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Pride and Prejudice (1980) Mini-series – A Review

Posted in Blog Events, Jane Austen Adaptations, Pride & Prejudice Movies, The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013, tagged BBC, Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Movies, Masterpiece Theatre, Movie review, Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice 1980, Pride and Prejudice Movies, The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013 on 8 May 2013 | 82 Comments »

This is my fifth selection for The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013, our year-long event honoring Jane Austen’s second published novel. Please follow the link above to read all the details of this reading and viewing challenge. Sign up’s are open until July 1, 2013.

My Review:

I have been blogging about Jane Austen here at Austenprose for over five years and I have reviewed many books and movies, yet I have held off writing about the one that really turned me into a Jane Austen disciple—the 1980 BBC Pride and Prejudice. When something is close to our hearts we want to keep it in a special place, so my personal impressions of Fay Weldon’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s most popular novel has remained my own. In this bicentenary year, I think it is time for me to share.

It first aired in five (55) minute episodes on the BBC in the UK in 1979, and on US television on Masterpiece Theatre between October 26 and November 23, 1980. I was a great fan of Masterpiece and period drama and remember being quite excited to watch the new series. I was not disappointed in the first episode—in fact I was mesmerized—and watched the episode again when it aired again that week on PBS. Considering that in 1980 disco music was all the rage and Magnum P.I. and Three’s Company were the most popular television shows, you might understand why this anglophile was entranced by a series set in Regency England with beautiful costumes, country houses, sharp dialogue and swoon worthy romance. I was totally hooked and started reading the novel for the first time while the series aired.

Now, considering that many of you who are reading this review where not even born by 1980, you might not get the significance of the way in which our entertainment was doled out to us in the those early days. There was the television broadcast, and that was it. In fact there were no VCR’s yet, so you could not tape a video. I had to wait another 10 years before I saw the series again. Shocking, I know. But remember that the Internet would not be born until the mid-1990’s and the concept of streaming video was totally unknown.

On reflection, why did I like P&P 1980 so much when it originally aired, and does it still stand up to the litmus test for P&P adaptations?

Even though the BBC had produced radio and television adaptations of Pride and Prejudice in 1938, 1952, 1958 and 1967 this would be the first time that a US audience would see a television series of Jane Austen’s novel. Some of us had seen the 1940 MGM move of P&P staring Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson, but it was hardly faithful to the novel and was a two hour theatrical movie. Very little of Jane Austen’s original language had been used and let’s not even begin the conversation about the changes that were made. Now for the first time we could hear Austen’s words and see the plot unfold as she imagined it—well not word for word or scene by scene—but screenwriter Fay Weldon did adhere much more faithfully to Austen intensions than we had ever seen before, nor since. Here is a list of the cast and production team:

Elizabeth Bennet – Elizabeth Garvie
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy – David Rintoul
Mr. Bennet – Moray Watson
Mrs. Bennet – Priscilla Morgan
Jane Bennet – Sabina Franklyn
Mary Bennet – Tessa Peake-Jones
Kitty Bennet – Clare Higgins
Lydia Bennet – Natalie Ogle
George Wickham – Peter Settelen
Mr. Collins – Malcolm Rennie
Charlotte Lucas – Irene Richard
Mr. Bingley – Osmund Bullock
Caroline Bingley – Marsha Fitzalan
Lady Catherine de Bourgh – Judy Parfitt
Director – Cyril Coke

I will spare you the rehash of the synopsis and cut to the case. This adaptation flies freely by the strength of the screenplay and the interpretation by the director of the actors. They act like Regency era ladies and gentlemen and in the manner that Jane Austen intended. Elizabeth Garvie as Elizabeth Bennet is perfection. She is just as clever and impertinent as her book persona. If she has any defect it is that she is too perfect, appearing too controlled at every moment and not quite as spirited and flawed as one would expect. Her hero Mr. Darcy, portrayed by David Rintoul, is flawed, but that is his strength. He is stiff as a wooden solider, and we hate him until we meet him again at Pemberley two thirds through the story. But, his portrayal is as Austen wrote the character: noble, proud, arrogant, overconfident and infuriating. His transition to an open and engaging personality is a gradual shift which grows as his affection for Elizabeth does. His transformation from an arrogant prig to an amiable gentleman suitor for our heroine is a great character arch well worth waiting for.

Every director wants to put their own stamp on a classic. I cannot condemn Cyril Coke for taking his chance. He does not swerve off the garden path too far. There are two moments that are his creations that are memorable for me. The first was when Darcy hands Elizabeth the “be not alarmed, Madame,” letter after the first proposal. Elizabeth and Darcy meet along a path at Rosings Park and he hands her his letter. She accepts it and takes a seat on a fallen tree and reads it. We hear David Rintoul’s beautiful velvet voice, and perfect diction, as a voiceover as she reads the letter. As he walks away from her, the camera pulls back and follows him. As he gets father away we see both Elizabeth and Darcy in the frame become smaller and smaller. It is quite affective in relaying his presence and driving home the fact that as she reads his explanation of his behavior, and she has her “until this moment I never knew myself” revelation, we are left with the feeling that he has walked out of her life, and now how will she get him back?

The second great moment comes when Elizabeth and her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner are touring Pemberley. They think that Darcy is far away in Town. They are in a garden adjacent to the house and Elizabeth is admiring the facade and looks down to see Mr. Darcy’s dog appear around a corner of the building. His master soon follows and walks into the garden and is surprised to find Elizabeth at his home. They have an awkward meeting and Elizabeth is very uncomfortable. Now, Mr. Darcy does not have a dog in the original novel, but this addition of the well-trained spaniel, as proud and contained as his master, appearing as a foreshadowing to Elizabeth was brilliant.

The secondary characters really shine in this production too. Malcolm Rennie as Mr. Collins is just priceless. He is tall and toady and just the perfect smarmy buffoon. Peter Settelen as George Wickham is such a handsome, charming cad that we want to love him like Elizabeth is tempted to do. There is a scene where he and Lizzy are walking in the garden and all I can concentrate on are his canary breeches! Judy Parfitt gives us an imperious Lady Catherine de Bourgh that is quite younger than I had envisioned in the book, but still as imposing.

Since the 1980 P&P aired there has been one major miniseries filmed in 1995 and a movie in 2005. Everyone has their favorite and I have this pet theory why Janeites love one version and abhor another. Everyone seems to bond with the first version that they see, so for those who love the 2005 Keira Knightley version with pigs in the Longbourn kitchen and Mr. Darcy walking across a misty morning glade to find Elizabeth in her nightgown, or the 1995 version with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy taking a bath or a dip in Pemberley pond, think long and hard about what Jane Austen wrote about and what she wanted us to experience with her characters, and watch the 1980 version again.

And, what may you ask is the P&P litmus test? Why the first proposal scene of course. If the screenwriter, director, and actors can portray the misguided, passionate tension of Mr. Darcy and the cool indigence of Miss Eliza Bennet in Austen’s masterful scene as well as it unfolds in the 1980 version, then there is hope for the rest of the production.

5 out of 5 Regency Stars

Pride and Prejudice (1980)
BBC Worldwide (2004 re-issue)
DVD (226 minutes)
ASIN: B000244FDW

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A Closer Look at The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: Finale: Episodes 90-100

Posted in Jane Austen Adaptations, Lizzie Bennet Diaries, tagged Jane Austen, Jane Austen Movies, Lizzie Bennet, Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice Adaptations, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on 19 April 2013 | 2 Comments »

From the desk of Virginia Claire Tharrington

This week I am wrapping up my look at The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed watching these videos. They are light, bright and sparkling, just as Jane Austen describes Pride and Prejudice, yet they also have serious modern themes that are relevant today and make the story more accessible to younger generations.

Jane and Bing (Episodes 90-92 & 95)

Bing comes back. He and Jane get a fresh start, yet Lizzie is still unhappy that Jane hasn’t made him beg her to take him back. Bing does try to make amends by bringing Jane snicker-doodle cookies (like she made him right after they broke up). Before their relationship really gets underway again, Jane gets a job offer from New York. Bing finds out about the job offer from Lizzie’s videos and seems hurt that Jane didn’t tell him herself. She was trying to spare both of them the pain that would be cause if he asked her to stay, yet Bing doesn’t ask Jane to stay. Instead he asks if he can go with her. He confesses that he quit medical school several months ago because he was so unhappy, so he too is looking to make a fresh start in NYC.

After Jane and Bing (Lydia calls them JING!) are happily settled in New York, Caroline (as a replacement for Lady Catherine in the novel) confronts Lizzie and accuses her of plotting to make Bing quit med school and runaway with Jane. Lizzie is shocked by these allegations but turns the tables on Caroline. Lizzie questions her about the “indiscretion” that Darcy saw at Bing’s birthday which caused Bing to break up with Jane in the first place. Caroline came up with a convoluted plan to have another guy kiss Jane right when Darcy was looking. This is what made Bing break up with Jane in the first place and it was all because of Caroline. Caroline also accuses Lizzie of trying to seduce Darcy. Lizzie baulks at this and says that, “Darcy is in charge of his own life and I am in change of mine.” (It is these lines that give Darcy hope when he watches the videos).

Lizzie and Lydia

Yet again Lizzie and Lydia have some adorable moments in these episodes. In episode 94 Lydia tells Lizzie that Darcy was responsible for the website publicizing the release of her private video with George Wickham being taken down. He bought the company that was releasing the video and shut it down. Lizzie can’t believe what Darcy did. Lydia is not as shocked and replied, “When you care about someone you will do anything for them whether they know or not because you can’t stand to see them hurt.” Lydia was hoping that George was the one who actually took the site down, but when she, “talked to some people,” she found out it was Darcy. Lydia hints that Darcy must still have feelings for Lizzie otherwise he would have no reason to go through all of the trouble of buying an entire company to taking down the video.

Lizzie and Lydia are continuing to get to know each other again. They are very sweet sisters. In episode 100 Lydia even gives Lizzie a new list called, “20 Reasons Why Lizzie Bennet Is No Longer Perpetually Single,” and says, “You are way to cool not to get any guy you want.” There is a new understanding and appreciation between the sisters that is lovely to watch.

Lizzie and Darcy

After Lizzie finds out what Darcy did for Lydia, she decides to call his phone, yet she doesn’t hear from him for 3 days. He shows up at her house on her 25^th birthday (March 18^th), so he can see her face when he asks her, “Why did you call me?” Their whole interaction is so delightfully embarrassing. She thanks him from her whole family for taking that video down. In reply he says, “I did it only for you.” Darcy then tells Lizzie that he doesn’t want to be just friends and that his feeling are still the same, if not stronger. At that point Lizzie kisses him.

(YOU GO GIRL! Take control and get what you want! Amen to that. I applaud Lizzie for making the first move like that and going in for the kiss). Darcy and Lizzie (Dizzy as fans call them) proceed to kiss a lot more throughout the episode, and it is super adorable.

On Lizzie and Darcy’s one-week anniversary Darcy tries to hijack Lizzie’s videos but ends up being fairly awkward in front of the camera by himself. Darcy says that the week with Lizzie, “…has been the best week of my life.” He also says, (what the viewers already know), “My name is William Darcy, and Lizzie Bennet is amazing.” Lizzie teases him about the first time they met which was, “The most awkward dance ever!” While Lizzie seems to enjoy these memories of their early encounters, she also presses Darcy about when his feelings for her started to change. Darcy says, “I honestly can’t remember. I was in the middle before I knew it has begun.” Lizzie says her moment of realization came when she saw the beautiful offices of Pemberley Digital. These light banters are wonderful. They are straight from Jane Austen’s novel, yet they are in modern speech.

Darcy offer’s Lizzie a job at Pemberley, yet she turns him down. She has decided to start her own digital media company and wants to move to San Francisco after graduation. Darcy is supportive of her move and of her decision to start her own company. He even offers to help her find potential investors, even though her business will be competing with him. I am so thankful that Lizzie did not just go to work for Pemberley. That would have been a let down. Lizzie defends her decision by saying, “I don’t want to be the girl who dates the boss.” I applaud her spirit and her desire to make it on her own and I think Jane Austen would too!

Lizzie and Charlotte

I am so pleased that the series does not end with Lizzie and Darcy. Rather Lizzie shares her 100thand final episode with Charlotte and Lydia. As much as I love Darcy and Lizzie’s relationship, I love Lizzie’s relationship with her friend, sister and herself more. I think it was a very brave choice for the creators not to have Darcy in the last episode. It concludes the theme that has been running through the series; the relationship between sisters (whether by birth or choice) is one of the most important relationships in a person’s life. I agree completely and applaud The Lizzie Bennet Diaries for their focus on women and female relationships. It was also delightful to watch Lizzie grown emotionally throughout the course of the series. As she started to see her own flaws, and while she still sees the follies of others, she might judge them less harshly or quickly in the future.

The girls’ faces are priceless in this picture

TWO SURPRISES AT THE END (Spoilers)

1st SURPRISE — At the very end of the 100th episode Mrs. Bennet walks into frame so the viewers can just see her torso and says, “Lizzie what are you and dear Charlotte doing in here?” It is an amazing moment since it has been a running joke through the series that Lizzie is trying to keep the videos from her mother.

2nd SURPRISE — As a little postscript after the final episode, the creators released some pictures on twitter of Lizzie, Darcy, Charlotte, Lydia and Ricky Collins hanging out at a bar celebrating Charlotte’s promotion and Ricky’s move to Canada to be with his fiancé. I am glad Mr. Collins makes one final appearance because he is just a fabulous character.

AWESOME LINKS

A giant thank you to Virginia for her insightful and passionate commentary on The Lizzie Bennet Diaries for the last eleven weeks. What a great series. We are looking forward to the production company’s next venture that was announced with a Kickstarter fundraiser:

Welcome to Sanditon

Based on one of Jane Austen’s unﬁnished novels, Welcome To Sanditon will be a full interactive experience that takes you to the beach town of Sanditon, California as it attempts to revitalize itself into a modern resort destination.

