The Darcys & the Bingleys: A Tale of Two Gentlemen's Marriages to Two Most Devoted Sisters [Paperback]

Marsha Altman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2008

A Tale of Two Gentlemen's Marriages to Two Most Devoted Sisters

Three days before their double wedding, Charles Bingley is desperate to have a word with his dear friend Fitzwilliam Darcy, seeking advice of a most delicate nature. Bingley is shocked when Darcy gives him a copy of an ancient, illustrated book of sensual secrets-but it does tell him everything he needs to know.

Eventually, of course, Jane finds this remarkable volume and in utmost secrecy shows it to her dear sister Elizabeth, who goes searching for a copy in the Pemberley library...

By turns hilarious and sweet, The Darcys & the Bingleys follows the two couples and the cast of characters surrounding them. Miss Caroline Bingley, it turns out, has such good reasons for being the way she is that the reader can't help but hold her in charity. Delightfully, she makes a most eligible match, and in spite of Darcy's abhorrence of being asked for advice, he and Bingley have a most enduring and adventure-prone friendship. (20080903)

Editorial Reviews

Review

This charming period piece by debut novelist Marsha Altman proves that yes, you can never have too much Darcy and Elizabeth! (Shaley Melchior For Immediate Release Reviews 20080924)

I will say this, the book is good and well worth reading. The book is true to the original as far as characters and social conventions... well written, true to the book, and entertaining. (Rebecca Laney Becky's Book Blog 20080930)

The Darcys and the Bingleys is a sweet, fun, and sparkling homage to Pride and Prejudice that would please even Jane Austen herself. (Riley MErrick Riley's Reviews 20081001)

It was an enjoyable read--it was funny... and kept me turning the pages. (Kim Izzat Good Clean Reads 20081022)

I kept reading the book wanting to find out how the plot would develop. If you simply cannot get enough of Pride and Prejudice's characters, then this book will more than satisfy you. (Vic Sandborn Jane Austen Today 20081110)

Recommended? Enthusiastically. Honestly, the more I reflect upon this book, the more I love it... Such fun. I laughed. I gasped. I learned to love Caroline Bingley. (Nancy Horner BookFoolery 20081124)

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Jane Austin who are clamoring for more. (Jill Dunlop Romance Rookie 20081202)

The Darcys and The Bingleys is one of the most enjoyable books, that I have read in ages. (Connie Once Upon a Romance 20081215)

You'll laugh out loud many times while reading The Darcys & the Bingleys. Altman knows how to keep the plot moving. (Gabrielle Pantera Hollywood Today 20081216)

Ms. Altman has written an amusing supposition of what might have been. (Audrey Braver Historical Novels Review 20091008)

I think Altman's The Darcys and The Bingleys has written a fun, witty and ultimately a very satisfying read. (Stephanie Stephanies Written Word )

Altman's writing is very poetic and she captures the 'Jane Austen' time period quite well with the right tone and use of language. (Sheri Stock Bookopolis )

Tthe banter between characters is the absolute highlight of this story. (Joanne Mosher The Book Zombie )

About the Author

Marsha Altman is an historian, and is an expert on Jane Austen sequels, having read nearly every single one that's been written. She has worked in the publishing industry with a literary agency and is writing a series continuing the story of the Darcys and the Bingleys. She lives in New York.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402213484
• ISBN-13: 978-1402213489
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #410,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marsha Altman is an author and historian specializing in Rabbinic literature in late antiquity. She is also an expert on Jane Austen sequels, having read nearly all of them. She works in publishing and is writing a series continuing the story of the Darcys and Bingleys. She lives in New York City. She does not own any cats.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "...disquise of every sort is my abhorrence.", September 19, 2008

By 

Kit Kat "Kit Kat" (Cali) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Darcys & the Bingleys: A Tale of Two Gentlemen's Marriages to Two Most Devoted Sisters (Paperback)

