Duty and Desire: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman

I just finished reading the three books "An Assembly Such as This", "Duty and Desire" and "These Three Remain" by Pamela Aidan.

After completing the first novel in the series, I looked forward to what this second might bring. I was most seriously disappointed in the performance.

First, Aidan forgets that Austen was NOT a fan of the gothic novel. Austen's "Northanger Abbey" was a parody (at times) of this genre. Her characters in her other works have survived and are beloved for the very reason that they are so 'real', and do not require extraordinary circumstances or fabricated events in order to shine and reveal who they are. Aidan on the other hand appears to revel in the gothic genre and to take it seriously, applying it wholeheartedly to the world of Austen, where, in my opinion, it has no business.

Aidan so deviates from the spirit of Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" that I found myself impatient with the absurd circumstances she placed Mr. Darcy. The small, engaging (and believable) 'mystery' of his valet, Fletcher (introduced in the first novel), was eclipsed by the outrageous and unbelievable events of this second novel. Forgetting the source of the attraction Austen's fans (the most likely readers of her books) have to Pride and Prejudice, Aiden abandons herself to this other-worldly world of intrigue, politics, a sinister castle, blood, fear and unwieldy passions.

I found myself impatient with how this novel and its events reflected back on the world of the Bennet's. The Bennets and Hertfedshire had no place in the world described in this novel. So much was this the case that one could not fathom that Elizabeth and Darcy even shared the same planet.

While I understand Aiden's purpose was most likely to show that Mr. Darcy was dissatisfied with his life and the people he met in his usual circles, so different from the country where Elizabeth and his heart rested, I feel that Aiden did more to damage Mr. Darcy's character than to reveal it.

I say without hesitation that though I enjoyed the first novel, I despised this second. I have no dislike for the gothic genre, enjoying Jane Eyre as much as other novels of the time, but its just not a good fit either with Austen's characters, or the world in which Austen lived and attempted to recreate for her readers. Aidan would have done much better to have revealed new characters and situations that would show Mr. Darcy's character in the course of his 'every day life' than how he reacts to being in a sinister castle with danger all around.

I bought all 3 books in this series, and while I think they all have a few shortcomings, this one was completely ridiculous! I understand that Austen's P&P gave no indication of what Darcy did during his time apart from Elizabeth, so Aidan could basically make up whatever she wanted, but come on. It felt as if while writing this, she decided on a whim that she wanted to try her hand at writing some sort of gothic novel, and what better way to indulge that whim than by putting it into a book she was already writing! This was in no way that Darcy of P&P! Darcy would not have acted in this way, nor would he have surrounded himself with these sorts of characters - no matter how much he wanted a distraction! This series is supposed to be P&P - just from Darcy's point of view, and this book in no way captured that. It should have kept with the character of the original book, and failed miserably. It was an insult to the original character of Darcy! I can understand pieces of what she wanted to get across - Darcy looking for someone more suitable, trying to return to his "proper circle of society", trying to reign in his feelings, etc. But this was NOT the way to do that. I found myself skimming the pages just to get through it. The fact that a few of these characters also wound their way into the third installment just completely detracted from the whole story. Nothing about this book flowed with the other 2 installments - it was a total let down!

I enjoyed the first book in this series but found Duty and Desire to be a bit tedious. Aidan tries to tell the hidden story of Darcys return to his sister and London society. The story takes a turn through religious conversion and then veers off into intrigue and susperstition. Suddenly, readers will find themselves trapped in a gothic novel, where mysterious characters and events take over the storyline and Darcy takes on the mantle of "detective." Not a bad thing if I was looking for a romance/mystery. However, this narrative is supposed to be Jane Austen, not Amanda Quick. I'd almost recommend skipping this book all together, but there are some characters that pop up in the final novel. Maybe read til the castle party and skip the rest?

I actually read books 1 and 3 and then decided to come back and read this one. I found the first half of the book delightful regarding Darcy's interaction with his sister and cousins and how much he loves Pemberly. The second half I thought would be good because Darcy was looking for a woman to replace Elizabeth but it turned out to be a very weird mystery at some remote castle. I agree with the reviewer that said this was out of character for Darcy. He would have looked for a wife within the circles of Town. However, the book itself was very well written and researched. Not a waste of time to read it but don't have high expectations.

What a perfectly wretched sequel to such a fun novel. I have to say right now that I am willing to bet I know exactly what the writer's religious views. It's not something I would mind if she had laid off the preachy speechifying that managed to entirely pervade and corrupt this entire book. I am not reading this for religious edification, thank you Ms Aiden. Worse, she chose Georgiana Darcy as the outlet of the bothersome, jarring and frightfully annoying exercise in regligiosity and gave something like 3 chapters over to it. Georgina used to be one of my favorite side characters in Pride and Prejudice...

I had the first warning when Darcy starts talking about how changed she is lately and then you discover that her new companion is a widowed lady whose husband was a vicar. Then you get pages upon pages of Georgiana being excruciating, Darcy going to church, and then he has this huge revelation in church about how Georgiana has been trying to tell him this whole time that the reason she's quit moping over Wickham is that God is forgiving. I'll spare you the torturous lessons before that about Providence. For they are legion.

And guess what? It's still not over. No, there'll be more meditating on the awesomeness of divinity and the forgiveness of the divine and then... some more. Just in case you haven't gotten the memo about God being Good and all. This along with Georgiana having turned herself into St Georgiana the Sweet and Pious by making weekly pilgrimages to the homes of the scandalously poor (as lady of Pemberly in effect would that not be her duty in any case? Even Emma managed that much) and donations to organizations to help girls who got lured into prostitution (Darcy being duly horrified about her even knowing what that word means).