Through Gigi’s videos, you’ll meet the residents of Sanditon as she brings the beta version of Domino to reveal the drama in their lives. But we’re not stopping there.

In The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, you got to interact with the story. In Welcome To Sanditon, we’re taking things one step further — you’ll get a chance to be a part of the story.

We’re busy putting the town together now, and will reveal more details soon.

Welcome to Sanditon will launch in early May 2013.

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One Thread Pulled: The Dance with Mr. Darcy (Volume 1), By Diana J. Oaks – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, tagged Book Reviews, Books, Diana J. Oaks, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy, One Thread Pulled, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice Sequels, Reading on 16 March 2013 | 9 Comments »

From the desk of Jeffrey Ward

How differently would Pride and Prejudice have proceeded if Miss Elizabeth Bennet had not overheard Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy’s insulting remarks during the Meryton assembly? Differently? Yes, very-very differently according to this debut author’s totally diverting and brilliant re-imagining of Jane Austen’s timeless romance.

Starting at page one and continuing all the way to page 457 (rather lengthy for a work of this nature), it never falls off or fails to delight at any point or on any page. So, if you love Elizabeth and Darcy, please read on…..

Two years in the writing, and perhaps more in research, validate the author’s mastery of the Regency period, especially her intimate portrayals of Elizabeth and Darcy, clear down to the least significant character. I am astonished at how the author totally re-charts the course of Miss Austen’s most famous story, yet manages to respectfully maintain and indeed significantly expand upon the expected attributes of its most important personalities. Just about every Austen character makes an appearance and I love the way the author chooses to highlight Miss Anne de Bourgh, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, Miss Caroline Bingley, and Miss Georgiana Darcy. Just name ANY other character from P&P; they’re all in there in some capacity.

The story centers on Netherfield, Meryton, and Longbourne with a brief Sojourn to London. That would seem restrictive for a lengthy novel but this plot device allows the author to deftly focus on the complex and ever-evolving emotional relationship between the heroine and hero. With the “prejudice” portion removed, the encounters between Miss Bennet and Mr. Darcy begin with initial wariness but grow gradually to respect, regard, affection, and ultimately love. The angst generated over this two-steps-forward-one-step-back romance is the foundation that makes this story so irresistibly seductive.

Putting aside my blathering plaudits, how better to recommend this book than to read samples of the author’s delicate wit? Darcy and Elizabeth meet by chance on their outings as they witness a beautiful sunrise. The incongruity is priceless as Miss Bennet admires nature but Mr. Darcy admires only her, yet cannot gain her regard.

“Look, Mr. Darcy. Is the sight before you not a fair prospect? I do not know how to bear it sometimes, to gaze upon such beauty and not be able to ever hold it, to be limited to just looking. It seems a hardship.” “Yes,” Mr. Darcy said, looking at Elizabeth, the sunlight glinting off her hair, and her face flushed from exertion. “I believe I understand how you feel.” p. 145

Here is a rousing verbal joust between two strong personalities as Darcy’s insistence on teaching Elizabeth how to ride disguises enormous romantic implications:

“I taught Georgiana.” Darcy replied. Elizabeth shook her head. “I do not feel safe on a horse.” “you will be safe with me,” Darcy said. “How many ways must I refuse before you relent?” Elizabeth laughed. “How many times must I offer before you accept?” Darcy countered with a smile. “It is not in me to back down, Miss Bennet. Once I have set my course, I persist. “Mr. Darcy, it is my course you are setting, not your own.” Elizabeth replied.” p. 221

I laughed over this classic regency eaves-dropping moment as Mr. Darcy leaves Elizabeth’s sick bed following a supposed private attempt to confess his love for her:

Darcy backed silently to the door where he would leave, his eyes never leaving the woman he hoped to make his wife. Upon reaching the door, he opened it, only to find that Jane, Bingley, Anne and the colonel were all pressed up against it. Only the colonel actually fell. p. 276

I must make mention of some threads not “pulled” but “woven in” by the author that may raise both curiosity and doubt: Mr. Collins attempting to compromise Elizabeth Bennet? Miss Caroline Bingley mentally unsound? Elizabeth Bennet collapsing in the middle of the Netherfield ball? Mr. Wickham extorting Mr. Darcy? Mr. Bennet’s almost impossible courtship demands on Darcy and Elizabeth? Mr. Bingley’s secret sister? Mr. Collins’s entail invalid? As I initially read these threads, I thought “That’s far-fetched.” No worries whatsoever, because the author neatly and plausibly explains each of them in a very convincing and satisfactory manner which makes the entire book breathlessly unpredictable.

The conclusion comes abruptly and would be a disappointment for most readers if a sequel was not forthcoming. It is! This reviewer keeps top-five lists of his very favorite works from a variety of genres and this one has easily parked itself in my top 5 list for favorite regency romances which puts it in with some distinguished titles indeed. That upcoming sequel, Constant as the Sun, can’t get into my hands quickly enough!

5 out of 5 Regency Stars

One Thread pulled: The Dance with Mr. Darcy (Volume 1), By Diana J. Oaks
CreateSpace (2012)
Trade paperback (456) pages
ISBN: 978-1475149616

Cover image courtesy ©Diana J. Oaks 2012; text ©Jeffrey Ward 2013

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A Closer Look at The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: Episodes 51-66

Posted in Jane Austen Adaptations, Lizzie Bennet Diaries, tagged Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Adaptations, Jane Austen Movies, Mr. Darcy, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Virginia Claire Tharrington on 15 March 2013 | 3 Comments »

From the desk of Virginia Claire Tharrington

This week I will be looking at episodes 51-66 of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries starting with Lizzie’s life while she is visiting Collins and Collins. We get to meet several knew characters and get to see some of the most beloved ones in a new setting. Did I also mention that we get to see DARCY for the first time!

Lizzie goes to visit Charlotte at Collins and Collins. She meets Lady Catherine and her dog Annie Kins (though we never get to see Lady Catherine we just see Lizzie’s impressions of her). We also get to meet one of my favorite characters in the novel and in the series, Fitz, who comes with Darcy to look at Collins and Collins and give Lady Catherine a report on its progress. Darcy finally shows up in the videos and tells Lizzie he loves her. She flatly rejects him and tells him off for his rude behavior towards her and others and she also tells him to watch her videos. He returns later with a letter and having watched videos. Lizzie reads the letter but refuses to share its contents even with Caroline who comes trying to snoop and find out what is in the letter. Lizzie and Charlotte face off against Caroline and call her out for her manipulation of Bing. Collins flits in and out of several episodes mostly causing havoc by making Charlotte dress as a condiment or trying to make Charlotte work over Thanksgiving. By the end of these episodes Lizzie is ready to go home because home would probably be less stressful. In episode 62 Lizzie says, “This is definitely messing with my world view. Its like I don’t know myself anymore” (I consider this line akin to Austen’s “Till this moment, I never knew myself.” It is the turning point in the book for Elizabeth’s character)

Here are some highlights from Episodes 51-66:

We meet Fitz:

Colonel Fitzwilliam is one of my favorite characters from the novels. I have always had a crush on him because I found him to be so much nicer than his cousin. In some alternative universe I really think he and Lizzie would work out (even though he is a younger son and has no money).

In the alternative universe of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries Fitz (Craig Frank) and Lizzie can’t work out as a couple because he is gay. I think this modernization is BRILLIANT because it allows Fitz and Lizzie to be good friends, but it is known from the start that they will never be more than friends. Fitz in the LBD is a smart and well-established business executive (he can see two bridges from his corner office) but he is also super fun. I automatically want to be his friend and so does Lizzie. Lizzie wonders why Darcy can have such nice friends when he is so cold and stiff. Fitz explains “The guy doesn’t always make the best first impression, and he has the social skills of an agoraphobic lobster.” (episode 56). Fitz does a fabulous impression of haughty Darcy and really enjoys goofing off on the videos. He says “Well what is life if you cant have a little fun? Am I right Lizzie B? You know you should meet Gigi… because she is a cool kid and I think you too will like each other” (episode 56). Fitz seems to be a nice guy who cares about his friends and has his head on straight yet a guy who can also loosen up and have a lot of fun.

Catherine de Bourgh and Annie Kins

I hate that we never to get see Catherine de Bourgh but Lizzie’s impressions of her make up for this loss. Her daughter Anne is transformed into a snaggletooth, asthmatic dog named Annie Kins that Catherine dotes on. Mr. Collins prepares Lizzie for dining with Catherine de Bourgh by giving her a long list of dos and don’ts and by telling her “so if you will simply choose the least offensive outfit you have brought along with you, I am certain that will be more than satisfactory.” (episode 53). Catherine still tries to but into everyone’s conversations and adores Caroline Lee for her accomplishments even though it is unclear what Caroline does or if she even has a job or goes to school.

Charlotte and Mr. Collins Dressed as condiments

Mr. Collins is full of hair-brained ideas about improving the company morale. One if his ideas involves a “spirit week” of sorts culminating in a Halloween party where he and Charlotte dress up as condiments. Seeing Charlotte as a giant ketchup bottle is pretty amusing, but Mr. Collins as a giant mustard bottle takes the cake. His sincerity and seriousness make him even funnier. Collins tries to make Lizzie come to the party but Charlotte steps in and shows her control and handling of him. Mr. Collins might be the head of the company but Charlotte is the neck and she can turn the head anyway she chooses.

Darcy:

Darcy, Darcy, Darcy… everyone freaks out when Darcy is finally shown. Not this girl. I am going to try and keep my talk of Darcy to a minimum for several reasons:

We don’t see that much of him.
I don’t like Darcy Hype.
He does come off as a pretty big jerk.
I agree with Lizzie about him.

The viewership of the Darcy episode almost doubled compared to other episodes. Episode 60 (where we first see his face) has had over 466,000 views. Don’t get me wrong– he will improve, and I do think the writing on his episode is fantastic; I just hate Darcy hype. These are called the LIZZIE BENNET DIARIES and that is who the story is about, so I applaud the writers and creators for putting off introducing Darcy till 3/5 of the way through the series.

Ok, now on to Darcy. Daniel Vincent Gordh plays Darcy and does a very good job. He comes off as haughty and austere early on but does loosen up in later episodes. The writing for the proposal episode is a wonderful modernization of the scene from the book. I was worried that they would stray too much from the novel in his insults to Lizzie or that they wouldn’t have him insult her, but they did. Darcy says “I have been fighting against this for months now but Lizzie Bennet I am in love with you… I cant believe it either; that my heart can completely overwhelm my judgment.” Lizzie responds, “I hope that your judgment can be some solace in your rejection because those feelings are not mutual.” (Episode 60) In his video about the episode, one of the creators of the series Hank Green talks about how much effort and time went into writing this episode because they knew it was so important. Hank and his wife Katherine had a lot of input into who they chose for Darcy and the scene. Overall I applaud the series portrayal of Darcy because he does come off as a pretty big jerk at first and then starts to soften so that maybe you think he is just super awkward instead of a jerk. I could also do without the suspenders and skinny jeans, but I see why they did it.

Darcy hand writes and wax seals his letter to Lizzie, which is pretty cute and shows his quaintness. I thought they might do his letter as an email but I like that Darcy hand writes it and says that sometimes he has trouble expressing himself in words so he has to write things down. I think this is just the beginning of Darcy opening up. He also watches Lizzie’s videos because she tells him about them. He says, they were “illumining… you called me a robot and a newsie.” (Episode 62)

Lizzie and Charlotte v Caroline

Caroline Lee shows up to try and see what was in the letter. Charlotte and Lizzie question her motives in befriending Lizzie and helping Lizzie with her videos since Caroline hasn’t spoken to Lizzie since they left. This betrayal by Caroline seems worse than in the book because in the book Lizzie never thought that Caroline was her friend. The fact that Lizzie and Jane are both hurt by Caroline’s lack of communication with them shows Lizzie’s vulnerability in a new way. Caroline comes off as manipulating, conniving and superficial. The nicest thing I can say about her is that she has great hair. Lizzie and Charlotte call Caroline out for her behavior, and I say, “You go GRILS!” If only Lizzie got to tell Mrs. Bingley off like that in the books. I think it would be very therapeutic to her.

I am leaving out Lydia’s videos from this weeks article because I want to be able to do them justice in an article all to themselves.

Next Week 67-76

Favorite Quotes of the Week

“If Lydia ends up with in anyway involved with someone who traces back to Darcy I swear I am going to steal a plane and crash land onto a desert island. I can totally survive on coconut and crabs… assuming there is wifi.” (Lizzie in episode 54)

“He is like a robot with buggy programing for social interaction”– “Darcy- bot Malfunction” (Lizzie on Darcy in episode 55)

“He was probably just looking for an air conditioned place to drink his probiotic hemp latte”- (Lizzie guessing why Darcy keeps stopping by to see her in episode 57)

“I am pretty sure the guy read Tolstoy for you”

“Even if that is true the virtues of reading Russian literature are far out weighted by the fact that he disinherited George. Oh yeah and he broke up Bing and Jane” (Charlotte and Lizzie talking about Darcy in episode 61)

“You should see the texts I have been getting from Lydia about this OMG… WTF… WHATEVS… YOLO… FTS… PQZ!!!!” (Lizzie talking about Lydia’s reaction in episode 62)

Awesome Links:

“If you are in the Raleigh, North Carolina area this weekend please join JASNA NC for a discussion of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. The talk will be held on Sunday March 17th at 2:00 at the Cameron Village Regional Library. Virginia Claire Tharrington will be showing clips and leading a discussion about the adaptation. We would love to see you there. Thanks VC”

Images courtesy © The Lizzie Bennet Diaries 2012; text © Virginia Claire Tharrington 2013

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Roundup of Pride and Prejudice Turning 200 and other Amusements

Posted in Jane Austen in the News, tagged Books, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice 200, Reading on 5 February 2013 | 18 Comments »

Illustration of The Kiss, from a note card by Janet Taylor

This has been a heady week of Pride and Prejudice blitz from the media and bloggers celebrating the 200th anniversary of its publication on Monday, January 28, 2013. There have been so many articles, interviews, read-a-thons, television news segments, and Internet chat about Jane Austen’s “darling child” that even this confessed Austen obsessive is overwhelmed and unable to keep up with all of the festivities. I was shocked to hear another Austenesque author tell me that she was sick of it. “What?” I exclaimed incredulously. “No! This is great for Jane’s fame and for authors,” I told her defensively. She shrugged and agreed.

