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Mr. Darcy, Vampyre
A married man in possession of a dark fortune must be in want of an eternal wife...
My hand is trembling as I write this letter. My nerves are in tatters and I am so altered that I believe you would not recognize me. The past two months have been a nightmarish whirl of strange and disturbing circumstances, and the future...
I am afraid.
If anything happens to me, remember that I love you and that my spirit will always be with you, though we may never see each other again. The world is a cold and frightening place where nothing is as it seems.
My hand is trembling as I write this letter. My nerves are in tatters and I am so altered that I believe you would not recognize me. The past two months have been a nightmarish whirl of strange and disturbing circumstances, and the future...
I am afraid.
If anything happens to me, remember that I love you and that my spirit will always be with you, though we may never see each other again. The world is a cold and frightening place where nothing is as it seems.
308 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2009
About the author
Amanda Grange
39 books705 followersAmanda Grange was born in Yorkshire and spent her teenage years reading Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer whilst also finding time to study music at Nottingham University. She has had twenty-five novels published including six Jane Austen retellings, which look at events from the heroes' points of view. She has also had two books published under different names: Murder at Whitegates Manor (as Eleanor Tyler; a Regency cosy crime murder mystery) and The Rake (as Amy Watson; a very light and frothy Regency romance).
Woman said of Mr Darcy's Diary: "Lots of fun, this is the tale behind the alpha male," whilst The Washington Post called Mr Knightley's Diary "affectionate". The Historical Novels Review made Captain Wentworth's Diary an Editors' Choice, remarking, "Amanda Grange has hit upon a winning formula."
Austenblog declared that Colonel Brandon's Diary was "the best book yet in her series of heroes' diaries."
Amanda Grange now lives in Cheshire. Her profile photo was taken at the Jane Austen House Museum, Chawton. The museum is well worth a visit!
You can find out more by visiting her website at http://www.amandagrange.com You can also follow her on Twitter @hromanceuk and find her on Facebook
Woman said of Mr Darcy's Diary: "Lots of fun, this is the tale behind the alpha male," whilst The Washington Post called Mr Knightley's Diary "affectionate". The Historical Novels Review made Captain Wentworth's Diary an Editors' Choice, remarking, "Amanda Grange has hit upon a winning formula."
Austenblog declared that Colonel Brandon's Diary was "the best book yet in her series of heroes' diaries."
Amanda Grange now lives in Cheshire. Her profile photo was taken at the Jane Austen House Museum, Chawton. The museum is well worth a visit!
You can find out more by visiting her website at http://www.amandagrange.com You can also follow her on Twitter @hromanceuk and find her on Facebook
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 919 reviews
January 29, 2010
This book has the most audacious title I have seen in years. In just two words, it conveys everything a reader may expect within. No mystery here: before even turning a page we know that this will be the most shameless attempt to cash in on the successes of Pride and Prejudice and Twilight yet. Yes! Let us dive into the depths of our id! Let us wallow in our love of costume dramas and supernatural romance! Let us splash around in the shallowest end of the literary pool!
Alas. This book is not so bad that it's good. It's just bad. Elizabeth is transformed into a paper-cut-out: her inner monologue has as much snap as a limp noodle. Mr.Darcy's dialog is limited to periodic pronouncements on Elizabeth's beauty or the doomed quality of their marriage. There is absolutely no irony in this book. (How does someone even ATTEMPT an Austen rip-off without including sarcasm?) The vampires--er, "vampyres", are utterly without menace. There's little dialog, no characters worth remembering, and no plot until nearly 300 pages in. Eventually (SPOILERS), Elizabeth cures Mr.Darcy of his vampyrism through the power of her lurve. And...that's it. That's the entire book.
I will never get that hour of my life back.
Alas. This book is not so bad that it's good. It's just bad. Elizabeth is transformed into a paper-cut-out: her inner monologue has as much snap as a limp noodle. Mr.Darcy's dialog is limited to periodic pronouncements on Elizabeth's beauty or the doomed quality of their marriage. There is absolutely no irony in this book. (How does someone even ATTEMPT an Austen rip-off without including sarcasm?) The vampires--er, "vampyres", are utterly without menace. There's little dialog, no characters worth remembering, and no plot until nearly 300 pages in. Eventually (SPOILERS), Elizabeth cures Mr.Darcy of his vampyrism through the power of her lurve. And...that's it. That's the entire book.
I will never get that hour of my life back.
September 1, 2009
Elizabeth Bennet couldn't be happier on the morning of her double wedding with her sister Jane: she's very much in love with Mr Darcy and excited about the life to come. Yet from the moment the ceremony is concluded she detects something troubling Darcy - a brief look of torment on his face, a hint of pensive abstraction, and a sudden change of plans with their honeymoon. But she also sees the look of love on his face, and if he isn't coming to her at night she's sure it must be due to some consideration for her.
Instead of travelling through the Lake District as they had originally planned, Darcy takes Lizzy to Paris, where the social gulf between them seems impossibly wide and yet not there at all. Darcy is kind and caring but still aloof, still keeping his distance. Comments dropped or overheard lead Lizzy to dwell on the idea that his family think she is beneath him, socially, but every time she asks Darcy if he regrets marrying her his reassurances put her at ease.
His wide circle of European friends are entertaining but something continues to disturb Darcy; looking for advice on this problem that he won't tell Lizzy about, he takes her to visit his uncle, a count who lives in a castle in the Alps. Things there are stranger still - the servants seem afraid of Lizzy, there are no mirrors anywhere, and beasts with glowing red eyes lurk in the forest. During a night of danger Darcy and Lizzy make their escape into Italy, where days of happiness cannot quell the glimpses of anguish she catches on Darcy's face, or mask the fact that he is still keeping his distance.
Lizzy fears they have made a mistake in marrying, but the truth is much bigger and darker and Darcy will do anything to protect Lizzy from it - until the truth is taken out of his hands by one far older and more dangerous than he, who has his sights set on Elizabeth Darcy.
I know, I didn't mention the word "vampire" once in that summery, even though the title spells it out for you. It's an unnecessary word, funnily enough. This is horror like Frankenstein is horror - all atmosphere and suspense and shifting shadows and a sense of wrongness, rather than nasty frights and terror in the night. And it works very well. In fact, there were times during the story where I forgot that really, really, it wasn't "true" and started thinking back over scenes in Pride and Prejudice and how everything made sense now. Strange isn't it?
One of the things I'm grateful for is that Grange didn't try to imitate Austen's style - that never, or rarely, works, and just makes the whole thing contrived and embarrassing. Yes I'm thinking of Janet Aylmer's Darcy's Story here, in particular. The prose in Mr Darcy, Vampyre isn't particularly "old fashioned" in style, but neither is it jarringly contemporary. It's smooth and swift and light. I wished for more lengthy passages rather than shorter scenes linked together by short descriptions and brief dialogue - easy to read, but something more detailed and more involved would have increased the atmosphere and suspense even more and made it a slower but ultimately satisfying read. There was too much telling and not enough showing.
I did greatly enjoy this, though, and I found it hard to put down - especially as vampire clichés were sparse and I was curious as to what form the truth would take, as well as how Lizzy would find out - but it made me want more. That's the whole point, isn't it, of all these P&P spin-offs - whenever something, especially a romantic couple, is this captivating we want to read more of them. There's a lot of chemistry between Lizzy and Darcy here, which is particularly gripping and adds a dark and hungry (unsated) edge to the story, but I wanted more. They just weren't together enough, you don't get enough interaction. Well, you get quite a lot I'm sure but it never feels enough.
There were a few things never properly explained, like why the count's servants were fearful of Lizzy and why the mob would not tolerate her, when she's the human one. References are made to P&P that anchor the story, and it was cute watching Lizzy and Darcy reminisce over the mean things they once said to each other. Lizzy was captured perfectly, and while she doesn't change much over the course of this story her character is one that can always hold a reader's attention. Darcy is just as complex as ever, and certainly sympathetic - you can really grow to love him here, and care for him in a way that he never really let you do in the original. Thankfully, unlike some other sequels, it never sinks into melodrama.
Because the story takes place in Europe and far removed from Elizabeth's family, it has the advantage of embracing a whole new story without the feel of Austen glaring disapprovingly over your shoulder - if you've never read Pride and Prejudice you can easily pick this book up and enjoy it (it might even make you want to read the classic). This is one sequel that stands out from all the rest in more ways than one, delivering an original premise (compared to the other sequels) that actually, surprisingly works, and a very solid grasp of the familiar and beloved characters.
Instead of travelling through the Lake District as they had originally planned, Darcy takes Lizzy to Paris, where the social gulf between them seems impossibly wide and yet not there at all. Darcy is kind and caring but still aloof, still keeping his distance. Comments dropped or overheard lead Lizzy to dwell on the idea that his family think she is beneath him, socially, but every time she asks Darcy if he regrets marrying her his reassurances put her at ease.
His wide circle of European friends are entertaining but something continues to disturb Darcy; looking for advice on this problem that he won't tell Lizzy about, he takes her to visit his uncle, a count who lives in a castle in the Alps. Things there are stranger still - the servants seem afraid of Lizzy, there are no mirrors anywhere, and beasts with glowing red eyes lurk in the forest. During a night of danger Darcy and Lizzy make their escape into Italy, where days of happiness cannot quell the glimpses of anguish she catches on Darcy's face, or mask the fact that he is still keeping his distance.
Lizzy fears they have made a mistake in marrying, but the truth is much bigger and darker and Darcy will do anything to protect Lizzy from it - until the truth is taken out of his hands by one far older and more dangerous than he, who has his sights set on Elizabeth Darcy.
I know, I didn't mention the word "vampire" once in that summery, even though the title spells it out for you. It's an unnecessary word, funnily enough. This is horror like Frankenstein is horror - all atmosphere and suspense and shifting shadows and a sense of wrongness, rather than nasty frights and terror in the night. And it works very well. In fact, there were times during the story where I forgot that really, really, it wasn't "true" and started thinking back over scenes in Pride and Prejudice and how everything made sense now. Strange isn't it?
One of the things I'm grateful for is that Grange didn't try to imitate Austen's style - that never, or rarely, works, and just makes the whole thing contrived and embarrassing. Yes I'm thinking of Janet Aylmer's Darcy's Story here, in particular. The prose in Mr Darcy, Vampyre isn't particularly "old fashioned" in style, but neither is it jarringly contemporary. It's smooth and swift and light. I wished for more lengthy passages rather than shorter scenes linked together by short descriptions and brief dialogue - easy to read, but something more detailed and more involved would have increased the atmosphere and suspense even more and made it a slower but ultimately satisfying read. There was too much telling and not enough showing.
I did greatly enjoy this, though, and I found it hard to put down - especially as vampire clichés were sparse and I was curious as to what form the truth would take, as well as how Lizzy would find out - but it made me want more. That's the whole point, isn't it, of all these P&P spin-offs - whenever something, especially a romantic couple, is this captivating we want to read more of them. There's a lot of chemistry between Lizzy and Darcy here, which is particularly gripping and adds a dark and hungry (unsated) edge to the story, but I wanted more. They just weren't together enough, you don't get enough interaction. Well, you get quite a lot I'm sure but it never feels enough.
There were a few things never properly explained, like why the count's servants were fearful of Lizzy and why the mob would not tolerate her, when she's the human one. References are made to P&P that anchor the story, and it was cute watching Lizzy and Darcy reminisce over the mean things they once said to each other. Lizzy was captured perfectly, and while she doesn't change much over the course of this story her character is one that can always hold a reader's attention. Darcy is just as complex as ever, and certainly sympathetic - you can really grow to love him here, and care for him in a way that he never really let you do in the original. Thankfully, unlike some other sequels, it never sinks into melodrama.
Because the story takes place in Europe and far removed from Elizabeth's family, it has the advantage of embracing a whole new story without the feel of Austen glaring disapprovingly over your shoulder - if you've never read Pride and Prejudice you can easily pick this book up and enjoy it (it might even make you want to read the classic). This is one sequel that stands out from all the rest in more ways than one, delivering an original premise (compared to the other sequels) that actually, surprisingly works, and a very solid grasp of the familiar and beloved characters.
May 12, 2016
I was so looking forward to this book, but it totally missed the mark for me.
For starters, nothing even remotely vampire-related happens until around page 200, with the exception of a few veiled comments that Darcy & Elizabeth's marriage won't work out because they are "too different." Elizabeth takes this to mean the differences in their social statuses.
Elizabeth spends the first 200 pages wondering while on her honeymoon why her new husband has not consummated their marriage. The honeymoon has been switched at the last minute from the Lake District to Paris, and then to other locations for mysterious reasons. Lots and lots of descriptions of various countrysides, locations, and visits with Darcy's friends and relatives.
Darcy throughout the book is aloof -- his character is almost detached from the story. He is written as a rather one-dimensional character, almost like somebody offstage. He just doesn't have much of a presence in the book.
Once the vampire action does finally begin ... it's just not very impressive. Perhaps this is because I am a big paranormal fan and have read so much vampire fiction.
I could not recommend this book to anyone but the most strongly devoted Jane Austen fan.
What a letdown. This book in the right hands could have been amazing! True blue Jane Austen fans might gasp in horror at the thought of Jane's books being so ... transformed? ravaged? ripped off?, but it could have been great fun.
For starters, nothing even remotely vampire-related happens until around page 200, with the exception of a few veiled comments that Darcy & Elizabeth's marriage won't work out because they are "too different." Elizabeth takes this to mean the differences in their social statuses.
Elizabeth spends the first 200 pages wondering while on her honeymoon why her new husband has not consummated their marriage. The honeymoon has been switched at the last minute from the Lake District to Paris, and then to other locations for mysterious reasons. Lots and lots of descriptions of various countrysides, locations, and visits with Darcy's friends and relatives.
Darcy throughout the book is aloof -- his character is almost detached from the story. He is written as a rather one-dimensional character, almost like somebody offstage. He just doesn't have much of a presence in the book.
