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A review by elle_e_d_light
The Darcy Myth: Jane Austen, Literary Heartthrobs, and the Monsters They Taught Us to Love by Rachel Feder
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
2.5
There are a lot of things here that do not make sense. Many parts of the argument rely upon a completely modern interpretation of a centuries-old text—and centuries-old laws/customs/etc—that seem reaching to the point of absurdity. Darcy is upholding the patriarchy for marrying off Lydia to her abuser for the sole reason of making Elizabeth less of an embarrassment to marry?! Mr. Bennet is upholding the patriarchy for not fighting inheritance laws so that his daughters inherit the house?! Mary and Mr. Collins were actually super intelligent?! What?
The author gives so many examples of Darcy-type characters over such a vastly different range of characters and personality types that the argument ends up amounting to basically everyone being a Darcy. Darcy is a Darcy, but somehow Wickham is also a Darcy?! The Beast from Beauty and the Beast is a Darcy/"I can fix him" despite the Beast very much being a "He fixed himself" character? Jake Gyllenhaal and Lord Byron are both Darcy? Why are we comparing real people to fictional character types like this? Also, all vampires are Lord Byron—from Dracula to Lestat to Edward Cullen—and therefore our attraction to vampires is actually an attraction to Lord Byron? Then what does that make Carmilla (who predates Dracula). Is she also Byron? Also, once again: it's weird to use a real life person—with very real life traumas and behavioral hangups—as a comparison point to fictional characters in this way. At least use the Byronic Hero instead of the actual Lord Byron.
Anyway, this book frustrated me greatly.
The author gives so many examples of Darcy-type characters over such a vastly different range of characters and personality types that the argument ends up amounting to basically everyone being a Darcy. Darcy is a Darcy, but somehow Wickham is also a Darcy?! The Beast from Beauty and the Beast is a Darcy/"I can fix him" despite the Beast very much being a "He fixed himself" character? Jake Gyllenhaal and Lord Byron are both Darcy? Why are we comparing real people to fictional character types like this? Also, all vampires are Lord Byron—from Dracula to Lestat to Edward Cullen—and therefore our attraction to vampires is actually an attraction to Lord Byron? Then what does that make Carmilla (who predates Dracula). Is she also Byron? Also, once again: it's weird to use a real life person—with very real life traumas and behavioral hangups—as a comparison point to fictional characters in this way. At least use the Byronic Hero instead of the actual Lord Byron.
Anyway, this book frustrated me greatly.