Monday, November 23, 2009

BOOK REVIEW - I AM A PRIDE AND PREJUDICE JUNKIE


Last year Masterpiece Theatre had a very enjoyable Jane Austen movie festival of her most popular books. Pride and Prejudice was always my favorite. I had never seen the 1995 A&E version with Colin Firth, who is hands down the best Darcy ever portrayed. I loved every minute of its 5+ hour portrayel of the goings on of Darcy and Elizabeth. I watched the movie again recently (Actually, the movie was a birthday present to myself). It made me want to read some Pride and Prejudice sequels, of which there are dozens. The book blog I have connected to mine gave a positive review to a triology called, A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy. The three in order: An Assembly Such as This, Duty and Desire and These Three Remain. I ordered them all from the library and had a fluffy reading fest for two weeks. They were all great fun. Pamela Aidan produced a look into Mr. Darcy's heart and mind concerning all the events of the Austen story. No one can write like Jane Austen but Pamela Aidan did a good job of creating a Mr. Darcy in language, manner, and character that was very satisfying to me. The second book has some fun intrigue as Darcy spends a week in an ancient castle, with some old classmates, after he decides he must look for a wife in the ranks of society in order to forget Elizabeth. The last book gives more satisfying details into the stories conclusion. Aidan intruduces some new characters and gives us deeper insight into the Austen personalities. I learned a few things from Mr. Darcy in his self examination. The books portrayed a Darcy that Jane Austen would have approved--with values and good character. So now I am on a quest to read all sequels of value. I have researched a dozen or more carefully. I have a list to read; some ordered from the library and a couple I ordered used from fetchbook.com. I will let you know if I read any others worthy of your time. In the meantime I am posting my favorite you-tube video from the Colin Firth movie. The eyes tell the story.