When Sharon and Abigail approached me about joining this blog, I couldn’t have been more delighted. What more could an Austenesque author wish for than to be cast into the company of so many authors and readers who agree on one thing: you can never get enough Austen? In the words of Jane herself, “my only fear is of your being so agreeable, so much to (my) taste, as to make (me) wish to keep you with (me) for ever.”
Before I do that, though, you probably need to know a bit more about me and about the journey which brought me here.
It starts in a school in
Manchester, UK, Elizabeth Gaskell country (Cranford, North and South). Which is perhaps my major claim to fame, since I lived for several months in her former home there on Plymouth Grove. This was before it was rescued from neglect and restored. But I digress.
The room is airless, stifling in that wooden way that old buildings have. Some of the girls fling open a window (what would Mr Woodhouse say?) and let in the cold November air. They are not interested in our English lesson. They are wishing they could climb through the window and escape.
Then our teacher arrives and it’s too late. The wood groans under her feet as she walks in. Or was that some of the girls?
“Now where were we?” says the teacher.
“We got to where Mrs Bennet is winking at Kitty to leave the room,” I answer, because I can hardly wait for the teacher to transform back into Mrs Bennet. The girls at the window thumb their noses at me for playing teacher’s favourite. One of them is Kitty. She peers at the teacher who is trying to signal something to her.
“What?” says Kitty. “Why is everyone looking at me?”
“You’re supposed to read the next line,” says Mrs Bennet, in that half-whining, half-bullying voice of hers that I still remember after all these years, even though I’ve long since forgotten her face.
No production of Pride & Prejudice has ever equalled the magic of that first experience of Jane Austen. Even though Mr Darcy was played by a girl with long blonde hair who wrung her hands and threw herself melodramatically to her knees when she read Mr Darcy’s proposal (it was an all-girls school), and even though Lydia rolled her eyes every time it was her turn to read, in that classroom Pride and Prejudice really came to life.
But I’ll admit it. It gave me a skewed idea of the novel.
To my thirteen-year-old mind, Pride and Prejudice was a hilarious comedy about families that did their best to embarrass you, about younger sisters who bickered and competed about everything, about boy-obsessed teenagers, and about how messed up parents’ expectations can be. I knew there was a romance in the story, but to me that wasn’t the point of the novel. The point of the novel was that it made me laugh, because somehow, even if everyone was in 19th century clothing, it was so true.
Some time later – when I was older and much wiser – I was enthralled by Mr Darcy in the form of Colin Firth. My heart quickened at the suppressed passion roiling under the haughty surface. I shivered with delight as the mighty gentleman surrendered to the inevitable and accepted his destiny with
Elizabeth. I dreamt of piercing dark eyes staring across piano keyboards, of smouldering glances in Regency rooms crackling with tension. I realized then that Pride and Prejudice was a romance. And what a discovery!
Then I encountered other writings by Austen. I shook my head over Emma’s wilful blindness, lamented Anne Elliot’s self-sacrificing nature that almost cost her the love of her life (really, how could she let Lady Russell convince her to give up Captain Wentworth?), frowned over Fanny Price’s dogmatic persistence, laughed with Henry Tilney at Catherine’s tomboyish innocence, and tried to work out whether I sided with Elinor or Marianne. I combed the letters for all the gems of sparkling wit I could find, and raged against her sister Cassandra for destroying what must surely be the best letters of all.
A long time later, I came to write romance myself. Naturally, who would I turn to as my mentor? After all, it was Jane Austen who invented the blueprint for romance as we know it. Wasn’t she the first one to write the poor-girl-meets-powerful-arrogant-billionaire-plot?
Over the years, I’ve learned to appreciate Jane Austen as a writer for many reasons. I could list them, but it would take up a lot of space.
Still, there’s one thing that hasn’t changed in all this time. I still think that the best thing of all about Jane Austen is that she makes me laugh.
Monica Fairview has published two Austen sequels, The Other Mr Darcy, which was chosen by All About Romance as Hidden Treasure of 2009 as well as designated a Desert Island Keeper. The Library Journal called it “heart-warming and charming.”
