Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

Oh my goodness! This book! :) I liked that it also had perspective from Mary Bennet, but from the pages of her diary. Having a closer look into the life of Mr. Darcy outside of his time in Longbourn was something that I’ve always wanted to be able to read so finding that in this book was a lovely treat! Pride and prejudice is one of favorite books, and I am always excited to find books that are based on or a continuation of the story.
It is always a comfort to me to read about Netherfield, or Rosings, and even the name Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
And I love getting to have a closer peak into the lives of some of my favorite characters in literature, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend! So so cute:)

This book isn't so much a "Pride and Prejudice" variation as a retelling with additional points of view. The novel remains mostly faithful to the original while offering some interesting subplots, especially from Darcy and Mary. Hill's perspective was also very fun.

The book is about 50% cannon, and 50% original material. It's an entertaining and satisfying read for "Pride and Prejudice" fans.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite books and I jumped at the chance to read a retelling from Darcy’s perspective. I liked how to true it stayed to the original story and it was really refreshing to read Darcy’s side of the story. I really appreciated the insight of Mary’s character, but I would have preferred to just read and focus on Darcy’s viewpoint. Overall, this was an enjoyable read!

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 for goodreads.

In case you hadn't noticed, this is a Pride and prejudice reteliing, by an author who has apparently already written short stories in the same vein.
Even if it's titled Darcy, there are several points of view, Darcy's journal, Mary's journal, we also have short dialogues between the servants which brings liveliness. It's best if you have read the original, of course, yet you can do without.

It was a really good surprise : the language is right for the era, the characters' psychology is respected, the retelling is faithful with different angles and an Italian twist (I won't spoil) to make a difference. We also see more of Mary's own feelings, a bit righteous at the beginning but she evolves nicely - she struggles with her feelings and her view on life which brings many humorous moments.

Very recommended !

Pride and Prejudice, the book that started my love of reading. I’ve read every variation I can get my hands on including vampires, zombies and dragons.

This one sticks much closer to the original.
It’s more of a retelling where we get….wait for it…Mr Darcy’s POV (from his diaries) which I loved. And seriously it can’t be overstated how wonderful this is.
We also get more of Mary. How she fancied herself married to Mr Collins. The saviour of her family.

It’s the classic Pride & Prejudice but more. And I loved it.

I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

Imagine, if you will, if Mr.Darcy had kept a diary recording the events of his life during the time he met and fell in love with Elizabeth Bennett. Such is the case in this witty, humorous retelling of Jane Austen’s beloved classic. In addition to Darcy’s diary, the author also includes excerpts from Miss Mary Bennett’s attempt at a literary book of wisdom. Who knew that Mary Bennett had a secret romance? Pour a cup of tea, grab a biscuit, and enjoy this fresh look at a story for the ages.

I absolutely love how McVeigh flushed out Austen's narrative, giving voice to scenes only minimally mentioned. The characters were absolutely spot on. My only wish is that she chose to go beyond the story for us to witness the Darcys married life. I need more. I think even Austen Purists would enjoy this book!
Thanks to #NetGalley and #Warleigh Hall Press for the ARC.

Enjoyable read for fans of Jane Austen!

This is a great comfort read. I enjoyed the perspective of Darcy writing in his diary for a look at his thoughts as the plot unfolds.
There wasn’t much new to the story but if you enjoy a JAFF read that stays true to the original story with a little glimpse behind the scenes for some of the characters -this is the books for you!

I would love to see a story for Mary come next after getting more of her perspective in the story.

I am a person who can never have enough Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice. Yet most retellings pale in comparison to the original. This was an excellent story from Darcy's point of view, and the wonderful writing swept me away into Regency England. It had an original plot too, which is rare with Pride and Prejudice retellings. A great read and one I highly recommend.

I received an ARC from Warleigh Hall Press and NetGalley. I'm voluntarily leaving a review with my own opinions.

Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction, Regency Romance, Pride and Prejudice Retelling
Spice Level: Very low (appropriate for all audiences

Because I love Austen's work, I'm always curious to see what authors do in retellings.

The author, Alice McVeigh, stays true to the original (mostly) with many direct quotes. I love the idea of seeing things through Darcy's perspective as well as some of the other characters like Mary.

Obviously, there are parts that McVeigh extrapolated to make the novel hang together, and I thought theses scenes added to character motivation and are appropriate for the time. There are so many things I love about this novel. The interactions between all the characters is always going to be on the top of my list. And second are the misconstrued intents.

There is only one thing that I thought could be improved: the letters and diary entries didn't have different voices or feel particularly epistolary. This confused me a bit, and sometimes, I had to double check whose perspective I was reading. But this is a minor point in a wonderful novel.

If you're a fan of P&P or want to read a variation that's easier to digest than the original, this is a great option.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Yes! I recommend this book.

Happy reading!

Pride and Prejudice is one of those tales that never goes out of style. It is universally revered and perpetually timely to any period of audience. As such, it is unsurprising that a retelling- one that interestingly mimics Austen's writing, offers insightful takes on the infamous characters and explores previously off-page events- is appealing.

There is a modernisation to the story's tone that feels in keeping with Austen's original. Mary's eye opens up a critical judgement of Darcy's and Bingley's actions, questioning their perceptions and comments solely on the sisters' beauty and general appearance, provoking them to reflect upon the whole individual, not merely one element. It succeeds in striking a difficult balance- one of meeting the expectations of a contemporary readership, whilst honouring the source material.

