DARCY'S EDUCATION OF MISS ELIZABETH BENNET

The main characters of Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice navigate sexual politics and frustrations in the lead-up to their marriage in Bishop’s novel.

Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy are now engaged, but they’ve not yet found their happy ending together at Pemberley. Before setting a date, they visit gaudy Rosings Park, owned by Darcy’s pompous aunt, the Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and his sickly, mousy cousin Anne. Darcy has agreed to let his aunt educate his bride-to-be on managing a large estate as both he and Elizabeth stay at Rosings. The betrothed couple’s close proximity before marriage flies in the face of the conventions of the time—as does Darcy’s late uncle’s hidden library of lewd books and pamphlets on the premises. Lady Catherine wrongly believes Elizabeth has already seduced her nephew and hopes that she can be bribed into leaving him. Elizabeth’s sister and chaperone, Mary, is caught kissing Anne, and the latter falls in love hard despite her society’s taboo surrounding same-sex relationships. Further complications arise as rumors of Darcy’s womanizing past—and of the existence of a daughter, conceived out of wedlock—threaten the happiness of one of literature’s most famous couples. Bishop’s debut relies heavily on delaying readers’ gratification, introducing more overtly erotic elements into the world of an acclaimed novel of manners, but also keeping characters from indulging such impulses for as long as possible. The additions aren’t excessively spicy, however; indeed, even calling them titillating may be a bit too strong. Despite some obvious creative license, most of the characters effectively resemble their Austen-created counterparts—save for the protagonists; Elizabeth has lost some of the spirited cheek which made her so memorable, particularly in her dealings with the domineering Catherine, and Darcy’s new, checkered past doesn’t comfortably line up with the socially uneasy figure of the original novel. Still, readers willing to overlook these differences will be hard-pressed not to have fun here, particularly with such offbeat, unexpected additions as the de Bourgh library of the bawdy.

A well-played touch of the ribald opens up a new continuation of a classic.