Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, b Laurie Viera Rigler – A Review

Is there always another chance at happiness? Are we bound to our past, or do “we all have the power to create heaven on earth, right here, right now?” Important questions heroine Jane Mansfield must come to acknowledge and understand in Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, Laurie Viera Rigler’s parallel story to her best selling novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. 

This time around, it is Jane Mansfield a gentleman’s daughter from 1813 who is transported into the body of twenty-first century Los Angelean Courtney Stone. Jane awakens with a headache, but it will take more than aromatic vinegar to solve her problems. Where is she? Her surroundings are wholly unfamiliar to the usual comforts of her parent’s palatial Manor house in Somerset. Is she dreaming? She remembers a tumble off her horse Belle, but nothing after that point. She looks in the mirror and the face reflected back is not her own. How can this be? A young man named Wes arrives who calls her Courtney. Is he a servant? Who is Courtney? Ladies arrive for a visit concerned by her odd behavior. Why is she acting like a character in a Jane Austen novel? 

Jane is indeed a stranger in a strange land. As her friends, or Courtney’s friends Paula, Anna and Wes, help her navigate through the technology of cell phones, CD players, washing machines and other trappings of our modern life it becomes less taxing. She relishes her privacy and independence to do as she chooses, indulging in reading the four new (to her) novels by Jane Austen that she discovers on Courtney’s bookshelf – one passion/addiction that she shares in common with her over the centuries. Between Jane Austen’s keen insights and the fortune teller called “the lady”, she might be able to make sense of this nonsensical world she has been thrown into. Is this the same fortune teller she met in Bath in her own life? She had warned her not to ride her horse. Or did she? Are her memories and Courtney’s one in the same? The lady tells her she has work to do to put Courtney’s life in order. Jane only wants to return to her former life and Charles Edgeworth, the estranged beau she left behind. 

Seeing our modern world from Jane’s nineteenth century eyes was quite revealing. I do not think that I will ever look at a television screen again without remembering her first reaction to the glass box with tiny people inside talking and dancing like characters from Pride and Prejudice! These quirky insights are what Rigler excels at, and her Regency era research and knowledge of Jane Austen plays out beautifully. We truly understand Jane’s reactions and sympathize with her frustrations. Not only is Rude Awakenings a comedy of lifestyle comparisons across the centuries, it supplies a very interesting look at modern courtship and romance with a bit of genteel feminisms thrown in for good measure. Interestingly, what principals and standards that Jane learned in the nineteenth century, will straighten out Courtney’s mixed up twenty-first century life at home, work and in her budding romance with Wes. 

Rude Awakenings is a cheeky comedy with a message. Like Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion, it helps us to look at mistakes in our past, and reminds us that “time is fleeting, and few of us are fortunate enough to notice that there is always another chance at happiness.” I enjoyed the humor, fondly remembering why I became a Jane Austen Addict in the first place. 

5 out of 5 Regency Stars 

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler
Dutton (Penguin Group USA) 2009
Hardcover (293) pages
ISBN: 978-0525950769

Additional Reviews

• Stephanie’s Written Word
• The Jane Austen Review
• Genre Go Round Reviews
• AustenBlog

Everything Austen Challenge X Two

We are so happy to see that the Everything Austen Challenge at Stephanie’s Written Word blog has had such an outstanding response. As of today, there are over 115 participants ready and willing to read and or watch six Austen or Austen inspired books, or view movie adaptations and spinoffs over the next six months. Sign-ups continue through July 15th, so don’t delay. There is an abundance of all around Austen geekiness and prizes too! Here is our list of six choices to meet the challenge: 

Movies: 

Pride and Prejudice (1995)

Sense and Sensibility (1971) 

Books: 

Love, Lies and Lizzie, by Rosie Rushton

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, by Amanda Grange

The Other Mr. Darcy, by Monica Fairview

Darcy and Anne, by Judith Brocklehurst 

As we mentioned in our post on Jane Austen Today, we are very happy to participate – but fear that we shall meet six more quickly than we would like to reveal. So in the genteel spirit of Austen one-upmanship, we raise your ante of six Austen inspired books or movies to twelve by January 2010. That’s two Austen inspired books or movies a month. SO easy, you won’t even have to try, right? Here is our second set of movies and books: 

Movies: 

Clueless (1995)

Persuasion (1996) 

Books:

Prada and Prejudice, by Mandy Hubbard

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler

Darcy’s Hunger, by Regina Jeffers

Willoughby’s Return, by Jane Odiwe 

To participate, sign up for the Everything Austen Challenge and follow Stephanie’s protocol for reading/viewing and posting your choices. If you meet the Everything Austen Challenge X Two by reading and or viewing 12 Austen inspired books or movies by January 2010, you will be eligible not only for the drawing of copy of a Lost in Austen DVD, but also for a copy of a book or movie of your choice from my reading/viewing list that I am throwing in the pot. 

Hope everyone enjoys their choices. I am looking forward to mine.

Cheers, Laurel Ann

Austen Book Sleuth: New Books in the Queue for July

The Jane Austen book sleuth is happy to inform Janeites that many Austen inspired books are heading our way in July, so keep your eyes open for these new titles.  

