An Assembly Such as This (Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman #1)

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An Assembly Such as This (Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman #1)

by Pamela Aidan (Goodreads Author)

3.71 of 5 stars 3.71 · rating details · 7,348 ratings · 1,075 reviews

"She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me."

So begins the timeless romance of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen's classic novel is beloved by millions, but little is revealed in the book about the mysterious and handsome hero, Mr. Darcy. And so the question has long remained: Who is Fitzwilliam Darcy?

In An Assembly Suc...more

Paperback, 255 pages

Published May 30th 2006 by Touchstone

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Sep 30, 2008 Katharine rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: austen, regency, romance

After all I'd heard about this series, and the many recommendations I'd seen, I was kind of shocked to find how badly this was written.

This is supposed to be the best insight into the character of Darcy and instead we get inconsistency and pointless detail. In general, I disagree with the interpretation that has Darcy madly in love with Elizabeth about .3 seconds after insulting her at the Netherfield Assembly. But I could put up with that if it were done well. This Darcy swings confusingly fro...more After all I'd heard about this series, and the many recommendations I'd seen, I was kind of shocked to find how badly this was written.

This is supposed to be the best insight into the character of Darcy and instead we get inconsistency and pointless detail. In general, I disagree with the interpretation that has Darcy madly in love with Elizabeth about .3 seconds after insulting her at the Netherfield Assembly. But I could put up with that if it were done well. This Darcy swings confusingly from obsession with Elizabeth's every move, to childish irritation whenever she zings him. He's nothing even close to a realistic man, but rather a mish-mash of heroic clichés (he is the only person who can handle his high-spirited black stallion! Hee!) that reminds me of the imaginary games I used to play when I was twelve. Add in a few allusions to Darcy as played by Colin Firth in the '95 adaptation (twirl that pinky ring, Colin Darcy!) and you've got this reader, at least, snickering rather than swooning.

Elizabeth as seen through this Darcy's eyes is similarly a blend of irritating feminine tropes who would probably seem a lot more sympathetic if you turned her into a drinking game (sip every time the author describes her as "delicate"). It's as if the author had never actually observed a real person and how emotion would make that person act, but instead uses whatever literary or movie stereotype seems most appropriate. (People do not "quirk" their eyebrows nearly as often as she thinks they do, nor are snorts usually "delicate." *slurp*)

The book improves just a bit after Darcy gets to London and the author leaves Austen's narrative (and Darcy's obsession with Elizabeth) mostly behind. The Darcy-Bingley interactions are some of the better-written passages. However, the ton society bits seem out of place at best and farfetched at worst. It's a little difficult to buy Darcy as a rival to Brummel, even reluctantly, or hobnobbing with the scandalous Caroline Lamb. It's so much the antithesis to everything Austen wrote about. These scenes are a little more interesting than the rest of the book, but if the author wanted to write a high society regency, maybe she should have done that as an original novel instead of trying to shoehorn it into an Austen fic. I don't feel as though the London episodes do a whole lot to enlighten us on Darcy's character. They feel as though they were added because the author COULD, rather than with a purpose that fits into the narrative as a whole.

Plus, I would like to assume that Aidan did her research on the regency period, but I suspect it did not extend to much more than lots of Heyer – I caught some errors myself, and I'm no expert. (Come on, Darcy would have known what a waltz was, musically at least. They had 3/4 time long before they did the face-to-face ballroom dancing. There's even a waltz mentioned in Emma although it's clearly meant only musically, not as in dancing style.) Heyer-ish slang also seems out of place in Austen. (Darcy is constantly calling Bingley a "gudgeon" which seems really odd for Darcy.)

