Mr. Darcy's Diary: A Novel [Paperback]

Amanda Grange (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 1, 2007

Monday 9th September
"I left London today and met Bingley at Netherfield Park. I had forgotten what good company he is; always ready to be pleased and always cheerful. After my difficult summer, it is good to be with him again. ..."

The only place Darcy could share his innermost feelings was in the private pages of his diary...

Torn between his sense of duty to his family name and his growing passion for Elizabeth Bennet, all he can do is struggle not to fall in love.

Mr. Darcy's Diary presents the story of the unlikely courtship of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy from Darcy's point of view. This graceful imagining and sequel to Pride and Prejudice explains Darcy's moodiness and the difficulties of his reluctant relationship as he struggles to avoid falling in love with Miss Bennet. Though seemingly stiff and stubborn at times, Darcy's words prove him also to be quite devoted and endearing - qualities that eventually win over Miss Bennet's heart. This continuation of a classic romantic novel is charming and elegant, much like Darcy himself.

Pride and Prejudice has inspired a large number of modern day sequels, the most successful of which focus on the rich, proud Mr. Darcy.

What readers and reviewers are saying about Mr. Darcy's Diary:

"A delicious treat for all Austen addicts."

"Amanda Grange knows her subject...I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting."

"Brilliant, you could almost hear Darcy's voice...I was so sad when it came to an end. I loved the visions she gave us of their married life."

"Amanda Grange has perfectly captured all of Jane Austen's clever wit and social observations to make Mr. Darcy's Diary a must read for any fan."

"Absolutely fascinating. Amanda Grange seems to have really got under Darcy's skin and retells the story, in diary form, with great feeling and sensitivity." - Historical Novel Society

"Written with charm, elegance and style, Amanda Grange's excellent retelling of Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy's Diary, will make you fall in love with Fitzwilliam Darcy once again!" - Single Titles

"Mr. Darcy's Diary is an enjoyable journey into the mind of one of the most popular characters in literary history...a gift to a new generation of Darcy fans and a treat for existing fans as well." - Austenblog

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Joining a growing field of Austeniana—and, particularly, Darcyiana—Grange retells Austen's Pride & Prejudice from Fitzwilliam Darcy's point of view. Her device for doing so is an imagined diary of a clever sort: Grange reproduces, word for word and comma for comma, conversations from the original novel, but shifts the perspective to reported speech in Darcy's first-person, with his commentary on the encounters. Between the reconstituted passages, the reader is treated to Darcy's ongoing reflections on Hertfordshire society, his family obligations, his sister and, most crucially, Elizabeth Bennet and her family. There are also wholly invented conversations, most engagingly between Bingley and Darcy as they try to resist the pull of Netherfield Hall. On the whole, however, the diary is awkward in tone and lacks the polish and poise of Austen's creation (which some of the sequels have managed to approximate). There's a decidedly introspective quality to the observations not befitting the very unmodern, unintrospective nobleman. It simply doesn't sound like Darcy. (May)
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Review

"Absolutely fascinating. Amanda Grange seems to have really got under Darcy's skin and retells the story, in diary form, with great feeling and sensitivity." - Historical Novel Society

"Mr. Darcy's Diary is an enjoyable journey into the mind of one of the most popular characters in literary history . . . a gift to a new generation of Darcy fans and a treat for existing fans as well.
" - www.austenblog.com

"As is proper, Grange doesn't attempt the impossible task of competing with the Divine Jane, but tells Darcy's story in her own style, with charm and a gentle wit. While her characters are true to Austen's creations, a couple of surprises lurk, only adding to the reader's pleasure. . . Fortunately, there are plenty of entirely fresh scenes...in which Grange's own humor and warmth shine, making this an amusing and diverting read for Austen fans.
--Susan Higginbotham, author of The Traitor's Wife: A Novel of the Reign of Edward II " - susandhigginbotham.blogspot.com

"I really didn't want this book to end, as Grange's description of events following P&P were excellent." - Revisiting the Moon's Library (revisitingthemoonlibrary.blogspot.com)