Fiction (prequels, sequels, retellings, variations, or Regency inspired) 

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer 

July is The Grand Sophy month at Jane Austen Today in celebration of this very special Georgette Heyer Regency era novel. Its publisher Sourcebooks has made a serious commitment to reissue many of her beloved novels and we could not be happier. Like Jane Austen, Heyer’s style is often emulated but rarely matched. There is no subsitute for the original. The Grand Sophy is one of her most popular stories. Heroine Sophy Stanton-Lacey has the self assurance of Austen’s character Emma Woodhouse and the spirit of Eliza Bennet; – a dynamic combo; leading to hilarity and trouble. (Publisher’s description) Sophy sets everything right for her desperate family in one of Georgette Heyer’s most popular Regency romances. When Lady Ombersley agrees to take in her young niece, no one expects Sophy, who sweeps in and immediately takes the ton by storm. Sophy discovers that her aunt’s family is in desperate need of her talent for setting everything right: Ceclia is in love with a poet, Charles has tyrannical tendencies that are being aggravated by his grim fiancee, her uncle is of no use at all, and the younger children are in desperate need of some fun and freedom. By the time she’s done, Sophy has commandeered Charles’s horses, his household, and finally, his heart. Sourcebooks, ISBN: 978-1402218941 

Colonel Brandon’s Diary, by Amanda Grange 

In her fifth novel in the Austen Hero’s Series, Amanda Grange has actually succeeded in improving upon Austen’s character Colonel Brandon; – at least for me! He is not one of my favorite characters in Sense and Sensibility, though he certainly has his fangirls. I appreciated learning more about his back story – his days in India and his failed romance with his first love Eliza Williams. As always, Grange is one of the most gifted writers in the Austen subgenre, giving us a touching inside story that is hard to put down. (Publisher’s description) At the age of eighteen, James Brandon’s world is shattered when the girl he loves, Eliza, is forced to marry his brother. In despair, he joins the army and leaves England for the East Indies for the next several years. Upon his return, he finds Eliza in a debtor’s prison. He rescues her from her terrible situation, but she is dying of consumption and he can do nothing but watch and wait. Heartbroken at her death, he takes some consolation in her illegitimate daughter, who he raises as his ward. But at the age of fifteen, his ward goes missing. Devastated by the thought of what could have happened to her, he is surprised to find himself falling in love with Marianne Dashwood. But Marianne is falling in love with the charismatic Willoughby. Berkley Trade, ISBN: ISBN: 978-0425227794 

Ransome’s Honor (The Ransome Trilogy ),  by Kaye Dacus 

I love supporting emerging authors, and am happy to feature this new release with Austen undertones. Just think of the themes of lost opportunity and renewed romance from Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion, and throw in a dashing Naval hero like Horatio Hornblower, and you’ll understand Dacus’ inspiration for her first book in the trilogy. I am such a sucker for a man in a blue uniform. (Publisher’s description) The war with France has ended, and Captain William Ransome, known for never letting women aboard his ship, has returned to Portsmouth, England. Julia Witherington, considered an old-maid at 29, discovers that she must marry immediately to receive a large dowry. Julia knows that the only man she doesn’t want to marry is William Ransome. And the only man her father will approve of is…William Ransome. When the couple strikes a financial deal to feign marriage for one year, the adventure begins. These stubborn people face humorous and hard situations that reveal what else they have in common—a growing affection for one another. This intriguing tale of faith and loyalty is a wonderful new offering for readers of all genres. Harvest House Publishers, ISBN: 978-0736927536 

Nonfiction 

Jane Austen and Marriage, by Hazel Jones 

A well connected Marriage. What every Regency Miss dreamed of, and every parent schemed for. An advantageous alliance could elevate social position, increase wealth and expand property; all critical elements in Regency society. Jane Austen was keenly aware of the importance of marriage through family, friends and her own life. Her novels are driven by it. Author Hazel Jones presents this important topic with aplomb and energy. (Publisher’s description) With original research, this book offers a new insight into Jane Austen’s life and writing. The question of marriage lies at the centre of Jane Austen’s novels. The issues bound up in the pursuit of love, happiness, money and status were those of her day and informed the plots and morals of her work. In this fascinating book, Hazel Jones explores the ways in which these themes manifest themselves in Jane Austen’s life and fiction, against the backdrop of contemporary conduct manuals, letters, diaries, journals and newspapers. Drawing on original research, this entertaining and detailed study provides a charming and profound insight into the world of Jane Austen. Continuum International Publishing Group, ISBN: 978-1847252180 

Jane Austen’s Sewing Box: Craft Projects and Stories from Jane Austen’s Novels, by Jennifer Forest 

All well-bred Regency ladies aspired to be highly accomplished. What is that you ask? Well, they painted tables, covered screens, and netted purses as Austen’s character Charles Bingley matter-of-factly describes in Pride and Prejudice (among other talents), all to allure and secure husband. Women of this era were great at handiwork – sewing, drawing and trimming bonnets. Author Jennifer Forest has researched Regency crafts compiling this lovely volume of projects to turn you into the accomplished woman that even Mr. Darcy might admire. (Publisher’s description) Jane Austen’s Sewing Box opens a window into the lives of Regency women during a beautiful period in arts, crafts and design. Jennifer Forest examines Jane Austen’s novels and letters to reveal a world where women are gripped by crazes for painting on glass and netting purses, economise by trimming an old bonnet, or eagerly turn to their sewing to avoid an uncomfortable conversation. Based on Jane Austen’s novels and with illustrated step-by-step instructions for eighteen craft projects, this beautifully presented book will delight Jane Austen fans, lovers of history and literature and craft enthusiasts alike. Murdoch Books, ISBN: 978-1741963748 

