Audiobook Review: The Darcy Monologues. Edited by Christina Boyd. Various authors

About the book

"You must allow me to tell you..."

For over 200 years, Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy has captivated readers' imaginations as the ultimate catch. Rich. Powerful. Noble. Handsome. And yet, as Miss Austen's Pride and Prejudice is established through Elizabeth Bennet's fine eyes, how are we to know his mind? How does Darcy progress from "she is tolerable: but not handsome enough to tempt me" to "I thought only of you"? 

In this romance anthology, 15 Austenesque authors assemble to sketch Darcy's character through a series of reimaginings, set in the Regency through contemporary times - from faithful narratives to the fanciful. In The Darcy Monologues, the man himself reveals his intimate thoughts, his passionate dreams, and his journey to love - all told with a previously concealed wit and enduring charm. 

Stories by Susan Adriani, Sara Angelini, J. Marie Croft, Karen M. Cox, Jan Hahn, Jenetta James, Lory Lilian, KaraLynne Mackrory, Beau North, Ruth Phillips Oakland, Natalie Richards, Sophia Rose, Joana Starnes, Melanie Stanford, Caitlin Williams

My Thoughts

The Darcy Monologues is a wonderful anthology and Harry Frost does a wonderful job of bringing all these Darcys to life. Whether set in Jane Austen’s time, the current time or any time in between we find a new and interesting iteration of Mr Darcy. At times he’s the strong stoic man we first meet in Pride and Prejudice. At other times he’s smitten and unsure how to act. Every time Harry gets it right with his tone, pace and emotion.

Where to start? Well, none of the authors in this anthology are familiar to me so I had no idea what to expect.

I enjoyed each story and was keenly listening to words and situations from the book. All the authors have done an excellent job with their take on the inner thoughts of Mr Darcy.

The highlights for me were Death of a Bachelor by Cailtlin Williams. The crisp, tight prose was a delight to listen to. Being inside Darcy’s mind was a novel experience and I really enjoyed listening to his thoughts and feelings.

For its humour and biting sarcasm, From the Ashes by J. Marie Croft deserves a mention. Darcy’s thoughts as he labours over his letter to Elizabeth is very clever.

And lastly, The Ride Home by Ruth Phillips Oakland has some laugh out loud moments as Darcy contends with a drunk Elizabeth.

None of the stories are long, so it’s the perfect anthology when you want to dip into Mr. Darcy’s world for a short time.

Highly recommended.

About the Editor

Christina Boyd wears many hats as she is an editor, a contributor to Austenprose, and a ceramicist under her own banner, Stir Crazy Mama's Artworks. A life member of Jane Austen Society of North America, Christina lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her dear Mr. B, two busy teenagers, and a retriever named BiBi. Visiting Jane Austen's England was made possible by actor Henry Cavill when she won the Omaze experience to meet him in the spring of 2017 on the London Eye. True story. You can Google it.