Mr. Darcy Came to Dinner

I had never read a book like Mr. Darcy Came to Dinner and that alone is a reason for me to praise Mr. Caldwell’s writing.

In this story, a few days before the Netherfield ball, Mr. Darcy is out for a horse ride when he realises he is late for dinner at Longbourn, and rushes towards the house. At the same time, Elizabeth is outside the house with her cat Cassandra, and the small animal runs towards Mr. Darcy’s horse that gets scared and throws his rider to the floor.

As a consequence, Mr. Darcy breaks a leg and is forced to remain at Longbourn for a few weeks until it is safe to travel.

The book is a farce, and its tone is completely different from the romances I usually read. The writing style is humorous and refreshing, perfect for readers who want a light hearted book to enjoy themselves with.

The first chapters are hilarious! I found myself laughing out loud several times with this book, particularly regarding Mr. Darcy’s and Mrs. Bennet’s behaviors and statements. Mr. Collins really got to my nerves, but I loved the way Mr. Darcy put him in his place!

Usually I do not like books where we do not see a lot of interactions between Darcy and Elizabeth, and this book doesn’t have many, but I was already in the middle of the book when I noticed that! I think that means a lot 🙂

I always like to see Darcy and Elizabeth together but that is just not the tone of the book. I believe the author decided to go in a different direction, and use all characters from Pride and Prejudice to enrich Mr. Darcy Came to Dinner. For me, this made the book much more appealing.

It was different and exciting to see Lydia defending Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth. It is not very common to see that happen, or to have everyone at the Longbourn household loving Mr. Darcy! It was curious to see him reaching to all their hearts in different ways. After hearing Elizabeth’s opinion of him, Mr. Darcy did what she never bothered to do herself: he stopped for a moment, and actually paid attention to the Bennet sisters. This allowed him to see something in each one of them that was valuable, helped them develop that characteristic, and befriend them.

Georgiana’s presence was also very interesting as not only she was essential to bring about the best of each Bennet sister, but also because their lively manners allowed her to overcome her insecurities.

Col. Fitzwilliam’s choice of wife is definitely different, I never imagine that happen before this book, and cannot say I like it, but it was interesting. I actually saw that coming in the book, but I shall not give you any more tips 🙂

The epilogue also shows us another pair that is quite intriguing, but I won’t go into much details because I don’t want to spoil all the fun you can find in this book, and believe me, if you read it, you will find It, as this is probably the most funny and amusing P&P book I’ve ever read.

Mr. Darcy Came to Dinner is available at:

Amazon.com – Mr. Darcy Came to Dinner

Amazon.co.uk – Mr. Darcy Came to Dinner: a Pride & Prejudice farce

Amazon.fr – Mr. Darcy Came to Dinner (English Edition)