Austen’s Contemporaries & Regency era 

Camilla (Oxford World’s Classics), by, Fanny Burney 

“I was thinking of that other stupid book, written by that woman they make such a fuss about, she who married the French emigrant.” “I suppose you mean Camilla?” “Yes, that’s the book; such unnatural stuff! An old man playing at see–saw, I took up the first volume once and looked it over, but I soon found it would not do; indeed I guessed what sort of stuff it must be before I saw it: as soon as I heard she had married an emigrant, I was sure I should never be able to get through it.” John Thorpe and Catherine Morland, Northanger Abbey 

Only one of Jane Austen’s horridly uncouth characters like John Thorpe would have the audacity to call Camilla a stupid book. Austen uses one of the most famous novels of her time as an example to defend novel writing. ‘”It is only Cecilia, or Camilla, or Belinda”; or, in short, only some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the world in the best–chosen language.’ No doubt that she valued its merits highly. (Publisher’s description) First published in 1796, Camilla deals with the matrimonial concerns of a group of young people – Camilla Tyrold and her sisters, the daughters of a country parson, and their cousin Indiana Lynmere – and, in particular, with the love affair between Camilla herself and her eligible suitor, Edgar Mandlebert. The path of true love, however, is strewn with intrigue, contretemps and misunderstanding. An enormously popular eighteenth-century novel, Camilla is touched at many points by the advancing spirit of romanticism. As in Evelina, Fanny Burney weaves into her novel strands of light and dark, comic episodes and gothic shudders, and creates a pattern of social and moral dilemmas which emphasize and illuminate the gap between generations. Oxford University Press, USA, ISBN: 978-0199555741 

Vanity Fair: A Novel without a Hero (Oxford World’s Classics), by W. M. Thackeray (Author), John Sutherland (Editor) 

Weighing in at a hefty one and a half pounds and numbering 1008 pages, this literary classic is a shining jewel, and well worth the patience to read its winding plot and numerous pages. From the title, you know right off the bat that Thackeray has a wry sense of humor. Of course the novel has heroes! the main one Rawdon Crawley is a charming wastrel, and the second, William Dobbin, is a bit of a namby pamby, taking his time to show his colors. Adapted unsuccessfully into numerous movies since the 1930’s, I am still waiting for the ultimate Rawdon and Becky on screen, though Miriam Hopkins’ interpretation of Becky Sharp is quite slipery and snarky in the 1935 film of the same name. (Publisher’s description) Set during the Napoleonic wars, Vanity Fair (1847-8) famously satirizes worldly society. The novel revolves around the exploits of the impoverished but beautiful and devious Becky Sharp, and Amelia Sedley, pampered child of a rich City merchant. Despite the differences in their fortunes and characters, they find their lives entangled from childhood. As Becky’s maneuvering ingratiates her with high society, the financial ruin of Amelia’s father forces Amelia into poverty. Destiny, of course, has further adventures in store for both women, whose lives Thackeray (1811-63) uses as theatres for the whims and foibles of their contemporaries. — This edition of one of the greatest social satires of the English language reproduces the text of the Oxford Thackeray and includes all of Thackeray’s own illustrations. Oxford University Press, USA; Reissue edition, ISBN: 978-0199537624 

Austen Ephemera 

British Library Jane Austen Desk Diary 2010, edited by by Freydis Welland, James Edward Austen-Leigh (Illustrator), Jane Austen (Contributor) 

Keep your journaling going in style with this beautiful desk diary from the British Library filled with images of silhouettes created by Jane Austen’s nephew, James Edward Austen-Leigh and compiled by his descendant Freydis Welland. These images were also included in the recently published book, Life in the Country with Quotations by Jane Austen, which I reviewed last December. Lovely book, so no doubt this diary will not disappoint. (Publisher’s description) Jane Austen wrote of her nephew James Edward Austen-Leigh: “We were happy to see Edward, it was an unexpected pleasure, and he makes himself as agreeable as ever, sitting in such a quiet comfortable way making his delightful sketches.” Edward brought the fine art of silhouettes to perfection, creating evocative images of landscapes and the creatures that lived in them. This appealing diary lets readers organize their thoughts and express their own artistry with the inspiration of Austen and her artist nephew. Frances Lincoln; Desk edition, ISBN: 978-0711230071 

British Library Jane Austen Pocket Diary 2010, Edited by Freydis Welland, James Edward Austen-Leigh (Illustrator), Jane Austen (Contributor) 

Another variation of the before mentioned desk diary, this version is of a compact pocket diary. For every writer in the making, you can pop this in your purse, briefcase or backpack and scribble your thoughts and inspirations as they hit you on the go. (Publisher’s description) Like the desk diary, this pocket diary is based on the popular book Life in the Country, a celebration of Regency England published by the British Library in 2008. This book has the added advantage of being portable, allowing would-be writers and artists to take it anywhere to record their thoughts, compile a to-do list, sketch their surroundings, or any of a number of other activities — all in the stimulating presence of the brilliant English writer and her talented nephew. Frances Lincoln, ISBN: 978-0711230088 

Jane Austen Puzzle: 500-Piece Puzzle, by Potter Style 

The good people at Potter Style, who have brought us other great Jane Austen inspired ephemera such as note cards, address books and journals, now enter into the Jane Austen entertainment/games arena with this 500 piece jigsaw puzzle in a boxed shaped like a book, ready to sit right next to your collection of Jane Austen novels and reference books in your library. The main image is from Hugh Thomson’s 1894 illustration of Pride and Prejudice and depicts a scene of Mr. Darcy’s first failed marriage proposal. Good choice designers! Also included are quotes from Austen’s novels, images of a Regency era estates and a cameo of the Bardess of Basingstoke herself, Jane Austen. This looks like great fun, but what next? Jane Austen Game Boy?  Potter Style; Puzzle edition, ISBN: 978-0307453839 

Until next month, happy reading! 

