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| An Assembly Such as This: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman (Fitzwilliam Darcy Gentleman) | 
| Author: Pamela Aidan
Publisher: Touchstone
Category: Book
List Price: $14.00
Buy New: $5.99
You Save: $8.01 (57%)
New (7) from $5.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  177 reviews
Sales Rank: 7052
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.7
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
ASIN: B0013L4DLM
Publication Date: May 30, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Book Description
"Ten thousand a year and a large estate in Derbyshire!" That was all Mrs. Bennet desired to know of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy before she began to entertain hopes that one of her daughters would attract his attention. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen reveals little of her creation's past or present before banishing him for quite two thirds of her book. But, who is Fitzwilliam Darcy? An Assembly Such as This, the first book of the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, answers that intriguing question by taking the reader into Darcy's world, a world very different from Elizabeth Bennet's. Chronicling Darcy's supervision of his naive friend Charles Bingley and his growing fascination with Elizabeth Bennet, it culminates with the disastrous ball at Netherfield and Darcy's return to London with the express intention of forgetting Elizabeth amidst the dizzying and dangerous whirl of Regency society.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 172 more reviews...
 Entertaining July 8, 2008
Though this is by no means a great book, I did enjoy reading it. I enjoyed how the author fleshed out the relationship between Darcy and his cousin, Col. Fitzwilliam, and it's nice to meet some of his friends as well. Aiden spends a lot of time on the relationship between Darcy and his servants however. Okay, so he had servants, but if Aiden had truly been keeping with the tradition of P&P she would have relegated them to the background like Austen did. I admit to getting really tired of Darcy's valet "Fletcher" and his constant preening of Darcy. It seemed like all Darcy ever did was get dressed and undressed 24/7 - oh with tea in between of course. Oh well, I still enjoyed it.
 Darcy: the fanfic June 22, 2008
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young woman in possession of a good intellect must be in want of Mr Darcy for a husband. I have not found that Pride and Prejudice can be reread too many times, but Pamela Aidan provides a diverting variation in an 'authentically' 3-volume rewrite from the perspective of Mr Darcy.
Unfortunately, the novel's Austenian format is not quite matched by its contents. The first problem is plot motivation. Austen's novel has a reason for existing: the Bennett girls must marry well, or face penury, and we meet them just as several prospective suitors come into their lives. Aidan's novel requires Pride and Prejudice to provide its motivation. She gives us no other reason to care about the life of Mr. Darcy among his friends at Netherfield. So it is not surprising that the best scenes in Aidan's book are those that are most dependent on Pride and Prejudice, scenes that are here simply being witnessed through another character's motivations.
Amazingly, Darcy himself is flatter in Aidan's book than in Austen's. In spite of a dedicated third person limited narrative, Aidan cannot give him any more motivation than she gives her plot. Darcy is frustrated and attracted by Elizabeth, clenches his fists to regain self-control, and mopes about. The most enthralling elements of Austen's Mr Darcy -- forbidding pride and manners, caustic and severe wit -- are absent.
Aidan's dedication to the minutiae of Darcy's life is equally more frustrating than illuminating. We are obliged to find out that Elizabeth reads Milton and that Darcy is a dedicated church-goer and philanthropist. One has the feeling that Aidan thought she had to prove completely with every example what every reader of Austen knows: that Elizabeth and Darcy are intelligent, conventionally-religious, decent people. In doing so, there is a loss of character. Lizzie is permitted no frivolity, Darcy no misanthropic arrogance.
Finally, Aidan manages to fall into the common Regency Romance pitfalls both of reaching her characters too high, and involving them in what is too low. First, there is far too much of Darcy's slightly Jeeves-like manservant. While modern sensibilities inquire after the servants in a way that Austen never includes in her books, Aidan would have done better to err on the side of snobbery. Every scene involving this character was intensely embarrassing, made worse by the fact that the valet in question quoted Shakespeare! Secondly, Aidan inflates Darcy's social importance rather beyond what Austen implies. He may be a gentleman, and a wealthy landowner, but it seems wrong to make him a habitue of the highest circles of London society. This is Pamela Aidan using more the exaggeration of an over-awed Mrs. Bennett than the cool perception of an Elizabeth.
 Loved it! May 30, 2008
I absolutely LOVED this trilogy! I wasn't too worried about how similar it would be to Jane Austen, because obviously no one will probably ever come close to emulating her. Saying that, I thought all three books were very entertaining. The second one gets a bit boring, but it's worth it once you get to the third one.
I would highly recommend this series to anyone who wants to see the other side of the coin.
