Jann Matlock's study of prostitution, hysteria, and the novel in nineteenth-century France considers, for the first time, the three topics together with their links to constructions of female marginality and desire. Made increasingly accessible to a large public by inexpensive printing methods, new forms of circulation like the roman-feuilleton, and rising literacy rates among women and workers, the novel became the medium for exchanges over women's bodies and desires. Matlock reveals the coincident traffic of the novel in the subjects of women on the fringe of society - prostitutes, hysterics, and madwomen- and the invitations extended to its new readers to explore new worlds of sexuality and intrigue. In addition, Matlock examines debates on the tolerance of prostitution, sexual continence, the relationship between female sexuality and madness, and the "dangers" of literature by incorporating into her study material from a myriad of archives, including medical case studies, police reports, newspaper editorials, and memoirs. Against this rich background, she discusses the novels of Balzac, Dumas fils, Sand, Soulié, and Sue, many of which were directed at a female audience.
At a dinner party in London during the season, Fitzwilliam Darcy meets an enchanting young woman. Though he recognizes her beauty and poise, he is struck by a sense of familiarity and realizes she is someone connected to him. What follows is a whirlwind of events in which the woman’s lineage is discovered and her true identity is established. Darcy quickly realizes she is a woman estimable in her own right, and he finds himself besotted. But amid the miraculous events of a lost soul returning home, dark forces conspire against the young woman, for her loss was not an accident. And so it is that a man is moved to action by a boon long denied, determined to avoid being cheated by Miss Elizabeth Bennet again.
Jann Matlock's study of prostitution, hysteria, and the novel in nineteenth-century France considers, for the first time, the three topics together with their links to constructions of female marginality and desire. Made increasingly accessible to a large public by inexpensive printing methods, new forms of circulation like the roman-feuilleton, and rising literacy rates among women and workers, the novel became the medium for exchanges over women's bodies and desires. Matlock reveals the coincident traffic of the novel in the subjects of women on the fringe of society - prostitutes, hysterics, and madwomen- and the invitations extended to its new readers to explore new worlds of sexuality and intrigue. In addition, Matlock examines debates on the tolerance of prostitution, sexual continence, the relationship between female sexuality and madness, and the "dangers" of literature by incorporating into her study material from a myriad of archives, including medical case studies, police reports, newspaper editorials, and memoirs. Against this rich background, she discusses the novels of Balzac, Dumas fils, Sand, Soulié, and Sue, many of which were directed at a female audience.
An incident during Elizabeth Bennet’s first assembly at the age of sixteen leaves her wary of men—and of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy in particular. When Mr. Darcy returns four years later, he finds a young woman matured from the girl he knew, resolved to overcome the trials she has endured. The uncertainty leads Elizabeth to a situation which once again puts her at risk. Uncertain how Mr. Darcy will act, Elizabeth is forced to question what kind of man he is. Despite all these hurdles, the course of true love cannot be diverted. Elizabeth finds herself strangely compelled by Mr. Darcy and attraction grows, a connection begins to be forged. But while the lovers are sorting through the misunderstandings of their turbulent past, forces gather from a distance, intent upon separating them forever. Elements of Mr. Darcy’s family, those who possess the power to exert great influence over his future, do not take kindly to his potential choice of a wife. And the machinations of a detested rival threaten their happiness, one who believes he has been misused and is determined to receive his due no matter what the cost.
Elizabeth Bennet has always regretted her mother’s ways and her ability to embarrass Elizabeth at every turn. What would Elizabeth do if another was equally invested in seeing the Bennet sisters married to men as soon as may be? On the passing of Mr. Henry Bennet, his wife and daughters fear the loss of their beloved home to his heir and cousin, a man to whom they have never had the benefit of an introduction. But when Mr. Collins takes control of his inheritance, he surprises them with the offer to allow them to remain in their home. But Mr. Collins has a deeper purpose, for he has decided it is his duty to see his cousins married and bends all his thought toward that objective. The new gentlemen in the neighborhood, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Mr. Charles Bingley, seem the perfect candidates, for they are excellent men, wealthy, and show a pleasing preference for Mr. Collins’s eldest cousins. While their interest is genuine, both men find it difficult, for Mr. Collins’s determination to ensure the courtships’ success leaves much to be desired. Darcy is accustomed to matchmaking mothers, but he has never heard of a matchmaking cousin. As the lovers attempt to know each other better and find their happiness, they must contend with well-meaning but ridiculous relations and opposing forces determined to ensure they never come together. It is said that love conquers all, and they must believe it will, for otherwise, a cousin determined to offer them every possible amends might drive them apart!
