Category Archives: Austen Inspired

200 years of Pride and Prejudice, and my new favourite adaptation

Posted on January 28, 2013 | 26 Comments

Today marks the 200 year anniversary of the date on which Pride and Prejudice was first published. I have written about my love for this novel before. I can never quite do it justice, for it was one of those books that I feel helped to define me as a reader. I decided against a rereading of the classic on this particular date, because I am trying to limit my rereadings to once every few years. However, I have found a new way to relive the story a few months ago, which I admit has me quite as obsessed with the characters and narrative as I was when I first discovered Jane Austen’s wonderful novel: As most of my twitter followers might have realised because of my endless squeeing over the past weeks, I am, of course, talking about The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

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The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice in the form of a youtube vlog in which Lizzie Bennet plays the lead. The basic set up is that Lizzie is a master student who starts recording a vlog with the help of her best friend Charlotte Lu. On this vlog, she discusses her mother’s everlasting quest for husbands for her three daughters (Jane, Lizzie, and Lydia; Mary is a cousin and Kitty is Lydia’s cat), but she also talks about her efforts to finish her studies, her job prospects, and the interactions with her sisters and other friends. Some of these characters appear in real life (Lydia and Jane appear on-screen almost from the beginning) and others are impersonated by Lizzie, among whom are her mother and father.

It might surprise some that my title states that I will be talking about my new favourite adaptation, and that it is not the 1995 mini series. But honestly, LBD is definitely vying for that top position, and at this moment it is located firmly at the top of the list. No, it is not a costume drama (although there are a lot of costumes), it is not a period piece, and it is not 100% faithful to the book. Nevertheless, it manages to highlight all the things I so dearly love about this story, and also add in their own interpretation.

One of the strengths of this web-based series is its characterisation. Because it is set up as a video blog, in which Lizzie is often brutally honest, you truly feel you get to know the characters. Furthermore, a lot of them receive a more thorough characterisation than in the novel. Because Jane and Lydia appear on camera as themselves, because you see part of their day-to-day interactions, they become very well-rounded persons (something which is, as Ana mentioned in her post yesterday, always implied in Austen’s novel, but is in some ways more explicit here). Moreover, because of Lizzie’s brutal honesty, which does not necessarily spare anyone, the character growth of both Lizzie and Darcy (and Lydia and Jane!) is highlighted very directly. Lizzie makes mistakes on camera, which she then also has to fix (or grow into fixing) on camera. The character progression of everyone involved is really well-done, and very interesting to watch.

LBD - costume theatre

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There is an added incentive to care about the characters which has to do with the fact that this is a web-based series. Part of it comes from the realisation that these vlogs are out there, and that the “characters” can watch and find them at any time. The characters themselves become more real because most of them have twitters and tumblrs and such, so that you can follow them as they do things and then compare/contrast this with the portrayal in Lizzie’s vlog. The show has engaged with this transmedia aspect of their production in very interesting ways which increases the realism of the story. I admit that I spent last Saturday stalking some of the characters’ twitters (don’t open them if you’re not up to date with the series), because it promised to have some very interesting story developments.

Because of the way different online media intersect in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, it has developed a very loyal fan base, and every time I open a video I always find it extremely interesting to see the reactions, the interactions, and the involvement of all these people. Yes, true, many TV shows have loyal fan bases, but because there’s the added illusion that Lizzie is there, somewhere in LA, recording her vlog every Monday and Thursday, the sense of interaction becomes more “real”. (And, the Lizzie Bennet Diaries wouldn’t be as amazing as it is if it did not also address these very illusions of reality in its own videos).

