Fitzwilliam Darcy is and always will be my very first book boyfriend. This was back before boyfriends were a 'thing'. I've been accused by many as being a book boyfriend hoarder.
However, I would give up all the book boyfriends in all the land for Mr. Darcy if I have to keep one. You see - the fabulous Jane Austen introduced me to the world of romance. And not just the bodice ripping, caveman claiming type. But those books could have strong characters - female leads - and capable of real life mistakes all the while getting to the Happily Ever After.
I found Elizabeth and Darcy as a young 15 year old girl trying to find summer entertainment. I lived on a ranch secluded in the Northern California Mountains. Dry hot summers without air conditioning and TV was only seen on channel 7 in seven images making me turn to the local library for fun. Now I use library loosely. It was a community table in the small post office. There is where I found a very well used copy of Pride and Prejudice.
That copy never made it back to the table. I re-read the story so many times. Hoping that Elizabeth would see the vulnerability in Darcy. And Darcy would see past his own carefully determined world to see Elizabeth. The characters never listened to me - especially when I told Mrs. Bennett to "hush". Although I went through what I call Genre Binging, you know all Stephen King or all spy novels, I will pick up P&P to read cover to cover once per year without fail.
And I'm not the only one. There are fans EVERYWHERE!
Particularly they are fond of Fitzwilliam Darcy. Ms. Austen even has her own Wiki with a page dedicated just to him: Jane Austen Wiki on Fitzwilliam Darcy
But Fitzwilliam Darcy is the standard which I hold all book boyfriends to:
- Fiercely loyal
- Handsome
- Well learned
- Loves independence and smarts above beauty in a companion
- Honest
- Passionate at the right times
- Says the right things at the right/wrong times
- Will admit when they are wrong
- Able to take care of his mate
- Allows his mate to take care of him
See although there are many new book boyfriends to be dreamt about, they have these qualities. Mr. Darcy set that bar.
Elizabeth is who I consider my first girl crush. Strong, fierce and independent. She was Wonder Woman before William Marston considered giving girls a literary role model to aspire to.
I'd like to point out all gifs and images are of the Pride and Prejudice (2005) movie version. And I believe that Matthew Macfayden IS the best Darcy. In closing argument, I give you his voice:
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