The Darcy Connection: A Novel [Paperback]

Elizabeth Aston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 4, 2008

In The Darcy Connection, Mr. Collins of Pride and Prejudice is now the Bishop of Ripon, living with his wife, Charlotte, and their two daughters, who have reached marriageable age. The elder, another Charlotte, is extraordinarily beautiful, and her parents hope her looks and connections will ensure a brilliant marriage. Her sister, Eliza, while not as handsome, possesses a lively intelligence that, in Mr. Collins's opinion, is too like her godmother, Mrs. Darcy.

In London, Charlotte's beauty wins her many admirers, despite her small fortune. But Eliza's wit and attempts to interfere in what she considers an unsuitable marriage for her sister infuriate her family and Charlotte's suitor -- until Eliza herself meets her match. New and old fans alike will relish this witty, romantic, thoroughly entertaining novel from a highly talented author.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Aston's latest foray into Austendom (after Mrs. Darcy's Daughters) follows the children of Elizabeth Bennet's friend Mrs. Collins, who married the uninspired vicar Collins, now an uninspired bishop. Their eldest, Charlotte, has grown into rare beauty; Charlotte's sister, and our heroine, is Eliza—Mrs. Darcy's goddaughter. Eliza has ill-advisedly acquired a tendresse for Anthony Diggory, the son of the local squire, which is passionately returned. Sent off to London as companion for Charlotte, however, Eliza opens her eyes both to the possibilities of the larger world and her own place there, thence lessening the desirability of a Yorkshire life and of Anthony. Assisting this process is the handsome but proud banker, Bartholomew Bruton, with whom Eliza first becomes annoyed and then enamored. If she can save Charlotte from a cad and fend off Anthony, among other complications, Eliza may just find happiness. More development of Charlotte and one or two fewer complications would have helped, and some ends are simply too tidy. But the results are still utterly charming, with all the verve, humor and Austenian turns of plot one expects from Aston. (Apr.)
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About the Author

Elizabeth Aston is a passionate Jane Austen fan who studied with Austen biographer Lord David Cecil at Oxford. The author of several novels, including Mr. Darcy's Daughters, she lives in England and Italy.

Visit www.elizabeth-aston.com for more information.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (March 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416547258
• ISBN-13: 978-1416547259
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #778,707 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elizabeth Aston was born in Chile to an impeccably English father and a distinctly un-English Argentine mother. Educated by Benedictine nuns in Calcutta, Fabians in London, and Inklings at Oxford, she's lived in India, England, Malta and Italy.

Her Mountjoy books (originally published by Hodder, and now reissued as ebooks) were inspired by years of living in York, where her son was a chorister at the Minster. They depict the unholy, unquiet, and frequently unseemly goings-on of an imaginary northern cathedral city and its peculiar inhabitants, enhanced with a touch of magic and enchantment - Elizabeth Aston has always been fascinated by what lies just beyond our sight.

Her other books include the bestselling Darcy series - six historical romantic comedies set in the world of Jane Austen, and a contemporary novel, Writing Jane Austen. These were inspired by her love of Jane Austen - her heroes, her heroines and her wicked sense of humour.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 1/2 stars: a delightful read, March 4, 2008

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Darcy Connection: A Novel (Paperback)

While I would not count Elizabeth Ashton's latest, "The Darcy Connection" as an example of her very best work, I'd have to admit: it really is a charming and enjoyable read.

"The Darcy Connection" follows the fortunes of Mr. Collins' two daughters, Charlotte and Eliza, as they navigate their way through a merciless London season. Both Charlotte and Eliza are of marriageable age; however Mr. Collins, now Bishop of Ripon, has not the means to secure either of his daughters a desirous match. Fortunately for Charlotte at least, her wealthy godmother is willing to sponsor a London season for her, sure that her extraordinary beauty will ensure her a brilliant match. Headstrong Eliza however accompanies her sister not because an equally brilliant match is expected for her so much as to remove her from the sphere of a smitten suitor whose parents oppose of their son's attachment to Eliza. Defiant, Eliza is resolved to show no interest in London swains and fashions -- that is until a dismissive remark from a certain gentleman causes her to rethink her stance...