Last but not least is definitely the manner in which the story is translated to a contemporary setting. There are more movies who have done this, more or less successfully, but this one does a stellar job at updating the social issues caught in the book. Yes, class relations are a part of that, and I particularly enjoy the ways in which this is implicitly (and explicitly) made a subject. Moreover, as some of the minor characters receive more attention, they sometimes also receive more agency. Georgiana’s (Gigi’s) back story and its reveal is a good example of this. Most of all, I think this show might work particularly well for me because it involves characters who are at a similar stage in life. Lizzie’s impeding graduation, her fears about the job market, the way in which at times she’s not quite ready yet to take charge of her whole life, all ring very true to me. And then there’s Lydia’s story, which is now progressing on her own blog, and is very painful to watch because it has been updated in a manner that I think might hit very close to home for many girls who have experienced less-than-perfect loves. It is painful, and difficult, but I also find it extremely pertinent, well-addressed, and definitely very brave in this respect.

I could give you a lot MORE arguments why I enjoy this series so much, the first among whom would be a simple: just go watch it. The episodes are short (as it is in the format of a video blog most videos are around 5 minutes long), they are very entertaining, completely heartwarming, funny, and at the same time not afraid to tackle more serious issues. The fact that there are now over 80 episodes may seem daunting at first, but I admit I got hooked somewhere in the autumn and I caught up in a day and a half. Now, I struggle to keep patient for any new episode to appear. I am not afraid to admit that Monday’s and Thursday’s have become the highlights of my week.

Are you watching the Lizzie Bennet Diaries? Do you think you might start to? Are you as obsessed as me? (Please tell me I’m not alone!)

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Posted in Advent With Austen, Austen Inspired, Books, Community/Weekly Events, Fiction, Thoughts/Discussion

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Pride and Prejudice in Comic Book Format

Posted on October 1, 2012 | 13 Comments

Pride and Prejudice – Nancy Butler (Author), Hugo Petrus (Illustrator) & Jane Austen (Original Work)
Marvel, 2009
Buy: Amazon | Bookdepository *

Boekenfestijn Leeuwarden, the complete haul

When I went to another edition of the Boekenfestijn [bookfest]  in June, the Pride and Prejudice comic book version was the book I was happiest about finding. Why? Because it was the biggest surprise among the books, the one I never ever expected to find, had forgotten about completely, and then there it was…

Pride and Prejudice comic among the haul

It was the cover image that sold me instantly. The drawing style, the girly-magazine-like cover that pokes fun at the “pride and prejudice as chick lit” portrayal we often find. I knew I had to own it.

Just look at the pretty cover images that were part of this interpretation of Pride and Prejudice:

Unfortunately, the artwork inside the book is much less satisfying. This should not be too surprising, when you realise that the covers were made by another artist; they were not drawn by Hugo Petrus, but by Sonny Liew.

Hugo Petrus visual interpretation of Pride and Prejudice, together with Nancy Butler’s unsatisfactory lifting of huge lines from the original texts which nevertheless made me feel that it didn’t do the complexity of the story justice, left me completely underwhelmed. Especially the facial expressions seemed completely unfitting to the characters. I simply do not want to picture Lizzy as follows [see to the left].

It’s unfortunate but true. As much as I still like the fact that I own this as part of my probably never-ending drive to own as many as possible Jane Austen related things, the book itself was a disappointment.

Other Opinions: Good OK Bad [which is also the source for the screenshot on the left], Lindy Reads, fashion piranha, Lakeside Musing, One Literature Nut, Beth Fish Reads, YA Book Nerd, Fantasy Debut.
Did I miss your post about this comic? Let me know and I will add your review to the list.

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The Secret Fanny Price Fanclub

Posted on December 23, 2011 | 11 Comments

It appears there is no Austen heroine as universally disliked as Fanny Price from Mansfield Park is. It always surprises me a little, the way people are annoyed with her silent observations, her inactiveness, or the way she strictly keeps to her own moral guidelines. Most consider Mary Crawford the true heroine of the story, wishing she would have ended up with Edmund. You see, the thing is, I never really looked at Mansfield Park in this light, but then again, I have secretly always considered myself a member of the Fanny Price Fanclub.

