Dancing with Mr. Darcy

[christina_reads]

135. Sarah Waters, ed., Dancing with Mr. Darcy: Stories Inspired by Jane Austen and Chawton House

This collection of short stories comprises the short-listed entries from the 2009 Jane Austen Short Story Competition sponsored by the Chawton House Library. Naturally, all the stories have some connection to Jane Austen. Some of them are contemporary re-imaginings of the novels, some examine Austen’s enduring themes; some simply borrow a character or two, or show the impact that Jane Austen still has on contemporary life.

While I’m normally hesitant to buy Austen-inspired books these days, I took a chance on this one anyway, reasoning that since all the stories were in the running to win a contest, they must be good. Happily, I was right: though not all the stories were to my taste, they’re all well-written and respectful of Jane Austen’s work. Some of my favorites were:

• “Miss Austen Victorious” by Esther Bellamy: The inhabitants of a small country village stage Pride and Prejudice in the context of the Blitz during World War II.
• “Cleverclogs” by Hilary Spiers: A precocious young girl with a love of reading finds solace in Sense and Sensibilty during a family tragedy.
• “The Jane Austen Hen Weekend” by Clair Humphries: Three women attempt to organize a Jane-Austen-themed hen weekend (the British equivalent to a bachelorette party, I’m guessing) for their bride-to-be friend, but things don’t go according to plan.

There were a few stories I didn’t like as much, but there are honestly no real clunkers here. I would definitely recommend this collection to Jane Austen fans.