Darcy Goes To War by Mary Lydon Simonsen - To be honest, right from the outset I wasn't sure I would care for this 'Pride and Prejudice Re-Imagining' simply because it takes place after the year 1900. I simply prefer historical novels in earlier settings. I enjoyed it more than I thought, however. Simonsen places Darcy and Elizabeth in the middle of World War II - Elizabeth is doing her part as a lorry driver, and Darcy is a fighter pilot who is stationed nearby. Some of the characters and their general storyline remain similar to Austen's original work, such as Jane and Charles Bingley falling in love, and Lydia Bennet's ill-judged behavior getting her into trouble. Of course Darcy and Elizabeth are destined to be together. For the most part, this is a predictable happy-ever-after love story with characters loosely based on Pride and Prejudice.
I think Simonsen does a very good job of telling the story in the WWII setting, giving a picture of everyday life for many folks in Great Britain, but it lacks much of the tension and character development of the original. I felt that the characters were rather flat. At their first meeting, Elizabeth overhears Darcy (who has had a pint or two too many) make a disparaging remark about the attractiveness and dancing abilities of the young ladies that come to the dances held to entertain the troops. She's offended and is tempted to hold it against him when next they meet, and he has a sour attitude about the dances in general. But they have barely been introduced to each other before Elizabeth realizes that she is being unfair to judge Darcy harshly for what she overheard so she determines that she will give him another chance. And they immediately commence their falling in love. And that is the full extent of the misunderstanding and hasty judgments that Austen explores in her novel. Character development that takes months and many chapters in Austen's book takes a couple of paragraphs here. Elizabeth is too mature and serious, and Darcy is too outgoing and smooth with his words to be mistaken for their namesake characters. The only real conflict Darcy and Elizabeth face is that they wish to wait until the war is over before planning their marriage. Spoiler alert: Darcy is reported missing after his plane is shot down in enemy territory, and he is assumed to be dead. Everyone but Elizabeth believes he is dead. The reader assumes, along with Elizabeth, that he is okay simply because there must be a happy ending. But this last sequence of events is sensational and the wrap-up is very rushed and simplistic.
Through most of the story, Darcy is trying to push the boundaries of physical affection, but at least the reader isn't subjected to crude and graphic descriptions of lust. That is, until nearer the end when for some reason Simonsen decides to be just a bit crass. I thought it unnecessary to be so descriptive. At one other point, Darcy and Fitzwilliam have a conversation that focuses on Darcy's past conquests that is rather crude. If it had served to further the plot or develop character, I might not have minded it, but it seemed completely unnecessary to me. Not only that, but as far as I could tell, Fitzwilliam's character is wholly unnecessary to the plot, other than for this particular questionable conversation.
Lest I give the impression that I thoroughly disliked the book, let me say that I really did enjoy the read, with the exception of the few brief paragraphs that were unnecessarily crude. This is not Austen-esque literature, by any means, but if you're looking for a light romance without any moralizing or deeper meaning, that's what you'll find here.
By the same author:
The Perfect Bride for Mr Darcy
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