Published by: Hyacinth Books
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance
Synopsis
The Prologue provides the 'meet cute'. Darcie and her brother, Georgie, have been dragged along to a garden exhibition by their dad. She is separated from them both and, while looking at a flower exhibit, runs into an attractive young distinguished-looking stranger.
The story begins two years later. Darcie is a high-flying heart surgeon with the ambition of becoming the Head of Cardiac Surgery at the London-based university hospital where she works.
Darcie acquires a house that needs renovating. Dave Bennet, the building contractor hired to carry out the work, arrives one morning to discuss plans for the project. He introduces her to his son, Craig, who will assist him, and, to Darcie's horror, she recognises him.
Darcie is an elitist snob who looks down on anyone she considers to be uneducated and uncultured. To her, the very idea of being romantically involved with a blue-collar worker is unthinkable. Yet, once the building project is underway, the more encounters she has with Craig Bennet, the more attracted to him she becomes - much to her annoyance.
My Review
First impressions:
To quote myself: When I first heard about this book, I felt a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Pride and Prejudice is a much-loved classic and one of my all time favourite books. I had decided 'not to go there', but curiosity got the better of me in the end. I didn't expect it to be any good, but I hoped I would be wrong about that. I was wrong about that. Apparently, I went in with a prejudiced frame of mind, much like Elizabeth. This was what I wrote for my review of Eligible (The Austen Project no.4) by Curtis Sittenfeld. So, when I discovered Misguided Perceptions, I decided to give it a chance and to do so with an open mind.
I like the cover. It definitely drew me in and raised my expectations. (Oh boy!)
The upside:
Gosh! Where do I start?
Eligible is set in the United States and, although has a modern day setting, the male and female protagonists, and the romance, play out much like Austen's original. Misguided Perceptions is set in the UK and, although in essence the characters are very much the same as Austen's originals, the gender roles have been switched.
Although I agree that the original story can be set in any country, being British myself, I felt that having this story set in the UK provided the opportunity for the author to explore aspects of the original story with greater authenticity. Let me explain:
As well as being a great love story, P&P is very much a story about classism and gender inequality, presumably as Austen experienced them in her time. Britain's history and it's obsession with social class has resulted in a class structure that is different to that of other countries, and one that is very difficult to emulate (although, strangely, some have tried). For me, MP does a wonderful job of addressing the same British social class issues as the original - but adapting them for the 21st century, suggesting that although times have changed in some ways they haven't.
Darcie comes across very much like a modern female version of the original Mr Darcy. She experiences the same emotional journey when she meets and gets to know Craig Bennet, that is, mortification, followed by indignation, followed by realisation, followed by acceptance. I also recognised Elizabeth and Jane Bennet in the Bennet twins, Craig and Dean, and I found that even more interesting, as they both assume what is traditionally the role of 'the female character' of a romance novel - Craig in particular is pursued and sexually objectified in the same way, while female characters doing the pursing are the ones in control of the situation. He is 'walking in someone else's shoes' and experiencing what it feels like - in this case a woman's shoes. I found that very refreshing, and not something I have ever come across in a romance novel before.
There is an added bonus for readers who have read and are familiar with P&P, as Moore has done a nice job of adapting the plot for modern times - some of the scenes and dialogue seem to have been lifted from the original. Very nicely done, indeed!
The downside:
I gather this is the author's debut novel, and like most first novels it isn't perfect.
It contains a lot of dialogue, which I didn't mind, but is not for everyone. Also, unless you pay attention you may find it difficult to work out who is doing the talking in some scenarios.
I did have to suspend my disbelief because I am not entirely convinced that some aspects of this story are feasible. In particular, I am not convinced that the British class divide in the 21st century is as stark as is suggested in this novel. The pyramid is flatter than it once was. For example: When dining, do people still use different types of cutlery for each course? Maybe the Queen (?). I do see that the stark class divide works better for the story, so perhaps it is exaggeration for impact (?).
The verdict:
If you are a fan of P&P I would recommend you read this book. Even if you aren't familiar with the original, it's novelty alone makes it an interesting read. Misguided Perceptions is a treasure that I hope will not remain hidden.
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