Darcy's Story

by Janet Aylmer

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061148709
• ISBN13: 9780061148705
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

An Excellent Read

http://tickettoanywhere.blogspot.com Almost 200 years ago Jane Austen wrote and publilshed Pride & Prejudice, a novel that would stand the test of time, winning the hearts of new fans with each passing generation. For even though the novel was written so long ago its themes and characters have withstood the test of time. I first fell in love with Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy several years ago by chance. Stumbling across the book one day in the bookstore not realizing that it would soon become a most beloved friend. It didn't take long to read Austen's novel and it was a book that I have revisited often over the years. Throughout all my readings I have always wondered about Mr. Darcy. What was he thinking? As well as what happened after the story ended. (Which was much to soon in my humble opinion!). Despite my wanting to know what happened afterwards I have steered away for all the various "sequels" to the story that people have written over the years. I read some of the reviews and they were always mixed from those that loved them and those that thought they were horrible additions to a beloved story. Therefore I stayed away from them all so that P & P wouldn't be tarnished for me in any way. That is until this past weekend when a friend of mine recommended a new novel, Darcy's Story by Janet Alymer. This wasn't a sequel but a companion novel told from the point of view of the enigmatic Mr. Darcy. Others have tried to recommend books to me based on P & P but I never really paid them much attention since there was always a little criticism mixed in with the praise. This friend was different. She admitted that while, at the time, she hadn't read much that she thoroughly enjoyed all that she had. That made me curious and so I bought the book soon afterwards. It was instant love. Alymer uses a lot of the dialogue that Austen herself wrote which adds so much realism to the story for which there has been much criticism. In my opinion, the transcribed dialogue only helps in creating a seamless transition between the original story and the new additions. I don't think that I would have enjoyed this book half as much if she hadn't used the original text. After all, if it ain't broke, why fix it? Alymer captures the essence of Mr. Darcy and all the other characters in the story. One can tell that Alymer is a true fan and took time and care with how the events were laid out. I loved all the added scenes that were only alluded to in Austen's story. They played out as I had pictured them. There has also been criticism about the length of time that Alymer spent on the various scenes between Darcy & Mr. Wickham. However, Austen herself never spent much time on them so why should Alymer do any different. Mr Wickham was only a minor character, the story revolved around Elizabeth and Mr Darcy to dwell on events not involving the two of them only takes away from their story. Reading Darcy's Story brought me back to the time when I first read Pride & Prejudic

From Darcy's view

I loved this book! It is short, but that is not a drawback at all. It would go perfectly blended into the original P & P book. You could almost tell where each chapter would fit into P & P! It gives you the chance to see into the thoughts of Darcy in quick to the point view, much like Darcy himself. I borrowed this boook from my sis-in-law who is a Lit nut and will only own great P & P sequals, which is why I read it to start with. (she also lent me The Bar Sinister which I also loved!) I think that this was a great read and wonderful point of view!

Wonderful Interpretation of Darcy's Story!

First of all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. After reading Pride and Prejudice, I kept wondering more and more about Darcy, what HE was thinking, what HE was doing? Elizabeth was carefully and wonderfully portrayed by Jane Austen. I would have loved for Jane Austen to have gone into Darcy's life more, but she didn't. When I purchased Darcy's Story by Janet Aylmer, I never expected to read it like a Jane Austen novel. I just wanted a story behind Darcy, the way I would think really happened at that time in history. The fact that Janet Aylmer kept the storyline in sync with Pride and Prejudice was wonderful for me. I knew where we were with each chapter. I knew where Elizabeth was, and now I know where Darcy was. Overall, I have to say I really enjoyed reading Darcy's side of Pride and Prejudice through Janet Aylmer's interpretation. I think Jane would have approved!

Very satisfying for this die-hard fan

I am very surprised at how many terribly reviews this story received. Maybe the difference is that I had low expectations when I picked it up, and it far exceeded my expectations. I felt it remained faithful to the style and pace of Austen's original, and I liked the fact that the author used much of the original text -- it felt like a natural extension of the original story that way, which I believe was the author's intent. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will look for other works by Aylmer.

Bravo for a Job well done!

'Pride and Prejudice' has become a beloved classic since Jane Austen originally penned it in 1813. It is critically acclaimed, and millions of people across the globe consider it a timeless and perfect love story. Collin Firth brought Mr. Darcy to life in the 1995 BBC mini-series. And many others have tried as well. Mr. Darcy, always a mystery, was not the spotlight of Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice'. Austen's novel instead focused on Darcy's love interest, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Janet Aylmer now gives is us Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy's story. Aylmer, a pen name for an Austen enthusiast, took on a task that will undergo the scrutiny of the literary world. She dares to tell Darcy's side of the romance and gives the world a glimpse into his life. Can her story, about the life of this literary hero, compete with the imaginations of those so familiar with this love story? Now the world has a chance to better sympathize with Darcy's plight. Now we can better understand his obligation to social standing, his apparent snobbery towards the Bennet family and most importantly his change of heart. Honestly this is the kind of book you wait for with trepidation. Can it possibly meet your expectations? Will the image of Darcy you created in you mind, as you filled in the missing gaps, be forever destroyed by one person's interpretation. Well, my hat off to Ms. Aylmer! She did it. She dared to take a chance for Mr. Darcy and his reputation and it paid off. Aylmer created what should be hailed as another classic. Had this book not been written nearly 200 years post 'Pride and Prejudice' then one would think Austen penned this book herself. The flow of the story matches Austen's own styling. The brilliance of intertwining Austen's original conversation helps hold the timeline of 'Pride and Prejudice' together. The language of the time is equally as beautiful and as with Austen's original Aylmer takes you back in time to the sitting rooms and country dances of yesteryear. I have to admit I have fallen in love with Fitzwilliam Darcy all over again. All of the imperfections are still there. He is frustratingly snobbish and yet now I have a better understanding as to why. Thanks to Aylmer we now understand Darcy's decisions. Your heart breaks as he blunders his way through this romance and you hold your breath as you turn the page even through you already know the story's end. While in Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' we are unsure of Darcy's doings when absent from Bennet, the same is equally true about Bennet in Aylmer's story. Now we discover what goes on in Darcy's life when he returns to Pemberley and his life of social obligation. While I am glad that Darcy's side of the story has finally been told, it is a shame that it has taken so long. Can anyone measure up to Firth's performance? I say no! And as such, this book can never make the big screen as I dream. Unmistakably, Darcy's Story is the greatest adaptation of Austen's original Pride and Prejudice. I th