Darcy's Story [Paperback]

Janet Aylmer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2006

When Elizabeth Bennet first met Mr. Darcy, she found him proud, distant, and rude—despite the other ladies' admiration of his estate in Derbyshire and ten thousand pounds a year. But what was Mr. Darcy thinking?

Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice has long stood among the most beloved novels of all time. The story of Elizabeth Bennet's blossoming romance with "haughty, reserved, and fastidious" Fitzwilliam Darcy has enchanted readers for nearly two centuries. Yet, Mr. Darcy has always remained an intriguing enigma—his thoughts, feelings, and motivations hidden behind a cold, impenetrable exterior . . . until now.

With the utmost respect for Austen's original masterwork, author Janet Aylmer loving retells Pride and Prejudice from a bold new perspective: seeing events as they transpire through the eyes of Darcy himself. One of world's great love stories takes on breathtaking new life, and one of fiction's greatest romantic heroes becomes even more sympathetic, compelling, attractive, and accessible, all through the imagination and artistry of a truly gifted storyteller.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

What is it about Fitzwilliam Darcy? Two hundred years after he captivated Elizabeth Bennett, readers still can't seem to get their fill of him. This title is just the latest in Darcy-inspired Jane Austen "fanfiction." Aylmer adheres more closely to the original in Darcy's Story, which retells Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's point of view. Big chunks of dialogue are lifted straight from Austen, accompanied by Darcy's own thoughts and perceptions. It's an interesting idea, but Aylmer's reverence for the text stands in the way of creating a lively story. There is no attempt to match Austen's sparkle or to flesh out the period setting, and opportunities to create more drama are missed; for example, Wickham's attempted abduction of Georgiana, which in another writer's hands might be a novel in itself, is dealt with in a few matter-of-fact sentences. As a result, this Darcy seems a dull dog. Nevertheless, the book should appeal to ardent Austen fans, especially if they object to too much tinkering. Mary Ellen Quinn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

“...quite a feat.” (onceuponaromance.net )

“Janet Aylmer gives all Austen enthusiasts more fodder for their passion for the classic...enjoyable and imaginative.” (www.bookloons.com )

“It is a story worth reading over and over, in any age, where true love exists for all to behold.” (www.coffeetimeromance.com )

“Janet Aylmer has wonderful, smooth writing style and ... she has a very creative imagination. (www.bestsellersworld.com )

“Austen fans will want to order this delectable crumpet ASAP so they can again witness Elizabeth Bennet’s charms.” (USA Today )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; 1 edition (August 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061148709
• ISBN-13: 978-0061148705
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #621,596 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Biography

Janet Aylmer is married to John and has lived in the beautiful city of Bath in the west of England for nearly 30 years. Janet and John have four children and three grandchildren.

Janet was born in Peterborough, England. She was brought up in the county of Surrey before moving to London to go to college.

Interests and Hobbies

Janet enjoys Regency romance and other novels, particularly those by Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen, and likes most books about history and the way the world works. She enjoys visiting the theatre and cinema, and listening to music.

She enjoys travel and meeting new people, and she has visited (in no particular order) ten states in the USA, as well as France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Raratonga, Japan, Hongkong, Sweden, Singapore, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Martinique and St Lucia.

Memberships

Janet is a member of the Jane Austen Society, the Society of Authors and the Historical Novels Society

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

106 of 118 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Horrible, just horrible, November 9, 2005

By 

Austen Lover (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Darcy's Story (Paperback)

Why didn't someone stop this woman? The book is just not written in the style of Austen at all. The language isn't right, in a painful way. There are long passages quoted from Austen, only to be quoted over and over (and over). And the book is pretty short for having quoted Austen so much - that might give you a hint that there isn't much going on. Part of what I love about Austen's work is the twists and turns and how everything is woven together so nicely. Don't expect anything like that here. The scenarios are contrived and presented in a ridiculous way. Darcy explaining in a conversation with Fitzwilliam the relationship between Darcy's father and Wickham - hello! Fitzwilliam is Darcy's cousin - close enough to be Georgianna's co-guardian! I think he knows the story! This is just one example. And the letters that are received - two sentences of fluff. And don't get me started about how repetitive this book is. OK, I've got it: Darcy isn't good with words, he doesn't have Bingley's easy way with people. Stop telling me that, I got it the first time. (Forget the part where later she writes, for once in his life, he was at a loss for words.) Why? Why? Why? Oh it's painful to recall. Don't read this book, it can come to no good!

33 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will always be under good regulation.", August 27, 2006

By 

Eliza Bennet (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Darcy's Story (Paperback)

Janet Aylmer doesn't elaborate on Jane Austen's storyline in Darcy's Story; she simply retells the original story from Darcy's view. Considering that Pride and Prejudice is told from Lizzy's perspective, and much is about her family, this book is simple, condensed, and can be read in one sitting. This is not a criticism, as I found the book charming. Yes, I noticed a few of the editing errors, but they didn't stop me from enjoying the book for what the author intended. I loved being taken back into Darcy and Elizabeth's world for a short time. Aylmer could have taken me deeper, yes, but I loved where she did take me. She illustrated Darcy's doubts about his character after being dressed down so horribly by Elizabeth. She captured his growing love for Eliza, and his goal of showing her his improvements. Nevertheless, there is not sufficient character development involved in this book for it to be read without first reading the original. This book is not meant to replace Pride and Prejudice, but rather to augment the perspective. If you are familiar with the whole story, and just want to quickly revisit the romantic passions of Austen's original, this book will satisfy.

69 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent but not good enough to tempt me =)2.5 stars, July 3, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Darcy's Story (Paperback)

I had been waiting for "The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy" by Mary Street for so long to get a novel with Darcy's point of view that I settled for this one.

There's too much lifting of Jane Austen's text (which a reader would know already) from Pride and Prejudice and not enough suppositions on the what, why and feelings of Mr. Darcy...