Book Description
“You must allow me to tell you…”
For over two hundred years, Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy has captivated readers’ imaginations as the ultimate catch. Rich. Powerful. Noble. Handsome. And yet, as Miss Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” is established through Elizabeth Bennet’s fine eyes, how are we to know his mind? How does Darcy progress from “She is tolerable: but not handsome enough to tempt me” to “I thought only of you”?
In this romance anthology, fifteen Austenesque authors assemble to sketch Darcy’s character through a series of re-imaginings, set in the Regency through contemporary times—from faithful narratives to the fanciful. Herein “The Darcy Monologues”, the man himself reveals his intimate thoughts, his passionate dreams, and his journey to love—all told with a previously concealed wit and enduring charm.
Stories by: Susan Adriani * Sara Angelini * J. Marie Croft * Karen M Cox * Jan Hahn * Jenetta James * Lory Lilian * KaraLynne Mackrory * Beau North * Ruth Phillips Oakland * Natalie Richards * Sophia Rose * Joana Starnes * Melanie Stanford * Caitlin Williams
My Review:
I chose this anthology both out of curiosity and because I’m short on time at the moment so reading short stories suits me. I’m so glad I did. The Darcy Monologues is a collection of fifteen short stories told from Darcy’s point of view and is an outstanding read. The book is divided into two; The Regency’and Other Eras, I found it difficult to decide which section I liked best.
I don’t give spoilers, especially in this case. I think it would be unfair to pick out individual stories to review and not others as, from my perspective, they are all excellently written, Some are portrayed from the first person point of view of Darcy, others from a third person viewpoint. Unusually the reader accompanies Darcy into various eras, various places and various predicaments. There is some humour, some pathos, some – quite a lot, obviously – romance. I loved each and every one. The slants on all the tales are clever and absorbing and threaded throughout is that one issue; that one age-old theme; two people who move inexorably from dislike to love. I’m sure Jane Austen would approve of these diverse stories of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet .
I would definitely recommend this anthology to lovers of Pride and Prejudice and all readers who enjoy short stories.
Buying links:
Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/2r6btQQ
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/2rXYkdV
Thank you Judith.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure, Rosie
LikeLike
Sounds fascinating Judith.. Colin Firth is the ultimate Darcy for me… Jane little knew what fantasies she was unleashing on the world.. or perhaps she did! x
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree, Sally. Only wish she’d known how her writing would be received after all these years .x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much for this thoughtful review. Thrilled you enjoy the stories–and your enthusiastic endorsement is so appreciated.
LikeLike
You are very welcome, Christina. A lovely entertaining and skilfully written anthology. Wishing you lots of luck with it.
LikeLike
Thank you for reviewing! Glad you enjoyed.
LikeLike
And thank you all for writing these stories, Melanie.
LikeLike
Lovely review, thank you Judith. This has been a fab project to be involved in and it is lovely to read that you enjoyed the stories:-)
LikeLike
Oh I did, Jeanette. A beautifully written anthology.
LikeLike
Neat that you caught exactly the ‘Darcy for everyone’ intent. Thanks, Judith!
LikeLike
Sounds fantastic Judith, thanks. Love anthologies. 🙂 xx
LikeLike
There are times when anthologies just fit the bill in my life, Debby. I love it when i can find a good one to dip into.xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
Thanks for the lovely review!
LikeLike
Thank you for your lovely work. I really enjoyed the story.
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with your readers, and so glad you enjoyed the anthology!
LikeLike
Indeed I did enjoy the read and always happy to share news of a good book.
LikeLike