Thursday, May 13, 2010

Austenesques, Part 2

I am pleased to recommend the first two novels by Monica Fairview: The Other Mr. Darcy and The Darcy Cousins.  Even though these novels place Elizabeth and Will in secondary positions, they are both very diverting in their own right -- and even suggest further stories based on the characters.
In The Other Mr. Darcy we are introduced to Robert Darcy, Will's cousin from Boston, Massachusetts.  He is stuck in England due to a blockade.  The story picks up at the day of Darcy and Elizabeth's marriage, when Robert first encounters Caroline Bingley.  Her transformation is actually the main subject of the novel.  Ms. Fairview has much of Austen's tone, which is a hard thing to duplicate.
In The Darcy Cousins we are introduced to the sister and a brother of Robert's.  However, even though there is a lot of plot concerning Clarissa and Anne de Bourgh, the novel is actually about  Georgianna Darcy and the pitfalls she faces on her way to love and happiness.
I will definitely read the next book by this author.

No comments: