Mr. Darcy's Diary

Author: Amanda Grange
Published: March 27, 2007 (Sourcebooks)
Category: Historical Romance
Rating: 8/10

First, I have to point out that I did not read this book as a die-hard Pride and Prejudice fan. I love the story, but I have not reread the book since my sophomore year in high school. Every time I mean to pick it up, I get about as far as Elizabeth going to Netherfield to nurse Jane back to health. So, as someone who's not a big stickler, I can say that I really enjoyed reading this alternative version of P&P. The format in which it's written is extremely fast to read, and I'd say this is a way for students to cheat their way around reading the real version of P&P, but they wouldn't be able to tell what's from the actual book and what's from Grange's version alone.

I've said before that I love epilogues, and Mr. Darcy's Diary provides a very satisfying account of events following the established end of P&P, even providing Lady Catherine's letter in reaction to her nephew's marriage. The language was abusive indeed! However, the letter doesn't ruin their happiness and we hear about how Elizabeth and Georgiana become great friends, and how the young Darcy girl blossoms in the company of her new sister.

One of the biggest problems I had with Linda Berdoll's interpretation of events post-P&P was the marriage of Georgiana Darcy to Colonel Fitzwilliam. In Mr. Darcy's Diary, instead of deciding Georgiana's choice of husband, we get to know Anne de Bourgh better and understand the root of her illness, which is quite believable, based on what we know of her overbearing mother. And we get to see Anne find a husband in her cousin (ugh), the colonel, and begin to stand up to her mother, which satisfied me to no end.

I do wish there was more about Caroline Bingley. Darcy does realize that she is not the genteel woman he thought she was, but I have to say that I thought there could've been more on that. Darcy just says that she sucks it up and pretends to be polite so she'll be welcome in Pemberley. I found that after reading Mr. Darcy's Diary, I disliked Caroline much more than before.
The diary entries gave me a peek into Grange's version of Darcy, and I don't think her idea is an unbelievable one. She doesn't present Darcy as a hugely emotional and passionate man pouring out his heart to his diary (I would've found that more unbelievable). Instead, I saw a man who was used to controlling every aspect of his life and struggling with his confusing feelings for Elizabeth Bennet... against his better judgment.

I really didn't want this book to end, as Grange's description of events following P&P were excellent. I melted a little when Darcy brings Elizabeth to her new home, and tells her that she is free to redecorate Pemberley as she wishes, but she says she will change nothing because the rooms remind her of her first visit to the estate. Awwww.