It is very gratifying to me to see my favorite author so amply admired by so many and honored by scholars and the media. In a world filled with so much uncertainty and unrest, Pride and Prejudice is indeed a truth universally acknowledged. I think it will be around and venerated as long as people value pithy dialogue, intelligent, spunky heroines, honorable heroes, and compelling love stories. If I had to narrow down why it is my favorite novel, I would say because it is such a chameleon: after repeated annual readings over thirty plus years, I always come to the final passage with some new insight and a calming satisfaction that some things in life are constant.

Here is my roundup of favorite #PandP200 articles:

The enduring appeal of Pride and Prejudice

Our friend and Jane Austen Made Me Do It short story contributor Jane Odiwe is interviewed by the BBC. Jane, the author of four Austen-inspired novels, and numerous illustrations of her favorite Austen characters and scenes, admits to being obsessed with Jane Austen to the world. Brave, Jane. We love you!

Austen Power

“To mark the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice, novelists, moviemakers and scholars are releasing a flood of new homages to cash in on the bottomless appetite for all things Austen.” The Wall Street Journal interviews Austen authors Sharon Lathan and Paula Byrne, publishers Oxford University Press, HarperFiction and Sourcebooks, scholars Juliette Wells and Claudia Johnson, and fan Meredith Esparza for this extensive article about Austen’s enduring appeal. Wowza! It got a full page spread in the print edition. Go #TeamJane!

200 Years of Pride and Prejudice Book Design

There are thousands of editions of P&P (it seems) and we love to discover cover designs, old and new. This article in the The Atlantic Wire shares many of the good, the bad, and the horrid, including ones that I included in a post My Top Ten Pride and Prejudice Covers that I wrote in 2010. I guess I was ahead of the trend.

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: Darcy is still the ultimate sex symbol

Like this is a surprise? The Telegraph (UK newspaper) offers up this cream puff of a piece on a truth already universally acknowledged by any Janeite worth their weight in syllabub. *yawn* We still like seeing wet shirt Darcy and enjoyed the history of his on screen persona thank you very much!

Why Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice still has appeal 200 years on

Professor Karen O’Brien, Austen expert, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) and Professor of English Literature at the University of Birmingham, explains why Pride and Prejudice’s appeal has spanned two centuries – and is still growing.

Pride and Prejudice is an enduring classic because it is really about the human instinct to pursue happiness, to insist that happiness is something we are all entitled to (no matter what the Lady Catherine de Bourghs of this world tell us) and to believe that those who are generous, affectionate and self-aware stand the best chance of becoming happy.

The love story is fundamentally about that path to self-awareness, and how a genuinely intimate relationship is a mutual journey in which we come to know ourselves, each other and the world.

We are reminded of Austen’s rub of Birmingham in Emma. I think they have forgiven her.

A Tweet Universally Acknowledged

How would the Netherfield ball play out on Twitter? Austenesque author Lynn Shepherd’s delightful imaginings of a Twitter feed if the Bennet girls could tweet and Darcy could DM. Even Mr. Collins has his say. How he condensed his flowery soliloquies down to 140 characters is quite a feat.

Following in Jane Austen’s Footsteps: Discover Novelist’s England

A video look at Chatsworth House, the famous grand manor in Derbyshire that many believe was Jane Austen’s inspiration for Pemberley, Mr. Darcy’s estate in Pride and Prejudice. Ooo, we are always awed by its magnificence and are reminded of this passage from chapter 43:

Elizabeth’s mind was too full for conversation, but she saw and admired every remarkable spot and point of view. They gradually ascended for half a mile, and then found themselves at the top of a considerable eminence, where the wood ceased, and the eye was instantly caught by Pemberley House, situated on the opposite side of a valley, into which the road with some abruptness wound. It was a large, handsome stone building, standing well on rising ground, and backed by a ridge of high woody hills; and in front a stream of some natural importance was swelled into greater, but without any artificial appearance. Its banks were neither formal nor falsely adorned. Elizabeth was delighted. She had never seen a place for which nature had done more, or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by an awkward taste. They were all of them warm in their admiration; and at that moment she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!

Janeites: The curious American cult of Jane Austen

BBC News interviewed Janeites and scholars about the phenomenon of Pride and Prejudice and Jane’s fame here in America including blog mistress and author Myretta Robens of The Republic of Pemberley, professor of English Literature at Princeton University and esteemed Austen scholar Claudia L Johnson, and me. Yes, you read that correctly. ME. In our best imitation of Mr. Collins, we were very humbled that the esteemed BBC condescended to interview us on such an auspicious occasion.

Which—leads me to my own personal Pride and Prejudice 200 encounter at work on Wednesday with a non-Janeite sent on an errand by his teenage daughter.

Customer: Do you have a copy of Pride and Prejudice?
Me: *smiles* Why yes, we have several editions. Is this a gift or for yourself?
Customer: It’s for my 14-year old daughter who has never had an interest in reading classics before. She gave me this news article and asked for this book too, written by some Jane Austen cultist who lives in our hometown of Snohomish.
Me: *Nods in stunned silence. Looks at article.* Yes, I am familiar with the article and the book.
Customer: Really? What a coincidence!
Me: Monday was the bicentenary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice. It was all over the media and television. *walks customer over to Austen shelf in fiction and then to anthologies for Jane Austen Made Me Do It.
Customer: *points at cover of Jane Austen Made Me Do It* Do you know anything about this book?
Me: *pregnant pause* I do. I am the Jane Austen cultist who lives in Snohomish.
Customer: *Stares in stunned silence and then laughs loudly*
Me: *calmly smiles* I hope she enjoys both books!
Customer: *still laughing, he nods his thanks and walks away*

Happy bicentenary Pride and Prejudice!

If you would like to continue the celebration with us here at Austenprose, please join The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013. We are reading Jane Austen’s classic and many Austen-inspired sequels, viewing movie adaptations and other diverting entertainments with great giveaway prizes all year long.

Cheers,

Laurel Ann

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Darcy’s Decision: Given Good Principles Volume 1, by Maria Grace

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, tagged Books, Darcy's Decision, Fiction, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Maria Grace, Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice, Reading on 12 January 2013 | 11 Comments »

From the desk of Jeffrey Ward

For 200 years, I suspect many enthralled readers of Pride and Prejudice have silently pondered the question “What would Darcy do?” Author Maria Grace endeavors to put her own spin on this with her debut prequel novella Darcy’s Decision, in her Given Good Principles trilogy.

Spanning a brief but significant moment in time, the main gist of the story deals with Darcy’s rival Mr. Wickham, his demands for a living, and his alleged compromising of Georgiana and how young Mr. Darcy finally deals with it.

It is six months following the death of his father and Fitzwilliam Darcy struggles with how to honorably and properly manage the vast holdings of Pemberley, care for his 15 year old rapidly-maturing teenage sister, and deal with the prickly problem of one Mr. Wickham –his boyhood friend who shows up to claim the curacy that was thought promised to him by Darcy’s father. A dinner at Pemberley with some cherished neighbors, the Bingleys, Georgiana, the newly-appointed curate John Bradley and Mr. Wickham reveals the complications Darcy is up against: (Georgiana speaking of Wickham)

“You came to pay your respects?” Lackley dabbed his chin with his napkin. “No, he did not.” Everyone gasped, staring at Georgiana. “Stop it!” Rebecca hissed, reaching for Georgiana’s hand. “He was promised the living given to Mr. Bradley.” A hush fell over the table. Darcy’s pulse thudded in his temples as the blood drained from his face.

With admirable originality the author has created a morality drama with Biblical undertones stressing mercy, forgiveness, and what makes a man truly great. She showcases the familiar well-loved characters of Pride and Prejudice quite accurately: Darcy, Wickham, Richard Fitzwilliam, the Bingleys, Mrs. Reynolds, as well as introducing her own cast of loveable loyal neighbors and old family friends. Chief among these is John Bradley, the vital mentor to both Darcys – father and son. The wise old Clergyman counsels young Darcy and the dialogue is beautiful in its timeless truth:

“I am not like him.”Darcy grimaced and swallowed hard against the rising bile. “I lack his wisdom, his discernment.” But you were given good principles, the ones your father stood.” The wind whipped his coattails and scoured his face. “Are they enough?” “He found them so.” Bradley clapped his shoulder.

But as Darcy reads his father’s private journals, a shocking confession is uncovered which will test the young man’s mettle and may change forever his attitude towards his late father and young Darcy’s relationship with his immediate family.

No Elizabeth? Sorry, but I believe she makes her appearance in the author’s trilogy installment #2 – The Future Mrs. Darcy. Until then, the romantic interest in this tale features the obnoxious Caroline Bingley as she sets her cap at poor Fitzwilliam. The off-and-on banter between Darcy, Charles Bingley, and Richard Fitzwilliam regarding how and who they may find as wives is utterly charming and really sets the stage for #2 in the author’s trilogy.

At scarcely 120 pages, the author still manages to lavish her debut work with historical accuracy, helpful footnotes, and scintillating dialogues. The author’s unique voice is most apparent in her descriptions of facial expressions, posturing, gestures, and mannerisms. A scene where Wickham is bound up and is being interrogated by Darcy and his buddies is so vivid and comical that I was in raptures mentally visualizing the entire episode.

About the only minor criticism I can level against this work is the character of Georgiana who Jane Austen describes in chapters 44 and 45 of Pride and Prejudice as exceedingly shy and quiet. This author’s Georgiana, on the other hand, is quite the feisty outspoken teenage girl, but I suppose that can be excused off as the emotional frustration of no longer being a girl, but not quite a woman yet.

I found Darcy’s Decision richly entertaining with a very plausible variation on “what if?” If Darcy doesn’t wear the mantle of hero yet with you, dear readers, I predict he will once you finish this read. Next stop? The Future Mrs. Darcy, or course!

4 out of 5 Regency Stars

Darcy’s Decision: Given Good Principles Volume 1, by Maria Grace
Good Principles Publishing (2011)
Trade paperback (154) pages
ISBN: 978-0615582771

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The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013

Posted in Blog Events, Reading Challenges, The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013, tagged Book Blogs, Books, Elizabeth Bennet, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Jane Austen, Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice, Reading, Regency era, The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013 on 31 December 2012 | 374 Comments »

The Pride Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge (2013) 2013 is a celebratory year for the legion of Jane Austen fans. It marks the bicentenary of her second published novel, Pride and Prejudice.

For two hundred years we have been enjoying her romantic, dramatic, and witty story filled with memorable characters – the Bennet sisters: angelic Jane, spirited Elizabeth, pedantic Mary, impressionable Kitty and impetuous Lydia; and the men in their lives: amiable Charles Bingley, charming Lt. George Wickham, and the proud Mr. Darcy. There is so much to praise in Jane Austen’s most popular novel which has inspired many movie adaptations, book sequels and spinoffs. In its honor, we are very pleased to announce another reading and viewing challenge for our readers:

The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013

We had a fabulous year here in 2011 during The Sense and Sensibility Bicentenary Challenge and are pleased to offer another new challenge for Pride and Prejudice. If you have not read Jane Austen’s masterpiece (or would like to revisit it in honor of its special anniversary), seen all of the movies, or read all of the sequels and spinoffs, this is the year to join the challenge along with other Janeites, historical fiction, Regency romance, and period drama movie lovers.

Challenge Details

Time-line: The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013 runs January 1, through December 31, 2013.

Levels of participation: Neophyte: 1 – 4 selections, Disciple: 5 – 8 selections, Aficionada: 9 – 12 selections.

Enrollment: Sign up’s are open until July 1, 2013. First, select your level of participation. Second, copy the Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013 graphic and include it in your blog post detailing the novels or movies that you commit to reading and watching in 2013. Third, leave a comment linking back to your blog post in the comments of this announcement post. If you do not have a blog you can still participate. Just leave your commitment to the challenge in the comments below.

Check Back Monthly: The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013 officially begins on Wednesday, January 9th, 2013 with my review of the Naxos Audiobooks edition of Pride and Prejudice, read by Emilia Fox. Check back on the 2nd Wednesday of each month for my next review in the challenge.

Your Participation: Once the challenge starts, leave a comment in my monthly post including the book, movie, television, or web series that you finished and a link to your blog review. If you do not have a blog, just leave a comment in the monthly post about what you did read or view with a brief reaction or remark. It’s that easy. (To clarify, the post you are reading right now if the announcement and sign-up post for the challenge. Leave your reviews in future monthly posts as the year progresses.)

Resources: Since there are literally hundreds of Pride and Prejudice prequels, sequels, re-tellings, variations, mysteries and paranormal novels – both historical and contemporary – now in print or digital format, and many film adaptations to choose from on DVD or online, I will not begin to list all the possible choices that you could select for this challenge. Many are available for purchase through online book and DVD retailers. Some of the movies can also be rented and viewed on your own tablet, computer or television. Your local library is also an excellent resource.

