Elizabeth’s and Jane’s future looked bleak: Mama had wasted her money after Papa died, and Lydia married a brawny blacksmith. Now they were barely seen as gentlewomen, but Elizabeth refused to ever let herself be unhappy. She still believed they would marry for love.Darcy’s uncle had been an exemplary guardian after Father died, but it was annoying how he insisted Darcy always keep a mistress. He … mistress. He pushed a new woman on Darcy every single time he grew bored and ended an affair. Not again. This time he’d find his own woman. He wanted a woman he could talk and laugh with. Someone like the vivacious Miss Elizabeth. But even though her family had fallen far, he did not believe she would accept such an arrangement…
The story is mostly a funny romantic comedy with the unhappy parts not lasting too long. But Elizabeth is in an difficult situation, and Darcy feels very protective of her long before he admits to himself he loves her.
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It was ok, but not as good as some of the books from Timothy Underwood. I did not care for Darcy at all in this version.
“There is but one pride pardonable; that of being above doing a base or dishonorable action.” Samuel Richardson
This P&P variation was so far outside the box that I didn’t recognize any of the characters, only the names were the same. Who were these people?
Rating: MA: Mature Audience: mature themes, crude, vulgar language, frank and sensual discussions, sexual thoughts and notions, irreligious attitudes, base morals.
This Darcy, after the death of his father, was raised under the influence of his Uncle the Earl of Matlock, who provided him with a mistress as soon as he was old enough to understand what to do with her, and he made sure Darcy was never without one from that point on. He was taught how to talk to women, behave in social settings and his cousins helped him practice his arresting dimpled smile. The end result was a man who was flirty, glib tongued and, if I closed my eyes, sounded a lot like Wickham.
Elizabeth was this Pollyanna type that lived in this perpetual world of her own creation where everything was perfect and any problems would be alright and she was determined to be happy no matter what happened. She would zone out and go to her happy place until her unhappiness was replaced with good humor. She told Darcy that she was determined to be happy. And in her mind, her Jane was the perfect specimen of womanhood. OMG!!
“Honor your daughters. They are honorable.” Malala Yousafzai
Mrs. Bennet: This woman was horrid. After the death of her husband, she spent all her inheritance in frivolous pursuits and was now bankrupt and reduced to complaining and bemoaning her situation. She was so self-centered and selfish that she railed against Jane and Elizabeth because they had failed to secure an advantageous marriage that would have alleviated her lowered status. She ranted at the girls and belittled Elizabeth, because she was not as beautiful as Jane and constantly called her names. She insisted that Jane and Lizzy use their allurements to attract the wealthy Bingley and Darcy. She even advised them how best to attach these men even to the point of… if all else failed… become their mistress or under their protection… so they could help her, of course. Who were these people?
Uncle Philips was an angry bitter man. I could see where he would feel imposed upon by his wife’s sister living with them. His anger was fueled by the fact Mrs. Bennet had squandered her inheritance within the first few years of her widowhood by living beyond her means, bankrupting herself and her daughters and having to rely on her relations in order to survive. With Jane and Lizzy in London, Mary at Longbourn, he was forced to take in Mrs. Bennet and Lydia.
Lydia destroyed not only her own reputation but the reputation and standing of the rest of her family by becoming with child and marrying the blacksmith in a nearby village. Disgusted with Lydia’s behavior, he took his anger out on the rest of the girls. He refused to give them any money, moved them to the attic to sleep [without heat], dismissed a servant [to cut expenses], made them pick up the slack by helping around the house, railed at Mrs. Bennet for her attitude regarding the immoral behavior of her youngest daughter, and the ruined status of the family. His language was crude and vulgar as he berated Lydia and her mother and demeaned his other nieces by calling them names and lamenting they had not died in childhood.
Mrs. Bennet had sent for her daughters in London, wanting to throw them into the paths of the rich men arriving at Netherfield. Meryton society at large, due to their sister’s scandal, would not acknowledge them. Elizabeth and Jane had to borrow clothes from Charlotte in order to attend the Assembly. Mary, living at Longbourn, under the protection and influence of Mr. and Mrs. Collins, and due to her own moral fiber and character, was somewhat protected from the scandal of her relations.
Darcy and Bingley were immediately taken with the eldest Bennet girls. Caroline was quick to relay the gossip regarding the youngest Bennet sister’s fall and their family situation. Apparently, Lydia’s marriage to a menial [village blacksmith], lowered the status of her family even beyond the reach of Bingley.
Darcy was looking for a new mistress and, intrigued with Elizabeth, was considering how to ask her without insulting her. Really?? Just how would you do that Mr. Darcy? Would you just simply ask… ‘Will you be my mistress?’ How about ‘Come under my protection, my sweet-ling.’ Or perhaps, just be honest and say… ‘Give up your virtue and self-respect and I’ll take care of you until I tire of you. Then you are on your own… although I will be generous when I release you.’ Who was this guy? Are you sure it’s not Wickham pretending to be Darcy?
“All universal moral principles are idle fancies.” Marquis de Sade
Here is the crux of my offense at this story. This was not Austen’s P&P, not even close. Only the names were the same. Their character makeup was altered to the point of not being recognizable. I resented like heck reducing our beloved characters to base immoral beings.
“Much of the world’s moral compass is broken. The moral north reads south and the moral south reads north.” Dennis Prager
The moral fiber of a society is the foundation on which it stands. The author’s use of language such as “superstitious religious nonsense’ or ‘harping of the pulpits and teachers’ in order to have the quality seduce virtuous women, was beyond the pale. Take away the moral compass of a society and it will fall. Jane and Elizabeth were taunted and verbally tortured to an unbearable point.
Everything about this story was flipped on its ear. Like the above quote… north reads south and south reads north. Everything was convoluted as though this was a psychological exercise in seeing just how far the author could twist our characters and reduce them to their lowest base element. It was wave after wave of degrading language, behavior and attitudes. Was this a societal exercise of the quality vs the common man? Was this… if you have money you can have and do whatever you want with no thought of conscience? Where was the conscience?
I have a couple of additional books by this author and if they are of the same ilk as these last couple that I’ve read… it will be my last to EVER read of this author.