What do you think?
Rate this book
Darcy's Story
When Elizabeth Bennet first met Mr. Darcy, she found him proud, distant, and rude—despite the other ladies' admiration of his estate in Derbyshire and ten thousand pounds a year. But what was Mr. Darcy thinking?
Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice has long stood among the most beloved novels of all time. The story of Elizabeth Bennet's blossoming romance with "haughty, reserved, and fastidious" Fitzwilliam Darcy has enchanted readers for nearly two centuries.
Now author Janet Aylmer loving retells Pride and Prejudice from a bold new perspective: seeing events as they transpire through the eyes of Darcy himself. One of world's great love stories takes on breathtaking new life, and one of fiction's greatest romantic heroes becomes even more sympathetic, compelling, attractive, and accessible, all through the imagination and artistry of a truly gifted storyteller.
This edition includes many prints by the Victorian artist Hugh Thomson, which were used in an edition of Pride and Prejudice in 1894.
277 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
134 people are currently reading
2780 people want to read
About the author
Janet Aylmer
11 books21 followersJanet has written 7 books, including two bestsellers.
She lives in the south of England.
Janet enjoys Regency romances and other novels, particularly those by Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen, and most books about history and the way the world works.
She likes to visit theatres and cinemas, and to listen to music.
Janet enjoys French history, food and wine, and her family has owned a holiday house in south-west France.
She enjoys travel and meeting new people, and she has visited (in no particular order) ten states in the USA, as well as France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Raratonga, Japan, Hongkong, Sweden, Singapore, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Martinique and St Lucia.
Janet is a member of the Society of Authors, the Romantic Novelists' Association, and the Historical Novel Society.
There is an article on Wikipedia - see - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darcy%2...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 786 reviews
June 26, 2015
Grey. Midnight Sun. Rewriting a well-known story from the guy's point of view is pretty much scraping the bottom of the barrel, from a literary point of view: throwing out some chum to satisfy the rabid fan base and (to mix my metaphors) milk the cash cow.
It's bad enough when authors do it with their own creations, but worse when it's a beloved classic book (no longer protected by copyright). And worst, when the author has nothing worthwhile to add to the story.
I was gifted this book by a very sweet friend who knows of my love for P&P. I don't want to hurt her feelings by telling her what a waste of trees this book is, so I'm venting here instead.
Reading this version of P&P, from Darcy's point of view, was a complete and utter waste of time. Half of the book was simply regurgitating Austen's language, pretty much verbatim except for a shift in some of the pronouns; the other half was simplistic and banal additional detail about Darcy's thoughts and life. If he were this boring, Elizabeth would have laughed and dismissed him without further thought.
Go reread the original instead.
It's bad enough when authors do it with their own creations, but worse when it's a beloved classic book (no longer protected by copyright). And worst, when the author has nothing worthwhile to add to the story.
I was gifted this book by a very sweet friend who knows of my love for P&P. I don't want to hurt her feelings by telling her what a waste of trees this book is, so I'm venting here instead.
Reading this version of P&P, from Darcy's point of view, was a complete and utter waste of time. Half of the book was simply regurgitating Austen's language, pretty much verbatim except for a shift in some of the pronouns; the other half was simplistic and banal additional detail about Darcy's thoughts and life. If he were this boring, Elizabeth would have laughed and dismissed him without further thought.
Go reread the original instead.
August 1, 2007
There were times when I was convinced that this book was written by a computer. So much of this book is merely a reshuffling of the sentences in Pride and Prejudice to make the story "from Darcy's perspective". Oooh, clever. The author does add some original scenes, especially between Darcy and his sister, but they utterly fail to ring true.
I think what people are actually seeking when they pick up a book like this are insights into other characters thoughts and emotions, which were not explicitly revealed by Austen. (We want to see those insights so we can compare them to our own opinions, and deride them if they disagree.) There were a few moments like that - mostly, the author succeeded in making obvious how jealous and desperate Caroline Bingley was, and how cold Darcy was toward her. That's not without (entertainment) value.
Writing Jane Austen pastische (ahem, fan fiction) is difficult because every slight deviation from absolute Janianism is going to bring a torrent of angry tongue-clucking upon you - but not making any deviations or inventions whatsoever eliminates the point of writing such a book altogether.
I think what people are actually seeking when they pick up a book like this are insights into other characters thoughts and emotions, which were not explicitly revealed by Austen. (We want to see those insights so we can compare them to our own opinions, and deride them if they disagree.) There were a few moments like that - mostly, the author succeeded in making obvious how jealous and desperate Caroline Bingley was, and how cold Darcy was toward her. That's not without (entertainment) value.
Writing Jane Austen pastische (ahem, fan fiction) is difficult because every slight deviation from absolute Janianism is going to bring a torrent of angry tongue-clucking upon you - but not making any deviations or inventions whatsoever eliminates the point of writing such a book altogether.
November 12, 2009
Favorite line from the book:
"In short, he found himself unable to control his own free will for the first time in his life."
Isn't that just swoon worthy!
I enjoyed this book more I think because I'm not one of those hard core Jane Austen fans that would nitpick at little things. To actually appreciate this book fully Pride and Prejudice should be read first though because a lot of what is unexplained would bother a new reader to the Pride and Prejudice story.
