The Darcy Myth
- Author Rachel Feder
- Narrator Deanna Anthony
- Publisher Blackstone Publishing
- Run Time 6 hours and 16 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Feminism and feminist theory, Gender studies: women and girls, Literary studies: c 1800 to c 1900, Literature: history and criticism, Society and Social Sciences.
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Price p/Title
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What to expect
What if we’ve been reading Jane Austen and romantic classics all wrong? A funny, brainy, eye-opening take on how our contemporary love stories are actually pretty terrifying.
Covering cultural touchstones ranging from Twilight to Taylor Swift and from Lord Byron to The Bachelor, The Darcy Myth is a book for anyone who loves thinking deeply about literature and culture—whether they love Jane Austen or not.
You already know Mr. Darcy—at least you think you do! The brooding, rude, standoffish romantic hero of Pride and Prejudice, Darcy initially insults and ignores the witty heroine but eventually succumbs to her charms. It’s a classic enemies-to-lovers plot and one that has profoundly influenced our cultural ideas about courtship. But what if this classic isn’t just a grand romance but a horror novel about how scary love and marriage can be for women?
In The Darcy Myth, literature scholar Rachel Feder unpacks Austen’s Gothic influences and how they have led us to a romantic ideal that is halfway to being a monster story. Why is our culture so obsessed with cruel, indifferent romantic heroes, and sometimes heroines? How much of that is Darcy’s fault? And, now that we know, what do we do about it?
Critics Review
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“Skillfully ties Austen’s classic novel to contemporary popular culture and politics…A readable, entertaining contemporary analysis that is suitable for students new to Austen’s work and for discussion groups looking for a fresh approach to many readers’ favorite novel.”
Library Journal (starred review)
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