It didn't take me long to realise that Amanda Grange managed to capture Darcy's voice perfectly. It's a perfect background reader to Pride & Prejudice.

I've read some very good spin-offs, sequels, and prequels to Pride and Prejudice, but, unfortunately, this isn't one of them. If you've read Austen's original and have seen any of the film versions, you'll find nothing new here. Grange adds no new insights into either Darcy's character or the backstory. "His" diary entries are merely restatements of what happens and what is said in the Austen original, fleshed out by a few emotions made obvious by Colin Firth, Matthew McFayden, and others on screen. ( )

Very enjoyable story - Pride and Prejudice written from the point of view of Mr Darcy. I thought the diary format might have been a bit unbelievable but it seemed to work well. Stayed very close to the original text - a bit of extra detail would have been good. Continues on past the wedding which is a bonus. Finally things go well for Anne! ( )

A longtime sufferer of Austen mania, I've bought a lot of Austen sequels and spinoffs, the most recent being this book, which purports to tell the story of Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy's point of view.

What I liked: Grange didn't try too hard to sound Austen-y in her narration and dialogue. Many historical writers try to write in the idiom of the time, but it almost always comes out forced and awkward. Not so with this book. I also liked that Grange stuck fairly closely to the events of P&P as they occurred in the original book; she even used some of the original dialogue, but interspersed it judiciously throughout her own writing instead of just quoting huge chunks of it.

What I didn't like: Though I just said it was good that Grange stuck close to the original P&P, I think this was its main pitfall too. Grange had Darcy narrate all the same events that Austen narrates in her novel, but I wanted more. What was Darcy doing, for example, during all that time between late November, when he leaves Netherfield with the Bingleys, and April, when he runs into Elizabeth again at Rosings? Grange leaves this mysterious and instead hastens the narrative along to where he meets Elizabeth again. Though this might have been the safer course, I was left wanting more. In short, not bad, but not fabulous either.

In a sentence: A creative peek into that surface-surly Mr. Darcy's mind from Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice.

As a "P&P" fan, I loved this. I thought the creativity that Grange used with what he was thinking during the tale was interesting and true to what was most likely in Jane Austen's mind while writing the novel. Without being mushy-gushy, there is definitely an undertone of a romantic in this man, and it comes through in his diary. You don't necessarily have need to read P&P to get the gist of the happenings...but it would help. We find out more about Georgiana his sister, that despicable Wickham, and that woman you love to hate - Caroline Bingley.

While the style of writing wasn't necessarily the same as Austen's, it was ok. This was a fun read, and an interesting take on the events in P&P. The diary format is fun, and makes it a quick read as well. A borderline romance and historical fiction make for a quaint and worthwhile read - nothing outstanding here, but enjoyable none the less.

Favorite Quote: (when Elizabeth prompts for how Mr. Darcy fell in love with her) "I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew I had begun." (290) sighhh

Fix 'Er Up: if this had been written in a more "Austenian" style. ( )