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Pride and Prejudice Chronicles #1
Georgiana Darcy's Diary: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Continued
Mr. Darcy's younger sister searches for her own happily-ever-after...
The year is 1814, and it is springtime at Pemberley. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have married. But now a new romance is in the air, along with high fashion, elegant manners, scandal, deception, and the wonderful hope of a true and lasting love.
Shy Georgiana Darcy has been content to remain unmarried, living with her brother and his new bride. But Elizabeth and Darcy's fairy-tale love reminds Georgiana daily that she has found no true love of her own. And perhaps never will, for she is convinced the one man she secretly cares for will never love her in return. Georgiana's domineering aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has determined that Georgiana shall marry, and has a list of eligible bachelors in mind. But which of the suitors are sincere, and which are merely interested in Georgiana's fortune? Georgiana must learn to trust her heart--and rely on her courage--for she also faces the return of the man who could ruin her reputation and spoil a happy ending, just when it finally lies within her grasp.
Georgiana Darcy's Diary is Book 1 of the Pride and Prejudice Chronicles and is appropriate for all ages.
The Pride and Prejudice Georgiana Darcy's Diary Pemberley to Waterloo Kitty Bennet's Diary
The year is 1814, and it is springtime at Pemberley. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have married. But now a new romance is in the air, along with high fashion, elegant manners, scandal, deception, and the wonderful hope of a true and lasting love.
Shy Georgiana Darcy has been content to remain unmarried, living with her brother and his new bride. But Elizabeth and Darcy's fairy-tale love reminds Georgiana daily that she has found no true love of her own. And perhaps never will, for she is convinced the one man she secretly cares for will never love her in return. Georgiana's domineering aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has determined that Georgiana shall marry, and has a list of eligible bachelors in mind. But which of the suitors are sincere, and which are merely interested in Georgiana's fortune? Georgiana must learn to trust her heart--and rely on her courage--for she also faces the return of the man who could ruin her reputation and spoil a happy ending, just when it finally lies within her grasp.
Georgiana Darcy's Diary is Book 1 of the Pride and Prejudice Chronicles and is appropriate for all ages.
The Pride and Prejudice Georgiana Darcy's Diary Pemberley to Waterloo Kitty Bennet's Diary
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 20, 2011
About the author
Anna Elliott
237 books522 followersAnna Elliott is an author of historical fiction and fantasy. She enjoys stories about strong women, and loves exploring the multitude of ways women can find their unique strengths. She was delighted to lend a hand with the Sherlock & Lucy series, and thrilled to continue a new spin-off series featuring Becky and Flynn. Her first series, the Twilight of Avalon trilogy, is a retelling of the Trystan & Isolde legend. She wrote her second series, The Pride & Prejudice Chronicles , chiefly to satisfy her own curiosity about what might have happened to Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and all the other wonderful cast of characters after the official end of Jane Austen’s classic work.
WEBSITE: http://sherlockandlucy.com
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FACEBOOK READER GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/77782...
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Anna lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and five children.
WEBSITE: http://sherlockandlucy.com
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sherlockand...
FACEBOOK READER GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/77782...
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Anna-El...
Anna lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and five children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 843 reviews
August 24, 2012
I hate to be unkind in my rating because I enjoyed the first half of this novel even though the author used many modern terms and did not bother to write in the vernacular of a 19th century gentlewoman. I became even more disappointed in this when I read the "about the author" section at the end of the book and discovered she is the offspring of not one, but two English Literature PhD's.
However, what really disturbed me about this book was the fact that an 18 year old single Georgiana Darcy had quite an explicit understanding of brothels and mistresses and felt comfortable in one: talking about them to a single gentleman and, two: writing about them in a journal she admits she foresees her grandchildren or grandnieces/grandnephews reading. The entire second half of the book was ridiculous, between Lady Catherine DeBourgh's engagement to an unknown man, the revelation of one man's homosexuality which an eighteen year old Georgiana was able to deduce and accept without shock, and the idea that Caroline Bingley would steal something. None of these things are realistic for the characters or the period.
I'm not certain if I'll read the sequel, but I'm hoping the author will fine tune her writing and put more effort into making a believable period piece. If the sequel gets good ratings on Good Reads, I'll probably give it a try.
However, what really disturbed me about this book was the fact that an 18 year old single Georgiana Darcy had quite an explicit understanding of brothels and mistresses and felt comfortable in one: talking about them to a single gentleman and, two: writing about them in a journal she admits she foresees her grandchildren or grandnieces/grandnephews reading. The entire second half of the book was ridiculous, between Lady Catherine DeBourgh's engagement to an unknown man, the revelation of one man's homosexuality which an eighteen year old Georgiana was able to deduce and accept without shock, and the idea that Caroline Bingley would steal something. None of these things are realistic for the characters or the period.
I'm not certain if I'll read the sequel, but I'm hoping the author will fine tune her writing and put more effort into making a believable period piece. If the sequel gets good ratings on Good Reads, I'll probably give it a try.
July 16, 2020
GEORGIANA'S STORY IN HER OWN WORDS
I was hesitant when I picked up this book, I am not going to lie. I for sure thought I was going to dislike it instantly. So when I started reading it and it didn't turn me off at once, I was intrigued. And I kept reading. And I was entertained and fascinated. Sure, it wasn't great literature and it certainly isn't Jane Austen, but it is a valiant attempt at bringing these beloved characters back to life and finishing even more of their stories.
👍 WHAT I LIKED 👍
Georgiana's arc: In Pride and Prejudice Georgiana is a minor character. You don't know a lot about her character, her personality or her thoughts. She's quiet, musical and slightly shy. At the start of this book, written as Georgiana's diary, that exactly what she still appears to be. However, Georgiana evolves and grows throughout this novel. Her arc was very believable and really did her justice. I liked how she gained gumption and spine. It was the right direction to take this character in my opinion.
Not Austen's style: Often, when people try to write Austen sequels or prequels they make one great mistake - they try to make it sound like Austen herself wrote it. And they always fail. What I liked about this book is that Elliot doesn't fall into that trap. She makes her own style, and that was something I really liked. Made this book more its own.
👎 WHAT I DISLIKED 👎
Diary: I liked that this was told in Georgiana's words and Georgiana's voice. But I really disliked the diary form. It just didn't work as a diary. It felt artificial because she wrote things that nobody would ever write in an actual diary. To me, it took the experience down a few notches, because I kept thinking how implausible it was.
Character arcs: While I liked Georgiana's arc, many of the other characters had arcs that really did not mesh with the original characters. They evolved in completely absurd ways that the originals never would have evolved. Especially Catherine de Bourgh and Caroline Bingley became so far removed from what they originally were.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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I was hesitant when I picked up this book, I am not going to lie. I for sure thought I was going to dislike it instantly. So when I started reading it and it didn't turn me off at once, I was intrigued. And I kept reading. And I was entertained and fascinated. Sure, it wasn't great literature and it certainly isn't Jane Austen, but it is a valiant attempt at bringing these beloved characters back to life and finishing even more of their stories.
👍 WHAT I LIKED 👍
Georgiana's arc: In Pride and Prejudice Georgiana is a minor character. You don't know a lot about her character, her personality or her thoughts. She's quiet, musical and slightly shy. At the start of this book, written as Georgiana's diary, that exactly what she still appears to be. However, Georgiana evolves and grows throughout this novel. Her arc was very believable and really did her justice. I liked how she gained gumption and spine. It was the right direction to take this character in my opinion.
Not Austen's style: Often, when people try to write Austen sequels or prequels they make one great mistake - they try to make it sound like Austen herself wrote it. And they always fail. What I liked about this book is that Elliot doesn't fall into that trap. She makes her own style, and that was something I really liked. Made this book more its own.
👎 WHAT I DISLIKED 👎
Diary: I liked that this was told in Georgiana's words and Georgiana's voice. But I really disliked the diary form. It just didn't work as a diary. It felt artificial because she wrote things that nobody would ever write in an actual diary. To me, it took the experience down a few notches, because I kept thinking how implausible it was.
Character arcs: While I liked Georgiana's arc, many of the other characters had arcs that really did not mesh with the original characters. They evolved in completely absurd ways that the originals never would have evolved. Especially Catherine de Bourgh and Caroline Bingley became so far removed from what they originally were.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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January 20, 2013
Let me start off by listing the strikes against this book. It's apparently self-published (not, of course, an automatic guarantee of Bad, but it is a truth universally acknowledged that self-pubs are more prone to editorial quality issues). Its author's name is suspiciously similar to an Austen character; I hereby sincerely apologize if "Anna Elliott" is indeed the author's real name, but if not I do wish she had come up with a different pseudonym. It's frequently (always?) free on Amazon. (There's a "however" coming up – go 'head and get it. I'll wait.) It's a continuation of Pride and Prejudice, which sparks off a list of its own: it's basically fan-fiction (and while yes, there is some very good stuff out there, it cannot be denied that most of it is utter dreck); the last "continuation" I read was not very good although it was by an author I know and love; and trying to echo a literary voice like Jane Austen's can only end in tears. Any of these is worrying; all together should be horripilating.