Laurel Ann

Masterpiece Mystery: Mrs. McGinty’s Dead

Who would want to bludgeon to death a humble country charwoman? Suspicions lead Superintendent Spence (Richard Hope) to conclude that her dodgy tenant James Bentley (Joe Absolom) who has fallen on hard times was motivated by theft to commit the crime. After Bentley is convicted and sentenced to die by the gallows, things still do not seem quite right, and he calls upon Hercule Poirot (David Suchet), the greatest detective in the world to confirm his doubts and help him discover the real murderer, as Masterpiece Mystery continues with Agatha Christie’s, Mrs. McGinty’s Dead on PBS. 

Poirot travels to Broadhinny, a country village to investigate the scene of the crime meeting his friend Ariadne Oliver (Zoe Wanamaker) the novelist visiting a local playwright Robin Upward (Paul Rhys) who is adapting her novel into his next play. Poirot begins by interviewing all of Mrs. McGinty’s family and work connections. Even though she led a simple life, she worked for many wealthy residents in the village with secrets to hide. What did she discover that was so important that would prompt her murder? When Poirot inspects the remains of her personal belongings, he discovers a recent Sunday paper with an article cut out on the whereabouts of two women involved in separate murders from thirty years ago. One picture is of a young child Lily Gamboll, and the other of a young woman Eva Kane. Which woman in the village could each of these women be? There are plenty of red herrings appearing before Poirot uses all of his little grey matter and discovers the identity of the real murderer. 

This second Poirot episode of the Masterpiece Mystery season had been adapted for the screen from Agatha Christie’s 1952 novel by Nick Dear who brought us the incredibly moving adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion in 1995. Riding on that cloud of glory, I expected the same sensitivity and nuances that he had delivered previously in this new production. The result was quite the opposite. I may be comparing apples to oranges with genres, but his choices in pacing and dialogue had me confused and replaying certain parts of the DVD screener over again. Because of the layered affect of Christie’s plots, if you miss one clue, the next does not make sense. Ah, mon ami, I may be being too critical of Mr. Dear, since producers and directors do not always shoot the script that was presented to them. 

As always, the production values were outstanding. The costumes, locations and cars, yes the vintage cars, were just stunning. The large cast was quite impressive and I particularly appreciated the performances of Siân Phillips as Mrs. Upward, Zoë Wanamaker as Mrs. Oliver and Amanda Root as Shelagh Rendell. Viewers might recognize these three British actresses from their roles as Madame de Volanges in Valmont (1989), Madame Hooch in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) and Anne Elliot in Persuasion (1995) respectively. 

Masterpiece Mystery continues next Sunday July 5th with A Pocket Full of Rye with Julia McKenzie, in her premier as Miss Marple, Christie’s famous elderly spinster amateur detective whose deductive skills are as sharp as her knitting needles.  

• Watch previous episodes of this seasons Hercule Poirot at the Masterpiece website
• Read the complete synopsis of Mrs. McGinty’s Dead
• Read my previous review of Cat Among Pigeons

 

Love, Lies and Lizzie, by Rosie Rushton – A Review

In her fourth book in the Jane Austen in the 21st-century series for young adult readers, (and some older adults who are forever young at heart), author Rosie Rushton tackles Jane Austen’s most famous novel, Pride and Prejudice, retelling the story with a contemporary twist. Her teenage Lizzie Bennet and sisters are still hunting for beaus, but with all of the advantages of modern technology: mobile phones, laptop computers and blackberries. The Bennet family always wanted to be well connected. Well, now they are. 

Rushton has been faithful to the original storyline, cleverly transferring the machinations of Regency courtship into the traumas of 21st-century teenage search for romance. There are plot changes, but half the fun is remembering the differences, and seeing her logic in updates. The most significant change is that the Bennet’s are wealthy – nouveau riche – since Mrs. Bennet inherited a bundle from a third cousin. This Mrs. Bennet is still as outrageously unrefined as ever, using her new money to social climb through Meryton’s better families. Mr. Bennet is still an unhappy bystander, but now resides in his music room listening to Wagner at full volume instead of the quaint and quiet 19th-century pastime of reading. The five Bennet sister’s personalities and foibles are all updated cleverly. Lizzie, like Austen’s, is as spirited and outspoken as we would wish her to be, Jane as kind and accepting as ever, Mary/Meredith a fervent ecologist afraid of global warming and food additives, and Kitty/Katie and Lydia are now twins; one wilder than Austen ever could have imagined, and the other unhappy because she is not. I’ll let you sort out who is who! The male love interests play out well too. Fitzwilliam/James Darcy is dishy and arrogant enough to drive a Ferrari and Charles/Charlie Bingley still a pushover. Mr. Collins/Drew Collins is as toady as ever, only times two since he can reach characters by cell phone, text messages and e-mail ad nauseam. There is no getting away from him! All comfortably familiar. Only Charlotte/Emily Lucas and George Wickham were a surprise. I’ll let you discovery why. 