Once the vampire action does finally begin ... it's just not very impressive. Perhaps this is because I am a big paranormal fan and have read so much vampire fiction.
I could not recommend this book to anyone but the most strongly devoted Jane Austen fan.
What a letdown. This book in the right hands could have been amazing! True blue Jane Austen fans might gasp in horror at the thought of Jane's books being so ... transformed? ravaged? ripped off?, but it could have been great fun.
August 9, 2009
Inquiring readers: The following is the third of three reviews I placed on my blog. In this instance, one is enough. I probably should have simply stayed with this one. Here, then, is Mrs. Darcy's letter to her sister Jane about her strange marriage to Mr. Darcy:
My dearest Jane,
Well, what a crock, as they say in 21st century America! I’ve had to delve a full 250 pages into Mr. Darcy Vampyre to find out what was going to happen to us. And then the plot was so rushed and jumbled that I never did received an adequate explanation of how vampyres came to be, or what exactly Mr. Darcy ate in order to survive for 150 years. Upon my honor, Jane, I am aware that men are not particularly conversant when it comes to giving out details, but I’d had no notion that Mr. Darcy suffered from a verbal disability. He could not for the life of him adequately explain his strange tale. In describing one of the most important events of his life – that of turning into a vampyre – he took all of 21 words. (STOP!: Major Spoiler Alert: “The woman turned to me, her fangs dripping red and then she was next to me and my neck was pierced”).
Ms. Anne Rice took pages and pages to describe the writhing tormenting death that humans go through to turn into vampyres, and even Ms. Stephanie Meyers hinted that the transformation was quite unpleasantly painful, but all I got from Mr. Darcy was twenty one itty bitty little words. In addition he made it sound as if turning into a vampyre was an ordinary event, with Mrs. Reynolds, the housekeeper, choosing to join the merry Pemberley vampyre band, although, to give Ms. Grange her due, my husband’s face WAS shadowed as he related these events.
Any discerning reader knows that Ms. Meyers can’t write her way out of a paper bag, but at least with Twilight she told a rousing good tale. Ms. Meyers also gave the reader ample glimpses of Edward Cullen’s mental torment and extraordinary physical skills. Ms Grange’s story of my life with Mr. Darcy is, frankly, missing the otherworldly touches and sensuality that vampyre fans have come to expect as their due. (Either that or humor, which is also absent. And you know how I am renowned for my BITING wit, hah!) Her hints about my husband are so thinly scattered in 5/6th of the book that they left me feeling confused rather than threatened. To say that suspense was lacking in our tale is to state the obvious. In the instances when Ms. Grange eschewed Bram Stoker’s lore, her vampyre rules seemed jerry rigged, for they sprung up from nowhere, unsupported by a well thought out back story. I could never quite tell (except in a few meagre scenes at the end) which super powers my husband had supposedly acquired, how ancient vampyres ruled their vampyre empire, or how conflicted Mr. Darcy felt watching those he loved grow old and die whilst he lived on forever.
There was a lot of telling in this book, but very little showing, and scent and touch were largely missing. Never was a more sensual and sensuous vampyre created than The Vampire Lestat, and I felt that my Mr. Darcy deserved at the very least the rich, decadent and multi-layered descriptions that Anne Rice gave her own vampire. But it was not to be. Ms. Grange turned Mr. Darcy into a milque toastie vampyre when I frankly would have preferred someone darker.
To add insult to injury, I am also suffering from a major letdown. When Mr. Darcy and I finally came together as one, Ms. Grange glossed over our glorious moments in a single paragraph. I kid you not. My love for Darcy SAVED him from eternal damnation and hell, (and crumbling buildings, fissures, and falling statues) so that at the very least I deserved to sing soprano as our entwined souls soared to the rafters! Instead I merely trembled and weakened. I’m done and refuse to lend my good name (and Mr. Darcy’s) to another sequel. My husband and I are headed for England and the hallowed halls of Pemberley, for I am genuinely concerned about your last letter. Your cryptic statement informing me that our friends the Misses Dashwood were abducted by a giant octopus leaves me most anxious to use my zombie slayer warrior skills to save them.
Love,
Mrs. Darcy, Once sang alto, now sings soprano
Vic gives this book One and 1/2 fangs out of four fangs, mostly for trying, for as a travel log the book is quite satisfying.
My dearest Jane,
Well, what a crock, as they say in 21st century America! I’ve had to delve a full 250 pages into Mr. Darcy Vampyre to find out what was going to happen to us. And then the plot was so rushed and jumbled that I never did received an adequate explanation of how vampyres came to be, or what exactly Mr. Darcy ate in order to survive for 150 years. Upon my honor, Jane, I am aware that men are not particularly conversant when it comes to giving out details, but I’d had no notion that Mr. Darcy suffered from a verbal disability. He could not for the life of him adequately explain his strange tale. In describing one of the most important events of his life – that of turning into a vampyre – he took all of 21 words. (STOP!: Major Spoiler Alert: “The woman turned to me, her fangs dripping red and then she was next to me and my neck was pierced”).
Ms. Anne Rice took pages and pages to describe the writhing tormenting death that humans go through to turn into vampyres, and even Ms. Stephanie Meyers hinted that the transformation was quite unpleasantly painful, but all I got from Mr. Darcy was twenty one itty bitty little words. In addition he made it sound as if turning into a vampyre was an ordinary event, with Mrs. Reynolds, the housekeeper, choosing to join the merry Pemberley vampyre band, although, to give Ms. Grange her due, my husband’s face WAS shadowed as he related these events.
Any discerning reader knows that Ms. Meyers can’t write her way out of a paper bag, but at least with Twilight she told a rousing good tale. Ms. Meyers also gave the reader ample glimpses of Edward Cullen’s mental torment and extraordinary physical skills. Ms Grange’s story of my life with Mr. Darcy is, frankly, missing the otherworldly touches and sensuality that vampyre fans have come to expect as their due. (Either that or humor, which is also absent. And you know how I am renowned for my BITING wit, hah!) Her hints about my husband are so thinly scattered in 5/6th of the book that they left me feeling confused rather than threatened. To say that suspense was lacking in our tale is to state the obvious. In the instances when Ms. Grange eschewed Bram Stoker’s lore, her vampyre rules seemed jerry rigged, for they sprung up from nowhere, unsupported by a well thought out back story. I could never quite tell (except in a few meagre scenes at the end) which super powers my husband had supposedly acquired, how ancient vampyres ruled their vampyre empire, or how conflicted Mr. Darcy felt watching those he loved grow old and die whilst he lived on forever.
There was a lot of telling in this book, but very little showing, and scent and touch were largely missing. Never was a more sensual and sensuous vampyre created than The Vampire Lestat, and I felt that my Mr. Darcy deserved at the very least the rich, decadent and multi-layered descriptions that Anne Rice gave her own vampire. But it was not to be. Ms. Grange turned Mr. Darcy into a milque toastie vampyre when I frankly would have preferred someone darker.
To add insult to injury, I am also suffering from a major letdown. When Mr. Darcy and I finally came together as one, Ms. Grange glossed over our glorious moments in a single paragraph. I kid you not. My love for Darcy SAVED him from eternal damnation and hell, (and crumbling buildings, fissures, and falling statues) so that at the very least I deserved to sing soprano as our entwined souls soared to the rafters! Instead I merely trembled and weakened. I’m done and refuse to lend my good name (and Mr. Darcy’s) to another sequel. My husband and I are headed for England and the hallowed halls of Pemberley, for I am genuinely concerned about your last letter. Your cryptic statement informing me that our friends the Misses Dashwood were abducted by a giant octopus leaves me most anxious to use my zombie slayer warrior skills to save them.
Love,
Mrs. Darcy, Once sang alto, now sings soprano
Vic gives this book One and 1/2 fangs out of four fangs, mostly for trying, for as a travel log the book is quite satisfying.
March 28, 2012
wow...nothing at all really happens in this book. Oh, pg. 235, they finally start to talk about all the 'off' things that happened before. But still, nothing much happens.
Ok, wait, yeah, there is this really exciting part where Elizabeth is about to be kidnapped by this evil Ancient One...Oh wait, that was only about 3 pages long. Hold on (flipping pages towards the end...)Oh yeah, then there's this part where Darcy is about to FINALLY do what he was meant to do then....he stops.
Then they figure out a way for him to no longer be a Vampyre. Ok then... so they go find an ancient Roman temple and within 15 min of finding that, Darcy is back to being human. Then they leave on a boat to go back to Pemberley.
So basically, the premise of this book looked great...in reality, you just kept waiting for something to happen. All it is is 225+ pages of Elizabeth wondering why Darcy doesn't love her anymore, wrongly assuming that it's because she didn't bring enough fortune to the marriage.
Oh yeah....and all the "Remember when we were in Meryton, and I said that really clever thing to you, and you thought I was witty/prideful/beautiful/good-hearted? Remember that? That was great!" just got to be really annoying.
Oh yeah....and sprinkling in words like 'begrimed' and 'whilst' and 'besmirched' doesn't give your book a Austenian feel to it. It's annoying, so stop it.
Ok, wait, yeah, there is this really exciting part where Elizabeth is about to be kidnapped by this evil Ancient One...Oh wait, that was only about 3 pages long. Hold on (flipping pages towards the end...)Oh yeah, then there's this part where Darcy is about to FINALLY do what he was meant to do then....he stops.
Then they figure out a way for him to no longer be a Vampyre. Ok then... so they go find an ancient Roman temple and within 15 min of finding that, Darcy is back to being human. Then they leave on a boat to go back to Pemberley.
So basically, the premise of this book looked great...in reality, you just kept waiting for something to happen. All it is is 225+ pages of Elizabeth wondering why Darcy doesn't love her anymore, wrongly assuming that it's because she didn't bring enough fortune to the marriage.
Oh yeah....and all the "Remember when we were in Meryton, and I said that really clever thing to you, and you thought I was witty/prideful/beautiful/good-hearted? Remember that? That was great!" just got to be really annoying.
Oh yeah....and sprinkling in words like 'begrimed' and 'whilst' and 'besmirched' doesn't give your book a Austenian feel to it. It's annoying, so stop it.
September 18, 2017
Overall I enjoyed this book. I would not recommend it to someone looking for a "classic"story as it is not that. The story is best taken as a vampire novel not as a spin off of 'pride and prejudice'.
It's a good 'light hearted ' vampire novel, nothing gory or terrifying an easy book to read. I would give it 3.5 stars.
It's a good 'light hearted ' vampire novel, nothing gory or terrifying an easy book to read. I would give it 3.5 stars.
January 8, 2011
Dulu waktu masih SD, gue punya temen baik yang tinggal di deket rumah, namanya Devi. Setiap pulang sekolah, kami pasti main bareng. Gue seneng banget main ke rumah Devi. Soalnya papanya Devi selalu beliin Devi buku-buku cerita. Dari buku-buku yang gue baca di rumah Devi ini lah, gue jadi tahu kisah-kisah terkenal karangan Hans Christian Andersen.
Salah satu buku yang paling gue suka, adalah buku dimana kita bisa memilih sendiri akhir ceritanya. Kalau nggak salah inget sih, dulu buku yang gue baca itu adalah buku Beauty and the Beast. Tapi kita bisa pilih sendiri jalan ceritanya. Misalnya seperti ini, "Belle memasuki sebuah hutan yang gelap. Akhirnya ia tiba di persimpangan dengan dua cabang, kanan dan kiri. Kemana kah ia akan melanjutkan perjalanannya? Jika kamu ingin Belle memilih jalan ke kanan, buka halaman 27. Tapi jika kamu ingin Belle melanjutkan jalan ke kiri, buka halaman 28."
Setiap pilihan yang kita ambil, akan menghasilkan jalan cerita yang berbeda. Walaupun terkadang, ada juga yang jalan ceritanya sengaja dirancang sedemikian rupa hingga apapun pilihan yang diambil, hasil akhirnya tetap sama.
Misalnya, kalau memilih ke kanan, Belle akan sampai ke sebuah salon (salon? di tengah hutan?) yang dijaga oleh seorang kapster cantik yang ternyata dulunya laki-laki tapi berhasil menjalani operasi ganti kelamin di Thailand.
Dan kalau Belle memilih ke kiri, ia akan sampai ke sebuah peternakan anjing gembala Jerman dan Belle akan dikejar-kejar sampai asma dan ia baru berhenti di depan sebuah salon. (iye, salon yang tadi. Yang di tengah hutan. Yang kapsternya cantik dan berhasil ganti kelamin di Thailand..)
Saking kepengen tahu sama semua versi cerita yang ada, kadang-kadang gue sampe baca berkali-kali. Tapi cukup puas juga waktu tahu kalau pilihan jalan cerita yang gue bikin, adalah jalan cerita yang paling baik buat tokohnya.
Toh, kapster salonnya ternyata adalah jelmaan ibu peri. Jadi, lumayan aja kan, kalo bisa nyampe salon tanpa harus dikejar-kejar anjing gembala Jerman dulu..
Tapi kemudian selesai kelas 5 SD, Devi pindah ke Papua :'(
Jadi ngga ada yang bisa dipinjem lagi bukunya.
Tapi waktu SMP, gue menemukan buku cerita yang serupa dari seri Goosebumps. Yang ini lebih ribet lagi. Karena bentuknya novel, dan jumlah halamannya bisa sampe 80-an. Dan yang lebih gila lagi, ada banyak banget versi yang bisa dipilih. Dan untuk tahu semua versi jalan ceritanya, gue sampe mesti nulis urutan halaman yang gue baca. Hahaha.
Membaca buku ini, jadi mengingatkan gue sama kesenangan membaca pas jaman SD. Bedanya, kali ini bukan gue yang memutuskan mau jalan cerita yang seperti apa buat Elizabeth Bennet dan Mr. Darcy. Tapi si pengarang.