It's a wonder Georgie's eyes aren't turning Mary Sue purple yet but I'm betting she's got a flock of forest friends who sing to her at her window, and there's probably a tendency to sparkle unsettlingly in certain lights.

All this book managed to do is force me to decide that should I ever have been anywhere near Darcy I would have hit him over the head, forced a half bottle of absinthe in him, and run off with Lord Byron to go scandalize London and have actual fun (well maybe not Byron, but you get the idea). Because clearly if you're going to do anything as shameful as having fun, you won't do it anywhere near the Darcy family. The very idea of someone who has fun (you know, like carriage rides or heaven help us a picnic) on a regular basis is enough to horrify sweet little Georgiana and makes Darcy highly uncomfortable.

The only two bearable characters by this stage are Darcy's friend Dyfed, and his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam, who mortify everyone with their having of fun on a regular basis. Charles Bingley scores some cool points in here too. Note that I just said Charles Bingly got cool points. Charles. Bingley. Is cooler. Than Darcy. What?

There's a whole host of fun new personalities though- Darcy meets up with some old school friends and goes on a search to find a suitable Non-Bennett Mrs. Darcy, and runs into a couple girls who I wish were around more than dear suspiciously-urple-eyed Georgiana Sue. One of them has the very purple name of Sylvanie, but she's not quite as annoying as that might suggest (and way less saccharine than Georgiana who someone ought to propose for the new litmus test of Sainted Sues). Actually, Sylvanie's possibly the only female character in the whole thing that was worth encountering.

I never ever thought anything would make me decide that Jane clearly got the better end of the deal in Pride and Prejudice, but this series has. I'm not saying it's a horrible series but if you're anything other than Quite Happily Christian or able to deal with a lot of speechifying in that direction, I would advise leaving off after the first book or skipping the whole middle section of this one. ... and possibly the last part too because it turns into a Victorian melodrama-mystery theater.

Someday perhaps I shall read the third book, but it will be a day a very long time from now.

I suggest you read the 1st and the 2rd and skip this one, I really mean it. Its a very boring one about Darcy trying to look for a wife in a new made up place full of new made up characters while Elizabeth is no where to be found. Its completely boring.

Skip this book, and just read first and third one. I get the author's intention - it's a Victorian Gothic novel, just with Darcy and some random women thrown in. I'm as much Jane Austen fanfick reader as the next girl, but I just couldn't get into "Duty and Desire."

After having read the first one, which I thought was absolutely BRILLIANT, I was so dissapointed with this one. Being caught in this lame mystery is very out of place for Darcy. What made the first so great was seeing into his mind about all of the events in Pride and Prejudice that we know so well. The first pages of the second continues the great intrigue with his sister, Georgiana. However, I would recommend that readers simply close the book once he sets out to the castle. Not worth reading at all. I just want him at Lady catherines and bewitched by Elizabeth. Come on Pamela, do us proud!

In a way, this book has little to do with the essential story of Pride and Prejudice, but it is my feeling that it presents themes which help us understand what real problems Darcy could have faced in his family and in his society. This book of the trilogy seems unnecessary at first, but helps create a satisfying story when you get to the third book. It addresses the winter between Darcy's stay in Hartfield and his visit to Rosing's Park, a time in which he has no contact with Elizabeth Bennet, but which sets the stage for the character changes which come to a point in the third book.

In the first part, Pamela Aidan elaborates the relationship between Darcy and his sister Georgiana, a relationship which changes in ways both exciting and disorienting to Darcy as he sees his sister growing into a woman who not only is submissive to his guardianship, but who also desires to take care of him.

In the second part Darcy goes on a visit to a friend's house in order to meet young ladies. He hopes to find a woman who is more suited to be his wife then Elizabeth, who is constantly appearing before him in his mind. Of course, this search is hopeless. The scandals and behavior of the company he meets serve to bring him to the understanding that he admires Elizabeth not only for her beauty, charm, and wit, but also because she is a woman of "goodness and good-sense". It is true that the upper classes of that period were not centers of polite good-conduct, but had undercurrents of rampant immorality, dabbling in spiritism, and disregard of honor. This historical aspect enhances our concept of what struggles our imaginary hero could have faced. Even though this part of the story is not `Jane Austen', I enjoyed it.

The themes which successfully tie together these two parts are the spiritual questions which Darcy has. Georgiana, who had been cast into deep melancholy after her involvement with Wickham, attributes her new wellness to a finding of purpose. She believes that her life of ease was previously empty, and she rejoices in a new love of God and service to others. She feels that her emotional trials were worth the pain because they brought her to God, but Darcy struggles with accepting and honoring `Providence', whose actions he cannot understand. Furthermore, he is shaken by how much he hates the man who hurt his sister, a hatred that he knows is inexcusably ugly. Aidan handles these themes well. She isn't trying to turn this book into moralistic religious fiction. In my opinion, Darcy's struggles makes him into more of a real person. He isn't content with his own explanations of life. His uneasy questions come to a point in the third book, when he realizes that he is not the perfect gentleman he thought he was.

And not because it was funny. I read the first book and was so excited I bought the next two. What a mistake. This book had me laughing at the absurdity of the storyline. What the heck? It's like the author wrote two different books about two different things and accidentally included them in the same series. I have never been so intolerably bored. I could not even finish the book because my eyes were to engaged rolling around in my head. In the end I skipped to the third book for the wedding.