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Guest Review: MISS BATES: EMMA REVISITED by Catherine Cliff
- Sophia Rose
- Aug 5
- 3 min read
ABOUT THE BOOK
A daring re-imagining of an Austen classic from the unflinching viewpoint of the misunderstood Miss Bates.
Henrietta Bates, the iconic bore of Austen's Emma, is the opposite of handsome, clever, and rich Emma: she is plain, ill-educated, and impoverished. An unmarried woman of quite a different order from that novel's proudly single heroine, she is an object of scorn and pity, whose survival depends upon the generosity of her neighbors, which she barters for with an unrelenting shower of banal and grateful chatter.
But what if the woman we see in Emma were actually deliberately assuming a role, donning a mask, as a means of managing an untenable situation? What if there was a world of difference between her inward and outward voice? What would the Woodhouses’ Highbury look like from her perspective?
Miss Bates by Catherine Cliff imagines answers to these questions as it chronicles Henrietta Bates's unexpected and, at times, violent life, navigating a world with no ready-made opportunities, where the stakes are of the highest order. In a debut that is by turns comedic, tragic, startling, and altogether brilliant, Miss Bates turns Austen’s poignant and ridiculous side character into a feminist force who understands innately the life she has been dealt and how to play it to her advantage slyly.
This is no marriage plot; it is a spinster plot. Or maybe, the spinster’s plot.
OPENING LINES
When he was in good spirits, Papa would joke, “Henrie, my brave, you may be small as a mouse now, but you will grow, and when you do, may the world beware!”
GUEST REVIEW by Sophia Rose
Those familiar with Jane Austen’s Emma might raise their brows at the idea of a garrulous woman like Miss Bates telling the story of Emma. However, I assure you, ladies and gents, debut author Catherine Cliff writes a Miss Bates who will have you sucked in and needing to know this darker tale through her eyes.
Beginning with ‘Henrie’ Bates as a little girl, Miss Bates: Emma Revisited introduces the Bates family, the village of Highbury, and those who shall eventually become, Miss Bates: Emma Revisited introduces the Bates family, the village of Highbury, and those who shall eventually be the key players in the story. The Bates family suffers an early tragedy from which some never really recover, and it's the beginning of what shapes the young girl, who is precocious and thinks differently from those around her. She’s differently-abled, and this leaves her at a disadvantage. Later, her financial and social circumstances, which we are more familiar with, play a role.
Catherine Cliff writes a Miss Bates who is pitiable from the outside but doesn’t invite one’s pity. She’s actually strong and cunning in her own way. Shocking, at times, and a person does not do it due to underestimating (looking at you, Miss Emma Woodhouse).
Speaking of Emma, those familiar with Austen’s story will see a much darker Emma and a different version of Mr. Knightley. Frank is an exaggerated version, but not by much. Jane Fairfax is the sweet, mysterious damsel who Henrie will sacrifice greatly to see happy.
The book explains that it is not a romance, and it isn’t. This is a dark, character-driven historical fiction that readers will find themselves cheering for the underdog with a bit of larceny.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Catherine Cliff grew up in New York City. She has a BA in Classics and English from Harvard and a doctorate in English literature from Yale, specializing in English Renaissance poetry. She lived in London and Basel for many years and is now settled in western Massachusetts. This is her first novel. You can connect with Catherine via her website.
ABOUT GUEST REVIEWER, Sophia Rose
Sophia is a quiet, curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, piano-playing, and gardening. Road trips and campouts, museums and monuments, restaurants, and theaters are her jam. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and a loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, baseball, cats, Scooby Doo, and chocolate. As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing. In 2012, she submitted her first book review and is currently an associate reviewer.
Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener, which allows her to experience many wonderful books, authors, and narrators. Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction, particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance. Sorry, no horror...or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby. Connect with Sophia via FACEBOOK GOODREADS TWITTER
What a fascinating and bold idea! I’m excited to read this alternate perspective on Miss Bates and Highbury society. Thanks, Sophia Rose and Christina!