The author did a wonderful job of telling Darcy's part of the story. She kept true to the characters and didn't alter the plot. His relationship with his sister Georgiana is presented with more depth, and you see his growth throughout the story. In the classic we are very much in the dark on what Darcy is thinking, so it was interesting to see what his thoughts were and how he dealt with all the situations that are presented in the story. It isn't as witty as the classic, but that is because it's done in Elizabeth's perspective and not Darcy's.
I can see why so many women (and a few men) love this story. It is truly romantic. Darcy waits for Elizabeth, and she is willing to see him for who he really is. They are good for each other. There isn't corny dialogue, or excessive pawning over each other. I did have one irk though, Darcy kept thinking over and over again of the same exact lines like a bigillion times over. Ok we get it already you feel bad and miserable! Despite that after reading this book I actually love the classic more. Lovely.
I enjoyed this book more I think because I'm not one of those hard core Jane Austen fans that would nitpick at little things. To actually appreciate this book fully Pride and Prejudice should be read first though because a lot of what is unexplained would bother a new reader to the Pride and Prejudice story.
The author did a wonderful job of telling Darcy's part of the story. She kept true to the characters and didn't alter the plot. His relationship with his sister Georgiana is presented with more depth, and you see his growth throughout the story. In the classic we are very much in the dark on what Darcy is thinking, so it was interesting to see what his thoughts were and how he dealt with all the situations that are presented in the story. It isn't as witty as the classic, but that is because it's done in Elizabeth's perspective and not Darcy's.
I can see why so many women (and a few men) love this story. It is truly romantic. Darcy waits for Elizabeth, and she is willing to see him for who he really is. They are good for each other. There isn't corny dialogue, or excessive pawning over each other. I did have one irk though, Darcy kept thinking over and over again of the same exact lines like a bigillion times over. Ok we get it already you feel bad and miserable! Despite that after reading this book I actually love the classic more. Lovely.
January 27, 2008
Between reading this book and being in the midst of PBS' "The Complete Jane Austen" series, I have been submerged in Jane Austen's world the last few weeks. And you know what? I like it. Everyone is so civilized, and there are parties all the time and nobody seems to actually work for a living. They just have some sort of stipend allotted to them and they ride around in carriages and drink tea. I like tea.
Anyway, Darcy's Story is one in the ever growing genre of "sequels" to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, only they're not written by Jane Austen. This is actually the second of this genre that I've read. A couple of years ago, as part of my now defunct book club, I read Mr. Darcy's Daughters by Elizabeth Aston. I think I liked this one much more because I knew and liked the character of Darcy, but I had not "met" the daughters.
We see a new side to Darcy where we learn that he really is an arrogant snob, but for all the right reasons. See, the thing is, he's actually shy and socially inept. Really. I always wanted to know Darcy's side of the story regarding his meeting and tortured courtship of Elizabeth Bennett, and that is exactly the story this book tells.
Aylmer tries to write in the style of Jane Austen and does it well enough; she also often uses direct quotes from P & P. What I liked best is that she parallels the timeline in P & P so that we see what Darcy is doing when we don't see him in P & P.
Is this great literature? Absolutely not. Could it stand alone without P & P? No way. This book is only for tried and true fans of "Pride and Prejudice" - which I am. Otherwise, it's not worth the time it takes to read.
Anyway, Darcy's Story is one in the ever growing genre of "sequels" to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, only they're not written by Jane Austen. This is actually the second of this genre that I've read. A couple of years ago, as part of my now defunct book club, I read Mr. Darcy's Daughters by Elizabeth Aston. I think I liked this one much more because I knew and liked the character of Darcy, but I had not "met" the daughters.
We see a new side to Darcy where we learn that he really is an arrogant snob, but for all the right reasons. See, the thing is, he's actually shy and socially inept. Really. I always wanted to know Darcy's side of the story regarding his meeting and tortured courtship of Elizabeth Bennett, and that is exactly the story this book tells.
Aylmer tries to write in the style of Jane Austen and does it well enough; she also often uses direct quotes from P & P. What I liked best is that she parallels the timeline in P & P so that we see what Darcy is doing when we don't see him in P & P.
Is this great literature? Absolutely not. Could it stand alone without P & P? No way. This book is only for tried and true fans of "Pride and Prejudice" - which I am. Otherwise, it's not worth the time it takes to read.
April 14, 2008
I'd give this one six stars if I could.
The best Austen offshoot I've ever read. Lively prose and a ready wit combine with an interesting and well-thought-out view of Darcy's impulses and thought processes to make this a delightful and thought-provoking read.
Indeed, as soon as I finished it I picked up Pride & Prejudice for a re-read, and found that the action in the original was illuminated by Aylmer's insights into Darcy's motivations.
Pamela Aidan's more famous Darcy opus, while an excellent work itself, was occasionally heavy-handed with religious themes and also turned Georgianna into someone I couldn't muster up any warmth for. Aylmer's Georgianna, on the other hand, is a fit sister for the former Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I sincerely hope Ms. Aylmer has more Austenalia up her sleeve.
The best Austen offshoot I've ever read. Lively prose and a ready wit combine with an interesting and well-thought-out view of Darcy's impulses and thought processes to make this a delightful and thought-provoking read.