A different outcome of Georgiana Darcy’s near ruin in Ramsgate leads to a different party arriving in Hertfordshire. Not only is its composition altered, but the changed circumstances have lasting effects, not only in Miss Darcy but also her brother. The Bennet family is also changed, as a new suitor emerges for the worthiest of the Bennet sisters, one who is not beset by dissenting sisters, protesting her unsuitability. And while Mr. Darcy is still notable in his objections, there is little he can do to push back against the inevitable, as his sway is not nearly so profound. Her sister having obtained her happiness, Elizabeth Bennet finds herself thrown into society far above any she might have otherwise expected. But as she travels to new locations, Elizabeth meets a mysterious man who strangely attracts her. But of greater consequence is Elizabeth’s growing feelings for Mr. Darcy, for the gentleman, who was disapproving of them all when she met him, has begun to show her another side of himself, one which Elizabeth feels she could come to love.
Disheartened and convinced by Elizabeth’s assertion of Miss Bingley’s character, Jane Bennet insists Elizabeth return to London with the Gardiners after Christmas to provide her with a reprieve from their mother, who has not accepted Elizabeth’s rejection of Mr. Collins’s suit. What Elizabeth could never have imagined was her chance meeting with Mr. Darcy in London, and even more shocking is his request to introduce her to his sister, Miss Georgiana Darcy. When Elizabeth agrees, she makes the young heiress’s acquaintance, immediately understanding Miss Darcy’s crippling shyness and her low spirits. Amid her interactions with Miss Darcy, Elizabeth learns another astonishing fact, that Mr. Darcy looks at her with the eyes of a suitor. Though Elizabeth’s world is turned upside down, she learns there is more to Mr. Darcy than she ever thought. She also learns to be wary of the claims of a man who took advantage of her initial dislike for the gentleman. With her usual fortitude, Elizabeth navigates these shoals, determined to provide friendship to a young girl, learn more about the increasingly intriguing Mr. Darcy, and discover the truth about Mr. Bingley’s abandonment of her sister.
Sundered from her parents and sisters, a depressed Elizabeth Bennet lives with the Gardiners in London, attempting to find anything which will bring purpose to her life. When times seem most desperate, she makes a new acquaintance in Mr. Darcy, and the encounter changes her perspective entirely. With the spirit of Christmas burning within her, Elizabeth begins to recover from the hardships which have beset her life. Through service and the love of a good man, Elizabeth finds herself walking a path leading to future happiness and contentment. Join Elizabeth in her journey to receive a special gift which will change everything. A Gift for Elizabeth is a short Christmas-themed adaptation of Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice and is about 60,000 words long.
In this charming retelling of the classic novel Pride and Prejudice, Fitzwilliam Darcy visits his aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Kent, where he finds Miss Elizabeth Bennet staying with the newly married Mrs. Collins. As Darcy feels the pangs of buried infatuation begin to resurface, he realizes that Miss Bennet detests him. At first, Darcy is relieved by his seeming escape, realizing that had he not discovered her true feelings, then he might have done the unthinkable and actually proposed. It is not long, however, before he is bewitched by her all over again, and he resolves to change her opinion of him and win her at all costs. Elizabeth Bennet wishes nothing more than to spend time with her friend and determine the true state of Mrs. Collins's happiness without the interference of any of the proud residents of Rosings Park. But she is soon made uncomfortable by the presence of Mr. Darcy, who appears before her at random times, seemingly by coincidence. As they become better acquainted, they learn more not only about each other, but also about themselves. Unfortunately, the path to happiness is not without its trials, and they both must change if they want their ultimate happiness to come to pass.