Oh, I can see the appeal of Mary Crawford. Her easy manner, her liveliness. She, in many ways, is more like Elizabeth Bennet, and thus the expected Jane Austen heroine, than any other of Austen’s characters. Mary Crawford is much easier to fall in love with than Fanny is, as Austen herself expresses:

“A young woman, pretty, lively, with a harp as elegant as herself, and both placed near a window, cut down to the ground, and opening on a little lawn, surrounded by shrubs in the rich foliage of summer, was enough to catch any man’s heart.”

But is not that all the warning we need from Austen? Although it is usually the man who the heroine first falls in love with that is eventually unmasked as immoral, here it is the woman who first wins Edmund’s affections who is later illustrated to lack morals.

Here, again, I can see why Mary Crawford appeals. At times, she expresses such “modern” opinions that readers (and I suspect especially us 21st century readers) cannot help but respect the sentiments expressed. Everybody wants to rebel, occasionally. It is as if she is the very example of reading texts against the grain, and so, to some extent, we want Austen to have considered her the heroine, want to think of Austen as condoning women taking on initiative, making the most of the restricted position they have in society. In many ways, Austen does approve of this. And I am sure she must have enjoyed having Mary Crawford express modern and slightly rebellious opinions about religion, marriage and affairs. But, at the same time, Austen undermines Crawford’s opinions, Crawford’s very appeal as a heroine, by contrasting Mary’s liveliness with her being so focused on her own gains, her own opinions and views, that she does not take Edmund’s into account, that, in the end, in her stating that the affair of Maria Bertram and Henry Crawford is merely a “folly”, she shows how careless she is of everything the family at Crawford, and I think society at large, considered the most important at that time. To me, it is not Mary’s “lack of morals” that makes me dislike her, it is her inability to consider the feelings of those around her, the ones she claims to love. Surely, had she truly loved Edmund, she would not have expressed her own opinions so unfeelingly? I am all for her having her own points of view despite feeling an attachment to a man (and I think that is the appeal of Mary, there’s something feminist in her storyline), but there is a line between having your own opinions and holding to them, and shrugging your shoulders in the face of issues that are of the utmost importance to your close friends.

Compared to Mary, Fanny may be dull. She observes, but often remains silent. And I can imagine that her morality makes many roll their eyes. But to me it is her practicality and her morality that makes her strong. She stands up for her own opinions, despite knowing that everyone disagrees with her. In a way, she has the same feminist streak we see in Mary: sticking with her own opinions despite what everyone around her thinks is best. Except where Mary’s opinions are unfeeling and affect those around her, Fanny’s concern her own future (and moral propriety, in her eyes) more than those of her family and friends. Fanny’s opinions may be conservative in our eyes, while Mary’s are more rebellious and thus easier to love, perhaps?, but I like Fanny exactly because she chooses her own path in live, not by following every opportunity open to her, not by wishing for the grandest despite all that occurs, but exactly because she retains her sense of self, is willing to sacrifice her own stable future (in marriage to a man of means, that she is nonetheless convinced is immoral), because she wants to keep to the principles she believes are just. Perhaps I like Fanny because I identify with that shy, observant, nature. I recognise in Fanny the feeling that because you do not stand up for what you want, does not mean you do not have an opinion. I admire her for proclaiming against that which she feels is wrong, and keeping to it, never submitting to peer pressure. There is, simply, an integrity to Fanny, that I do not find boring at all, although I do understand now, having heard it often enough, that others think it is.

I had to think of this, when I read Murder at Mansfield Park this year.  As the Good Reads description for this novel reads:

“Nobody, I believe, has ever found it possible to like the heroine of Mansfield Park.” –Lionel Trilling

In this ingenious new twist on Mansfield Park, the famously meek Fanny Price–whom Jane Austen’s own mother called “insipid”–has been utterly transformed; she is now a rich heiress who is spoiled, condescending, and generally hated throughout the county. Mary Crawford, on the other hand, is now as good as Fanny is bad, and suffers great indignities at the hands of her vindictive neighbor.

