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halfcentreader's review against another edition
4.0
It was interesting to follow the classic through the eyes of another character. But what I especially liked, was the last 20 pages or so that give the reader a glimpse of resolutions involving the joining of the Darcy family and the Bennet family. It was fun. Now I think I will have to watch the miniseries again!
lizzybd's review
1.0
I started reading this book and read five pages before I knew I didn't want to read more. The grammar is so bad. Mr. Darcy is a highly educated man and wouldn't have such poor grammar. For example: "'Was not you tempted by the fresh air to join me?'" Horrific!
I decided to read the reviews on here. I am SO GLAD I didn't continue reading. I would have been mortified. I will never read a book by this author. Ever.
I decided to read the reviews on here. I am SO GLAD I didn't continue reading. I would have been mortified. I will never read a book by this author. Ever.
dumblydore's review against another edition
4.0
Ah, ladies and gentlemen, pray do not take this book at all seriously and you will have a rollicking good rompin' time! This is, for me at least, one of the better P&P "sequels" out there. Mr. Darcy, admittedly, is not the most fascinating character around (I've always thought Mr. Thornton from Gaskell's North and South was far more complex, ergo more attractive); however, Slater has used her artistic license well, portraying Mr. Darcy as a sensitive, passionate and occasionally absurd man, which makes for rather addictive reading. Darcy being associated with the likes of Byron was actually very amusing, if a little dubious and outlandish, but his meetings with an Esmerelda in a random bordello had me guffawing.
Of course this will never match Austen's original, but it's certainly a definitive and creative account of Mr. Darcy's perspective.
Rating: 3.5/5
Of course this will never match Austen's original, but it's certainly a definitive and creative account of Mr. Darcy's perspective.
Rating: 3.5/5
hannahkiwi's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.0
David Rintoul's reading is excellent. As a Pride and Prejudice retelling, the story is disappointing.
dellaporta's review against another edition
3.0
Where to begin... Jane Austen has certain views about the world. In her point of view, people were cleaner and more logical. They were both more innocent and calculating. They were selfish in their efforts to better themselves through, marriage and acquaintances but had no real passion.
That view is wrong. Although the marriage market among the privileged did work the way she described, the high society were hypocrites who had affairs, kept women and did all sort of 'immoral' things. They also had this enormous sense of entitlement that makes modern people wanna slap them in the face.
In that sense Maya Slater's Mr Darcy was both more real and out of character. She portrays his every bit as snobbish and aloof as Ms Austen's version but at the same time he is incredibly nosy, he participates in orgies and apart from proud he is obnoxious as well. People reading this book and expecting familiar faces will be mightily dissapointed. People reading this book on it's own merits, well it's not boring exacty but it's hardly memorable. All in all it's an average book and it's a pity because the idea and the original material if used differently could have given us something great.
I am giving it 2.5/5 and recomend only to those who are curious.
That view is wrong. Although the marriage market among the privileged did work the way she described, the high society were hypocrites who had affairs, kept women and did all sort of 'immoral' things. They also had this enormous sense of entitlement that makes modern people wanna slap them in the face.
In that sense Maya Slater's Mr Darcy was both more real and out of character. She portrays his every bit as snobbish and aloof as Ms Austen's version but at the same time he is incredibly nosy, he participates in orgies and apart from proud he is obnoxious as well. People reading this book and expecting familiar faces will be mightily dissapointed. People reading this book on it's own merits, well it's not boring exacty but it's hardly memorable. All in all it's an average book and it's a pity because the idea and the original material if used differently could have given us something great.
I am giving it 2.5/5 and recomend only to those who are curious.
leah_152's review against another edition
2.0
I just found out the editors note at the end was fictional after I read a few reviews. Almost wished I hadn't now. So disappointed.......
aartireadsalot's review
2.0
Mr. Darcy has always seemed to be a brooding and mysterious man who, very much against his will, falls in love with a bright and lovely young woman who is his social inferior. He is not boring. He certainly is not the sort of person who would be friends with Lord Byron. He is not unfashionable, and he certainly doesn't spend his days cataloging his library. However, that is who he is to Maya Slater, which is unfortunate.
A major issue I had with this book was Darcy's relationship with Lord Byron. It seems very forced and I just do not understand how Mr. Darcy (and to an even greater extent, Mr. Bingley) could have possibly been friends with someone like Lord Byron. They spend a great deal of time together in the book, and it just does not work, chemistry-wise. I feel that Slater introduced Byron to the novel so that she could share some of the more risque aspects of Regency life. However, I don't think Darcy was really the sort who would do such things. He is, after all, very proud of how proper he is. I am not saying he went to his wedding night a sainted virgin, but I can't imagine that he was nearly as dissolute as Slater makes him out to be in this novel.
My biggest complaint, though, is that Darcy in Slater's novel is just boring. He is not a three-dimensional character at all. In the novel, he barely even interacts with Elizabeth Bennet, so it is very hard to see how he falls in love with her. He spends a lot of time mulling things over (which, granted, goes well with his brooding character). Most of his diary entries, in my opinion, are quite dull. He talks about going shooting, cataloging books, feeling guilty about Charles Bingley, and remembering Elizabeth Bennet's eyes. It is interesting insofar as we get a glimpse of his relationship with his sister, with Lady de Burgh and with Caroline Bingley, but we do not really get to know Darcy himself. Even in his diary, he seems to hold himself just aloof enough to withhold any information we really want to know. And since the plot, really, follows the same timeline as Pride & Prejudice, and we know, generally, what will happen... this book didn't really add much to my experience of Jane Austen's novel. If you want to read Pride & Prejudice, then read the original. If you want to read it from Darcy's point of view, I have it on good authority that Pamela Aidan's series is the best. And if you want to see a fantastically brooding Darcy... then go find Colin Firth!
A major issue I had with this book was Darcy's relationship with Lord Byron. It seems very forced and I just do not understand how Mr. Darcy (and to an even greater extent, Mr. Bingley) could have possibly been friends with someone like Lord Byron. They spend a great deal of time together in the book, and it just does not work, chemistry-wise. I feel that Slater introduced Byron to the novel so that she could share some of the more risque aspects of Regency life. However, I don't think Darcy was really the sort who would do such things. He is, after all, very proud of how proper he is. I am not saying he went to his wedding night a sainted virgin, but I can't imagine that he was nearly as dissolute as Slater makes him out to be in this novel.
My biggest complaint, though, is that Darcy in Slater's novel is just boring. He is not a three-dimensional character at all. In the novel, he barely even interacts with Elizabeth Bennet, so it is very hard to see how he falls in love with her. He spends a lot of time mulling things over (which, granted, goes well with his brooding character). Most of his diary entries, in my opinion, are quite dull. He talks about going shooting, cataloging books, feeling guilty about Charles Bingley, and remembering Elizabeth Bennet's eyes. It is interesting insofar as we get a glimpse of his relationship with his sister, with Lady de Burgh and with Caroline Bingley, but we do not really get to know Darcy himself. Even in his diary, he seems to hold himself just aloof enough to withhold any information we really want to know. And since the plot, really, follows the same timeline as Pride & Prejudice, and we know, generally, what will happen... this book didn't really add much to my experience of Jane Austen's novel. If you want to read Pride & Prejudice, then read the original. If you want to read it from Darcy's point of view, I have it on good authority that Pamela Aidan's series is the best. And if you want to see a fantastically brooding Darcy... then go find Colin Firth!