Updating a classic of world literature is a daunting task that Rushton handled with composed energy. Her plot, characters and language was up to the minute, filled with modern technology and cultural references that teenagers (and adults) will identify with. I had to laugh when Darcy’s famous ‘be not alarmed, Madame’ letter explaining to Lizzie his reasons for separating Jane and Charlie and his treatment of George Wickham arrived via e-mail! How else?  There’s also lots of texting flying about speeding up the pace. Certain elements of the original story were omitted, not causing any offense to this devotee of Austen’s works. In reverence to Jane Austen, Rushton began each chapter with epigraph from the original text, foreshadowing the narrative. It was a nice touch connecting the two novels with quotes that any Austen fan will recognize.

Rushton is a British author and this edition has certain colloquialisms that were quite over this Colonial’s head. I do however, have a new appreciation for snogging, Pimms and wankers; — the other words I just guessed at. The novel is split into two parts, and for some reason the second half was not as fleshed out as the first, which made it rushed and thin. My biggest disappointment was that Lady Catherine/Katrina De Burgh was not nearly as officious or condescending as she could have been, and that her final showdown with Lizzie was on the phone and not vis-à-vis, diminishing the significance to the original infamous altercation in the prettyish kind of a little wilderness. No polluting of the Pemberley shades even alluded to. No Pemberley even mentioned in the entire book! 

This was a fast read and great fun. Kudos to Rushton for having the sense not to open the novel with her version of  ”It is a truth universally acknowledged.” The cover art is also a lovely complement to the novel. Well done. 

Four out of five Regency stars 

Love, Lies and Lizzie, by Rosie Rushton
Piccadilly Press, Ltd, London (2009)
Trade paperback (216) pages
ISBN: 978-1853409790 

Other books available in this series 

The Secrets of Love (Sense and Sensibility)
Summer of Secrets (Northanger Abbey)
Secret Schemes and Daring Dreams (Emma) 

• Visit author Rosie Rushton’s website

Darcy’s Hunger: A Vampire Retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, by Regina Jeffers – A Preview

Even more vampires in the queue for Janeites. After we reported last week about Mr. Darcy, Vampyre and The Imortal Jane, we are pleased to announce arriving this December from the author of Darcy’s Passions and Darcy’s Temptation is Darcy’s Hunger: A Vampire Retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. This vampire twist on the classic love story gives new meaning to Mr. Darcy’s noble mien. We always knew he was enigmatic and haughty. Now he has been given a new reason. He is a Dhampir under an ancient family curse. In addition, other characters such as George Wickham who we only thought of as a wastrel, a gamester and a rogue, is seen in a new and even more sinister light.

Author Regina Jeffers has kindly shared an exclusive preview with us today, and given a short summary of the background and synopsis of the story. 

In the early 1600s, Ellender D’arcy set her cap for Lord Arawn Penningham, and the young man easily fell in love with her; but Léana, a beautiful muse of a vampire, known to offer inspiration to young artists, chooses Lord Arawn for her own. However, Penningham triumphantly resists her temptation and, ultimately, makes Léana his slave. Outraged, Léana seeks the help of her Baobhan Síth sisters, and a curse is placed on the young couple. Arawn’s descendants will forever be looking enviously at the D’arcys, and they will never achieve the same kind of greatness. In addition, the Baobhan Síth will take Arawn’s life. 

Desperate to save the man she loves, Ellender strikes a deal with Léana, offering another of her suitors, Seoras Winchcombe, in Arawn’s stead. The curse of the vampires consequently runs through Seoras’s veins, and he hates the D’arcys for bringing demonic destruction on him. He vows his revenge, first taking Ellender and then a D’arcy of each generation. Seoras Winchcombe is the Scottish name for George Wickham, and the story of Arawn and Ellender is sung in the traditional Scottish ballad of “Fair Ellender and Lord Thomas.” 

Two hundred years later, Fitzwilliam Darcy is the latest member of Ellender’s family to carry the curse. A Dhampir, Darcy holds a plan to end the hex. He will resist his desire to exercise his vampiric hunger, and he will destroy George Wickham. Everything is going as he foresees until he meets Elizabeth Bennet, and he finds he must possess her as both a man in love and as a vampire needing to feast on what only she can give him. Even more ironic, Elizabeth traces her roots back to Lord Arawn (Lord Thomas). Could Fate bring everyone full circle to one final showdown? The lure of eternal life and the seduction of fame and glory rides high as they must solve the mystery of the curse and destroy the beast in all of them. 

Author’s Biography 

Regina Jeffers currently is a teacher in the North Carolina public schools. A self-confessed Jane Austen “freak,” she began her writing career two years ago with the encouragement of her Advanced Placement students. Darcy’s Hunger will be her sixth book in that short time. 