The Darcy Cousins, published earlier this year, is the story of Georgiana Darcy as she struggles to emerge from under her brother’s charismatic wing to assert her independence, and to find love.
Historical Novels Reviews calls it “A humorous, stately romp through 19th-century England”.
For more information on Monica, you may visit the archives of her now-abandoned
blog or check out her
website.
Monica Fairview
Author of THE OTHER MR DARCY, featuring flying sparks between Caroline Bingley and Darcy's charming American cousin and THE DARCY COUSINS, featuring defiance and misunderstandings as Darcy's sister Georgiana takes a few lessons from her fiesty American cousin about love and romance. My traditional Regency Romance, An Improper Suitor, has just been released on Kindle.
The Darcy Cousins, published earlier this year, is the story of Georgiana Darcy as she struggles to emerge from under her brother’s charismatic wing to assert her independence, and to find love. Historical Novels Reviews calls it “A humorous, stately romp through 19th-century England”.
Enter our monthly contest using the Rafflecopter form on the
Austen Authors Amazon Marketplace
Authors can be contacted via their email link on the Austen Authors page. For general information or to contact the admins, click the image to the left.
Facebook
RSS
Twitter
The Writers Block
Amazon Store
Hi Monica,
How exciting I get to be one of your first comments. I have bought both your books and they are in my reading rotation waiting their turn. I so look forward to reading them.
Congratulations on your success,
Terie
Monica, next time we meet I want to know all about living in Mrs Gaskell's old house!
Loved your description of performing P&P at school.
And congratulations on your latest addition to the Darcy collection!
How fantastic to have lived in Elizabeth Gaskell's house! I think it's interesting that we all seem to react to Pride and Prejudice, and Jane's other novels in different ways at different points of our lives. But, as you say, it's the humour that makes her books so special!
Hi Monica. I bought your books but haven't come around to reading it yet as my TBR is growing day by day. How exciting that you get to participate in a Pride & Prejudice play in your school days. As I'm from Malaysia, my education is very different from other countries as my country's education system focuses mainly on academic excellence.
Monica. Thank you for sharing your story with us. I can see it all unfolding in my head — the girls all playing their parts… I have both your Darcy novels and they are patiently (well maybe not so patiently) waiting on my "TO BE READ" shelf (which, thanks to this site is growing rapidly!). I'm really looking forward to reading them. Congratulations and much continued success!
I wonder if living in Mrs. Gaskell's house influenced you and helped make you the author you are? She is one of my favorite authors and I envy you for having such a delightful guardian angel!
Thanks for a fun introduction to yourself and your journey to Jane Austen. I'm glad you're a part of this blog team!
Monica,
Thank you for sharing your background and the path to the P&P writing family. I would have loved to see the approach of the teacher as Mrs. Bennett. Sadly, I find that I catch myself in my own tone in the classroom as I slip into a silly, high-strung nag at times.
I look forward to adding your versions of P&P to my growing collection.
Miss Bingley is given a voice, can't wait.
I love your story about an early production of P&P. It reminded me of the one I saw where a girl of Asian descent played Elizabeth in a family dominated by very blonde Nordic-looking girls. It was quite unforgettable.
I am so pleased to have your acquaintance. Thank you for sharing with us.
Monica What a story! Wish I was able to live in Gaskell's house. Actually would just love to visit England. Unlike you I didn't get intro to Jane til later in life. My 8th grade was doing shakespear! And Romeo was the class hunk! We had boys in class. Anyway I have read both your books and though you do redeem Caroline in book 1 I liked your 2nd book more. Seeing Georgiana become a lady was intriguing. Thanks charlene
Thanks Monica for an entertaining introduction to yourself and your work!
Wow you lived in Gaskells house awesome!
I absolutely love your first account of P&P in the form of your school play. Haha hilarious. I attended an all girls school and can totally relate.
I also love your young view of P&P. At that age I guess the idea of a passion filled romance would be far from your mind! The humour is a wonderful facet of JA's writing.
