Review: Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape by Marsha Altman

Source: Review copy from Sourcebooks
Rating: ★★★☆☆

“Sadly, I think this is neither the time nor the — ow — place,” Darcy said as Elizabeth tried to attend to his wound again.  “It’s just one of your mother’s tirades, sadly.”

“Is that what they are to you, nephew?”

All turned, collectively horrified, at the entrance of Lady Catherine de Bourgh.  She strutted about as if nothing was amiss, not even Darcy’s red and swollen face.  “Well?  Why do you all stand about in such a silly manner?  Darcy, I must speak with you at once!”

“I’ve no doubt,” Darcy said.  “But as I have no desire to speak with you, we are in a conundrum.  In fact, I cannot think of a person in this room who, knowing your designs, would wish to have any connection with you!”

(from Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape, page 48)

Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape is the latest book in Marsha Altman’s series about the Darcys and the Bingleys, the third sequel she’s written to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.  At this point in the series, Altman has made Austen’s characters her own and thrown in several new faces without compromising the original story.  (**Please note that there may be some spoilers in this review simply because it is the third book in the series.  I’m not going to divulge too much of the plot of this book, but I might make mention to events brought to light in the first two books.**)

Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape opens with Kitty Bennet’s wedding and quickly moves to the Darcy’s trip to Rosings to visit Mr. Darcy’s aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, for the first time since they married eight years prior.  Shortly after the visit, which is both amusing and infuriating, Mr. Darcy determines that he must leave the country to find his half-brother, as the war being waged by Napoleon has threatened his safety as a monk and cut off all communications with his family.  He decides to travel with Caroline Bingley’s husband, Dr. Maddox, who is making his way to Transylvania to visit his brother and royal sister-in-law.  Things do not go as planned, and the two find themselves held captive, leaving their wives and Darcy’s cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, to help them escape from a long imprisonment that takes a toll on their bodies and minds.

While the first two books in the series, The Darcys & the Bingleys and The Plight of the Darcy Brothers, are mostly light and funny, Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape is a darker tale.  It has its humorous moments, but much of it focuses on Darcy’s state of mind after his escape from Transylvania.  Prior to meeting Elizabeth, Darcy was very reserved, and after months in a dark dungeon with little food or drink and only Dr. Maddox for companionship, he is withdrawn.  Anyone in Darcy’s situation probably would be messed up, and Altman shows this without going overboard.

Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape is a far cry from Pride and Prejudice, but that’s to be expected in a series in which part one is really the Austen sequel.  Altman has taken some liberties with Austen’s characters, but I think she’s stayed true to them, and any differences in their personalities can be attributed to the changes we all undergo as we get older and (hopefully) wiser.  She also devotes a good chunk of the book to the story of Brian Maddox, the rogue brother of Dr. Maddox who flees Transylvania with his wife and encounters numerous dangers while journeying through Russia and Japan on the way back to England.  While the Bennet family does not make much of an appearance, readers get a glimpse of Mr. Darcy’s father and troubled uncle.

Overall, I enjoyed Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape, but it dragged a little after Darcy and Dr. Maddox’s rescue.  I thought the inclusion of Brian Maddox’s adventures and the scenes with Mr. Darcy’s father and uncle were interesting, but they seemed out of place and detracted from the story that was occurring in the present.  Although the darker story of Darcy’s imprisonment and recovery was well executed, Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape is missing the humorous banter that made The Darcy & the Bingleys and The Plight of the Darcy Brothers shine.  Even so, fans of Altman’s previous books should enjoy following her characters (both original and re-imagined) on yet another adventure.  I hope Altman has more books planned for the series, and if so, I can’t wait to see where she takes them next.

Disclosure: I received Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape from Sourcebooks for review.

© 2010 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.

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Review: The Plight of the Darcy Brothers by Marsha Altman

Source: Personal library
Rating: ★★★★★

“He shall not ride in the carriage with you and…your wife.”

Darcy did not have to look at her to know that Elizabeth was horrified, and that was enough to incite his considerable ire.  He reached forward, took up Gregoire’s sizable hood, and put it over his head so that most of his face was blocked.  “There.  Now his holy robes will protect him.  May we go now, Father?”

At last, the Abbot relented.  He spoke some words to Gregoire in quiet Latin and handed him a small sack.  “Go with God.”

Gregoire finally joined them, as Darcy gave the Abbot one more cold glace.  “Papist.”

“Heretic.”  The Abbot turned away, not willing to engage him further.

“Husband,” Elizabeth chided, pulling him into the carriage.

“You are bound to your master, Brother,” Darcy said.  “And I to mine.  Fortunately, mine is prettier.”

