Books: New twists on a classic

Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” remains beloved today for many reasons, not the least of which is the feminism inherent in the tale of a woman who is trained to marry for security and social standing but resolves to settle for nothing less than love and mutual respect. Two recent novels inspired by the classic seek to explore this idea further.

“Me and Mr. Darcy” is set in the present day and revolves around Emily, a young bookworm who finds modern men a disappointing substitute for fictional heroes. On impulse, she jets to England to join a bus tour of romantic Austen locales that, to her dismay, is stuffed full of little old ladies — and one incredibly obnoxious male, writing an article on just what makes this danged Darcy guy so appealing. Things definitely start to perk up, though, when she encounters a mysterious man who just might be the real Darcy himself.

“The True Darcy Spirit” is a traditional sequel, but with a bit of twist: The action is moved to the original cast’s descendants. Cassandra, daughter of the haughty Anne deBourgh, has been kicked out of her family for running away with her boyfriend, and her distant cousin Horatio Darcy is the lawyer assigned to hand her the bad news. Horatio himself is proud but no innocent, and he finds himself drawn to the determined, independent Cassandra.

“Spirit” does a good job of imitating the cadences of the Austen original and illustrating the inequalities of gender and class in the early 19th century as Cassandra tries to make her way alone in London as an artist. If the society circles it pictures are a bit more overtly salacious than Austen’s comedies of manners, it’s a minor quibble in the face of a good read.

Books reviewed in this column are available online or at your local bookstore.