The Plight of the Darcy Brothers: A tale of the Darcys & the Bingleys (Pride & Prejudice Continues) [Paperback]

Marsha Altman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pride & Prejudice Continues | Publication Date: August 1, 2009

In this lively second installment, the Darcys and Bingleys are plunged into married life and its many accompanying challenges presented by family and friends.

With Jane and Elizabeth away, Darcy and Bingley take on the daunting task of managing their two-year- old children. Mary Bennet returns from the Continent pregnant by an Italian student promised to the church; Darcy and Elizabeth travel to find the father, and discover previously unknown—and shocking—Darcy relations. By the time Darcy discovers that there's more than one sibling of questionable birth in the family, the ever-dastardly Wickham arrives on the scene to try to seize the Darcy fortune once and for all.

(20090731)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In her second Pride and Prejudice sequel, Altman brings back the Darcys and the Bingleys, offering up a charming tale of family and intrigue, along with a deft bit of comedy. When proper Bennet sister Mary returns from the continent, she is a compromised woman. Darcy and Elizabeth go to the continent to find the father and convince him to do the right thing, but on the way, they discover secret scandals about the Darcy family, including one half-brother Darcy didn't know about and a bigger problem that could ruin the entire family's reputation. Altman follows a well-tread path with this sequel to Austen's classic, and Austen fans will be pleased with the treatment of her characters. Though the ending feels rushed, Altman takes the spirit of the original runs with it to mostly deliver on fans' great expectations.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Readers who can't get enough of Pride and Prejudice should give Marsha Altman's series a whirl." (Natalie Mancino Book, Line and Sinker 20090731)

"[A] delightful book. I totally enjoyed it. I can see myself reading these books again in the future." (Jen Ritter Jenny Loves to Read 20090731)

Altman manages to stay true to the original characters, tell a whopping good story, make us laugh and cry in all the right places, and make us want to read it again and again. (Gayle Surret A Curious Statistical Anomaly 20090731)

Another rollicking fine adventure with the Darcys and Bingleys, well-written... ridiculously fun reading. (Nancy Horner Bookfoolery & Babble 20090731)

"[H]umorous, dramatic, romantic and touching-all things I love in a Jane Austen sequel... This goes on the shelf with my favorites." (Grace Loiacano Grace's Book Blog 20090724)

This tale is so beautifully written with the same subtlety and intriguing plots, that fans of the incomparable Jane Austen might mistake it for a Jane Austen novel. (Bella McGuire A Bibliophile's Bookshelf 20090803)

[A] fun book to read to while away a few quiet afternoons. (Shoshana Ashley This Book For Free 20090803)

This one kept me reading... refreshing. (Rebecca Laney Becky's Book Reviews 20090813)

[U]tterly charming. The book is written with just the right amount of humor and the plot moves at a steady pace, and is just so much fun to read. (Stephanie Coleman-Chan Stephanie's Written Word 20090821)

I've read various Austen sequels, but this is the best so far. (Rachel A. Hyde Historical Novel Review 20090821)

There is a surprise on almost every page of this book. It is well-written, exciting, and certainly intriguing. In my opinion, this sequel is the author's best yet. (Barbara Davis Everything Victorian 20090828)

I have loved the characters from Pride and Prejudice for years and Ms. Altman's sequels capture their essence better than any of the many sequels, that I have read. Kudos Ms. Altman! (Marlene Breakfield Once Upon a Romance 20090831)

I'm anxious for another sequel. Marsha Altman has only made me more curious about these beloved families. (Tea Kettle Classic Jane Austen Blog 20090902)

I highly recommend this Pride and Prejudice sequel and encourage those who loved Jane Austen's book to read this one (Wendi Barker Wendi's Book Corner )

Altman did a wonderful job of creating a story that the reader could really get drawn down into... The love between Darcy and Elizabeth seems to be timeless. (Cinnamon Brown A Journey of Books )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark; 1 edition (August 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140222429X
• ISBN-13: 978-1402224294
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #219,117 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

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ms Altman does it again!, July 18, 2009

By 

Austen Fan! - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Plight of the Darcy Brothers: A tale of the Darcys & the Bingleys (Pride & Prejudice Continues) (Paperback)

This book continues where Ms Altman left off in book 1 and we get to see our favorite characters get into more mischief. Elizabeth is not emotionally well after suffering a miscarriage, but when Mary comes to her with a problem, she and Darcy set off for Italy to help and hope they can make it back in time. They also reconnect on a more personal level and grow closer in their own marriage.