(from The Plight of the Darcy Brothers, page 100)

The Plight of the Darcy Brothers is the second book in Marsha Altman’s series about the Darcys and the Bingleys, making it essentially a sequel to a sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.  At this point in the series, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennet have been happily married for a couple of years and are now parents.  Life is passing by smoothly — aside from the antics of the Darcy’s rambunctious son — until a letter arrives informing them that another Bennet sister is in trouble.

While the Darcys travel to Italy via France to ward off another Bennet family scandal, Mr. Darcy’s world is turned upside down when he learns that his father is not the man he thought he was.  Meanwhile, as Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth, and their monk companion continue their travels, Caroline Bingley and her husband are invited to a royal ball, which leads to her husband encountering the crazy King George.  Readers also will enjoy a showdown between Mr. Darcy and the scoundrel George Wickham, who nearly ruined Georgiana Darcy and eloped with Lydia Bennet in Pride and Prejudice.

In The Plight of the Darcy Brothers, Altman once again captures the humor that I so enjoy in Austen’s novels and takes it up a notch.  The story is far from the one Austen told in Pride and Prejudice, but I think readers will recognize their favorite characters, just older and wiser.  Altman makes the characters her own in a way that I think Austen herself could appreciate.  Of course, some of the situations in which Altman places them are a bit outlandish, but that’s just the kind of drama that makes the book so captivating.  While the humorous bantering between the characters is what I love about Altman’s novels, The Plight of the Darcy Brothers isn’t all fun and games.  Altman does a great job introducing more serious topics — the Darcy family’s secrets — without making the story too heavy, and I like how the characters continue to evolve and change, especially Mr. Darcy, Caroline Bingley, and Mrs. Bennet.  Altman also introduces several characters who never graced the pages of an Austen novel, and their stories are just as interesting as that of the characters we’ve long known and loved.

It’s hard to compare The Plight of the Darcy Brothers to Pride and Prejudice because it is not a traditional Austen sequel, picking up where The Darcys & the Bingleys left off.  Though far removed from Austen’s original story, I never once forgot that these characters were Austen’s creations, but Altman has convinced me that these events really could have occurred after Austen’s novel ends.  I think readers should read The Darcys & the Bingleys first to get a feel for Altman’s version of events, and well, because it’s pretty darn funny.  If you, like me, find Austen’s humor to be one of the main reasons why you enjoy her novels, then Altman’s series of sequels may be to your liking.

Disclosure: The Plight of the Darcy Brothers is from my personal library.

© 2010 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.

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Review: The Darcys & the Bingleys by Marsha Altman

Source: Personal library
Rating: ★★★★★

Up at the altar, Darcy and Bingley turned to the aisle where their brides would be appearing momentarily.  “Any last words?” Bingley whispered.

“Chapter 15.”

“What — Darcy!  We’re in church!”

“I was of course discussing the book of Leviticus.  I don’t know why your mind is so filthy these days, Bingley.”

“That’s your fault!”

“You asked for my advice, and you have it.  Chapter 15.”

(from The Darcys & the Bingleys, pages 110-111)

In The Darcys & the Bingleys, Marsha Altman picks up Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice just before Mr. Darcy marries Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Bingley marries Jane Bennet.  In the midst of the chaos of planning a wedding, there is some talk about the nervousness of the wedding night.  While Charlotte Collins assures Elizabeth and Jane that it’s not as bad as Mrs. Bennet makes it out to be, Bingley turns to the reserved Darcy — and Darcy’s advice is a copy of The Kama Sutra.  This makes for some hilarious conversation.

With the couples settling into married life at their respective estates, the plot turns to Caroline Bingley, Mr. Bingley’s arrogant sister who, in Pride and Prejudice, works to keep her brother and Jane apart and hates that Elizabeth catches the eye of Mr. Darcy, whom she hopes to wed.  She’s being courted by a Lord Kincaid, and there’s something about this Scot that rubs Bingley the wrong way, prompting him to seek Darcy’s help in digging up whatever dirt they can find on him.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Darcys & the Bingleys and found myself laughing out loud quite frequently.  This is the most amusing Austen sequel I’ve come across thus far, and I appreciate how Altman makes the characters her own without compromising the original story.  The book is filled with witty dialogue, and I loved the bantering between Elizabeth and Darcy and Darcy and Bingley.  Moreover, I was thrilled that Altman included numerous scenes with Mr. Bennet, whose humor is among my favorite things about Pride and Prejudice.  Some of the best dialogue occurs when an injured Darcy is high on laudanum.

“Your brother is…indisposed,” Elizabeth said, a smile creeping back across her face.  “Dr. Maddox gave him something for pain that has made him muddle-headed.”

“Oh.  Well, let me through, then.  Should I not have my fair share?”

“Georgiana–.”  Bingley put up some protest, but she sideswiped him and went right to her brother’s side and took his hand, waking him from his light sleep.