Indeed, as soon as I finished it I picked up Pride & Prejudice for a re-read, and found that the action in the original was illuminated by Aylmer's insights into Darcy's motivations.
Pamela Aidan's more famous Darcy opus, while an excellent work itself, was occasionally heavy-handed with religious themes and also turned Georgianna into someone I couldn't muster up any warmth for. Aylmer's Georgianna, on the other hand, is a fit sister for the former Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I sincerely hope Ms. Aylmer has more Austenalia up her sleeve.
August 31, 2007
Well, the author handled the book very carefully . . . a little too carefully, I felt like it was the cliff notes version of P & P and I didn't learn anything new of value. I will admit that no matter what the author wrote she would not have scored more that three stars but she only got two because I would have preffered a little more juice - Mr. Darcy described as "flushed from exercise" (dripping wet in his soaked clothing emerging from a pond :) ) , his favorite breakfast, a little hobby we never knew he had, anything . . . Basically I wanted the US Weekly version, where it felt a little bit like spying. There was a bit of a stretch where he had some sensitive moments with Georgiana, but I didn't believe it as written. Oh and the conversation he has with Lady Catherine (which could have been a very exciting time) where she manages to repeat word for word everything Elizabeth (with the help of Jane Austen) had said to her was lacking as well. I am hard to please. If you love P & P I would say it's still worth a read, just as any movie made about it (however loosely) is worth a watch; the story and characters are just so amazingly fantastic that even with tinkering it still affects me. But don't you dare read it if you haven't read the original or you'll never know what all the fuss is about.
January 4, 2008
An accompaniment to Pride and Prejudice, it would dissipate like mist if you took away Austen's work. Someone else here said it was like reading the Cliff Notes version of P&P, and I would have to agree.
It's a sweet story, but there's nothing new here. How Darcy felt towards Lizzy, what Darcy did to find Wickham and Lydia, what his aunt Lady Catherine de Bourg said to him to make him try for Lizzie's hand again - these things are only slightly more detailed in Darcy's Story than in P&P. In her attempt to be faithful to the language etc of Austen's work, Aylmer provides merely a quick, light version of P&P, full of punctuation errors that constantly distracted me.
In order to avoid repeating every conversation word for word, Aylmer instead skims over many conversations, as well as many scenes. It reads a bit like a pet project, and would have been more successful if she had written it in her own style, something detailed and meaty, some kind of style that reflected Darcy's personality, rather than try to emulate Austen's. Then Darcy's Story could have stood on its own two feet. As it is, it's a mere shadow that lets you revisit a beloved story in fast-forward mode.
It's a sweet story, but there's nothing new here. How Darcy felt towards Lizzy, what Darcy did to find Wickham and Lydia, what his aunt Lady Catherine de Bourg said to him to make him try for Lizzie's hand again - these things are only slightly more detailed in Darcy's Story than in P&P. In her attempt to be faithful to the language etc of Austen's work, Aylmer provides merely a quick, light version of P&P, full of punctuation errors that constantly distracted me.
In order to avoid repeating every conversation word for word, Aylmer instead skims over many conversations, as well as many scenes. It reads a bit like a pet project, and would have been more successful if she had written it in her own style, something detailed and meaty, some kind of style that reflected Darcy's personality, rather than try to emulate Austen's. Then Darcy's Story could have stood on its own two feet. As it is, it's a mere shadow that lets you revisit a beloved story in fast-forward mode.
August 3, 2024
The first couple of pages were rocky but then I got into this re-framing of Jane Austen’s world of Pride and Prejudice, this time from the perspective of Darcy.
Aylmer wanted to be faithful to the source material, so this novel fits neatly into the original text. There are many quotes from P&P, and at times these stand out in terms of their wit and irony. Some of these quotes are repeated several times, which both seems unnecessary and also highlights the different tone of this text. However, Aylmer excuses the less witty tone of this text by explaining that the original was intended to represent Elizabeth Bennett's voice, while Darcy's Story is of course Darcy's.
I can't say I learned anything from this book, but it was entertaining and I zipped right through it. It does raise an interesting question, though: How much of "Darcy's Story" is in the original "Pride and Prejudice"? I mean, for readers who read between the lines.
Aylmer wanted to be faithful to the source material, so this novel fits neatly into the original text. There are many quotes from P&P, and at times these stand out in terms of their wit and irony. Some of these quotes are repeated several times, which both seems unnecessary and also highlights the different tone of this text. However, Aylmer excuses the less witty tone of this text by explaining that the original was intended to represent Elizabeth Bennett's voice, while Darcy's Story is of course Darcy's.
I can't say I learned anything from this book, but it was entertaining and I zipped right through it. It does raise an interesting question, though: How much of "Darcy's Story" is in the original "Pride and Prejudice"? I mean, for readers who read between the lines.
