Wednesday 28 July 2010

Me and Mr Darcy - a Book Review by Voodoo Bride


Me and Mr Darcy by Alexandra Potter

What is it about:
After a string of disastrous dates, Emily Albright decides she’s had it with modern-day love and would much rather curl up with Pride and Prejudice and spend her time with Mr. Darcy, the dashing, honorable, and passionate hero of Jane Austen’s classic. So when her best friend suggests a wild week of margaritas and men in Mexico with the girls, Emily abruptly flees to England on a guided tour of Jane Austen country instead. Far from inspiring romance, the company aboard the bus consists of a gaggle of little old ladies and one single man, Spike Hargreaves, a foul-tempered journalist writing an article on why the fictional Mr. Darcy has earned the title of Man Most Women Would Love to Date.

The last thing Emily expects to find on her excursion is a broodingly handsome man striding across a field, his damp shirt clinging to his chest. But that’s exactly what happens when she comes face-to-face with none other than Mr. Darcy himself. Suddenly, every woman’s fantasy becomes one woman’s reality. . . .


What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
I'm not a fan of Jane Austen I must confess. I do not like her writing style and it took zombies to get me and Sullivan to read Pride and Prejudice. That said: I loved 'Me and Mr Darcy'. It's well written, funny and heartwarming. Potter uses the themes and general storylines from Pride and Prejudice and makes them her own in an enjoyable way. The story is predictable - especially for Austen fans I guess, although they will perhaps enjoy seeing the similarities between this story and P&P - but isn't that true about almost every chick-lit? All in all it was everything it promised to be when I bought the book: an enjoyable summer read.

Why should you read it:
It's a fluffy, enjoyable read

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I read this one awhile back, and I thought it was a fun, entertaining book. Jane Austen's writing style was hard for me at first, but I've grown to appreciate and love it. Although zombies do liven things up. ;)

Enbrethiliel said...

+JMJ+

The parallels between the originals and spin-offs/homages do get really old after a while, even for Austen afficionados. I honestly wonder how long writers can keep doing this sort of thing before Jane Austen's "brand" gets dragged down and Austen fans get a reputation for being so simple that they just read the same stories over and over and over again.

Don't get me wrong: some of the spin-offs are very clever, and many are also well written. But taken together, they seem like a cash cow and I'm very cynical now.

So I'll never bug you about not reading Jane Austen, Sully. I might but you about Lisa Kleypas, though. ;-)

Unknown said...

awww cute! Im not a Jane Austen fan myself,... but this does sounds like a fun and sweet reads!

thanks!

Sullivan McPig said...

@Enbrethiliel: Well Kleypas ended up on Voodoo Bride's wishlist thanks to you ;-)

Anonymous said...

You keep expanding my horizons. I love Jane Austen's writing style. She had such a sharp tongue! I haven't gotten around to any of the knock-offs yet, but the more you say, the more I think I should

vvb32 reads said...

ahhh, so cool that you two are getting into jane austen by way of retellings and mashups.