Rating: 
Summary: A Pleasurable and Jolly Good Read
Review: After slogging through the mounds of sequels to all of Austen I have found in Mrs. Darcy's Dilemma the only book that I think Austen would truly enjoy. I don't believe anyone has ever captured Austen's voice this well. The plot, too, is very Austen-like, although set in a world growing less and less like Austen's Regency era.
All in all, a delightful book.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy sequel
Review: Although I have been a reader for years it is only lately that I have discovered Jane Austen. I only recently read Pride and Prejudice, and loved it so well that near the end I could hardly dare to put it down. And once finished, I hated to see it end and wanted to know what happened further with the characters.
Thus it was such a pleasure to read Ms. Birchall's book and get to continue the saga. The read was most enjoyable, and the best compliment I can pay this book is to say that while I was reading it I completely forgot that I was not reading Jane Austen herself.
Rating:
Summary: Another Birchall Classic
Review: Diana Birchall's previous offerings in the literary world have been the delightful pieces on Mrs Elton and her highly acclaimed biography of her " Bad Grandmother " the first Asian American novelist Winifred Eaton.Reading Mrs Darcy's Dilemma is rather like returning home to old friends after living abroad for 25 years. Although the main characters from Pride and Prejudice are here they have matured , they have children and fresh acquaintances and new troubles. We know the family members as well as if we too had attended a ball at Pemberley.
Mrs Darcy though some 25 years older and a mother of three is as delightful and caring as ever she was, Mr Darcy has lost none of his charm and magnetism. The greedy sensuous Lydia has become older but sadly no wiser, indeed she appears to be adopting all of her mothers bad traits whilst sadly ignoring her finer points.
One feels that the crux in any Pride and Prejudice sequel is the arrival of Mr Collins on the scene . A character who can so easily be overdone and descend into parody , here he is his truly ghastly oleaginous self once more .
We are introduced to the Darcy children, Fitzwilliam the oldest son and a keen follower of the turf. Henry, serious minded , yet fun loving and destined for the clergy , and finally the Darcy's daughter Jane. Beautiful, intelligent and charming with all of the finest character attributes of her mother.
Lydia's daughters Bettina and Chloe soon enter in to the household and events begin to unfold.
There are no blurred or ragged characters in the book , all are drawn as sharply as the originals indeed it is as if Miss Austen herself has returned to take up her story. The simple and regular movement of the narrative , and the naturalness and vivacity of the dialogue make this book a joy to read. The author's imagination brightens every sentence with the aptest fancies and the happiest turn of phrase. As Mr Bennet might say "A book that may be highly recommended, even to young clergyman and flighty daughters" .
Rating:
Summary: Another Birchall Classic
Review: Diana Birchall's previous offerings in the literary world have been the delightful pieces on Mrs Elton and her highly acclaimed biography of her " Bad Grandmother " the first Asian American novelist Winifred Eaton. Reading Mrs Darcy's Dilemma is rather like returning home to old friends after living abroad for 25 years. Although the main characters from Pride and Prejudice are here they have matured , they have children and fresh acquaintances and new troubles. We know the family members as well as if we too had attended a ball at Pemberley.
Mrs Darcy though some 25 years older and a mother of three is as delightful and caring as ever she was, Mr Darcy has lost none of his charm and magnetism. The greedy sensuous Lydia has become older but sadly no wiser, indeed she appears to be adopting all of her mothers bad traits whilst sadly ignoring her finer points.
One feels that the crux in any Pride and Prejudice sequel is the arrival of Mr Collins on the scene . A character who can so easily be overdone and descend into parody , here he is his truly ghastly oleaginous self once more .
We are introduced to the Darcy children, Fitzwilliam the oldest son and a keen follower of the turf. Henry, serious minded , yet fun loving and destined for the clergy , and finally the Darcy's daughter Jane. Beautiful, intelligent and charming with all of the finest character attributes of her mother.
Lydia's daughters Bettina and Chloe soon enter in to the household and events begin to unfold.
There are no blurred or ragged characters in the book , all are drawn as sharply as the originals indeed it is as if Miss Austen herself has returned to take up her story. The simple and regular movement of the narrative , and the naturalness and vivacity of the dialogue make this book a joy to read. The author's imagination brightens every sentence with the aptest fancies and the happiest turn of phrase. As Mr Bennet might say "A book that may be highly recommended, even to young clergyman and flighty daughters" .
Rating: 
Summary: Is this supposed to be a novel??
Review: I can't believe none of the other reviewers have commented on the fact that this book is comprised of 240 pages of very large print! It is more like a long short-story than a novel. I was disappointed. I guess I can donate it to the nursing home (the elderly will appreciate the large print)!
The author did manage to portray Lydia and her two daughters in a semi-amusing manner, but Lizzy and Darcy lacked that certain zing that I expect of their characters. The writing style is similar to Jane Austen's, but I definitely wasn't impressed overall. Bottom-line, the book was short and fairly boring.
Rating:
Summary: The best sequel to Pride and Prejudice
Review: I first read P&P more than 40 years ago, and I've read it more than 40 times since. Mrs. Darcy's Dilemma is the first sequel I couldn't put down; it's Jane Austen come to life again. Birchall speaks the language without being silly about it. The Darcys have a mature marriage, as one would have expected; Kitty is as envious and querulous as can be; Lydia as clueless and conniving as ever she was; Mary as superficially well-read as she started out to be. Readers of Birchall's In Defense of Mrs. Elton will not be surprised to find that Mrs. Darcy's Dilemma is great fun.
Rating:
Summary: An Elegant Style
Review: Of all the Austen-related books I've read, I think this is the one that's written in a style that most closely approaches Jane Austen. Not that anyone can really do that in this modern day, but this author manages to write with an old-fashioned elegance that really creates a wonderful atmosphere. The story is charming too, and Austen's characters seem to live again, in a way that's very true to themselves. I'd recommend this sequel to anyone who'd like to see how Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth might have lived and behaved in their middle age, in Victorian times.
Rating:
Summary: Mrs Darcy after 25 years
Review: This book tells of the Darcys and their family 25 years after PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. In the intervening years there have been many births, deaths and marriages and the characters created by Jane Austen have aged. These events are highly credible. This is definitely one of the very best sequels to PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Diana Birchall is an accomplished writer and has produced an excellent and most enjoyable book. The new characters in the book are realistic and the whole is very entertaining. I would recommend it very highly. I very much look forward to more from this author.
Rating:
Summary: Mrs Darcy after 25 years
Review: This book tells of the Darcys and their family 25 years after PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. In the intervening years there have been many births, deaths and marriages and the characters created by Jane Austen have aged. These events are highly credible. This is definitely one of the very best sequels to PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Diana Birchall is an accomplished writer and has produced an excellent and most enjoyable book. The new characters in the book are realistic and the whole is very entertaining. I would recommend it very highly. I very much look forward to more from this author.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a good sequel!
Review: This is the worst of the pride and prejudice sequels. The plot is disturbing. Having both the Darcy and Bingley heir use their cousin Miss Wickham as their mistress. The book really grossed me out! If you wish to avoid an explicit and soap opera book just say no!
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