Murder at Mansfield Park - Lynn Shepherd

Murder at Mansfield Park - Lynn Shepherd // Beautiful Books, 2010

What I found interesting about this reworking of the characters of Mansfield Park, is that Fanny becomes more like her cousins Maria and Lydia Bertram, spoiled and arrogant in the face of people they consider “below them”. In contrast, in an effort to cast Mary Crawford in the role of heroine, she is not rewritten with much of Fanny’s original integrity. Murder at Mansfield Park is an interesting rewrite, because it is very original in its take on Jane Austen’s novel. It is also very well written. However, at times I found it hard to like the book, because it seemed to underline the stereotypes that so often get associated with Fanny and Mary: Mary as the true heroine, Fanny as the shy and moral one, which is translated to arrogance. But in the end, this is exactly what makes the novel interesting as well. When I came to the discussion questions at the end of the novel, my eye fell on this one:

“Fanny Price in Mansfield Park is very unlike a typical Austen heroine – in fact it’s Mary Crawford who is much closer to Elizabeth Bennet or Emma Woodhouse. What do you think about the role and idea of the heroine, both in Austen’s novel(s) and in this one?”

The above made me question my initial dislike of recasting the story’s characters as Shepherd had done, because in a way, she undermines the idea of Mary Crawford as the should-be heroine in the original Mansfield Park, since in order to make her the lead character in her own story, she gave her so many of Fanny’s admirable character traits.

How do you feel about Mansfield Park? Is it one of Austen’s novels you love most or one of your least favourites? What is your take on Fanny vs. Mary? Are there any others, who, like me, actually feel sympathetic towards Fanny Price?

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In Which I Venture Once More Into the Land of Austenesque Lit (Part 2)

Posted on December 21, 2011 | 12 Comments

Part 2 of my opinions about the five Austenesque books that I (attempted to) read during the past week. Up today: Mr. Darcy Take a Wife, Darcy and Fitzwilliam, and Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One. For a review of the two modern retellings of Pride and Prejudice that I read on my Austenesque binge, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star and The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy, see yesterday’s post.

General opinion on the three books of today: Perhaps sequels of Pride and Prejudice really aren’t for me.

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Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife - Linda BerdollMr. Darcy Takes a Wife – Linda Berdoll
Landmark, 2004

Oh yes, the title is meant to imply all sorts of things. And Darcy really takes a wife.

Ugh. I can’t believe I just said that out loud. But unfortunately it’s true. This was a DNF from me, for two, or perhaps three, reasons.

First: Nothing but sex, sex, and sex. Seriously, right after the engagement, all Elizabeth contemplates is sex, and apparently all Darcy ever did since he was 14 was having sex. Starting with one of his maids. I only made it to the first sex scene between Darcy and Elizabeth, where Darcy just pushes on, because well, pain for the lady is surely part of having sex for the first time, and then afterwards, has to “have her again”, despite being sure she is still hurt, as if she has no choice. Which is possibly true given the time period? But surely not something that a reader could feel comfortable with? Especially considering that it is presented as if this is the most sexy thing in the world.

The preface of the book cites Charlotte Brontë’s opinion on Austen:

“..she ruffles her reader by nothing vehement, disturbs him by nothing profound: the Passions are perfectly unknown to her.. what throbs fast and full, though hidden, what the blood rushes through, what is  the unseen seat of Life and the sentient target of death – this Miss Austen ignores.”

And so I guess now Linda Berdoll has taken it upon herself to “right” this “wrong” in Austen’s fiction. Which I believe she does in a way that Charlotte Brontë surely wouldn’t have enjoyed.

Reason 2: The language. Oh my, the language. I am sure Berdoll meant to somehow mirror Austen’s style, but what you get is a weird almost alien English variant in which lots of “betwixt” and “bethink” and “be-whatever” -’s are used. This is not regency style language. Not even near it. And while I am okay with authors using modern language for Austen sequels, I am not okay with someone using this semi-language that almost seems to ridicule Austen’s style.

Reason 3: Characterisations. Darcy is back to being a pompous ass and really the most unlovable person ever. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is all uncertainty.

