In the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, Pamela Aidan attempts to provide insight into the thoughts and feelings of this enigmatic romantic lead of English literature.
During the many rereads of Pride & Prejudice, as much as I enjoyed the goings on of the Bennet household, I often felt shortchanged in my understanding of Mr. Darcy. His reclusiveness adds both to his arrogance and enigma. We only hear of his good deeds from his friends and employees, but very little from him is heard through the pages. He often makes his presence felt by sulking or glowering in the background, an impression strengthened by Colin Firth’s performance of this role in the 1995 ITV version of Pride & Prejudice.
As a reader and fan, I often wondered — What is Mr. Darcy thinking?
The Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy is a gift to Jane Austen enthusiasts. In this Pride & Prejudice fanfiction novels, Pamela Aidan retells the story Pride & Prejudice from Darcy’s perspective. The three novels take us through Darcy’s introduction to the Bennets, his journey back to London and his doomed proposal to Elizabeth.
An Assembly Such As This begins with Darcy’s first trip to Hertfordshire when he stays at Bingley’s residence nearby. He sees Elizabeth for the first time at the assembly and is disapproving of the whole Bennet family. In the trilogy this is my least favorite, coz it doesn’t truly offer any new insights to the characters of Darcy or Bingley. This novel establishes that Darcy doesn’t approve of Bingley’s feelings for Jane and is confused by his own sentiments towards her younger sister. None of this is new to a well-versed fan of the work.
‘Duty and Desire’ is probably the most imaginative and speculative of the three novels. It takes place in a time frame in which Darcy had disappeared from the pages of Pride & Prejudice for a while (he had left Hertfordshire after the Netherfield Ball). This gives Aidan an opportunity to take us in to Darcy’s world away from the Bingleys and Bennets.
Darcy is already in love with Elizabeth but doesn’t know it yet and he tries to run away from his confused feelings. He busies himself with his sister, his friends and his estate responsibilities.
He also takes the shocking decision of hunting for a wife so he can get over his infatuation for Elizabeth. This search takes him to Norwycke castle, where, in a large gathering of eligible ladies, he is sure to find his future wife. The story then becomes rather dark and gothic tale and for some minutes you forget, you are reading a sedated period drama.
Aidan quotes heavily from Bard and makes out Darcy to be a Shakespeare fan! She often quotes Austen, and her reference to ‘Sense and Sensibility’ is a lovely tribute.
What I enjoyed most, the details around characters we were already familiar with. We get to see Georgiana, Darcy’s sister, growing up to become the lady of the house. We see a genuine and cheerful relationship between Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam — as ideal a relationship between cousins.
Aidan successfully creates a parallel world to Hertfordshire with characters as interesting and diverse. One of my new favorite characters is Lord Brougham, Darcy’s college-mate and a close friend who is quite an influence on Georgiana.
The novel also portrays the lifestyle, social gatherings and fashion of Regency England faithfully. The only downside -it was a tad long in places and Darcy’s musings on religion a little tiresome.
The last installment of the series, In These Three Remain, begins days before Darcy’s infamous proposal to Elizabeth. The story opens with Darcy and Colonel’s carriage flying on its way to Rosings Park — for their annual and much dreaded trip to see their aunty, Lady Catherine. Little does Darcy know that Elizabeth would be at Hunsford visiting her cousin Mr Collins and her closest friend Charlotte, who is now Mrs. Collins.
All the conflict in Darcy’s heart about Elizabeth resurfaces again and as he spends more time with her at Rosings Park. He is convinced that ‘she is the one. Then comes the landmark proposal — so haughtily made and so haughtily rejected.
Darcy returns to London a changed and a distraught man. We see Lord Brougham assuming a more significant role in the book — as Darcy’s confidante and Georgiana’s friend.
Darcy moves from London to Pemberly to escape the political chaos and it is there that he chances to encounter Elizabeth again. From then forth the narrative sticks strictly to the original Pride & Prejudice storyline.
What I really liked is that Aidan has stayed true to the script of Jane Austen for dialogues between Eliza and Darcy. There are sections in P&P when we wanted to know more details. As of the frequent visits Darcy made to the Collins’s home, the several times he met Elizabeth on her walks — Aidan supplies them beautifully.
We see the transformation of Darcy from the well-meaning but conceited gentleman to the benevolent yet principled person who Elizabeth can admire. It’s interesting to see how Georgiana also contributes to this transformation.
This book largely focuses on the relationship between Eliza and Darcy — which is both a strength and failing. Yes, we learn everything that’s going in on Darcy’s head and that’s cool, but we also knew where the story is heading so it’s a little predictable.
Overall, Aidan’s fanfiction novels are entertaining, true to the spirit of the original works and sincere in their flattery.