Love your description of Darcy "piercing dark eyes staring across piano keyboards, of smouldering glances in Regency rooms crackling with tension" what an awesome line!
Haha totally agree with your question How could Anne let Captain Wentworth go? And isn't that scene where he writes his passion filled letter while she is in the room and then she reads it just the best scene ever!!! Love that bit!!
I always side with Elinor because I am a bit more prudish/sensible like her haha.
I look forward to adding your books to my ever increasing collection.
TSBO devotee
Vee
I wish I had the pleasure of being introduced to P&P or Austen in school. Lucky you!
I agree – the best thing about Jane Austen is that she makes us laugh!
Monica, that story was marvelously woven! I loved it! I know we have all said it before, but of course it is Austen's ability to create numerous nuances within the text that is so appealing. 13 year old girl or 40+ year old woman, we will each be touched by something different.
Thanks for joining us and for sharing your story.
Thank you all for your lovely comments. It's lovely to be able to share my love of Jane Austen with you.
Melissa and Chatty — yes, studying P&P in class was a great experience, but it did have its quirks!
Denise — I see you're taking the teacher's perspective. I think it would be hard not to sound high-pitched and nagging when playing Mrs B. My teacher's voice was a bit gruff, so it worked out well –she sounded more like a practical hen-mother keeping her children on track.
Diana, I do think living in her house may have made her a spiritual guide of some sort. It certainly made quite an impression on me. I'm dying to go and look at it again once they finish the restorations.
Luthian84 different school systems emphasize different things. The main thing is that you didn't miss out on finding Jane Austen!
Juliet and Jane — thank you kindly! I'll tell you about Mrs Gaskell's house when I see you.
Vee, I'm glad you enjoyed the description, and yes, I love the letter scene. It's *almost* as good — dare I say it? — as Mr Darcy's proposal.
Kimberly, yes, I do give Caroline a voice. We always see her through Elizabeth's eyes, so I think she deserves the opportunity to explain herself.
Kara, so glad to be sharing this blog team with you and all the other wonderful authors here. It's a privilege.
Chatty, thank you for your comments on both novels. It's a funny thing, really. Some people like The Other Mr Darcy more — it got more attention from the reviewers. Others swear by The Darcy Cousins. The Darcy Cousins is lighter and funnier, I think. The Other Mr Darcy has a larger cast because the Bennets are all there so people feel it's more familiar. I'm glad to hear you liked the Darcy Cousins better because I really had fun writing it.
Regina — your early experience of the P&P performance sounds a bit like mine. I think odd contrasts like this bring an added dimension to the novel. It's all about how you see things, after all, isnt' it?
Amy Z and Vee — look forward to knowing what you think of the novels.
Terie, you were first to comment so I kept you to the end — hope you put me somewhere at the top of your rotation!
Skylar — glad we're in agreement. I can think of so many reasons I keep re-reading her novels, but it really boils down to the laughter she brings to her pages.
Sharon: 'nuance' is certainly the right word for Jane Austen. But don't get me started on that, because I won't stop! Thank you for your kind words.
The letters lost or destroyed by Cassandra have given me plenty to think about, too. So much so that I worked the thread into my upcoming novel. Glad to meet you!
Haha Monica I have no argument that the Letter scene is quite possibly equal to the Darcy proposal. I just love the passion in that scene!
I look forward to giving you my feedback on your novels too!
TSBO devotee
Vee
I was captivated and intrigued with your wonderful post today. what a great story. thanks.
Your novels sound delightful and special. I will be looking for them and enjoying them greatly. Your post today was fascinating.
I agree whole-heartedly, the humor's the thing, Monica. Really enjoyed your story.