Which brings me to language and style. The book reads as if the author had used a thesaurus for every fifth word, but only correctly about half the time. ("Unwittingly" does not mean what she thinks it means.) And yeah, Shakespeare had a great vocabulary too, but Ms. Aidan is missing the point that it's not really about how many different words you can use, but how WELL you use them. She certainly doesn't understand how to describe evocatively or effectively. I assume in some attempt to mimic the complexity of early 19th century writing, her style is a grammatic disaster, full of unnecessary passive voice, vague or missing antecedents, and pointless clauses wherever she can work in a few more adverbs. The problem is that Jane Austen's prose, while probably a little more complex than we're used to, is always clear and incisive and you usually don't have to read her sentences three times just to understand what she's getting at.

Let's look at a brief snippet to show what I mean about language and style.

"...The last to accept his cup, Bingley paused at Darcy's side and motioned with a quirk of his chin to the vacant seats next to Elizabeth and her sister. [No! Chins do not "quirk" and pointing with your chin is rude and obvious.] Even as he silently declined the invitation, [how did he do that? shake his head? "quirk" his eyebrow?] Darcy could not prevent or deny the bittersweet pull on his senses the opportunity presented. [See, getting trapped by a needlessly complex sentence structure -- "pulls" do not "present". They pull. This would be better: "Darcy could not deny a bittersweet pull on his senses." Much clearer AND more effective, although a bit cliched.] Determinedly, he took up a position somewhat apart from the others, from which he could safely bide his time. ["Determinedly" is like the most awkward adverb ever AND should be unnecessary -- SHOW NOT TELL.]

As it was, the conversation was consumed with the ball that Bingley had promised. [I don't like "consumed" here... it feels like the wrong word, too violent for the context. Perhaps "occupied" or "engaged".] Since the others were well aware of his aversion to the scheme, Darcy's opinions were not solicited, even by Miss Bingley, and he was left to his silent contemplation. [Unnecessary use of passive voice -- sentence would be stronger if it read "..., even Miss Bingley refrained from soliciting his opinion." Full stop. Last phrase is repetitive.] Relieved that he would not have to take part in a conversation fraught with traps that would militate against his plan, [Mixed metaphor! Traps do not "militate"!] Darcy breathed in the tangy scents of earth and vegetation. [Eh, in my opinion earth does not smell "tangy", which implies sour or citrusy. Pick fitting words! Don't just use the first one that comes to mind!] Suddenly there swept over him an acute longing. Pemberley! [Now, that's just cheesy. But whatever.]..."

If edited properly, these books could be one volume instead of three. (less)

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Feb 25, 2008 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: guiltypleasures

How ungrateful I must seem! This book was a Valentine's Day gift from my husband, intended to delight a complete Austenophile like me. And I was indeed enchanted with the first few chapters, for they tell the story of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy from the gentleman's point of view. Part of the great charm of Pride & Prejudice lies in the mystery surrounding Mr. Darcy. What are we to think of this quintessentially stiff-upper-lipped toff when he inexplicably snubs the sparkling Miss Bennet...more

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Feb 28, 2008 Holly (2 Kids and Tired) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have yet to find an attempted Pride and Prejudice sequel to be worth my time. This novel is the first that really does the story justice. While this book isn't a sequel, it's a wannabe adaptation: the first of three novels which basically retell the story of Pride and Prejudice from the viewpoint of Mr. Darcy. A viewpoint that Austen readers have wondered about since the novel was published. This one ends after the ball at Netherfield, with Darcy and Miss Bingley conspiring to remove Charles f...more

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Jun 28, 2007 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, romance

Although I enjoyed the beginnings of Darcy's side of the story in this book, I think it moved a bit slowly. Some chapters seemed dragged out, especially when Elizabeth wasn't present in the narrative. The scenes with them together are the most fun, since we see Austen's dialogue juxtaposed with Aiden's take on Darcy's mind. If this wasn't the story of Pride & Prejudice, I probably wouldn't have finished the series out, but I couldn't help continuing to find out what went through Darcy's mind...more

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Jul 26, 2008 Ana T. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: trad-regency, read-in-2008, borrowed

"Ten thousand a year and a large estate in Derbyshire!" That was all Mrs. Bennet desired to know of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy before she began to entertain hopes that one of her daughters would attract his attention. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen reveals little of her creation's past or present before banishing him for quite two thirds of her book. But, who is Fitzwilliam Darcy?