However. (See?)
From the introduction: "I can't begin to match Jane Austen's immortal writing style, and wouldn't even pretend to try. ... I would never aspire to imitate Jane Austen or compare my work to hers. Georgiana Darcy's Diary is meant to be an entertainment, written for those readers who, like me, simply can't get enough of Jane Austen and her world." Well. That's promising. Humility and self-awareness in an author - I'm not Jane Austen and won't pretend I can be - is wonderful. This is, Ms. Elliott states, the reason she chose the format of a journal written by a character Miss Austen did not give much dialogue to: Georgiana Darcy. That's kind of brilliant. There's no going back and comparing a paragraph from the Diary to a paragraph from P&P, no window to complain, really, about much short of massive missteps of language or anachronism.
There were, as I recall, a few scattered typos – and one bit of an editorial whopper: mention of, I believe, a hat "died to match". (There was a terrible accident at the milliner's one day, you see …) Apart from that, the voice was very well done. I don't know how it would stand up to a sterner scrutiny, or to a highly critical eye in terms of historical accuracy, but I was happy to believe it was the narrative voice of not only a very young woman of 1814, but in fact of Georgiana Darcy. (It does help that Georgiana was seen so little in Pride and Prejudice, of course, and that the years between 16 and 19 inevitably change a person.)
Ms. Elliott did something with this book that the late, great Joan Aiken failed at in her sequel to Mansfield Park: getting the original main characters out of the way. In Mansfield Revisited, Fanny and Edmund were whisked away to the Indies very early in the book, never to be heard from more till the very end, thus clearing the path of extraneous already-happy-ever-aftered people so that Fanny's sister Susan could get down to the business of HEA. Here, though, not only did the diary format allow the author to evade the question of whether her third-person narration would live up to Jane Austen's, it also allowed her to fix the point of view solidly behind Georgiana's eyes – Georgiana, who doesn't spend every minute with Lizzie or Darcy.
Actually, she did two things that Joan Aiken did not: she also made me care about the characters on whom she was focusing. Georgiana in The Original is a figure of some pity and sympathy – she went through something terrible with bloody Wickham, and otherwise serves almost entirely as a foil for Darcy, giving him depth, providing an avenue for Lizzie to see the relaxed, affectionate side of him. The sympathy carries over to this Diary, but the sympathy deepens as the girl becomes a well-rounded character in her own right.
Was it perfect? No. But it was much better than I anticipated. It was very good.
However. (See?)
From the introduction: "I can't begin to match Jane Austen's immortal writing style, and wouldn't even pretend to try. ... I would never aspire to imitate Jane Austen or compare my work to hers. Georgiana Darcy's Diary is meant to be an entertainment, written for those readers who, like me, simply can't get enough of Jane Austen and her world." Well. That's promising. Humility and self-awareness in an author - I'm not Jane Austen and won't pretend I can be - is wonderful. This is, Ms. Elliott states, the reason she chose the format of a journal written by a character Miss Austen did not give much dialogue to: Georgiana Darcy. That's kind of brilliant. There's no going back and comparing a paragraph from the Diary to a paragraph from P&P, no window to complain, really, about much short of massive missteps of language or anachronism.
There were, as I recall, a few scattered typos – and one bit of an editorial whopper: mention of, I believe, a hat "died to match". (There was a terrible accident at the milliner's one day, you see …) Apart from that, the voice was very well done. I don't know how it would stand up to a sterner scrutiny, or to a highly critical eye in terms of historical accuracy, but I was happy to believe it was the narrative voice of not only a very young woman of 1814, but in fact of Georgiana Darcy. (It does help that Georgiana was seen so little in Pride and Prejudice, of course, and that the years between 16 and 19 inevitably change a person.)
Ms. Elliott did something with this book that the late, great Joan Aiken failed at in her sequel to Mansfield Park: getting the original main characters out of the way. In Mansfield Revisited, Fanny and Edmund were whisked away to the Indies very early in the book, never to be heard from more till the very end, thus clearing the path of extraneous already-happy-ever-aftered people so that Fanny's sister Susan could get down to the business of HEA. Here, though, not only did the diary format allow the author to evade the question of whether her third-person narration would live up to Jane Austen's, it also allowed her to fix the point of view solidly behind Georgiana's eyes – Georgiana, who doesn't spend every minute with Lizzie or Darcy.
Actually, she did two things that Joan Aiken did not: she also made me care about the characters on whom she was focusing. Georgiana in The Original is a figure of some pity and sympathy – she went through something terrible with bloody Wickham, and otherwise serves almost entirely as a foil for Darcy, giving him depth, providing an avenue for Lizzie to see the relaxed, affectionate side of him. The sympathy carries over to this Diary, but the sympathy deepens as the girl becomes a well-rounded character in her own right.
Was it perfect? No. But it was much better than I anticipated. It was very good.
April 3, 2013
I'm sorry that I cannot give this book a higher rating. I love Pride and Prejudice, and I enjoyed reading about Pemberley again in this book. I appreciated the author's note at the beginning--that she "simply can't get enough of Jane Austen and her world." She stated quite frankly that she couldn't "begin to match Jane Austen's immortal style, and wouldn't even pretend to try." I like her honesty, and as an author I understand the predicament, and I kept her statement in mind as I read. However, though the beginning of the book felt somewhat connected to Pride and Prejudice, the characters became more and more modern as the book went on, so that by the end of the book we were no longer in Jane Austen's world. Georgiana, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Caroline Bingley, Lady Cathrine de Bourgh, and her daughter Anne all undergo such a fundamental change in character that they are no longer recognizable as the same people we read about in Pride and Prejudice. The social mores also shift to embrace modern understanding and behavior. Georgiana Darcy's Diary is also inconsistent with some of the indications Jane Austen gave of the future in the last chapter of Pride and Prejudice, particularly regarding Kitty Bennet spending a lot of her time at Pemberley and Mr. Bennet's love of going to Pemberley "especially when he was least expected."
April 1, 2016
I was initially intrigued about this book because I too often think of what became of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy after Pride and Prejudice closes. I just imagine them having several children, lots of laughter, and enjoying visits made by Jane, Bingley, and Mr. Bennet. Reading this book made me feel like Pemberley was not a very fun place. And I was seriously disappointed at the changes to characters I had grown to know and love. I do wonder if the author did read Pride and Prejudice prior to writing this book because the changes she made to certain characters irked me to no end and also made no sense.
Told from first person point of view, this book follows Georgiana Darcy (the younger sister of Mr. Darcy) who is suffering through a visit from her Aunt Catherine, her cousin Anne, Caroline Bingley, and several suitors that her Aunt Catherine has scrounged up to offer for Georgiana's hand. The events in this book are supposed to take place a few months after Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have married.
The character of Georgiana was a bore from beginning to end. I know in Pride and Prejudice she was described as shy and easily embarrassed. She doesn't change that much from that book to this only now we get to read how shy and easily embarrassed she is. The character of Georgiana also was written weirdly at times. She often says how she wants to stand up to people like her Aunt Catherine more, but does not. In fact the whole book is her acting passively and it often takes other people in the story to stand up for Georgiana.
What really annoyed me though was the changes Ms. Elliot makes to certain characters in order to set up her plot (Georgiana is desperately in love with her cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam) which once again makes no sense based on the face of it.
For example, Ms. Elliot describes Elizabeth as not a great beauty except when laughing and that one took me by surprise. Austen went at great lengths to say that Elizabeth was a local beauty and charming and had fine eyes. Also it seems odd how little Elizabeth and Georgiana even interacted in this book.
Another issue I had was that based on Pride and Prejudice we know that Georgiana hero worshiped her older brother, so once again it was weird how very little she interacted with him as well. Instead she put up with her Aunt's machinations and just begged Elizabeth to not let Darcy know.
The character of Fitzwilliam doesn't make any sense here at all. Once again based on Pride and Prejudice we know that initially he admired Elizabeth, but due to his circumstances was going to have to marry a young woman with money. To have this character returning to Pemberley actually didn't make a lot of sense though I guess that can be handwaved away by him injured and needing to recover somewhere.
I really am baffled at Ms. Elliot's decision to have Caroline Bingley and Aunt Catherine along with Anne visiting. First of all, Elizabeth was not as forgiving as her sister Jane was regarding Caroline Bingley and I can't imagine she would have her in the home. But also we know from the ending to Pride and Prejudice that it took sometime for Aunt Catherine to even deign to forgive Mr. Darcy and accept his marriage to Elizabeth so it was weird having her visit so soon after they were married.