While quite the enjoyable and delightful read, Elizabeth Ashton did reuse many plot motifs and devices from previous novels -- like beautiful but remote elder sisters, and heroes who seem to disapprove of the heroine and who make initial cutting remarks that they later live to regret. So really, there was nothing terribly original or unique about "The Darcy Connection." On the other hand, it was a well crafted novel, full of thoughtfully depicted characters, that made for an absorbing and compelling read. So that even though I personally wished that Charlotte had been less of a cipher and that she had figured more vitally into the story at hand; and even though I thought that there was a missed opportunity not to have included Mr. Collins more into the plot, I will say that "The Darcy Connection" truly was a charming and delightful read.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elizabeth Ashton's best yet!, March 1, 2008

By 

Christina Boyd "Great Reader & sometimes gues... (Custer, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Darcy Connection: A Novel (Paperback)

I just finished it and have such a grin on my face! I have enjoyed all of Ashton's books-- and this one is by far her best! Her writing is always top-notch, well-developed story lines, and well researched for the language and period. How can you not immediately love the heroine of the story who is named after her godmother, Elizabeth Darcy! and has similar character traits. Some of Ashton's characters from her previous books are sprinkled through out adding color and drama... even the dispicable George Warren, the angling, spiteful step-son of Caroline Warren, nee Bingley. Eliza is the 2nd daughter of the Collins' and like in P&P, she is not so beautiful as her elder sister so must get on by her other natural assets. I'll not spoil any of the story for you but know it is full of sweet romance, witty conversations, a clever maid!, handsome,exciting, rich men (both good and bad!) and even a Mr. Darcy sighting! I've been waiting for this new novel and am so glad to add it to my library. The subtle and some blatant similarities to P&P are entertaining and fun to recognize! I look forward to re-reading this at a more leisurely pace. This is a keeper.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasurable Fun for the Fans, November 2, 2008

By 

Tricia Huff (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Darcy Connection: A Novel (Paperback)

That famously infamous power couple from "Pride and Prejudice", Mr. and Mrs. Collins, have grown into middle age and now have two grown daughters, Eliza and Charlotte, both unmarried, and like all Austen maidens, in need of a husband. A visit from Mrs. Collin's aunt, Lady Grandpoint, along with an entanglement between Eliza and the son of the local squire, generates the perfect excuse for a London season for the two girls. With great pleasure, Lady Grandpoint escorts Eliza and Charlotte to her London home. There the Grand Dame hopes that Charlotte's beauty will ensnare a man of fortune, as she looks for ways to quench Eliza's passions and pressure her to accept the advances of a respectable, but boorish, clergyman.

Unbeknownst to the forthright Lady Grandpoint, for her two young companions, London is the place for secrets. The aloof and extraordinarily beautiful Charlotte does attract many admirers, but the coolness of her manners leads one to conclude that her heart is not easily touched. As Eliza watches with a careful eye and bets are placed at the aristocratic mens' clubs, all wonder, "Who will Charlotte choose?" It seems that for everyone there is money at stake.

And Eliza herself is no slouch when it comes to keeping her own counsel. Eliza finds herself reluctantly attracted to the sharp and intelligent Bartholomew Bruton, while she struggles with her loyalty to the boy back home, with whom she is secretly engaged. The secret correspondence between the two, if it became known, would ruin her reputation, and her sister's by association. As if such entanglements are not enough to keep her busy, Eliza must guard the secret of just how she is coming into the extra pin money that is paying for the fashionable gowns she is wearing about town. This last secret alone threatens to destroy not just her sister's and her own reputations, but risks the position and prospects of her father, Bishop Collins.

As the novel progresses, we learn more about the limits of Charlotte's restraint and watch Eliza grow to add sense to her sensibility. This is a clever play upon the sisterly relationships of Elinor and Marianne in Austen's "Sense and Sensibility," along with a bit of Jane and Elizabeth from "Pride and Prejudice." Aston's love for Austen shines through, but she never takes herself too seriously by trying to imitate too closely. Any serious fan of Jane Austen should find this sequel to be pleasurable fun.