My Choices: I have decided to start off the challenge by honoring the origins of our challenge by listening to an audio book of Pride and Prejudice, and then revisit or discover many early and classic sequels that I read many years ago, or have been on my TBR list for years. We will end the year with a TBA novel inspired by Pride and Prejudice that is new this year. Here is my list of my 12 selections:

My Reading & Viewing Schedule:

Wed Jan 09 – Pride and Prejudice (Naxos Audiobooks), by Jane Austen, read by Emilia Fox (2005)
Wed Feb 13 – Celebrating Pride and Prejudice: 200 Years of Jane Austen’s Masterpiece, by Susannah Fullerton
Wed Mar 13 – Pemberley, or Pride and Prejudice Continued, by Emma Tennant (1993)
Wed Apr 10 – Mr. Darcy’s Diary, by Amanda Grange (2006)
Wed May 08 – Pride and Prejudice BBC/PBS miniseries (1980)
Wed Jun 12 – Presumption: An Entertainment: A Sequel to Pride and Prejudice, by Julia Barrett (1995)
Wed Jul 10 – Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma, by Diana Birchall (2004)
Wed Aug 14 – Pride and Prejudice A&E/BBC miniseries (1995)
Wed Sep 11 – Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife, by Linda Berdoll (2004)
Wed Oct 09 – Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Last Man in the World (A Pride and Prejudice Variation), by Abigail Reynolds (2010)
Wed Nov 13 – Pride & Prejudice Universal Studios movie (2005)
Wed Dec 11 – TBA new Pride and Prejudice-inspired novel

I hope you can join us. It shall be a wonderful year reading Pride and Prejudice, and visiting all of its varied offshoots.

Cheers,

Laurel Ann

The beautiful Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013 graphic was designed by the very talented Katherine Cox of November’s Autumn

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Sons and Daughters: Darcy and Fitzwilliam Book Two, by Karen Wasylowski – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, tagged Book Reviews, Books, Darcy and Fitzwilliam, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Karen V. Wasylowski, Mr. Darcy, Reading, Sons and Daughters on 12 December 2012 | 7 Comments »

From the desk of Shelley DeWees

Care for a slice of dialogue? I promise that you’ll find it irresistibly juicy, bursting to the seams with wit and character. This is Karen Wasylowski’s work, after all, and you may still have the lingering juices from her first book Darcy and Fitzwilliam on your tongue. It tasted like Pride and Prejudice, but more tangy, more modern, more real (if you haven’t read it, you should, posthaste). This is totally worth the indulgence. Go ahead. Live a little.

Just then the door opened and in walked Fitzwilliam Darcy.

            “Darcy! It’s about time you arrived!”

            “Wonderful to see you as well, Fitz.” Darcy then turned to O’Malley. “Hello, Patrick. Good to see you, how is Mrs. O’Malley?”

            “Grand, sir. Just grand, and, I thank you for askin’. She’s got a proper cap to wear now she does, enjoys bossin’ around her new maid.”

            Fitzwilliam slammed a cup down to kill a roach.

            “Excellent news, and well deserved I might add. And the boys? Getting quite tall I’ll warrant.”

            “Growin’ like weeds, they are, another on the way and, again, so good of you to inquire.” Patrick swept away the dead bug with his hand then wiped his hand on his trousers.

            “My, aren’t you two delightful? A regular Tristan and Isolde without all that lovely prose to distract the mind. Well, as much as I hate to break up this heartwarming tableau I’m famished and you’re nearly a quarter hour late, Darcy.”

            “And you’re in a foul mood. Has he been like this all day, Patrick?”

            “Naw. Most time, he’s worse.” Patrick then turned and left before he was sacked once again.

Brazen, boyish Fitzwilliam stands in stark contrast to his upstanding cousin, Darcy of Pemberley, of Pride and Prejudice, of the deepest wanderings of all your Colin-Firth-look-a-like fantasies of fiction male stardom. Next to a man like that, Fitzwilliam appears undignified, unmannered, even silly — totally real. Fitzwilliam isn’t like other male characters in Austen and Austenesque literature, because he isn’t a courtly, noble person yet remains on the side of good. He’s as unlikely to hurt someone as Georgiana Darcy, and far more apt to offer you a toast of health and good cheer. Sure, he’s doing it with a foul mouth and an attitude fit for a brothel, but who cares? Charming and enthusiastic, Fitzwilliam is a breath of fresh air. Darcy is…well, Darcy. All that you love of him, and more, but unsurprisingly nice. His stately, composed personality makes up for all of Fitzwilliam’s shortcomings, which is perhaps why the two make such a wondrous pair in Sons and Daughters, the second installment in the series from Karen Wasylowski.

The early portions of the story find Darcy doing his Darcy thing, wandering around his lovely homes and out into London to meet people and talk about stuff. He pays his bills, meets his solicitors, goes “on up to Parliament” and around to see his deliciously-styled Aunt Catherine who is fabulously, unapologetically drunk on “medicinal liquid” most of the time. I can’t help but see Judi Dench and a big pile of frosted grey hair, but what’s better than that? Nothing. Nothing is better than Lady Catherine de Bourgh, especially as seen through the brilliant character depiction that Karen Wasylowski employs. Fitzwilliam is another one of these creations, though he finds himself with much less time on his hands. As the Surveyor General, he is busy and overtaxed (hence the snarky attitude) but still manages to find time to hang out with his wife and family.

And believe me, that includes plenty of people. Darcy and lovely Elizabeth (who remains a back-burner voice in this interpretation — don’t be surprised) have a respectable number of offspring with a respectable, quiet life and a respectable, quiet group of helpers around them. Their kids are sweet, generous, and well-spoken. But of course, Fitzwilliam’s brood stands in contrast, both in numbers and in personalities. While Darcy’s children are playing the pianoforte and researching Chinese history, Fitz’s are monkeying around like hoodlums, dropping bags of flour from 3rd-story windows, sliding down banisters, and causing their parents untold amounts of torment. It goes so far that by the end of the book, I determined that Fitz and Amanda are bloody bad parents.

But remember, this is Karen Wasylowski’s work. She’s the master of modern Austen, unafraid to throw in little gems and goodies like these. The faults of the parents become the faults of the children in the real world, and such is the case here. You’ll find yourself stunned at the lack of discipline and responsibility from Amanda and Fitz’s crazy children, the end of the book exploding with the bad behavior and carelessness that only ungoverned children can enact (now that they’re grown, you see, the cracks in their foundations really begin to show).

It’s a refreshing ride through Austen territory, but not your typical trip at all. You’ll find bits of tradition, sure, but I found myself scratching my head at their placement, almost like they were included as a token gesture to those who search for them. Everyone seems to live the same life over and over, cooling in passions and slackening in pursuits as the years mount, forcing the narrative to focus on the offspring simply to find something interesting again! This tiresome path simply didn’t fit alongside the edgy, flashy prose. However, I was consistently kept afloat by Ms. Wasylowski’s excellent skill as a writer. She is a gifted storyteller with exceptional talent, especially with character development. Sons and Daughters won’t leave you wanting! Saddle up and don’t forget your boots!

4.5 out of 5 Regency Stars

Sons and Daughters: Darcy and Fitzwilliam Book Two, by Karen V. Wasylowski
CreateSpace (2012)
Trade paperback (416) pages
ISBN: 978-1480002913

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Fifty Shades of Mr. Darcy: A Parody, by William Codpiece Thwackery – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, tagged Book Blogger, Book Review, Fiction, Fifty Shades of Mr. Darcy, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy, Parody, Reading on 14 November 2012 | 22 Comments »

From the desk of Christina Boyd.

Fifty Shades of Mr. Darcy is described as “A titillating mash-up of an erotic bestseller and a romantic classic, peppered with puns.” As an unabashed reader of anything Jane Austen, or Pride & Prejudice… as well as a blushing, shameless fan of E. L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey, I confess, my curiosity was peaked. How could it not? In a literary world of sequels, prequels and what ifs, it was but a foregone conclusion that someone would lampoon these two bestsellers together. Contrived by a writer with a silly nom de plume, William Codpiece Thwackery, how could this be anything but a hoot? (Warning: Spoilers.)

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good riding crop must be in want of a pair of bare buttocks to thrash.” Eh-hem. And that is how we find Elizabeth Bennet, tied to Mr. Darcy’s bedposts, flashing back to how she came to such a moment… Mrs. Bennet, now on her 4^th husband, Billy Bob Bennett—she previously bonked to death his predecessors (Thwackery’s word choice, not mine) announces to her family, “I have heard that both men are considerably well endowed. Both have huge packages…” Unlike Austen’s irrepressible Elizabeth who possesses a dry wit, enjoys spotting a fool, and refuses to be taken lightly, this Elizabeth is not even offended by Mr. Darcy’s initial slight; she does at least resist her mother’s pleas to don a leather mini-dress. “If Mr. Darcy considers himself above our station, I can understand it. After all, our stepfather has but two thousand pounds a year, and Mr. Darcy is a man of vast wealth, and well known for his charitable works.” One of which is his support of unwed mothers in a business venture called Hooters. It was immediately apparent that this course, vulgar farce was simply going for shock value. And the mixing of modern with Regency made utterly no sense. But I soldiered on.

In addition to the burlesque plunder of Austen’s beloved Darcy & Elizabeth and Bennet family, a train wreck of meanly written characters are hijacked from both novels. Elizabeth’s Subconscious and “Inner Slapper” continually argue whether Mr. Darcy is in fact gay. Bingley’s sisters have become Looseata and Carrotslime. Mr. Darcy’s grand estate, Pemberley is now “Memberle y.” Lady Catherine is a dominatrix over Mr. Darcy. Christian Grey’s helicopter, Charlie Tango is now a hot-air balloon. Mr. Wickham has become Mr. Wackem who has a penchant for hiring maidens as his unpaid interns in his publishing company. And Mr. Collins is Phil Collins. Yes, that Phil Collins the rock star who used to be in the band Genesis.

Unlike the kinky, sexual prowess of the hero (or antihero) of Fifty Shades, Christian Grey, this Darcy flogs Elizabeth with no more than a toothbrush and an unfolded newspaper, leaving her wondering what all the bondage hype was about. (Me too, girlfriend. Me, too.) Elizabeth often broke the third wall expressing such nonsense as, “… I must beg your forgiveness. It is somewhat confusing being in a mash-up of two very different novels.” I might inquire why, with so evident a design of offending and insulting, Thwackery chose to self-deprecate? For me, his humour fell short. “She could feel his grey eyes burning into her, like red-hot pokers stirring her desire. The more they poked, the higher her flames of longing rose, until the metaphor exploded in a burst of sparks and badly written prose.”

“‘I have many vices,’ Mr. Darcy said huskily. ‘My libido, for one, I dare not vouch for. It is, I believe, too little yielding.’ ‘That is a failing indeed!’ cried Elizabeth. ‘Implacable lust is a shade in a character.’ ‘I have many shades, Miss Bennet,’ said Mr. Darcy. ‘About fifty, last time I counted.’” I suppose the occasional mash-up of Austen and James’ famous lines were droll enough, however, it turns out that like Elizabeth, I was misled. “‘You encouraged me to believe that “fifty shades” referred to your complex, multi-layered personality. Not… not this.’ Fifty lampshades? It was just a bad joke.” Yep, he was hiding a room full of lampshades. Badly done. Badly done joke indeed.

I’m all for diverting, quick-witted satire but indubitably, buffoonery is in the eye of the beholder. I found myself questioning my own sense of humour, that maybe my funny bone wasn’t evolved enough to catch the satirical tone. Despite the execution of purple prose mimicking E.L. James’ generous and often redundant adjectives, as well as the plethora of puns on characters, places and sex acts, Fifty Shades of Mr. Darcy seems simply an over long collection of random absurdities and lewd wise cracks. In reviewing this, I was most diligent in my search to be able to use Christian Grey’s line of, “Good point, well made.” I was about to remark on the eye catching cover… but then it was pointed out to me that the boots aren’t even Regency-era Hessians but army field boots from the late Victorian age. (Later Darcy’s boots are described as Cuban heeled riding boots. What? Me too. I was befuddled at every turn.) Shame on William Codpiece Thwackery’s attempt to profit by slovenly satirizing Jane Austen’s timeless classic, Pride and Prejudice and E.L. James’ uber pop-culture phenom, Fifty Shades of Grey and then hiding behind a pasquinade nom de plume. He deserves at least 20 lashes with a wet noodle.

And what about Austen’s happily ever after? Well, yes. Lizzy does end up with the billionaire (why she would ever want this one, still is beyond me) but I will NEVAH be able to get back the 3 ½ hours of my life spent slogging through this obscenely boorish excuse for a parody. I can only imagine a jocular bunch sitting around drinking and throwing out nonsense as someone typed — really need to be fall down, sloppy drunk to find any humour. Real writers will be offended. And readers will be mad for buying it. The P&P and Zombies books was far superior. My apologies for the spoilers, but hopefully the spoilers will be all you ever subject yourself to reading. (I got my advanced copy electronically via NetGalley.)

1 out of 5 Regency Stars

Fifty Shades of Mr. Darcy: A Parody, by William Codpiece Thwackery
Michael O’Mara Books (2012)
Trade paperback (192) pages
ISBN: 9781843179962

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Vote for your favorite Pride and Prejudice-inspired book

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, tagged Books, Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy, Polls, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice Sequels, Reading on 10 November 2012 | 20 Comments »

Poll

Which is your favorite Pride and Prejudice-inspired book? We have added 15 popular choices to start the poll off, but please add your favorite so that it can be considered. Cast your vote today!

Mr. Darcy’s Diary (Jane Austen Heroes, #1)
An Assembly Such as This (Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman #1)
The Other Mr. Darcy
Mr Darcy’s Daughters
The Trouble with Mr. Darcy: Pride and Prejudice Continues..
Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife: Pride and Prejudice Continues (Darcy & Elizabeth, #1)
Mr. Darcy’s Obsession
Darcy’s Passions: Pride and Prejudice Retold Through His Eyes
Mr. Darcy’s Secret
The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy
The Darcys of Pemberley: The Continuing Story of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
Mr. Darcy’s Proposal
The Pemberley Chronicles (The Pemberley Chronicles, #1)
Mr. Darcy’s Little Sister
The Darcys & the Bingleys: A Tale of Two Gentlemen’s Marriages to Two Most Devoted Sisters (Pride and Prejudice Continues, # 1)

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Giveaway Winners Announced for Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, tagged Books, Giveaways, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy, Reading, Sally Smith O'Rourke, Swag, Yours Affectionately Jane Austen on 11 October 2012 | 2 Comments »

27 of you left comments qualifying you for a chance to win one of three digital copies available of Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen. The winners drawn at random are:

Melissa Cecilia who left a comment on October 2, 2012
historia who left a comment on October 3, 2012
Lynn F. who left a comment on October 5, 2012

Congratulations to all the very lucky winners! To claim your prize, please contact me with your full name and address by October 17, 2012. Digital download internationally.