The approaching death of Mr. Bennet threatens to leave his five young daughters at the mercy of the vengeful Mr. Thaddeus Collins. But Mr. Bennet plays one final desperate card before he passes, calling on his distant relatives—the Darcys—to provide his children with a home. Removing themselves to Pemberley after their father’s death, the girls are protected by the estate’s current master, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, who looks after them as conscientiously as he does his own sister. When chance takes the Bennets and their Darcy relations to the estate leased by Mr. Bingley, little do they know that their father’s thwarting of Mr. Collins has only fanned the flames of his envy and hatred. He is determined to secure a Bennet daughter as a wife for his son, and he will stop at nothing to accomplish his goal. Elizabeth has become consumed by love for Mr. Darcy, but since he remains oblivious to her feelings, Elizabeth’s desperation forces her to consider going into service as a governess, if only to obtain some distance from the object of her affection. But Mr. Collins has no intention of letting Elizabeth escape his grasp so easily, and everything finally comes to a head when he meets with her in an explosive showdown.
Banished from her home at the age of seventeen for refusing a marriage proposal from an odious man, Elizabeth Bennet moves to London to live with her aunt and uncle Gardiner. Though fighting feelings of hopelessness, Elizabeth attempts to be happy. The persistence of her unwanted suitor, however, upsets the balance she has achieved with her relations, leaving her fearful for her future. An introduction to Mr. Gardiner’s new business partner allows Elizabeth to make a new acquaintance with a pleasant man and his family, bringing some much-needed variation to her colorless life. But when she is approached by a mysterious stranger who wishes to know more of her, Elizabeth can only allow herself to be caught up in the excitement of the moment and his apparent interest. Unfortunately, her other suitor still lurks in the background, waiting for his chance to snare her. It soon becomes clear to Elizabeth that others see as interest, the reality is much more sinister, and takes all the appearance of an OBSESSION.
“Assistance is impossible; condolence, insufferable. Let them triumph over us at a distance, and be satisfied.” In a world where a single misstep by a woman is injurious to all her family, the Bennets of Longbourn finds themselves shunned and despised by all their friends when one sister runs away with an officer. Mr. Bennet rouses himself from his beloved books and pursues the lovers to London, but returns empty-handed, his daughter lost forever. When the Bingley party arrives at Netherfield Park, they discover a neighborhood with a salacious scandal and a family ostracized from their midst. Though Miss Bingley revels in the gossip she learns from those with little sense and less discretion, Fitzwilliam Darcy keeps himself aloof, unwilling to join the condemnation without proof of poor behavior. Thus, when Darcy meets Miss Bennet by chance on a secluded path of her father’s estate, he finds her strangely compelling. The compulsion to continue to meet with her is strong, in defiance of the consequences if they should be discovered. Elizabeth Bennet finds herself equally intrigued, so much so that she begins to dream of a life free of scandal, where the Bennets have some hope of redemption. This re-imagination of Jane Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice answers the question of what might have happened had Fitzwilliam Darcy arrived in Meryton to find a Bennet family mired in scandal, one that he can do nothing to repair. Though many challenges lay in their path, including fallen sisters, despicable libertines, and a neighborhood determined to denounce the Bennets as depraved, Darcy and Elizabeth are convinced that their future happiness lies together.
Elizabeth Bennet is her mother’s favorite daughter. She is not the prettiest or the liveliest, but she is the smartest. Mrs. Bennet, a woman not born as a gentlewoman, has always relied on Elizabeth for guidance, and Elizabeth has never failed her. Soon after Mr. Bingley comes to Hertfordshire, Georgiana Darcy arrives for a visit along with her cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, a man who has taken command of the local militia regiment. Georgiana, a shy young woman, becomes fast friends with Elizabeth, who influences her to shed her shyness for confidence. Mr. Darcy is drawn to Hertfordshire after learning of the recent addition of one George Wickham, his personal nemesis, to the militia regiment. Slightly mollified by his cousin’s assurances of Wickham's good behavior, Darcy turns his attention to the local society, and his focus is soon drawn to Elizabeth and her playful charms. But with Wickham still lurking in the background, Darcy can ill afford to allow himself to be distracted, for he knows exactly what sort of mischief his childhood friend is capable of pursuing.