When Jane Austen wrote this line for Darcy, she doubtless meant him to define "disguise" as 'deception' or 'pretense'. But it can also mean 'drunk' and Altman's sequel remarks several episodes where she has Darcy so drunk he has to stagger away to throw up! This is so out of character for a gentleman who is strictly mindful of the proprieties. If he finds Mrs. Bennet and her sister, Mrs. Philips' vulgar behavior a "...tax on his forbearance" how can Altman believe Darcy would behave so? His throwing an intrusive Wickham out the window on the day of his wedding, while a funny situation, is not something Darcy would risk. Finally, the "brotherly rivalry" between himself and Bingley degenerates into petty one-up-manship in the vein of Kitty and Lydia's relationship. The funniest part was Bingley's solicitation of Darcy's supposed greater knowledge of 'marital relations' so he may please his Jane on their wedding night and Darcy's 'advice'. Still, this doesn't fit Darcy's persona, either.

The sub-plot about Caroline Bingley's attempts at matrimony was a tedious contrivance and I struggled to finish those chapters. The more interesting Mr. Bennet and the Darcy's first-born toddler Geoffrey (Yeff!) held my attention more.

For P&P fans who can't get enough, I would recommend this as a tolerable diversion and mildly amusing read. "The Pemberly Chronicles" by Rebecca Ann Collins was a better sequel.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Entertaining Pride and Prejudice Sequel, November 10, 2008

By 

Meredith "Austenesque Reviews" (Wilmington , NC USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Darcys & the Bingleys: A Tale of Two Gentlemen's Marriages to Two Most Devoted Sisters (Paperback)

This book isn't the best Pride and Prejudice Sequel I ever read, but I did find it a very entertaining book. It is not close to the style of Jane's writing, her characters (I don't think she would have Mr. Darcy be so easily drunk), or her style (she would not be writing about the Kama Sutra). Nevertheless, it is a fresh sequel to Pride and Prejudice and depicts the lives of the Bingley's and the Darcy's right before and long after marriage.

If you are critical (and there is nothing wrong with being critical) in your selection of Jane Austen Sequels and other writings, I wouldn't buy this book right away, maybe borrow it from the library first, see how you like it.

Of course a Pride and Prejudice sequel wouldn't be a Pride and Prejudice sequel without Caroline Bingley. I would say 1/4 of the story is about Caroline Bingley and her choice of fiance. If you are not a big fan of Caroline Bingley, you might not care for this book then.

By reading the other reviews and the plot on Amazon you might think this book is all about Kama Sutra and might be rated R. There really isn't that much about the Kama Sutra later in the book and it is not graphic or explicit. I would even say it is more PG-13.

46 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious sequel!, August 23, 2008

By 

Austen Fan! - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Darcys & the Bingleys: A Tale of Two Gentlemen's Marriages to Two Most Devoted Sisters (Paperback)

I found this sequel to be laugh-out-loud funny and a wonderful take on the friendship between Darcy and Bingley. It starts with Bingley coming to Darcy for advice about his upcoming wedding night. Darcy, being the reticent man that he is, refuses to talk about "it" but agrees that he will help his friend...cue Kama Sutra book! It continues to explore how Darcy's and Bingley's friendship came to be in the first place and how it grew to what it is now, full of hilarious male competitiveness. We get to watch how these couples adjust to married life and then parenthood with the arrival of their children.

When Bingley comes to Darcy yet again for more advice when Caroline has a suitor that the "find-the-good-in-everyone" Bingley has a problem with, he asks for his friend's advice yet again. This time Darcy and Bingley set off to do a little investigating about the suitor with a new found wealth and things may not be as we think they are. (With a little help from Elizabeth and Mr Bennet.) We also get a little peek into the mind of Caroline Bingley that, believe it or not, is not as bad as we'd like her to be. There are new characters introduced in the second half of the story, but they only add to the dynamics of this wonderfully suspenseful, funny tale.

Ms. Altman's writing is witty, hilarious and right on the mark with where I'd imagine Darcy and Bingley's friendship to be. Darcy is always known for his reserve around a large group of people and especially strangers, but we get to that side of him that he only shows to his wife, Elizabeth and his closest friend, Bingley, and it's that side that we all fall in love with. A definite must for any P&P fan!