An Assembly Such as This, the first book of the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, answers that intriguing questi...more "Ten thousand a year and a large estate in Derbyshire!" That was all Mrs. Bennet desired to know of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy before she began to entertain hopes that one of her daughters would attract his attention. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen reveals little of her creation's past or present before banishing him for quite two thirds of her book. But, who is Fitzwilliam Darcy?

An Assembly Such as This, the first book of the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, answers that intriguing question by taking the reader into Darcy's world, a world very different from Elizabeth Bennet's. Chronicling Darcy's supervision of his naive friend Charles Bingley and his growing fascination with Elizabeth Bennet, it culminates with the disastrous ball at Netherfield and Darcy's return to London with the express intention of forgetting Elizabeth amidst the dizzying and dangerous whirl of Regency society."

Continuining with my interest in Jane Austen related reads I recently loaned this book from A.. It's P&P told from Mr Darcy's point of view and I was highly curious about it. I must say though that I found this Mr Darcy a bit boring, not as much introspection regarding feelings as I would like and he wasn't as focused on Lizzy as I would like. Or maybe he was too focused as one thing I found a little odd was how he interpreted her reactions to him, too emotional I thought for such a reserved man. I'm afraid I measure every book with a male hero against Gaskell's Mr Thornton and I have yet to find such beautiful and intense feelings as she gave him in other men.

I must say that my favourite part was after Darcy and Lizzy started sparring verbally and she clearly was the best in their witty dialogues. Aidan does create some new scenes and characters. I particularly enjoyed Darcy's relationship with his valet Fletcher. It provided some humourous situations and Darcy seemed a bit unsure on how to deal with Fletcher occasionally.

The book only covers a third of P&P and I'm hoping the next ones will be better as Darcy and Lizzy interact more.

Grade: B-(less)

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Jun 26, 2008 Ashley rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is a retelling of the story of Pride and Prejudice written from the point of view of Darcy. It is broken up into three novels instead of the original one and I felt like it was a bit stretched up and filled with "empty calories".
I think I picked this book up for same reason that most people do - because we love Jane Austen and there just isn't enough of it so we hope we can find another entrance into the regency period that will be as good. Unfortunately this wasn't. It comes across as a b...more

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Jul 18, 2008 Cassie Young rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Not really anyone.

Recommended to Cassie by: Message forum

Okay, This was LAME. The whole series. Being an avid Jane Austen fan, when I heard that there was a good addition to the list of P&P sequels and spin-offs, I was all gung-ho on reading them. I even bought them at Costco, I was so sure they were going to be good. Boy was I wrong! I was either gagging or gafawing the entire time. Aidan dwelt far to long on Darcy's 'Passion'. About every other page was riddled with his sighs and and his "Heart thudding against his rib-cage", and his inability...more

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Feb 19, 2008 Jen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, based-on-a-classic, rich-folk

This book is Part I in the trilogy where the events of Pride & Prejuidice are told from Mr. Darcy's point-of-view. This first book was pretty tedious--I found the long sections in between the scenes where Elizabeth and Darcy interact excrutiatingly slow and boring. It wasn't until the end of this book, after Darcy and the Bingleys left Netherfield, that it started to become a story in its own right and not just a filler in between the Pride & Prejuidice bits. Still, I didn't feel compell...more

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Mar 12, 2009 Samantha rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was a dream come true for me. Finally, I got to get to know Mr. Darcy, the legendary, ideal dreamboat created almost 200 years ago. I love Pride and Prejudice, of course, and this new installment was suprisingly satisfying! I wasn't expecting much when I first started it. I mean, Jane Austen is a legend and her style and wit are on a level that is practically untouchable. But, what can I say? I was curious. So I opened it up, and oh my word, I was proved wrong. I laughed, I almost crie...more

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Feb 06, 2009 Ruth rated it 5 of 5 stars