Also we know that Mr. Bennet often stopped by (he makes no visits in this novel) that eventually Jane and Mr. Bingley get property near by, that Kitty makes visits to both her sisters (does not happen here) though Kitty does write a letter and she is somehow engaged in this book. Anyway I will be here all day if I write down everything that doesn't match up with these characters.
The writing did not fit this book at all since it was modern. It kept taking me out of the story to have certain words or phrases pop up. It also didn't help that a girl like Georgiana who was sheltered her whole life until Wickham popped up in it would somehow know about the things she did later in the book. I just rolled my eyes. I really did enjoy the sketches because I imagined that would be something that a young woman of these times would do in her diary or journal. The sketches elevated the book and is what caused me to give it 2 stars.
The flow was not that great and we kept having passages called "Later" and "Later Still" it would have been nice to have a date and time associated with them. It drove me mad every time the author did that.
The setting of Pemberley just fell flat to me. I think most of it was because we had characters we had known not acting like themselves, and way too many people running about the place that I had a hard time believing would be welcomed for as long as they were staying.
The ending was laughably bad when you see what becomes of Catherine and Caroline. I really couldn't wrap my mind around why the author had Caroline who was a woman with a $20,000 dowry sitting around Pemberely mooning over losing Darcy and desperate to marry. It just didn't make a lot of sense. Would she not have been at her brother's place or off somewhere meeting eligible men?
I would just skip this book and re-read Pride and Prejudice.
May 25, 2014
I'm abandoning this one for now. Thanks to Kobo I know I'm 50% through and the book started promisingly, but now seems to have lost its way. Plus it has a lot of characters like Caroline Bingley & the De Bourghs where I'm just not interested in what happened to them!
June 27, 2013
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young lady of rank and property will have packs of money- or land-hungry suitors yapping around her heels like hounds after a fox.”
On my second reading, I got a totally different impression and therefore have awarded a higher rating. A better-than-average attempt to continue the story Jane Austin began in Pride and Prejudice. Many original characters return with little development; the reader is assumed to already know them. The dénouement is as inevitable as the original.
“I knew I would never in three hundred years work up the nerve for a dramatic confrontation of that kind. Or if I did, I would stand there, red-faced and stammering trying to think of the perfect retort. Which would probably come to me at three o’clock the following morning.”
The characterization of new cast seems deeper and the action and dialogue more true to Austin. What changed? Last month I re-read Pride and Prejudice, so Austin’s original was more vivid in my mind. Suggest readers do likewise before starting this novel. (The television adaptations are not suitable substitutes for Austin’s original words.) Elliott grounds her tale more firmly in the time and place of 1814 England.
“It was completely by accident that I found out. Well, accident and eavesdropping. Though I truly did not mean to overhear.”
Recommended only for diehard Austin fans, and they should not read the author's spoiler-laden note. A touch of humor, but not nearly so deftly presented as Jane.
“I felt a qualm about my heart at that, for fear he was going to propose. I do like him very much. But I don’t love him at all. Of course, my aunt would say that is no reason whatsoever to refuse a man’s proposal. Marriage has little or nothing to do with love.”
Modernisms still sneak in but, with one exception, they don’t break the spell of the story. Revealing that exception would be a spoiler. The attentive reader will detect it and understand why Elliott inserted it.
“What do I want? What I can’t have—I suppose like most of us in this world.”
On my second reading, I got a totally different impression and therefore have awarded a higher rating. A better-than-average attempt to continue the story Jane Austin began in Pride and Prejudice. Many original characters return with little development; the reader is assumed to already know them. The dénouement is as inevitable as the original.
“I knew I would never in three hundred years work up the nerve for a dramatic confrontation of that kind. Or if I did, I would stand there, red-faced and stammering trying to think of the perfect retort. Which would probably come to me at three o’clock the following morning.”
The characterization of new cast seems deeper and the action and dialogue more true to Austin. What changed? Last month I re-read Pride and Prejudice, so Austin’s original was more vivid in my mind. Suggest readers do likewise before starting this novel. (The television adaptations are not suitable substitutes for Austin’s original words.) Elliott grounds her tale more firmly in the time and place of 1814 England.
“It was completely by accident that I found out. Well, accident and eavesdropping. Though I truly did not mean to overhear.”
Recommended only for diehard Austin fans, and they should not read the author's spoiler-laden note. A touch of humor, but not nearly so deftly presented as Jane.
“I felt a qualm about my heart at that, for fear he was going to propose. I do like him very much. But I don’t love him at all. Of course, my aunt would say that is no reason whatsoever to refuse a man’s proposal. Marriage has little or nothing to do with love.”
Modernisms still sneak in but, with one exception, they don’t break the spell of the story. Revealing that exception would be a spoiler. The attentive reader will detect it and understand why Elliott inserted it.
“What do I want? What I can’t have—I suppose like most of us in this world.”
February 13, 2013
I just adored this mostly angst free P&P Sequel that concentrates mostly upon Georgiana. The story is set in 1814 and presented in the form of Georgiana's private diary. She's had two seasons and lots of proposals but remains unwed so Lady Catherine brings her opinions and authority to a house party at Pemberley to find a spouse for Georgiana. Unfortunately none of these men live up to Georgiana's one true love (it isn't Wickham), but that doesn't stop them from trying.
Obviously Georgie is the main character joined by Anne deBourgh and Caroline Bingley. Lizzy and Darcy are there but in a small supporting role. Most of the angst is teenage crossed in love level and there are a few funny surprises and twists.
Obviously Georgie is the main character joined by Anne deBourgh and Caroline Bingley. Lizzy and Darcy are there but in a small supporting role. Most of the angst is teenage crossed in love level and there are a few funny surprises and twists.
June 2, 2022
I can't believe I waited so long to get to this one. I was utterly charmed reading Georgiana Darcy's thoughts as she came of age and navigated the path to love and womanhood. I've already enjoyed some of the author's work so I was intrigued to see how this epistolary style book would go and it was a delightful surprise.
Georgiana Darcy's Diary is a sequel to Pride and Prejudice told through young Georgiana Darcy's eyes. This is three years after the events of her dreadful 15 year old misadventure with George Wickham and she is living at Pemberley with her brother and his charming wife, Elizabeth.
Georgiana is shy and reticent before others, but inside her own head, she has decided opinions. One of those is that Aunt Catherine's latest batch of eligible men will remain eligible as far as Georgiana is concerned. She already knows the man she wants and will not settle for another no matter how handsome or charming (though some are far from that as she discovers). Her second guardian Colonel Edward Fitzwilliam has been her secret love since she can remember, but the man only sees her as a young girl and not the grown woman she has become.
Edward's back from the war with France and not unaffected by the war. He seems to look and act oddly around her at times, but his behavior generally gets her riled up and annoyed enough to take baby steps out of her shell to have a voice and to be proactive. Helping her despairing cousin Anne to get out from under her mother's thumb and pursue her own happiness as well as face down her own worst past experience brings Georgiana along to the point when she must leave her shy self behind and boldly state and do to get her own happiness.
I loved seeing Georgiana grow, learn from her mistakes and that of others, be observant and intelligent, but also work toward what she wanted. As the reader, I could see what Georgiana could not when it came to Edward Fitzwilliam and couldn't wait for Georgie to see it, too. The author did a good job showing how the war affected him and how he must adjust to peacetime and dealing with the nightmares and memories. It was also fun to see Darcy and Lizzy as a loving couple and how their marriage has progressed. The secondary romance for Anne de Bourgh was a good one, too.
All in all, I was utterly delighted and can't wait to see what comes in the second part of Georgiana's story. Excellent characterizations and historic backdrops and plottings. Definite recommend.
Georgiana Darcy's Diary is a sequel to Pride and Prejudice told through young Georgiana Darcy's eyes. This is three years after the events of her dreadful 15 year old misadventure with George Wickham and she is living at Pemberley with her brother and his charming wife, Elizabeth.
Georgiana is shy and reticent before others, but inside her own head, she has decided opinions. One of those is that Aunt Catherine's latest batch of eligible men will remain eligible as far as Georgiana is concerned. She already knows the man she wants and will not settle for another no matter how handsome or charming (though some are far from that as she discovers). Her second guardian Colonel Edward Fitzwilliam has been her secret love since she can remember, but the man only sees her as a young girl and not the grown woman she has become.
Edward's back from the war with France and not unaffected by the war. He seems to look and act oddly around her at times, but his behavior generally gets her riled up and annoyed enough to take baby steps out of her shell to have a voice and to be proactive. Helping her despairing cousin Anne to get out from under her mother's thumb and pursue her own happiness as well as face down her own worst past experience brings Georgiana along to the point when she must leave her shy self behind and boldly state and do to get her own happiness.