Well Written, But Misinterprets P & P May 28, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I have made it a project this year to read through many of the modern generation of P & P inspired books, whether they be sequels or Darcy viewpoint stories. And I saved this particular series for nearly last, because it seemed to be held in the highest esteem. I can certainly see why, as the book is well written, wonderfully detailed, and obviously deeply researched. There is much to commend here. Yet I felt I could only give it 3 stars, and the why of it is this: the characters she describes, their arcs and relationships, are not those we met in P & P.
Indeed, much of this story plays out like a fan's fantasy wherein every ill word of Mr. Darcy has a perfectly legitimate explanation -- it turns out in fact he was NEVER at any point proud, but just misunderstood. We also find out that he was instantly attracted to Elizabeth, basically from the moment he first saw her. Worse yet, since we spend the entire book inside his head it turns out that he is perfectly aware of this from nearly the first moment he sees her. There is no conflict, there is no confusion as to why he is attracted to her, no pride telling him he should not be attracted to her. Indeed the entire story plays out as Mr. Darcy essentially flirting with her. All those moments in P & P where Lizzy mocks Darcy while he stiffly acts within his station? Did not happen. What REALLY happened was that he just feigned all that stuff to draw out his "delightful antagonist" so that he could flirt with her some more. We also find out that he knows from the very first instant, from the first dance where he sees Bingley with Jane that there is trouble there and he needs to protect Bingley from her. He is in fact never blind to anything. He also begins the book with complete disdain for Caroline (reduced herein to a caricature of evil) and her world. He does not come to see her true nature and where his heart lies, because he, through the author, has already read the book and knows everything we know from almost the moment he makes his first appearance (I think he is allowed about 3 pages of excessive pride in the first 3 pages of the book, and then is nothing but amiable therafter). He sees all, and misunderstanding and growth, so key to P & P, are entirely set aside for a romantacized portrait of Darcy as the perfect man/romantic hero.
Lizzy fares little better...well actually I guess you could say she fares EVEN better. Because again in very fanlike fashion flawed but lovable Lizzy is converted into an all knowing all seeing goddess of a heroine, worshipped by all the men in the county and dropping in the perfect put down (added repeatedly to the story) for anyone and everyone at every moment. Ironically the only time she is alleged to show any doubt are during moments in the orignal book where she really doesn't. It also turns out that despite her protestations in the book she has an amazing singing voice, knows Italian, is an expert at needlework and could probably whip the table at loo if she deigned to play, all the while delivering smackdowns to her hapless opponents.
Throw in the simplification of nearly everyone else into basic black/white models -- Caroline, the Hursts and Mrs. Bennet = evil and completely irredeemable in every manner, and are instantly recognized as such by everyone. They are reduced to mere foils for super-Lizzy to make look foolish at every turn. And Bingley and Jane of course are completely good and pure (this at least closer to the book). What you end up with is...well, not compelling. And not the P & P story. All the ambiguity, all the misunderstanding, all the complexity of the relationships, are completely written out. With its hero and heroine all knowing and all seeing, their is no tension between them. The author keeps on trying to tell us there is, but if this had been the original story there would not have been a shadow of a doubt how it would turn out.
And so...again, a very well written book in many ways. But unfortunately, whether intentionally or unintentionally missing almost all of the nuances of the characters, and actually when you get down to it completely rewriting the history of the Darcy/Lizzy relationship. We do not get to see the pleasure of him falling in love in this book -- he is already there from almost the first page. And he knows he is already there. And he thinks its all grand. Just very strange. I know this is a trilogy, and I also know that the central book basically has nothing to do with P&P itself, so I may skip it. The writing and detail here are strong enough I will probably read the third, but already I can say that maybe the best of this type of book, as far as portraying a realistic portrait of Darcy (the actual P&P Darcy) may be Mr. Darcy's Diary. It is not nearly as complex. Not as well written. Not as well researched (and oddly mangles some quotes from the orignal book). But you at least recognize the characters involved in that one. This one...not so much. So 3 stars for a quality book -- the highest quality of all of these P&P revival books. But also no more than 3 stars because in many ways it essentially misses the whole point and charm of the original story while substituting in its own.
Better than other authors in the Darcy genre May 22, 2008
Such a delight to read! I've long loved the Jane Austen books, and what Jane Austen fan does not love Mr. Darcy? So after the recent Masterpiece collection on PBS inspired me to look back at the books, I was hungry for more. I've looked at other modern authors who are writing Austen-inspired novels (I will not name names), and some are pretty awful. This woman, who is a librarian, has put together a fine series of Darcy-side books. This novel is probably the best of the 3. The middle one I felt was a bit too "Northanger Abbey." But definitely read this one and the 3rd in the series. You know the characters already, so I don't have to tell you about them or the plot. Just know that this woman can write, and that makes her books a delight to read for those of us who want to "fill in the gaps" of the Darcy/Elizabeth romance. A+!
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