Duty and Desire

Last updated

Duty and Desire
Duty and Desire.jpg
First edition
Author Pamela Aidan
Cover artist Samuel Howitt, "Stag Hunting 1", Published by Edward Orme, March 1, 1807 [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman
Genre Historical, romance
Publisher Wytherngate Press (US)
Publication date
2004
Media typePrint
Pages244 p.
ISBN 0-9728-5291-3
OCLC 69423332
813/.6 22
LC Class PS3601.I33 D88 2006
Preceded by An Assembly Such as This  
Followed by These Three Remain  

Duty and Desire is a 2004 historical romance novel by Pamela Aidan. The second in the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, the novel examines Jane Austen's 1813 Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of Fitzwilliam Darcy, the central male character of that novel.

Contents

Plot summary

In relation to Pride and Prejudice, on which the novel is based, Duty and Desire takes place between Darcy's initial leaving of Hertfordshire and his reappearance in Pride's narrative at Rosings Park. Following on from the events of An Assembly Such as This , the novel opens with Fitzwilliam Darcy preparing for the Christmas season with his extended family. Several events have conspired to trouble him, however; as well as his ongoing self-examination of his romantic feelings towards Elizabeth Bennet (who does not appear in the novel, but remains a significant background presence throughout), his sister Georgiana is swiftly recovering from her ill-treatment at the hands of George Wickham by embracing an interest in religion, something encouraged by her new governess Mrs. Annesley but which bemuses and troubles Darcy. Furthermore, Darcy's well-meaning attempts to dissuade his friend Charles Bingley from what Darcy sees as his ill-fated and unrequited romance with Elizabeth's sister Jane are forcing Darcy to resort to underhanded and deceitful tactics that Darcy considers unworthy of himself.

Darcy finally decides that he needs a wife, and resolves to find a woman like Elizabeth Bennet from within his own social sphere, thus banishing any lingering feelings he has for her. To that end, he accepts the invitation of Lord Sayre, an old university friend for a week's stay at Sayre's family estate, Norwycke Castle, hoping to find a suitable wife amongst the party gathered there. Accompanied by his loyal valet Fletcher, he soon discovers that the members of the party he is joining are scheming, unscrupulous and not entirely what they seem, and that Sayre himself is a gambling addict who has almost gambled away his entire family estate. Despite this, he finds himself almost drawn with unusual passion to Sayre's disliked half-sister, Lady Sylvanie, who appears to share many of Elizabeth Bennet's charms and characteristics.

During Darcy's stay at Norwycke, however, numerous unusual and increasingly sinister events begin to occur; many of Darcy's possessions are stolen or interfered with within his room, the ritualistically slain body of a baby pig is found at a nearby collection of stones imbued with great supernatural and superstitious importance by the locals, and a local child is kidnapped. Darcy and Fletcher, investigating the unusual circumstances, discover that Sayre (who is almost bankrupt) is desperate to have Lady Sylvanie married to Darcy to inherit the estate of his hated and now-deceased stepmother, and Sylvanie herself - who believes herself able to use charms and spells to direct men to follow her will - is herself eager to gain revenge on Sayre, who ruined her and her mother. Darcy manages to untangle himself from their various schemes and uncovers the culprit behind the recent goings-on - Sayre's stepmother, the former Lady Sayre, who was alive all the time and has been manipulating her daughter in an attempt to destroy her stepson. Revealed, Lady Sayre kills herself, but not before forcing Darcy to face his own darker nature and his deeply hidden desires for revenge on George Wickham. Even more unsettled than when he started, Darcy swears off trying to find a wife within his own sphere, leaving him once more alone with his complicated feelings for Elizabeth.

Relationship to Pride and Prejudice

Duty and Desire takes place during Mr. Darcy's long absence from the plot of Pride and Prejudice, and is the most thematically independent of the "Gentleman" trilogy. Most of the plot and action are purely the invention of Pamela Aiden. However, most of the issues Darcy encounters—his struggle to understand and help his sister, his realisation of who his real friends are, his failure to interest himself in other women—are crucial to his future success in reaching out to Elizabeth.

References to historical people, places and events

In the novel a stone circle located near Norwycke Castle is known as either the "King's Men" or the "Whispering Knights", the former name being an attempt by a recent owner of the land to obscure the old legends surrounding the circle. It is at the circle where Darcy finds a grisly package that resembles a sacrificed child.

