Names in JAFF

[Linda]

I'm currently reading Darcy's Gallant Gambit: A Pride and Prejudice Variation. I noted a review on Amazon, where a reader was complaining about the first names given to Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Gardiner, Colonel Fitzwilliam and others. In Pride & Prejudice, Jane Austen doesn't give these characters first names. In fact, Col. Fitzwilliam's father is the Earl of ___ not necessarily Matlock. What other names are "standard" for unnamed characters?

[Anne]

Linda wrote: "I'm currently reading Darcy's Gallant Gambit: A Pride and Prejudice Variation. I noted a review on Amazon, where a reader was complaining about the first names given to Mrs. Bennet..."

I hate to see this. My best friend is writing a P&P inspired novel and she just went through the original and she was complaining about the lack of names.

[Chelsea]

I like Richard for Colonel Fitzwilliam.

I think I have seen Mrs. Bennet with the first name Fanny or Francis a few times but I am not sure if it is common.

[Linda]

I think a lot of names came from the 1995 BBC version of P&P. I know Richard, Fanny for Mrs. Bennet, and Matlock as the earldom are from it.

[Anne]

Linda wrote: "I think a lot of names came from the 1995 BBC version of P&P. I know Richard, Fanny for Mrs. Bennet, and Matlock as the earldom are from it."

Someone on Facebook said the name Richard is not in the miniseries. I haven’t watched it in ages so I don’t know.

I almost reported that review but I’ve never done that.

[Katja]

There was this one story in which the Colonel was Thomas and Mr Bennet was Richard and let me tell you, it was disturbing

[Craftyhj]

It's not surprising that male characters don't have given names - it is really only in the last 30 years that men have called other men by their given names. My dad always answered the phone with his surname and referred to most of his colleagues in the same way.

[Linda]

The crazy thing is, the reviewer didn't complain about changing the name of a character JA gave a first name. In the book, William Collins is changed to Wilberforce Collins.

[Craftyhj]

That's a ridiculous choice of name too! That would lose a star from me straightaway.

[Adele]

I have favorite names for the unnamed characters, Colonel Richard, Thomas Bennet, Fanny/Francine Bennet, Madeline Gardiner and Earl of Matlock. But I don’t take points off if the author uses something else.
But I hate it when they use a different name or misspell the name. That seems to me as the minimum research’s JAFF author should do.

[wosedwew]

Adele, I agree. Especially Bennett with the extra "T"

[Linda]

Adele wrote: "I have favorite names for the unnamed characters, Colonel Richard, Thomas Bennet, Fanny/Francine Bennet, Madeline Gardiner and Earl of Matlock. But I don’t take points off if the author uses someth..."

I like the names you mentioned except Fanny/Francine. For whatever reason, I just don't like them, so I usually give Mrs. Bennet the first name Agnes in my writings.

[Sam]

Theodore seems used a bit for the Col. F.

[Katja]

the outdoorsy couples:
Colonel and Mrs. Forester,
Uncle and Mrs. Gardener.

[Craftyhj]

Katja wrote: "the outdoorsy couples:
Colonel and Mrs. Forester,
Uncle and Mrs. Gardener."

Boom boom! (*clash of cymbals!*)

[Dawn]

Katja wrote: "There was this one story in which the Colonel was Thomas and Mr Bennet was Richard and let me tell you, it was disturbing"

Sounds like an interesting book - does anyone have a title?

[Jen]

Colonel Thomas Fitzwilliam & Richard Bennet
Darcy's Reckoning: Experience Pride and Prejudice from the Gentleman's Perspective

Just Tom for Col Fitzwilliam;Being Mrs Darcy

Jann Rowland tends to use names other than Richard for the Col if memory serves.

[Anji]

Just discovered this discussion. I have a copy of the book Jane Austen and Names by Maggie Lane which is rather interesting. There are very few male characters given first names in P&P: Edward, Fitzwilliam (of course!), Charles, George, John (a couple of named servants), Lewis and William. I guess it's because men rarely called each other by their first names back then, so modern authors have to invent them. Personally, it doesn't matter to me what an author calls their characters, as long as they get the first names from canon correct.

If I get the time, I'll check up on the other books. Maggie Lane’s book lists them alphabetically and not by novel, so you have to do a manual search.