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A Walk in the Meadows at Rosings Park embodies Austen's cleverness and humor. From Mr. Collin's odious and unctuous personality to Mrs. Bennet's effusions and incivility, Simonsen's characterization is well-developed. In addition, Darcy and Elizabeth's repartee is cleverly written portraying the couple's playfulness and wit. Anne de Bourgh is not the sickly and fragile creature that Lady Catherine thinks and plays a role in bringing together Darcy and Elizabeth. Simonsen's writing engages the reader's emotions. While there were a few scenes that summoned feelings of frustration and dejection for Darcy and Elizabeth (mainly where they overcome the differences of their stations in life), the primary feeling I felt was delight. The spark and connection between Darcy and Elizabeth is palpable. I love a book that will keep a smile on my face, and that is exactly what this book did. The bonus short story included, Mr. Darcy Steps In, is a quick and enjoyable read as well. Mr. Collins' conceit and self importance are as evident as ever as well as Elizabeth Bennet's liveliness and impertinence. Again, Simonsen does a praiseworthy job of recreating Austen's characters. This story is quite comedic. The reader gets to see a mischievous and cunning side to Mr. Darcy as he attempts to persuade Mr. Collins from proposing to Elizabeth. Let's not forget how delightful the scene is when Elizabeth and Darcy declare their love for each other!
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Posted August 13, 2011
I was swept away by Elizabeth's wit and vivacity in this story, just as much as Mr. Darcy was. His retelling of Elizabeth's discussions with Lady Catherine, along with his account of how he and his cousins reacted to Elizabeth's remarks, makes it quite easy to see why he falls in love with Elizabeth. His improved manners and general awesomeness make it easy to understand why Elizabeth returns his feelings. This story lived up to Col. Fitzwilliam's canon reference to Darcy as, "lively enough in other places," because we see here a Darcy who is not immediately tongue-tied and awkward around Elizabeth, as he's currently in an environment where he is more at ease, supported by his trusted cousins. His representation is, therefore, completely consistent with canon, but different enough that it's easier for Elizabeth to question her first impression of him the previous fall. Elizabeth's side of this encounter is what really captivated me, though. She is quickly brought back to her very first impression of him in Meryton - before he opened his mouth - when she thought him a handsome man. And when a handsome man of 10,000 a year begins to show interest in her at Rosings, how is she to respond? There is the crux of the issue. Without the same sense of pride and prejudice between these two, merely one bad introduction months before, how great is the divide between them? I loved finding out the answer to that question. I usually try to include a critical element in all of my reviews, but in the case of this book, it's rather hard to find anything to critique! Here's my best shot: Mr. Darcy took seriously his first walk with Elizabeth. But I was a little bothered that it took his cousin to remind him precisely how seriously he needed to take it. On the other hand, it strikes me that the author managed to nicely set up a contrast there between Anne the advisor/Darcy the lovesick, heedless fool and Darcy the advisor/Bingley the lovesick, heedless fool. In which case, please forget my grumblings towards Darcy for not fully using his brain and, instead, applaud the author for her wit in cleverly illustrating Charlotte's film quote, "We are all fools in love." My only other comment isn't actually a critique, but merely an observation that for the purpose of the story the author has aged Georgiana a bit, making her 18 in this story instead of 15 or 16, which helps to eliminate some of the "ick" factor in her "Pride & Prejudice" relationship with George Wickham. It may have been common in Jane Austen's ere for 15-year-old girls to be involved with men in their late 20s, but in our era, it's rather beyond the pale. As a mom, I appreciate Ms. Simonsen's efforts in avoiding that.
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Posted September 11, 2011
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