Julia Justiss: History ReFreshed | Ah, Elizabeth! Ah, Darcy! Part the First

DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY

Why not start with the original of DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY by P.D. James, and see just how closely the Masterpiece adapters followed the plot line and characters of the novel. (I’m not telling—you’ll have to read it for yourself!)

About: It is 1803, six years since Elizabeth and Darcy embarked on their life together at Pemberley, Darcy’s magnificent estate. Their peaceful, orderly world seems almost unassailable. Elizabeth has found her footing as the chatelaine of the great house. They have two fine sons, Fitzwilliam and Charles. Elizabeth’s sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live nearby; her father visits often; there is optimistic talk about the prospects of marriage for Darcy’s sister Georgiana. And preparations are under way for their much-anticipated annual autumn ball.

Then, on the eve of the ball, the patrician idyll is shattered. A coach careens up the drive carrying Lydia, Elizabeth’s disgraced sister, who with her husband, the very dubious Wickham, has been banned from Pemberley. She stumbles out of the carriage, hysterical, shrieking that Wickham has been murdered. With shocking suddenness, Pemberley is plunged into a frightening mystery.

DARCY AND ELIZABETH: A SEASON OF COURTSHIP

(Darcy Saga Prequel Duo Part One; 2014) This new prequel, (which contains episodes that were flashbacks in the first of the Darcy Saga books, MR. AND MRS. FITZWILLIAM DARCY) fills in the time period between Darcy’s proposal and the wedding. Conflicts caused by Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Caroline Bingley, the developing love between Jane and Charles Bingley, and the characters of the rest of the Bennet family are more fully explored here.

MR. AND MRS. FITZWILLIAM DARCY: THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE

(Darcy Saga; March 2009) The story begins immediately after the wedding, and basically concerns the “Darcy honeymoon” period, the bulk of the story consisting of the ardent young marrieds declaring (and consummating again and again and again) their love.

LOVING MR. DARCY

(Darcy Saga; Sept 2009) The story continues as Darcy and Elizabeth await the birth of their first child. More is seen of their families and friends, with additional development in the characters of Georgiana Darcy, Mary and Kitty Bennett and Caroline Bingley. As with all the novels of this series, the focus is on the small everyday interactions of life, rather than grand events, with a continuing copious complement of love scenes between Darcy and his bride.

MY DEAREST MR. DARCY

(Darcy Saga; Jan 2010) Now at the end of their first year of marriage, Darcy and Elizabeth travel through the Lake District and to the shore for some sea-bathing and sightseeing before the birth of their first child. The inclusion of Dr. Darcy (who will later have his own book,) the much-maligned Miss de Bourgh, news of Mary Bennet’s impending marriage and the Bingleys’ upcoming addition to the family add new dimensions to the saga.

IN THE ARMS OF MR. DARCY

(Darcy Saga; Oct 2010) The fourth book of Lathan’s series begins a year after Darcy and Elizabeth’s wedding, and just after the birth of their son Alexander. After Christmas with the whole Bennet family at Pemberley, Elizabeth and Georgiana prepare to be presented at court, Colonel Fitzwilliams rekindles an old romance, Kitty Bennet falls in love, and Caroline Bingley encounters a fitting adversary.

THE TROUBLE WITH MR. DARCY

(Darcy Saga; April 2011) The next installment of the saga takes place a year later, with Elizabeth and Darcy now the parents of two children. Returning to Netherfield for Kitty Bennett’s marriage, they encounter George Wickham, now intent on creating trouble for Lizzy and her young son. While Colonel Fitzwilliam steps in to help his friend and cousin counter the villain, the character of Dr. Darcy, mentor and advisor to his nephew, continues to be developed, and Georgianna returns from her tour, ready for a romance of her own.

MR DARCY TAKES A WIFE: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE CONTINUES

Originally self-published in 1999 as THE BAR SINISTER, this first book of Berdoll’s series was later republished under the new title by Sourcebooks in 2004. Like Lathan’s series, Berdoll’s work excited heated debate. Booklist pronounced it “wild, bawdy and utterly enjoyable,” while some readers found it a “respectful continuation” of Austen’s work and others proclaimed it to be “so bad it’s unintentionally funny,” The Austen-esque language, more convoluted than the original prose, trips up some readers, while others decry the inclusion of numerous heated love scenes. Definitely not for Austen purists, the book nonetheless charmed readers with its more modern, realistic look at the Darcy marriage, and for its continuation of the story of secondary characters such as Colonel Fitzwilliams, Wickham, Lydia, and Lady Catherine--although Georgiana turns a bit feisty, and a secret from Bingley’s past may shock.

DARCY AND ELIZABETH: DAYS AND NIGHTS AT PEMBERLEY

The saga continues with Darcy returning from abroad to greet his wife and new twins. Passion must be put on hold while Elizabeth recovers, creating some tension, both Lydia and Wickham return to cause mischief, and the imperious Lady Catherine meddles as only she can. Described by Publishers Weekly as a “lighthearted romp” and Booklist as “a frothy historical dessert following a meaty entrée of a classic,” those who enjoy the frequent peeking into the bedchamber and the unusual prose will enjoy this sequel.

THE DARCYS: THE RULING PASSION

Berdoll’s latest installment picks up the story nearly ten years into the Darcy marriage. Devotees of love scenes will be reassured to discover the couple is no less amorous, though personal tragedy drives them apart for a while; lovers of melodrama will be happy to see Wickham once again attempting dastardly deeds; and a few of Berdoll’s own characters—Lady Howgrave, Darcy’s former lover who tries to seduce him—carry the story in different directions, with “traditional” Austen characters the Bingleys and Bennets playing a lesser role.