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Hot off the presses this week is the US edition of The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater. In this retelling of Pride and Prejudice through Darcy's eyes, we are privy to his innermost thoughts, feelings and experiences as a Regency gentleman. Here is the publisher's description:
Have you ever wondered what Mr. Darcy was really thinking? Find out his secrets in this captivating novel of love, pride, passion, and, of course, prejudice. Mr. Darcy's intimate diary reveals his entanglements with women, his dangerous friendship with Lord Byron, his daily life in Georgian London, his mercurial mood swings calmed only by fisticuffs at Jackson's-and, most importantly, his vain struggle to conquer his longing for Elizabeth Bennet.If I had a conscious aim, it was to be absolutely true to how a man of Mr. Darcy’s age, class and education would have lived in Georgian or Regency times. And his diary was to be an honest, unexpurgated account of his most intimate moments – he had promised as much to his mother before she died. So as my research progressed – and I did do a lot of research for my novel – I found that in his private diary he was revealing a secret life. Being a young man about town, his interests, his pursuits and the company he keeps are not what the young ladies of Longbourn would expect. Furthermore, being a man and writing for himself alone, he is not bound by the proprieties that had to be observed by Jane Austen as a lady novelist. He goes his own way – and as none of his acquaintance sees his diary, nobody will be shocked.
Which of the single man of good or fair fortune in Pride and Prejudice would you like to spend the rest of your days and nights with?
Maggie, who will receive a new Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict paperback. Maggie, please send Laurie Viera Rigler your mailing address at laurie at janeaustenaddict dot com. Maggie's suggestion of writing a letter was so appropriate, but so were all the other comments. Thank you everyone for participating in Laurie's fun contest. Read comments here.
#3-7 Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet
#8-9 Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet
Pride and Prejudice made its debut in January, 1813, sixteen years after Jane finished the first draft titled First Impressions. As was the practice with female authors of her time, the novel did not bear her name, and she was identified only as "The Author of Sense and Sensibility."
One can easily imagine the early editions of this novel being sold by Messrs. Lackington Allen & Co, booksellers at the Temple of Muses, Finsbury Square. Theirs was one of the first cash booksellers in London. The book has been in print ever since it was first published. Today we know it in many forms, as a novel, a Great Illustrated Classics, movie interpretations, books on tape, podcasts, screensavers, paper dolls, tours, memorabilia, and as downloadable PDF files on the Internet.
If you are patient, you can watch the creation of a comic book version of the novel on flickr. Liz Wong, the artist, began the comic a year ago. She has reached the scene at Netherfield when Caroline Bingley first notices Mr. Darcy's attraction for Elizabeth. It will take her a while to draw the entire book, but something tells me the wait will be worthwhile. The first page is drawn awkwardly, but she gets better with each page, getting the feel for the characters, and finding ways to condense the book but still retain the gist of the story.
Read more about Pride and Prejudice in the following selection: Inside Pride and Prejudice, John Halperin
Click on Librivox or Pride and Prejudice to enter the sites.