This novel is absolutely fabulous. Aidan has succeeded in getting inside Darcy's head in a truly believable fashion that is extremely entertaining while remaining faithful to Austen's original text. Although Aidan's prose does tend to be a bit heavy on the melodramatic side of things, quite honestly that adds to the fun of reading the novel. The book starts off right at Darcy and Elizabeth's fateful meeting at the Meryton assembly, where his offhand comment of "[s:]he is tolerable, but not hands...more

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May 29, 2013 Ilze Folkmane rated it 2 of 5 stars

Goodreads kept recommending this book to me and, since I wanted something light and silly, I thought I might as well read it.
Essentially a fan fiction, this book retells the events of Pride and Prejudice from the point of view of Mr Darcy. Aidan has tried to fuse Austen's writing style and characters with her own, and as a result the readers get quite drawn-out and forced narrative that lacks the irony and wit of Austen's original. Aidan creates some vague historical background that Austen's nov...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Belinda rated it 1 of 5 stars

"It was tolerable but not enough to convince me."
Pam - it was a great idea but you overwrote it.
No doubt it doesn't matter a jot, Pam has sold loads of these pretty crappy books, but here's why I didn't enjoy it.
1) Too much information

2) Austen didn't write about politics - you should've left it out.

3) I was really only reading it to find out about D's reaction and thoughts to E, but we got huge amounts of info where D was in town, D was talking to his horse, D was yabbering with his valet. Snor...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Daniela Mastropasqua rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

La prima volta che ho sentito parlare di questa trilogia sono rimasta un po' interdetta, pensavo che l'autrice volesse approfittare del successo di Jane Austen per l'ennesimo romanzetto mal fatto. Quando ho saputo che addirittura venivano ripresi i veri personaggi della Jane Austen e, in particolar modo, il così enigmatico e oscuro Darcy ho davvero storto il naso: come si può avere la presunzione di far rivivere i protagonisti della Austen che così tanto ho amato?
Tutti questi pregiudizi mi hann...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Leya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book

Many of the spin offs of P&P are told in Elizabeth Bennett's point of view, and it's very rare (at least for me) to find Mr Darcy's point of view. I had heard of this series of books written by Pamela Aidan, but never got around to reading them. I finally got the first book from the library and I'm so happy that I read it. I loved it!

It was one of those books that you don't want to read too quickly. I wanted to savor and enjoy every little morsel of this book. I also had my very well loved...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Kir rated it 4 of 5 stars

Last month when I was in Traverse City, I (of course) visited Horizon Books, my favorite bookstore. I made my selection and as the cashier was ringing me up, she saw the book I'd chosen (something about Jane Austen--haven't read it yet) and recommended this one, saying she loves Austen and loved this trilogy. I was hesitant, as I've read some others that are just garbage, but I took her advice and am glad of it.
I've always been intrigued by Darcy, the man who won Elizabeth Bennet, and this novel...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Patti rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am not a fan of some random modern-day author fantasizing a continuing a story that was written, and completed, by the original author. My favorite story of all time is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. No one can continue the life story of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy but her. However, I did decide to read (actually, reread) Pamela Aiden’s trilogy written from the perspective of Mr. Darcy. His thoughts, actions, reactions, feelings, etc. come from a different place so it felt fine to rea...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Diane rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, kindle, 2-star, chick-lit, 2011-read

I've had this on my kindle for awhile now. I think I bought it way back when I was in a comfort-read mode and never got to it (Austen is a big "comfort read" for me and I've never actually read any of these pseudo "sequels"). I have to say I enjoyed it but I don't know that I would again pay 10 bucks or whatever it was.