Many thanks to Sally Smith O’Rourke for her guest blog and to all who left comments. Happy reading to the winners!

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Recap of the Northwest Bookfest 2012

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, Jane Austen Made Me Do It, tagged Books, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy, Northwest Bookfest, Reading on 28 September 2012 | 9 Comments »

or…how four Austenesque authors had so much fun that they became the party spot at the Northwest Bookfest in Kirkland last weekend. Yep. Darn if Mr. Darcy doesn’t bring out the party girl in all of us!

The Northwest Bookfest is a wonderful two-day event in Kirkland, Washington highlighting Pacific Northwest authors. You can read my preview of the festivities here.

My fellow booth-mates Shannon Winslow, Susan Mason-Milks and Jenni James and I certainly had a grand time chatting to attendees about our Jane Austen obsession and our books: The Darcys of Pemberley, Mr. Darcy’s Proposal, Pride and Popularity and Jane Austen Made Me Do It. It was wonderful to connect with readers. We met some die-hard Austen addicts who bought each of our books, converted a few new readers and even convinced a few husbands to buy books for their wives, mothers and daughters for the holidays. The funniest comment of the event was from a women who thanked Shannon for killing off Mr. Collins in the beginning of The Darcys of Pemberley! However, our talent, charm and social skills were no match for the incredible draw of the highlight of our booth…a two foot by three foot poster of the man himself, Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy! The reaction by the attendees was incredible. You’ve never seen so many women (of all ages) squeal in delight and promptly accept our offer to have their photo taken with him!

Besides spending two days with three talented and very funny ladies, I have many fond memories of the event. Here are my highlights:

When I arrived on Sunday, my curiosity got the better of me when I noticed a photographer and his assistant standing in the parking lot. I was determined to meet him and enlisted Jenni as my wingman to help me find out if there was a publicity angle for us. After running after them and introducing ourselves, he graciously told us he was on assignment with Time Magazine for an article on self-publishing. Like the good publicist that I am, I told him that we were a group of Austen-inspired authors who had a booth at the festival and two of our authors were self-published. He was very kind and said he would visit later. You never know if people tell you this to get rid of you, but, he did arrive about an hour later. (What a gentleman in the true Darcy spirit!) We had a wonderful time chatting with Chris Hornbecker, a Portland photographer who is searching for a publisher for his project 1 Millimeter a Day. We sweet talked him into taking our photo. Who knows if we will be in Time Magazine, but my publisher certainly can’t accuse me of not giving it my all. “England expects that every man will do his duty.” – Lord Nelson

Author Susan Mason-Milks

Author Shannon Winslow

Author Jenni James

All three of my fellow members of Team Austenesque have written companion blogs about our experience. You can visit Shannon, Susan and Jenni to read their perspective of the two-day event. Suffice it to say, I knew that our little group had really made it when I overheard two ladies standing by the Eastside Romance Writers booth say that the Austenesque Authors booth was the party spot of the festival. As I blushed 50 shades of red, I realized “mission accomplished.” We had brought Jane to the masses and had a rippin’ grand time.

Monday afternoon Susan, Jenni and I went to Pike Place Market and had lunch at the Athenian Restaurant made famous in the Sleepless in Seattle movie. After browsing through jewelry booths and gawking at the beautiful flower stalls, I spied the Made in Washington store. We had to stop by because one of my reviewers Christina Boyd is a ceramic artist. We found her beautiful wares on display front and center and were awed by this incredible salmon platter. Wow, Janeites are multi-talented!

Many thanks to Shannon, Susan and Jenni for such a memorable weekend of Janeness. I am so looking forward to working on the four novella anthology that we dreamed up in between customers. You ladies are the best.

Cheers,

Laurel Ann

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The Journey, by Jan Hahn – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, tagged Book Blogger, Book Reviews, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice on 29 February 2012 | 11 Comments »

Reviewed by Christina Boyd

At last, at last. It’s arrived at last. Fans of Jan Hahn, author of An Arranged Marriage, winner of 2011 Best Indie Book award by Austenprose, have been all anticipation for the release of The Journey.

This Pride & Prejudice twist begins shortly after the Netherfield Ball. After Miss Elizabeth Bennet refuses the toady Mr. Collins’ marriage proposal, Elizabeth escapes her carping mother and journeys to London for a visit with her aunt and uncle Gardiner at Gracechurch street. Reluctantly she travels with Mr. Bingley’s conceited, boorish sisters and the aloof, prideful Mr. Darcy, when suddenly highwaymen halt their carriage. Nate Morgan, handsome outlaw and leader of this band of thieves, on impulse abducts Elizabeth for his own diversion. Chivalrously Darcy offers himself as pawn in her stead, however, this scheme falls short –and to everyone’s astonishment, Darcy proclaims Elizabeth his wife!

Under the charade as a married couple, Elizabeth and Darcy await their ransom, imprisoned together in a sparse room with ONE, scant blanket. Scandalous, indeed! Told in the first person narrative through Elizabeth’s eyes, their relationship must fast-forwarded ahead of the original Pride & Prejudice because of the forced, intimate circumstances endured for their very survival. After deprivation of restful sleep, days of duress in captivity and constant togetherness, Elizabeth does not know what she (or Darcy for that matter) is about. She knows of Darcy’s “arrogance, conceit, selfish disdain for the feelings of others,” his mistreatment of Wickham and his meddling with the happiness of her beloved Jane and Mr. Bingley… Add to her tumult of emotions, Elizabeth seems to be suffering a touch of Stockholm Syndrome (behavior of kidnap victims who, over time, become sympathetic to their captors.) “‘Morgan rescued me. I am much obliged to him.’ ‘Obliged! To that criminal? I fear that your admiration of the highway’s appearance may have robbed you of your good sense! Or perhaps you relished the close embrace necessary for such transport.’ ‘Mr. Darcy, your suspicions are beyond annoyance. I pray you remember that you play the role of my husband, but in truth, I am not your wife.’” p. 54. And Morgan, skeptical of this marriage, is roguishly, fine. I confess, I might have been a little susceptible to his charms myself. A very little. “What I wouldn’t give to have met you a’fore Darcy did. If I’d wooed you, not even his riches would’ve proved tempting, for you would’ve know what ‘tis to be truly loved.” p. 59. On constant alert for possible escape, Darcy’s suspicions of Morgan with Elizabeth increase and can do little to hide his jealousy. And yet it’s Darcy’s constant wise, often tender manners during real peril that continue to plague Elizabeth’s heart. “Within moments of closing my eyes, I felt his hand gently lift my head, as he slipped his folded coat beneath it. ‘Allow me at least this trivial attempt at atonement for my previous blunders.’ I opened my mouth in protest, but he silenced me by lightly placing his fingers against my lips. ‘Just once, Miss Bennet, I pray you will favour me with a scarcity of your sharp tongue.’” p. 74.

However the abduction is only the first third of the novel. In London, Elizabeth’s reputation totters precariously on the edge of scandal and is dependent on the integrity of our champion– and even the rapscallion.

Austen’s Elizabeth, whom we all know and love, has always been spirited, clever, stubborn, and quick to misjudge, nevertheless also willing to acknowledge her blunders. In “The Journey” she not only realizes, “I am changed from the girl I was a week ago. The journey we were forced to endure has shown me the man’s true character, and I discovered the flaw in my own. I was deceived by my own prejudice.” p. 146, but her love for Darcy is so great, that she would rather forfeit her own satisfaction and honor to spare him from a marriage of expedience. I envy the mirth you will experience as she finally discovers what fools in love they have been!

Not only are there all the usual canon characters and their foibles, like Lydia’s disgrace with Wickham, Colonel Fitzwilliam’s loose lips, Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s unabashed bossiness… but the earnest scope and humour make for a captivating read. In my experience, many Pride and Prejudice alternate stories fail to hit the mark when an author forces scenarios from the Austen’s original work into an entirely improbable story… which unfortunately does nothing but make the reader furrow brows in cynicism and incredulity. Dear friends, that is not the case here. Hahn’s retelling cleverly sprinkles many of Austen’s most memorable lines and scenes through out—sometimes out of canon sequence- but still recognizable and justifiable to make this particular tale quite plausible. I laughed out loud at the continued absurdity of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, “But your arts and allurements may have made him forget what he owes to himself and to all his family. You may have used this kidnapping scheme to draw him in!” p. 161. Only Lady Cat could be so imperiously preposterous. Well maybe, Caroline Bingley… but I’ll ransom those gems for you to behold on your own!

Jan Hahn’s writing is top-notch, with vivid characters, lush story lines, and thorough research of the language and mores of Regency England. Using an economy of language while creating powerful and picturesque images, Hahn elegantly conveys Darcy and Elizabeth’s heart pounding passions while remaining respectful and not offending anyone’s sensibilities. I was excessively diverted whilst on “The Journey” and suspect you will be as well. Danger, daring and desire. How could you not?

5 out of 5 Regency Stars

The Journey, by Jan Hahn
Meryton Press (2011)
Trade paperback (264) pages
ISBN: 978-1936009152

Read Christina’s review of An Arranged Marriage, by Jan Hahn

Christina Boyd lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her dear Mr. B, two youngish children and a Chesapeake Bay Retriever named Bibi. She studied Fine Art at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Salisbury University in Maryland. For the last nine years she has created and sold her own pottery line from her working studio. Albeit she read Jane Austen as a moody teenager, it wasn’t until Joe Wright’s 2005 movie of Pride & Prejudice that sparked her interest in all things Austen. A life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, visiting Jane Austen’s England remains on her bucket list.
© 2007 – 2012 Christina Boyd, Austenprose

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Compulsively Mr. Darcy Blog Tour with Author Nina Benneton, & Giveaway!

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, tagged Books, Contemporary Romance, Elizabeth Bennet, Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice on 1 February 2012 | 94 Comments »

There are a lot of Mr. Darcy novels out there. Hundreds, in fact. Some are retellings of his side of Pride and Prejudice. Others continue his life at Pemberley after his marriage to Elizabeth Bennet, but, a new Mr. Darcy novel released today has an entirely new twist!

Please join us today in welcoming author Nina Benneton on the first stop in her blog tour in celebration of the release of her debut novel, Compulsively Mr. Darcy published this month by Sourcebooks. Nina has generously shared with us some insights on creating the novel, and offered a giveaway to three lucky readers.

I wish to thank Laurel Ann and Austenprose for inviting me to guest blog today. It’s an honor.

“There’s no one to touch Jane when you’re in a tight place.” – Rudyard Kipling, “The Janeites”

Reading and rereading Jane Austen’s works have gotten me out of a few “tight places” in my life.

To quote Lee Siegel in his article, A Writer Who is Good for You, (Atlantic Monthly, January 1998) “…few authors are at the same time so quietly fearsome and so intensely consoling.”

So quietly fearsome and so intensely consoling. That’s exactly how I experience Jane Austen’s works. As Siegel and the WWI soldiers in Kipling’s “The Janeites” did, I, too, have always found Austen’s writing soothing. Siegel’s words expressed better than I could my reason: “Austen’s sentences operate inwardly at once—they go into a quiet corner of the mind and out into the busy world.”

I love Austen’s stories for her characters. In particular, her secondary characters. Mrs. Norris in Mansfield Park, General Tilney in Northanger Abbey, Mr. Woodhouse in Emma, Mrs. Jennings in Sense and Sensibility, Sir Walter Elliot in Persuasion, and of course, Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. For years, the quirks of Austen’s secondary characters held me captive as a faithful reader. Their foibles and follies appealed to a particular defect in my own personality: my tendency toward irreverence. Austen’s heroes/heroines protagonists and antagonists and their so-called romance were simply plot devices to showcase how funny Sir Walter Elliot, Mr. Woodhouse and Mrs. Jennings were.

At first, Austen’s novels were not romance novels for me. To really escape from tight places, and to get that heart palpitating, swooning, shivering read of a romance, I read genre romance novels. Novels that weren’t assigned by high school English teachers. Novels with covers of women with bosoms more bodacious than mine. Novels with covers of men with hair longer than mine.

Then, during a particular “tight place” period a few years ago, on a shelf in my library, I stumbled across Jane Austen sequel books.

Be still my heart.

I read. I palpitated. I swooned. I shivered.

I searched for more of these stories, on shelves and then online. My space was no longer tight. My mind was no longer quiet. My soul was pierced by the romance of Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennet.

Mr. Darcy’s cropped locks, a la Brutus, replaced Fabio’s mullet. Miss Bennet’s spencer, demure yet still saucy, replaced bodacious bosoms.

Inspired by these writers’ interpretations of Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennet’s romance, I dipped my nib into ink.

A modern interpretation of Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennet’s romance appealed to me. To take beloved, iconic characters and infuse my own irreverent contemporary interpretation, while staying true to the joyful spirit of Austen’s work: what audacious challenge! To go to town on secondary characters: what bliss!

A collision of coincidences gave birth to the beginning setting of Compulsively Mr. Darcy. I’d discovered the addictive nature of reading tabloids at the same time I discovered the addictive nature of Jane Austen sequels.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had just adopted a Vietnamese orphan. What must that been like for the locals to have these rich and famous people come to adopt one of their own?

That’s just like the Netherfield gang arriving in Hertfordshire. The comic potential of Bingley & Darcy and company coming to Vietnam to adopt a trendy Hollywood baby sparked my muse.

I had some familiarity with international adoption and had traveled to Asia and to Vietnam a few years earlier for a visit, I had emotional geography—memory of the cacophony of noises as soon as one left the airport, memory of the zany sight of people riding bikes carrying chickens and pigs, memory of the hilarious sight of a ninety-pounds cyclo driver taxiing an American tourist three sizes his weight through dust-filled streets. Emotional geography is essential for a writer because the setting is truly another character in any story. I decided to begin the story in Vietnam. The city of Da Nang replaced Hertfordshire as the setting. Netherfield became Net Thi Phen resort. Marble Mountains replaced the woods at Rosings.

