Customer Reviews

Duty and Desire (Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman, Book 2)

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(40)
2 star:		(38)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

My earlier review of Pamela Aiden's first installment cites it as the best P&P spinoff. It was the initial part of a trilogy that offers insight into Darcy's point of view and life apart from Miss Elizabeth Bennet in parallel to the P&P story line. The second installment falls a bit short by comparison.

While the continuation of Darcy's relationship with his valet is particularly delightful, the strategic plot choices seem out of character.

Finding solace in God is certainly a plausible means by which Miss Darcy would overcome her experience with Wickham but to turn to evangelical Christianity rather than the Anglican Church is less realistic. As a ward of an elder brother determined to shelter her and guide her to adulthood as a proper aristocratic woman, it is more likely that he would have seen to it that she pursued a deeper faith within the more conventional church. Having already suffered the consequence of a poor choice of governess, Darcy would have been ever more careful about the character and background of a replacement.

Likewise, the entirety of the plot twists at the country manor is implausible. It served a valuable purpose is demonstrating Darcy considering alternative potential matrimonial options to Elizabeth Bennet and one by one finding reasons to eliminate them. However, that he would attend let alone stay at such an event is entirely out of character for him. It is more likely that he would have pursued a similar interest within the confines of proper London aristocratic society rather than in the plot's bizarre environment.

All in all, the second tome of a trilogy is usually regarded as the least attractive of the three. The final leg promises to give us Darcy's perspective as he struggles more directly with Miss Bennet in the evolution of their relationship. I for one continue to await its publication with undiminished anticipation.

...except perhaps that I was expecting to be disappointed and was instead engrossed and very pleasantly surprised. I had originally been enthralled by the first volume in the series, loving its fresh and unexpected but eminently logical insights into well-loved characterizations, but had gotten distracted from finishing the opener, perhaps momentarily bored with the predictability of its correspondence with Austen's original (paradoxically its original attraction). The second book's description was not enticing for me, promising few familiar characters or favorite events. Eventually I persevered and finished the books at a rapid pace so that I could lend them to an avid friend.

In the event, "Duty and Desire" was not what I expected, instead much better than expected. The first half was charming and engaging and rich with characterization, hardly harmed by its paucity of action. Georgiana's character reveal was plausible and took Darcy's dilemmas to a new level.

The controversial second half flowed very well for me, made clear sense, and had a real and necessary point to it. It all may have seemed to some readers as very monstrous and non-Austenesque - but that's the perverse hidden reality behind the pampered and unhampered lives of many of those to the manor born with silver spoons in their mouths. This was a real alternative for someone in Darcy's position, and he needed to see it for what it is in its stark reality in order to better see and appreciate Elizabeth for who she is. And frankly, it presents a nice mediating contrast and perspective to the banality of Hertfordshire, which hardly seems so utterly bad to Darcy by comparison.

For those who call this "mystery" story absurd and unbelievable - is it really? If anything, it seems more in touch with the actual reality of the times, as lived by its unreal ruling class, than Austen's soft-focus version. (Check out Fay Weldon's revealing "Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen" for more on this point.)

And for those who feel this "mystery" is out of keeping with Austen's literary style - would it really be such a stretch for the author of that Gothic farce "Northanger Abbey"? I agree it would not fit comfortably in the world of "Pride and Prejudice" - but "Duty and Desire" is reaching outside that world (which is mostly Elizabeth's world) into the fringe of Darcy's world to show what he is choosing AGAINST when he chooses to re-enter and commit to Elizabeth's world of wise and kind morality.

Belatedly I realize the core of why I like this particular volume (and the series as a whole) so very, very much. Aidan is taking her characterization of Darcy through a very complete and deliberate psychological odyssey. Each incident stands on its own in terms of entertainment value, but also serves the careful purpose of taking Darcy to every psychological place that he needs to pass through in order to reach his destination (i.e. Elizabeth). Aidan doesn't miss much, and pulls few punches - Darcy really has to go through the ringer, and even entertain some dark temptations that he would naturally be exposed to during his time of despair and vulnerability. The whole work has great psychological realism and resonance for me.

For a "filler" book, it's not bad. It's well written, as was the first book, but it's not nearly as interesting as the first one. The "mystery" introduced wasn't particularly compelling, and I found myself skipping to those bits that gave insight into what Darcy was thinking and feeling, rather than being pulled into the story itself.