That being said, I DID right away pay ten bucks or something for the second one in this series because this book is only about a third of Pride and Prejudice so I wanted to see ho...more

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Jul 09, 2011 Camilla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have a confession to make: Mr. Darcy is NOT my ideal male romantic lead in any capacity. In fact, until I read "The Annotated Pride & Prejudice" I had no real appreciation for his character or Jane Austens world. After reading the excellent book mentioned above, however, I began to see just how much I had missed from my first reading. Darcy emerged as a far more complex and genuine person and it piqued my interest to learn more. Unfortunately, Jane Austen left much unsaid about Darcy's tra...more I have a confession to make: Mr. Darcy is NOT my ideal male romantic lead in any capacity. In fact, until I read "The Annotated Pride & Prejudice" I had no real appreciation for his character or Jane Austens world. After reading the excellent book mentioned above, however, I began to see just how much I had missed from my first reading. Darcy emerged as a far more complex and genuine person and it piqued my interest to learn more. Unfortunately, Jane Austen left much unsaid about Darcy's transformation in P&P, and so I decided to turn to the many "re-tellings" from his POV to find it. Almost all reviews pointed to Pamela Aidan's "Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman" trilogy as the most in-depth and satisfying, so I decided to give it a try. 'An Assembly Such As This' was soon downloaded onto my Kindle, and within the first chapter I recognized that it would be an enjoyable, if predictable, read.

By "predictable" I do not refer to the plot itself; everyone knows what happens in P&P, and it is not as though anyone expects Aidan to change anything significant. I mean that, having spent many years reading fanfictions of various quality one notices certain patterns of narration to which even the best stories fall victim. Darcy meets Elizabeth at the Meryton Assembly and is immediately captivated without his knowledge; his eyes and thoughts are drawn to her constantly as he stays at Netherfield; she can do no wrong, but her perfections are done so modestly he is only more captivated by her simple yet engaging manner, etc. etc. I do not mean to say that Darcy COULDN'T have felt this way in P&P, but it all seems too convenient and, well, amateurish. After awhile Darcy (i.e. Aidan) has glorified Elizabeth so much that she no longer seems like a person; there are descriptions about her lustrous locks of hair, her sparkling, laughing eyes, her piano playing, which allows Darcy to know "enchantment" while in the middle of a crowded room... Such consistent extolling of her virtues gets boring, but sometimes the sheer ridiculousness of it is unintentionally entertaining.

I will say, though, that Aidan has done a fantastic job of researching the world and time period of P&P. I can see why this is the most recommended re-telling from Darcy's POV, and Darcy himself comes across as more likable from the beginning as well. Aidan is very comfortable with her characterization of Darcy, and it is easy to imagine that it really IS the Darcy from Austen at some points. By the time the ball at Netherfield occurs, Darcy's delusion that Elizabeth wants to be with him (because of his money, power, social standing, etc.) is so complete that when he asks her to dance and she does not seem happy, he is SHOCKED. And it is hilarious, and probably 100% accurate to what Austen would imagine as well. That is the best part about reading "The Annotated P&P" and then Aidan's trilogy: You finally realize just how out of touch with reality Darcy is about certain things, and even though you cringe at his arrogance and cluelessness, you still root for him.

My main point of contention is the pacing of the story. Aidan chooses to end the first book right as Bingley returns to London and Darcy follows to keep him there. All that has happened in the narration at this point is that Darcy and Elizabeth have met, had extended contact during Jane's sickness, and danced together. The entire "plot," as it were, is all about Darcy and his feelings for Elizabeth and how they're evolving (in slow, detailed description). The second book takes place when Darcy and Elizabeth have NO contact in P&P, and the third feels rushed as a consequence of Aidan having to wrap up the story. Still, I recommend this book for all those wishing to get to know Darcy better.(less)

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Jun 26, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found this "companion" volume to Pride and Prejudice in a second hand bookshop and it seemed to have decent reviews so I picked it up. Read the entire trilogy on Friday, which comes to about 1000 pages; although that's a bit long, I think it would have been better combined into just one book. Aidan is attempting to write a parallel novel telling the story from Darcy's side. Both books start and end in the same place, but this trilogy invents a lot of substance about Darcy's life, including wha...more

