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Overview
It's now a year after the wedding, and the time has come for Elizabeth and Darcy to invite their families to visit Pemberley—but not without trepidation, for any gathering that includes both Mrs. Bennet and Lady Catherine de Bourgh must occasion gaffes and hurt feelings. And when Darcy becomes increasingly distant and Elizabeth falls prey to vicious gossip, the forces of pride and prejudice are at work once again in this "eminently enjoyable" continuation of Pride and Prejudice (Los Angeles Times).
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780312361792 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | St. Martin's Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 08/08/2006 |
| Edition description: | First Edition |
| Pages: | 240 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.54(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Pemberley
Or Pride and Prejudice Continued
By Tennant, Emma
St. Martin's Griffin
Copyright © 2006
Tennant, Emma
All right reserved.
ISBN: 0312361793
Chapter One
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a married man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a son and heir.
So at least are the sentiments of all those related on both sides of the family; and there are others, besides, who might do better to keep their tongues from wagging on the fecundity or otherwise of a match.
"My dear Mrs Bennet," said Mrs Long one day to her friend, who was newly removed from Longbourn since the death of her husband, "do not you have a happy event to look forward to? I expect daily to hear news of your daughter Elizabeth and the charming Mr Darcy. I am most surprised to have heard nothing yet."
Mrs Bennet replied that she was not accustomed to hear from her daughter every day of the week.
"The news of an impending arrival in the family need only be communicated once," said Mrs Long. "Unless," she added after some reflection, "a girl is born first, and then there will need to be further communications, to be sure."
"My dear Mrs Long," said Mrs Bennet, who was accustomed to these taunts but was still unable to bear them, "I have enough to do, settling into this small house with only Mary to keep me company; and she is always in the library, as poor Mr Bennet was, when we were atLongbourn. I have no time for such speculations."
"You show all the courage in the world," replied Mrs Long; "and this is well known at Meryton. To have your home taken from you when you have many years to live yet . . ."
"And two daughters still unmarried," said Mrs Bennet, glad to find herself in a conversation more agreeable to her. "For even if Kitty does stay with my dear Jane at Barlow, and with Lizzy at Pemberley, the girl is unmarried and may return here any day now, to eat me out of house and home."
Mrs Long remarked that the entail of Longbourn to a distant male cousin, Mr Collins, had been a great misfortune to the Bennet family; and she remarked again that Mrs Bennet's fortitude and bravery in removing from her home was noted by the whole neighbourhood.
"I am very well provided for here," said Mrs Bennet, who did not care for the excessive sympathy of the neighbourhood. "Mr Darcy has been most generous, as you know, and has enabled me to buy this house. Mr Bennet, I am sorry to say, made no provision for his wife and daughters."
"To have Mr Darcy as a son-in-law must be wonderful indeed," said Mrs Long. "You must feel truly indebted to him, for none of us can see that you would have had a roof over your head if your Elizabeth had not married a man with a generous nature and ten thousand a year."
"On the contrary," cried Mrs Bennet, who again disliked the way in which Mrs Long turned the conversation, "it is Mr Darcy who must be indebted to me."
Copyright 1993 by Emma Tennant. All rights reserved.
Continues...
Excerpted from Pemberley
by Tennant, Emma
Copyright © 2006 by Tennant, Emma.
Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Reading Group Guide
As Jane Austen's beloved novel Pride and Prejudice comes to a close, Elizabeth Bennet proudly announces her engagement to Mr. Darcy, boasting, "We are to be the happiest couple in the world." But after the nuptials, can a marriage between two people as strong-willed as Elizabeth and Darcy survive? With all the wit and style of Jane Austen, Emma Tennant brilliantly imagines both the perils and pleasure of such a marriage.
It's now a year after the wedding, and the time has come for Elizabeth and Darcy to invite their families to visit Pemberley—but not without trepidation, for any gathering that includes both Mrs. Bennet and Lady Catherine de Bourgh must occasion gaffes and hurt feelings. And when Darcy becomes increasingly distant and Elizabeth falls prey to vicious gossip, the forces of pride and prejudice are at work once again in this "eminently enjoyable" continuation of Pride and Prejudice (Los Angeles Times).
1. Pemberley opens with the married life—and worries—of Elizabeth Bennet, now Mrs. Darcy. Do you sympathize when Lizzy feels daunted by her new responsibilities, or should she be counting her blessings at having caught
Mr. Darcy?
2. How do you view Mrs. Bennet? Is she a mother-in-law gone too far, or do you secretly feel sorry for an elderly woman trying to keep her head up in a sea of snobbery?
3. Pride and Prejudice is built on misunderstandings and then clarification. Do you feel that Lizzy should trust her husband more, now that he has given her romance and security?
4. How do you think the desire and need for a child to cement a union has—or hasn't—changed since Jane Austen's day?
5. Do you find Master Roper, who will inherit Pemberley if Lizzy does not give birth to a son, as ridiculous and unappealing as she does? Or is he also a victim in this hierarchical society?
6. Jane is the eldest sister, but Lizzy has overtaken her. Do you recognize any sibling jealousy in Jane? How would the story be different if told through her eyes?
7. In Pride and Prejudice, Darcy is described as having fallen "violently in love" with Elizabeth Bennet. How does that translate into his married life in Pemberley?
8. The most antagonistic character in the book is Lady Catherine de Bourgh. What do you think of the way that Lizzy deals with Darcy's aunt? Is theirs a "healthy" family relationship?
9. Where do you think the comedy belongs in this story—in finding social embarrassment in the lives of the rich and famous, such as the Darcys, or in recognizing the common humanity of the characters?
10. To what extent does Lizzy's pregnancy supply a satisfactory ending to the story? What do you think might happen next?