I loved seeing Georgiana grow, learn from her mistakes and that of others, be observant and intelligent, but also work toward what she wanted. As the reader, I could see what Georgiana could not when it came to Edward Fitzwilliam and couldn't wait for Georgie to see it, too. The author did a good job showing how the war affected him and how he must adjust to peacetime and dealing with the nightmares and memories. It was also fun to see Darcy and Lizzy as a loving couple and how their marriage has progressed. The secondary romance for Anne de Bourgh was a good one, too.
All in all, I was utterly delighted and can't wait to see what comes in the second part of Georgiana's story. Excellent characterizations and historic backdrops and plottings. Definite recommend.
August 18, 2015
[October 9th, 2017] A temporary edit:
Still (or again, I don't know) free on Amazon (e-book).
Perhaps it isn't great literature but nice for a lovely evening.
The main review from June 1st, 2015:
I had a very charming time with this sweet romance. Maybe, Anna Elliott isn't too much accurate with language and with some historical facts (I mean, for example, what a woman from that times would have done and what not) but it was a really lovely story. You need a proof?
There were some plot twists and a bit of mystery. So, you will be surprised a few times. By the way, Elliott had something to tell us about people's emotions.
Still (or again, I don't know) free on Amazon (e-book).
Perhaps it isn't great literature but nice for a lovely evening.
The main review from June 1st, 2015:
I had a very charming time with this sweet romance. Maybe, Anna Elliott isn't too much accurate with language and with some historical facts (I mean, for example, what a woman from that times would have done and what not) but it was a really lovely story. You need a proof?
He drew in his breath. His dark gaze was a mixture of longing and trepidation that made my heart feel so full it threatened to spill over. His head bent until his forehead rested against mine, and his hand slid through my loosened hair. His voice was an unsteady murmur. “I love you, Georgiana. I may not be sure of anything else— perhaps not even who I am right now. But I am sure of that.”;-)
There were some plot twists and a bit of mystery. So, you will be surprised a few times. By the way, Elliott had something to tell us about people's emotions.
it is frightening what lies people can make themselves certain of, just because they are determined to accept the lies as true.
It must be far worse, I think, to lose all hope of freedom when you have been given just a taste.
It’s just that it seems to me that what is a terrible hardship to one person may seem trivially small to another, but that does not necessarily make the hardship any the less hard to bear for the one who suffers it.
Your own thoughts can sound unfamiliar and strange when they are out there, spoken in the world, as though they have taken on a life of their own.
Fate really does have a very peculiar sense of humour at times.
February 9, 2015
I've read quite a few "Pride and Prejudice" continuance novels. They are usually terrible. Too far off the story line and character personalities. But, this one is really well done. This is where any Pride and Prejudice fans would have seen the story going. The personalities develop from where they ended in the original story naturally (in my opinion) to where Austen would have liked.
March 25, 2012
I've always had a soft spot for Georgiana, and I enjoyed this version of her happy ending in particular. It's one that I'll read again when I'm in the mood for some Austen-inspired romance.
February 14, 2021
This was a nice read about Darcy's sister Georgiana. After one year of marriage, Catherine de Bourgh has condescended to include Darcy and Lizzy in her life again, and organizes a house party at Pemberley in order to find a suitable husband for Georgiana. The book is in the form of her diary and she reveals early on that she's always loved her cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. He has been in France fighting the French and there was a terrible loss of life on both sides in Toulouse. Napoleon was defeated and sent to Elba and the Colonel is able to come home. But the war has changed him and he's a little withdrawn. Also, Kitty writes that she's heard from a friend that he's engaged. Georgiana is crushed. There are three young men attending the house party and they all pay attention to her. Her cousin Ann de Bourgh is also present and Georgiana takes her under her wing to get her to have some fun (though Ann is ten years older). Lots of intrigue and a jewelry theft with happy endings for all.
May 1, 2017
Kindle freebie, thanks Mela!
3.5-3.75 stars
Two years after Georgiana Darcy almost eloped with the dastardly Mr. Wickham, she is happy at Pemberley with her brother and new sister. With Elizabeth feeling ill, Georgiana is left to the mercies of her aunt, who is determined to marry Georgiana off. Georgiana has a secret. She's in love, but not with any of the suitors her aunt has chosen. Georgiana feels her love is unattainable for her, like her brother, is determined to treat her like a child. She's no longer the innocent, shy child she used to be. Can she convince anyone else of that? She is also determined to help her cousin Anne achieve happiness.
This is a sweet, simple story. The author acknowledges she couldn't do justice to Austen's wit and style so she chose a diary format. This was a wise choice but it does present a few limitations. Characters are mentioned by name without explanation because Georgiana is writing in her diary. Also, we're told how Georgiana is feeling.
I liked Georgiana. She's really come into her own and grown up. I don't think she's shy- she's just a bit reserved like her brother. Georgiana has every reason to be reserved and cautious with her feelings given her experience. She's more worldly than I would have expected but as she says, she has lived in London and undoubtedly heard gossip about the world of men. She's sweet and caring. I especially liked how she is trying to live up to her mother's reputation in the neighborhood. It was nice to know how Anne Darcy's death affected Georgiana and the neighborhood.
Caroline Bingley is a major secondary character. She has changed a bit. Now Darcy is no longer available, she has her sights set on a Frenchman in a plot that needed more development. It was predictable in some ways but very un-Caroline. Her love interest isn't well developed and I, like Darcy and Edward, think he's a fake. Georgiana's cousin Anne de Bourgh has an interesting subplot. She has to come into her own like Georgiana has done. I liked the way she developed. She deserves happiness. Lady Catherine is still as imperious and narcissistic as always. Her story surprised me. Georgiana has a couple of suitors: Mr. Edgeware, Sir John Huntington, and Mr. Follett. Of course they're all wrong for her. Mr. Edgeware doesn't understand her, Sir John is disgusting and Mr. Follett is kind but not the ONE for her.
Elizabeth and Darcy barely appear in the story which I am grateful for. The author seems to have captured their personalities well. Elizabeth is lighthearted and kind, while Darcy is reserved and used to being in charge of his baby sister. Elizabeth makes it clear Darcy has changed a little but still has a ways to go before he really unbends. I felt this characterization rang true for the Darcy we know. George Wickham has a cameo and he's much the same as always - if not worse. Colonel Fitzwilliam is a major character. Gone is the smiling, fun, teasing companion of Pride and Prejudice. He's been in battle, he's chased down Wickham and worries about Georgiana (unnecessarily). He seems too different from the character I know and love. Col. Fitzwilliam isn't unlikable per say, he's just brooding and scarred from battle. While he's realistic for a soldier, I don't want realistic, I want the character Austen wrote.
What I didn't really like was the romance. I didn't buy it. I did appreciate how the author incorporated a little realism about returning veterans and what they went through. I just don't see these two together. He's too old. Though such matches were common, I'd like to see Georgiana with someone young and fun to balance out her seriousness and reserve-like her brother and Elizabeth! However, now I want to read the next book in the trilogy!
I loved the sketches Georgiana drew in her diary. They add a lot to the story for those who may not know much about the Regency period.
This is worth reading if you like Austen paraliterature and wonder what happened to Georgiana.
3.5-3.75 stars
Two years after Georgiana Darcy almost eloped with the dastardly Mr. Wickham, she is happy at Pemberley with her brother and new sister. With Elizabeth feeling ill, Georgiana is left to the mercies of her aunt, who is determined to marry Georgiana off. Georgiana has a secret. She's in love, but not with any of the suitors her aunt has chosen. Georgiana feels her love is unattainable for her, like her brother, is determined to treat her like a child. She's no longer the innocent, shy child she used to be. Can she convince anyone else of that? She is also determined to help her cousin Anne achieve happiness.
This is a sweet, simple story. The author acknowledges she couldn't do justice to Austen's wit and style so she chose a diary format. This was a wise choice but it does present a few limitations. Characters are mentioned by name without explanation because Georgiana is writing in her diary. Also, we're told how Georgiana is feeling.
I liked Georgiana. She's really come into her own and grown up. I don't think she's shy- she's just a bit reserved like her brother. Georgiana has every reason to be reserved and cautious with her feelings given her experience. She's more worldly than I would have expected but as she says, she has lived in London and undoubtedly heard gossip about the world of men. She's sweet and caring. I especially liked how she is trying to live up to her mother's reputation in the neighborhood. It was nice to know how Anne Darcy's death affected Georgiana and the neighborhood.
