Young Wickham

Twisted Austen #5

by Alexa Adams

Meet the Darcy family fifteen years after the conclusion of Pride and Prejudice. Anxious to assist a sister in distress, they invite Lydia's eldest son to come live at Pemberley. Can young Wickham rectify the wrongs of the past, or is history doomed to repeat itself?

This Twisted Austen story was written in honor of Halloween and first published at alexaadams.blogspot.com.

Genres: Halloween

70 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2018

About the author

A devoted reader of Jane Austen since her childhood, Alexa Adams is the author of several Austenesque novels and short stories including Being, Mrs. Bennet, Darcy in Wonderland, The Madness of Mr. Darcy, and Tales of Less Pride and Prejudice. Alexa is an American residing in Switzerland with her husband, daughter, and son. She blogs about Austen and Austenesque literature at alexaadams.blogspot.com and a founding member of the Jane Austen Society of Switzerland.

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellent short story is about George Wickham's son, an eleven-year-old named after his father. He is the oldest of nine children, and his mother is a recent widow. Although Lydia remained estranged from the Darcys all these years, her conciliatory letter describing her financial straits after her husband's death results in the lad coming to live at Pemberley. This is despite Mr. Darcy's concern that the boy might be too much like his father.

When Lydia's son arrives, it seems even more possible. Young George does more than bear his father's name; he's a mirror image of what the man looked like as a boy, and he has the same earnest-looking charm. It's very disconcerting to Darcy.

The Darcys' two sons, Tom and Edmund, immediately accept George as a companion. Tom, at thirteen, is the heir, while Edmund, already destined for the church, is George's age. The three get along well, but one is more prone to pride and mischief than the other two.

The boys are aware of the long-standing antipathy between their fathers and have a natural curiosity to know the reason. The adults' secrecy on the subject doesn't help.

Ms. Adams paints a clear picture of her characters for the reader. The way she imagines the cast of Pride and Prejudice fifteen years later is interesting, especially Kitty, who's a frequent visitor at Pemberley and is as suspicious of George as Elizabeth's husband.

It's an intriguing, clever story. Ms. Adams's writing, as always, is stellar. Content is clean.

Highly recommend!

[abmom · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an interesting sequel. I liked young George but not young Tom. He was more like Wickham than his own son. At the same time, I would have preferred his reformation to the fate the author assigned him.

[Georgiana 1792 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pride and Prejudice quindici anni dopo diventa Mansfield Park
Si chiude in bellezza la serie Twisted Austen, cinque short stories di Alexa Adams pubblicate originariamente per Halloween sul suo blog.
Fin dalle prime righe sembra di leggere Mansfield Park in cui le sorelle Bennet diventano le sorelle Ward (in particolare, Elizabeth è l'equivalente di Lady Bertram, Lydia l'equivalente di Mrs. Price e Kitty Mrs. Norris - non per nulla, la Adams la fa sposare con il parroco di Kympton, Mr. Norton, mantenendo le direttive di Jane Austen, che voleva che lei sposasse un ecclesiastico e non Mary, che sarebbe stata forse più adatta al ruolo di Mr. Norris).
Certo, in questo caso, Fanny Price è il figlio undicenne di Lydia e Wickham, che somiglia al padre come una goccia d'acqua e si chiama proprio come lui, George. Darcy/Sir Bertram, infatti, all'inizio ha qualche difficoltà a relazionarsi con lui per la somiglianza con la sua nemesi (ormai defunta), ma poi il giovane George, da bravo Fanny Price, saprà dimostrare la propria modestia e il proprio valore.
Riguardo al primogenito dei Darcy - che, guarda caso, si chiama Tom - sembra impossibile che un ragazzino così smidollato e arrogante possa essere figlio di Elizabeth (forse avrebbe potuto esserlo del Darcy prima maniera).
L'epilogo si svolge dieci anni dopo con non pochi colpi di scena, anche se uno - quello che avrebbe dovuto essere il più eclatante - lo avevo previsto fin dal principio.

[lori huff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpected

This author is a clever storyteller, and surprised me with this story, not about Wickham as a young boy, but about Wickham's son, George, and what happens to him after his father's death. Ironically, he comes to live at Pemberly as a way for Darcy and Elizabeth to assist Lydia, who is in her ninth pregnancy when her husband dies.

Understandably, Darcy struggles with acceptance of the young boy of eleven, especially since he bears his father's name. The Darcy children accept him well enough, and there are surprising developments in their relationship. I won't reveal any surprises, but suffice to say this addition to the Darcy family results in very unexpected outcomes. I can't say I'm completely comfortable with the way the story concluded, but the author seems to want to go for unpredictable.

I deducted a star because the story concludes rather abruptly and strangely. However, it is well written and well edited. I recommend it highly.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this P&P sequel fifteen years have passed. With Wickham dead and Lydia again pregnant, their son George is sent to Pemberley to live and learn. But how will he cope, will all the Darcys accept him. Or will he turn into his father.
An enjoyable and well-written story

[Craftyhj · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent story

4.5*

A well constructed “what-if” sequel with very strong undertones of Mansfield Park. The portrayal of the children is excellent.

I heartily recommend this book.

[Mv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cinico e delizioso!