However, this tone presents a further query as to the intended audience. In parts, the book labours over details, especially some that would be well-understood by an avid P&P reader, yet, at others, it skips over key events or references. For example, when learning of Bingley's return (80%), Mrs Bennet alludes to her husband calling upon him; while this is understood to have happened- in keeping with the manners of the period- it is not explicitly stated earlier in the novel.

This is indicative of much of the book's format. One needs to know the original story well in order to follow the jumps and omissions of McVeigh's variation.

In kindness, these deletions are probably necessary, as their removal leaves the space available to witness the omitted scenes in the original. For example, while the chapter itself did not add anything miraculous to the story, it is fun to see the exchange between Lady Catherine and Darcy once she returns from visiting Elizabeth. It is also interesting to see various notable sections of dialogue or writing redistributed to other characters, such as lines from Caroline. Although, the book not beginning with the immortal 'It is a truth...' line (and changing the subject of the phrase) may be sacrilege.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that an exceptionally handsome and agreeable young man, loosed upon a small provincial town, is a rare and glorious thing. (22%)

It is striking that a book entitled 'Darcy' does not follow the character more prominently. There are indeed many chapters that utilise excerpts from his diary, but this is evenly balanced by the actions and discussions of the Bennets, Hursts and Gardiners. Although, the periodical exchanges between various members of the households' staff are a nice touch.

On the subject of Darcy's diary, this does seem to be an unusual method to choose for conveying his point of view. The journalistic style does allow him to express his feelings, thoughts and concerns, but the structure is stretched when he is quoting lengthy discussions verbatim. The diary is a pleasant inclusion, but the incorporation of another medium (e.g. third-person narrative, or the correspondence between him and other characters) would have been beneficial and leant more into the epistolary style.

Although, this does improve as the book progresses, suggesting that once the groundwork information is established, the format can be better utilised. This is especially true when a scene is paired with a diary entry, allowing him to analyse the events experienced, such as him deliberating over Elizabeth's expressions after the reader has already learnt her feelings.

Principally, however, it has to be stated that while the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy is (as it should be) charming, it pales in comparison to Mary's developing connections. Seeing what can be done with such a character highlights a missed opportunity in Austen's story. It is an approach that is being incorporated in contemporarily-written retellings that is thoroughly endearing.

Despite it occasionally relying too heavily upon large sections of Austen's prose, this is a nice retelling of a beloved tale.

This book is well researched and written in a comparative prose to the original novel, “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen. The romance of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy has been a beloved story since its original publication in 1813.

The twist on this novel is that it is from Mr. Darcy’s point of view. There are also viewpoints from supporting characters that I do not remember from the original novel. Mary Bennett is just as annoying as I remember her from the first novel, however, she does redeem herself, and become more likable.

I very much enjoyed seeing Mr. Darcy from an introspective angle. In my opinion, this also makes him more appealing than even the original novel. Again, this is a very well written adaptation of a beloved courtship,
I could literally find no fault in it. Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Alice McVeigh for this copy.

I love Jane Austen and can never get enough! Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book and movie! (The 6 hr movie) Most retellings pale in comparison to the original. This was an excellent story from Darcy's point of view. The writing is great! . It had an original plot too, which is rare with Pride and Prejudice retellings. A great read and one I highly recommend.

“Pride and Prejudice” has been a favourite of mine since I studied it for “O” Level very many years ago; how lucky that it was one of the options! I am generally wary of Jane Austen spin-offs, but the reviews of this one encouraged me to try it. I have not been disappointed. The prose style and vocabulary, the characters, and even the added plots are all completely “Austenesque”, and it was fascinating to read the author’s descriptions of Darcy’s, Mary’s, and the servants’ points of view. I loved the book!

My ebook came with a bonus preview of one of the the author’s previous Austen-themed novels, “Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel”. I’ll be reading the rest of that one before too long.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Warleigh Hall Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Now to the fun stuff, what an absolutely lovely book! If you are not familiar, this novel is (essentially) a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, but focusing on Darcy’s story. The writing style felt natural, and worked well as an extension of Austens classic novel.

Most of all, what I absolutely loved about this book, was the fact that it eased my curious thoughts - and Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s for that matter - as to what Darcy was thinking during certain moments throughout. Seeing how certain scenes were portrayed differently from other characters in Pride and Prejudice was what made this book so intriguing to me. And even better, it was done really well.

I would HIGHLY recommend this novel to any lover of pride and prejudice or Jane Austen alike. I will definitely be reading more from this author!

I loved revisiting Pride and Prejudice through the eyes of the different characters. I particularly enjoyed Mary’s judgemental inner workings and how she saw her sisters, including Elizabeth. Alice McVeigh did Miss Austen justice with her writing, and it was a pleasure to read it. Would recommend to any Austen fans out there, but you definitely need to read the original beforehand, to fully appreciate it.

The writing was really elegant, just like Austen, it made me smile. The format was refreshing, diaries may be much more intimate, I really enjoyed this. The POVs alternated and this was a bit confusing. You cannot put the book down and take back frequently or you may miss the connection. Otherwise the book was a eonderful surprise for me