Caroline Bingley is a major secondary character. She has changed a bit. Now Darcy is no longer available, she has her sights set on a Frenchman in a plot that needed more development. It was predictable in some ways but very un-Caroline. Her love interest isn't well developed and I, like Darcy and Edward, think he's a fake. Georgiana's cousin Anne de Bourgh has an interesting subplot. She has to come into her own like Georgiana has done. I liked the way she developed. She deserves happiness. Lady Catherine is still as imperious and narcissistic as always. Her story surprised me. Georgiana has a couple of suitors: Mr. Edgeware, Sir John Huntington, and Mr. Follett. Of course they're all wrong for her. Mr. Edgeware doesn't understand her, Sir John is disgusting and Mr. Follett is kind but not the ONE for her.
Elizabeth and Darcy barely appear in the story which I am grateful for. The author seems to have captured their personalities well. Elizabeth is lighthearted and kind, while Darcy is reserved and used to being in charge of his baby sister. Elizabeth makes it clear Darcy has changed a little but still has a ways to go before he really unbends. I felt this characterization rang true for the Darcy we know. George Wickham has a cameo and he's much the same as always - if not worse. Colonel Fitzwilliam is a major character. Gone is the smiling, fun, teasing companion of Pride and Prejudice. He's been in battle, he's chased down Wickham and worries about Georgiana (unnecessarily). He seems too different from the character I know and love. Col. Fitzwilliam isn't unlikable per say, he's just brooding and scarred from battle. While he's realistic for a soldier, I don't want realistic, I want the character Austen wrote.
What I didn't really like was the romance. I didn't buy it. I did appreciate how the author incorporated a little realism about returning veterans and what they went through. I just don't see these two together. He's too old. Though such matches were common, I'd like to see Georgiana with someone young and fun to balance out her seriousness and reserve-like her brother and Elizabeth! However, now I want to read the next book in the trilogy!
I loved the sketches Georgiana drew in her diary. They add a lot to the story for those who may not know much about the Regency period.
This is worth reading if you like Austen paraliterature and wonder what happened to Georgiana.
November 20, 2020
I read up to 55% in the story which I started on May 15, 2019 but for some reason never finished. I started reading it again today November 20, 2020.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars
As you can see I had a problem with finishing this story - it just did not hold my attention. I found it easy to set down but was determined to finish as I have a goal to read the books piled and unread on my Kindle
Yes, Georgiana is writing a diary. And Aunt de Bourgh has brought herself and Anne to Pemberley along with also inviting some bachelors whom she pushes at Georgiana. I found it strange that Caroline Bingley is staying there without her brother and his wife, Jane. Darcy and Elizabeth make almost no appearances in the diary.
Georgiana continues to be somewhat shy about expressing her feelings or about discerning the feelings of others. We read as she makes observations about Anne and then decides to push her cousin to join in activities, i.e., a masquerade ball and (Would you believe?) to make her feelings known to the man she loves despite knowing her mother is against the match.
You may not believe it...but we also read of Lady Catherine becoming engaged...I won't say more about that. From the beginning of her diary entries we know that Georgiana is in love with her cousin. He is Edward, not Richard, Fitzwilliam in this story. However Georgiana has been informed that he is engaged but she cannot figure out the strange looks he gives her and how protective he is of her reputation. (Wickham's attempt to elope with her are in the past.)
There is no angst and just a little romance near the end. The author did write another in this series which we are informed of at the end of this book.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars
As you can see I had a problem with finishing this story - it just did not hold my attention. I found it easy to set down but was determined to finish as I have a goal to read the books piled and unread on my Kindle
Yes, Georgiana is writing a diary. And Aunt de Bourgh has brought herself and Anne to Pemberley along with also inviting some bachelors whom she pushes at Georgiana. I found it strange that Caroline Bingley is staying there without her brother and his wife, Jane. Darcy and Elizabeth make almost no appearances in the diary.
Georgiana continues to be somewhat shy about expressing her feelings or about discerning the feelings of others. We read as she makes observations about Anne and then decides to push her cousin to join in activities, i.e., a masquerade ball and (Would you believe?) to make her feelings known to the man she loves despite knowing her mother is against the match.
You may not believe it...but we also read of Lady Catherine becoming engaged...I won't say more about that. From the beginning of her diary entries we know that Georgiana is in love with her cousin. He is Edward, not Richard, Fitzwilliam in this story. However Georgiana has been informed that he is engaged but she cannot figure out the strange looks he gives her and how protective he is of her reputation. (Wickham's attempt to elope with her are in the past.)
There is no angst and just a little romance near the end. The author did write another in this series which we are informed of at the end of this book.
March 29, 2018
This Pride and Prejudice variation is a sequel , if you will, told from Georgiana's point of view in mostly journal style. Much to her dismay, Aunt Catherine has arranged for a house party of eligible bachelors to Pemberly. Elizabeth is distracted due to an unknown "illness" and Richard is staying away and/or acting funny. Georgiana has to learn to stand up for what she wants and find her own happily ever after.
June 25, 2022
Good
I’ve had this book in my Kindle since 2020; I believe it was offered free on Amazon for awhile. It could still be; I haven’t checked.
This is a first-person diary account of a shy young woman coming of age and slowly finding her voice. This first volume of a trilogy only covers several weeks during a house party at Pemberley a year or so after the marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth. Guests include Lady Catherine, who is trying to play matchmaker, Anne de Bourgh, Caroline Bingley, several male potential suitors, and Colonel Fitzwilliam, who has just returned from war.
Georgiana works to evade the manipulations of Lady Catherine and unwanted suitors while pining for the one man she believes she can never have. The Darcys are visible, but only play a minor role. The story ends on a happy, but unfinished note and continues in the second volume, which I may read at some point in the future.
I’ve had this book in my Kindle since 2020; I believe it was offered free on Amazon for awhile. It could still be; I haven’t checked.
This is a first-person diary account of a shy young woman coming of age and slowly finding her voice. This first volume of a trilogy only covers several weeks during a house party at Pemberley a year or so after the marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth. Guests include Lady Catherine, who is trying to play matchmaker, Anne de Bourgh, Caroline Bingley, several male potential suitors, and Colonel Fitzwilliam, who has just returned from war.
Georgiana works to evade the manipulations of Lady Catherine and unwanted suitors while pining for the one man she believes she can never have. The Darcys are visible, but only play a minor role. The story ends on a happy, but unfinished note and continues in the second volume, which I may read at some point in the future.
April 29, 2013
I was quite surprised by the amount of negative comments on this book. Maybe it's because I compare this book not that much to P&P, but to other modern rewritings, sequels etc. And within this group, Georgiana Darcy's Diary is one of the best books I've read. I really don't care that it does not follow all the hints that Austen gave us about Georgiana and the other characters at the end of P&P. Maybe I have low standards, but the book was not vulgar, the characters were more or less believable, they developed throughout the story and the novel was not focused solely on Georgiana's love life (which I appreciate). Also, the tone of the book was very pleasant - not as ironical as Austen's but still quite amusing.
For all those who compare this book to P&P and think it fails immensely - as long as the book is not written by our divine Jane, there always will be a difference. That's just how it works with rewritings and sequels. But I think Anna Elliott did a decent job with this novel and deserves to be appreciated on her own.
For all those who compare this book to P&P and think it fails immensely - as long as the book is not written by our divine Jane, there always will be a difference. That's just how it works with rewritings and sequels. But I think Anna Elliott did a decent job with this novel and deserves to be appreciated on her own.
August 23, 2017
I'm always hesitant to try a spin-off on my favorite novels because I never know where the author will take my beloved characters. I was so pleased with what Elliott did with P&P. She reimagines Georgiana the way I do in my imagination. A sweeping historical romance filled with some of the same Pride and Prejudice characters you and I love! A tad long-winded but that's okay.
My Rating: 4.5 stars
My Rating: 4.5 stars
February 24, 2017
An interesting read that at times didn’t ring quite true to the era (Georgiana seemed to have a bit more modernity to her diary entries at some points than I would expect). But it was still amusing - and light enough to while away the hours I was pounding along on the treadmill - because trying to read anything too complicated while walking definitely doesn’t work for me!
May 3, 2011
"The fact is, that you were sick of civility, of deference, of officious attention. You were disgusted with the women who were always speaking, and looking, and thinking for your approbation alone. I roused, and interested you, because I was so unlike them." - Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Had Jane Austen taken the minor character of Georgiana Darcy, younger sister to Fitzwilliam Darcy, in Pride and Prejudice and filled her out with thoughts, opinions and substance, it would not have surprised me in the least had her sentiments of possible suitors been much the same as Elizabeth Bennet's surmisation of Darcy's feelings of his own (above) at the end of P&P.
Georgiana Darcy's Diary begins in the Spring of 1814, a pastime that Georgiana takes in response to the aggravation and boredom she feels at her Aunt de Bourgh's insistence on finding her a suitable, reputable husband. Georgiana is 18 years old, and Pemberley, the home that she shares with her brother and his wife Elizabeth, is bustling with guests, most of whom have been invited by Aunt de Bourgh to rustle for Georgiana's hand in marriage.
