Mischief in Meryton! Precognition at Pemberley!
Someone at janeaustenfans recommended a book called Pride and Prescience, "a Mr. and Mrs. Darcy mystery", which supposedly casts the newly-married Darcy and Elizabeth as a sort of Regency-era Nick and Nora Charles. I generally avoid P&P sequels but that description (plus the fact that it was on the shelf at my town library) was enough to convince me to pick it up on my way home last night.
It didn't take long to read, and I must say I enjoyed it. The only disappointment was a supernatural element. (I suppose "Prescience" should have tipped me off, but I was primed for noir and Nick and Nora are nothing if not implacable realists!) The idea of a superstitious Elizabeth Bennet is enough to strain my credulity, and I really don't think paranormal goings-on are at all suited to Austen's people and places. Other than that, though, there were no outrages against Austen in the way the characters were drawn, no few noticeable anachronisms and, thank Heaven, no sex scenes! And Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship was actually charming. In summary, I'd agree with the guy on the back of the book who said (with surprising honesty for "advance praise") "It's easy to imagine Miss Austen herself contentedly picking this story up to relax after a demanding day of astute observation and well-crafted prose." In other words, it's not Austen, but it's harmless fun.
Fun enough for me to look for the next one. I'll have to order the sequel, Suspense and Sensibility, through interlibrary loan, though our library did have the third book - North by Northanger. I'm STILL chuckling at that one!
It didn't take long to read, and I must say I enjoyed it. The only disappointment was a supernatural element. (I suppose "Prescience" should have tipped me off, but I was primed for noir and Nick and Nora are nothing if not implacable realists!) The idea of a superstitious Elizabeth Bennet is enough to strain my credulity, and I really don't think paranormal goings-on are at all suited to Austen's people and places. Other than that, though, there were no outrages against Austen in the way the characters were drawn, no few noticeable anachronisms and, thank Heaven, no sex scenes! And Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship was actually charming. In summary, I'd agree with the guy on the back of the book who said (with surprising honesty for "advance praise") "It's easy to imagine Miss Austen herself contentedly picking this story up to relax after a demanding day of astute observation and well-crafted prose." In other words, it's not Austen, but it's harmless fun.
Fun enough for me to look for the next one. I'll have to order the sequel, Suspense and Sensibility, through interlibrary loan, though our library did have the third book - North by Northanger. I'm STILL chuckling at that one!