How to interpret and develop the heroine? From repeated readings of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, what struck me about her Elizabeth Bennet was how quick-to-judge she was, how assured she was in her snap judgment of people. I knew I wanted to explore that aspect of her characterization.

But how to get her to Vietnam? What would she be doing there? She needed to be more than a tourist. She needed a local, an “expat.”

Write what you know.

I had a classmate, Lisa, who grew up in a nice suburb near Berkeley, California. Lisa went to Africa to work with orphans afflicted with AIDS, and I’ve always admired her for that. Before going to Africa, Lisa had never even traveled beyond the hundred-mile radius of Berkeley (the center of the world to us Berkeley gals!). Lisa was the smartest girl in the class, and the most innocent, tender-heart person I knew. She’s still there. Lisa is Elizabeth. It’s fitting. I had to use her as inspiration for my Dr. Elizabeth Bennet.

I didn’t have a specialty for Dr. Elizabeth Bennet until an obsessive-compulsive Mr. Darcy came fully fleshed to me one day. It was sheet-and-blanket laundry day at home, and it occurred to me that, if I were traveling, I wouldn’t have to wash the sheets. My mind jumped to how well and how often hotel sheets were actually washed, at home and abroad, whether at the Super 8 motel near my home or in the four-star resorts in Asia. From my repeated reading of Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy, I had an impression of an alpha male who liked to be in control. I decided my hero Mr. Darcy would be control-freak who’d bring his own sheets to hotels.

If my Mr. Darcy was an OCD control-freak, then my Dr. Elizabeth Bennet had to be an infectious disease doctor who’s impulsive as heck to yin his yang.

And that was how Compulsively Mr. Darcy came to be written.

Author Bio: Nina Benneton was on her way to save the world and earn a Nobel Prize in something, anything, when her own Mr. Darcy and a bevy of beautiful children interrupted her plans. She woke up one day and saw she was too obsessive about alphabetizing her spices and searching for stray Barbie shoes. She turned to writing.

Her debut novel, Compulsively Mr. Darcy, earned a Best Book review from Long and Short Review, “Hands down…a must read for lovers and fans of classic romance.” Fresh Fiction Review called it a “tenderly written novel.” Publishers Weekly wrote, “Die-hard fans of everything Austen will enjoy this update of her classic tale.” Visit Nina at her website: Nina Benneton; Facebook: as Nina Benneton; Twitter: as @NinaBenneton; and at Austen Authors.

Giveaway of Compulsively Mr. Darcy

Enter a chance to win one of three copies of Compulsively Mr. Darcy, by Nina Benneton by leaving a comment stating what intrigues you about this new retelling of Pride and Prejudice, or which character in the original novel you love or hate, by 11:59 PT, Wednesday, February 15, 2012. Winner announced on Thursday, February 16, 2012. Shipment to US and Canadian addresses only. Good luck!

Compulsively Mr. Darcy, by Nina Benneton
Sourcebooks (2012)
Trade paperback (352) pages
ISBN: 978-1402262494
Nook: ISBN: 978-1402262500
Kindle: ASIN: B006IBFYGU

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Mr. Darcy’s Letter, by Abigail Reynolds – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, tagged Abigail Reynolds, Book Reviews, Books, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Darcy's Letter, Pride and Prejudice Sequels, Pride and Prejudice Variations on 18 January 2012 | 8 Comments »

Guest review by Christina Boyd

In this latest self-published offering from the Pride & Prejudice variation author, Abigail Reynolds’s, Mr. Darcy’s Letter responds to the query: What might have happened had Elizabeth Bennet never accepted Mr. Darcy’s letter that defended his actions in separating his friend from her sister and acquitted him of any cruelty toward Mr. Wickham? Reynolds’s poses a plausible scenario wherein Miss Elizabeth, conscious of society’s mores, refuses the risk of accepting this letter from a man, thus avoids the risk of being discovered and possibly forced to marry the last man in the world she could ever be prevailed upon. Consequently, she returns to Longbourn yet ignorant of Wickham’s debauchery and continues a dangerous acquaintance with that very scheming lothario and prevaricator. As in Jane Austen’s masterpiece, how could her former prejudices against Darcy ever be removed so that she would eventually comprehend that he was exactly the man who, in disposition and talents, would most suit her?

Of course, her revelation of Darcy’s goodness takes further discovery but by the time she realizes her blunder – Wickham elopes with Elizabeth’s youngest sister, Lydia. And then, Darcy arrives too late in Lambton to learn of the Bennet family’s disgrace! In an assembly of plot devices, misunderstandings, and misinterpretations, Reynolds artfully increases our suspense by illustrating the Bennets decline and how it taints Charles Bingley’s manners with Miss Jane Bennet. “‘Too many people know that her sister was seduced and abandoned, even if a marriage was eventually patched up somehow. It would never have been an equal match between Jane and me. She is a gentleman’s daughter, but her mother is not and now the family name is tainted.’” Oh, how Darcy’s own words from the previous autumn seem to have come back to bite him in the arse!

As much as I enjoyed the overall romance of another Darcy and Elizabeth re-imagining, I was rather disconcerted by Elizabeth. First she refuses his letter under the premise that a lady would never accept a letter from a gentleman she was neither related to nor betrothed. And yet, soon after Darcy and Elizabeth become engaged, they anticipate their vows? On a fainting couch in the corner of Darcy’s dressing room serving as his study while at Netherfield! “‘I want nothing more than to be your wife. I wish I were yours this very moment, and nothing would ever separate us again.’ She tightened her arms around his neck, pressing herself closer to him, as if trying to make herself part of his very essence.” Reynolds creates such a riot of emotions that this modern-day reader, I suppose, must forgive Elizabeth’s lascivious zeal – it is Mr. Darcy after all!

In classic Abigail Reynolds style, her latest steamy and sensual romance novel is agog with machinations to drive the story to its final happy conclusion. If reading about Elizabeth and Darcy sharing amorous favors before marriage is unsupportable, by all means, avert your eyes. However should it take more to get your knickers in a knot, Mr. Darcy’s Letter should not be cast aside! Enjoy!

4 out of 5 Regency Stars

Mr. Darcy’s Letter: A Pride and Prejudice Variation, by Abigail Reynolds
Intertidal Press (2011)
Trade paperback (262) pages
ISBN: 978-0615571416
Kindle: ASIN: B006G2E4XK
Nook: Not available

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His Good Opinion: A Mr. Darcy Novel, by Nancy Kelley – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, tagged Book Reviews, Books, His Good Opinion, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy, Nancy Kelley, Pride and Prejudice on 21 December 2011 | 9 Comments »

Guest review by Christina Boyd

Debut author Nancy Kelley’s self-published novel, His Good Opinion, A Mr. Darcy Novel, is the parallel story to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, told from this male protagonist’s point of view. Fatigued from London’s matchmaking mamas, Darcy never imagined a country miss could captivate him and yet, while visiting his good friend, Charles Bingley, that is exactly what occurs! The lovely Miss Elizabeth Bennet is everything he is not, warm and vivacious – and despite her poor connections, it is not long ere Darcy realizes he could be in real danger of Cupid’s arrow. Therefore Darcy arrogantly urges Bingley to give up his blossoming courtship with Elizabeth’s sister, extricating both from possible matrimonial misadventure, yet ironically, threatens to entomb all he loves in turmoil and regret as a result.

Upon his return to London, Darcy firmly attempts to put Elizabeth Bennet from his mind, but to his surprise, she is not so easily forgotten. “…and then she (Georgianna) sang a sweet country song of love and friendship. “Where have I heard this recently?” It was not until she reached the chorus that he knew — Elizabeth had sung the song at the Lucas’s party. He reached out to slam the door shut, but realized just in time that the sound would give away his eavesdropping. He dropped instead into a chair, his book lying on the floor, utterly forgotten. Georgianna continued to sing, but it was another’s voice he heard. He buried his face in his hands, but he could not erase the image of Elizabeth Bennet from his mind’s’eye.” p. 136

I enjoyed how Kelley allows us to see how Darcy misinterprets all his interactions with Elizabeth, as well as how he thought he was signaling his intentions, “‘When next you are in Kent, your stay will give you ample opportunity to become intimately acquainted with her ladyship’s ability to manipulate the lives of those around her.’ Her cheeks tinged with a faint pink that he felt sure was not merely a reflection of the sunrise. Darcy mentally reviewed his words and realized he had as good as said he expected her to stay at Rosings when next he was in Kent. His own color rose to match hers, but he held her gaze. Let her see my intent, he thought. It will not be long before I openly declare myself.” p. 175-176. Poor Darcy. If he had only known how his very presence vexed her!

Although there is much repetition of actual Austen dialogue and passages (of which I find infinitely preferable to when authors’ tweek Austen’s dialogue for no apparent reasoning,) Kelley’s own scene and dialogue additions were successful devices in showing us Darcy’s thought process. “Darcy wished very much to speak with Elizabeth; the difficulty was, he could not say any of the things he wished when they were in company. He looked over at her, and suddenly he knew exactly what he could say to direct the teasing away from himself. He sighed and glanced at Elizabeth and Richard. “You consider it ill-fortune to have met someone here who could expose all your faults—imagine my bad luck then, to always have my cousin with me.” p. 180 I appreciated that even at Rosings, Darcy was attempting to make himself more agreeable to Elizabeth. Even if he was the only one to notice at the time.

I especially loved when Lady Catherine comes to London to warn Darcy of the rumor that Miss Elizabeth Bennet is engaged to him, “‘You will take into account what I have told you? This Bennet creature is determined to have you, Darcy – take heed.’ Excitement rose in Darcy’s breast at the thought. ‘I shall indeed heed your words, Lady Catherine. You have been a tremendous help.’” p. 314 Ha, ha. Poor Lady Catherine. How she would hate to learn how her intelligence had been of infinite use to the future felicity of Darcy and Elizabeth!

Coming off the heels of the refreshing five star novel about a lesser known Austen hero, Henry Tilney’s Diary by Amanda Grange, I was somewhat apprehensive about reading yet another re-telling of Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy’s point of view. Because really, what more could be said that hasn’t all ready been written? ie. Grange’s Mr. Darcy’s Diary, Pamela Aiden’s Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman series, Mary Street’s The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Maya Slater’s The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy … and the list goes on. I must confess that the first few chapters did read a bit redundant. But I stayed the course, because it did appear a faithful narrative and perfectly harmless interpretation of Austen’s masterpiece, and lo and behold, as soon as Darcy left the environs of Hertfordshire, my interest was peaked. It seemed all of the sudden the author hit her stride and Darcy’s insights and meanderings as the story progressed became more acute and developed.

This proper re-telling of Austen’s classic of a cautionary tale about the evils of hasty judgement, as seen through the eyes of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, is charming. Nancy Kelley’s Darcy is very likeable, especially as we are witness to his failings and shortfalls – and how he later is resolved to become a better man, a man worthy of Elizabeth. His Good Opinion bears up well to its predecessors and I daresay, after reading it, you too will declare your good opinion for this first time author’s offering.

4 out of 5 Regency Stars

His Good Opinion: A Mr. Darcy Novel, by Nancy Kelley
Smokey Rose Press (2011)
Trade paperback (352) pages
ISBN: 978-0984731206

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Mr. Darcy, er, Colin Firth waxwork unveiled…

Posted in Jane Austen Inspired, tagged Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy, Colin Firth, Colin Firth Waxwork on 14 December 2011 | 10 Comments »

Okay, this requires no explanation!

Follow this link to watch the video at The Telegraph online!

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Mr. Darcy’s Bite, by Mary Lydon Simonsen – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, tagged Book Blogger, Book Reviews, Books, Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequel, Mary Lydon Simonsen, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Darcy's Bite, Paranormal Novel, Pride and Prejudice, Werewolves on 5 October 2011 | 17 Comments »

Guest review by Kimberly Denny-Ryder of Reflections of a Book Addict

What do you get when you cross Pride and Prejudice with werewolves? You get a dark and adventurous tale that follows Lizzy and Darcy as they grapple with a definite twist that has arisen in their relationship. This time, Mary Lydon Simonsen takes us on a journey where we follow our beloved couple as they encounter something that Jane could never have imagined when she originally put pen to paper.

Elizabeth Bennet is distraught. Fitzwilliam Darcy has been courting her for months and there is still no marriage proposal. Her mother, father, and even sister Jane keep pressuring her about what’s taking so long. Ready to give up on ever receiving a proposal, Darcy shows up begging Elizabeth to travel to Pemberley with him so that he can reveal a secret to her. If she doesn’t run away from him upon hearing this secret, then he’ll have a question for her. Nervous about what his secret is, Elizabeth agrees to the trip and makes the trek to Pemberley with him. Her first night at Pemberley, Darcy reveals that years earlier he was bitten by a werewolf and that for two days every month he turns into one himself. Elizabeth is shocked and cannot fathom all that she’s being told, yet promises to wait for him to return from his transformation before making a decision about their relationship. What will Elizabeth do when she sees Darcy in his wolf form? Will she stand by his side and marry him, or will she cut ties and end their relationship?

Having read Mr. Darcy Vampyre, by Amanda Grange and come away with a less than stellar opinion, I was super nervous at reading another Pride and Prejudice fan fiction novel that infused some type of supernatural beings within the plot. Fortunately, Simonsen has made this idea work with Mr. Darcy’s Bite, which seriously impressed me. Unlike another popular vampire work, Twilight, where werewolves appear because of vampires, Simonsen provides an actual realistic explanation for it. The novel is written with fabulous Gothic undertones, creating a dark and spooky reading atmosphere that grips you from cover to cover. The ending was my favorite part! So much so, that I immediately emailed Mary and asked her to write a sequel!

