Romeo and Juliet, Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara , Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester, Cathy and Heathcliff, and Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy - some of the most romantic couples in literary history. The story of Pride and Prejudice has long been a classic as are many of Jane Austen's books. Therefore, it is no surprise to see the many spin-offs now being written - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The Jane Austen Book Club, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, Mr. Darcy's Diary, and What Would Jane Austen Do. The world can't get enough of Jane Austen!
What makes this particular version of the story so appealing? Hearing Mr. Darcy's point of view certainly changes the focus of the story. We learn more about his relationship with Mr. Bingley and his beloved sister Georgiana. In fact, Georgiana and Elizabeth become great friends, as close as any sisters could be. Elizabeth helps Georgiana come to terms with her ill-conceived affair with Mr. Wickham and discover real love with someone else. As a true romantic, I also enjoyed the details added to the courtship and marriage of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Too many stories end when the main characters get married. Here, at least one hundred pages are devoted to the time after their marriage as they discover each other as husband and wife and begin their life at Darcy's estate of Pemberley.
After finishing the book, I was inspired to reread Pride and Prejudice and compare the two versions, seeing how Darcy's view of events fits into the original version. I also watched both movie versions once more - the one with Colin Firth and the new version with Keira Knightly. As in the book, both movies end once the couple is married, leaving the viewer to imagine their happy life in the future. This book fills that void, providing a more complete and satisfying conclusion to this classic romance.
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