A sequel to Jann Rowland’s beloved first novel Acting on Faith, A Life from the Ashes chronicles Lydia’s journey toward self-discovery, knowledge, and a future she never knew she wanted. Having achieved her fondest wish, Lydia Wickham leaves Longbourn in the company of her handsome husband for Newcastle, certain she is embarking on a grand adventure. But not all is as it seems. Unbeknownst to Lydia, the man she thinks she has married does not exist, as he is merely a mask for a callous libertine who cares nothing for others and considers himself chained to a woman he never wished to marry. Slowly, Lydia learns the true measure of her husband and realizes that she was hasty in insisting on marrying him. It is only through the patient tutelage of her commanding officer’s wife that she comes to understand there is more to life than frivolous pursuits and men wearing red coats. Unfortunately for Lydia, it might be too late, for she has cast her lot with a man so reprehensible that none know of what he is capable.
Who would have expected danger to be lurking in the sleepy town of Hunsford? Certainly not Elizabeth Bennet. After accepting an invitation to stay at Hunsford Parsonage, Elizabeth expects only a quiet stay in the company of her newly married friend. As for Fitzwilliam Darcy, he finds himself reminded of the truism that there are few things more irritating than a forceful relation who will not accept refusal. When Lady Catherine adjures him to come to Rosings Park early for his annual visit, he initially intends to reject his aunt's demand. Matters change, however, when Darcy learns that Miss Elizabeth is in Kent, and his aunt reveals that the reason she has asked for his presence is to protect her. For Sir Lewis de Bourgh, Lady Catherine's husband, is a man of few inhibitions with a taste for young ladies. Soon after she arrives in Kent, Elizabeth becomes the object of interest for the gentleman, a man who is accustomed to getting what he desires. It will take Elizabeth’s considerable fortitude and Mr. Darcy’s influence if Elizabeth is to hope that she might avoid falling prey to an unscrupulous man who lacks morality.
In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet meets Fitzwilliam Darcy in Meryton, where Mr. Darcy’s concern for his sister and general reticence leads him to insult her. But what if Mr. Darcy did not meet her there, instead making her acquaintance in other circumstances more favorable to their understanding? When she visits Rosings Park and her friend, Charlotte Collins, Elizabeth does so with no notion that Fitzwilliam Darcy even exists, for Netherfield Park remained empty the previous autumn. As is his custom, Mr. Darcy comes to Rosings in his cousin’s company, and there he meets a young lady unlike any he has ever met. Rosings itself is not a place where he can conduct any sort of campaign to win the fair maiden’s heart, for his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, is watchful and determined Darcy will marry her daughter. Despite this interference, Darcy eventually leaves Kent, secure in the knowledge that Miss Elizabeth is a woman he would like to come to know better. The question he is unable to answer is when he can meet her again, for their positions in society are oceans apart, and there is little opportunity for chance meetings. But fate has other plans, for not only do they meet again, but they also encounter each other in a place that allows their love to blossom. Only the small matters of his family expectations and her condition in life stand in his way. Yet Darcy is determined to pursue Miss Elizabeth, certain in the knowledge she will make him the happiest of men.
Delayed on his way to Netherfield where his friend, Charles Bingley, awaits his arrival, Fitzwilliam Darcy decides to continue on horseback, only to be caught in a rainstorm. Later that day, Elizabeth Bennet finds him unconscious and suffering from a serious illness. The Bennets quickly return him to their house, where they care for him like he is one of their own, and he soon forms an attachment with the young woman he comes to view as his personal angel. But the course of true love cannot proceed smoothly, for others have an interest in Darcy for their own selfish reasons… The Angel of Longbourn is a novella length Pride and Prejudice variation of about 65,000 words.
As a young man Darcy marries a young woman after a whirlwind courtship, only to lose her in childbirth after a year of marriage. Though loath to join society again, with the assistance of old friends and new, Darcy is once again induced to take an interest in life and move past his heartbreak. Darcy never thought he would be able to find love again, but it is not long before he hears the siren call of a pretty young woman, who is sister to his friend Bingley’s wife . . .