I persevered, until it was implied that Darcy had an illegitimate child with his first affair, one of his father’s maids. I just.. couldn’t read that and not fear my love for Pride and Prejudice might just have died. Luckily, Berdoll’s sequel is so far from doing honour to the original that I am quite confident I can forget about it if I reread Pride and Prejudice in the future.

Verdict: Do not even contemplate reading this. Unless, of course, you want to torture yourself. Or, you know, you do not like Austen anyway.

Other Opinions: Beth Fish Reads, Tillabooks, Melanie’s Musings, Seductive Musings.
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Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One - Sharon LathanMr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One – Sharon Lathan
Sourcebooks Landmark, 2009 

Basic plot summary: Sugary-sweet story of Darcy and Elizabeth that begins right after their engagement.

The Goodreads summary states that:

“A fascinating portrait of a timeless, consuming love – and the sweetest, most romantic Jane Austen sequel”

And I’d have to agree. It is so sweet that it made me cringe. Where I had problems with Darcy being depicted as a man who had sex from age 14 on in Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife, here the point is that both Darcy and Elizabeth are virgins, extremely nervous for their first night together. That’s about all the plot I got to when I stopped reading around page 50.

Sharon Lathan explains that she became fascinated with Pride and Prejudice when she first saw the 2005 movie adaptation. She subsequently watched other adaptations and read the book, but loves the movie best. Now I could get all snarky about that, but I think it’s okay to fall in love with a story because of a movie adaptation. What I did have difficulty with is that the characterisations, as well as the scenery, seem to fit the movie much better than the book. Longbourn is a functioning farm, and Elizabeth isn’t afraid of male genitalia because she’s seen them on the house pig (??) Also, the relationship between Jane and Elizabeth, and their characters compared to one another, seem a little untrue. What kept me from finishing this book though was the overtly romantic feel and the lines that make you want to yell to “stop the sugar sweet love bird talk already!” Yep, that’s right, Iris, romantic of the first hour, wanted it to stop. Because, honestly, as much as Elizabeth and Darcy are in love in Pride and Prejudice, I never imagined them having to express it every 5 minutes, or Darcy lavishing a million gifts on Elizabeth.

Another thing? Lathan emphasises the religious feelings of Darcy and Elizabeth every opportunity she gets. It is almost as if Lathan was trying to emphasise the importance of religion in her life. Because, really? I do believe religion would have been important to any Austen character, but the thing is, it being a “natural” part of their life, they wouldn’t have felt the need to express sentiments like this:

In truth, Darcy had always imagined marrying in the chapel at Pemberley and was mildly saddened initially at the natural choice to marry where both Bennet daughters had grown up. However, he quickly realized that he honestly did not care as long as they were married with the sanction of the Church, religion being a vital part of his life.

Now, I’m no expert in early nineteenth-century English church history, but I wonder if it was even possible to get married without the sanction of the church?

Verdict: Suited for those who want to read about Darcy and Elizabeth perfect life and do not mind overt religious language and overtly sugary sweet romance with lots of sprinkles of sex. However, I did not enjoy it very much.

Other Opinions: One Literature Nut, Books Like Breathing, The Book Zombie, The Good, The Bad and the Unread, Truth, Beatuty, Freedom and Books, Becky’s Book Reviews, Book Review By Bobbie, Allison’s Attic, Austenprose.
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Darcy and Fitzwilliam: A tale of a gentleman and an officer - Karen V. WasylowskiDarcy and Fitzwilliam: A tale of a gentleman and an officer - Karen V. Wasylowski
Sourcebook Landmark, 2011

Basic plot summary: This book traces the friendship between Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam  over the years after the wedding of Darcy and Elizabeth.

