Darcy and Elizabeth: The Faces of Love

Darcy and Elizabeth is a tribute in the form of a novel to Jane Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice that extends the relationship of the book’s two principle characters beyond the pages of the original into matrimony and childbirth. The arc of their courtship, marriage, and the starting of a family serves as the foundation for a turbulent series of events.

As it always is within Austen’s world, there is the familiar carousel of suitors, betrothals, triumphs, and societal disgrace. Many of the familiar characters are on hand, including Mr. and Mrs. Bennet; their daughters Jane and Elizabeth; Colonel Fitzwilliam; and Bingley, who has his eyes on Jane. Also here is the bitter Lady Catherine, as the novel also considers the more ominous social realities of the fondly remembered age.

The handsome but conniving Mr. Wickham seeks to even an old score with his former friend Darcy. False accusations challenge Elizabeth’s love for her new husband, and the novel careens to a violent climax that is the result of society gossip and damaged reputations.

This attention to the consequences of the contemporary mores of the day in the lives of these characters represents a fresh take on this time-honored tale.