fun

Really enjoyed this quick “listen”. Narration was great. I would highly recommend this. Just enjoy!

fun book

with a good message - that we should all live by! good to catch up with the Bennett sisters. quick read that was very enjoyable!

Unexpectedly Excellent

As it has been (several) years since I read Pride and Prejudice, I worried that I would lose a lot of the thread due to not remembering salient points. No need for any concern! Page introduces a little "refresher" guide skillfully into the story quite soon after it begins to catch up those, such as myself, who are not repeat readers of the classics.

Once you're on board with Lydia and her shameful past, you're on a fast clip to the home straight. The entire story is only 2 hours long, after all, but I found it delightfully refreshing to not have to travel the twists and travails of heartache but to cut, swift and true, to the meat of the matter!

Lydia is trying to recover from the mistakes of youth, in a society that is forbidding and unforgiving. On top of that, she has a callous, whoring, drinking cad of a husband, no money, and no companions. For a child from a large and loud family, this is probably her biggest loss. Her loneliness is palpable!

As we follow her growth from devastated teen to assured young woman, feel her pain, and applaud her efforts, this unlikely heroine becomes someone we root for and empathize with. I loved her wit, her resourcefulness, and her triumphs.

My only criticism was the jarring background music. For a tale set in the early 1800s, rock music (or is it punk?) is discordant and distracting.

remarkably good

If you think Lydia is not worth caring about, think again. The entire production was remarkably good.

Redemption

I am a fan of Pride and prejudice. This was a delightful journey. Hearing Lydia’s experience and her determination to make something of herself is heartwarming. This story reminds us people grow and change. We learn from mistakes and should not be trapped by them. Forgiveness is hard but, can be freeing for all concerned