Author Mary Simonsen On Re-Imagining Jane Austen’s Work

As we continue to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the publication of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY by Jane Austen this month, author Mary Lydon Simonsen joins us to share her thoughts on the unique author and what her work has inspired.

Mary is the author of two Regency Austen re-imaginings, THE PERFECT BRIDE FOR MR. DARCY and A WIFE FOR MR. DARCY, and a Jane Austen historical romance, SEARCHING FOR PEMBERLEY. Her latest novel, MR. DARCY’S BITE (released October 4), adds a paranormal twist to the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth in this PRIDE AND PREJUDICE re-imagining.

Here’s a brief synopsis of MR. DARCY’S BITE: Mr. Darcy has a secret...
 
Darcy is acting rather oddly. After months of courting Elizabeth Bennet, no offer of marriage is forthcoming and Elizabeth is first impatient, then increasingly frightened. For there is no denying that the full moon seems to be affecting his behavior, and Elizabeth’s love is going to be tested in ways she never dreamed...
 
Darcy has more than family pride to protect: others of his kind are being hunted all over England and a member of Darcy’s pack is facing a crisis in Scotland. It will take all of Elizabeth’s faith, courage, and ingenuity to overcome her prejudice and join Darcy in a Regency world she never knew existed. 

Here’s Mary’s take on a question I asked.

Hi Mason. Thank you for having me on your blog. You have asked for me to write about why I think Jane Austen’s work has endured for 200 years and has spurred the various re-imaginings.

In PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, Jane Austen opened her novel with the following: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” It is simple and brilliant and sets the tone for the entire novel. From that one sentence, we know that we are going to be treated to a well-written story by an author who is in possession of, if not a good fortune, than most definitely an abundance of wit. 

Although Austen did not think of her masterpiece as a romance, more a study of a neighborhood of four and twenty families set on its ear by the introduction of two single men in possession of large fortunes, that is how it has turned out. Because Elizabeth Bennet is such a well-sculpted character, full of wit, humor, grace, and intelligence, we want her to marry well, especially since she has virtually no dowry. But when we first meet Fitzwilliam Darcy, a member of the landed gentry with connections to the monarchy, he is proud, aloof, and too full of himself. It is only when Lizzy refuses his offer of marriage that he looks inward. After finding himself wanting, he undergoes a change that will make him worthy of our heroine. A man who is capable of change? What woman doesn’t want that? He probably even asks for directions.

Like so many other PRIDE AND PREJUDICE enthusiasts, I find the possibilities for Darcy and Elizabeth to be endless. Unlike some authors, such as Charlotte Bronte, Austen leaves a lot of the details up to the reader. Physical descriptions of people and places are minimal, and as such, her stories are not anchored to any one time period. (Think of Emma and Clueless.) She is more interested in the personality traits of her characters and their interactions. 

In my novel, DARCY ON THE HUDSON, I have Darcy visiting American Elizabeth Bennet in New York while MR. DARCY’S ANGEL OF MERCY is set in post-World War I England. In MR. DARCY’S BITE, I go a step further. I have turned Mr. Darcy into a werewolf. But even with fur, fangs, and four feet, the essence of the gentleman from Pemberley is the same, and that is because I have remained faithful to the nature of Austen’s beloved characters.

I am not sure what Jane Austen would make of all these re-imaginings, but at the very least, she would have to be pleased that her novel stirs the imagination of generations of readers. Her work stands the test of time.

Mary, thanks for guest blogging today. I enjoyed your take on why Austen’s work has endured for so long and continues to be so popular. I’d have to agree that I think she would be pleased that her novel stirs the imagination of so many.

In Mary’s novels, the romance between Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet is told with a light touch and a sense of humor and presented as a battle of wits between two equals. For more on Mary and her writing, check out her blog, Austen Inspired Fan Fiction by Mary Simonsen. 

Do you think Austen would be pleased her work has inspired so many different takes on Darcy?