Monica, I did like the other Mr Darcy. It was just that I had a hard time at first seeing Carolyn as a good character. Loved Darcy though he seemed that maybe he was sexier! HHMMMM sighhh charlene
What a lovely story you have woven for us! You lived in Gaskell's home??!!! I am so jealous. I would love to go visit it myself! And the picture in my head of all the girls reenacting P&P is so amusing. The only novel of Austen's I read at that age was Emma and I loved it. It was so funny and amusing and had nothing to do with romance to me either! I can't understand how anyone could dislike Emma. it was so light and amusing. Even so, many say that's one of their least favorite Austen novels. =[ And yeah, I have always lamented the loss of those JA letters. Grumble! Grumble! Than again, I also mourn the loss of the library at Alexandria. Any time I hear of knowledge being destroyed I'm sad! LOL! Enough of that! Thank you again for sharing your story!
I just can't picture Darcy with long blond hair and throwing himself to the ground, but must have been entertaining. I enjoyed the Other Mr. Darcy, and was intrigued by your take on Caroline Bingley making her seem more human. Looking forward to reading your other books as well.
I discovered Jane Austen the other way around because I was a teenager who took myself Very Seriously Indeed and didn't even notice most of the humor in P&P. It wasn't until I read it a few years later that I realized it was hysterically funny and oh, so true to life!
I want to hear more about the Gaskell house, too!
Monica I loved the introduction to you as a person and your entrance into the Jane Austen Authors world. Pretty much I mirror most of the comments above. I have both of your books and have read them both. I also had a hard time at first picturing Caroline as an unwhining, decent/almost nice person. smiles. I must say I truly enjoy your style of writing. It is hard to explain the differences but obvious compared to other authors. These are on my favorites list. I find it refreshing to have a different angle to come from (American relative..who would've thought it..well obviously you)I thought the opening with Caroline sobbing and "The Other Mr. Darcy" observing her really set the stage. It sucks you in from the very beginning. I also enjoy Gaskell's works. So that part of your history as well is fascinating. I think I'll try looking at P&P from the 13 year old point of view. It might help me get my 13 year old granddaughter involved. Keep up the great work!
I discovered this webiste and have been in my glory finding all of the possible Jane Austen sequels, especially "Pride and Prejudice."
I read it when I was 14 and I read it at least once a year, bringing my grand total of 40 years of Elizabeth and Darcy. I even remember buying the Cliffs notes because I wanted to delve into all aspects of the story and found that there was a sequel written by Dorothy Alice Bonavia-Hunt. Well, since there was no Internet back in 1970, my chances of finding this continuation of my favorite novel of all time didn't exist.
I absolutely love this website! Now it's like a Jane Austen "mall" with so many great authors under one website. This is so much better than going to Amazon's website and typing in "Fitzwilliam Darcy" for example and checking to see if I had missed any upcoming books.
I see that I will be discovering many authors who have as great a passion for Jane Austen as I've had since I carried the novel P & P under my school blazer so I could indulge my reading for a few paragraphs here and there.
I have just about all of the novels written by your impressive list of authors and look forward to purchasing more as they become available. I wish I could do nothing but read, but working as a nurse in a long term care facility, I work such odd hours, that my only escape on the job is to talk to some of my residents who are just as avid fans of all things Austen as all of us who visit this great website.
Keep up the good work (do you really consider it work?) and keep those novels coming! I have a category on my Kindle that is nothing but Austen, and thankfully, it's really filling up!
Thank yo for sharing, Monica! I'm looking forward to reading your books!
Abigail — so you were a VSI teen? I like that designation. Was the romance the most important thing for you then?
Lisa — The library at Alexandria was certainly a huge loss to civilization! Funny how that remains abstract, though, unless you really sit down and think what it means. It's the same thing on a much larger scale. I suppose it's because I don't really know what I'm missing with the Alexandria books, whereas knowing someone purposely destroyed every chance of us learning more about JA makes me sadder, somehow. Not having those letters feels like a big gaping hole.
So Cindy, I can see why you'd want to write about it. I do, too.
Nice to meet you here, Kathryn, traveler and petite.
Chatty — glad you enjoyed Mr Darcy as well.
Thanks Karana. Very kind of you to say so. Yes, the melodramatic gestures were really too much, but you had a mix of embarrassment and teenage disdain in operation, so we had to make allowances…
Michaelene — it's wonderful that you found your way here. Yes, it certainly make it easier to have everyone under the same roof, so to speak, and of course you have the chance to comment, to learn more about everyone, and to meet others who share the same interests. Three cheers to Sharon and Abigail who came up with the idea!
