We understand death for the first time when he puts his hand upon one whom we love. ~ Madame de Stael

So, you say you are looking for a Pride & Prejudice variation that is just a little out of the ordinary?

Have I got a book for you!!!

Young Elizabeth Bennet spends her Sundays in the family pew – the end of the row – overlooking the church graveyard. Young Elizabeth watches the crows in the graveyard.

Older Elizabeth walks home from church with her Mother and sisters. Five crows watch as her Mother suffers an illness.

Days later, Elizabeth leaves the house where her Mother remains gravely ill. During her walk she sees her Mother meet another woman; at first she thinks the other woman is Jane. A closer view convinces her that the woman is her Grandmother Gardiner who passed away many years before. Elizabeth follows the women through a portal and begins to understand the afterlife.

To himself everyone is immortal; he may know that he is going to die, but he can never know that he is dead. ~ Samuel Butler

Of her sisters, only Mary is able to understand Elizabeth’s supernatural experience. The two sisters become much closer and research the afterlife through their church’s teachings and other religious philosophers.

After more than a year of mourning, Elizabeth is invited to London to stay with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner. There she meets the Fitzwilliams – Colonel Maurice Fitzwilliam and his family. Through her acquaintance with the Fitzwilliams, she meets and falls in love with Fitzwilliam Darcy.

No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow. ~ Euripides

Elizabeth is called home suddenly – her Father is to be married. Her stepmother is a young widow with a son. Life at Longbourn is again changed forever.

Darcy and Bingley come to Netherfield. So, too, does Wickham come to Meryton.

A chance meeting in the tavern leads to a meeting in the woods; a challenge and death.

[I]s there anyone so foolish, even though he is young, as to feel absolutely sure that he will be alive when evening comes? ~ Cicero

The plot is inspired by the classical story of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus descends into Hades in an attempt to bring Eurydice back to the living world.

Elizabeth must travel through a Purgatory- existence to reach Darcy who is being escorted by his Father, just as Mrs. Bennet was escorted by her Mother.

The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity. ~ Seneca

When I read this, I wondered at the religious implications of a Purgatory, thinking it was in only the Roman Catholic tradition and believing the Darcys and Bennets were ly of the Anglican faith.

Checking now, I find this quote from Wikipedia: “Although denying the existence of purgatory as formulated in Roman Catholic doctrine, the Anglican and Methodist traditions along with Eastern Orthodoxy, affirm existence of an intermediate state, and thus pray for the dead. Eastern Orthodox Churches believe in the possibility of a change of situation for the souls of the dead through the prayers of the living and the offering of the Divine Liturgy, and many Orthodox, especially among ascetics, hope and pray for a general apocatastasis. Judaism also believes in the possibility of after-death purification and may even use the word "purgatory" to present its understanding of the meaning of Gehenna.”

So, this “intermediate state” would be a part of the English church teaching.

It is impossible to say I d this trip through the afterlife (approximately 1/3 of the story) but it certainly held my attention. I’m a dog lover, so I was impressed with the Hound who worked near the river.

There also is a perfect Caroline Bingley squelch that added to the happy ending for me. Oh yes, didn’t I say? Darcy and Elizabeth have a Happily Ever After even though it was very hard fought!

Anne Morris has published other books and may publish this. In the meantime, she has given permission to make this listing at GoodReads.

My opinion: This is the strongest of her stories to date.

At this time, this is an unpublished story available here:
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12943276...

Thou art not dead! Thou art the whole
Of life that quickens in the sod.
~ Charles Hanson Towne2018 book- unpublished13 s wosedwew1,240 114

We understand death for the first time when he puts his hand upon one whom we love. ~ Madame de Stael

So, you say you are looking for a Pride & Prejudice variation that is just a little out of the ordinary? Have I got a book for you!!!

Young Elizabeth Bennet spends her Sundays in the family pew – the end of the row – overlooking the church graveyard. Young Elizabeth watches the crows in the graveyard.

Older Elizabeth walks home from church with her Mother and sisters. Five crows watch as her Mother suffers an illness.

Days later, Elizabeth leaves the house where her Mother remains gravely ill. During her walk she sees her Mother meet another woman; at first she thinks the other woman is Jane. A closer view convinces her that the woman is her Grandmother Gardiner who passed away many years before. Elizabeth follows the women through a portal and begins to understand the afterlife.

To himself everyone is immortal; he may know that he is going to die, but he can never know that he is dead. ~ Samuel Butler

Of her sisters, only Mary is able to understand Elizabeth’s supernatural experience. The two sisters become much closer and research the afterlife through their church’s teachings and other religious philosophers.

