As we have mentioned before, we rather enjoy Elizabeth Aston’s series of Austen pastiches, but we realize they are not going to be every Janeite’s cup of tea–even those who generally enjoy Austen paraliterature. The latest book in the series, The Second Mrs. Darcy, is no different. We enjoyed it as much as the first three, and perhaps even more than the preceding volumes; we found the heroine, Octavia Darcy, the most likable heroine yet, and the plot intelligent and engaging; but like the first three, it just has nothing to do with Pride and Prejudice, other than a few place names and mentions of certain characters. Some might find that offensive; we cannot, try though we will; but if the book were of lesser quality, we could not vouch for our complacence.

Octavia Darcy is left nearly penniless when her husband dies of tropical fever in India. Mrs. Darcy had been sent to India by her family to find a husband, which she did in the widowed Captain Christopher Darcy, cousin of Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley. She failed to produce a son, and his estate was left to a cousin, George Warren, the stepson of the former Caroline Bingley. Fortunately, a rich cousin on her mother’s side of the family leaves Octavia a fortune, and she returns to England in style, setting up a house in town and associating with a set of Whigs: among them the rich, the eccentric, the artistic, and the politically ambitious (and what Lady Catherine de Bourgh would have thought of such goings-on we cannot begin to imagine), including Lord Rutherford, leasing Netherfield Hall in Meryton after his nearby family estate burns down. Octavia and Rutherford butt heads over politics and assist in a romance, until George Warren threatens Octavia’s fortune. (more…)

A couple of “She’s Everywhere” type items for a slow news night.

Alert Janeite Robin pointed out that Aishwarya Rai, the star of Bride and Prejudice, got married over the weekend. Bet she didn’t have Naveen Andrews doing his “Indian M.C. Hammer” bit at her sangeet, though (a shame). We’ve been dancing around singing “No Life Without Wife” and “A Wedding Has Come To Town” all weekend. Give you joy, you crazy kids!

Alert Janeite Kirsten sent us a link to an article about spring in New York that starts with a very familiar-sounding sentence!

We have a new-book roundup post planned for sometime this week when we actually surf away from Cute Overload and Go Fug Yourself and a few fascinating Internet trainwrecks, er, debates going on right now and DO it. So hang in there, and thanks to those who have sent links to new books–they’ll be in the roundup. In the meantime, you can go read some of our semi-coherent ranting about Becoming Jane Austen over at Molland’s.