The Darcy Myth - by Rachel Feder (Paperback)

About the Book

"An examination of how the romantic narrative from Pride and Prejudice was born out of Gothic horror, how it influenced pop culture since its publishing, and how it has reinforced harmful cultural concepts of real-life romance"--

Book Synopsis

"A wildly entertaining read."--The Washington Post

Covering cultural touchstones ranging from Normal People 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.

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've led us to a romantic ideal that's 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?

Review Quotes

A USA TODAY Bestseller

"A wildly entertaining read."--The Washington Post

"The Darcy Myth explores the ways in which romantic fiction has contributed to creating a deeply harmful cultural notion that "bad boys" -- à la the brooding, cranky Mr. Darcy of Pride & Prejudice -- represent the path to true love"--CNN

"An entertaining and thought-provoking ride."--The New Republic

"Feder's study is 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

"[The Darcy Myth is] the most interesting interpretation of the phenomenon that was and is Darcy."--Maya Rodale, XO Romance

About the Author

Rachel Feder holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Michigan and is an associate professor of English and literary arts at the University of Denver. She is the author of Taylor Swift by the Book: The Literature Behind the Lyrics, from Fairy Tales to Tortured Poets; The Darcy Myth: Jane Austen, Literary Heartthrobs, and the Monsters They Taught Us to Love; Harvester of Hearts: Motherhood Under the Sign of Frankenstein; and Birth Chart, a poetry collection. With McCormick Templeman, she is the coauthor of AstroLit: A Bibliophile's Guide to the Stars. Rachel also edited the Norton Library's edition of Dracula.