June 21, 2008
OH MY!!!!! I love this story. It totally mirrors Pride & Prejudice but from Darcy's telling. Funny how I like him even more than before. I thought it was also funny how Darcy had a very different opinion of his meetings and conversations with Elizabeth than what is portrayed in P&P. I also love how this book gives more insight into his relationship with his Sister, Georgiana. Just as in Pamela Aidan's stories, I really enjoy this point of view and it shows a very sensitive side to Darcy that one didn't really get in P&P but assumed. I love the transformation that takes place with Elizabeth and Darcy's personalities. She obviously learned something from him and he from her. It's not so much that they changed their character in the end but that they both seemed to improve the other and isn't that what we want in a partner? Someone who makes us better and gives us the desire to become something more.
I just LOVED this story and I could read P&P, Pamela Aidan's books and this over and over again. In fact, I think I will.
I just LOVED this story and I could read P&P, Pamela Aidan's books and this over and over again. In fact, I think I will.
July 5, 2014
I have never read an Austen continuation or sequel that comes anywhere near the original material. This isn't surprising, since most of these writers don't hold a candle to Austen in style, and most of them seem to completely forget that it is her style and biting humor that makes her books so great- not the "romance" or broody heroes.
Perhaps I wanted to read this because Darcy, like most of Austen's heroes, is not very alive on the page. Since she limits her perspective to her heroines, there isn't a lot of room for the interior workings of the male characters. But fan fiction is only so interesting, and I don't think I'm going to look into any more of these.
It was passably enjoyable for a plane ride, but I wouldn't recommend it to Austen fans. I might recommend it if you read Austen for the romance alone, but only because if that is your sole approach to Austen, maybe you deserve it.
January 22, 2018
Pride and prejudice in Mr Darcy POV.
This has been done better by others, far to much rehash for my taste...
This has been done better by others, far to much rehash for my taste...
August 28, 2007
Within the first chapter, Darcy explains to Colonel Fitzwilliam who Lady Catherine is.
For the record, he explains to his cousin who their aunt is.
... If there were a prize for awkward exposition, this book would win every year.
It's crap. A big, steaming pile of crap.
Just read Pride and Prejudice again. You'll be reading half of the same words, anyway, and they'll be much better in Austen's voice.
For the record, he explains to his cousin who their aunt is.
... If there were a prize for awkward exposition, this book would win every year.
It's crap. A big, steaming pile of crap.
Just read Pride and Prejudice again. You'll be reading half of the same words, anyway, and they'll be much better in Austen's voice.
February 11, 2017
1. read: 02.06.2011 - 13.06.2011
2. read: 28.08.2015 - 29.08.2015
2. read: 28.08.2015 - 29.08.2015
April 23, 2023
Darcy POV
I read this back in August 2019 and am adding it to record on my GReads. I only rated it back then.
I read this back in August 2019 and am adding it to record on my GReads. I only rated it back then.
December 20, 2011
(copied from my blog, http://readingfuelledbytea.wordpress.com)
“His feelings of anxiety as he slipped out of the house that afternoon were not based on any apprehensions that his application to Miss Bennet might be rejected.”
This is exactly what it says on the tin – Darcy’s perspective during the timeline of Pride & Prejudice.
Despite my misgivings about fan fiction on Monday, and my apathetic remarks about P. D. James’ Death Comes to Pemberley on Tuesday, I am forced to recant – I really enjoyed this. Aylmer does very well to keep an Austen-like tone while telling a different story, and she has clearly done painstaking work to make her novel fit with the original seamlessly.
Aylmer makes a valid point – it is hard to see how Darcy turns from the proud, “she is tolerable, I suppose” prig at the Meryton assembly to the man who bribes Wickham to marry Lydia in order to save the Bennet family name, and then marries Lizzy – independent, headstrong Lizzy, who will marry for both love and money, and nothing less. By following Darcy for a much longer period of time (although this novel is not overly long, at 224 pages), we get a much fuller picture of his character – headstrong, independent, very fixed in his own convictions (of course the proposal scene is quite amusing).
I wanted to loathe this book. I wanted it to be poor writing, overly romantic (it was a little), poor characterisation, but I can’t lay any of those charges at its door. I was engrossed and read it straight through (admittedly while on a train without internet…).
Somehow it feels like a travesty to give an author I’ve never heard of before more points out of 10 than P. D. James, but that is what I’m going to do. This is my blog and I make the rules.
(TRC also read this and for once we agree. It’s not a literary masterpiece, but it achieves exactly what it sets out to do.)
And now I am DESPERATE to re-watch the BBC 1995 Pride & Prejudice. Ghastly Mrs. Bennet and all.
“His feelings of anxiety as he slipped out of the house that afternoon were not based on any apprehensions that his application to Miss Bennet might be rejected.”
This is exactly what it says on the tin – Darcy’s perspective during the timeline of Pride & Prejudice.
Despite my misgivings about fan fiction on Monday, and my apathetic remarks about P. D. James’ Death Comes to Pemberley on Tuesday, I am forced to recant – I really enjoyed this. Aylmer does very well to keep an Austen-like tone while telling a different story, and she has clearly done painstaking work to make her novel fit with the original seamlessly.
Aylmer makes a valid point – it is hard to see how Darcy turns from the proud, “she is tolerable, I suppose” prig at the Meryton assembly to the man who bribes Wickham to marry Lydia in order to save the Bennet family name, and then marries Lizzy – independent, headstrong Lizzy, who will marry for both love and money, and nothing less. By following Darcy for a much longer period of time (although this novel is not overly long, at 224 pages), we get a much fuller picture of his character – headstrong, independent, very fixed in his own convictions (of course the proposal scene is quite amusing).
