Conviction by Skylar Burris: Literary Fiction in the Tradition of Jane Austen

If you're looking for something literary and are frustrated with the over-easy reading books of the twentieth century - you know the ones - three hundred page hardcover volumes that cost over $20 even though the font size is close to 14, most of the paragraphs are only a sentence or two long, and they last about a day or so, then Convictions, by Skylar Burris, could be just the thing to give your "little gray cells", (Hercule Poirot - Agatha Christie), the workout they so truly deserve this summer.

For those of you who actually liked The Left Behind series…perhaps not.

In any case, Convictions is a well-written tale told in the classic style of writing, hearkening back to the good old days of the Bronte Sisters, Johnathon Swift, and James Joyce.

A sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, it is much more than a writer playing off of the groundwork of another. I myself have never read Pride & Prejudice, (I think a fraternity was having a dunking booth fund raiser on campus that day and I skipped class), but the novel stands well by itself - reading its prior is not necessary for enjoying this clever tale.

Burris has certainly done her homework on the historical and literary elements of the period, and she falls into the footsteps of the time-period's style of writing well, without parroting Austen's style. The reader is presented with great balls and ceremonies, flouncing ladies looking to snag a man and a tidy inheritance, scheming suitors looking for a bride to be, and amongst them, hearts yearning for true love in only the way Romantic characters, (that's capital 'R' for the literary time period; not as in Harlequin), truly can.

One thing Burris did an excellent job on is the crafting of the disinherited Jacob Markwood, the new vicar in town. She's done a neat trick here: playing with elements of faith and Christianity without them being visible, obvious plot 'props', which is something many Christian novels often fall prey to. However, be sure to note: though the story explores elements of faith and morality, it does so from the perspective of the common human being as they go about their lives, and does not present a didactic "moral of the story" at the end.

As a reader, you will empathize with poor Jacob as he struggles with his growing attraction to the already engaged Georgiana Darcy, (whatever is a man of God to do about such things?), you'll groan at the antics of Kitty Bennett and Niles Davidson, and sigh in contentment as everything works out all right in the end. Sometimes, that can be a very typecast ending, but in this novel it is the most logical and satisfying conclusion. Good thing Burris didn't pull a fast one like many of the Romantic Period writers and have Miss Darcy catch a fever and die of pnemonia in the last chapter!

The pace of the novel takes its time, and though for the more attenion-challenged this might be frustrating, it is the only way to tell this tale and be true to the period from which it is inspired. This is a novel about the human experience, emotions, hopes, dreams, and lives that cross and intermingle in the most unexpected ways. To speed up the narrative would do the novel a great disservice.

In the end, the only thing that a reader should be cautioned about is the same thing I began with: this is not one of this 'read during the commercials' type of book. If you choose to pick up a copy of Convictions, make sure you block out the time necessary to enjoy it to its fullest.

Sklyar Burris is a free-lance editor, and used copies of Convictions may be purchased online at Amazon.com, however the novel will be re-released by the end of the summer in a new edition. For more information, visit the author's website: http://www.editorskylar.com/

4 out of 5 stars