Seandainya buku ini gue baca jauh sebelum gue membaca Twilight Saga, pasti kesan yang ditinggalkan akan berbeda. Tapi, boleh dibilang gue saat ini udah ngga tertarik lagi sama vampir. Mau yang ganteng dan pernah sekolah di Hogwarts kek, atau yang spellingnya vampyre instead of vampire kek, yang warna-warni berkilauan macam permen fox di bawah sinar matahari kek, ataupun yang transparan dan ngga bisa keluar saat matahari terbit atau terbenam. Terserah deh.
Jadi, kesan yang ditinggalkan dari membaca buku ini adalah, "Apa banget deh? Kok Mr. Darcy malah jadi vampyre? Meh.
*lempar buku. nyalain komputer. main The Sims.*
Tapi gue salut juga sama pengarangnya. Awal-awal baca halaman pertama aja udah disuguhin sama jalan cerita yang rumit. Kayaknya si pengarang bener-bener napak tilas semua lokasi kejadian dalam cerita aslinya. Banyak banget nama tempat yang disebutin, bok!
Kalo gue beneran guru geografi yang arif dan berbudi sih ya, gue pasti baca buku itu sambil buka peta dunia deh. Sayang aja gue guru geografi yang rendah hati. Jadi ngga sok-sokan baca novel sambil belajar peta buta.
Selain ide ceritanya, yang ngeganggu juga adalah banyaknya typo di dalam buku. Rrrrhh...
*geram. mengepalkan kedua tangan. tulis nama editornya, tempelin ke boneka vodoo, tusuk-tusuk pake jarum pentul*
Typo itu mengganggu, Samira. Sungguh. Apalagi kalo kebanyakan. Perlu saya tunjukin typonya ada di halaman berapa aja hah? hah?!?
Lain kali pake kacamata, ya.
Atau atur tampilan di komputer kamu pake zoom 350% waktu kamu mengedit buku lainnya. Huh.
Salah satu buku yang paling gue suka, adalah buku dimana kita bisa memilih sendiri akhir ceritanya. Kalau nggak salah inget sih, dulu buku yang gue baca itu adalah buku Beauty and the Beast. Tapi kita bisa pilih sendiri jalan ceritanya. Misalnya seperti ini, "Belle memasuki sebuah hutan yang gelap. Akhirnya ia tiba di persimpangan dengan dua cabang, kanan dan kiri. Kemana kah ia akan melanjutkan perjalanannya? Jika kamu ingin Belle memilih jalan ke kanan, buka halaman 27. Tapi jika kamu ingin Belle melanjutkan jalan ke kiri, buka halaman 28."
Setiap pilihan yang kita ambil, akan menghasilkan jalan cerita yang berbeda. Walaupun terkadang, ada juga yang jalan ceritanya sengaja dirancang sedemikian rupa hingga apapun pilihan yang diambil, hasil akhirnya tetap sama.
Misalnya, kalau memilih ke kanan, Belle akan sampai ke sebuah salon (salon? di tengah hutan?) yang dijaga oleh seorang kapster cantik yang ternyata dulunya laki-laki tapi berhasil menjalani operasi ganti kelamin di Thailand.
Dan kalau Belle memilih ke kiri, ia akan sampai ke sebuah peternakan anjing gembala Jerman dan Belle akan dikejar-kejar sampai asma dan ia baru berhenti di depan sebuah salon. (iye, salon yang tadi. Yang di tengah hutan. Yang kapsternya cantik dan berhasil ganti kelamin di Thailand..)
Saking kepengen tahu sama semua versi cerita yang ada, kadang-kadang gue sampe baca berkali-kali. Tapi cukup puas juga waktu tahu kalau pilihan jalan cerita yang gue bikin, adalah jalan cerita yang paling baik buat tokohnya.
Toh, kapster salonnya ternyata adalah jelmaan ibu peri. Jadi, lumayan aja kan, kalo bisa nyampe salon tanpa harus dikejar-kejar anjing gembala Jerman dulu..
Tapi kemudian selesai kelas 5 SD, Devi pindah ke Papua :'(
Jadi ngga ada yang bisa dipinjem lagi bukunya.
Tapi waktu SMP, gue menemukan buku cerita yang serupa dari seri Goosebumps. Yang ini lebih ribet lagi. Karena bentuknya novel, dan jumlah halamannya bisa sampe 80-an. Dan yang lebih gila lagi, ada banyak banget versi yang bisa dipilih. Dan untuk tahu semua versi jalan ceritanya, gue sampe mesti nulis urutan halaman yang gue baca. Hahaha.
Membaca buku ini, jadi mengingatkan gue sama kesenangan membaca pas jaman SD. Bedanya, kali ini bukan gue yang memutuskan mau jalan cerita yang seperti apa buat Elizabeth Bennet dan Mr. Darcy. Tapi si pengarang.
Seandainya buku ini gue baca jauh sebelum gue membaca Twilight Saga, pasti kesan yang ditinggalkan akan berbeda. Tapi, boleh dibilang gue saat ini udah ngga tertarik lagi sama vampir. Mau yang ganteng dan pernah sekolah di Hogwarts kek, atau yang spellingnya vampyre instead of vampire kek, yang warna-warni berkilauan macam permen fox di bawah sinar matahari kek, ataupun yang transparan dan ngga bisa keluar saat matahari terbit atau terbenam. Terserah deh.
Jadi, kesan yang ditinggalkan dari membaca buku ini adalah, "Apa banget deh? Kok Mr. Darcy malah jadi vampyre? Meh.
*lempar buku. nyalain komputer. main The Sims.*
Tapi gue salut juga sama pengarangnya. Awal-awal baca halaman pertama aja udah disuguhin sama jalan cerita yang rumit. Kayaknya si pengarang bener-bener napak tilas semua lokasi kejadian dalam cerita aslinya. Banyak banget nama tempat yang disebutin, bok!
Kalo gue beneran guru geografi yang arif dan berbudi sih ya, gue pasti baca buku itu sambil buka peta dunia deh. Sayang aja gue guru geografi yang rendah hati. Jadi ngga sok-sokan baca novel sambil belajar peta buta.
Selain ide ceritanya, yang ngeganggu juga adalah banyaknya typo di dalam buku. Rrrrhh...
*geram. mengepalkan kedua tangan. tulis nama editornya, tempelin ke boneka vodoo, tusuk-tusuk pake jarum pentul*
Typo itu mengganggu, Samira. Sungguh. Apalagi kalo kebanyakan. Perlu saya tunjukin typonya ada di halaman berapa aja hah? hah?!?
Lain kali pake kacamata, ya.
Atau atur tampilan di komputer kamu pake zoom 350% waktu kamu mengedit buku lainnya. Huh.
October 27, 2009
Imagine you are walking through a crowded shopping mall. As you walk you catch brief scents of things like the newest perfume, cinnamon buns, coffee, rubber soled shoes and human sweat. With each scent is attached a memory. The cinnamon buns remind you of the time your best friend was pregnant and everything she ate had to come from Cinnabon. The coffee reminds you of sitting at your favorite book store when you read that book, remember the one I'm talking about. The rubber soled shoes remind you of school clothes shopping with your mother, what a nightmare that was. . . Each memory is as brief as the scent is, they do not linger. That was the sensation I had when reading Mr. Darcy, Vampyre. I would catch a phrase, paragraph or sentence that would briefly, but not quite remind me of other books and movies I had once enjoyed. A bit of Dracula here, but not really. Almost a piece of Radiers of the Lost Ark, but no. . . Was that Twilight I saw, couldn't be. . . It was amazing how Grange was able to do this all the while making the vampire story her own.
I worried before reading this book that the vampyre story had been over done and there was nothing new a writer could bring to the table. I admit, I was wrong. Grange is able to make her vamprye utterly new and different. My favorite part of any vamprye story is their history, what have they done with all this time they have had to live? Grange is able to make her vamprye's history compelling, heart breaking and triumphant all at once.
I worried before reading this book that the vampyre story had been over done and there was nothing new a writer could bring to the table. I admit, I was wrong. Grange is able to make her vamprye utterly new and different. My favorite part of any vamprye story is their history, what have they done with all this time they have had to live? Grange is able to make her vamprye's history compelling, heart breaking and triumphant all at once.
August 9, 2009
If you do not know already, Pride and Prejudice is my all time favorite book and I have found it really hard to find any good related/sequel books. Since I love vampires and Pride & Prejudice I was really curious how this book would turn out. I’m glad to say I am pleasantly surprised by how well it was written.
The story picks up right before the wedding between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth and Jane and Mr. Bingley. I felt Grange stayed true to Lizzie’s character even while she is dealing with all the strangeness that occurs after her wedding day. What I enjoyed was that this book was not all blood and gore with the secret revelation by Mr. Darcy coming early on and it being an action/horror book. The main focus was still the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth. The style of writing was fun and enjoyable (is that redundant?). I enjoyed the little bits like when Elizabeth eats spaghetti for the first time.
If you are a fan of Pride and Prejudice then you should definitely check this one out. There are a lot of references to the original book but even so I think people who have not read Pride & Prejudice would still enjoy this book.
The story picks up right before the wedding between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth and Jane and Mr. Bingley. I felt Grange stayed true to Lizzie’s character even while she is dealing with all the strangeness that occurs after her wedding day. What I enjoyed was that this book was not all blood and gore with the secret revelation by Mr. Darcy coming early on and it being an action/horror book. The main focus was still the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth. The style of writing was fun and enjoyable (is that redundant?). I enjoyed the little bits like when Elizabeth eats spaghetti for the first time.
If you are a fan of Pride and Prejudice then you should definitely check this one out. There are a lot of references to the original book but even so I think people who have not read Pride & Prejudice would still enjoy this book.
September 8, 2009
I really can't say many positive things about this book. The concept was interesting, which drew me to read it, but that's about as good as it got.
Grange spends the first 3/5 of the book throwing Elizabeth around Europe with Darcy, going to a ball nearly every night in a different big city, like Paris or Venice. Throughout this traveling, we're subjected to dialogue from the original Pride and Prejudice regurgitated at the most random of moments: "Oh, Elizabeth, your hem is 6 inches deep in mud!" "Oh, haha! Mr. Darcy. Just as Caroline said the day I visited Jane at Netherfield! You are quite humorous." No exaggeration.
Then, 15 chapters in, SURPRISE! Elizabeth is in a dire situation where another vampire wants to kill her and it's Darcy to the rescue and a contrived explanation of events over dinner.
There is nothing remotely entertaining about this book, which is obviously meant to ride on the success of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Twilight. Do yourselves a favor, skip this completely and go pick up something that isn't half-assed rehash of a good literature.
Grange spends the first 3/5 of the book throwing Elizabeth around Europe with Darcy, going to a ball nearly every night in a different big city, like Paris or Venice. Throughout this traveling, we're subjected to dialogue from the original Pride and Prejudice regurgitated at the most random of moments: "Oh, Elizabeth, your hem is 6 inches deep in mud!" "Oh, haha! Mr. Darcy. Just as Caroline said the day I visited Jane at Netherfield! You are quite humorous." No exaggeration.
Then, 15 chapters in, SURPRISE! Elizabeth is in a dire situation where another vampire wants to kill her and it's Darcy to the rescue and a contrived explanation of events over dinner.
There is nothing remotely entertaining about this book, which is obviously meant to ride on the success of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Twilight. Do yourselves a favor, skip this completely and go pick up something that isn't half-assed rehash of a good literature.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2021
Esperaba que este libro fuera algo parecido a Orgullo y prejuicio y zombis, porque ese libro al menos me hizo reír bastante, pero no.
Este es un intento burdo de reunir Crepúsculo y Orgullo y prejuicio, o algo así, con una narración muy pobre, en la que no pasa nada y en la que el romance da más pena que otra cosa.
En fin, no se acerque, o hágalo bajo su propio riesgo.
Este es un intento burdo de reunir Crepúsculo y Orgullo y prejuicio, o algo así, con una narración muy pobre, en la que no pasa nada y en la que el romance da más pena que otra cosa.
En fin, no se acerque, o hágalo bajo su propio riesgo.
August 9, 2009
BOOK REVIEW:
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre-Amanda Grange
Release: August 11, 2009
Publisher: Sourcebooks
~Sia McKye~
I’ve read Pride and Prejudice more than once as well as many of Jane Austen’s stories. I’ve also enjoyed the screen adaptations of Pride and Prejudice. I will confess, however, I’m not a big fan of Austen fan fiction.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, aroused my curiosity. It was certainly a different take on the characters of Pride and Prejudice. Beloved Darcy as a Vampire? I wondered how Amanda Grange would handle the whole thing. Would she be true to the characters and the flavor of the era? Would she totally modernize the vocabulary and the actions of the characters and settings or maintain the expressions and culture of Regency England?
The story opens with Elizabeth and Jane preparing for their wedding. They are close friends as well as sisters and the essence of who they are was reassuringly present as was the dry commentary of Mr. Bennet and the flighty nerve wracked Mrs. Bennet. Proud Mr. Darcy is true to the original but slightly softened in his apparent affections for Lizzy.
The story is told from Lizzy’s point of view as was the original Pride and Prejudice. Through her eyes we see her thrill of marrying Darcy and her surprise that her honeymoon tour is not to be in Lake District, as she had thought, but will be a European tour. Lizzy is innocent in many ways, which is true to the women of the era, but she’s intelligent and perceptive. Through her eyes we see the sights and fun they’re having among the ton in Paris and the affection between them. Their travels take them beyond Paris to the Swiss Alps, Venice, and Italy. The author’s research is evident as she shows us the rich history and social culture in each location.
Amid the wonders and excitement of their travels, the tale slowly changes. Lizzy’s troubled because her expectations of her honeymoon isn’t met. Much of this is revealed in Lizzy’s letters to her sister, Jane. We also begin to see difference with Darcy and Lizzy’s growing unease as they meet many of Darcy’s ‘old’ friends. There are things said and done which puzzle her. The reader also sees some of Darcy’s previous actions in a different context.