Darcy’s Hunger will be published by Ulysses Press and is available for pre-order in advance of its December 1st, 2009 release date.Trade paperback, ISBN: 978-1569757314 

Many thanks to author Regina Jeffers for sharing this preview of Darcy’s Hunger. Please join us next week when Ms. Jeffers talks about her inspiration for her new novel, describes Darcy the Dhampir and other re-imagined characters from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

• Visit Regina Jeffers website

Masterpiece Mystery: Cat Among Pigeons Sings Like a Canary

Agatha Christie mystery fans were dancing on tabletops across America tonight, when David Suchet returned as their favorite fastidious Belgian super sleuth Hercule Poirot, in Masterpiece Mystery’s opening episode of Six By Agatha - Hercule Poirot: Cat Among Pigeons on PBS. It was more than worth the wait for this long time Masterpiece Mystery fan. What an elegantly produced production it was; superb British casting, classy costumes, period locations, masterful direction and an excellent adaptation of Christie’s classic 1959 novel,  all culminating into giant culture rush for this Anglophile/mystery lover. Swoon! 

As the music started with the opening credits, I smiled in recognition of how much the Harry Potter movies have premeated into our culture. Here is a scene of children arriving for school term and the music is so similar to the whimsical children’s choral piece that opens the Harry Potter movies that I laughed out loud and thought the producer a cheeky monkey for slipping in that subliminal message! I wondered what other things they might borrow to make Hercule Poirot into Harry Potter! Anyway, our super sleuth has been invited to Meadowbank Girls School by his friend the headmistress Miss Bulstrode, played by Harriet Walter, who Austenites will remember portrayed Fanny Dashwood in the 1996 movie adaptation Sense and Sensibility. The progressive Miss Bulstrode has built up the school’s reputation, but now would like to retire. Doubtful that her co-founder Miss Chadwick (Susan Wooldrige) will be able to take over, she asks Poirot’s for his expert advice at character analysis to help select her replacement. No sooner than he has arrived the physical ed teacher Miss Springer (Elizabeth Berrington) is killed violently with a javelin through the heart in the school gymnasium sending the young ladies, including Princess Shaista (Amara Karan) sequestered there after a revolution in her country, into a panic of concern. She reveals to Inspector Kelsey (Anton Lesser) and Poirot that she is certain that she will be killed next. The first suspects are the new staff members at the school, a gardener Adam Goodman (Adam Croasdell), the secretary Miss Rich (Claire Skinner who was Fanny Dashwood in the 2008 Sense and Sensibility) and a French teacher Mlle Blanche (Miranda Raison). 

Another teacher is killed, sending the parents and the board of governors into a frenzy. Poirot suspects that there is a connection between the murders and Princess Shaista. One clever student Julia Upjohn (Lois Edmett) aides in the discovery of a valuable treasure connected to the Princess hidden in a tennis racket smuggled out of her country after the revolution. Could this be the motive for the murders? When Princess Shaista is kidnapped, Miss Bulstrode and Miss Chadwick watch their students pulled out of school by panicked parents, and years of hard work and the school’s reputation erode away. Poirot suspects everyone, but reveals little until his signature final roundup of suspects into the drawing room as he deconstructs his logic and reveals the killer. He had me guessing to the last. 

One of the most enjoyable aspects of watching these British productions for me is the face hunt, as I sleuth out actors from their previous roles on Masterpiece or movie roles. And so the mystery becomes an inner mystery of me – hopefully all resolved by the end of the production. In Cat Among Pigeons there were some challenging faces to match to previous roles; one in particular who kept my “grey matter” churning until the very end. Like the great super sleuth Hercule Poirot, it took me ninety minutes to solve my own mystery – that Miss Chadwick, the deputy headmisstress of Meadowbank School was in fact Miss Daphne Manners from the 1984 Masterpiece Theater production of The Jewel in the Crown. No small coincidence that both roles were the axis of each story. 

Masterpiece Mystery continues through July 26. Next week, another Hercule Poirot mystery, Mrs. McGinty’s Dead, followed by four new Miss Marple episodes staring Julia McKenzie. Oh my. Where are my smelling salts? 

Did you miss A Cat Among Pigeons? Not to panic – watch it on streaming video on the Masterpiece website through July 5th.

Elizabeth Bennet: “As delightful a character as ever appeared in print.”

“I must confess that I think her as delightful a character as ever appeared in print, and how I shall be able to tolerate those who do not like her at least, I do not know”. Jane Austen in a letter to her sister Cassandra, 29 January 1813 

Now considered one of the most popular characters in English literature, Elizabeth Bennet is admired by many and emulated by few. As with most of the characters in Austen’s novels, we do not know much detail of her physical appearance, understanding only that she is a reputed local beauty with fine eyes; leaving the readers imagination to fill in the rest. What we do know about her is her character, and that is what is so admirable. Intelligent and quick-witted, she has “a lively, playful disposition, which delighted in anything ridiculous.” I can think of no other personality attribute that I admire more. Mr. Darcy comes to agree with me also, admiring her easy playfulness. 

Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticise. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she hardly had a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware; to her he was only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with. Chapter 6 

Illustrators and movie makers have attempted to capture that sparkling wit and fine eyes on paper and in film with varied degrees of success. One interpretation I find delightful is this illustration by Robert Ball, from the 1945 edition of Pride and Prejudice published by Double Day, Inc., Garden City, New York. Elizabeth is captured at that self actualizing moment in the novel when she has just read Mr. Darcy’s “Be not alarmed, Madame” letter, and proclaimed “Till this moment, I never knew myself.” The expression on her face is a mixture of pain and embarrassment; – emotions which we had yet to experience in our self confident and pert heroine before. Illustrator Robert Ball has provided a lovely yellow frock, which would please Jane Austen. “I dare say Mrs. D. will be in yellow.”  She is indeed, the most delightful character who was ever in print.