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Apr 21, 2010 Tiff rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the vast quagmire that is Jane Austen-inspired literature, there is not much to speak of. As you may have noted, I recently stepped into a rather pornographic novel of the early days of Elizabeth and Darcy's wedded life. Yuck and more yuck! Truth be told, it is more miss than hit out there. This being said, about two months ago I stumbled upon the Fitwilliam Darcy, Gentleman series: An Assembly Such As This, Duty and Desire, and These Three Remain. For only the second time have I found a book...more In the vast quagmire that is Jane Austen-inspired literature, there is not much to speak of. As you may have noted, I recently stepped into a rather pornographic novel of the early days of Elizabeth and Darcy's wedded life. Yuck and more yuck! Truth be told, it is more miss than hit out there. This being said, about two months ago I stumbled upon the Fitwilliam Darcy, Gentleman series: An Assembly Such As This, Duty and Desire, and These Three Remain. For only the second time have I found a book (or rather three books) that gave life to Austen's own characters in a way that did not conflict with the author's own work. In the process of reading them, I found myself taking for granted that Pamela Aidan's new revelations as regards the characters were in fact TRUE bits that Austen simply hadn't the space or time to divulge. Surely these were the actual history, thoughts, and private actions of the characters. What a welcome surprise.

The first book in the series recounts the initial interactions of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet but all from his perspective. Certainly it is a more masculine representation of events, but it is not without all the allure of Austen's own romantic style. The second book is quite a treat. Wholly unexpected, this book is roughly in the style of a Gothic novel, very popular in Austen's day. In this installment we get a peek into Mr. Darcy's private life, his London set and internal struggles with duty and desire, as the name suggests. In the midst of all this new information about our beloved Mr. Darcy, a dark mystery emerges. This wonderful little extra is complete with a greater history of Darcy's sister Georgiana and the introduction of a few new characters whose interest is so great you will wonder why Austen never mentioned them herself. The final book is a return to Pride and Prejudice as Mr. Darcy re-enters the life of Miss Bennet and leaves you once again with a desire for more, more, more.

For Austen fanatics, nothing could be better than the gift of a little bit more. Pamela Aidan more than delivers. I liked it so much that I may just buy it to keep the rest of my Austen library company.
(less)

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Mar 21, 2010 Amber rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have been really torn on what to rate this book, so I will just slap it right in the middle and give it a 3. This is Darcy's story-the first 1/3 of Pride and Prejudice from his perspective. This is not the first "Darcy's Story" I have read by the way. Funny how everyone wants to jump on the Jane Austen bandwagon.

I enjoyed reading most of it, but at the same time felt like the author was cheating a little since she really wasn't creating the plot or even her own dialogue in many of the scenes....more

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Feb 15, 2010 Rhiannon Ryder rated it 4 of 5 stars

You know how it is. You pick up a genre of book, read it, love it, want more of it, and pretty soon you're on a full blow Austen craze! Or at least, that's where I'm finding myself right now.

So to fulfil that need I've branched out into the world of fan fiction, with An Assembly Such as this, A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman; by Pamela Aidan. Now in High School I labored through Wuthering Heights (which i loathed), and for some strange reason then felt compelled to read The Story of Heath...more You know how it is. You pick up a genre of book, read it, love it, want more of it, and pretty soon you're on a full blow Austen craze! Or at least, that's where I'm finding myself right now.

So to fulfil that need I've branched out into the world of fan fiction, with An Assembly Such as this, A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman; by Pamela Aidan. Now in High School I labored through Wuthering Heights (which i loathed), and for some strange reason then felt compelled to read The Story of Heathcliff's Journey Back to Wuthering Heights, which is also a foray into published fan fiction. Obviously since it was the same characters and story line, just continued...i loathed it too. Why that was surprising is a mystery to me these days, but so was my dogged reading of Wuthering Heights even though every few pages it put me to sleep.

Seeing how this series is based on a story I love, it had better odds of agreeing with me. And agree it did. Who doesn't love hearing the point of view of the love interest in their favorite love story after all? And this is what the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman, series is; an in depth look of his side of the story, fleshing out all his time away from Elizabeth into its own new story.