Ms. Grange skillfully builds the tension and expands the darker thread into danger. She highlights Darcy’s growing fear for Lizzy and of himself. There is a powerful and dangerous foe operating behind the scenes. The visit to Darcy’s uncle has a true gothic feel to it and is well done.
I’d actually classify this story as a gothic in many ways. It’s not a light and frothy Regency as we’ve come to know of late. While it’s a love story it’s darker.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, starts out like a sunny day with a storm brewing on the horizon, which gradually hides the sun and changes the atmosphere. The storm blows in and is frightening but as with all storms the clouds dissipate. The sun does return and the world is made new and peace is restored.
I admire the skill of the author. Amanda Grange tells the story true to Austen’s characters and time; yet she is able to weave in a believable world of events within that time. This takes a talented storyteller because we have a precedent set in the original. For example, Darcy was present during the day, attended church, and there were no unexplained deaths in the area. She is also able to capture and blend the attitudes, perceptions, and the superstitions of the era. She also has the ability to touch our emotions with her characters; we fear for Lizzy and Darcy as danger surrounds them. She paces the story well and is very good with building conflict, tension, and peril.
I won’t spoil the ending, suffice to say, I loved it and the way she plays up the adventurous spirit of Englishmen of that time. It was a well-written story and one I enjoyed reading.
Amanda Grange's Mr. Darcy Vampyre will be available for purchase both online and in your favorite books store August 11, 2009
Be on the look out for it.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre-Amanda Grange
Release: August 11, 2009
Publisher: Sourcebooks
~Sia McKye~
I’ve read Pride and Prejudice more than once as well as many of Jane Austen’s stories. I’ve also enjoyed the screen adaptations of Pride and Prejudice. I will confess, however, I’m not a big fan of Austen fan fiction.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, aroused my curiosity. It was certainly a different take on the characters of Pride and Prejudice. Beloved Darcy as a Vampire? I wondered how Amanda Grange would handle the whole thing. Would she be true to the characters and the flavor of the era? Would she totally modernize the vocabulary and the actions of the characters and settings or maintain the expressions and culture of Regency England?
The story opens with Elizabeth and Jane preparing for their wedding. They are close friends as well as sisters and the essence of who they are was reassuringly present as was the dry commentary of Mr. Bennet and the flighty nerve wracked Mrs. Bennet. Proud Mr. Darcy is true to the original but slightly softened in his apparent affections for Lizzy.
The story is told from Lizzy’s point of view as was the original Pride and Prejudice. Through her eyes we see her thrill of marrying Darcy and her surprise that her honeymoon tour is not to be in Lake District, as she had thought, but will be a European tour. Lizzy is innocent in many ways, which is true to the women of the era, but she’s intelligent and perceptive. Through her eyes we see the sights and fun they’re having among the ton in Paris and the affection between them. Their travels take them beyond Paris to the Swiss Alps, Venice, and Italy. The author’s research is evident as she shows us the rich history and social culture in each location.
Amid the wonders and excitement of their travels, the tale slowly changes. Lizzy’s troubled because her expectations of her honeymoon isn’t met. Much of this is revealed in Lizzy’s letters to her sister, Jane. We also begin to see difference with Darcy and Lizzy’s growing unease as they meet many of Darcy’s ‘old’ friends. There are things said and done which puzzle her. The reader also sees some of Darcy’s previous actions in a different context.
Ms. Grange skillfully builds the tension and expands the darker thread into danger. She highlights Darcy’s growing fear for Lizzy and of himself. There is a powerful and dangerous foe operating behind the scenes. The visit to Darcy’s uncle has a true gothic feel to it and is well done.
I’d actually classify this story as a gothic in many ways. It’s not a light and frothy Regency as we’ve come to know of late. While it’s a love story it’s darker.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, starts out like a sunny day with a storm brewing on the horizon, which gradually hides the sun and changes the atmosphere. The storm blows in and is frightening but as with all storms the clouds dissipate. The sun does return and the world is made new and peace is restored.
I admire the skill of the author. Amanda Grange tells the story true to Austen’s characters and time; yet she is able to weave in a believable world of events within that time. This takes a talented storyteller because we have a precedent set in the original. For example, Darcy was present during the day, attended church, and there were no unexplained deaths in the area. She is also able to capture and blend the attitudes, perceptions, and the superstitions of the era. She also has the ability to touch our emotions with her characters; we fear for Lizzy and Darcy as danger surrounds them. She paces the story well and is very good with building conflict, tension, and peril.
I won’t spoil the ending, suffice to say, I loved it and the way she plays up the adventurous spirit of Englishmen of that time. It was a well-written story and one I enjoyed reading.
Amanda Grange's Mr. Darcy Vampyre will be available for purchase both online and in your favorite books store August 11, 2009
Be on the look out for it.
July 14, 2018
This is such a goddamn weird book. It's almost like it exists outside of space and time. Does it deserve the dubious distinction of being one of the lowest rated books on my Goodreads TBR? Read on.
The problem with this book...well, there are many problems with this book, and it's a shame, because it had a lot of potential. Amanda Grange is a pretty good writer, excellent at creating atmosphere, and with some major changes this book might have been something entirely different and entirely better.
→ Problem #1: The Title (Or, How To Spoil an Entire Book) ←
Here's the thing. You can't have your "big twist" be revealed like 230 pages into your 300 page book and at the same time have that twist be the actual fucking title. Like. The title makes it seems like this revelation is something that happens immediately and that the book will be about Elizabeth and Darcy dealing with Darcy's vampirism, or maybe Elizabeth being drawn into that world, or being turned into a vampire herself. It is nothing of the sort. Instead, the book is basically Darcy and Elizabeth's Grand Tour of Europe, with some occasionally sinister happenings here and there that hint at something the reader is all too aware of because of the stupid goddamn title. And look, I get that it's a marketing ploy to distinguish this book from the many, many Pride & Prejudice adaptations and follow-ups out there, but then, like, fix the plot? Or rather: write an actual plot?
→ Problem #2: The Adaptation (Why Is This an Adaptation?) ←
So this is basically fanfiction of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Which in and of itself is not a problem, no, the problem comes when the author supplies us with cardboard cutouts of these characters because she is wholly dependent on the reader coming in with previous knowledge and utilizing that for characterization. The characters in this book are all insipid, cardboard cutouts. Darcy may as well not have existed for all the personality he had, and Elizabeth was stripped of her charm, wit, and intelligence and replaced with a woman who is madly in love with Darcy and is praised above all for her beauty.
Here's the thing: why is this even an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice? Marketing? Aside from the character's names and a few tidbits here and there, this book is not at all dependent on Pride and Prejudice and could easily have existed in its own right. I think it would have fared much better if it had been rewritten to be an original tale. Part of the reason this book has such low ratings, I think, is that the folks who read it are likely fans of the original book, and they come in looking for something that will match it, and they are inevitably disappointed with the lackluster characterization, which expects the reader to do all the work.
→ Problem #3: The English Rose (Or, White Nonsense) ←
Not only is Elizabeth lacking personality, and not only is she head over heels for Darcy like a lovesick teenager, but throughout the book there are so many characters who repeatedly comment on how beautiful she is. The last time I read Pride and Prejudice was in high school, so perhaps I don't recall, but wasn't Elizabeth's whole thing that she was kind of plain, especially compared to her sister? So that's one thing.
The other thing is how fucking creepy it all was after a while. Character after character commenting on her beauty completely detracted from everything else that makes Elizabeth such a beloved, classic character and reduces her only to an object of desire. Furthermore, the way in which the narrative itself describes Elizabeth is tantamount to fetishistic. There are so many comments about her white skin, her white toes, her shapely feet, and it was just really, really weird. There's literally a line of dialogue when someone (was it Darcy?) is extolling her beauty and he says she is, and I quote, "so white, so pure." What the fuck is that? Like, if you want to pay homage to the Victorian notion of the lily-white heroine seduced by the dark vampire, you don't have to be so damn obvious about it. What is with all the emphasis on how white and perfectly shaped Elizabeth is??
→ Problem #4: The Plot (Or Lack Thereof) ←
Literally, for 230-something pages of this 310-page book, Elizabeth and Darcy are just traveling around Europe meeting his very forgettable friends. So many new characters are introduced in this book but they all only stick around for like a couple of chapters, and they're all pretty interchangeable, serving only as mouthpieces for how gorgeous (!!111!) Elizabeth is and how much Darcy loves her. Then, near page 240, there's a pretty interesting scene with an Ancient vampire who attempts to abduct Elizabeth, but it's incredibly anti-climactic because
And then in the last fifty pages everything is explained in an info-dump by Darcy (who is still the most wooden, one dimensional character I've ever seen). Then some deus ex machina comes up out of nowhere so that Darcy and Elizabeth can be happy ever after.
This book is basically just waiting for something to happen, and then when it does happen, it's disappointing.
→ Problem #5: The Vampires (Where Are They?) ←
I mean. They abound, technically. Most of Darcy's acquaintances whom Elizabeth meets are vampires. They just don't really do anything at all. For starters, we don't find out they're vampires until long after we've left them, and they're just...there. Apparently vampires don't need to drink blood in this world, so they're just immortal and hanging out. They were super boring, basically. I also wanted to learn a lot more of the vampire lore in this world, but I only got a few facts here and there in Darcy's info dump.
The one vampire who was actually menacing and creepy and interesting was this Ancient who tries to kidnap Elizabeth, but it's only in the book for like a minute! Why couldn't this book have been all about Elizabeth and Darcy being pursued by this dude??
→ Verdict ←
Surely you are now wondering, Reader, after this lengthy rant, why have I rated this books a hearty three stars (in reality, more of a 2.5, but still)? That is because, despite all of its problems, this is hands-down the most atmospheric book I've ever read. Though Amanda Grange's writing isn't perfect, and occasionally has very odd and jarring turns of phrases that could have used editing, she nonetheless excels at creating a heady atmosphere. Her descriptions of setting are without equal, whether she's describing a warm field of flowers, a creepy French stone castle, a Roman villa, or the foggy canals of Venice.
Grange superbly crafts Gothic atmosphere that hearkens back to vampire novels of the Victorian era. Her scenes drip with intoxicating dark ambience. The main reason I wasn't bored of this plotless book is because of this potent writing. It was juicy and thrilling to read about Elizabeth sitting in her dark stone bedroom with a velvet four poster bed, tucked away in a dark turret, while a storm rages outside. It is just so Classically Gothic in so many ways, and I was genuinely enthusiastic while reading, solely because of this writing. Sadly, it tapered out towards the end, as Grange rushed to pull some semblance of plot together.
This is what I mean when I say this book had so much potential! It could have been a spectacular Gothic tale about an Englishwoman marrying a mysterious man or something. It didn't have to be a Pride and Prejudice spin-off. It didn't have to be so meandering and pointless. Grange clearly has the skill to pull off a vampire tale, but so much of this story was bogged down in pointless romantic declarations and angst. Literally, the only reason I don't regret reading this book was the superb atmospheric writing, but it just leaves me sighing and over what this book had the potential to be.
The problem with this book...well, there are many problems with this book, and it's a shame, because it had a lot of potential. Amanda Grange is a pretty good writer, excellent at creating atmosphere, and with some major changes this book might have been something entirely different and entirely better.
→ Problem #1: The Title (Or, How To Spoil an Entire Book) ←
Here's the thing. You can't have your "big twist" be revealed like 230 pages into your 300 page book and at the same time have that twist be the actual fucking title. Like. The title makes it seems like this revelation is something that happens immediately and that the book will be about Elizabeth and Darcy dealing with Darcy's vampirism, or maybe Elizabeth being drawn into that world, or being turned into a vampire herself. It is nothing of the sort. Instead, the book is basically Darcy and Elizabeth's Grand Tour of Europe, with some occasionally sinister happenings here and there that hint at something the reader is all too aware of because of the stupid goddamn title. And look, I get that it's a marketing ploy to distinguish this book from the many, many Pride & Prejudice adaptations and follow-ups out there, but then, like, fix the plot? Or rather: write an actual plot?
→ Problem #2: The Adaptation (Why Is This an Adaptation?) ←
So this is basically fanfiction of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Which in and of itself is not a problem, no, the problem comes when the author supplies us with cardboard cutouts of these characters because she is wholly dependent on the reader coming in with previous knowledge and utilizing that for characterization. The characters in this book are all insipid, cardboard cutouts. Darcy may as well not have existed for all the personality he had, and Elizabeth was stripped of her charm, wit, and intelligence and replaced with a woman who is madly in love with Darcy and is praised above all for her beauty.
Here's the thing: why is this even an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice? Marketing? Aside from the character's names and a few tidbits here and there, this book is not at all dependent on Pride and Prejudice and could easily have existed in its own right. I think it would have fared much better if it had been rewritten to be an original tale. Part of the reason this book has such low ratings, I think, is that the folks who read it are likely fans of the original book, and they come in looking for something that will match it, and they are inevitably disappointed with the lackluster characterization, which expects the reader to do all the work.
→ Problem #3: The English Rose (Or, White Nonsense) ←
Not only is Elizabeth lacking personality, and not only is she head over heels for Darcy like a lovesick teenager, but throughout the book there are so many characters who repeatedly comment on how beautiful she is. The last time I read Pride and Prejudice was in high school, so perhaps I don't recall, but wasn't Elizabeth's whole thing that she was kind of plain, especially compared to her sister? So that's one thing.
The other thing is how fucking creepy it all was after a while. Character after character commenting on her beauty completely detracted from everything else that makes Elizabeth such a beloved, classic character and reduces her only to an object of desire. Furthermore, the way in which the narrative itself describes Elizabeth is tantamount to fetishistic. There are so many comments about her white skin, her white toes, her shapely feet, and it was just really, really weird. There's literally a line of dialogue when someone (was it Darcy?) is extolling her beauty and he says she is, and I quote, "so white, so pure." What the fuck is that? Like, if you want to pay homage to the Victorian notion of the lily-white heroine seduced by the dark vampire, you don't have to be so damn obvious about it. What is with all the emphasis on how white and perfectly shaped Elizabeth is??
