As an Austen fan, reading Longbourne is almost inevitable. I’ve always wondered about the story from the perspective of the servants, and what it must have been like watching Mrs. Bennett furiously attempt to marry off her daughters so that they can avoid the poverty of the servantry. How awful it must feel to watch these wealthy people parade around, attempting to catch equal or wealthier mates to avoid winding up in your own shoes. And knowing that while your own lot in life was nothing to be desired exactly, it was still far better than other options.
This, is the theme of Longbourne, and while one might pick it up expecting to see more of Elizabeth, Darcy and other favourites, this book is really about the downstairs and the Bennetts only really appear when they would typically interact with their downstairs counterparts. Other characters, who would never interact with the servantry don’t really appear. Mr. Darcy comes across as another species of people, one who walks through the doors that are open for him without noticing the people doing the opening.