One thing that especially frustrated me was the emphasis the author made on religious contemplation. Jane Austen, herself, was certainly a woman of deep religious conviction, but she was as scrupulously careful about keeping her books free from heavy-handed portrayal of religious belief as she was from heavy-handed portrayal of feminist thought. Even though these themes do pop up in her novels, they are never dwelled upon. But this is where Pamela Aidan's most impressive ability -- her ability to keep close to Austen's style -- failed. She failed to maintain Austen's light touch. Nearly the entire first third of this book has a strong religious orientation, and I even put it down in exasperation several times. I never did that with the first book.

Later in the book, we are informed that Darcy's sister, Georgiana, has undergone a religious transformation the likes of which you might see in a newly born-again Christian of modern times. I suspect (I really hope), that Aidan is simply using this as a plot device. Since Darcy himself worries about Georgiana's excessive devotion to her faith, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's so. The third book should be the most interesting of the three, and I await it with great anticipation. Let's hope Aidan writes it as she did the first one and drops the heavy-handed style of this one.

I was very impressed with An Assembly Such as This and had looked forward to reading the other parts of the Gentleman trilogy. Pamela Aidan fills in the gaps that Jane Austen left in regards to Mr. Darcy and Aidan had done it quite well with the first installment. Duty and Desire, while well written, isn't quite as good as An Assembly Such as This. After Elizabeth Bennett rejects his proposal, Mr. Darcy finds solace in work, family concerns and time for reflection in Pemberley. He wonders about various aspects of his life, namely religion and his feelings for Elizabeth. He is also caring for his little sister Georgiana, who finds comfort in Christianity after the debacle with Mr. Wickham. When he receives an invitation to a soiree at an old college friend's estate, Mr. Darcy decides it is the perfect time to find a wife that befits his station in life. He becomes intrigued by the beautiful and enigmatic Lady Sylvanie. But will she help him forget about Elizabeth? And is Lady Sylvanie hiding something from him? There are some twists throughout the novel.

I like the wonderful backdrop of Regency England in this installment. Again, Aidan succeeds in writing a Pride and Prejudice continuation for the historical reader. I love the scenes with Darcy and his valet. Aidan has created something vaguely similar to what Austen made with Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. Those scenes are entertaining and fun. However, I had a hard time believing a lot of the actions Darcy makes here. They are very out of character for him. Would the real Mr. Darcy stay at the manor's assembly checking out and dismissing potential wives as though he were sampling meats at a deli? No way! We all know that Mr. Darcy hates those kinds of social events. Why would the author have him attend such a party? He is more of the loner type who prefers to reflect on things at his own leisure. Also, the whole thing about Georgiana and her converting to the Anglican church is overblown, in my opinion. It's not that the storyline isn't believable -- it's just that, unlike Jane Austen, Aidan wasn't able to incorporate the topic of Christianity into the overall storyline quite as well as Jane Austen had done. As for the whole thing with Lady Sylvanie... Well, let's just say that I wasn't thrilled with the fact that Darcy had been interested in someone other than Elizabeth. While it is completely realistic that he may have been interested in someone else during the time in which he had no contact with Lizzy, I nevertheless was not pleased with this storyline. This novel is such a change from An Assembly Such as This. The author could have done so many things during Darcy's large absence in Pride and Prejudice and instead fills in the gaps with implausible storylines. I was underwhelmed with Duty and Desire. I hope These Three Remain will be better than this.

How in the world can anyone give this book only one star? That's like putting it on par with the millions of trashy bodice-rippers on display in airport bookstores. Ridiculous. Yes, there are some valid complaints, and no, I didn't personally enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the first one, but the writing talent shines through with every word. And the effort behind this book must have been tremendous. I appreciate an author who puts so much into a book, even if I don't always perfectly agree with the end result. Good grief, have we dumbed down so much that we no longer appreciate or reward good writing? I swear, we're going to end up with only Jackie Collins and Clive Cussler on our bookshelves. Kill. Me. Now.

I just finished reading the three books "An Assembly Such as This", "Duty and Desire" and "These Three Remain" by Pamela Aidan.

After completing the first novel in the series, I looked forward to what this second might bring. I was most seriously disappointed in the performance.

First, Aidan forgets that Austen was NOT a fan of the gothic novel. Austen's "Northanger Abbey" was a parody (at times) of this genre. Her characters in her other works have survived and are beloved for the very reason that they are so 'real', and do not require extraordinary circumstances or fabricated events in order to shine and reveal who they are. Aidan on the other hand appears to revel in the gothic genre and to take it seriously, applying it wholeheartedly to the world of Austen, where, in my opinion, it has no business.