I wanted to loathe this book. I wanted it to be poor writing, overly romantic (it was a little), poor characterisation, but I can’t lay any of those charges at its door. I was engrossed and read it straight through (admittedly while on a train without internet…).
Somehow it feels like a travesty to give an author I’ve never heard of before more points out of 10 than P. D. James, but that is what I’m going to do. This is my blog and I make the rules.
(TRC also read this and for once we agree. It’s not a literary masterpiece, but it achieves exactly what it sets out to do.)
And now I am DESPERATE to re-watch the BBC 1995 Pride & Prejudice. Ghastly Mrs. Bennet and all.
January 29, 2008
It was only after seeing the Keira Knightley version of Pride & Prejudice that I was willing to read the book, which I loved almost as much as the movie. I completely fell in love with "Mr. Darcy", as most women who have read the book in the last two centuries have, and was delighted last year when I came across Pemberley: Or Pride & Prejudice Continued by Emma Tennant.
In any case, just last week at work I saw sitting on the donation shelf Darcy's Story, the P&P story told from Mr. Darcy's perspective. My joy could not be contained! I "borrowed" the book from work and read it this weekend.
If you were to look online, say on Amazon.com, you could find several sequels to this Jane Austen classic, but be warned! Many of them are bodice-ripper/soft porn books that do serve a purpose, but may not be what you're looking for. I prefer the two I've read because they use the same language and style as the original book and keep everybody 'in character'. I don't really think Mr. Darcy would deliver any backdoor packages to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, or if he did, we wouldn't be privy to such knowledge!
Janet Aylmer's book begins approximately at the same time as the story with which we're familiar, with a quick flashback to the incident between Miss Georgiana and Mr. Wickham. We see how uncomfortable Mr. Darcy is in crowds, in speaking with practical strangers, and how Miss Elizabeth opens his eyes to not only his own faults (faults which before her he would argue were nonexistant) but to so many possibilities of happiness he was sure were not in his future. The transformation of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy from a stick-up-the-ass 'gentleman' into the romantic hero of the Bennet family is so enjoyable, I wish Jane Austen has included such details.
In any case, just last week at work I saw sitting on the donation shelf Darcy's Story, the P&P story told from Mr. Darcy's perspective. My joy could not be contained! I "borrowed" the book from work and read it this weekend.
If you were to look online, say on Amazon.com, you could find several sequels to this Jane Austen classic, but be warned! Many of them are bodice-ripper/soft porn books that do serve a purpose, but may not be what you're looking for. I prefer the two I've read because they use the same language and style as the original book and keep everybody 'in character'. I don't really think Mr. Darcy would deliver any backdoor packages to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, or if he did, we wouldn't be privy to such knowledge!
Janet Aylmer's book begins approximately at the same time as the story with which we're familiar, with a quick flashback to the incident between Miss Georgiana and Mr. Wickham. We see how uncomfortable Mr. Darcy is in crowds, in speaking with practical strangers, and how Miss Elizabeth opens his eyes to not only his own faults (faults which before her he would argue were nonexistant) but to so many possibilities of happiness he was sure were not in his future. The transformation of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy from a stick-up-the-ass 'gentleman' into the romantic hero of the Bennet family is so enjoyable, I wish Jane Austen has included such details.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2010
Aylmer's story is one of the most straighforward retellings of the original Pride and Prejudice from Fitz Darcy's viewpoint. It is an economical version of 268 pages, as opposed to others than span several volumes.
We see that Darcy discovers early Elizabeth Bennet's importance to him and his future. However, in Aylmer's telling, Darcy is still inhibited by his own upbringing, believing with certainty that a female of less circumstance than he could not turn down his marriage proposal. Who could blame his upper-class notions, when all his life he has been told the importance of connection and wealth? Well, he does shoulder the blame, and there wouldn't be a Pride & Prejudice story if Darcy's heart didn't begin to overrule his social status.
The second half of the novel is the most interesting and provides the strongest details. As the plot turns, parallel to the original novel, we follow Darcy's actions and his story really plays out. Little sister Georgiana becomes an important confidant to her brother. When fate allows him to encounter Elizabeth at his own estate, he makes the careful ascent in his actions to disprove his egocentrism to her and himself. Of course, we see Darcy's secret work to alleviate the Bennets' Lydia/Wickham disaster. Finally, Darcy's Story's most amusing scenes are those of him and Bingley carefully laying the plans to find themselves at the right place and time with their chosen ladies, including the measured and gentlemanly scheming to leave the Bingley sisters out of sight and out of mind.
All readers of Austeniana have their favorite style. Aylmer's writing is very mindful of Austen's own language and it is minus steamy scenes. It is a good read if you aren't looking for anything too inventive or too modern.
We see that Darcy discovers early Elizabeth Bennet's importance to him and his future. However, in Aylmer's telling, Darcy is still inhibited by his own upbringing, believing with certainty that a female of less circumstance than he could not turn down his marriage proposal. Who could blame his upper-class notions, when all his life he has been told the importance of connection and wealth? Well, he does shoulder the blame, and there wouldn't be a Pride & Prejudice story if Darcy's heart didn't begin to overrule his social status.
