The Diary of Henry Fitzwilliam Darcy

Rating:
Summary: Not Fitzwilliam Darcy
Review: HENRY Fitzwilliam Darcy. I don't understand the name change, for one. My real major complaint is that Darcy's tone from childhood into manhood scarcley changed at all. He sounds immature even when he writes about falling in love, his struggles, his rejected proposal and his path to acceptance. The disparity between Darcy's letter to Elizabeth and his diary entries is so distant. It's understandable that he was more formal in his letter, but again, the tone is not Darcy's.

If you don't take it too seriously, you may find it funny and ridiculous. If this diary reveals the 'essentials' of Mr. Darcy, then Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy may not check herself. Like her father before her, she will find her spouse amusing and will laugh at him!

Rating:
Summary: This Can't Be MY Mr. Darcy!!
Review: I certainly give Marjorie Fasman 5 stars for trying, but her fantasized "Diary Of Henry Fitzwilliam Darcy" is a stilted attempt at portraying the heart of the hero. I am most definitely not a Jane Austen purist, or any other kind, although Ms. Austen is one of my favorite authors. By all means, Be Creative...and if it works, Bravo! As someone who loves "The Pride and the Prejudice" and the novel's rich characters, I say bring on sequel after sequel, if they will enable me to read more about Mr. Darcy, his Elizabeth, et. al. But I have to be able to believe that these characters live & breathe in the sequels, as they do in Ms. Austen's book. This novel cum diary doesn't quite make the grade. Ms. Fasman's Darcy has not a breath of life in him. Perhaps the diary format, with its relatively brief entries, simplifies too much Mr. Darcy's all too complex character. I need more meat on the bones and a heart that beats - Ms. Fasman gives me fluff. Am I too demanding? I don't expect another "Pride and Prejudice." But if I am going to read a book about H.F. Darcy, I want to find his character in the book and not just a caricature.

Yes, there are superficial attempts to demonstrate that Darcy had a life before meeting The Bennet Family. We learn that he was raised by a cold, undemonstrative mother, a father who was rarely home, and a series of nannies, tutors, etc. We get a few entries on school experiences at Harrow and Cambridge. But the characters are cardboard, the relationships hollow, and the life experience of this man, which is what he supposedly is when he meets Elzabeth Bennet, is very limited. I have read much about the time period in which Ms. Austen wrote, and men of Mr. Darcy's station, character & potential are usually much more worldly. Certainly Ms. Austen's Darcy would have taken the Grand Tour, or if the war were in the way, he still would have traveled some. Even though he would be exempt from military service as the oldest son & heir, I cannot imagine a young man like Mr. Darcy not writing about the war, & perhaps his feelings about not participating in the military adventure of his time. Certainly a man of Mr. Darcy's position in society, with looks, ability and money, would have had more than one very brief sexual experience, at least some minor experience carousing or rebelling, (he Is human & did experience an adolescence). Where is his first love interest or infatuation? Is Darcy interested in politics, societal reform...something besides Pemberly? Ms. Fasman neither fleshes out her character nor gives him much depth. He comes to his meeting with Ms. Bennet, almost her equal in life experience, in many ways, almost as innocent, but much more prideful. I somehow do not see this Mr. Darcy as being the one that is the match for our Ms. Bennet. I expect the REAL Mr. Darcy is a more worldly though restrained & perhaps a repressed man. He is quite intelligent, & has many more interests and pursuits than managing his estate, reading, swordplay, horses and dogs - Ms. Fasman just doesn't tell us what these are. This is an active man with an active mind. Ms. Austen's Darcy is a man who has a bit more of a handle on the world he lives in, a more experienced & knowledgeable man than Ms. Fasman's Mr. Darcy.

I also want to comment on the stilted language that so negatively impacts the believability of the storyline. An example: "I stole a glance at the maiden expecting to find her undone and sobbing..." Nobody spoke like this in Mr. Darcy's time...or from Ms. Austen's pen. Perhaps people spoke like this in the middle ages, but not in 19th century England. Ms. Bennet may be a maiden, although she would probably be called a young woman. However she is too strong a figure, too intelligent & active, in anyone's book, to be a mate for the Henry Fitzwilliam Darcy portrayed in this diary.

Rating:
Summary: WOW? OR BAH HUMBUG?
Review: I would have to agree with the reviewer who stated that this was more of a continutation of the BBC miniseries than of the book itself. I would find it hard indeed that Mr. Darcy would write like an infatuated awkward teenager. I was quite disappointed with this book, especially after reading great reviews and hearing from co-workers about how good this was. While I found it better than Bar Sinister, I still found it lacking a great deal. To me the reason why Darcy is a romantic icon is because he's mysterious, confident, moral and intelligent. This book would have you believing that he had no self-confidence, lacking a keen intellect, and that he was unable to deal with his self realization of being in love. It's too bad Freud wasn't around just yet, because this Darcy could have spent much of his life on Freud's couch.