An Assembly Such as This, is the first book in the trilogy, so Pamela has fleshed out Darcy's story considerably, book one covers all the ground in Hertfordshire up until his and Bingleys sudden leaving and then follows them through to Christmas which Darcy spends at Pemberley with his sister Georgiana and his Cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam and his family.

Pamela's Darcy is very much Colin Firth's version from the BBC mini series, very up tight and awkward, stern and completely at a loss whenever he's presented with Elizabeth's wit. He's so absolutely wound up in his station and what's appropriate for a gentleman that he's willing to deny the hopeless and desperate love he's been taken by unawares. Although this makes him somewhat temperamental he's beloved by his servants, Georgiana, Bingley and the rest of his acquaintances. And it's their continual hints of being very aware he has fallen in love with Elizabeth Bennett, which so disconcert and confuse him, that made me soften to him. Well that and Trafalgar, his troublemaking and very eager young hunting dog.

As a history buff though, one of my favorite aspects of this book is the historical components that she touches upon, but which Austen doesn't go into as they were just an everyday part of her and her readers life. The Regency was a very colorful time, especially in the upper classes, and Pamela Aidan gives us a lot of fun peeks at some of the more vibrant and over the top people of the time as well as events. My favorite is a ball of Lady Melbournes (towards the end of the book), in which Pamela manages to touch on the Prince Regents opulent parties, Lady Caroline Lambs prancing with Lord Byron, and the scandal that was the Waltz at that time period...all in just a few pages.

All and all this has been a fun read, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to book 2!

An Assembly Such as This, a Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman By Pamela Aidan
Published by: Touchstone, May 2006 (less)

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Jan 23, 2010 Charmaine Anderson rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the first of a trilogy by Pamela Aidan. I read them all quickly and loved them so much 2 months later I decided to read them again slowly as I missed the characters so much. I am a Pride and Prejudice junkie. I have read a number of the P&P sequels. This is the only one worthy of my time.

Pamela Aidan produced a look into Mr. Darcy's heart and mind concerning all the events of the Austen story. No one can write like Jane Austen but Pamela Aidan did a good job of creating a Mr. Darcy...more

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Oct 26, 2009 Pdoe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: imitation-classic

I highly recommend this whole trilogy. I've read three "P&P From Darcy's POV" stories in the last month or so and this is head and shoulders the best. Where "Darcy's Passions" delivered on the emotions yet devolved into anachronistic, juvenile fanfic, and where "Darcy's Story" delivered on the language and setting but not so much on the emotions, "Fizwilliam Darcy, Gentlman," delivers on all counts and then some. It's more emotionally gripping than "Darcy's Passions" and does a better job th...more

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Aug 21, 2009 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love the string of novels that re-write classics from the point of view of another character, and this one does not disappoint. It's entertaining because it's a speculation of what Pride and Prejudice would be like from Darcy's perspective. It's broken up into three parts, and this is the first.

I loved this one because most of the original Austen dialog is intact, and this is the part where Darcy and Elizabeth first meet and are getting to know each other. I love the way Pamela Aidan takes c

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Jul 01, 2009 Kermit rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction

3.5 stars. It's Pride and Prejudice from the viewpoint of Mr. Darcy. Something in my female heart yearned, though, for a little more description of Elizabeth. Yes, he thinks she has fine eyes and he likes the raise of her eyebrows and the blush on her cheek and the fire in her eyes and the humorous tilt of her mouth stuff like that---so it is somewhat true to the style of Austen. But I was also kind of hoping for a little more description of her clothing---but since men don't usually notice thin...more

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Jun 12, 2009 Colleen rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I tend to shy away from modern books whose authors take off where a classic author left off, in this case, Jane Austen. That sequel to "Gone with the Wind" sounded horrendous (although, admittedly, I didn't read it). This author seems like a pretty good writer. She copied the language of Jane Austen's day, although at times she seemed to be straining too hard, making it sound unnatural. Knowing "Pride and Prejudice" as well as I do, it's fun to hear the story from Darcy's point-of-view. My bigge...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Grace Viray rated it 4 of 5 stars