An Interview with Maya Slater, Author of The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy

Author Maya Slater has joined us today to chat about her book The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy which has just been released in the US. First published in the UK as Mr. Darcy’s Diary, the novel is a mirror to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and told from Mr. Darcy’s perspective. This slant is certainly not new, as many other authors have given us their take on his story. Slater’s interpretation of Darcy is in turns intriguing and surprising, stirring up a bit of controversy between Austen’s fans. Everyone has their impression of who Mr. Darcy is and how Jane Austen’s characters should be interpreted in sequels. I found myself experiencing the story of Pride and Prejudice from entirely new vantage, and enjoyed her version thoroughly. 

When did you first discover Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, and what were your first impressions? 

As a tiny child I remember my mother and grandmother quoting Mr Darcy to each other: ‘In vain have I struggled. It will not do…’. The book was a much-loved family friend before I was old enough to read into the night by the light of an illicit torch. I can’t recall a time when I didn’t know of it, or remember when, not content with appreciating it vicariously, I read it for myself. 

Pride and Prejudice is one the classics of world literature. As an academic, you are trained to analyze and evaluate literature. Why do you think that Pride and Prejudice is still so valued by modern readers? 

What modern novelist would ever write such a happy book? Jane Austen gives us the joy of a fairytale ending, and yet her characters remain brilliantly real and alive. They pushed themselves into my book from time to time, forcing me to quote them verbatim: Miss Bingley with her malicious character assassinations, Mrs Bennet with her strident materialism, and, above all, Elizabeth with her sparkling wit. Pride and Prejudice is written with exquisite elegance, and yet it is utterly gripping from start to finish. It is modern and also old-fashioned – and the fact that it sometimes reflects long outdated values just enhances its charm. I could go on and on. 

Jane Austen chose to reveal the narrative of Pride and Prejudice through her heroine Elizabeth Bennet. What was your inspiration to write a retelling of the story from the hero Mr. Darcy’s point of view? 

It happened in answer to a kind of challenge, though I didn’t realise it at first. A friend asked:  ‘What book would you most love to read, if only it had been written?’  I found myself answering, without hesitation, ‘Oh, Mr. Darcy’s diary.’ I had no idea that my casual reply would stay with me for months, till I finally had to give in to the idea and start writing.  

From the beginning I wanted to stick to exactly the same time frame as Jane Austen, so I started straight in with the first meeting between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. I had never noticed how little time the two of them spend together till, shortly after they met, I found myself alone in London with Mr. Darcy, without Jane Austen to guide me through. 

In The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy the reader experiences Pride and Prejudice wholly from a male perspective. How did you put yourself in his ‘boots’ and imagine his world? 

Writing as a young man didn’t bother me at all – I’ve no idea why. What did perplex me was how to find a convincing inner voice for a character who has already been so superbly portrayed from outside. I felt it important to be faithful to Jane Austen’s portrayal, and I didn’t imagine there would be too many problems. But as soon as I sat down at my laptop, I realized that I was in difficulties. From the very start Mr. Darcy’s behaviour is strange and enigmatic. Why is he so frigid, haughty and downright rude the first time Elizabeth sees him at the Meryton Assembly? I felt he must be disturbed or angry about something. So after much thought I began my novel with a mysterious letter, just received, which greatly perturbs Mr. Darcy: in this mood the last thing he wants is to ‘gambol’ with unknown young women at a provincial ball. 

By the time I had reached the second or third day of his diary, I was already so involved that I didn’t need to ask myself what Mr. Darcy’s motives were – I found that I understood them. He’d taken over. 

Your Mr. Darcy is not the saint that some readers may have elevated him to be, partaking in Regency era activities that a man of his station would have experienced such as gambling, drinking and womanizing. His diary does reveal all his inner feeling, struggles and indiscretions, good and bad. This may surprise some readers. Could you elaborate on your choice of direction for the novel, and who your Mr. Darcy is and why? 

If I had a conscious aim, it was to be absolutely true to how a man of Mr. Darcy’s age, class and education would have lived in Georgian or Regency times. And his diary was to be an honest, unexpurgated account of his most intimate moments – he had promised as much to his mother before she died. So as my research progressed – and I did do a lot of research for my novel – I found that in his private diary he was revealing a secret life. Being a young man about town, his interests, his pursuits and the company he keeps are not what the young ladies of Longbourn would expect. Furthermore, being a man and writing for himself alone, he is not bound by the proprieties that had to be observed by Jane Austen as a lady novelist. He goes his own way – and as none of his acquaintance sees his diary, nobody will be shocked.

 The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy is, in turns intriguing, insightful and romantic. Since Pride and Prejudice is one of the greatest love stories ever written, how did you face the challenge to mirror the plot that some say is perfection? Is your Mr. Darcy truly the romantic icon that we all want him to be? 

