Mr. Darcy's Obsession

September 1, 2010
In her sixth Pride and Prejudice variation, Reynolds imagines what obstacles might have stood in the way of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcys love had Elizabeths father died, driving the Bennet family out of their estate at Longbourn. Elizabeths older sister Jane is forced to marry a much older shopkeeper, and Elizabeth moves in with her uncle and aunt Gardiner. Despite Elizabeths diminished circumstances, Darcy tracks her down, but when he finally gets around to proposing, she misinterprets his awkward bid for her hand as a request to become his mistress. As soon as that miscommunication is cleared up, Elizabeths younger sister Lydia shows up, pregnant and abandoned by a feckless military officer. Lydias situation necessitates Elizabeth return to her family, leaving Elizabeth to wonder if this latest disgrace will deter Darcys determination to marry her. Austen purists wont seek out Reynolds takeoffs, but readers who cant get enough of Darcy and Elizabeth will find that Reynolds does an admirable job of capturing the feel of the period in this entertaining diversion.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)