""Literature's most eligible bachelor is back! A treat for Pride and Prejudice fans, this tells the story from Mr. Darcy's point of view. Sensitive to the original but lots of fun, this is the tale behind the alpha male."" - Woman magazine

" I love this book. It really served to endear Mr. Darcy to me even further." - hopeistheword.wordpress.com

"Any fans of Pride and Prejudice know half of the path that our hero and heroine follow to reach each other, but Grange provides a really intriguing possibility as to what may have been going on in Darcy's head throughout it all. He's not the only one that we get a different perspective of-the personalities of Caroline Bingley, Charles Bingley and Georgiana Darcy are also interesting to see from another's eyes. Mr. Darcy kept much different company from the Bennets, for the most part, so it's almost as though an entirely different story is presented. Much is parallel, but so much is new as well.
" - Epinions.com

"Mr. Darcy's Diary is a nice addition for all who enjoy Jane Austen's love stories. " - Arizona Daily Sun

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402208766
• ISBN-13: 978-1402208768
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.9 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (152 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #283,331 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 68 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fitzwilliam Darcy---humanized! September 4, 2007

By J. Lesley TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

The aspect of this novel by Amanda Grange which pleases me most is that she has been successful in turning Fitzwilliam Darcy into a flesh and blood man. Since Pride and Prejudice is essentially written from Elizabeth Bennet's point of view, at times I want an explanation of what Darcy is thinking. This book managed to do that for me. Even knowing that these words, thoughts and ideas do not come from Jane Austen, I am still completely satisfied with thinking "my" Mr. Darcy would have been like this. He was arrogant, he did believe in his own self-importance, he did interfere in Bingley's life. But, he also learned from Elizabeth and Bingley and the situations he found himself in that he could change. He didn't need to stay so stiff and formal. He could actually learn to tease and be teased and the world as he knew it would still remain on its axis.

I found this book to be slow going at first. I really didn't think I was going to be able to accept this Darcy as the same one who lives in my imagination. But a strange thing happened as I continued to read. I began to really like this man. Amanda Grange had made him a true, real, loveable person for me. As most of the other reviewers have said, I also am a huge fan of the Jane Austen books. Ms Grange does not try to be Jane Austen. She tries to be herself, giving us her version of how she thinks Fitzwilliam Darcy might have responded to his situations. I applaud her effort and recommend this book as a worthwhile read.

This is just a little extra information in case you get confused (as I did). This book came out in Britain in 2005 in hardcover and was titled DARCY'S DIARY. It has a full head portrait of Darcy on the cover, quite interesting but maybe just a little too feminine for "my" Darcy. The paperback was published in 2007 and is titled MR. DARCY'S DIARY. I, of course, was not careful and managed to buy them both. The paperback has only a partial portrait, probably because the publisher discovered that each of us has our own mental picture of Fitzwilliam Darcy. Both books are identical in every way except as I have stated. Now, my advice is to just read and enjoy one copy or the other.

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I went to bed with a happy heart!! March 9, 2007

By Christina Boyd VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

From the time UPS delivered this book yesterday, until I finished it at 2 a.m., I was captivated --and went to bed with a happy heart! Darcy's Diary is witty and delightful. Each entry is dated which keeps the timeline ever in focus. Amanda Grange successfully makes our hero all too human as she clearly exposes his pride that may not be as obvious in other's writings. Although Darcy may be a bit shy in company of those he does not know, it is in this novel that his arrogance is clearly his weakness -- and that is what he truly must overcome! Interactions that Darcy relates (as well as his innermost thoughts) are laugh out loud funny. And as I am an avid (yet critical) fan of anything Darcy and Elizabeth, this is one novel I am eager and confident to recommend!

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Darcy Does it Again! March 25, 2007

By Ellen VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I always wanted to read a book that reflected Mr. Darcy' feelings and emotions when he met Elizabeth. This book does exactly that- it "explains" in Darcy's voice how he feels about Elizabeth Bennett from the very first moment he sees her, and how he falls in love with her over time.

Loved it- Read it after Pride and Prejudice.

Ellen