→ Problem #4: The Plot (Or Lack Thereof) ←
Literally, for 230-something pages of this 310-page book, Elizabeth and Darcy are just traveling around Europe meeting his very forgettable friends. So many new characters are introduced in this book but they all only stick around for like a couple of chapters, and they're all pretty interchangeable, serving only as mouthpieces for how gorgeous (!!111!) Elizabeth is and how much Darcy loves her. Then, near page 240, there's a pretty interesting scene with an Ancient vampire who attempts to abduct Elizabeth, but it's incredibly anti-climactic because
And then in the last fifty pages everything is explained in an info-dump by Darcy (who is still the most wooden, one dimensional character I've ever seen). Then some deus ex machina comes up out of nowhere so that Darcy and Elizabeth can be happy ever after.
This book is basically just waiting for something to happen, and then when it does happen, it's disappointing.
→ Problem #5: The Vampires (Where Are They?) ←
I mean. They abound, technically. Most of Darcy's acquaintances whom Elizabeth meets are vampires. They just don't really do anything at all. For starters, we don't find out they're vampires until long after we've left them, and they're just...there. Apparently vampires don't need to drink blood in this world, so they're just immortal and hanging out. They were super boring, basically. I also wanted to learn a lot more of the vampire lore in this world, but I only got a few facts here and there in Darcy's info dump.
The one vampire who was actually menacing and creepy and interesting was this Ancient who tries to kidnap Elizabeth, but it's only in the book for like a minute! Why couldn't this book have been all about Elizabeth and Darcy being pursued by this dude??
→ Verdict ←
Surely you are now wondering, Reader, after this lengthy rant, why have I rated this books a hearty three stars (in reality, more of a 2.5, but still)? That is because, despite all of its problems, this is hands-down the most atmospheric book I've ever read. Though Amanda Grange's writing isn't perfect, and occasionally has very odd and jarring turns of phrases that could have used editing, she nonetheless excels at creating a heady atmosphere. Her descriptions of setting are without equal, whether she's describing a warm field of flowers, a creepy French stone castle, a Roman villa, or the foggy canals of Venice.
Grange superbly crafts Gothic atmosphere that hearkens back to vampire novels of the Victorian era. Her scenes drip with intoxicating dark ambience. The main reason I wasn't bored of this plotless book is because of this potent writing. It was juicy and thrilling to read about Elizabeth sitting in her dark stone bedroom with a velvet four poster bed, tucked away in a dark turret, while a storm rages outside. It is just so Classically Gothic in so many ways, and I was genuinely enthusiastic while reading, solely because of this writing. Sadly, it tapered out towards the end, as Grange rushed to pull some semblance of plot together.
This is what I mean when I say this book had so much potential! It could have been a spectacular Gothic tale about an Englishwoman marrying a mysterious man or something. It didn't have to be a Pride and Prejudice spin-off. It didn't have to be so meandering and pointless. Grange clearly has the skill to pull off a vampire tale, but so much of this story was bogged down in pointless romantic declarations and angst. Literally, the only reason I don't regret reading this book was the superb atmospheric writing, but it just leaves me sighing and over what this book had the potential to be.
January 3, 2018
I purchased this book on a whim at Book Off for $1 :D I read the reviews here on Goodreads and they said it was going to be a Pride & Prejudice meets Twilight. I was expecting it to be a little campy and cheesy, but actually it's pretty dang good. The campiness would have still made a good read and I would have liked it in a different way, but this book was great in a nice sequel to Pride & Prejudice with a twist way. Definitely worth the 4 stars :D I'm totally keeping this one.
If you guys know me, then you know I love re-tellings of my favorite books. Pride & Prejudice and Zombies is an all time favorite. It takes a story that I love and seamlessly adds zombies into the mix. This vampyre book did the same thing. At the end of Pride & Prejudice you see Mr. Darcy ask Elizabeth's father, Mr. Bennett if he can marry Lizzy. The father says yes and the story pretty much ends. You are left in a blissful love story that is just starting to bloom. In Mr. Darcy, Vamprye, you get the next chapter in the love story.
This story is about the Wedding Tour or Honeymoon. After Darcy and Elizabeth get married, Darcy decides to take Lizzy to Paris first, instead of Pemberley. Elizabeth meets Darcy's friends and relations. Colonel Fitzwilliam, Darcy's cousin shows up and Elizabeth over hears him talking about how he can't believe he married Lizzy, how she wasn't right for Darcy. How she isn't their kind. This misunderstanding motivates the rest of the book. The whole time Elizabeth is thinking that Darcy's family doesn't accept her because she isn't wealthy enough or from the same families that they usually mingle with. She doesn't learn of the Vampyre side for a while yet.
I enjoyed the adventures that take place during the book. Lizzy goes to Paris, the Alps, Venice and Rome. She meets some very interesting people and all the while the story of Darcy the Vampyre, is slowly being trickled in. We don't even learn of his curse until chapter 13, which is about 80% through the book. I thought it was like a slow mystery. And it fit with the theme of the story. Lizzy misunderstanding the situation and Darcy not being vocal enough about his feelings and the situation they are under.
As for the Twilight comparison...there really wasn't that much. Darcy doesn't attack humans. It isn't mentioned what he eats. He can eat regular food. Darcy LOVES Lizzy, but the temptation to bite her is great so he tries to maintain a respectable distance, but it torments him. Other than that...there is no sparkling and no cheesy one liners.
Overall I recommend reading this book if you like Pride & Prejudice and you like the quirky classic re-tellings. I found it fun and read it quickly.
If you guys know me, then you know I love re-tellings of my favorite books. Pride & Prejudice and Zombies is an all time favorite. It takes a story that I love and seamlessly adds zombies into the mix. This vampyre book did the same thing. At the end of Pride & Prejudice you see Mr. Darcy ask Elizabeth's father, Mr. Bennett if he can marry Lizzy. The father says yes and the story pretty much ends. You are left in a blissful love story that is just starting to bloom. In Mr. Darcy, Vamprye, you get the next chapter in the love story.
This story is about the Wedding Tour or Honeymoon. After Darcy and Elizabeth get married, Darcy decides to take Lizzy to Paris first, instead of Pemberley. Elizabeth meets Darcy's friends and relations. Colonel Fitzwilliam, Darcy's cousin shows up and Elizabeth over hears him talking about how he can't believe he married Lizzy, how she wasn't right for Darcy. How she isn't their kind. This misunderstanding motivates the rest of the book. The whole time Elizabeth is thinking that Darcy's family doesn't accept her because she isn't wealthy enough or from the same families that they usually mingle with. She doesn't learn of the Vampyre side for a while yet.
I enjoyed the adventures that take place during the book. Lizzy goes to Paris, the Alps, Venice and Rome. She meets some very interesting people and all the while the story of Darcy the Vampyre, is slowly being trickled in. We don't even learn of his curse until chapter 13, which is about 80% through the book. I thought it was like a slow mystery. And it fit with the theme of the story. Lizzy misunderstanding the situation and Darcy not being vocal enough about his feelings and the situation they are under.
As for the Twilight comparison...there really wasn't that much. Darcy doesn't attack humans. It isn't mentioned what he eats. He can eat regular food. Darcy LOVES Lizzy, but the temptation to bite her is great so he tries to maintain a respectable distance, but it torments him. Other than that...there is no sparkling and no cheesy one liners.
Overall I recommend reading this book if you like Pride & Prejudice and you like the quirky classic re-tellings. I found it fun and read it quickly.
December 12, 2009
Don't get me wrong, I like Pride and Prejudice variations as much as the next person--maybe more. But.
BUT.
BUT you cannot pick up the story on Elizabeth's wedding day and insist that Mr. Darcy was a vampire FOR ALL OF P&P and we JUST DIDN'T NOTICE. Not okay, not plausible, not happening. I felt that Elizabeth was poorly characterized for much of the book, losing her quick wit and strong will within pages of tying the knot. Meanwhile,Edward Cullen Mr. Darcy spends much of his time putting a lot of physical space between himself and Elizabeth for fear of turning her into a vampire with sex. Worst of all, the book is written in third-person limited from Elizabeth's point of view, but there are moments (when Darcy is watching her sleep, like a Cullen creeper) when Amanda Grange clues us into Darcy's thoughts, which are all about how beautiful and pristine Elizabeth is. However, since Elizabeth is the reader proxy, and she doesn't know what's going on for 80% of the book, I spent much of my time wanting to shout "HE'S A VAMPIRE, YOU MORON, NOW CAN WE PLEASE HAVE SOME PLOT?"
By the time the plot shows up, it's too late. There's very little driving the story by the time the cop-out ending turns up -- which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me anyway. Darcy gets un-vamped by the magical mystical power of Elizabeth's true love, but he's still over a hundred years old; wouldn't taking away his vampire immortality make him super-ancient, like when The Master takes away The Doctor's regeneration ability on Doctor Who? I'm just saying.
Skip this one. Not worth the time or energy.
BUT.
BUT you cannot pick up the story on Elizabeth's wedding day and insist that Mr. Darcy was a vampire FOR ALL OF P&P and we JUST DIDN'T NOTICE. Not okay, not plausible, not happening. I felt that Elizabeth was poorly characterized for much of the book, losing her quick wit and strong will within pages of tying the knot. Meanwhile,
By the time the plot shows up, it's too late. There's very little driving the story by the time the cop-out ending turns up -- which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me anyway. Darcy gets un-vamped by the magical mystical power of Elizabeth's true love, but he's still over a hundred years old; wouldn't taking away his vampire immortality make him super-ancient, like when The Master takes away The Doctor's regeneration ability on Doctor Who? I'm just saying.
Skip this one. Not worth the time or energy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2014
I haven't read Pride and Prejudice, but this picks up on the wedding day of Darcy and Elizabeth and follows them on their wedding tour through Europe. The majority of the book is lightly hinting at Darcy's secret, being a vampire, and Elizabeth's struggles with his odd behavior. I like how Amanda Grange didn't take classic characters and make them unrecognizable with a thick paranormal twist. It's kind of like Dracula, not outlandish or theatrical. It's like a good scary monster movie, sometimes when they show you the monster it looses it's thrill and scare factor, this keeps the monster in the back of your mind when odd things happen and the intensity grows. I will definitely be picking up more of her books, not all are with a paranormal element but I like her style and imagery.
I wish the ending had a bit more to it though, well that is the same with any good book. You crave just a bit more, don't let it be over.
I wish the ending had a bit more to it though, well that is the same with any good book. You crave just a bit more, don't let it be over.
March 26, 2016
Do not read this book. By the end, your eyes will bleed and your brain will melt. It is a carbon copy of Twilight up until the end, where it just becomes stupidly weird. Lizzie is an idiot, and Darcy is Edward to a tee. Again, avoid at all costs.
October 30, 2023
This wasn’t the worst book ever, but i resent that anyone had to pay money for this. It reads like, and should be marketed/posted as, fanfiction. The author seems earnest in her love of P&P, and I love earnest fangirling love, but it shouldn’t be marketed as a book.
We follow Darcy and Elizabeth the day of their wedding, then follow them on a tour of Europe where Darcy introduces Lizzy to a bunch of old friends who have old-fashioned clothing and rotting homes. Nothing happens. They move around, blandly, with no plot, and Lizzy worries that Darcy doesn’t love her because they don’t smoosh.
Like poor fanfiction, the author seems to know the prowess of the characters, and bc of their notoriety doesn’t let them speak or act too much, doubtless worried about not doing them justice. They paraphrase the original book and reference it constantly, as if to simply remind us of it? Or maybe to give them something to say that won’t require original dialogue? To be fair, no one wants to hold their work up to Austen. Darcy and Lizzy are basically props in the story, very blank, empty characters that float around Europe, interacting with a stream of unimportant people who blur together.
Nothing happens until the end. And I laughed my way through the ending, so it’s not redeeming.
Okay that’s not fair, there’s a chase scene or two sprinkled throughout, but Lizzy doesn’t discover or even investigate or discover Darcy’s vampirism until ⅔ of the way through the book. Something the reader already knows from the title.
Any obstacles, antagonists, problems, are set up on one page, then solved in the next. Much of the action happens off-page and is told to us through dialogue later… like fanfiction.
The resolution at the end is out of nowhere and complete deus ex machina. Everything early on is fluffy and fun, but should have been free, and any enjoyment fades as you realize the book isn’t going anywhere.
We follow Darcy and Elizabeth the day of their wedding, then follow them on a tour of Europe where Darcy introduces Lizzy to a bunch of old friends who have old-fashioned clothing and rotting homes. Nothing happens. They move around, blandly, with no plot, and Lizzy worries that Darcy doesn’t love her because they don’t smoosh.
Like poor fanfiction, the author seems to know the prowess of the characters, and bc of their notoriety doesn’t let them speak or act too much, doubtless worried about not doing them justice. They paraphrase the original book and reference it constantly, as if to simply remind us of it? Or maybe to give them something to say that won’t require original dialogue? To be fair, no one wants to hold their work up to Austen. Darcy and Lizzy are basically props in the story, very blank, empty characters that float around Europe, interacting with a stream of unimportant people who blur together.
Nothing happens until the end. And I laughed my way through the ending, so it’s not redeeming.
Okay that’s not fair, there’s a chase scene or two sprinkled throughout, but Lizzy doesn’t discover or even investigate or discover Darcy’s vampirism until ⅔ of the way through the book. Something the reader already knows from the title.
Any obstacles, antagonists, problems, are set up on one page, then solved in the next. Much of the action happens off-page and is told to us through dialogue later… like fanfiction.
