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

Elizabeth Aston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 3, 2009

From the author of Mr. Darcy's Daughters, the delightful escapades of the Darcy family continue with an enchanting story set at Pride and Prejudice's Pemberley.

When Phoebe, a young niece of Pride and Prejudice's Mr. Darcy, is shattered by an unhappy romance, she retreats to Pemberley and is joined by kind-hearted Louisa Bingley, unmarried after three London seasons. Once the young ladies are situated in the house, several handsome strangers also arrive -- all hopeful of winning the girls' hearts. As preparations for the ball which Mr. and Mrs. Darcy are to give at Pemberley gain momentum, mischief and love triangles abound, making life as difficult as possible for anyone connected with the Darcy family.

Populated with authentic characters firmly rooted in Jane Austen's mores and stylistic traditions, Mr. Darcy's Dream has an unforgettable combination of romance, societal scandals, friendship, family, and marriage.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is historical fiction at its most enjoyable... Miss Jane Austen would be very comfortable in Ms. Elizabeth's Aston's world." -- Historical Novels Review

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.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (February 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416547266
• ISBN-13: 978-1416547266
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #881,599 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:

1.0 out of 5 stars Truly disappointing...author fraud?, February 9, 2009

By 

K. Jacobs (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mr. Darcy's Dream: A Novel (Paperback)

I've read all of Aston's Darcy-family books. They've been a delight. This latest is dismally disappointing, moving me to wonder if the same author is at work here. Boring, shallow protagonists, much too much focus on the maids! and their perspectives/quibbling, and story that doesn't really kick in until at least 150 pages in. What a disaster. I had no desire even to finish. Hoping this is just an example of having a bad outing, and that Ashton is back on her game in her next effort.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mr Darcy finally arrives on page 281 -- but I heartily endorse, regardless!, January 29, 2009

By 

Christina Boyd "Great Reader & sometimes gues... (Custer, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mr. Darcy's Dream: A Novel (Paperback)

I would have easily given this book 5 stars if not for the niggling sensation I felt as I read it. Like all Elizabeth Aston's books, Jane Austen's original characters are not principal players -- which for in any other book would have been perfectly acceptable. And I love that all her books can stand alone. But to actually title this book MR DARCY'S DREAM was extremely deceptive. In classic Aston style, Mr Darcy makes an appearance at the end and does have the last word. But since almost the entire story is based at Pemberley, and the Darcy's arent even in residence until the day of the ball -- well, to be honest, that disappointed me. This book was very enjoyable nonetheless, if not for the deceptive title. (Yes, yes... I get it. I totally get WHAT Mr Darcy's dream is... it just wasnt what I had anticipated or hoped for when pre-ordering this book.)

That said, Mr Darcy's nieces are enchanting and I easily liked them. The heart break that Georgianna's daughter, Phoebe, experiences and carries with her through out the book is intense and Aston inflicts just the right amount of angst on us to keep us reeling til the end. Which by the way, wraps up all too quickly for my liking (but then all her books do!)

I found the added Whig vs. Tory ingredient to be just the right balance. Aston gives enough of the politics to make it interesting and a believable situation -- but not so much to bore us to death.

Elizabeth Aston is a gifted writer and I enjoy all her books. This story, even though Mr Darcy doesnt actually show up until page 281, was a superb read that I heartily endorse!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not the Same as the Rest, February 22, 2009

By 

Whoseblues (Milwaukee, WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr. Darcy's Dream: A Novel (Paperback)

***SPOILERS*** I agree with a previous reviewer. It's almost as if this book was not written by the same author as the other ones in this series, which I think have all been terrific.

In this one, however, the main characters are insipid. The conversation is dull. And the most characteristic marker that's missing from this one is the clever plot twist all the others had that both generated the happy ending and caused the bad guy to get what was coming to him. That's probably because there isn't much of a plot in the first place, and while the bad guy does get found out, nothing is tied together very well, the story does not hang as whole cloth, and the ending is abrupt and utterly uncompelling. This one doesn't come off as worthy of the use of Jane Austen's premise, and it shows none of the social satire that the other books carry through from Austen -- it just comes off as a badly executed romance.

I hope it's just a bad outing as well. Otherwise, if the author is tired of the whole thing, she'd be better off publishing no more books in the series, rather than diluting the really good start she made with more like this one.