The second half of the novel is the most interesting and provides the strongest details. As the plot turns, parallel to the original novel, we follow Darcy's actions and his story really plays out. Little sister Georgiana becomes an important confidant to her brother. When fate allows him to encounter Elizabeth at his own estate, he makes the careful ascent in his actions to disprove his egocentrism to her and himself. Of course, we see Darcy's secret work to alleviate the Bennets' Lydia/Wickham disaster. Finally, Darcy's Story's most amusing scenes are those of him and Bingley carefully laying the plans to find themselves at the right place and time with their chosen ladies, including the measured and gentlemanly scheming to leave the Bingley sisters out of sight and out of mind.
All readers of Austeniana have their favorite style. Aylmer's writing is very mindful of Austen's own language and it is minus steamy scenes. It is a good read if you aren't looking for anything too inventive or too modern.
April 17, 2016
Janet Aylmer’s ‘Darcy's Story’ is a retelling of Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ told from the point of view of Mr. Darcy. It is rather boring and completely predictable. I know it sounds like such a great idea but it is a great idea had by many. Aylmer is not the only author undertaking the formidable task of trying to re-invent a classic story and she is certainly not the only of these to try to tell the tale from the dashing Mr. Darcy’s POV. But she failed in her retelling by declining to introduce anything new. Rather she stays firmly on the course of the original story and only deems to show us everything we have already seen before from Elizabeth’s telling only now with Darcy’s thoughts and feelings on the events portrayed. In fact Aylmer actually covers much less of the original story, indeed she glosses over great chunks of it, in an attempt to keep her readers engaged. While readers could argue that Aylmer’s technique is reasonable, she is attempting to remain true to the source material but gift the reader with the added bonus of knowing what Mr. Darcy was thinking throughout the course of his and Elizabeth’s courtship. However, my observation is that the insights given by Mr. Darcy that Aylmer sees fit to reveal are no more or less than what any reader could make out for themselves. The speculations of which the entire book is based are none other than what is revealed to us at the close of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and any true fan of the work will be disappointed in having to be told what they already knew rather than what they were hoping to gain by a retelling; which is to have the story told to them in a way they had not previously considered. Praise for Aylmer for a writing style that does Austen justice. But that is the only praise I feel is due.
March 25, 2010
Unlike modern romance novels, Pride and Prejudice narrates the story solely from the voice of the heroine, Elizabeth Bennet. Readers identify with her and experience her initial dislike of the hero, Mr. Darcy only to grow to love him as she does. Not knowing his mind or his feelings plays an essential role in Elizabeth's uncertainty and anxiety once she realizes that she cares for him, adding a delicious tension to the story until almost the end. Additionally, for both Elizabeth and the reader, the love affair develops gradually and through restrained social interaction -- quite foreign to modern dating practices, and yet Pride and Prejudice is a perennial classic. Janet Aylmer's novel Darcy's Story appeases the desire of some modern readers to learn more about Darcy and his motivations, rather than being satisfied with knowing only what Elizabeth learns about him.
Darcy's Story is a fine emulation of Austen's writing and a decent story on its own; however, because its predecessor is so well known, the story lacks the delicate tension that propels the other along. Also, much of the social commentary, wit, and humor is missing. For example, Darcy never interacts with Mr. Collins directly in Aylmer's novel, preventing the reader from enjoying another opportunity to laugh at the man's boorish behavior. Perhaps Aylmer's Darcy, as a member of the class that Mr. Collins holds in such inflated regard, can't find him anything other than annoying, but Aylmer missed her chance to use Collins as an instrument of Darcy's awakening to his own snobbery.
Darcy's Story is a fine emulation of Austen's writing and a decent story on its own; however, because its predecessor is so well known, the story lacks the delicate tension that propels the other along. Also, much of the social commentary, wit, and humor is missing. For example, Darcy never interacts with Mr. Collins directly in Aylmer's novel, preventing the reader from enjoying another opportunity to laugh at the man's boorish behavior. Perhaps Aylmer's Darcy, as a member of the class that Mr. Collins holds in such inflated regard, can't find him anything other than annoying, but Aylmer missed her chance to use Collins as an instrument of Darcy's awakening to his own snobbery.
October 21, 2018
Wow. I would have thought it completely impossible to improve on Pride and Prejudice, but it has always disappointed me a little that Jane Austen didn't include much dialogue in the final part of the novel. For that reason, reading this book was a complete and utter delight. Janet Aylmer has captured Jane Austen's language perfectly, and the conversations she has added between Darcy and Lizzie are so beautiful (and so romantic!) that they almost took my breath away. This is a book I will reread many times over - although quite possibly I will read P&P first, and then swap to this book for the final 10 chapters!
PS: I should perhaps add that the book is so totally unputdownable that I ended up reading it in just one day, ignoring my work completely!
PS: I should perhaps add that the book is so totally unputdownable that I ended up reading it in just one day, ignoring my work completely!
July 12, 2014
What Jane Austen fan doesn't want to get a peek into Darcy's socially-awkward noggin?