The resolution at the end is out of nowhere and complete deus ex machina. Everything early on is fluffy and fun, but should have been free, and any enjoyment fades as you realize the book isn’t going anywhere.
Read
November 4, 2017Review originally posted on Diary of an Eccentric
In Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, Amanda Grange offers a supernatural take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, providing a different reason for Mr. Darcy’s moodiness.
The book opens just before the double wedding of Elizabeth and Jane Bennet to Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. As she and Darcy are leaving for their honeymoon, Elizabeth learns they will not be traveling to the Lake District but to Europe. She’s excited about seeing new places, so she doesn’t complain, but the mood of the novel turns dark as the Darcys travel to Paris, Venice, and the Alps. Darcy has friends in all of these places, some creepier than others.
Readers follow Elizabeth and Darcy on their travels, and most of the book is about Elizabeth being introduced to Darcy’s friends in various locales and Elizabeth wondering why her husband doesn’t come to her at night to consummate their marriage.
Grange does a wonderful job setting the scene. Her description of the cities, the clothes, and the architecture seemed realistic to the time period and made me feel as though I was there with the Darcys.
However, while there were a few action scenes, the pacing was a little slow, mainly because the book is told from Elizabeth’s point of view. She doesn’t know Darcy’s secret, so she’s wondering what’s wrong with him, whether he actually loves her, and whether it was a mistake for her to marry someone from a higher social class. But we know Darcy’s secret from page one, and that’s my biggest problem with the book. I think the title Mr. Darcy, Vampyre does a disservice to the book. Grange includes clues about Darcy’s secret, with scenes about a bat, garlic necklaces, and villagers crossing themselves, etc., but these are more for Elizabeth’s benefit. I would have preferred a different title–one that would have aligned me with Elizabeth in wondering about Darcy’s behavior. It all seemed a bit anticlimactic to me.
But that doesn’t mean Mr. Darcy, Vampyre isn’t a good book. Overall, I enjoyed it and thought it was a fun take on the beloved Austen novel. I liked seeing Darcy and Elizabeth in new settings with new characters. And the supernatural storyline doesn’t feel out of place in the world Grange creates. There also were some entertaining scenes with Lady Catherine, which were among my favorites. If you enjoy Pride and Prejudice sequels and aren’t an Austen purist, I think it’s worth a try.
In Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, Amanda Grange offers a supernatural take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, providing a different reason for Mr. Darcy’s moodiness.
The book opens just before the double wedding of Elizabeth and Jane Bennet to Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. As she and Darcy are leaving for their honeymoon, Elizabeth learns they will not be traveling to the Lake District but to Europe. She’s excited about seeing new places, so she doesn’t complain, but the mood of the novel turns dark as the Darcys travel to Paris, Venice, and the Alps. Darcy has friends in all of these places, some creepier than others.
Readers follow Elizabeth and Darcy on their travels, and most of the book is about Elizabeth being introduced to Darcy’s friends in various locales and Elizabeth wondering why her husband doesn’t come to her at night to consummate their marriage.
Grange does a wonderful job setting the scene. Her description of the cities, the clothes, and the architecture seemed realistic to the time period and made me feel as though I was there with the Darcys.
However, while there were a few action scenes, the pacing was a little slow, mainly because the book is told from Elizabeth’s point of view. She doesn’t know Darcy’s secret, so she’s wondering what’s wrong with him, whether he actually loves her, and whether it was a mistake for her to marry someone from a higher social class. But we know Darcy’s secret from page one, and that’s my biggest problem with the book. I think the title Mr. Darcy, Vampyre does a disservice to the book. Grange includes clues about Darcy’s secret, with scenes about a bat, garlic necklaces, and villagers crossing themselves, etc., but these are more for Elizabeth’s benefit. I would have preferred a different title–one that would have aligned me with Elizabeth in wondering about Darcy’s behavior. It all seemed a bit anticlimactic to me.
But that doesn’t mean Mr. Darcy, Vampyre isn’t a good book. Overall, I enjoyed it and thought it was a fun take on the beloved Austen novel. I liked seeing Darcy and Elizabeth in new settings with new characters. And the supernatural storyline doesn’t feel out of place in the world Grange creates. There also were some entertaining scenes with Lady Catherine, which were among my favorites. If you enjoy Pride and Prejudice sequels and aren’t an Austen purist, I think it’s worth a try.
August 26, 2009
A book review haiku --
At first it was slow.
And then it got terrible.
No pun: this book sucks.
I want to write a review where I studiously analyze every awful thing in this book, but I don't see the point in wasting too much effort on a review of a book the author so clearly didn't spend any effort on writing.
However, just to clear this junk from my brain (spoilers): Stop with the clunky P&P references, we know you read the book, that's why you wrote this one. Except that, Lizzy is just not as dumb and passive as Amanda Grange writes her. "Old one"? Really? Vampirism as STD? Barf. Also, you can't unvampire someone.
Finally, how about instead of cramming the "plot" into the last 20 pages, you introduce it at the beginning and stretch it throughout the entire book? I realize no-plot-till-the-end-when-it-is-hastily-wrapped-up-on-the-last-page is the trend in vampire books (see:Twilight), but it really makes the reading experience unpleasant.
At first it was slow.
And then it got terrible.
No pun: this book sucks.
I want to write a review where I studiously analyze every awful thing in this book, but I don't see the point in wasting too much effort on a review of a book the author so clearly didn't spend any effort on writing.
However, just to clear this junk from my brain (spoilers): Stop with the clunky P&P references, we know you read the book, that's why you wrote this one. Except that, Lizzy is just not as dumb and passive as Amanda Grange writes her. "Old one"? Really? Vampirism as STD? Barf. Also, you can't unvampire someone.
Finally, how about instead of cramming the "plot" into the last 20 pages, you introduce it at the beginning and stretch it throughout the entire book? I realize no-plot-till-the-end-when-it-is-hastily-wrapped-up-on-the-last-page is the trend in vampire books (see:Twilight), but it really makes the reading experience unpleasant.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2018
Dark, gloomy and slow paced book. I thought it was rather tedious which compelled me to speed read a lot...
Enters at ODC's wedding day but the wedding night, did not unfold like one would have thought...
The wedding trip to the Lake District was cancelled and Darcy opted to go to the continent instead. They ventured to Paris, Switzerland, Venice and Italy which all were infested with beasts. Darcy did not tell Elizabeth he was inflicted but kept her at arms length.
Hurt by his rejection, Elizabeth tries to mend their relationship and a fight between an ancient vampire, revealed Darcy's true nature.
A solution was found in the end, cannot elaborate as that would spoil your read.
It was not enough romance or happiness towards the end to reset my equilibrium which is a must in my books.
Enters at ODC's wedding day but the wedding night, did not unfold like one would have thought...
The wedding trip to the Lake District was cancelled and Darcy opted to go to the continent instead. They ventured to Paris, Switzerland, Venice and Italy which all were infested with beasts. Darcy did not tell Elizabeth he was inflicted but kept her at arms length.
Hurt by his rejection, Elizabeth tries to mend their relationship and a fight between an ancient vampire, revealed Darcy's true nature.
A solution was found in the end, cannot elaborate as that would spoil your read.
It was not enough romance or happiness towards the end to reset my equilibrium which is a must in my books.
August 28, 2022
Omfg I want my brain cells back
March 31, 2019
I'd probably give this book 2 1/2 stars instead of just 2 because the writing wasn't terrible. It was soooo boring though! Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy were not captured at all in my eyes. The story was full of almost danger but never quite, there was always a "Oh wait I forgot about this!" and they're saved. 😝
September 24, 2009
When I heard Amanda Grange wrote a sequel to this classic novel and gave it a paranormal slant with Darcy possibly being a vampire, I was both wary and intrigued. I will also admit I’m not big on present day authors taking such novels from deceased authors and writing a sequel.
With that in mind, I decided to read Mr. Darcy, Vampyre and see what type of job Amanda has done with two of the most beloved literary couples of all time. I really wanted to see what happens between Darcy and his Lizzy of the beautiful eyes as a married couple.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre begins with Elizabeth and her sister Jane on the morning they’re to be married. They are both excited and happy to marry such wonderful men. Their weddings go off without a hitch and Elizabeth expects to honeymoon at the Lake District. Darcy surprises Elizabeth and will take her to Dover where they will have a Grand Tour and travel the Continent and visit his relatives in Paris, Switzerland and Italy. Elizabeth is a bit cautious about going to France because of the impending war there but Darcy puts her at ease because the peace there should last awhile and there are so many friends and family he wants her to meet. Elizabeth is open to the adventure since she has never been out of England.
Mr. and Mrs. Darcy travel in comfort. Elizabeth can’t wait for Darcy to make her his wife in every sense. But as they travel father away from everything she knows, Darcy becomes more silent and distant, much like the man she first found him to be. She expresses her feelings and Darcy’s excuse is that he is just preoccupied and anxious to see his relatives. But as the days go by and Darcy still hasn’t come to Elizabeth’s bedroom at night to engage in husband and wife activities that are expected in marriage, her concern grows. She comes to the conclusion that Darcy doesn’t want her to get with child because traveling like they are doing could be dangerous for an unborn child. For the time being Elizabeth is settled with the idea, even though she longs for Darcy’s touch.
Elizabeth feels awkward around Darcy’s relatives, especially when they are in Paris and meet his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam who she overhears arguing with Darcy about marrying her. Elizabeth continues to question if marrying Darcy was the right thing and raises these concerns to him. He acts surprised and expresses his love and devotion to his wife. As they continue on their adventure, things become even stranger. They stay at Count Polidori’s castle in the Alps. He is Darcy’s uncle and a very much a hermit. And when the castle is stormed by a group of angry villagers, Elizabeth and Darcy barely make their escape.
As the newlyweds travel onward, Elizabeth can’t help but feel that her husband is keeping something from her. She shares her concerns with Jane in letters. And then finally Darcy tells Elizabeth a secret he has kept from her, one that could destroy their and possibly his life.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre fell flat. The Darcy and Elizabeth I thought I knew where not the ones Amanda has written. Both these characters come across as copies of what Amanda thinks they would be if Austen had written a sequel. Elizabeth was not engaging as she should have been, especially because Mr. Darcy, Vampyre is from her point of view. Darcy is so one dimensional and distant. He barely makes a ripple on the page even when he is in a scene.
There are some other instances that irked me such as Elizabeth never calling Darcy by his first name or even thinking it in her head. She continually calls him Darcy, just like Carrie Bradshaw from Sex in the City calls Mr. Big by Big when she talks about him. Also the whole, I can’t have sex with you because I have no reason, was another pet peeve of mine. You would think if Darcy was a vampire he could use his powers to make Elizabeth think they have been intimate as man and wife. Because Amanda was trying to keep the same tone and writing of the time period, I wouldn’t expect an in depth description of love making between Elizabeth and Darcy, but at least a fade to black scene or a subtle reference in regards to the love shared between these two.
The action and suspense didn’t make an impression at all and I found myself speed reading, especially towards the end of the book. Many of the scenes felt contrived and are lackluster. I also found myself bored about Darcy’s curse and his search of the cure so he and Elizabeth could go back to Pemberley and finally make some babies.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre did not have the “sparkle” I was expecting and failed to deliver.
With that in mind, I decided to read Mr. Darcy, Vampyre and see what type of job Amanda has done with two of the most beloved literary couples of all time. I really wanted to see what happens between Darcy and his Lizzy of the beautiful eyes as a married couple.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre begins with Elizabeth and her sister Jane on the morning they’re to be married. They are both excited and happy to marry such wonderful men. Their weddings go off without a hitch and Elizabeth expects to honeymoon at the Lake District. Darcy surprises Elizabeth and will take her to Dover where they will have a Grand Tour and travel the Continent and visit his relatives in Paris, Switzerland and Italy. Elizabeth is a bit cautious about going to France because of the impending war there but Darcy puts her at ease because the peace there should last awhile and there are so many friends and family he wants her to meet. Elizabeth is open to the adventure since she has never been out of England.
Mr. and Mrs. Darcy travel in comfort. Elizabeth can’t wait for Darcy to make her his wife in every sense. But as they travel father away from everything she knows, Darcy becomes more silent and distant, much like the man she first found him to be. She expresses her feelings and Darcy’s excuse is that he is just preoccupied and anxious to see his relatives. But as the days go by and Darcy still hasn’t come to Elizabeth’s bedroom at night to engage in husband and wife activities that are expected in marriage, her concern grows. She comes to the conclusion that Darcy doesn’t want her to get with child because traveling like they are doing could be dangerous for an unborn child. For the time being Elizabeth is settled with the idea, even though she longs for Darcy’s touch.
Elizabeth feels awkward around Darcy’s relatives, especially when they are in Paris and meet his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam who she overhears arguing with Darcy about marrying her. Elizabeth continues to question if marrying Darcy was the right thing and raises these concerns to him. He acts surprised and expresses his love and devotion to his wife. As they continue on their adventure, things become even stranger. They stay at Count Polidori’s castle in the Alps. He is Darcy’s uncle and a very much a hermit. And when the castle is stormed by a group of angry villagers, Elizabeth and Darcy barely make their escape.
As the newlyweds travel onward, Elizabeth can’t help but feel that her husband is keeping something from her. She shares her concerns with Jane in letters. And then finally Darcy tells Elizabeth a secret he has kept from her, one that could destroy their and possibly his life.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre fell flat. The Darcy and Elizabeth I thought I knew where not the ones Amanda has written. Both these characters come across as copies of what Amanda thinks they would be if Austen had written a sequel. Elizabeth was not engaging as she should have been, especially because Mr. Darcy, Vampyre is from her point of view. Darcy is so one dimensional and distant. He barely makes a ripple on the page even when he is in a scene.