But Georgiana Darcy doesn't want to marry just anyone, and she certainly isn't going to marry someone who has no interest in her save for her fortune. Georgiana wants the romantic dream that her brother Fitzwilliam and his wife Elizabeth found in each other, yet she fears the man she is in love with will not feel the same of her.
Georgiana starts out as a shy and insecure girl not quite ready to step into womanhood. However, as the story develops so does Georgiana: Through her associations with the Pemberley guests, Georgiana becomes more open, more confident, and more certain of what it is she wants, and more determined to secure it. Finding her own voice she is able to move on from her indiscretion with George Wickham; helps her sickly cousin Anne discover life and love; stands up to her demanding Aunt de Bourgh; and at the end of the story declared herself a woman who has found her perfect gentleman.
It is interesting that at times throughout the story, the author elected to have the characters do things, or speak of certain topics that did not fit my perception of Jane Austen's England. In fact, some things I felt would have been considered unseemly to say and/or do during that era, and aren't necessarily what I would have expected Jane Austen to write at all. However, that didn't make the story any less enjoyable for me, as they were still in keeping with the personalities of the characters that Austen had created, and didn't deviate so much that it became entirely unbelievable. The fact that Elliott decided to write the story in the form of a diary allowed Georgiana's character to be more unrestrained in what she chose to write about, and her opinions may actually reflect those that many girls the same age and of the same class had at that time, but never got to speak about.
A common mistake that I make is to compare the author of Austen sequels to Austen herself. I had to remind myself that Anna Elliott is not Jane Austen, and it would be unfair if I were to try and compare Elliott's style to Austen's: Even Elliott acknowledges this in the author's note at the beginning of the book where she writes, "I can't begin to match Jane Austen's immortal writing style, and wouldn't even pretend to try".
In writing Georgiana Darcy's Diary, Anna Elliott has taken an important yet undeveloped character from Austen's masterpiece and given her those sentiments I would have expected her to have had Austen developed the character more herself. A quick read, Georgiana Darcy's Diary was a fun Regency romance that left me smiling, just as Austen's P&P has done so many times before.
Had Jane Austen taken the minor character of Georgiana Darcy, younger sister to Fitzwilliam Darcy, in Pride and Prejudice and filled her out with thoughts, opinions and substance, it would not have surprised me in the least had her sentiments of possible suitors been much the same as Elizabeth Bennet's surmisation of Darcy's feelings of his own (above) at the end of P&P.
Georgiana Darcy's Diary begins in the Spring of 1814, a pastime that Georgiana takes in response to the aggravation and boredom she feels at her Aunt de Bourgh's insistence on finding her a suitable, reputable husband. Georgiana is 18 years old, and Pemberley, the home that she shares with her brother and his wife Elizabeth, is bustling with guests, most of whom have been invited by Aunt de Bourgh to rustle for Georgiana's hand in marriage.
But Georgiana Darcy doesn't want to marry just anyone, and she certainly isn't going to marry someone who has no interest in her save for her fortune. Georgiana wants the romantic dream that her brother Fitzwilliam and his wife Elizabeth found in each other, yet she fears the man she is in love with will not feel the same of her.
Georgiana starts out as a shy and insecure girl not quite ready to step into womanhood. However, as the story develops so does Georgiana: Through her associations with the Pemberley guests, Georgiana becomes more open, more confident, and more certain of what it is she wants, and more determined to secure it. Finding her own voice she is able to move on from her indiscretion with George Wickham; helps her sickly cousin Anne discover life and love; stands up to her demanding Aunt de Bourgh; and at the end of the story declared herself a woman who has found her perfect gentleman.
It is interesting that at times throughout the story, the author elected to have the characters do things, or speak of certain topics that did not fit my perception of Jane Austen's England. In fact, some things I felt would have been considered unseemly to say and/or do during that era, and aren't necessarily what I would have expected Jane Austen to write at all. However, that didn't make the story any less enjoyable for me, as they were still in keeping with the personalities of the characters that Austen had created, and didn't deviate so much that it became entirely unbelievable. The fact that Elliott decided to write the story in the form of a diary allowed Georgiana's character to be more unrestrained in what she chose to write about, and her opinions may actually reflect those that many girls the same age and of the same class had at that time, but never got to speak about.
A common mistake that I make is to compare the author of Austen sequels to Austen herself. I had to remind myself that Anna Elliott is not Jane Austen, and it would be unfair if I were to try and compare Elliott's style to Austen's: Even Elliott acknowledges this in the author's note at the beginning of the book where she writes, "I can't begin to match Jane Austen's immortal writing style, and wouldn't even pretend to try".
In writing Georgiana Darcy's Diary, Anna Elliott has taken an important yet undeveloped character from Austen's masterpiece and given her those sentiments I would have expected her to have had Austen developed the character more herself. A quick read, Georgiana Darcy's Diary was a fun Regency romance that left me smiling, just as Austen's P&P has done so many times before.
February 19, 2014
Mr. Darcy's younger sister searches for her own happily-ever-after.
The year is 1814, and it's springtime at Pemberley. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have married. But now a new romance is in the air, along with high fashion, elegant manners, scandal, deception, and the wonderful hope of a true and lasting love.
Shy Georgiana Darcy has been content to remain unmarried, living with her brother and his new bride. But Elizabeth and Darcy's fairy-tale love reminds Georgiana daily that she has found no true love of her own. And perhaps never will, for she is convinced the one man she secretly cares for will never love her in return. Georgiana's domineering aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has determined that Georgiana shall marry, and has a list of eligible bachelors in mind. But which of the suitors are sincere, and which are merely interested in Georgiana's fortune? Georgiana must learn to trust her heart and rely on her courage, for she also faces the return of the man who could ruin her reputation and spoil a happy ending, just when it finally lies within her grasp.
________________________________________
I'll admit I'm not an Austen purist. I love reading spinoffs and continuations of Jane Austen's books. Most of the time. I've only read one other, full length Austen continuation - it was from S&S and it was horrible. Willoughby came back. Marianne was discontented with being Colonel Brandon's wife and it was just really, really weird. I've mostly only read spinoffs (namely the 'diaries' by Amanda Grange) and the stories in Jane Austen Made Me Do It which include some really nice continuations (one based on Emma comes to mind). So despite the mixed reviews on Amazon, I purchased Georgiana Darcy's Diary. I read a little excerpt before I ordered it and I really liked it.
I wasn't disappointed with the rest of the book either. In the introduction, the author states that she wouldn't even try to match Jane Austen's writing style which is why she wrote the book in diary form. I love books that are written in first person so I knew I would enjoy this. It's quite as 'light and bright and sparkling' as the original book and it was highly amusing in certain places.
Now, Wickham did come back but I didn't mind it because 1) he was actually shown to be bad and Georgiana had no interest in him and 2) it was actually important to the plot that he would come back. Plus it led to a rather amusing incident in which Colonel Fitzwilliam - Edward - mistakes a man that Georgiana is talking to for Wickham...and, well, I won't tell you what happens. You'll just have to read it :)
Speaking of Edward, the story between him and Georgiana was so sweet and you really got to know him a lot better. As for the other characters, Lady Catherine is still just as imposing, Caroline's character is slightly changed but not too much as to be annoying and Anne de Bourgh's gradual character change was amazing...I loved it. Elizabeth is just as witty and sparkling as she is in Pride & Prejudice and though you hardly see anything of Darcy, I liked him too.
Overall, Georgiana Darcy's Diary is an enthralling read for any Austen fan and I highly recommend it.
Eva
The year is 1814, and it's springtime at Pemberley. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have married. But now a new romance is in the air, along with high fashion, elegant manners, scandal, deception, and the wonderful hope of a true and lasting love.
Shy Georgiana Darcy has been content to remain unmarried, living with her brother and his new bride. But Elizabeth and Darcy's fairy-tale love reminds Georgiana daily that she has found no true love of her own. And perhaps never will, for she is convinced the one man she secretly cares for will never love her in return. Georgiana's domineering aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has determined that Georgiana shall marry, and has a list of eligible bachelors in mind. But which of the suitors are sincere, and which are merely interested in Georgiana's fortune? Georgiana must learn to trust her heart and rely on her courage, for she also faces the return of the man who could ruin her reputation and spoil a happy ending, just when it finally lies within her grasp.
________________________________________
I'll admit I'm not an Austen purist. I love reading spinoffs and continuations of Jane Austen's books. Most of the time. I've only read one other, full length Austen continuation - it was from S&S and it was horrible. Willoughby came back. Marianne was discontented with being Colonel Brandon's wife and it was just really, really weird. I've mostly only read spinoffs (namely the 'diaries' by Amanda Grange) and the stories in Jane Austen Made Me Do It which include some really nice continuations (one based on Emma comes to mind). So despite the mixed reviews on Amazon, I purchased Georgiana Darcy's Diary. I read a little excerpt before I ordered it and I really liked it.
