A Peculiar Connection

In this middling reworking of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Lady de Bourgh, who famously forbade Elizabeth Bennett to “pollute” Pemberley by marrying Darcy, now has a potent weapon to prevent the union: documents proving that Elizabeth and Darcy are half-siblings. The twosome, filled with forbidden love, constantly find themselves in titillating situations, such as dancing together, that are described in modern romantic prose: “Mr. Darcy encircled my waist with his arm... and he met my gaze with a dark, piercing stare.” Like the hundreds of other Austen spin-offs whose numbers have soared in recent decades, Hahn’s novel fits easily into the Austen Regency subgenre, which trades on familiar settings and character names while jettisoning Austen’s trademark irony and wit. Readers who revel in the chaste sexual frisson of a romance that glides easily through its paces are likely to enjoy this novel. It’s competent fare, though its “Darcy” and “Elizabeth” are, at best, tangential to their originals. But those who yearn for some of Austen’s sharp satire and social commentary must await another book. [em](BookLife) [/em]