If you enjoyed with
"Pride and Prejudice", english author Jane Austen´s brilliant novel, here you have good news because
"An assembly such as this" is the first volume of a trilogy where you´ll be able to relive
this love-and-misunderstanding story from the point of view of a very special character:
Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy.
While
in "Pride and Prejudice" we know the facts that take place in the English countryside
thanks to Elizabeth Bennet´s smart glance, in "An assembly such as this" is her "alter ego", Mr Darcy, the one who gives us his own version of the events, adding some really interesting details to the plot.
So, in the beginning,
we´re told about the arrival of Darcy, Lord of Pemberley, to Hertfordshire, accompanied by his friend Mr Charles Bingley who´s just rented Netherfield Park to settle in. From the very first time, Darcy and Bingley will involve in the heart of the rural society, full of marriageable young ladies and matchmaking mothers. But, while
Bingley has a innate gift to get along with everyone in everywhere,
Darcy, who isn´t fond of parties, won´t let himself be the centre of the scene and,
hiding his shyness under a cold and proud mask,
he´ll soon make a bad impression in the Hertfordshire society.
When
Bingley falls in love with beautiful
Jane Bennet,
Darcy, realizing about the rude manners of some members of young lady´s family,
will oblige himself to advice his friend about the danger of having a relationship with the young woman, without imagining that his solid reasons will find
an unexpected obstacle: his fascination for Elizabeth Bennet, Jane´s sister. Darcy´ll have to bear
an inner struggle between his emotions and his wish for helping Bingley.
Soon, he´ll realize the biggest danger isn´t the failure
in trying to apart his friend from Jane but, in fact, the success in his mission of making Bingley lose the interest in the young lady because,
if Bingley forgets her, Darcy´ll have to distance himself from Elizabeth and, that´s something proud gentleman is far from wishing...
"An assembly such as this" gives us
the chance of knowing real Mr Darcy, finding out his fears, his powerful attraction to Elizabeth, the remorse for his clumsy words in their first ,meeting, his need to exchange glances and the pleasure of challenging and sharp dialogues, his sleepless nights...
all those details which make his pride and arrogance fall since the first pages.
American writer
Pamela Aidan , with a Master´s degree in Library and Information Science and more than thirty years working as a librarian, fell in love with "Pride and Prejudice" when she read it the first time but it wasn´t until
she watched BBC series starred by Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle when she had the idea of rewriting the story from Mr Darcy´s perspective. So that´s the way the trilogy saw the light and, in Aidan´s words, she´s tried to be faithful to the character created by Jane Austen and, at the same time, she´s given him the feelings she, herself, thought Darcy had which could be seen in the original novel. When reading the trilogy, one can´t help thinking that famous english author would have agreed with the description Aidan makes about the Lord of Pemberley.
"An assembly such as this" is followed by "Duty and Desire" and "These Three remain".
A trilogy that reveals Mr Darcy´ s soul.
Who can resist the temptation of reading it?
For fans:
In the 2011 Academy Awards Ceremony, the Oscar for Best Main Actor went to
Colin Firth ( Mr Darcy in the BBC series) for his role of King George VI in "The King´s Speech". In that film we can see
Jennifer Ehle ( Miss Elizabeth Bennet in the same series) performing the King´s professor´s wife.
Darcy and Elizabeth connected, again, through the times... coincidences of Destiny?