There are some other instances that irked me such as Elizabeth never calling Darcy by his first name or even thinking it in her head. She continually calls him Darcy, just like Carrie Bradshaw from Sex in the City calls Mr. Big by Big when she talks about him. Also the whole, I can’t have sex with you because I have no reason, was another pet peeve of mine. You would think if Darcy was a vampire he could use his powers to make Elizabeth think they have been intimate as man and wife. Because Amanda was trying to keep the same tone and writing of the time period, I wouldn’t expect an in depth description of love making between Elizabeth and Darcy, but at least a fade to black scene or a subtle reference in regards to the love shared between these two.
The action and suspense didn’t make an impression at all and I found myself speed reading, especially towards the end of the book. Many of the scenes felt contrived and are lackluster. I also found myself bored about Darcy’s curse and his search of the cure so he and Elizabeth could go back to Pemberley and finally make some babies.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre did not have the “sparkle” I was expecting and failed to deliver.
August 17, 2009
What a let down...
I was really excited by this book as I love all of Amanda Grange's Diary books. I figured that someone who seemed to have such a good grasp on Darcy as a character would be able to make such an off twist work. Unfortunately I was wrong though.
The biggest complaint of all was that was a shocking little amount of vamp-anything in this book. Most of the text was about their travels, meeting new people, attending parties, etc. Even the truth about Darcy was not revealed to Elizabeth until nearly the end of the book. Even more there was almost no dramaticism when it came to her understanding and accepting. Although that would be asking a lot of her considering the author didn't explain hardly anything herself. Not to mention that she thought of vampires almost immediately when theorizing. At least in Twilight she thought Edward might have been a superhero.
Then she says screw it all I'll become a vamp if it means we can have sex. Now I get the lust and all the poor deprivation the woman had been forced to deal with but come on. She didn't really understand the life at all but was more than happy to exchange it for an orgasm! In other books authors make such big deals out of making sure the characters understand what will happen to them. That they will live on while watching others die, that they must always protect themselves from discovery/persecution/etc...I was all for her joining the dark side with him but she should have at least understood what she was signing up for.
And I know Darcy is not a talkative character. Not when Jane was writing him and not when Grange brought him back either, but come on. He literally explains the process of his changing into a vamp in a couple of sentences...oh wait other reviews state it as being done in 21 words?! WHAT?? Most of the time the transformation from human to vampire is drawn out over pages as the characters suffer through pain, agony, and practically hell. But here the good Lady Catherine just gives him a little nip and *POOF* he's a vamp. Not to mention Grange makes it sound like deciding to be a vamp was the latest fashion at the time since even their nurse signed on without so much as an explanation.
Finally, the ending, WTF? Vamps can't go back to being human. That's like the main part of the lore I thought?? But even if Grange wanted to change that she could have at least made it a bit more believable. They just happened to be a few hours away from this temple, and not a single other vamp had ever known about it. And then the water just washed away the curse? Ug. Besides that I love how the first 240 or so pages are all about traveling, enjoying gardens, and a tiny amount of suspense over why Darcy won't bed Elizabeth, but then Grange tries to shove the entire explanation of the vampire species, Darcy's transformation, the climax, and the unsatisfying ending into about 60 pages.
On a lesser note, the small little tie-ins with the original work were a great touch, but then they were completely explained. A reference should be just that. It was as if I were reading footnotes within the body of the text. Most people reading this will be doing so because they love the original story and don't need all the reminders of a when a certain line came in.
All I can say is this...I know everyone is jumping on the vamp/paranormal romance bandwagon because that is what is selling these days. Hell I had never read a book from that genre until after Twilight, I admit it, but if you are going to twist the genre to fit a classic story that has such a devoted following you have to do it right. It has to be have just enough believability, humor, and lore. This book just didn't do it for me. I was so excited to read this but unfortunately it went straight into my 'books to go to the used book store' pile as soon as I finished the last page.
...Wow that review turned out long. Guess the book was worse than I initially thought! For a crazy funny review written in the form of a letter from Lizzy to Jane go here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....
I was really excited by this book as I love all of Amanda Grange's Diary books. I figured that someone who seemed to have such a good grasp on Darcy as a character would be able to make such an off twist work. Unfortunately I was wrong though.
The biggest complaint of all was that was a shocking little amount of vamp-anything in this book. Most of the text was about their travels, meeting new people, attending parties, etc. Even the truth about Darcy was not revealed to Elizabeth until nearly the end of the book. Even more there was almost no dramaticism when it came to her understanding and accepting. Although that would be asking a lot of her considering the author didn't explain hardly anything herself. Not to mention that she thought of vampires almost immediately when theorizing. At least in Twilight she thought Edward might have been a superhero.
Then she says screw it all I'll become a vamp if it means we can have sex. Now I get the lust and all the poor deprivation the woman had been forced to deal with but come on. She didn't really understand the life at all but was more than happy to exchange it for an orgasm! In other books authors make such big deals out of making sure the characters understand what will happen to them. That they will live on while watching others die, that they must always protect themselves from discovery/persecution/etc...I was all for her joining the dark side with him but she should have at least understood what she was signing up for.
And I know Darcy is not a talkative character. Not when Jane was writing him and not when Grange brought him back either, but come on. He literally explains the process of his changing into a vamp in a couple of sentences...oh wait other reviews state it as being done in 21 words?! WHAT?? Most of the time the transformation from human to vampire is drawn out over pages as the characters suffer through pain, agony, and practically hell. But here the good Lady Catherine just gives him a little nip and *POOF* he's a vamp. Not to mention Grange makes it sound like deciding to be a vamp was the latest fashion at the time since even their nurse signed on without so much as an explanation.
Finally, the ending, WTF? Vamps can't go back to being human. That's like the main part of the lore I thought?? But even if Grange wanted to change that she could have at least made it a bit more believable. They just happened to be a few hours away from this temple, and not a single other vamp had ever known about it. And then the water just washed away the curse? Ug. Besides that I love how the first 240 or so pages are all about traveling, enjoying gardens, and a tiny amount of suspense over why Darcy won't bed Elizabeth, but then Grange tries to shove the entire explanation of the vampire species, Darcy's transformation, the climax, and the unsatisfying ending into about 60 pages.
On a lesser note, the small little tie-ins with the original work were a great touch, but then they were completely explained. A reference should be just that. It was as if I were reading footnotes within the body of the text. Most people reading this will be doing so because they love the original story and don't need all the reminders of a when a certain line came in.
All I can say is this...I know everyone is jumping on the vamp/paranormal romance bandwagon because that is what is selling these days. Hell I had never read a book from that genre until after Twilight, I admit it, but if you are going to twist the genre to fit a classic story that has such a devoted following you have to do it right. It has to be have just enough believability, humor, and lore. This book just didn't do it for me. I was so excited to read this but unfortunately it went straight into my 'books to go to the used book store' pile as soon as I finished the last page.
...Wow that review turned out long. Guess the book was worse than I initially thought! For a crazy funny review written in the form of a letter from Lizzy to Jane go here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2009
1 ½ stars. First of all, I have to start off by saying that when I heard Amanda Grange was going to publish a sequel to Pride and Prejudice with having Mr. Darcy as a vampire, was very exciting for me, both as a Jane Austen fan and a vampire romance fan. However, this book did not live up to half of my expectations, unfortunately. I gave this book 1 ½ stars because the beginning had so much potential and I try to leave only 1 star ratings for books that I can’t even finish (unless that book was ultra terrible).
Elizabeth and Darcy’s character was nonexistent; nowhere near what Jane Austen wrote them to be. There was no wit, passion/tension, subtle humor, or intelligence. The last is the most offensive as the original Elizabeth is very intelligent, not to mention witty. Also, Darcy and Elizabeth don’t spend much time together in this book expect for at the very end, since he is always away making “arrangements” for their trip.
So, we all know, due to the title of the book that Mr. Darcy is a vampire. Why it takes Elizabeth over 200 pages to realize this fact- when she is supposed to be SMART- is beyond me. Mr. Darcy’s character is written awkwardly as well. It feels like Ms. Grange wrote about him more as an afterthought than anything else. Throughout the book Ms. Grange places specific sentences taken directly from P&P to try to force wit into her writing. It doesn’t work; it comes out awkward and pointless.
The other problem(s) I had with this book is that it was so boring and predictable. This book starts off on the day of the double wedding (which actually had- as I said before- great promise at the beginning). After the wedding Darcy is supposed to take Elizabeth on a tour of the Lake District. However, he decides to take her to the Continent. Almost all of the book consists of their traveling (meeting Darcy’s friends and extended family- who are vampires of course) and how Elizabeth is worried because Darcy has not consummated their marriage. It is VERY unlike Elizabeth not to say anything to Darcy as to why they have not consummated their marriage.
They travel first to Paris and then they travel to the Alps to see Darcy’s “uncle” Count Polidori, who lives in an old castle. They then flee the castle as a mob with torches approaches and go to Venice. From there they meet a prince who invites them to his palace in Rome. Without going into too much of why they leave Rome, they end up in one of Darcy’s lodges in the middle of nowhere. During their travels they meet up with Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her daughter- the latter they meet up with twice! And Lady Catherine is actually the sire of Darcy, his sister Georgiana, and their housekeeper Mrs. Reynolds.
Darcy finally informs Elizabeth of who and what he is. Which is frustrating because Elizabeth SHOULD have FIGURED it out WAY before then! He tells her he didn’t want to consummated their marriage because he was afraid it would make her a vampire too- hence the change in destination for their wedding tour so he could ask his friends and family about it. Suddenly, one of his servants (who knows what he is) comes in and tells him that there is a cure. They all head off to an ancient temple that is underground which contains a petrified forest. They encounter some very lame traps. Darcy and Elizabeth cling to each other as water rises, and then recedes to leave Darcy without his vampire marks (they were washed away by the water). So, Darcy is cured and he is finally (about two months later) able to consummate his marriage to Elizabeth (yes, I’m sure you will enjoy the one sentence description of that). And then the book ends as they make plans to travel back to Pemberley.
In short, save your time and your money.
Elizabeth and Darcy’s character was nonexistent; nowhere near what Jane Austen wrote them to be. There was no wit, passion/tension, subtle humor, or intelligence. The last is the most offensive as the original Elizabeth is very intelligent, not to mention witty. Also, Darcy and Elizabeth don’t spend much time together in this book expect for at the very end, since he is always away making “arrangements” for their trip.
So, we all know, due to the title of the book that Mr. Darcy is a vampire. Why it takes Elizabeth over 200 pages to realize this fact- when she is supposed to be SMART- is beyond me. Mr. Darcy’s character is written awkwardly as well. It feels like Ms. Grange wrote about him more as an afterthought than anything else. Throughout the book Ms. Grange places specific sentences taken directly from P&P to try to force wit into her writing. It doesn’t work; it comes out awkward and pointless.
The other problem(s) I had with this book is that it was so boring and predictable. This book starts off on the day of the double wedding (which actually had- as I said before- great promise at the beginning). After the wedding Darcy is supposed to take Elizabeth on a tour of the Lake District. However, he decides to take her to the Continent. Almost all of the book consists of their traveling (meeting Darcy’s friends and extended family- who are vampires of course) and how Elizabeth is worried because Darcy has not consummated their marriage. It is VERY unlike Elizabeth not to say anything to Darcy as to why they have not consummated their marriage.
They travel first to Paris and then they travel to the Alps to see Darcy’s “uncle” Count Polidori, who lives in an old castle. They then flee the castle as a mob with torches approaches and go to Venice. From there they meet a prince who invites them to his palace in Rome. Without going into too much of why they leave Rome, they end up in one of Darcy’s lodges in the middle of nowhere. During their travels they meet up with Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her daughter- the latter they meet up with twice! And Lady Catherine is actually the sire of Darcy, his sister Georgiana, and their housekeeper Mrs. Reynolds.
Darcy finally informs Elizabeth of who and what he is. Which is frustrating because Elizabeth SHOULD have FIGURED it out WAY before then! He tells her he didn’t want to consummated their marriage because he was afraid it would make her a vampire too- hence the change in destination for their wedding tour so he could ask his friends and family about it. Suddenly, one of his servants (who knows what he is) comes in and tells him that there is a cure. They all head off to an ancient temple that is underground which contains a petrified forest. They encounter some very lame traps. Darcy and Elizabeth cling to each other as water rises, and then recedes to leave Darcy without his vampire marks (they were washed away by the water). So, Darcy is cured and he is finally (about two months later) able to consummate his marriage to Elizabeth (yes, I’m sure you will enjoy the one sentence description of that). And then the book ends as they make plans to travel back to Pemberley.
In short, save your time and your money.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2013
TYPE OF AUSTENESQUE NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Sequel, Paranormal
TIME FRAME: Begins the morning of Elizabeth and Darcy’s wedding in October 1802
MAIN CHARACTERS: Elizabeth Darcy and Mr. Darcy
WHY I WANTED TO READ THIS NOVEL:
- I’m much more into vampires and paranormal novels than I was in 2009 when this novel came out (never read any vampire novels until Dracula, My Love by Syrie James)
- It is the only Austenesque novel by Amanda Grange I haven’t read.
- It is October! I’m in the mood for something gothic and dark.
WHAT I LOVED:
- Kept in Suspense: Because we are not privy to Darcy’s thoughts (story is completely from Elizabeth’s POV) we do not know the reasons behind his actions and decisions. And he is maddeningly reticent! Why did Darcy change their travel plans at the last minute and take Elizabeth to France, Switzerland, and Italy instead of the Lake District? Why does Darcy never visit Elizabeth in her rooms? Why does he look at her with longing passion but not consummate their marriage? Even after two months!?! I bet you are dying to know!
- Vampyrisms: I liked the supernatural traits Darcy possessed as a vampire, it felt the right amount and was not too stereotypical. I enjoyed how Darcy vampyric traits weren’t too obvious, it made the story more believable as well as congruent as a sequel to Pride and Prejudice.
