In a world where vampires and child wizards are dominating the box office and Elizabeth Bennet has battled zombies, Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, seems to be an almost natural progression in the wide field of sequels to Jane Austen’s masterpiece, Pride and Prejudice. Unfortunately, there is little to recommend this novel, which would certainly have left Austen herself indignant.
Where Are Austen's Loveable Characters?
Despite an adorable dedication to Austen’s Gothic heroine Catherine Morland, Amanda Grange’s story is acceptable at best. Only moments after their wedding, Darcy becomes withdrawn and cancels the couples Lake District honeymoon (will Lizzy never see the Lakes?) and the two head for the European continent. What follows are roughly two hundred pages of encounters with ‘friends’ of Darcy’s that leaves the reader as confused as Lizzy. As the couple traipses through Europe both Grange and Darcy, seem reluctant to confirm anything.
Unlike Austen’s Lizzy, Grange’s follows almost blindly, reluctant to question anything that is or is not happening in her new marriage and around her. These European ‘friends’ of Darcy’s are somewhat interesting, but there are almost too many of them, leaving the reader and Lizzy overwhelmed.
Lizzy’s interactions with them are slight, as she seems uncomfortable in her new role and around all of these new people. Gone is the Lizzy who stood up to Darcy and walked to Netherfield completely disregarding the state of her skirt. In her place is someone whom accepts all of these changes to her schedule and her husbands’ non-desire to touch her in stride. She knows something is wrong, but she can’t seem to ever do anything about it, other than complain to Jane in their correspondence. She is not the Lizzy readers have come to love.
Where are Pride and Prejudice's Original Characters?
Few of the beloved characters from P&P make any appearances, save from Lizzy’s correspondence with Jane and two somewhat random visitations from Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Though Mrs. Bennet and the single Bennet sisters are mentioned in conversation a few times, the novel suffers from its complete lack of Mr. Bennet’s good natured apathy. It’s done a further disservice by refusing to utilize Mister and Charlotte Collins, characters whom are so laughable that it is almost inexcusable that they do not become victims of a vampire, or at least, a bumbling vampire couple. Their complete absence is just as notable in this novel as their hilarious presence was in Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
Count Polidori: The Vampire
Connoisseurs of vampire literature will likely get a laugh out of the aptly named Count Polidori, a Darcy relation who resides in the Swiss Alps and leaves the informed reader with little doubt as to what is happening. However, for uninitiated reader it won’t mean a thing. The ancient home of Polidori allows for Lizzy to slip almost seamlessly into the role of clueless Jonathon Harker, looking out the window of her bedroom and seeing nothing but jagged cliffs and an immeasurable fall.
Likewise, those familiar with the various forms of vampires present in fiction; Anne Rice’s rich, seductive vampires, Stephanie Meyer’s dazzling vegetarians and even Stoker’s frightening versions, will struggle to classify Darcy into one of those niches. He eats and he’s clearly been in the sunlight, though uncomfortable in social settings, he’s clearly able to refrain from attacking humans.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, often struggles with his sexual desire for Lizzy, much like Edward Cullen, but seems able to transform himself into other animals, in order to avoid capture just as Dracula does in Stoker’s tale. It’s almost as if Grange was unable to come up with an original take on the vampire and its mythology, choosing instead to steal traits from other authors in order to create her own.
Concluding Thoughts
Grange has attempted to present an alternative to the life Lizzy and Darcy could have had as the cover closed on Austen’s original novel. However, the end of Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, is too simple and borders on the cliché. There are too many loose ends as the novel concludes, and while it could be considered an enjoyable, mindless read, true Austen aficionados will likely find the unresolved issues, missing characters and Lizzy’s lack of backbone far too distracting to really benefit from the story.
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre
Sourcebooks Landmark, August 11, 2009
ISBN-10: 1402236972
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