Mr. Darcy Takes The Lead
By The Misfit | October 19, 2009
“A married man in possession of a dark fortune must be in want of an eternal wife”
~ tagline for Mr. Darcy, Vampyre
Remember earlier in the year when Mr. Darcy and Mr. Rochester were vying for my attention? Of course, I was comparing not only the characters but the actors playing them, as well (Colin Firth and Toby Stephens, respectively). This time around, it’s the characters as seen in my imagination only that are in the running.
It all started with an impulse buy at a large chain bookstore; I’d gone looking for a copy of C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters and left with Mr. Darcy, Vampire by Amanda Grange.
I’m not sure what it is about Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice that lends itself to the addition of more standard Gothic elements – this is the second book I’ve found that plays with the characters of Pride and Prejudice. The first was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Green (and Jane Austen), which navigates the landscape of Pride and Prejudice with the addition of zombies, ass-kickin’ Bennet sisters, and some rather colorful word-play concerning balls. I thought it was fantastic!
Amanda Grange’s Mr. Darcy, Vampire begins with a double wedding between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy and Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley. I’ve always loved reading an author’s take on what transpires after a book has ended. I don’t mean books in a series, even though I love them, too, but rather books that have seemingly ended, the author has died so there’s really not a chance in hell that there will be a sequel of sorts and another author picks up the reins for their take. I even liked Scarlett, the “sequel” to Gone with the Wind by Alexandra Ripley, even though I thought it was crap writing in comparative terms – let’s face it, it takes a lot of guts to tackle such an iconic book with characters that are well-known and adored by tons of people. The mere idea of Rhett and Scarlett getting back together was enough to make even me swoon and giggle with anticipation, and I’m not generally that type of girl. On the outside.
Anyway…
The Bennet sisters get married and each goes off on their honeymoon. We don’t know much about what transpires between Jane and Mr. Bingley as the story follows Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy who, instead of going to the Lake District for their wedding tour, Mr. Darcy tells Elizabeth that he’s taking her to the Continent instead. What transpires centers around the keeping of secrets (and Mr. Darcy has a BIG one), Elizabeth’s fear that Mr. Darcy regrets their joining due to his seeming lack of interest in consummating their marriage, and includes varying locations and a supporting cast of characters all of which challenge Elizabeth’s sense of what is real and not.
The ending is a bit smarmy and involves an Indiana Jones-type adventure that I’m not convinced plays well with the rest of the book, but all-in-all I think it’s worth checking out if you’re a Pride and Prejudice fan who isn’t tied to a purist’s view of literature.
Topics: books for the misfit | No Comments »