What If Mr. Darcy Discovered Elizabeth’s Diary Before Making His Disastrous Proposal?

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Source: Gift from Publisher

TYPE OF NOVEL: Pride and Prejudice Variation Novella

THE PREMISE: Unable to resist the unforgivable temptation, Mr. Darcy reads Elizabeth’s diary when he finds it left behind in a field of bluebells and spots his own name on an opened page. Instead of making his disastrous proposal to Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy reveals himself to Elizabeth in another manner and sets about attending her reproofs. Will it be enough to amend Elizabeth’s unfavorable opinion of him or is all hope lost..

MY THOUGHTS:

What an excellent premise! I love that this story diverges right before Mr. Darcy makes his proposal. And I love that Elizabeth keeps a diary – it kinda brought on some Bridget Jones’s Diary vibes. Especially since Elizabeth, like Bridget, likes to vents her frustration about Mr. Darcy in her diary. It is always illuminating to see glimpses of any letters or diary entries penned by characters because readers are able to hear their true voice. I appreciated the clever and skillful ways Ms. Smythe used Elizabeth’s diary as a device of revelation and communication in this tale.

Aside from the unique and interesting premise, what I enjoyed most in this tale was witnessing Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s behaviors. Readers see them both traverse a myriad of emotions. I loved this portrayal of Mr. Darcy – he is blindsided by Elizabeth’s true opinion of him and heavily reprimands himself for his arrogance, conceit, and for breaking his own moral code. He battles with his feelings of despair and hope, and overall is propelled in all things my his ardent love. In addition, I loved Elizabeth’s reactions to Mr. Darcy – she is very thoughtful and observant about his character and all she learns about him. I love her boldness and determination in wanting to see him and speak with him. And I love how she begins to understand Mr. Darcy’s character and reviews her judgments about him, even without speaking to him. Our Elizabeth is audacious and secure enough to not be easily put off by Mr. Darcy’s defection.

Another element I loved about this story is what happens in Meryton with Mr. Wickham. This sequence of events escalated quickly and ratcheted up the excitement a bit. Mr. Darcy was everything honorable and swoon-worthy – I love a man of action! It is always refreshing to see something new happen with Mr. Wickham, and I greatly enjoyed the chaotic and entertaining reactions at Longbourn to this new development.

Clever, distinctive, and charming – A Faithful Narrative is a lovely Pride and Prejudice variation that is sure to be adored by Jane Austen fans! I loved seeing more of Ms. Smythe’s playful twists and her perceptive portrayal of each character’s introspection and evolution in this succinct tale. The only thing I could have wished for would be a chapter or two more of courtship/romantic developments before the terrific epilogue.

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