"You poor soul." Yes, that's what was going through my mind while reading through Darcy's conflicting thoughts about Elizabeth, his struggle in first acknowledging his attentions and then his sworn duty to his friend Bingley, to sever his attachment with Jane. Suffice it to say, I was impressed with how the author has painted a clear picture of how Darcy was really at war with himself because of his growing affection for Elizabeth, from what we have learned from his infamous confession to her at...more

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Oct 09, 2010 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Jane Austen fans

(This review is about all three volumes.)

At first I didn't see the point of these books. How can you possibly do better than Jane Austen? What can you tell that she didn't already reveal, explicitly or implicitly?

But then suddenly I was hooked and could not put these books down. I literally did not want to do anything - not even sleep - until I finished all three, which consequently probably only took me about a week. I understand that I also largely ignored my family too; I didn't even realize...more (This review is about all three volumes.)

At first I didn't see the point of these books. How can you possibly do better than Jane Austen? What can you tell that she didn't already reveal, explicitly or implicitly?

But then suddenly I was hooked and could not put these books down. I literally did not want to do anything - not even sleep - until I finished all three, which consequently probably only took me about a week. I understand that I also largely ignored my family too; I didn't even realize at the time that I was doing that. All this, despite that of course I already knew the ending quite well - so Aidan must be doing something right here.

She seems to have done her research anyway. I noted few anachronisms or errors, based on my admittedly limited knowledge at least. And there are more than just references to PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. She explicitly discusses SENSE AND SENSIBILITY briefly, and I noted some resonances of NORTHANGER ABBEY too ("the massy door" or some such thing). But there is a lot more scandal and horror here than in any of Austen's books - and that is including the scandal in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE of Lydia's "elopement." The first scandal in this book - a woman inappropriately attired at a social event - is nothing to those which come later. There is witchcraft and treason, murder and suicide - and one of the characters even turns out to be a spy!

Of course, Austen does not deal directly with much about politics - or about the servant class, both of which figure more centrally in these books. The first subject is probably more relevant to a text that follows the perspective of a 19th century man rather than a woman. The second is also more likely in a text written today, when we are more attentive to such things.

Aidan also shows her attentiveness to details from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by constructing credible causes and effects for those details that generally accord perfectly with the story from Elizabeth's point of view that we all know and love so well. But Aidan is not heavy-handed either; she allows for the reader to make some inferences, just as Austen does before her.

Probably my biggest criticism is that Mr. Darcy seems almost shockingly stupid at times in these books. Would he really be so ignorant and thoughtless as to attend social events like the ones he does, at which he then always finds himself in embarrassing situations? One would think a wealthy 30-something man "who has lived in the world" would know better. Yes, it added some excitement to the second book, but it was unconvincing and at times set my eyes to rolling. What is wrong with the more everyday occurrence as the basis for a novel?(less)

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Jul 23, 2009 Vicki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: austen-spinoffs

As I'm on quest to find the best Austen spin-offs, by now I've read quite a few P&P spin-offs. And the truth of the matter is that my brain is starting to get a little clouded. Here's what Aidan has going for her: a love of the language, and a general dedication toward sticking to it; an admiration for the characters in the original and a desire to do them justice: the ability to keep us turning the pages. In this installment of the trilogy, Darcy meets Elizabeth, and he becomes intrigued by...more

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About Pamela Aidan

Pamela Aidan grew up in small towns outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
She graduated from high school with the desire to be a history teacher, but changed her major to Library Science after her first year at college.Later, she earned a Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Ms. Aidan has worked as a librarian in a wide variety of settings...more

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These Three Remain (Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman #3)

Duty and Desire (Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman #2)

Una Fiesta Como Esta (Fitzwilliam Darcy, Un Caballero, #1)

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