In Darcy and Fitzwilliam, Elizabeth and Darcy are happily married (of course, having lots of sex, because apparently that’s the only thing these two ever do in sequels), until Elizabeth finds out that Darcy had a brief affair with Caroline Bingley. She becomes so angry that she starts throwing things and screaming, and etcetera. Meanwhile, Caroline, being a mean, petty, and conniving woman, lures Darcy to Netherfield while Charles and Jane are away, and while Darcy rejects her advances, he still stays the night and so DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA.

First, Darcy having an affair with Caroline? What kind of story is this? WHat got to me most is that Caroline is set up as someone who slept with every rich young man in the country, and when that information is provided to the reader, it is often linked to the fact that she will always have a background in trade. Um, way to go with the class prejudices. I do believe Caroline would have done a lot to get Darcy to love her, but sleep around with him and many others before marriage? A little hard to imagine for someone as proud as her. Also, Darcy would never have fallen for the “trap” set by Caroline. As if he wouldn’t have recognised a difference in handwriting, as if Elizabeth would ever leave Jane’s letter unopened.. I understand you need some story line in a sequel to Pride and Prejudice, but this whole thing just seemed so absurd.

Second, when Elizabeth finds out about Darcy and Caroline, she is portrayed as hysteric. In such a way that it is implied that Elizabeth is at fault for reacting like she did. Which I could only shake my head at and tried to ignore before giving up on the story altogether after the Caroline sleep-over incident.

Third, the relationship between Darcy and Fitzwilliam, which is presented as at the core of the story, also seemed a little farfetched. Fitzwilliam, having fought in the war against Napoleon returns home unable to deal with his past, drinking himself into a stupor, and (implied), sleeping with every women he can get his hands on. Meanwhile, Darcy, the man who cast of Wickham because of his degrading sexual behaviour and gambling habits before Wickham tried to seduce his sister in Pride and Prejudice, finds little fault with Fitzwilliam. Also, they call each other names. Fitzwilliam for Darcy uses “brat”, while Darcy calls Fitzwilliam “Old Bastard”. Brat and Old Bastard? Used and accepted by the proud Mr. Darcy? In the 1920′s, perhaps, but around 1815? Surely, this would not have happened.

Verdict: I am sorry to say that this story has so much mischaracterization that, despite the efforts the author undoubtedly made, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Pride and Prejudice.

Other Opinions: Austenprose, My Little Corner of the World, Trees and Ink.
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I think I have tried my hand at enough sequels and retelling to ignore them again for a little while. You know how it goes, I am sure to try some more in the future. I am sure there must be good ones out there.

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In Which I Venture Once More Into the Land of Austenesque Lit (Part 1)

Posted on December 20, 2011 | 11 Comments

While I was trying very hard not to think about my master thesis defence and graduation ceremony last week, I could not concentrate on anything but those Austenesque novels which I desperately want to love, searching for that first experience of reading Pride and Prejudice, that desperate need to keep on reading, and never quite achieving it. I read two modern reimaginings of Pride and Prejudice and three follow-ups (I DNF all of the latter). I believe modern retellings may be more to my liking, I get less angry when the writing is different, when there are slight changes in character, and about all the sex. Can someone explain to me why there is SO MUCH SEX in all these Austenesque novels?

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Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star - Heather Lynn RigaudFitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star – Heather Lynn Rigaud
Sourcebooks Landmark,  September 2011
Buy: Amazon | Bookdepository * 

Basic plot summary: Darcy is guitarist of the rock band Slurry, of which Charles Bingley is lead singer and Richard Fitzwilliam the drummer. Jane Bennet, Elizabeth Bennet, and Charlotte Lucas, together form Long Bourne Suffering, and accompany slurry on their tour of the USA as a support act. And so begins a story of misunderstandings, love, and basically, lots of sex scenes.