The location is based on a megalithic monument known as the Rollright Stones which has two formations, called "The King's Men" and "The Whispering Knights" respectively. The legends described in the novel are similar to the legends surrounding the "Whispering Knights". There is also a reference to the nearby town of Chipping Norton.

At the beginning of the novel, Georgiana Darcy receives a Christmas present from her aunt of a novel about "a mother and her three daughters...cast out upon the world by a heartless stepson and his odious wife". Darcy's uncle expresses his hope that "'Sense' is vindicated and 'Sensibility' reproved." Jane Austen's first published novel, Sense and Sensibility, appeared in 1811, when the events of this novel are set.

At Darcy's London house the staff are alarmed by reports of people "murdered in their beds" in Wapping. This is a reference to the Ratcliff Highway murders.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Pride and Prejudice</i> 1813 novel by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice is the second novel by English author Jane Austen, published in 1813. A novel of manners, it follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of the book, who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreciate the difference between superficial goodness and actual goodness.

<i>Pride and Prejudice</i> (1995 TV series) 1995 British television drama series

Pride and Prejudice is a six-episode 1995 British television drama, adapted by Andrew Davies from Jane Austen's 1813 novel of the same name. Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth starred as Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, respectively. Produced by Sue Birtwistle and directed by Simon Langton, the serial was a BBC production with additional funding from the American A&E Network. BBC1 originally broadcast the 55-minute episodes from 24 September to 29 October 1995. The A&E Network aired the series in double episodes on three consecutive nights beginning 14 January 1996.

<i>Bride and Prejudice</i> 2004 film

Bride and Prejudice is a 2004 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Gurinder Chadha. The screenplay by Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges is a Bollywood-style adaptation of Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. Shot primarily in English, with some Hindi and Punjabi dialogue, the film was released in the United Kingdom on 6 October 2004 and in the United States on 11 February 2005 to mostly positive reviews from critics.

<i>Pride & Prejudice</i> (2005 film) 2005 film by Joe Wright

Pride & Prejudice is a 2005 romantic drama directed by Joe Wright, in his feature directorial debut, and based on Jane Austen's 1813 novel of the same name. The film features five sisters from an English family of landed gentry as they deal with issues of marriage, morality and misconceptions. Keira Knightley stars as Elizabeth Bennet, while Matthew Macfadyen plays her romantic interest Mr Darcy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Bennet</span> Fictional character from Pride and Prejudice

Elizabeth Bennet is the protagonist in the 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. She is often referred to as Eliza or Lizzy by her friends and family. Elizabeth is the second child in a family of five daughters. Though the circumstances of the time and environment push her to seek a marriage of convenience for economic security, Elizabeth wishes to marry for love.

<i>Pride and Prejudice</i> (1940 film) 1940 film by Robert Zigler Leonard

Pride and Prejudice is a 1940 American film adaptation of Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice, starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier. Directed by Robert Z. Leonard, the screenplay was written by Aldous Huxley and Jane Murfin, adapted specifically from the stage adaptation by Helen Jerome, in addition to Jane Austen's novel. The story is about five sisters from an English family of landed gentry who must deal with issues of marriage, morality and misconceptions. The film was released on July 26, 1940 in the United States by MGM and was critically well received. The New York Times film critic praised the film as "the most deliciously pert comedy of old manners, the most crisp and crackling satire in costume that we in this corner can remember ever having seen on the screen."

<i>Pride & Prejudice: A Latter-Day Comedy</i> 2003 film

Pride & Prejudice: A Latter-Day Comedy is a 2003 independent romantic comedy film directed by Andrew Black and produced by Jason Faller. The screenplay, by Anne Black, Jason Faller, and Katherine Swigert, is an adaptation of Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice set in modern-day Provo, Utah. The film stars Kam Heskin as college student Elizabeth Bennet whose dreams of becoming an author supersede the cultural and societal pressures to be married. Elizabeth tries to escape the advances of several bachelors, including handsome but haughty businessman Will Darcy.