I really enjoyed the changes that Simonsen made to Darcy’s character. Shortly after his transformation we get to see a more playful Darcy that speaks his mind and teases Elizabeth about the things he can “sense” as a werewolf. In turn we see a different Elizabeth that isn’t so proud, and is willing to listen to the advice of those around her. Specifically, the advice of Darcy’s cousin Anne de Bourgh and his little sister Georgiana who are given larger parts, allowing the reader a new opportunity to get to know them!

For those of you who are nervous about dipping your toes into the paranormal fan fiction world, may I highly suggest that you start your journey with Mr. Darcy’s Bite? Not only does it top my JAFF list, but it’s pretty high up on my paranormal reading list as well. You won’t be disappointed!

5 out of 5 Regency Stars

Mr. Darcy’s Bite, by Mary Lydon Simonsen
Sourcebooks (2011)
Trade paperback (336) pages
ISBN: 978-1402250774

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Mr. Darcy’s Bite Blog Tour with author Mary Simonsen, & Giveaway

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, tagged Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Historical Romance, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mary Simonsen, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Darcy's Bite, Paranormal, Swag, Werewolves on 3 October 2011 | 46 Comments »

Halloween season is upon us, and that includes paranormal novels arriving to get us in the mood for the spooky holiday. Please join us today in welcoming author Mary Simonsen on her blog tour in celebration of the release of Mr. Darcy’s Bite a new paranormal Pride and Prejudice-inspired story published on October 1, 2011 by Sourcebooks. Mary has kindly shared her insights into her inspiration and research for our readers.

Hi Laurel Ann. It’s always good to be back on Austenprose, but today is especially significant. Not only do I have a new release, Mr. Darcy’s Bite, but today is my birthday. It’s one of those big ones that end in a zero. I won’t say how old I am, but I’m reading Social Security brochures.

I thought I might begin by sharing an excerpt from the prologue of Mr. Darcy’s Bite: The story opens with fourteen-year-old Darcy being bitten by a wolf in the Black Forest:

William retreated, but from a distance, the wolf followed him. With his heart pounding in his chest, he finally reached the road and could see the men working on the carriage. Before going in search of his father, he took one last look down the road and saw the wolf standing in plain view. Because of the full moon, the road was lit up as if it were daytime, leaving the female lupine completely exposed. Without thinking, William waved to her, and it was only then that she returned to the woods. The only conclusion he could draw was that she had wanted to make sure he was safe. But what kind of wolf did that?

You asked me to write about my inspiration for penning a werewolf novel. I had two motivations. The first was that I wanted to write a short-story for Halloween for a fan fiction site where I posted most of my stories, and it was appropriately titled “Mr. Darcy on the Eve of All Saints Day.” But the response was so great that I just kept writing. Before I knew it, my short story had become a full-length novel. It shows what a little encouragement can do.

My second motivation was to respond to another Darcy werewolf story. Although I applauded the author for creating a dark atmosphere, her Darcy and Elizabeth were not mine. In the first place, Darcy did not tell Elizabeth he was a werewolf before marrying her, and because of the threat of exposure, he had separated his bride from her family by bringing Elizabeth to a castle far, far away from Longbourn. In my mind, Darcy would not have done either of those things. So with sword (actually computer) in hand, I set about righting the wrong.

I did do some research for Mr. Darcy’s Bite, but after reading grisly stories about werewolves eating human flesh, I decided to go with my own concept of a werewolf. Most importantly, it was my goal to have Darcy remain true to the person Jane Austen had created. As such, Darcy’s honesty demanded that he inform Elizabeth of his other nature before they marry. At first, Elizabeth is horrified that the man she has fallen in love with howls at the moon and stalks deer, but her love is so strong she willingly agrees to share her life with a man who will leave her for two days during every full moon to become a part of the animal world.

Of course, there are difficulties—a she wolf within the community who has her eye on Darcy—and external threats. From the time when men told stories in caves, wolves have been the enemy. Because of their bad (and undeserved) reputation, the usual reaction to a population finding a wolf in their midst is to “kill the beast.” As a result, Darcy and Elizabeth must always be on their guard.

Despite the fur, fangs, and four legs, Mr. Darcy’s Bite is a love story. Adjustments are required, but what’s a little fur among friends?

Thanks again for having me at Austenprose.

Author Bio:

Mary Lydon Simonsen’s novels, Searching for Pemberley and The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy, were acclaimed by Publishers Weekly, RT Book Reviews, and Booklist. In her novels, the romance between Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet is told with a light touch and a sense of humor and presented as a battle of wits between two equals. She is well loved and widely followed on all the Jane Austen fan fiction sites with tens of thousands of hits and hundreds of reviews whenever she posts. She has also self-published a parody of Persuasion, Anne Elliot, A New Beginning, two Austen novellas, Mr. Darcy’s Angel of Mercy and For All the Wrong Reasons, and a modern romance, The Second Date, Love Italian-American Style. Mary lives in Peoria, Arizona. Visit Mary at her blog, on Facebook and as @bibliofilly on Twitter.

Giveaway of Mr. Darcy’s Bite

Enter a chance to win one of three copies of Mr. Darcy’s Bite by leaving a comment answering what intrigues you most about reading a paranormal version of Pride and Prejudice, or what characters or novels you would like to see Mary write about next, by midnight PT, Wednesday, October 19, 2011. Winner announced on Thursday, October 20, 2011. Shipment to US and Canadian addresses only. Good luck!

Mr. Darcy’s Bite, by Mary Simonsen
Sourcebooks (2011)
Trade paperback (336) pages
ISBN: 9781402250774

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Mr. Darcy’s Undoing Blog Tour with Author Abigail Reynolds: Excerpt & Giveaway!

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, tagged Abigail Reynolds, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Historical Romance, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice, Swag on 1 October 2011 | 48 Comments »

Please join us today in welcoming author Abigail Reynolds on her blog tour in celebration of the release of Mr. Darcy’s Undoing, a new Pride and Prejudice “what if” story published today by Sourcebooks. Abigail has kindly shared an exclusive excerpt from the novel for our readers. Here is her set-up to the scene…

In Mr. Darcy’s Undoing, Elizabeth and the Gardiners follow their original plan to travel to the Lake District, so there is no meeting at Pemberley. Instead, Darcy decides to return to Hertfordshire to court Elizabeth. Their first meeting is at another Meryton assembly where he dances with Elizabeth. She thinks him aware of her recent engagement, but he knows nothing of it. In this excerpt, he reflects back on their dance.

Excerpt of Mr. Darcy’s Undoing:

Darcy was cautiously pleased with how the evening was progressing. Although the degree of shock with which Elizabeth had greeted him had not been promising, she had agreed to dance with him, spoken with him with an air of comfort, and even teased him a little, if he was not mistaken. He had ached for her from the moment he saw her, standing by her sister with her back to the door, and the exquisite pleasure of touching her hand as they danced had only reinforced his desire to win her. He could not quite bring himself to dance with another woman so quickly, so instead determined to demonstrate his attention to her reproofs by conversing with her family. Unfortunately, the only member of her family then available was her mother. Taking a deep breath, he approached Mrs. Bennet, giving her his compliments and enquiring after her well-being.

His reception was initially cold and ceremonious, but he persisted in his civility, just keeping himself from rolling his eyes at some of Mrs. Bennet’s ridiculous manners. Soon, however, the compliment of having such a man’s attention outweighed her former anger towards him, and she began to take advantage of the opportunity to tell him all the news of the neighbourhood.

“My sister Phillips’ eldest son married last spring to Harriet Letsworth, and that was quite the occasion,” she said. With pride, she added her coup, “And you have no doubt heard, Mr. Darcy, of my daughter’s engagement.”

Darcy’s wandering attention snapped back to her at these words. Miss Bennet engaged? Bingley would be devastated, especially if the look on his face when he danced with her was anything to judge by. This was a disaster; it would certainly make matters more difficult for him with Elizabeth as well. He cleared his throat, trying to mask his reaction, and said, “Miss Bennet is engaged? No, I have not had the pleasure of hearing the news.”

“Oh, no, not Jane!” replied Mrs. Bennet distractedly, her eyes travelling with satisfaction toward the figure of Mr. Bingley. “No, it is Lizzy who is to marry Mr. Covington—ah, yes, he has just arrived. My daughter Lydia is unfortunately not with us tonight; she is visiting Colonel Forster’s wife in Devonshire.”

Darcy was struck by a sharp shock of pain and disbelief at her unexpected words. His Elizabeth, promised to another man? It could not be! The possibility had never so much as crossed his mind that she might look on some other man with favour—that she might refuse him again, yes, but marry another, and so quickly? How could this have happened? His eyes sought her out involuntarily where she stood conversing with several acquaintances, and the taste of bile rose in his throat. He forced himself to say, “I do not believe that I am acquainted with Mr. Covington.” But I know enough about him already to wish he had never taken the first breath of life! he thought darkly. “Not know him?” cried Mrs. Bennet disbelievingly. “Mr. Covington is master of Ashworth House, and a fine gentleman. Surely you must have met him last autumn, Mr. Darcy? There he is now.” With an embarrassing want of propriety, she pointed across the room to a well-built gentleman perhaps a few years younger than Darcy, with a handsome enough countenance though no particular claim to style, but fitting well into the company at hand. As Darcy watched with bitter jealousy, he approached Elizabeth and greeted her warmly, raising her hand to his lips.

Darcy’s eyes were fixed on Elizabeth, who welcomed the interloper with a somewhat absent smile, continuing her conversation and apparently including him without particular effort. Elizabeth, he thought despairingly.

Mr. Covington’s late arrival had not come as a surprise to Elizabeth; she knew he was quite busy at this season, and she was just as happy he had been absent during her dance with Darcy. She could not help but wonder what Darcy was thinking, if he had noticed the two of them together, and whether he was thanking heaven for his narrow escape. As Mr. Covington took her hand for the next dance, she braved a glimpse in his direction.

One look at his face told her something was terribly wrong. She saw her mother chatting away to him while he appeared oblivious, looking directly at Elizabeth. The realization suddenly hit her that he had not known of her engagement, that this was news to him; and a sudden wave of nausea passed over her. How cruel he must think she had been with her arch looks and teasing during their dances! She might not care for him, but he had been making a pronounced effort to be civil, and he did not deserve to be treated so. And what would Mr. Covington think if he knew she had been dancing with a gentleman who had loved her ardently and wanted to marry her? She felt heartily ashamed of herself, without quite knowing why.

Mr. Covington noticed her hesitation. “Are you well, Miss Bennet?” he asked with concern, noting her pallor.

Elizabeth swallowed. “Yes, quite well, sir,” she said. “Please, let us continue.”

End of excerpt…

I hope you enjoyed this visit with Darcy and Elizabeth! I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about Mr. Darcy’s Undoing or my other books.

Author Bio:

Abigail Reynolds is a lifelong Jane Austen enthusiast and a physician. Originally from upstate New York, she studied Russian, theater, and marine biology at Bryn Mawr College before deciding to attend medical school. She began writing Pride and Prejudice variations in 2001 to spend more time with her favorite characters. Her most recent releases are What Would Mr. Darcy Do? and an anthology of Pride and Prejudice stories, A Pemberley Medley. Abigail is a lifetime member of the Jane Austen Society of North America and lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of wild animals masquerading as pets. Her hobbies include beading, reading, and finding time to sleep. Website: Pemberley Variations; Blog: Austen Authors; Facebook: Abigail Reynolds and at Twitter: @AbigailReynolds

Giveaway of Mr. Darcy’s Undoing

Enter a chance to win one of three copies of Mr. Darcy’s Undoing, by asking Abigail a question about her new novel, or any of the novels in her Pemberley Variations series,by midnight PT, Wednesday, October 19, 2011. Winner announced on Thursday, October 20, 2011. Shipment to US and Canadian addresses only. Good luck!

Mr. Darcy’s Undoing, by Abigail Reynolds
Sourcebooks (2011)
Trade paperback (352) pages
ISBN: 978-1402240942

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The Deception at Lyme (Or, The Peril of Persuasion), by Carrie Bebris – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen Sequels Book Reviews, tagged Book Blog, Book Reviews, Books, Carrie Bebris, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Mysteries, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy, Mysteries, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, The Deception at Lyme on 28 September 2011 | 5 Comments »

Guest review by Christina Boyd

In Jane Austen’s Persuasion, the famed seawall of Lyme is perilous to the heedless, naïve Miss Louisa Musgrove, whose fall is a critical turning point in the original novel. But in award winning author Carrie Bebris’ new Austen-inspired mystery, The Deception at Lyme (Or, The Peril of Persuasion), the Cobb is indeed lethal.

Following their last adventure with Mr. & Mrs. Knightley in The Intrigue at Highbury (2010), this sixth installment of the critically acclaimed Mr. & Mrs. Darcy mystery series finds Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy, their toddler Lily Anne, as well as Miss Georgiana Darcy on holiday in Lyme. While at the famed seaside village, Mr. Darcy is set to collect the sea chest of his cousin of the Royal Navy, Gerard Fitzwilliam, who was killed in action aboard the Magna Carta three years prior. However, after the Darcys encounter the pregnant Mrs. Clay, who has suffered a serious injury from a fall at the base of the Cobb, their holiday turns topsy-turvy and once again the Darcys find themselves in the middle of peril and mystery. After a horrific delivery, the Darcys must discover which of the dead mother’s amours is the father of this newborn son– a baby, they soon learn whose very being endangers the legacy of one, and the character of the other. Was Mrs. Clay’s fall simply an unfortunate accident, or was she murdered? And why?

