These Three Remain by Pamela Aidan

These Three Remain: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aidan. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005. ISBN: 978-0-7432-9137-8

Here is the conclusion to the three novels in which Pamela Aidan, a.k.a. Pamela Mogen, retells the story of Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice from the vantage point of Mr. Darcy, the personification of pride in the original, just as Elizabeth represented the personification of prejudice. I reviewed the first volume over a year ago, back in August of 2006, and the middle volume back in January of this year.

I've been waiting to read this final volume for quite some time, having thoroughly enjoyed the first volume in the trilogy, and if less so, the second as well, still anticipating the wonderfully romantic conclusion. This book lived up to most of my expectations.

Certainly, the ending was all that could be desired, and it was with a great deal of pleasure that I read through the unfolding events that we all know from the original book—the visit of Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle to Pemberly, the disaster of Lydia's elopement with Wickham, and the gruesome details of how Darcy finds them and takes Wickham's affairs in hand, the row between Darcy's harridan aunt and Elizabeth, and finally, Darcy's return to Netherfield with his friend, Bingley.

If I had any complaint about this book, it was in the accounting of the period after Darcy's hopes are initially dashed by Elizabeth's rejection of his suit. Ms. Aidan has him wallowing in the slough of despair for somewhat longer than seems necessary for mere appearance of verisimilitude, it seemed to me, and in a manner that was somewhat over the top. In other words, she overdid that part a bit, in my view.

But overall, I have no truly substantive complaint about the book. I might have trimmed some of the sections which are outside the scope of the original, to bring the tome down a bit, in size, but other than that, I can hardly see how it could be improved. Definitely recommended for all Pride and Prejudice fans.