Scan barcode
A review by riley15
The Darcys & the Bingleys: A Tale of Two Gentlemen's Marriages to Two Most Devoted Sisters by Marsha Altman
2.0
I had a difficult time getting over the fact that this book included neither Jane Austen’s writing style nor her ideas, but still found it to be a quick, fun read and blew through it in only a few days. It definitely felt a bit like Pride and Prejudice fan-fiction, with a large portion of the book dedicated to showcasing the blissful and perfect relationships between Jane and Charles Bingley and Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Darcy. This was cute, and if you are a Pride and Prejudice fan looking for an easy and amusing read, this may be a good book to pick up. If, however, you are someone who is very concerned with accuracy and integrity, this may not be a good fit. As I was reading, I found there to be some inaccuracies; a bit of the dialogue and situations seemed too modern for the early 1800s and some of the characters acted or were portrayed in a way that, I thought, was unrealistic given their actions and descriptions in the Jane Austen novel. Overall, I did enjoy reading this book and getting to encounter some of my favorite characters again. I don’t necessarily take Altman’s word for what happens to the Darcy and Bingley families, but it was a fun, humorous story, I like where she went with it, and I thought she did a good job of staying mostly true to the world Jane Austen created.
There are some specifics that I would now like to go into, some of which will include spoilers. I will attempt to list them in an order that makes sense, but that probably will not end up being the case, so I apologize in advance. I liked the respectful and loving relationships between friends and spouses in this book, as living happily ever after is the end I’ve always wanted and pictured for these characters subsequent to Pride and Prejudice drawing to a close. My favorite part in this story was probably the investigation of Lord Kincaid, which added the mystery and suspense that made this book a page-turner. I liked the outcome and that the Darcys were able to save Caroline Bingley from the fortune hunter, but didn’t really understand why Lord Kincaid felt the need to come back to claim Miss. Bingley instead of simply making his escape from the prison and going after another woman of fortune. I also thought that Caroline’s successive engagement to Doctor Maddox, while perhaps heartwarming, didn’t entirely fit with what I know about her from the original novel. Additionally, Miss. Bingley wasn’t quite as witty and proper as she was when written by Austen. I think it can also be said that Elizabeth and many other characters, at various points, did not have their personality correctly portrayed, with Darcy in particular being a bit less formal/proper at times than would be realistic for his character. I do understand, however, that a few of these deviations may have been deemed necessary to aid the story line. Darcy throwing Wickham out of a window may have been a bit much, though.
There are some specifics that I would now like to go into, some of which will include spoilers. I will attempt to list them in an order that makes sense, but that probably will not end up being the case, so I apologize in advance. I liked the respectful and loving relationships between friends and spouses in this book, as living happily ever after is the end I’ve always wanted and pictured for these characters subsequent to Pride and Prejudice drawing to a close. My favorite part in this story was probably the investigation of Lord Kincaid, which added the mystery and suspense that made this book a page-turner. I liked the outcome and that the Darcys were able to save Caroline Bingley from the fortune hunter, but didn’t really understand why Lord Kincaid felt the need to come back to claim Miss. Bingley instead of simply making his escape from the prison and going after another woman of fortune. I also thought that Caroline’s successive engagement to Doctor Maddox, while perhaps heartwarming, didn’t entirely fit with what I know about her from the original novel. Additionally, Miss. Bingley wasn’t quite as witty and proper as she was when written by Austen. I think it can also be said that Elizabeth and many other characters, at various points, did not have their personality correctly portrayed, with Darcy in particular being a bit less formal/proper at times than would be realistic for his character. I do understand, however, that a few of these deviations may have been deemed necessary to aid the story line. Darcy throwing Wickham out of a window may have been a bit much, though.