Added to this machination, Mr. Darcy uncovers evidence among his cousin’s personal effects, indicating he might also have been murdered. Fortunately, Darcy is aided by none other than the champion of Austen’s Persuasion, Captain Frederick Wentworth, to discover the truth of this young lieutenant’s death. Several unforgettable characters from Persuasion, (Mrs. Smith, Sir Walter Elliot, Mr. Elliot, the Harvilles and Mrs. Frederick Wentworth nee Miss Anne Elliot), not only make appearances but Bebris has artfully carved out larger roles for some. True to form, the Darcys are ever attentive to detail in piecing together the facts and possible witnesses, “As the nurse handed Mrs. Smith her cane, Elizabeth realized herself she might have seen Mrs. Smith once before. There had been a woman on a bench on the Lower Cobb… Elizabeth’s party had been on the upper wall, looking down on from an angle, so the woman’s bonnet had prevented a clear view of her face, and even had it not, Elizabeth had no reason at the time to closely observe her. But the woman had possessed a cane.” p. 106.

Not only do we find the Darcys in company with Persuasion’s familiar faces but also Bebris artfully introduces a handsome young man (or two) to the plot, of which Miss Georgiana later finds she is not all together immune to their charms. “Darcy glanced from the sailor to Georgiana, and saw his sister through the strangers eyes – the eyes of a man. A man who was not her brother, not her protector, but a warm-blooded buck who could not help but respond to the sight of a beautiful woman. Worse—a man turned onshore after months at sea entirely deprived of women’s company.” p. 23 Oh, poor Darcy.

Carrie Bebris strikes all the right tones. Her believable dialogue and relationships in and amongst Austen’s most memorable characters delivers another succinct, clever conspiracy to this award-winning series. Her deft understanding of Regency mores and thorough research of the local history and oddities of Lyme Regis, as well as His Majesty’s Royal Navy make it all the more perfect. Carrie Bebris once again has a hit on her hands—which will keep you guessing whodunit until the very end. I for one think The Deception at Lyme her best work yet!

5 out of 5 Regency Stars

The Deception at Lyme (Or, The Peril of Persuasion), by Carrie Bebris
Tor Books (2011)
Hardcover (304) pages
ISBN: 978-0765327970

Christina Boyd lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her dear Mr. B, two youngish children and a Chesapeake Bay Retriever named Bibi. She studied Fine Art at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Salisbury University in Maryland. Although life has taken her on a merry adventure through a myriad of careers including modeling, flight attending, marketing & sales, owning a paint-it-yourself ceramic studio… she has for the last nine years created and sold her own pottery line from her working studio. Albeit she read Jane Austen as a moody teenager, it wasn’t until Joe Wright’s 2005 movie of Pride & Prejudice that sparked her interest in all things Austen. A life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, Christina has read and owns well over 200 Austen inspired novels… and cannot comprehend the neglect of the collection in such days as these. Visiting Jane Austen’s England remains on her bucket list.

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Giveaway winners announced for Definitely Not Mr. Darcy

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, tagged Books, Contemporary Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequesl, Karen Doornebos, Mr. Darcy on 15 September 2011 | 6 Comments »

70 of you left comments qualifying you for a chance to win one of three copies of Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos. The winners drawn at random are:

Kate who left a comment on September 5, 2011
Suzan who left a comment on September 5, 2011
Sharon who left a comment on September 8, 2011

Congratulations ladies! To claim your prize, please contact me with your full name and address by September 21, 2011. Shipment is to US and Canadian addresses only.

Many thanks to author Karen Doornesbos for her new book Definitely Not Mr. Darcy, her entertaining blog about it and to all who left comments.

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Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star Blog Tour with Author Heather Lynn Rigaud

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, tagged Book Blogs, Books, Contemporary Romance, Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy Rock Star, Heather Lynn Rigaud, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice, Rock and Roll Novels, Romance novels on 1 September 2011 | 51 Comments »

Please join us today in welcoming author Heather Lynn Rigaud on her blog tour in celebration of the release of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star, a new contemporary retelling of Pride and Prejudice published today by Sourcebooks.

It’s so nice to be here on Austenprose today. It’s the first stop on my very first every blog tour, so I’m very, very excited.

So many people have asked me “Why a modern Pride and Prejudice and WHY a Rock Band???” Well, as always, it’s Jane’s fault. I came to Jane Austen, as many people have, through the movies. It started with Bridget Jones’ Diary the movie, then the book, then the 1995 Pride and Prejudice movie, and then the book. And then Persuasion, and then Northanger Abbey, and then Emma, and then Sense and Sensibility and then… Well, your readers know how that goes.

Like many hungry JA fans, I found JAFF fan fiction on the web, and soon was writing and posting my own. That’s when I met Abigail Reynolds. I was writing a modern P&P adaptation called Longbourn & Pemberley Go to War and she was writing Impulse & Initiative when she asked if I’d be willing to look at her love scene. Of course it was fantastic, but it started us beta-reading for each other.

It was Abigail who got me thinking about how would Darcy live in this modern time. It’s given that he would be wealthy and successful, but he also needed a modicum of fame. I was puzzling on how to make him a celebrity, but still Darcy- proud and aloof. He would never be glad-handing fans on TV Guide, or pushing his next big thing on Letterman.

He would be Darcy, at heart always true to his integrity, and yes, his pride. It came to me that he could be some kind of artist. They could easily maintain a quiet and aloof persona. A musician maybe? At the same time I was thinking about this, I heard a new song from a new band called “Puddle of Mudd”. The song was ‘She Hates Me’ and it occurred to me that this was so much like Darcy right after Elizabeth rejects him at Hunsford (I freely admit to having Jane Austen on the brain, and I strongly believe I’m not the only one) The chorus of the song goes like this:

I tried too hard

and she tore my feelings like I had none

and ripped them away

It was perfect. It expressed so clearly Darcy’s bitter anger at Elizabeth after she rejects him, as well as his underlying anger at himself. It was something I had to incorporate into my story. So then I thought about well known guitarists: Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Eddie Van Halen from Van Halen, The Edge of U2, even Slash from Guns & Roses. Men who were perfectly content to let someone else do the front man stuff. Men who let their instruments express what they felt. Then in a flash I had it:

Fitzwilliam Darcy is the enigmatic virtuoso guitarist of the world famous rock band Slurry.

I knew right there I had my story, and my Darcy. It was remarkable how quickly the pieces fell into place after that: Of course Bingley and Col. Fitzwilliam would be in his band. Of course, Wickham would have previously been part of the band until the ‘incident’ at Ramsgate. Of course Lady Catherine would own the record company. And of course Lizzy would be part of an ‘up & coming’ band. A new band seeking success and fame by playing with a world famous group is an excellent parallel to poorer women in the regency seeking to improve their lives by finding and marrying richer men. And of course Darcy would try and protect his friends from these opportunistic women.

In short, it was all there and I just had to write it down. I took the blueprint for my Mr. Darcy from JA – tall, handsome, dark eyes and hair. From there, I made him very talented, so there would be a basis of his pride. I made him independently wealthy, so he would be jaded by the whole music industry. And because he’s so good, and so rich, and so proud, I also made him very responsible. For him, everything connected to his band is his concern, especially his tour. So when something comes along to upset it, he’s going to be very defensive.

Into that already messy pile of emotions comes Elizabeth Bennet, who is as talented as Darcy, but is not rich and is not famous, and who has a big chip on her shoulder about being ‘good enough’. Is it any wonder that when these two fiery, driven, brilliant souls come together it’s explosive?

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star is their story. There are also the stories of their companions to keep things rolling, but it’s always Darcy and Elizabeth.

I hope your readers will try this crazy premise out and read it, and let me know what they think.

Thank you for having me, Laurel Ann, I’ve enjoyed being here.

Author Bio:

Heather Lynn Rigaud can usually be found trying to juggle too many things. A wife and mother of two, she suffers from excessive interest in almost everything that comes her way. She cooks, she sews, she writes, she knits, she Geo-Caches, she makes soaps, she collects perfume, she paints silk-and she overthinks every single one of them. But she’s lively and has a good (if bawdy) sense of humor.

Born and raised in world famous Woodstock NY by Republican parents, Heather Lynn has a lot of experience feeling like you just don’t fit in. This used to bother her greatly, but she’s mostly managed to overcome it, and even learned to enjoy walking ‘to the beat of a different drummer’. She enjoys reading, fine food and wine, and art. She is a professional writer with degrees in music therapy and teaching who lives with her husband and two sons in Kingston, New York. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star is her debut novel.

Visit Heather Lynn at her blog Austen Nights, on Twitter as @hlrigaud and on Facebook as Heather Lynn Rigaud.

Grand Giveaway

Enter a chance to win one of three copies of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star, by Heather Lynn Rigaud by leaving a comment stating what intrigues you most about reading a contemporary retelling of Pride and Prejudice, or which character from the original novel will, in your estimation, translate easily into a modern rock band setting, by midnight PT, Wednesday, September 14th, 2011. Winners to be announced on Thursday, September 15th, 2010. Shipment to US and Canadian addresses only. Good luck!

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star, by Heather Lynn Rigaud
Sourcebooks (2011)
Trade paperback (432) pages
ISBN: 978-1402257810

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The Darcys of Pemberley Blog Tour with Shannon Winslow

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, tagged Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Historical Fiction, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Sequels, Mr. Darcy, Shannon Winslow, Swag, The Darcys of Pemberley on 15 August 2011 | 57 Comments »

Please join us today in welcoming author Shannon Winslow on her book blog tour in celebration of the release of The Darcys of Pemberley, a new Pride and Prejudice sequel just published by Heather Ridge Arts.

What a thrill it is for me, a first-time author, to be kicking off the launch of The Darcys of Pemberley with a guest post on Austenprose! Thank you, Laurel Ann, for inviting me to share a little about my journey and about the book itself.

You might call me a “late bloomer.” That term certainly applies to my writing career and even to my acquaintance with Jane Austen, the latter becoming the inspiration for the former. Shame on my high school English teachers for never introducing me to the author of what is now unquestionably my favorite novel: Pride and Prejudice! Instead, I have an impulse buy at Costco about seven years ago – a certain video with the handsome face of Colin Firth on the front – to thank for it.

I was in love. No other way to explain it. And not just with Colin Firth. I loved the story of Pride and Prejudice, and soon all Jane Austen’s novels. I bought and watched all the associated videos. I reread all the books. But then what? I was still hungry for more Jane Austen.

Aha! I discovered a Pride and Prejudice sequel at the library, and another at the book store (I had no idea then that there were many more). Alas, the two sequels I found weren’t really what I was looking for after all. They didn’t satisfy me. They didn’t answer all my questions. What happens after the wedding, I wondered? How would Elizabeth and Darcy deal with the first major crisis in their marriage? Does Georgiana have a secret love … or a secret admirer? What trouble will Wickham get into next? Does Lady Catherine ever get her comeuppance? And perhaps most perplexing of all, how could Charlotte bear her life with Mr. Collins!

What I really wanted, of course, was a Pride and Prejudice sequel written by the original author. I wanted more time enjoying her wit, her writing style, and the delightful characters she created. So, what would Jane Austen have written in her sequel? She does give us some indication of how she imagined her characters’ lives unfolding. I took my cue from her own words in the novel’s final chapter, and I sat down to write one day.

The first idea that came to me – I’m not sure why – was doing away with Mr. Collins. Now, I’m not a blood-thirsty, vindictive person by nature, and I would never plot someone’s demise in real life, but I’ll admit I had a great deal of fun doing it in fiction. I was hooked on writing from that moment. So you see, Mr. Collins’s death was not in vain; it furthered a noble cause, serving as the inspiration for my writing career and for The Darcys of Pemberley. In fact, I think he would have been gratified that, rather than fading away into obscurity, his death was memorialized centuries later in a novel and further expanded upon in a short story (Mr. Collins’s Last Supper).

Now I was not only in love with the story of Pride and Prejudice, but also with writing. I researched the Regency period for accuracy. I immersed myself in the literature of the time to develop a feel for the language. Story possibilities continually played out in my head, and I could hardly wait to put them on the virtual paper of my computer screen. Once started, I lost all track of time. Housework began to suffer and dinner was often late on my writing days, but I was having the time of my life!

Nine months after its inception, the first completed draft of The Darcys of Pemberley was born. I was proud of it, and with all the blind partiality of a mother, I thought my first literary child was practically perfect. It was strong enough to attract the interest of an agent and editors even then, but has since benefited from the refinement of countless rewrites (fortunately, I enjoy that part of the process as well). After years of hard work, I’m delighted that my “baby” is finally published and ready to meet the world.

One reviewer has described The Darcys of Pemberley as a good sequel for “purists.” I take that as high praise. My goal from the beginning was to continue Darcy and Elizabeth’s tale as I imagined the original author would have – faithful to her style, her sensibilities, and the wonderful characters she created. Although I don’t presume to rival the genius of Jane Austen, I hope I have in some measure done justice to her legacy.

Author Bio:

Shannon Winslow, her two sons now grown, devotes much of her time to her diverse interests in music, literature, and the visual arts – writing claiming the lion’s share of her creative energies in recent years.

In addition to several short stories (one a finalist in the Jane Austen Made Me Do It contest), Ms. Winslow has authored three novels to date. The Darcys of Pemberley, a sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, is her debut. For Myself Alone, a stand-alone Austenesque story, will soon follow. Her most recent project is a contemporary “what if” novel entitled First of Second Chances.

Shannon lives with her husband in the log home they built in the countryside south of Seattle, where she writes and paints in her studio facing Mt. Rainier.

Visit Shannon’s website and blog, and follow her on Twitter @JaneAustenSays and on Facebook as Shannon Winslow.

Grand Giveaway

Enter a chance to win one of three copies of The Darcys of Pemberley by leaving a comment stating what intrigues you most about reading a Pride and Prejudice sequel, or which character in the original novel is your favorite, by midnight PT, Wednesday, August 24th, 2011. Winners to be announced on Thursday, August 25th, 2010. Shipment to US and Canadian addresses only. Good luck!

The Darcys of Pemberley: The Continuing Story of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, by Shannon Winslow
Heather Ridge Arts (2011)
Trade paperback (326) pages
ISBN: 978-0615517155

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where "There is a monsterous deal of stupid quizzing, & common-place
nonsense talked, but scarcely any wit."

Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, 21 April 1805

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Posts Tagged ‘Mr. Darcy’

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The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge 2013

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