Along the way Darcy discovers more and more about his own family's past and discovers his father had a tendency to stray in his marriage when his wife was in confinement. Darcy's newfound brother is just a bit younger than Georgiana and he is living the life of a poor, French, Catholic monk although their father had set up an annual allowance of a proper gentleman. This of course irritates the proud Darcy when he sees he is not living the life Darcy feels is due him and talks his new brother into being their guide to Italy in hopes of getting to know him more, but ends up learning so much more than he bargained for!

We also get to see Bingley deal with mischievous children and their hilarious antics while Caroline and her husband make an unexpected but extremely advantageous connection that will change their family dynamics forever. Dr. Maddox is extremely well written and fits in flawlessly with Austen's original characters.

This book is a wonderful addition to any P&P fan's library. It may not be written just as Austen herself would have written, but frankly there is only one Jane Austen and I wouldn't want to read someone "trying" to write like her, but I do love reading about the characters she created and seeing where others can take them! This book is full of humor, love for family, conflict and a duel where someone will not survive!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review: The Plight of the Darcy Brothers, August 4, 2009

By 

nat @ book, line, and sinker (at the beach, nj) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Plight of the Darcy Brothers: A tale of the Darcys & the Bingleys (Pride & Prejudice Continues) (Paperback)

Second in a series, The Plight of the Darcy Brothers finds Fitzwilliam Darcy making hasty travel plans to the Continent to save yet another Bennet daughter from scandal.

It seems that Jane Austen fans can be divided into roughly two camps: the purists and the rest of us. Austen purists may struggle with contemporary authors serializing Pride and Prejudice (or the other novels), but I think that if the author does his or her research and tells a solid story, these sequels can find success and have a place in the literary world.

Marsha Altman is one such author, creating a realistic continuation of Pride and Prejudice while seamlessly incorporating new characters without detracting from the original story. The Plight of the Darcy Brothers is the second installment in her continuing series and though I haven't read the first book, had no difficulty following this story.

The novel follows Darcy and Elizabeth as they travel to the Continent, Italy specifically, in an effort to save the reputation of yet another Bennet sister. Along the way, Darcy comes to learn several shocking things about his father and the Darcy family. As they travel on, Darcy wrestles with internal conflict, trying to come to terms with what he's discovered.

Altman's skillful use of narration helps the reader understand what motivates each character. Told in the third-person omniscient, we can see into the minds of the majority of characters and it gives the story greater depth and authenticity. Austen herself also wrote in this narrative style.

Altman doesn't skimp on details and fills readers in on all the characters from the original novel. The subplots keep the story moving and it's a quick and entertaining read. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and have plans to read the first book shortly. Readers who can't get enough of Pride and Prejudice should give Marsha Altman's series a whirl.

--[...], Line, and Sinker
[...]
7.30.09

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprises Galore, August 7, 2009

By 

B. Davis "crazy about books" (Beautiful Northwest USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Plight of the Darcy Brothers: A tale of the Darcys & the Bingleys (Pride & Prejudice Continues) (Paperback)

Darcy and Elizabeth are disappointed when Elizabeth loses a baby, but unexpected news comes rather quickly, sending the couple on an unpleasant trip to the Continent.

While away from home they meet an unusual young man who has a major impact on their lives, and gives them some startling information that sends Darcy into a tailspin.

There is a surprise on almost every page of this book. It is well-written, exciting, and certainly intriguing. In my opinion, this sequel is the author's best yet.