For the plot, my instinct was to be as faithful as possible to Pride and Prejudice. But during Mr. Darcy’s long absences from Jane Austen’s novel, he was free, without interfering with her marvellous plot, to take me to unexpected places – to Lord Byron’s half-ruined gothick country house, Newstead Abbey; to Watier’s gentleman’s club to watch the Prince Regent at cards;to seedy pawnbrokers’ in unsavoury districts of London – and to other places that no respectable woman would have known about, let alone visited. And of course, during these episodes, unexpected and sometimes shocking events occurred. 

 When the time came for Mr. Darcy to rejoin the pages of Pride and Prejudice, he had to have good reasons for getting there – to Rosings in the spring, to Pemberley in the summer, back to Netherfield in the autumn. This process turned out to be far from straightforward. For example, his visit to Rosings just when Elizabeth was staying at the nearby Parsonage was deliberately engineered – read my novel and you will see how. 

His meetings with Elizabeth were kept as close as possible to Jane Austen’s account – though of course he saw these occasions from quite a different viewpoint. Occasionally, Jane Austen gave me a clue as to his movements during his absences, and I followed her lead, during his search for Lydia in London, or when Lady Catherine visited him to try to prevent his marrying Elizabeth. 

I never thought it would be possible for my Mr. Darcy to be truly a romantic icon. An icon has to be admired from the outside, not explored from the inside. I don’t think a true icon can be vulnerable and fallible either: he has to seem faultless – and, at least in part, enigmatic. So by getting under the skin of my character I have ended up finding him less of an ideal hero than before, but I do feel that I understand and like him better. 

The novel is also available as an audio book read by the velvet voiced David Rintoul who portrayed Mr. Darcy in the 1979 BBC/PBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice! What a stroke of marketing genius. What are your impressions of his performance? 

I confess that I was apprehensive before I heard the CD for myself, but I have nothing but praise for David Rintoul. His tone was exactly right – a well-bred exterior, only partly concealing the powerful emotions smouldering underneath. He read my Georgian English so simply and clearly it was a pleasure to listen to him.  

In conclusion, you have written other scholarly works, but this was your first venture into fiction. Can we anticipate any other novels in the future? 

I’ve discovered that writing fiction is an addiction. It’s difficult, toilsome and discouraging, but creating a novel is such an extraordinary experience that I can’t stop. I’m working on another book now – set some 200 years after The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy.  

I’ve really enjoyed answering your questions, Laurel Ann – they made me think about my novel in new ways. I’ll be happy to answer any queries your readers may care to make. 

Thank you for joining us Maya and sharing your insights on Jane Austen and your experience writing your first novel. 

• Read my complete review of The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy and discover why this is the Mr. Darcy you should get to know!
• Watch an interview of Maya Slater by Nina Sebastian on Youtube.

Giveaway Contest: Enter a chance to win one of two copies of The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by leaving a question for the author here, or at my co-blog, Jane Austen Today before June 24th. Winners announced Thursday, June 25th at Jane Austen Today.   

Maya Slater was raised in Kensington, London in an enormous Victorian house that her father, an Egyptologist, and her mother a fashion-artist picked up for a song after the war and filled with a motley assortment of lodgers. In the summer they would decamp to the South of France sparking her interest to read French at Oxford and pursue a career as an academic, lecturing on French literature at London University. Along with her other academic publications, she is the author of a verse translation of six Molière plays, Le Misanthrope, Tartuffe and Other Plays, published by Oxford World’s Classics. She lives in a Victorian villa in Islington, North London, and farmhouse in France with her husband, a retired doctor. She retired from academic life to write her first novel, The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy, and also writes theatre and book reviews mainly for the Times Literary Supplement. She and her husband are currently collaborating on a book a translation of Boris Pasternak’s correspondence with his family to be published in 2010 by the Hoover Press at Stanford University.

• Visit Maya Slater at her new website. 

The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy is available for purchase online and at your local bookstore from W. W. Norton & Co. The audio book edition read by David Rintoul is available for download at Audible.com, where you can also listen to a preview. I highly recommend it.

* Photograph: Monica Garnsey 

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, by Amanda Grange – Preview

More vampires. Sourcebooks Landmark announced a major new release by the popular author of Mr. Darcy’s Diary, Amanda Grange entitled Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, available August 11th. It is a continuation of Pride and Prejudice after the wedding, and may explain some of Mr. Darcy’s cold and distant noble mien in the original novel. We recieved the scoop from Amanda Grange herself who kindly sent an excerpt to set the mood along with this image of the lovely new cover art. Mr. Darcy, Vampyre has the distinction of being the first vampire themed novel inspired by Jane Austen’s works to hit the market. I assure you that it will not be the last. At least five more are now in the queue. Here is an preview of the prologue that Amanda kindly shared with us.

December 1802 

My dearest Jane,

My hand is trembling as I write this letter. My nerves are in tatters and I am so altered that I believe you would not recognise me. The past two months have been a nightmarish whirl of strange and disturbing circumstances, and the future…

Jane, I am afraid. If anything happens to me, remember that I love you and that my spirit will always be with you, though we may never see each other again. The world is a cold and frightening place where nothing is as it seems. It was all so different a few short months ago. When I awoke on my wedding morning, I thought myself the happiest woman alive… 

Amanda clarifys by telling me that ”the book goes back to the idyllic wedding day in October and we gradually find out what has reduced Elizabeth to such a nervous state.”

You can preorder the book for August 11th delivery and visit Amanda Grange’s blog – Mr. Darcy, Vampyre – to read all the latest news on this exciting new novel. Can’t wait!