So, while D.C.T.P. isn't a perfect novel, and I didn't really find the murder mystery all that mysterious, I still enjoyed the book quite a bit. It was rather like visiting old friends whom you haven't seen in a while and catching up on their lives. P.D. James is always a compelling writer, and she is respectful of the source material, never straying far from Austen's interpretations of her characters'personae. All in all, this was a fun read, and I would definitely recommend it to fans of "Pride and Prejudice".
P.D. James' "Death Comes To Pemberley" takes us back to the world of Elizabeth and Darcy six years after the events of "Pride and Prejudice". James writes in a style which fits well with the time period, and she is careful not to make any of the characters act in a manner inconsistent from that in P&P. Of course, as six years have passed, some of the characters have changed a bit- for example, Georgiana is less shy and more self-assured, and Lady Catherine, while still an imposing presence, has thawed somewhat towards Elizabeth. Col. Fitzwilliam's character has perhaps changed the most... he has become sterner, almost stodgy. This is explained by the fact that his older brother has died and he has inherited the title, with all the responsibilities that entails. To a lesser extent, Elizabeth is changed; she seems a bit less high-spirited. Of course, she is now a wife and mother, and chatelaine of a large estate. Also, she is embroiled in a murder mystery in which members of her family are directly involved, which is enough to dampen anyone's spirits. I was fine with that... if I had one criticism, it would be that Elizabeth and Darcy aren't together enough in the novel. One of the pleasures of P&P was the verbal interactions between the two of them. In D.C.T.P., however, Darcy and Elizabeth spend a lot of time apart, as he deals with the murder investigation and she handles the family and social problems that crop up. No doubt this is a more realistic depiction of how things would go, but it would have been nice to have them together a bit more often. What is nice is that we get inside Darcy's head, and get to know his thoughts- both about what's happening in the present, but also about some of the events of the past. For example, the reason he tried so hard to keep Bingley and Jane apart was because he was afraid that, if they became attached, it would weaken his resolve not to give way to his feelings for Elizabeth. James' writing of Darcy's character is particularly well done, just how you'd expect him to be after six years with Elizabeth to smooth his harsher edges. We also get to know Georgiana a lot better, though the love triangle involving her and her two suitors really doesn't amount to much. Her best scene is the one in which, conversing with Elizabeth, she relates Wickham's attempted seduction of her fifteen year old self from her point of view. It makes her a more relatable and sympathetic character. Surprisingly, considering what a great mystery writer James was, I found the mystery in "Death Comes To Pemberley" to be the weakest part of the book. That's not to say it's bad, but I had it figured out- well, not all the details, but the essentials- pretty early on in the narrative. It is interesting to see them work to solve the crime with the evidence they have, without the benefit of modern forensics, and also to have a look at the court system of the time period. Of course, their English society being what it is, there are social consequences to the murder as well as legal ones. As gossip runs rampant, they are all affected by the embarrassment of being connected to such a scandal. Mr Darcy, with his reserved nature, especially detests the situation in which they find themselves. This is compounded by the fear that, in the course of the investigation, the facts of what occurred with Georgiana and Wickham might somehow become known, damaging her reputation. Then too, he is conflicted about the criminal investigation... although he detests Wickham with every fiber of his being, he believes him to be innocent and finds himself in the uncomfortable position of feeling obliged to defend him. The best thing about "Death Comes To Pemberley" is that we are able to become reacquainted with so many great characters... not only the ones directly involved, but also Mr and Mrs Bennett, Kitty and Mary, Charlotte and Mr Collins (who must, of course, put in his two cents about the scandal), etc. As well, mention is made of several characters from other Austen works... for example, it turns out that Wickham was employed for a short time by Mr Elliot (Persuasion) and, near the end of the book, Harriet Martin- nee Smith- (Emma) is given an opportunity to be of assistance. It's all very enjoyable. So, while D.C.T.P. isn't a perfect novel, and I didn't really find the murder mystery all that mysterious, I still enjoyed the book quite a bit. It was rather like visiting old friends whom you haven't seen in a while and catching up on their lives. P.D. James is always a compelling writer, and she is respectful of the source material, never straying far from Austen's interpretations of her characters'personae. All in all, this was a fun read, and I would definitely recommend it to fans of "Pride and Prejudice".
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