Aidan so deviates from the spirit of Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" that I found myself impatient with the absurd circumstances she placed Mr. Darcy. The small, engaging (and believable) 'mystery' of his valet, Fletcher (introduced in the first novel), was eclipsed by the outrageous and unbelievable events of this second novel. Forgetting the source of the attraction Austen's fans (the most likely readers of her books) have to Pride and Prejudice, Aiden abandons herself to this other-worldly world of intrigue, politics, a sinister castle, blood, fear and unwieldy passions.

I found myself impatient with how this novel and its events reflected back on the world of the Bennet's. The Bennets and Hertfedshire had no place in the world described in this novel. So much was this the case that one could not fathom that Elizabeth and Darcy even shared the same planet.

While I understand Aiden's purpose was most likely to show that Mr. Darcy was dissatisfied with his life and the people he met in his usual circles, so different from the country where Elizabeth and his heart rested, I feel that Aiden did more to damage Mr. Darcy's character than to reveal it.

I say without hesitation that though I enjoyed the first novel, I despised this second. I have no dislike for the gothic genre, enjoying Jane Eyre as much as other novels of the time, but its just not a good fit either with Austen's characters, or the world in which Austen lived and attempted to recreate for her readers. Aidan would have done much better to have revealed new characters and situations that would show Mr. Darcy's character in the course of his 'every day life' than how he reacts to being in a sinister castle with danger all around.

I suppose it's a testimony to Jane Austen's brilliance that, in the original Pride and Prejudice, the time between Netherfield and Rosings didn't seem dull to me. Even without the presence of Mr. Darcy and the Bingleys, she kept me interested simply by applying her usual acuity to the everyday goings-on and social interactions of the Bennet family. Ms. Aidan's interpretation of this period, however, I did find somewhat boring. It shouldn't have been, since a gentleman's activities were so much less restricted than a country lady's, but so it was. Maybe part of it was that the author resorted to manufacturing a mystery that didn't *quite* fit. It wasn't horrible by any means, but was it really necessary? I liked that Ms. Aidan sent Darcy visiting to a household of people we'd never met, because it seemed such a natural thing that he would have an extensive social life and many acquaintance unknown to us. But I'm not sure it was necessary to make up a mystery in order to show us the evil tendencies in some of these characters. I'm expecting a lot of Ms. Aidan, I know, but since she's proved herself so good at it, I guess I thought she'd continue her character development in true Austen style -- through keen observation of drawing-room and ballroom social interaction, with the added novelty of perspective from gentlemen's clubs and business/athletic pursuits. Despite the manufactured mystery and a certain amount of dreariness, I did enjoy the book overall. It goes into my good-but-not-good-enough-to-be-read-again category.

Well, I will definitely buy the third volume when it comes out. But that's solely based on my admiration for the gifted Ms. Aidan. I'm unwilling to give up on her, even though I reluctantly have to agree with many of the negative reviews here. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a very different sort of third volume....

I have read, reread, and loved Jane Austen's works for over 30 years. I have never been impressed with any of the companion or sequel books I have come across in that time. I started reading Ms. Aidan's series a couple of years ago when it was only available on-line and have been avidly following the series ever since. I appreciate the quality and style of her writing while recognizing the differences in tone, wit and humor between her works and Jane Austen's original. I am impressed with the way she has fleshed out some of Austen's other characters, most notably Bingley, and developed new ones (although I think Dy becomes too much like the Scarlet Pimpernell). I am still not satisfied that the "mystery" that Darcy encounters at the castle is necessary to this story. It is a diversion or intrigue that seems overdone and out of place. It is a minor fault, though, that does not prevent my enjoying the rest of the book. Darcy will never be as interesting or engaging a character as Elizabeth, but Ms. Aidan is on her way to eplaining why he may someday be deserving of her. I look forward to book three.

The good points:
- Unquestionably talented writing
- A smooth and believable look into the mind of Mr. Darcy
- Beautiful detail about regency life

The bad points:
- An out-of-place mystery plotline more suited to one of Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen mysteries
- A sudden and jarring emphasis on religion
- A sudden switch from writing the first book in as charming a manner as Jane herself might have, to a tiresome and lecturing manner

Obviously, I felt that the negatives outweighed the positives. Do I think it was worth the $14 in what will ultimately become a >$40 investment? No. Do I think other people will enjoy it more than I did? Absolutely. If you don't mind inconsistency within a book (and make no mistake...three, separate, profit-generating volumes aside, this is ONE book, based on one "borrowed" story), you won't be as irritated with the style change as I was. Also, if you are a Christian or if you are someone who easily ignores agenda-driven writing, you probably won't even blink at the un-Austen-like religious emphasis. Personally, I agree with the reviewers who hope for a return to the "old" Aidan for volume three.