Rating:
Summary: A fabulous companion to Pride and Prejudice
Review: Marjorie Fasman's 'Diary of...Darcy' masterfully completes a portrait of Darcy's character that allows us to understand his background, his inner dialogues, his motivations, and his actions. It stays true to Austen's original work, and builds on it both believably and realistically.

The Diary begins when Darcy is only ten years old, before Georgianna has even been born, and traces events even further than Austen herself did--into the married lives of Elizabeth and Darcy.

The Diary does a great job of revealing the story from Darcy's perspective--adding a richness and depth to my love of the P&P tale.

I so loved this book that I read it straight through in one sitting--just couldn't put it down! That's probably my highest recommendation!

Rating:
Summary: Amusing Read
Review: So I admit I wanted to read a more detailed account of Darcy's and Elizabeth's life together after the marriage, but lordy can't the author be faithful to their true characters and attitudes? Darcy was a kind, silent man who felt uncomfortable in crowds and at home with friends. Elizabeth was a lively, unassuming woman who enjoyed conversation and observing human follies. Neither were upstart crazies with a passion for breaking rules and causing scenes. They loved each other deeply and did not have unhealthy obsessions for each other that led to neglect in other areas of their lives. The real Darcy would never have compared Lizzy to Calypso. Lizzy never would have wanted to learn fencing or ride a horse like a man. P&P flat out explains that she wasn't a horsewoman and had no interest in learning the sport. I can't imagine Darcy would go nuts with rage and demand to hold a newborn that Lizzy had delivered. He would never have taken an argument (assuming they'd ever even have one so silly) into a stranger's house. Anyway, my point is that if I'm going to read a sequel written a hundred years after the first, please try to keep the dry English wit of Austen intact.

Rating:
Summary: questionable
Review: The first time I read this book I liked it. I attribute that to not having read any other sequels of the marvelous Pride and Predjudice. This book chronicles Darcy's life from when he was a boy through a few years into his marriage with Elizabeth. Through the whole book, Darcy's voice does not change. He sounds the same from the time he was 10 on. He's just like a big child. It does not remind me of the real Darcy in the slightest. Fasman incorporates some instances that happened in A&E's P&P and in The Bar Sinister, Pride and Predjudice continues (a much better continuation). There are a few discrepencies in the book that deviate a little too much for comfort. If you want to read it, I don't think it'll damage you completely, but there are much better sequels out there (i.e. THe Bar Sinister by Linda Berdoll, Letters from Pemberley).

Rating:
Summary: Accessible Aristocrat
Review: This is a lovely, modern-tinged sequel to Pride and Prejudice, with a commendable attempt at insight into Darcy's psyche. While not Miss Austen, Fasman has a warm, easily readable style, and a good grasp of character development. Her tone, as Darcy grows from small boy to adult male is never forced or cloying, and she has a knack for eliciting sympathy for her characters. This is definitely Darcy's book, but Fasman gives us some lovely additions to our pictures of Elizabeth, Mary Bennett, and Georgiana, as well as rounding Lady Catherine out as well, without detracting from the models drawn by Austen. I really liked this book, and will probably re-read it at a later date. I have read almost all of the Austen clones, and found this one to be a quick, charming read, with integrity and style. Ms. Fasman has made the aloof Darcy a much more accessible aristocrat.

Rating:
Summary: An Interesting Sequel
Review: This is perhaps the best sequel to "Pride and Prejudice" that I've read. Marjorie Fasman takes us to Darcy's childhood and tries to give motivation and history to his coolness and reserve. While her history does not quite meet up w/ what was originally put forward by Jane Austen, it's certainly make Darcy that much more human. The book moves along fairly quickly through childhood and adolescence, where we meet up with the boy Wickham and see the beginnings of that particular feud. But the real magic of this book lies where Ms. Fasman gives us Darcy's thoughts and imaginings during the time he meets Elizabeth and their consequent meetings.

For example, regarding the conversation between Darcy and Elizabeth at Rosings Park, when he comes upon her alone in the house: "...she was asking...questions...my thoughts were...with her bedroom, and her bed; with the imprint of her lovely head on the pillow... She was in one place...I was in the upstairs with her in my arms."

In P&P, Darcy is so silent and reticent, we barely know how he feels, until Austen tells us so directly. Ms. Fasman lets you see the arc of feeling from contempt to appreciation to regard and finally to love. And she goes a step further. She allows us a peek into the first year of marriage for the Darcys. The ending is very sweet.

If you're like me, you'll want this peek into Darcy's inner thoughts, and the chance to read about their happiness together.