<i>Pride and Prejudice</i> (1980 TV series) 1980 British television drama series

Pride and Prejudice is a 1980 television serial, adapted by British novelist Fay Weldon from Jane Austen's 1813 novel of the same name. It is a co-production of the BBC and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The five-episode dramatisation stars Elizabeth Garvie as Elizabeth Bennet and David Rintoul as Mr. Darcy. In the US, it was broadcast by PBS television as part of Masterpiece Theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Darcy</span> Literary character

Fitzwilliam Darcy Esquire, generally referred to as Mr. Darcy, is one of the two central characters in Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. He is an archetype of the aloof romantic hero, and a romantic interest of Elizabeth Bennet, the novel's protagonist. The story's narration is almost exclusively from Elizabeth's perspective; the reader is given a one-sided view of Darcy for much of the novel, but hints are given throughout that there is much more to his character than meets the eye. The reader gets a healthy dose of dramatic irony as Elizabeth continually censures Mr. Darcy's character despite the aforementioned hints that Mr. Darcy is really a noble character at heart, albeit somewhat prideful. Usually referred to only as "Mr. Darcy" or "Darcy" by characters and the narrator, his first name is mentioned twice in the novel.

<i>An Assembly Such as This</i> 2003 novel by Pamela Aidan

An Assembly Such as This is a 2003 novel by Pamela Aidan. It is the first book in a trilogy entitled Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman. The second and third books in the series are titled Duty and Desire, and These Three Remain.

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman is the collective name given to a trilogy of historical romance novels written by Pamela Aidan. As the title suggests, they are based heavily on Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice, and feature many events of the novel as seen from the perspective of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the central male character of Austen's novel.

<i>These Three Remain</i> 2005 Book by Pamela Aidan

These Three Remain is a 2005 historical romance novel by Pamela Aidan. It is the third and final novel in the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, a series of novels examining Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of Fitzwilliam Darcy, the central male character of that book.

<i>Lost in Austen</i> 2008 British television fantasy series

Lost in Austen is a four-part 2008 British television series for the ITV network, written by Guy Andrews as a fantasy adaptation of the 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Amanda, a young woman living in modern London, enters the plot of the novel through a portal in her bathroom, to join the Bennet family and affect events, generally disastrously.

<i>Pride and Prejudice and Zombies</i> 2009 parody novel by Seth Grahame-Smith

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a 2009 parody novel by Seth Grahame-Smith. It is a mashup combining Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice with elements of modern zombie fiction, crediting Austen as co-author. It was first published in April 2009 by Quirk Books and in October 2009 a Deluxe Edition was released, containing full-color images and additional zombie scenes. The novel was adapted into a 2016 film starring Lily James and Sam Riley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Catherine de Bourgh</span> Austen character

Lady Catherine de Bourgh is a character in the 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. According to Janet Todd, Lady Catherine can be seen as a foil to the novel's protagonist Elizabeth Bennet.

<i>Death Comes to Pemberley</i> (TV series) 2013 British television series

Death Comes to Pemberley is a three-part British television drama based on the best-selling 2011 P. D. James novel of the same name. Her murder mystery was based on the style and characters of Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice.

<i>Pride and Prejudice</i> (1967 TV series) 1967 British television drama series

Pride and Prejudice is a 1967 BBC television six-part serial, based on Jane Austen's 1813 novel of the same name.

<i>Old Friends and New Fancies</i> Unauthorized sequel to the novels of Jane Austen

Old Friends and New Fancies: An Imaginary Sequel to the Novels of Jane Austen (1913) is a novel by Sybil G. Brinton that is often acknowledged to be the first sequel to the works of Jane Austen and as such is possibly the first piece of published Austen fan fiction, although earlier examples have been described by Sarah Glosson. It incorporates characters from each of Austen's six major novels into one unified story, alongside characters of Brinton's own invention. Keeping to the spirit of the source novels, its major theme is the difficulties faced by assorted pairs of lovers placed within the class structure of early 19th century Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Wickham</span> Fictional character

George Wickham is a fictional character created by Jane Austen who appears in her 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. George Wickham is introduced as a militia officer who has a shared history with Mr. Darcy. Wickham's charming demeanour and his story of being badly treated by Darcy attracts the sympathy of the heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, to the point that she is warned by her aunt not to fall in love and marry him. It is revealed through the course of the story that George Wickham's true nature is that of a manipulative unprincipled layabout, a ne'er-do-well wastrel, compulsive liar and a degenerate, compulsive gambler, a seducer and a libertine, living the lifestyle of a rake. Lacking the finances to pay for his lifestyle, he gambles regularly and cons credit from tradesmen and shopkeepers and skips out on paying-up.

References