“Brother,” she said with a very serious voice.

“Georgiana,” he smiled.  “Sweet Georgiana.”

“I am affianced.  I have found the most disreputable bachelor in Town, and I will marry him at Gretna Green on Sunday.”

This was a very long sentence for Darcy to comprehend, if he was comprehending anything at all.  “All right…then.”

“So you give your consent?”

“Of course.  But first I must…castrate him…before the ceremony.”

Any pretense that laughter was going to be held in by the two onlookers was now entirely abandoned.  They all had to leave the room very quickly.  As they left, they missed Darcy mumbling, “Kill…you all…” (pages 301-302)

Given that The Darcys & the Bingleys chronicles the early days of the couples’ marriages, of course, there is sex talk.  How can there not be when The Kama Sutra is involved?  However, the scenes are humorous and tastefully done and not at all graphic.  Thankfully, Altman leaves much to the imagination.

Altman creates new and exciting characters and merges them into the lives of the Darcys and the Bingleys quite seamlessly, from the shady Lord Kincaid to the quiet Dr. Maddox.  It almost felt like they’d been there all along.

Some readers might be concerned about Altman’s treatment of their beloved characters, especially Mr. Darcy who is not at all the arrogant ass he was in Pride and Prejudice.  But marriage, and Elizabeth in particular, has changed Darcy, and I think Altman does a great job handling the character’s evolution.  I think it’s important to emphasize that Altman isn’t trying to rewrite Pride and Prejudice; she’s building upon and broadening the world that Austen created.  And considering all the laughing I did when reading and the fact that I breezed through more than 400 pages in just a couple of days, I’d say Altman was successful.

Disclosure: The Darcys & the Bingleys is from my personal library.

© 2010 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.

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Guest Post: Marsha Altman, Author of Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape

I’m pleased to welcome Marsha Altman to Diary of an Eccentric today.  Marsha is the author of The Darcys & the Bingleys, The Plight of the Darcy Brothers, and the new release Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape.  This series of sequels to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice provide a (mostly) humorous glimpse of what might have happened in the years following Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage, keep up with other characters from the beloved Austen novel, and introduce several new (and entertaining) characters.

But more on my thoughts later.  I’ve read the first two books and really enjoyed them, and I’m reading Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape right now.  I will be posting all three reviews shortly.  (I’d hoped to do it sooner, but I’m a bit under the weather, so look for the reviews to be posted by tomorrow if all goes as planned).

I want to thank Marsha for taking time out of her busy schedule to talk about her path to publication and provide some advice to aspiring novelists.  Please give a warm welcome to Marsha Altman.

From Writer to Another: Advice!

Write. Write a lot. Write as much as you can about anything you want to write about. Don’t worry that you’re copying your favorite author – we all do it subconsciously anyway. Don’t be ashamed to write fan-fiction and post it on the internet for comments. Don’t be ashamed to make mistakes, then read some book on writing five years down the line about how you shouldn’t have done them.

If you are under 20, don’t submit your work to publishers unless you want to get a first-hand experience at crushing rejection, though I admit it’s not bad to have that under your belt. I submitted my first book when I was fourteen, and was rejected across the board, something I’m now grateful for. I strongly believe something that’s contended by many people, which is that your early writing is going to be embarrassing when you’re older, so don’t expect the world of it or expect it to be published. I’m grateful nothing I wrote in junior high or high school was published. That stuff was terrible. I was rejected again in college, again after college, and got my first book contract while I was in graduate school, not a moment too soon in terms of the quality of what I’d written.

There’s a saying in publishing that the third time is a charm, that the third thing you submit is the book that will be published. This happened to me, which means I had to go through two rounds of agonizing rejections of what I considered to be a publishable novel before I got to the book contract, and I’m not even counting the try at age 14. Obviously, to get to book 3, you have to produce 3 books. In actuality, I produced much more than that. Not everything was publishable or worth submitting.

So write. Write as much as humanly possible, about topics you care about even if nobody else cares about them. If nobody else cares, you don’t have to show the work to anyone. Sometimes you’re writing for yourself. I like to write books I would want to read – books that disappoint me by not being out there already so I have to write them myself.

And whatever you do, get an agent, even if you already have a book contract at hand and the publisher says you don’t need one. You need one.

Thanks, Marsha!  I wish you much success and look forward to reading more of your work in the future.

Are you interested in reading The Darcys & the Bingleys, The Plight of the Darcy Brothers, and Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape?  Well, you’re in luck.  Sourcebooks is offering a set of Marsha Altman’s books to one lucky reader.  Just leave a comment on this post with your e-mail address.

This giveaway is open to U.S./Canada readers only and will run through Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010, at 11:59 pm EST.

**Please note that this giveaway is now closed**

Disclosure: I am an Amazon associate.

© 2010 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.

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