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Pamela Aidan

Author of An Assembly Such as This

6+ Works 3,525 Members 133 Reviews 9 Favorited

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Works by Pamela Aidan

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Common Knowledge

Birthdate
1953-10-18
Gender
female
Nationality
USA
Birthplace
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, USA
Places of residence
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA
Education
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Occupations
librarian
novelist
Short biography
Pamela Aidan was born on 18 October 1953 in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, USA. She grew up in small towns outside of Philadelphia. She graduated from high school with the desire to be a history teacher, but changed her major to Library Science after her first year at college. Later, she earned a Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has been a librarian for over 30 years.

While Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice has been her favorite novel since high school, she credits the BBC mini-series of the story for inspiring her to write her first regency novel. An Assembly Such as This became the start of her Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy (former title was The Chronicles of Pemberley). Besides writing and operating Wytherngate Press, she is also the director of Liberty Lake Municipal Library in eastern Washington, a short distance from her home in Idaho.

Pamela and her husband Michael live in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; they each have three grown children from previous marriages.

Members

Reviews

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, but the second book was practically unreadable (DNF) and the third while a bit more entertaining really dragged along. Broke my one book per month streak this year as this one took nearly 3 months to finish - just couldn't get immersed in the story. I even tried reading Pride and Prejudice along side it at the same time at one point to try and help pique my interest.
½
 
Flagged
KTbowe | 38 other reviews | Aug 29, 2022 |
{First of 3 ; stand-alone, Austen fan fiction. 2003}

I really should stop expecting that modern day novels continuing a Jane Austen story would live up to the author's style. I don't know why I should expect them to, but I do. I'm reviewing this assuming that readers have a tolerable acquaintance with Austen's Pride and Prejudice on the events of which this book is based so be wary of spoilers if you haven't read the original.

You probably could read this book without having read Pride and Prejudice first but I suspect you would not enjoy it as much; the depth in understanding it comes from knowing something of the source of the story. The story is told from Darcy's point of view, to explain his about face, and covers the events in Pride and Prejudice from the first assembly at Meryton up to the point when the Netherfield party suddenly decamps for London.

Descriptions of clothes and large quantities of food and drink appear, which are historical notes that Aidan gives us. Of course, Austen would not have had to since she was writing a contemporary novel (and, I suspect, it might have been considered vulgar to include such details at that time).

I do appreciate the addition of 'Nelson' and 'Trafalgar', supposedly Darcy‘s favourite horse and hound. Austen lived and wrote during the time of the Napoleonic wars - but I just like Aidan's depictions of the animals.

Of course some of this book is taken directly from Pride and Prejudice and generally it stays true to the spirit of the original - except for some occasional odd grammar (which then sticks out like a sore thumb in this quintessentially English period story, unfortunately) such as 'looked out the window' instead of 'looked out OF the window'. This story tries for the ambience of the Austen novel and succeeds better than most modern day interpretations although it still tends to lean more towards Georgette Heyer and even has a dash of PG Wodehouse splashed in to garnish it towards the end.

One of the better Austen adaptations I've read (although, to be honest, I tend to avoid them).

February 2021
3.5? stars
… (more)
½
 
Flagged
humouress | 63 other reviews | May 29, 2021 |
Loved this third book in the set. Thought the way Darcy came to his realizations and his feelings were well-thought out by the author. It was a great end, though I DO wish that there was a little more at the end. I guess I'll have to read Austen's original novel for that!
½
 
Flagged
Ambie-Wan | 38 other reviews | Jan 10, 2021 |
This one, Aidan took a bit more freedom with, but I was willing to run with it as I enjoyed the first so much. In his attempt to find a woman of his own station, Darcy gets into a bit of interesting scandal, LOL I love Fletcher though, and think he's a great side character, and this era with riding horseback everywhere is my kind of thing. Nelson and Trafalgar are Darcy's "pets" as much as my horses and dog is mine. Thoroughly enjoy reading these.
½
 
Flagged
Ambie-Wan | 28 other reviews | Jan 10, 2021 |

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Works
6
Also by
1
Members
3,525
Popularity
#7,205
Rating
3.8
Reviews
133
ISBNs
31
Languages
3
Favorited
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