I just finished "Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife" by Linda Berdoll. It is one of those continuation stories that takes off where "Pride and Prejudice" ends. I'm sure everyone whoever read Jane Austin likes to imagine what happened next. This book should really have been called "Mr. Darcy F***s a Wife", since that is exactly what he does on nearly every other page. He takes her on every bed in the house, the floor, the bathtub, the carriage, and the woods. Just imagine Colin Firth in the role, and it's not too bad. Linda Berdoll is no Jane Austin, that's for sure. She's barely passable as a writer, actually, but I stayed home from work today to finish the book, so it couldn't have been too bad. She manages to work in several illegitimate children, a fire in the horse barn, a kidnapping and attempted rape, three murders (revenge for the kidnapping), a miscarriage, a still birth, the French Revolution, and the battle of Waterloo.
The one thing Berdoll gets totally wrong is the names of Darcy's parents. His mother's name was Anne, per "Pride and Prejudice", and I think his father's name must have been George. For one thing Darcy's sister's name is Georgiana. (George + Anne?) For another Wickham's name was George, and Darcy's father was his godfather. It's quite logical that George Wickham was named George after the elder Darcy. The younger Darcy was named Fitzwilliam after his mother's maiden name - hence his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam. Anyhow - Berdoll claims Darcy's parents were Elinor and Gerard - and that is so wrong.
I may have to watch the Colin Firth version of "Pride and Prejudice" tonight.
