Austen fans will enjoy These Three Remain

These Three Remain by Pamela Aidan is the third book in the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy. This interesting mix of adding fiction to fiction makes a wonderful book.

 

For anyone who is a fan of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, will enjoy this interesting rendition of the classic from the hero’s point of view. It adds a more sensitive side to Mr. Darcy who during the whole of Pride and Prejudice seems like a pompous, arrogant, rich man. 

 

The book picks up where the last in the series, Duty and Desire, left off. It is just before him and his cousin, Richard Fitzwilliam, leave to their annual visit of their Aunt, Lady Catherine. From there, anyone who has read Pride and Prejudice knows he falls more in love with Miss Elizabeth Bennet and right before they depart, he proposes, only to be brutally turned down. First he is in rage at how he could be declined in such a way, but eventually as he reflects on the events he understands just how his pride had gotten in the way and possibly ruined every chance at happiness he ever had. 

 

He tries to return to normal life and then on his returning to his estate finds Miss Bennet visiting his home while on vacation. He then tries everything in his power to earn her respect. Then on one of his visits, he finds her very upset because her youngest sister was “kidnapped” by his sworn enemy, George Wickham. In order to restore Elizabeth and her family’s good name, he goes to London to hunt down Wickham and the young girl.

 

All in all it has a happy ending and seamless writing. It seems to be written by Jane Austen herself. It also adds a lot of emotion and extra info that helps the reader to understand what changes he went through from the time he met Elizabeth, to the time they finally got married.

 

One minor drawback to the book is the way it over exaggerates Darcy’s emotion, and passion. Like Twilight, the reader gets tired of hearing how beautiful their eyes were, or how handsome they were, or how their clothes made them look more radiant than the day before. It gets to be a little repetitive. All in all it was a good book that any Austen fan, or otherwise, will enjoy.