I usually don't go in for Jane Austen sequels/prequels/midquels/what have you, but I really enjoyed this one. True, a lot of the text is a reworking of Austen's original text, but, frankly, I think that this is probably a major reason why I enjoyed the book as much as I did.
I usually don't go in for Jane Austen sequels/prequels/midquels/what have you, but I really enjoyed this one. True, a lot of the text is a reworking of Austen's original text, but, frankly, I think that this is probably a major reason why I enjoyed the book as much as I did.
August 10, 2015
I enjoyed this book very much indeed. It is faithful to JA's original and is very plausible. A quick, fun read.
July 10, 2016
Although I liked the story, it's just a rehash of "Pride and Prejudice" and thus nothing new. Moreover, the author blow's her own horn in the afterword.
March 24, 2021
I enjoyed this book. It is not as good as Mr Darcy's Diary or the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman Series -- but it is a satisfying read that further invites you to imagine what Darcy was thinking and doing when his life changed after meeting Elizabeth. It's a very fast read. I am glad to have it part of my collection. As per my Amazon review, May 2007.
January 9, 2016
How do I express what I am about to say? How do I even communicate this blasphemy? How can I not be shunned by my feelings? Okay, I'm just going to come right out and say it.
I didn't hate Darcy's Story.
I know as an ardent fan of the original, I should have been very critical of this book. I should have ripped it to shreds. I should have been annoyed by how the author recycled passages from the original. I should have been banging my head against the wall whilst reading this.
But I didn't hate this book. Amazingly, I kind of liked it. It was one of those things where you know you should deplore it, but you just... can't.
It wasn't that the writing style blew me away or the novel was particularly life shattering or earth moving. It didn't reveal much to me about Darcy that I hadn't already speculated. Yet I still enjoyed the book.
I felt that the novel accentuated the original quite nicely. While Darcy's views and opinions were not ground breaking or more than the mere speculation already associated with his character, I still thought that they helped to develop his character more holistically within my mind. The way the writer developed Darcy's relationships with Bingley, Fitzwilliam, Mr. Collins, Georgiana, the Bennet family, and Elizabeth was quite refreshing. It remained true to the character and didn't take away from the original. I particularly thought that the scenes with Darcy and his sister were fun to read and perfectly in tune with the original.
The writing style in Darcy's Story was engaging and engrossing. While the prose was not particularly poetic or original, I still found it to be thoroughly enjoyable to read. It was a quick, easy read that I finished in a matter of days.
This novel did not take away from Pride and Prejudice or soil it's name in the manner I thought it might. In fact, it added a new dimension to the book. I'm not saying that Darcy's Story is groundbreaking- how could it be when it is a retelling from the male perspective?-but it was thoroughly entertaining and I did not feel like I wasted time on it.
So, despite the backlash I may get from the admission, I enjoyed Darcy's Story. I think it did what it set out to do really well, and exceeded my low expectations by quite a bit. I would recommend it for a bit of light, fun reading.
November 21, 2009
Good book, good book. I’d always wondered about Darcy when I was reading Pride and Prejudice because you just think of Darcy the way Elizabeth does so I thought it would be interesting to see what Darcy might’ve thought while Elizabeth was hating him. And I was right. Before I go farther I should mention that I really liked Pride and Prejudice but I’m not a diehard fan.
Darcy’s Story stays true to the original. About 90% of dialogue Darcy has with Elizabeth is straight from the book. But you get his thoughts, his feelings, and why he does what he does. I enjoyed the fact that you even got to see a little more of how Elizabeth reacted (i.e. Elizabeth blushes and smiles a few times). You don’t really get to see what or how Darcy stays so wealthy except that he took his father’s place. For some reason I thought that it would be a bigger deal, but I guess Aylmer wanted to focus on the relationships like Austen did. You see his relationship with his sister, his cousin, and the Bingleys which I appreciated. In comparison with Pride and Prejudice you get more feelings and reactions than Austen did and I could tell when the writing wasn’t Austen’s but that didn’t really bother me. It didn’t go from Austen’s 1800 style of writing to modern slang, but I could see that it was a bit more...relaxed.
I think I like Darcy more after reading this book. It’s not that he didn’t feel all high and mighty and above everyone because he did there is no going around that, but it seemed a bit more sympathetic towards Darcy’s actions. I saw how much he was willing to do for her, thought of her, and how much her words affected him. That being said, he thinks a looooooot about Elizabeth. Not in the beginning, but once he realizes his feeling for her, his focus on nearly everything is pretty much Elizabeth. It’s not that I didn’t want him to think about Elizabeth; I did but not so much. He kept recapping this one phrase that she said about him not being very gentlemanly about four times. But I guess that shows that he really cares about her opinion which is always a good thing.
Now that I’ve read this book I feel like Elizabeth and Darcy are even more right for each other. Darcy isn’t perfect but he really is a good guy and Elizabeth just makes him that much better.