- Darcy: Enigmatic, brooding, full pent-up passion and tension, battling his self-control, resisting all temptation. *swoon* Darcy is definitely a Byronic hero in this novel! The story is heartrending because he is so in love with Elizabeth but denies himself her love. I loved the sweet moments when he gazes at her adoringly (and the heated moments where he almost gives in to his desires…)
WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:
- Elizabeth: I guess I found Elizabeth a little too accepting of all that was happening to her. Her new husband is all of sudden impulsive, secretive, and physically distant with her – I’d like to think our girl would not stand for such treatment and demand answers from Darcy! Also, when the big reveal does finally take place Elizabeth doesn’t seem that shocked and doesn’t have a million questions like one would expect her to.
- Balance: Darcy and Elizabeth travel to various beautiful and historic destinations on their tour. While I do love a good travelogue and Amanda Grange is adept at providing detailed and vivid descriptions, it sort of felt like the multi-day journeys and scenery got a little too much page time. Maybe a little less travel and a little more plot and conflict would make this story feel more balanced.
- Resolution: After so much build up, I must admit that the conclusion of this story was a little bit of a let down. The conflicts and dangers seemed to conveniently disappear in a way that felt unrealistic and hurried. There were so many questions left unanswered and so many events that seemed unconnected, that it didn’t feel like enough resolution took place. And…when Darcy and Elizabeth finally come together, after such a long period of denial, repression, and forced separation…it was summed up in one sentence. (Gah! so anticlimactic.)
CONCLUSION:
I found Mr. Darcy, Vampyre to be a gripping and gothic read – perfect for Halloween! Amanda Grange did a fabulous job adhering to Jane Austen’s original novel and the norms of the Regency Era, and Darcy is quite mesmerizing as a vampire! I just wished parts of the plot and resolution were better executed. Definitely still worth reading, though.
TIME FRAME: Begins the morning of Elizabeth and Darcy’s wedding in October 1802
MAIN CHARACTERS: Elizabeth Darcy and Mr. Darcy
WHY I WANTED TO READ THIS NOVEL:
- I’m much more into vampires and paranormal novels than I was in 2009 when this novel came out (never read any vampire novels until Dracula, My Love by Syrie James)
- It is the only Austenesque novel by Amanda Grange I haven’t read.
- It is October! I’m in the mood for something gothic and dark.
WHAT I LOVED:
- Kept in Suspense: Because we are not privy to Darcy’s thoughts (story is completely from Elizabeth’s POV) we do not know the reasons behind his actions and decisions. And he is maddeningly reticent! Why did Darcy change their travel plans at the last minute and take Elizabeth to France, Switzerland, and Italy instead of the Lake District? Why does Darcy never visit Elizabeth in her rooms? Why does he look at her with longing passion but not consummate their marriage? Even after two months!?! I bet you are dying to know!
- Vampyrisms: I liked the supernatural traits Darcy possessed as a vampire, it felt the right amount and was not too stereotypical. I enjoyed how Darcy vampyric traits weren’t too obvious, it made the story more believable as well as congruent as a sequel to Pride and Prejudice.
- Darcy: Enigmatic, brooding, full pent-up passion and tension, battling his self-control, resisting all temptation. *swoon* Darcy is definitely a Byronic hero in this novel! The story is heartrending because he is so in love with Elizabeth but denies himself her love. I loved the sweet moments when he gazes at her adoringly (and the heated moments where he almost gives in to his desires…)
WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:
- Elizabeth: I guess I found Elizabeth a little too accepting of all that was happening to her. Her new husband is all of sudden impulsive, secretive, and physically distant with her – I’d like to think our girl would not stand for such treatment and demand answers from Darcy! Also, when the big reveal does finally take place Elizabeth doesn’t seem that shocked and doesn’t have a million questions like one would expect her to.
- Balance: Darcy and Elizabeth travel to various beautiful and historic destinations on their tour. While I do love a good travelogue and Amanda Grange is adept at providing detailed and vivid descriptions, it sort of felt like the multi-day journeys and scenery got a little too much page time. Maybe a little less travel and a little more plot and conflict would make this story feel more balanced.
- Resolution: After so much build up, I must admit that the conclusion of this story was a little bit of a let down. The conflicts and dangers seemed to conveniently disappear in a way that felt unrealistic and hurried. There were so many questions left unanswered and so many events that seemed unconnected, that it didn’t feel like enough resolution took place. And…when Darcy and Elizabeth finally come together, after such a long period of denial, repression, and forced separation…it was summed up in one sentence. (Gah! so anticlimactic.)
CONCLUSION:
I found Mr. Darcy, Vampyre to be a gripping and gothic read – perfect for Halloween! Amanda Grange did a fabulous job adhering to Jane Austen’s original novel and the norms of the Regency Era, and Darcy is quite mesmerizing as a vampire! I just wished parts of the plot and resolution were better executed. Definitely still worth reading, though.
April 15, 2023
Me emocionó mucho ver esto hace tiempo pero se me había olvidado, y haciendo limpieza del computador lo encontré y decidí leerlo por fin.
Le rindo culto a pride and prejudice 🛐 y todo lo relacionado. Amo toda la historia pero me quedaron debiendo lo del otro personaje, se dije que le tomara años curarse pero ya.
Si bien agradezco este Darcy, que aunque se aleja de Lizzy, sigue siendo cariñoso, me va a parecer un poco raro pero igual lo sigo amando. 🥰
Le rindo culto a pride and prejudice 🛐 y todo lo relacionado. Amo toda la historia pero me quedaron debiendo lo del otro personaje, se dije que le tomara años curarse pero ya.
Si bien agradezco este Darcy, que aunque se aleja de Lizzy, sigue siendo cariñoso, me va a parecer un poco raro pero igual lo sigo amando. 🥰
November 2, 2020
Review published at:
https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpre...
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre is a sequel of Pride and Prejudice that picks up the story immediately after the double wedding of the Bennet sisters, and it opens with a letter written by Elizabeth that is so enigmatic the reader has little choice but to continue reading to satisfy his curiosity.
Amanda Grange will then invite us to follow Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth as they go on an adventurous honeymoon through Europe visiting places like Paris, the Alps and Venice. During their travels, the author will not only provide us with vivid images of all these places with her descriptive segments, but also introduce us to some enigmatic new characters that will contribute to the gothic tone of the book.
I enjoyed this new world of characters and places very much and due to the authors writing style, I could imagine myself in each of these sombre locations, even visualizing Elizabeth’s nightmares myself. Amanda Grange’s ability to make me feel inside the story was definitely one of the aspects I enjoyed the most in Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, however, at a certain point, it started to feel like a never-ending odyssey, and I believe the book would have gained if the couple had visited fewer places. A little more balance between their travels and the plot itself would have made the book more compelling, especially because as the story progresses, it becomes increasingly more difficult to understand why Elizabeth doesn’t confront Mr. Darcy with what is troubling her since their wedding day.
Elizabeth Bennet was a little disappointing to me, but I did love Mr. Darcy’s character and I would have loved to see some of the scenes told from his point of view. I understand the gothic tone in the book was achieved because Elizabeth was clueless concerning Darcy’s vampiric nature (it’s in the title, so no big spoiler here), but because she never confronted him, and there was a big distance between them, I started feeling detached from him myself. That could have been prevented if we could have been privy to his inner struggles (and they were many indeed!).
As I mentioned before some of the secondary characters were interesting, but my favourites were Lady Catherine and Anne. I loved their background story and how they entered into Darcy’s life. That was a very interesting integration of the vampirism in this story and perfect for these characters.
As this book was written in 2009, it was one of the first vampyre P&P books, so we have to give credit to where it is due, but even though I do love vampyres, it became a little too dark for me. I believe more recent books are starting to present to us a very different type of vampirism that may be more appealing to most readers, especially the ones who are not usually into the paranormal sub genre. Nevertheless, the writing is very good and the ambience was perfectly created so I did enjoy listening to it and I don’t regret spending some time in this story.
Mr. Darcy Vampyre is a perfect gothic Pride and Prejudice sequel to read in Halloween, and even if I had a few quibbles with it, it is still a wonderful adventure with an enigmatic paranormal twist that readers of the genre will enjoy.
https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpre...
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre is a sequel of Pride and Prejudice that picks up the story immediately after the double wedding of the Bennet sisters, and it opens with a letter written by Elizabeth that is so enigmatic the reader has little choice but to continue reading to satisfy his curiosity.
Amanda Grange will then invite us to follow Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth as they go on an adventurous honeymoon through Europe visiting places like Paris, the Alps and Venice. During their travels, the author will not only provide us with vivid images of all these places with her descriptive segments, but also introduce us to some enigmatic new characters that will contribute to the gothic tone of the book.
I enjoyed this new world of characters and places very much and due to the authors writing style, I could imagine myself in each of these sombre locations, even visualizing Elizabeth’s nightmares myself. Amanda Grange’s ability to make me feel inside the story was definitely one of the aspects I enjoyed the most in Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, however, at a certain point, it started to feel like a never-ending odyssey, and I believe the book would have gained if the couple had visited fewer places. A little more balance between their travels and the plot itself would have made the book more compelling, especially because as the story progresses, it becomes increasingly more difficult to understand why Elizabeth doesn’t confront Mr. Darcy with what is troubling her since their wedding day.
Elizabeth Bennet was a little disappointing to me, but I did love Mr. Darcy’s character and I would have loved to see some of the scenes told from his point of view. I understand the gothic tone in the book was achieved because Elizabeth was clueless concerning Darcy’s vampiric nature (it’s in the title, so no big spoiler here), but because she never confronted him, and there was a big distance between them, I started feeling detached from him myself. That could have been prevented if we could have been privy to his inner struggles (and they were many indeed!).
As I mentioned before some of the secondary characters were interesting, but my favourites were Lady Catherine and Anne. I loved their background story and how they entered into Darcy’s life. That was a very interesting integration of the vampirism in this story and perfect for these characters.
As this book was written in 2009, it was one of the first vampyre P&P books, so we have to give credit to where it is due, but even though I do love vampyres, it became a little too dark for me. I believe more recent books are starting to present to us a very different type of vampirism that may be more appealing to most readers, especially the ones who are not usually into the paranormal sub genre. Nevertheless, the writing is very good and the ambience was perfectly created so I did enjoy listening to it and I don’t regret spending some time in this story.
Mr. Darcy Vampyre is a perfect gothic Pride and Prejudice sequel to read in Halloween, and even if I had a few quibbles with it, it is still a wonderful adventure with an enigmatic paranormal twist that readers of the genre will enjoy.
September 2, 2009
First of all, let me be clear, I LOVE Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I hate sounding so cliche', I could just gag, but it is one of my favorite novels of all time. Although, I am reluctant to admit, I had not read it until I was 30 years old. My education had previously led me through Persuasion, Emma and Sense and Sensibility, so I was not completely Austen illiterate before then. (Who said an English Major was a waste?) Still, the idea of fan fiction? Jane Austen fan fiction? Really? Should you really mess with perfection? Curiosity got the better of me. I had to check it out.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre picks up right where Ms. Austen left us last, giving us a lovely glimpse of the weddings of the Darcys and the Bingleys, and Mr. Darcy and Lizzie are embarking on their wedding tour. However, a mysterious note prompts Mr. Darcy to change their destination and begin their tour of the Continent, beginning with France. The mysterious note is just the start of what turns out to be a tense and sometimes frightening journey for Lizzie. Since we read the title of the book, we know Mr. Darcy's deep, dark secret, and are allowed to sometimes grin at the unexplained bumps in the night, but Lizzie does not.
Amanda Grange preys on our sentimentalism by referring back to some of our favorite scenes from P&P, which helps to maintain a consistency in the characters and the things we love about the relationship between Lizzie and Mr. Darcy. No, she's not Jane Austen, but she sure knows how to have fun with her reader, and I think she gets it right. The tour of Europe, the people they meet, the balls and dinner parties, the sudden mysterious air to Mr. Darcy -- these are just some of the things you will encounter in this book. All the while, Lizzie writes letters to her sister, Jane, documenting her trip, her questions, and, especially, her fears.
The jury is still out about whether or not Mr. Darcy, Vampyre has turned me into a fan of Jane Austen fan fiction. I love Jane Austen, I like vampire fiction, but I'm just not sure I like them together. I will say, Amanda Grange's book could not be more timely, for we all know how popular vampires are right now!
For any Jane Austen fans out there who would like to try Austen fan fiction on for size, there are dozens of titles from which to choose. Amanda Grange's Mr. Darcy's Diary would be a good place to start if you're not into vampires.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre picks up right where Ms. Austen left us last, giving us a lovely glimpse of the weddings of the Darcys and the Bingleys, and Mr. Darcy and Lizzie are embarking on their wedding tour. However, a mysterious note prompts Mr. Darcy to change their destination and begin their tour of the Continent, beginning with France. The mysterious note is just the start of what turns out to be a tense and sometimes frightening journey for Lizzie. Since we read the title of the book, we know Mr. Darcy's deep, dark secret, and are allowed to sometimes grin at the unexplained bumps in the night, but Lizzie does not.
Amanda Grange preys on our sentimentalism by referring back to some of our favorite scenes from P&P, which helps to maintain a consistency in the characters and the things we love about the relationship between Lizzie and Mr. Darcy. No, she's not Jane Austen, but she sure knows how to have fun with her reader, and I think she gets it right. The tour of Europe, the people they meet, the balls and dinner parties, the sudden mysterious air to Mr. Darcy -- these are just some of the things you will encounter in this book. All the while, Lizzie writes letters to her sister, Jane, documenting her trip, her questions, and, especially, her fears.
The jury is still out about whether or not Mr. Darcy, Vampyre has turned me into a fan of Jane Austen fan fiction. I love Jane Austen, I like vampire fiction, but I'm just not sure I like them together. I will say, Amanda Grange's book could not be more timely, for we all know how popular vampires are right now!
For any Jane Austen fans out there who would like to try Austen fan fiction on for size, there are dozens of titles from which to choose. Amanda Grange's Mr. Darcy's Diary would be a good place to start if you're not into vampires.
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