I wasn't disappointed with the rest of the book either. In the introduction, the author states that she wouldn't even try to match Jane Austen's writing style which is why she wrote the book in diary form. I love books that are written in first person so I knew I would enjoy this. It's quite as 'light and bright and sparkling' as the original book and it was highly amusing in certain places.
Now, Wickham did come back but I didn't mind it because 1) he was actually shown to be bad and Georgiana had no interest in him and 2) it was actually important to the plot that he would come back. Plus it led to a rather amusing incident in which Colonel Fitzwilliam - Edward - mistakes a man that Georgiana is talking to for Wickham...and, well, I won't tell you what happens. You'll just have to read it :)
Speaking of Edward, the story between him and Georgiana was so sweet and you really got to know him a lot better. As for the other characters, Lady Catherine is still just as imposing, Caroline's character is slightly changed but not too much as to be annoying and Anne de Bourgh's gradual character change was amazing...I loved it. Elizabeth is just as witty and sparkling as she is in Pride & Prejudice and though you hardly see anything of Darcy, I liked him too.
Overall, Georgiana Darcy's Diary is an enthralling read for any Austen fan and I highly recommend it.
Eva
May 4, 2011
"Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously.... Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."
- Jane Austen: Pride & Prejudice
Georgiana Darcy’s Diary: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice continued, is a compelling continuation of Jane Austen’s world expressed through the diary of Fitzwilliam Darcy’s younger sister, Georgiana. Georgiana was one of the background characters in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, a character who continued to haunt you, begging to have their own voice, to tell their story; Anna Elliott did just that cleverly through journal style narration giving Georgiana a voice.
Georgiana flits around the edges of society like a silent butterfly, living in her own shadow living at Pemberley with her brother Fitzwilliam and his new bride Elizabeth. Her bothersome Aunt Catherine de Bourgh has arranged a small party to stay at Pemberley along with all the eligible young bachelors she knows determined to see Georgiana wed. Georgiana is quite content to remain unmarried for she fears the one man she has loved since a child simply sees her as he always has, as a child and although she tries to give others a chance, she simply finds that she doesn’t hold that same connection, she doesn’t feel that spark. It is the little romantic moments that she often witnesses between her brother and Elizabeth that makes her desire her own happily ever after, to seek the love they share.
Through Georgiana’s determination to see her frail cousin Anne, who (unbeknownst to Anne), has been manipulated since a child into believing that she will always remain a spinster suffering from some malady or another. Georgiana encourages Anne to come out and assist her with handing gifts to the poor and also successfully manages to teach Anne to dance and further her relationship with one of the many bachelor’s chosen by her Aunt for Georgiana; through Anne’s self discovery, Georgiana discovers herself; she feels empowered and learns to stand up to the people in her life whom previously suppressed it.
I simply love Jane Austen’s world and Anna captures it as I remember it; the fashion, the scandal, the etiquette, the deception, the love story. It’s all there! I also thoroughly loved that she also incorporated little sketches throughout the journal, it added another layer to Georgiana’s character; you could just imagine her pouring her thoughts into the diary by candlelight, or sitting out in the sunshine shaded by her bonnet with charcoal in hand. It made her journal seem more real. I loved Georgiana’s character, so thoughtful and selfless. This was such an easy, enjoyable read, infact I enjoyed it so much that I read it within hours, I didn’t know I could read something so quickly on my little iPhone, but I did. Highly recommended.
- Jane Austen: Pride & Prejudice
Georgiana Darcy’s Diary: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice continued, is a compelling continuation of Jane Austen’s world expressed through the diary of Fitzwilliam Darcy’s younger sister, Georgiana. Georgiana was one of the background characters in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, a character who continued to haunt you, begging to have their own voice, to tell their story; Anna Elliott did just that cleverly through journal style narration giving Georgiana a voice.
Georgiana flits around the edges of society like a silent butterfly, living in her own shadow living at Pemberley with her brother Fitzwilliam and his new bride Elizabeth. Her bothersome Aunt Catherine de Bourgh has arranged a small party to stay at Pemberley along with all the eligible young bachelors she knows determined to see Georgiana wed. Georgiana is quite content to remain unmarried for she fears the one man she has loved since a child simply sees her as he always has, as a child and although she tries to give others a chance, she simply finds that she doesn’t hold that same connection, she doesn’t feel that spark. It is the little romantic moments that she often witnesses between her brother and Elizabeth that makes her desire her own happily ever after, to seek the love they share.
Through Georgiana’s determination to see her frail cousin Anne, who (unbeknownst to Anne), has been manipulated since a child into believing that she will always remain a spinster suffering from some malady or another. Georgiana encourages Anne to come out and assist her with handing gifts to the poor and also successfully manages to teach Anne to dance and further her relationship with one of the many bachelor’s chosen by her Aunt for Georgiana; through Anne’s self discovery, Georgiana discovers herself; she feels empowered and learns to stand up to the people in her life whom previously suppressed it.
I simply love Jane Austen’s world and Anna captures it as I remember it; the fashion, the scandal, the etiquette, the deception, the love story. It’s all there! I also thoroughly loved that she also incorporated little sketches throughout the journal, it added another layer to Georgiana’s character; you could just imagine her pouring her thoughts into the diary by candlelight, or sitting out in the sunshine shaded by her bonnet with charcoal in hand. It made her journal seem more real. I loved Georgiana’s character, so thoughtful and selfless. This was such an easy, enjoyable read, infact I enjoyed it so much that I read it within hours, I didn’t know I could read something so quickly on my little iPhone, but I did. Highly recommended.
December 13, 2012
4.5
This was great. I'd gotten so used to P&P sequels being aggressively mediocre on every front (plot, character, technical writing, etc) that I was shocked to find myself genuinely enjoying this book so much.
One of the reasons so many other P&P sequels fail is because they attempt to focus on characters whose stories are already finished. So many books focusing on Elizabeth and Darcy run out of steam in the first 1/3 to 1/2 because it's clear that the authors don't really know what to do with them once they're already married. So they start inventing ridiculous contrivances and things of that nature to cause drama or in some cases completely forget about the need for drama or conflict at all and thus render themselves dreadfully boring.
Georgiana Darcy's Diary quite obviously focuses instead on Georgiana, which could still easily go wrong, but Anna Elliott does a credible job of using what we know about Georgiana in order to establish a full and complete person.
The book focuses primarily on Georgiana coming into her own as an adult and asserting herself. There is also a pretty wonderful subplot about Georgiana befriending her cousin Anne de Bourgh and trying to help her get out from under her mother's thumb. The book is very sympathetic to all of its female characters -- including Catherine de Bourgh and Caroline Bingley (who I hope might get her own story later along in the series) -- and Georgiana navigating those relationships actually constitutes more of the book than her romance plotline (which is also enjoyable in and of itself).
I'd definitely recommend this to anyone interested in P&P sequels. I will warn, however, that Georgiana is paired with Colonel Fitzwilliam -- a popular move in P&P derivative work -- so if you're uncomfortable with the age difference there (ten years) or the technicality of his being one of her guardians you might want to avoid the book. The book also heavily alludes to PTSD and associated anxiety though it is not directly experienced by the narrator.
This was great. I'd gotten so used to P&P sequels being aggressively mediocre on every front (plot, character, technical writing, etc) that I was shocked to find myself genuinely enjoying this book so much.
One of the reasons so many other P&P sequels fail is because they attempt to focus on characters whose stories are already finished. So many books focusing on Elizabeth and Darcy run out of steam in the first 1/3 to 1/2 because it's clear that the authors don't really know what to do with them once they're already married. So they start inventing ridiculous contrivances and things of that nature to cause drama or in some cases completely forget about the need for drama or conflict at all and thus render themselves dreadfully boring.
Georgiana Darcy's Diary quite obviously focuses instead on Georgiana, which could still easily go wrong, but Anna Elliott does a credible job of using what we know about Georgiana in order to establish a full and complete person.
The book focuses primarily on Georgiana coming into her own as an adult and asserting herself. There is also a pretty wonderful subplot about Georgiana befriending her cousin Anne de Bourgh and trying to help her get out from under her mother's thumb. The book is very sympathetic to all of its female characters -- including Catherine de Bourgh and Caroline Bingley (who I hope might get her own story later along in the series) -- and Georgiana navigating those relationships actually constitutes more of the book than her romance plotline (which is also enjoyable in and of itself).
