Review by Heide, July 27, 1998
The Diary of Henry Fitzwilliam Darcy may offend absolute P&P purists.  Then again, it may delight.  Marjorie Fasman's Darcy is a more physical creature than has ever been put to print before but the story is never in bad taste.  Starting with Darcy at age 10, we see his character evolve from a lonely childhood through his reserved young adulthood and then the blossoming of his love for Elizabeth Bennet.

During the time period also played out in Austen's classic, Fasman blends scenes from both the novel and the BBC/A&E production thus representing in print many of our favorite images from the series. Since this is from Darcy's point of view, we are privy to our hero's reflections.  His confusion at his attraction to Elizabeth and his ultimate surrender to it are strongly illustrated throughout.  From a scene during Elizabeth's visit to Netherfield to care for an ailing Jane, Darcy, on horseback, comes across Elizabeth walking the grounds.  "As she tilted back her head, there was opened to my gaze the full curve of her white throat.  I wanted to dismount and to put my hand there, wanted it so badly that I had to bite my lip."   Breathe easy, Darcy remains a gentleman.

Very satisfying is the continuation of the story through the Darcys' first year of marriage.  Certainly not graphic, but still sexually evocative, the Darcys are portrayed as, shall we say, a very loving, healthy couple.  "I fall to sleep with Elizabeth close to me, but it is not long before I awaken in torment for want of her, so I rise, and thus I commune with you at length, Diary."

There are several "glitches" which I consider minor but may disturb others.  There is a discrepancy with the time frame surrounding Georgiana's aborted elopement with Wickham and the author chooses to make Bingley the same age as Darcy which I disagree with.  My biggest beef however, is not with the story, but with the book cover.  When will the publishers of these sequels break down and just put a photo of Colin Firth on the jacket instead of these horrid drawings?  Elizabeth's rendering is quite grotesque as well.

As lovers of Austen's Pride & Prejudice, we each have our own interpretation of Darcy's character so not all of Fasman's explanations will satisfy.  However, the romance of the story along with a hearty dose of wit and charm carried me through these minor obstacles.  A strong recommendation.