There is something in the classic novel hero turned rock star that appeals to me, the exterior of proud man who finds it hard to trust people that fits our contemporary rock star image. Unfortunately, I enjoyed the rockstar take on Jane Eyre that I read recently more than I did this one. The thing is, the plot of this one is all but nonexistent. Had Rigaud chosen to end this book around page 200, it would have been more convincing than the 430 pages it actually is. After page 200, Rigaud gives us a number of (tiny) misunderstandings and far-fetched plot twists that all lead to Darcy and Elizabeth feeling attracted to each other, but doubting if the other likes them, more doubt, a little anger, and of course, make-up sex. Yes, it gets a little predictable and tiring after a while. Also, the descriptions of the sex scenes made me giggle, a lot. And now the kind of giggle that actually says “wait, I am rather turned on by this description”, but the kind that means: “What the? How is that even sexy instead of silly?” For example, there are lots of references about Darcy’s skill in bed, because he is a musician. Now, not because as a rock star he surely must have had lots of one night stands and thus probably learned a thing or two, no because surely hands that play an instrument that well, must be able to “play” your body in an amazing way as well. Lots and lots of parallels between Darcy playing guitar and words that surely must be meant to make you think of something else:

“He felt troubled and frustrated, and he sought release of these feelings in the privacy of his music. His eyes closed and his breathing grew deeper as he focused on the sensations in his hands. His fingers moved of their own volition, without thought. They gently loved the instrument, caressing the strings, squeezing them tightly then releasing them, his fingertips dancing over the frets to cause the silver strands to vibrate at the rate he desired. (…) It was a song of yearning.”

If it wasn’t for the rest of the book being so heavily focused on sexual tension and sex scenes, perhaps I might have read that paragraph differently. Other scenes in which Darcy and Elizabeth’s kissing is compared to angels:

“She stared at him with eyes wide and dark, and without thinking, he kissed her. It was the light, gentle kiss of one angel to another.”

My conclusion: An okay guilty-pleasure read, only very loosely inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Prepare for lots of giggles and rolling your eyes at the “romance” of these two characters.

Also, and that’s the last thing I’ll say: Slurry the apparently huge rock band was inspired by Puddle of Mud, really? I am not sure what kind of status Puddle of Mud has in the US, but surely a huge rock band is of a whole other calibre? Also, I just cannot think of Darcy as a member of Puddle of Mud. Nor can I imagine Elizabeth singing Sheryl Crow. But as was the case with “Jane” by April Lindner, I seem to have a whole different picture in my head when I think of the word rock star or rock band.

Other Opinions: One Literature Nut, Books Like Breathing, Bookhounds, Drey’s Library, Books for Life,  Once Upon a Bookshelf.
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The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy - Sara AngeliniThe Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy – Sara Angelini
Sourcebooks Landmark, 2009
Buy: Amazon | Bookdepository * 

Basic plot summary: Elizabeth Bennet is an attorney who is just starting out, while Darcy is a Judge at the same court. Darcy falls in love with Elizabeth, but will they be able to be together since romantic relations are forbidden between judge and attorney?

This one started out so strong! Until Sara Angelini, too, started to favour sex scenes over plot. It was interesting to see Elizabeth as an attorney, quite believable too. Darcy as a judge, well, why not? But their interaction even before they get together seems a little out of sync with the original characterisations. Darcy hiding behind the helmet he wears on a Halloween party because he wants to spend time with Elizabeth without her knowing it is him? I just cannot imagine Darcy doing that. The writing is quite enjoyable, and the struggles of Elizabeth not wanting to fall in love and giving up her career are believable. I did have difficulty understanding just how suddenly Elizabeth went from disliking Darcy to jumping into bed with him (2 days?)

Verdict: Quite enjoyable guilty-pleasure read, if you are willing to suspend your assumptions about the difficulties to be overcome by Darcy and Elizabeth in making the other fall in love with him/her.

Other Opinions: The Book Girl, Stacy’s Books, Books and Needlepoint, A Hoyden’s Look at Literature, Books Like Breathing, Wendi’s Book Corner, Yankee Romance Reviewers,  Polishing Mud Balls, Romance Rookie.
Did I miss yours? Let me know and I will add your review to the list. 

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Part 2, discussing Mr. Darcy Take a Wife, Darcy and Fitzwilliam, and Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One, will be published tomorrow. Oh joy.

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