I'd definitely recommend this to anyone interested in P&P sequels. I will warn, however, that Georgiana is paired with Colonel Fitzwilliam -- a popular move in P&P derivative work -- so if you're uncomfortable with the age difference there (ten years) or the technicality of his being one of her guardians you might want to avoid the book. The book also heavily alludes to PTSD and associated anxiety though it is not directly experienced by the narrator.
December 16, 2012
This was apparently free on Nook Books, so I downloaded it simply for that reason--and also that it had to do, at least in extension, with Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
I was a bit leery about reading it because of the reputation Austen spin-offs have for being mediocre and god-awful excuses just to write gratuitous romance for Elizabeth and Darcy, but this one surprised me.
It was a quick read, and Elliott's use of language still retained the regency feel without making it too difficult to follow or understand. Georgiana's voice is fitting and relatable, given her age and the time in history in which she lives. The secondary characters, too, were pretty well fleshed out, and each had their distinct personalities and motivations.
I did wish that more had been done with the ending, especially the part which consisted of Edward and Georgiana. Though, I suppose it was done to lead up to the sequel.
Overall, an enjoyable, fast read. Reminded me, also, a little bit of Sarah Maclean's "The Season," which I also quite liked.
I was a bit leery about reading it because of the reputation Austen spin-offs have for being mediocre and god-awful excuses just to write gratuitous romance for Elizabeth and Darcy, but this one surprised me.
It was a quick read, and Elliott's use of language still retained the regency feel without making it too difficult to follow or understand. Georgiana's voice is fitting and relatable, given her age and the time in history in which she lives. The secondary characters, too, were pretty well fleshed out, and each had their distinct personalities and motivations.
I did wish that more had been done with the ending, especially the part which consisted of Edward and Georgiana. Though, I suppose it was done to lead up to the sequel.
Overall, an enjoyable, fast read. Reminded me, also, a little bit of Sarah Maclean's "The Season," which I also quite liked.
December 30, 2014
Georgiana Darcy's Diary is better than some of the other Austen sequels, but I don't think this is quite the heroine that Austen would have made Georgiana, had she written a book about Georgiana. We can look to Mansfield Park's Fanny Price for an example of Austen's idea of a shy heroine. Of course, one can argue that Georgiana is different than Fanny because she is rich. But I don't think that making Georgiana into a feminist is at all what Jane Austen would have done in a sequel to Pride and Prejudice. And yes, Georgiana would have grown up to face the world as a sensitive, wealthy woman, but would she have been the confident dancer and pianist we see in this book? I doubt it.
This was a fun read during a time when I needed to escape the 21st Century, but that's all it really is. I can't help but thinking that Jane Austen wouldn't 'have approved.
This was a fun read during a time when I needed to escape the 21st Century, but that's all it really is. I can't help but thinking that Jane Austen wouldn't 'have approved.
February 7, 2015
Screw it, I don't even care! Never mind that five stars is too generous and I really should write a proper review and blah blah blah! I loved Georgiana Darcy's Diary lots and lots and although it may not be perfect, I'm giving it five stars for the sheer amount of enjoyment I got from reading it.
August 27, 2017
It is a story told through a diary (anyone can guess it from the title). This kind of narration is not my favorite. It was a short, sweet story about a very likeable heroine.
Read
January 7, 2018As a P&P sequel, it wasn't so bad, though I'm not sure I support the Colonel Fitzwilliam/Georgiana Darcy ship. My only problem with it was the insinuation that a character was gay.
January 29, 2015
I've read my share of P&P fan fiction, got sick of them, now I'm back. I liked what Elliott did with this book. I liked the character that Georgiana becomes. She is realistic to what Austen created and I think Elliott did a good job at continuing her character.
The book is written in diary format, which can be hard to write and still have character development. But, I don't think that was much of a challenge for Elliott. The setting is all at Pemberley and Aunt de Bourge is visiting with her daughter Anne. Several eligible men have been invited for Georgiana to get to know. The situations that come up are sometimes funny and the book was actually quite entertaining.
Darcy makes some small appearances in the book but it was mostly Elizabeth who stood out. Most of the original characters were mentioned except for Mr. Collins and Charlotte. I thought, with Aunt de Bourge in the picture, they would have been mentioned.
Elliott, added/changed things for her book. I liked what she did with Anne's character but there were some strange things too. Lady Catherine's being at the house seemed very unlikely for me after what happened between the two characters. Elliott explains that Elizabeth has forgiven and accepted Lady Catherine for who she is but I don't see Lady Catherine being so generous.
Also, Elliott's writing was sometimes a bit off for the time. If you are looking for a book that is written in the style of Austen, this book is not for you. I enjoyed Elliott's writing but it is much more modern than Austen.
I had some questions, too, about P&P. I thought Darcy and Georgiana were close, despite their age difference? Elliott, disagrees and wrote the characters as more guardian and elder brother that Georgina is I awe of.
Elizabeth was described by Georgina not to be a great beauty but I thought she was considered a local beauty. ??
Caroline Bingley comes to Pemberely a bit later in the book. Elliott explains her presence a "meeting eligible men." Caroline was described as dark-blonde hair and blue eyes. I might be confused, thanks to BBC, but I thought Caroline was dark. Georgiana tells the reader that she thinks Caroline "tried her hardest to ingratiate herself with me as a way of growing closer to him." Meaning Darcy. However, I thought that the Bingley's and the Darcy's were close for many years, therefore her and Caroline would have known each other well.
Elliott's version of Caroline was quite different from P&P, IMHO. To me they weren't even the same character.
Elliott added pictures to her book. This was unexpected. I enjoyed looking at the pictures making them a fun little addition.
There were some inconsistencies throughout the book. First Anne wasn't allowed to stich, then she was stitching. Georgiana mentions Crayons and I don't think they had those then. However, Elliott pokes a bit of fun with her readers by adding in a reference from S&S.
Overall, I have taken a long break from reading fan fiction because author liberties tend to drive me nuts and I read too much into them. While I found some contradictions in this book, I ended up really enjoying it. I would recommend this book to P&P fans.
The book is written in diary format, which can be hard to write and still have character development. But, I don't think that was much of a challenge for Elliott. The setting is all at Pemberley and Aunt de Bourge is visiting with her daughter Anne. Several eligible men have been invited for Georgiana to get to know. The situations that come up are sometimes funny and the book was actually quite entertaining.
Darcy makes some small appearances in the book but it was mostly Elizabeth who stood out. Most of the original characters were mentioned except for Mr. Collins and Charlotte. I thought, with Aunt de Bourge in the picture, they would have been mentioned.
Elliott, added/changed things for her book. I liked what she did with Anne's character but there were some strange things too. Lady Catherine's being at the house seemed very unlikely for me after what happened between the two characters. Elliott explains that Elizabeth has forgiven and accepted Lady Catherine for who she is but I don't see Lady Catherine being so generous.
Even my Aunt de Bourge ha stopped resenting my brother's marrying Elizabeth quite so much. Though of course for my aunt, that means merely tat she waits until Elizabeth is out of the room to speak of 'my nephew's unfortunate marriage' in the same tone you might hear at a funeral.
Elizabeth only laughs, though, and says she's glad, for it gives her the upper hand and makes Fitzwilliam feel he is lucky she consented to marry him, despite his horrible relations.
Also, Elliott's writing was sometimes a bit off for the time. If you are looking for a book that is written in the style of Austen, this book is not for you. I enjoyed Elliott's writing but it is much more modern than Austen.
I had some questions, too, about P&P. I thought Darcy and Georgiana were close, despite their age difference? Elliott, disagrees and wrote the characters as more guardian and elder brother that Georgina is I awe of.
But of course there was too great a difference in our ages for us to be close confidants.
Elizabeth was described by Georgina not to be a great beauty but I thought she was considered a local beauty. ??
Caroline Bingley comes to Pemberely a bit later in the book. Elliott explains her presence a "meeting eligible men." Caroline was described as dark-blonde hair and blue eyes. I might be confused, thanks to BBC, but I thought Caroline was dark. Georgiana tells the reader that she thinks Caroline "tried her hardest to ingratiate herself with me as a way of growing closer to him." Meaning Darcy. However, I thought that the Bingley's and the Darcy's were close for many years, therefore her and Caroline would have known each other well.
Elliott's version of Caroline was quite different from P&P, IMHO. To me they weren't even the same character.
Elliott added pictures to her book. This was unexpected. I enjoyed looking at the pictures making them a fun little addition.
There were some inconsistencies throughout the book. First Anne wasn't allowed to stich, then she was stitching. Georgiana mentions Crayons and I don't think they had those then. However, Elliott pokes a bit of fun with her readers by adding in a reference from S&S.
Overall, I have taken a long break from reading fan fiction because author liberties tend to drive me nuts and I read too much into them. While I found some contradictions in this book, I ended up really enjoying it. I would recommend this book to P&P fans.
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