Many thanks Suzan for the detailed feedback about my novels. It's good to know what aspects of them you enjoyed. I do hope you can get a discussion going with your granddaughter about P&P.
Hi, Monica! I loved this line: "After all, it was Jane Austen who invented the blueprint for romance as we know it."
I've always felt the same
. She makes a wonderful mentor, doesn't she?! Congrats on all of your great stories!
What a great intro Monica! I have not read your novels, but they are definitely going to be purchased and perused by me.
The telling of your theatrical abilities brought to mind the ladies of 'Little Women'. What fun you must have had.
I always like Austen for her abilitly to make me think that no matter what I should try to do the right thing.
To have lived in Elizabeth Gaskell's home would be a treat in itself. There must be some good stories there. Great to read about you and your own introduction to Jane Austen.
Hi Monica
I loved your story about reading P&P in class. I never liked reading plays in class and probably would've been the one rolling my eyes. I dont know if I would've appreciated JA's humor and insights as a teen as much as I did when I discovered P&P as an adult.
When I saw The Other Mr Darcy on the shelf at the library and picked it up I thought "I can't believe someone wrote a book about Caroline Bingley!" (I'm sure you've heard that about a million times by now though LOL) I was skeptical but I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading The Darcy Cousins. And, may I say, you have a lovely name!
Best Wishes
Monica
Hello Chelsea B, nice to meet you here, your comment came in while I was writing mine.
Marilyn, there's no better mentor. Whatever aspect of Jane Austen's writing you look at, there's something important to learn.
Trez, "Little Women" is a book dear to my heart.
Monica — what a fabulous name! Now that's a name I'd like to have… Yes — people do wonder about Caroline. I'm very pleased you enjoyed it after all.
Hello Monica,
I'm really happy for the addition of your introduction on this web page. It was nice to hear about your early exposure to Jane Austen's P&P, and what kind of reaction you had encountered at different stages of age (first the laugh and thereafter the passion of love). Lucky you, you got to touch, breath the historic past time culture by means of living into Elizabeth Gaskell residence.
My best wishes to you,
Tisa
I love your story! Thank you for sharing! Congratulations on your success!
Fascinating connection to Gaskell Monica. Tomorrow it the 200th anniversary of her birth. I am celebrating with a review of North and South as part of a blog tour. I loved how you wove in P&P, Gaskell and your experiences in Manchester.
Cheers, Laurel Ann
I've read both of your new books and enjoyed them thoroughly. However, never did I expect to be jealous of Caroline Bingley of all people. Thank you for such delightful reading.
i love your books a ton!!! and this is an amazing story you have… you are a truly gifted writer
Monica,
I thoroughly enjoyed today's blog post, especially your telling of tales out of school. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful first JA experience, and your talent, with us.
Joanne
Tisa and BeckyC — pleased to meet you. I hope to see you here often.
Laurel Ann –I'll be there, lapping up your review of North and South. Thanks for dropping by!
RosannaK — I'm jealous, too. I wouldn't mind a Mr Robert Darcy myself! Thank you for saying so.
Joanne — so nice of you to tell me that!
J Marie Croft — It's one of the great things about this blog. We get to read each other's stories!
your books have been on my ToBeReadList & i can't wait to read them!!!!
Keep me posted, cyn209!
Thank you for sharing your story with us, what a fun way to be introduced to Austen
Monica- Great introduction. Your story was a fun read. Thank you for sharing. I haven't read your novels yet. I will eventually soon… as I have too many other books on my to read list…so many to read, yet so little time, lol. Hopefully, I'll get to read one of your books soon.
Jessica — yes, it was fun for me, but not for some of the other girls!
Jeane — there's never enough time to read, is there. I have a huge pile that just gets bigger and bigger…
This comment thread is now closed for the weekly & monthly giveaway. Thank you.