Darcy’s Story stays true to the original. About 90% of dialogue Darcy has with Elizabeth is straight from the book. But you get his thoughts, his feelings, and why he does what he does. I enjoyed the fact that you even got to see a little more of how Elizabeth reacted (i.e. Elizabeth blushes and smiles a few times). You don’t really get to see what or how Darcy stays so wealthy except that he took his father’s place. For some reason I thought that it would be a bigger deal, but I guess Aylmer wanted to focus on the relationships like Austen did. You see his relationship with his sister, his cousin, and the Bingleys which I appreciated. In comparison with Pride and Prejudice you get more feelings and reactions than Austen did and I could tell when the writing wasn’t Austen’s but that didn’t really bother me. It didn’t go from Austen’s 1800 style of writing to modern slang, but I could see that it was a bit more...relaxed.
I think I like Darcy more after reading this book. It’s not that he didn’t feel all high and mighty and above everyone because he did there is no going around that, but it seemed a bit more sympathetic towards Darcy’s actions. I saw how much he was willing to do for her, thought of her, and how much her words affected him. That being said, he thinks a looooooot about Elizabeth. Not in the beginning, but once he realizes his feeling for her, his focus on nearly everything is pretty much Elizabeth. It’s not that I didn’t want him to think about Elizabeth; I did but not so much. He kept recapping this one phrase that she said about him not being very gentlemanly about four times. But I guess that shows that he really cares about her opinion which is always a good thing.
Now that I’ve read this book I feel like Elizabeth and Darcy are even more right for each other. Darcy isn’t perfect but he really is a good guy and Elizabeth just makes him that much better.
May 9, 2015
Finally! A book based on Pride and Prejudice that didn't make me crazy!
I have tried several books of this type and, until now, they all made me wonder if the authors read the same book as me.
There was the one where Mr. Darcy had a tryst (i.e. sex) in a garden folly and it was not with Elizabeth. Can you imagine the dignified Mr. Darcy happily going at it in the open air with his trousers around his ankles? I certainly can't.
And then there was the one where he pretty much saved England during one of the times when he was not with Elizabeth and thus not in P&P. Very swashbuckling, but not convincing, at least to me.
This book is P&P written from his point of view. It respects the story and dialog of Miss Austen's novel, but adds what Darcy was doing and feeling. The author quotes certain portions verbatim, but, seen from Darcy's perspective, it has new implications.
If you love Pride and Prejudice and want to read more, try this book.
I have tried several books of this type and, until now, they all made me wonder if the authors read the same book as me.
There was the one where Mr. Darcy had a tryst (i.e. sex) in a garden folly and it was not with Elizabeth. Can you imagine the dignified Mr. Darcy happily going at it in the open air with his trousers around his ankles? I certainly can't.
And then there was the one where he pretty much saved England during one of the times when he was not with Elizabeth and thus not in P&P. Very swashbuckling, but not convincing, at least to me.
This book is P&P written from his point of view. It respects the story and dialog of Miss Austen's novel, but adds what Darcy was doing and feeling. The author quotes certain portions verbatim, but, seen from Darcy's perspective, it has new implications.
If you love Pride and Prejudice and want to read more, try this book.
March 31, 2019
From enjoyment alone I might have given this 5 stars, but I have ro admit that it added too few new things to the story and whole dialogs are exact copies of P&P.
(Edit: What the heck, I'm just giving every book that "feels like a 5 star" to me the appropriate rating now. Critique still stands, and that's ok.)
However, this also means that it is incredibly faithful to the original, portraying all the charactera accordingly and even the writing style is designed to match Jane Austen's. It also explains enough to be read by people that haven't read P&P for a long time or at all.
I absolutely loved the writing, enjoyed really experiencing how Darcy felt for Lizzy, but wished there was more insight about Darcys life, especially in the first half.
(Edit: What the heck, I'm just giving every book that "feels like a 5 star" to me the appropriate rating now. Critique still stands, and that's ok.)
However, this also means that it is incredibly faithful to the original, portraying all the charactera accordingly and even the writing style is designed to match Jane Austen's. It also explains enough to be read by people that haven't read P&P for a long time or at all.
I absolutely loved the writing, enjoyed really experiencing how Darcy felt for Lizzy, but wished there was more insight about Darcys life, especially in the first half.
May 11, 2010
I thought this book was so cute... It was a very sweet version of Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy's perspective. It was interesting to have the blanks filled in, where Darcy and Elizabeth are separated from one another during the story. It is almost exactly how I would have filled in those blanks myself. I love how we can see the realationship of Darcy and Georgiana.
I love that this is true to the story.... Often using dialogue from the novel. I couldn't bring myself to give this more than four stars, though; as heartwarming and adorable this feel-good story is, it is not as good as Jane Austen's masterpiece, nor was I expecting it to be.
I love that this is true to the story.... Often using dialogue from the novel. I couldn't bring myself to give this more than four stars, though; as heartwarming and adorable this feel-good story is, it is not as good as Jane Austen's masterpiece, nor was I expecting it to be.
February 5, 2024
I am a Pride and Prejudice snob. I like my Jane Austen, and I don't like anyone to mess with it. But Janet Aylmer takes the story and writes it from the perspective of Mr. Darcy, and she is true to the character and style of Austen. She uses a lot of dialogue from the novel in her rendition, and does not take any other liberties with the characters - unlike others who have written "new" updated versions of Austen's works. I like that she maintains the feel of the original Austen books, and doesn't deviate into topics that Austen kept private for her characters. In my (humble) opinion, this is one of the best rewrites of an Austen novel.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 786 reviews