Darcy and Elizabeth: Fair Trade

By: Kate Bedlow / Narrated By: Jannie Meisberger

Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins

First listen? Enjoyable. Second listen? Hmmm…

I’ve already copped to liking Pride and Prejudice sequels and variations, I know I have. So I was kinda delighted with Darcy and Elizabeth: Fair Trade upon a first listen. It’s what would’ve happened if Mr. Bennett died early and Elizabeth and her sisters were forced into trade, into working at an old coffee shop, to make ends meet. Caroline Bingley has bought the place, which the sisters name Beau Bon-Bon, and she’s a 50-50 partner though she doesn’t wish anyone to know that she’s soiled her hands by getting even closer to being in trade than she already is.

I liked that Caroline was a shrewd businesswoman, knowing that it’s always wise to have your own means, your own resources, rather than having to rely on a man, be he husband, father, brother. And even though she snarked and sneered at Elizabeth and the sisters, she wasn’t evil as so many other authors of sequels/variations write her to be. Ditto Mr. Wickham. He’s a wily bum, but he’s not evil either. So what a relief!

What I didn’t like, I suppose, was mostly the narration. First, I had to listen to it at x1.5 speed, and I can’t imagine how plodding it would’ve been at x1. Second, she makes Elizabeth sound all wide-eyed and gullible even while her actions say otherwise. The writing of this book was fine; the deliver was quite another thing.

If you can get past the narration, however, Fair Trade is a nice change of pace from other P & P variations as we get to see Elizabeth’s independence and good judgment in action, and we get to see the unfolding personalities of Mary, Kitty, and Lydia (Jane is always written as Jane: tender-hearted, good-natured). I especially liked how Mary evolved.

Still, the ending was a disappointment as Georgiana Darcy, who was written as far more bold and wry than Austen’s original character, acts wholly out of character. And with the end, with Darcy making an offer all romantic-like, I guffawed because, while there was a hint it might happen that way, talk about out of character! It was just a tangent Bedlow went off on that I couldn’t believe.

There’s a Christmas sequel which I’d gotten after my first listen of this audiobook, but now I’m not sure if I’ll give it a listen.

Wait… what? Me NOT listen to an audiobook?!?

Why, of COURSE I’ll let you know how it is…!