Mr. Darcy and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, have always been the best of friends, with little, if anything, coming between them. But when Mr. Bingley leases Netherfield, their relationship is tested, for though Mr. Darcy is still the proprietor of a large estate in Derbyshire, the colonel's situation has changed, and he is very much Mr. Darcy’s equal. When the two cousins are introduced to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, they each recognize her for the jewel she is. A rivalry springs up between them, in which each is determined to win the fair Miss Bennet. As the situation between cousins deteriorates, clarity begins to come for Elizabeth, and she sees Mr. Darcy as the man who will fill all her desires in a husband. But the rivalry between cousins is not the only trouble brewing for Elizabeth. There are others who have an interest in keeping her apart from her gentleman, making her path to happiness fraught with peril.
Amid the hills and valleys of Derbyshire live two families embroiled in an enmity spanning decades. For the Darcys of Pemberley consider the Bennets of Longbourn to be untrustworthy and proud, a sentiment their more prominent neighbors return in every particular. Despite the rampant distrust and suspicion, two members of the family dare to view one another in a different light. Fitzwilliam Darcy, heir to the Pemberley legacy, sees in Elizabeth Bennet, the second daughter of the Baron of Arundel, a woman who is untainted by the perception his family holds concerning their rivals. In turn, Elizabeth sees in Mr. Darcy a man who is honorable and just, and she soon discovers she can love him with all her heart. As the two become better acquainted, events conspire to keep them apart, for tensions between the two families escalate. Though the two lovers come to see each other as a means of healing between their families, others are unwilling to see past their revulsion. Events threaten to force the lovers apart, and their love becomes forged in the fires of resistance, hardening Elizabeth and Darcy's resolve to do whatever it takes to ensure not only that they are together, but that the hostility between their families is resolved once and for all.
After the ball at Netherfield, a fault in their carriage results in the Bennet family being forced to stay at the Bingley estate, and when a blizzard blows in overnight, the Bennets find themselves stranded there. Lady Catherine de Bourgh, having heard of her nephew's interest in the second Bennet daughter, descends upon them, demanding her nephew marry her daughter, making all who are trapped at the estate uncomfortable by her behavior. The next day a body is found, leading to a string of murders which threaten the lives of those present. As the tension at the estate rises, Elizabeth and Darcy form an alliance to discover the identity of the murderer and save those they care about most. But the depraved actions of a killer, striking from the shadows, threatens their newly found admiration for each other. The stage is set, a race against time to find a sinister murderer before another victim is found.
During Fitzwilliam Darcy’s visit to Rosings Park, Lady Catherine de Bourgh suddenly betrays her knowledge of Georgiana Darcy’s misadventure with George Wickham the previous summer, while giving Darcy a devastating demand: marry her daughter, or she will reveal the details to society. Appalled by his aunt’s depravity, Darcy quits Rosings Park at once, returning to London. There, Darcy conceives a desperate gamble; if he was already married, Lady Catherine would have no claim on him. After a welcome visit to her dear friend in Kent, Elizabeth Bennet returns to her home, finding everything curiously altered. Not only has Charles Bingley returned, his attentions to Jane seemingly unabated from the previous year, but her family, who had nothing good to say of Darcy, is now singing his praises. In time, Elizabeth grows suspicious, determined to discover why this profound change has come over the gentleman she previously detested. But Darcy, as he races against time to convince Elizabeth to marry him, worries about the threat of his aunt’s jealousy and spite. For a woman willing to ruin her own niece in her all-consuming desire to have her way will surely have no scruples if he defies her.
Trouble between friends erupts when Fitzwilliam Darcy informs his friend, Charles Bingley about his complicity in keeping him away from Miss Jane Bennet the previous winter. Darcy, determined to be honest with his friend, never considered the possibility that Bingley, mild-mannered as he was, would hold a grudge. Yet after the argument, Bingley orders Darcy from his home, leaving him no other choice than to return to London, disheartened that his business with Miss Elizabeth Bennet remains unfinished. For Darcy had thought her manner toward him was softening, such that he considered it possible to renew his proposal with some possibility of success. The separation renders Darcy desperate to return to Hertfordshire but having no means to do so, while in Meryton, Miss Elizabeth is equally stunned by Mr. Darcy’s departure and confused he would leave without word. It is only through the welcome meddling of well-meaning relations that Elizabeth and Darcy have a chance to reunite and find their happiness. As for the situation between Darcy and Bingley, that reconciliation may come about by a most unexpected source!
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