After more than a year of mourning, Elizabeth is invited to London to stay with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner. There she meets the Fitzwilliams – Colonel Maurice Fitzwilliam and his family. Through her acquaintance with the Fitzwilliams, she meets and falls in love with Fitzwilliam Darcy.

No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow. ~ Euripides

Elizabeth is called home suddenly – her Father is to be married. Her stepmother is a young widow with a son. Life at Longbourn is again changed forever.

Darcy and Bingley come to Netherfield. So, too, does Wickham come to Meryton.

A chance meeting in the tavern leads to a meeting in the woods; a challenge and death.

[I]s there anyone so foolish, even though he is young, as to feel absolutely sure that he will be alive when evening comes? ~ Cicero

The plot is inspired by the classical story of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus descends into Hades in an attempt to bring Eurydice back to the living world.

Elizabeth must travel through a Purgatory- existence to reach Darcy who is being escorted by his Father, just as Mrs. Bennet was escorted by her Mother.

The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity. ~ Seneca

When I read this, I wondered at the religious implications of a Purgatory, thinking it was in only the Roman Catholic tradition and believing the Darcys and Bennets were ly of the Anglican faith.

Checking now, I find this quote from Wikipedia: “Although denying the existence of purgatory as formulated in Roman Catholic doctrine, the Anglican and Methodist traditions along with Eastern Orthodoxy, affirm existence of an intermediate state, and thus pray for the dead. Eastern Orthodox Churches believe in the possibility of a change of situation for the souls of the dead through the prayers of the living and the offering of the Divine Liturgy, and many Orthodox, especially among ascetics, hope and pray for a general apocatastasis. Judaism also believes in the possibility of after-death purification and may even use the word "purgatory" to present its understanding of the meaning of Gehenna.”

So, this “intermediate state” would be a part of the English church teaching.

It is impossible to say I d this trip through the afterlife (approximately 1/3 of the story) but it certainly held my attention. I’m a dog lover, so I was impressed with the Hound who worked near the river.

There also is a perfect Caroline Bingley squelch that added to the happy ending for me. Oh yes, didn’t I say? Darcy and Elizabeth have a Happily Ever After even though it was very hard fought!

I read this last year as it posted WIP at a FanFiction site. My opinion: This is by far the strongest Anne Morris story to date.

Thou art not dead! Thou art the whole
Of life that quickens in the sod.
~ Charles Hanson Towne10 s Les2,911 2

This is the first story by this author that I have read and it simply blew my mind. This is a P&P what if that also examines the afterlife and spirits. It begins with Lizzy Bennet contemplating crows, ( if you would to contemplate crows start here: 6 Terrifying Ways Crows Are Way Smarter Than You Think http://www.cracked.com/article_19042_... ) during a church service. Shortly there after Lizzy will be contemplating life and death and discovering
"Man lives in the sunlit world of what he believes to be reality. But... there is, unseen by most, an underworld, a place that is just as real, but not as brightly lit... a Darkside.... The Darkside is always there waiting for us to enter; waiting to enter us. Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight." http://talesfromthedarkside.wikia.com...

She ends up meeting Darcy out of canon and there are many changes... grab a box of tissues you'll need it before the end.austenesque austenesque18 download ...more6 s J. W. Garrett1,574 105

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12943276...

33 chapters and an epilogue: clean, paranormal…

“I don’t know anything about the afterlife because I haven’t been there yet.” –Marina Abramovic

This P&P variation asks a lot of the reader. On a brisk walk, Mrs. Bennet collapsed and was taken to her bed. She never recovered and several days later, she died. Elizabeth was walking in the woods when she saw her mother’s spirit pass by with an escort that had come to retrieve her. It was Lizzy’s grandmother. Elizabeth followed them through the portal and learned a lesson about death and the hereafter.

Following a period of mourning, Elizabeth was in London visiting her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner. She met Colonel Fitzwilliam at a dance and later met Darcy at a dinner party. Their attraction was instantaneous. Over time their feelings became clear and Darcy soon asked her to marry him. **Cue Villain**

Wickham was a [scum-bag-low-life-rat-bastard] villain as usual and saw the attraction Elizabeth had for Darcy. Of course, he couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t have anything to do with him. He had to act badly and insulted Elizabeth’s and Georgiana’s honor in a public place and in front of Darcy and the Colonel. Thus, Darcy challenged him to a duel. It did not go well. **Cue the crows**

“If you gave someone your heart and they died, did they take it with them? Did you spend the rest of forever with a hole inside you that couldn’t be filled?” –Jodi Picoult, Nineteen Minutes

Fitzwilliam Darcy was dead… and Elizabeth Bennet was not willing to let go without seeing him one last time and telling him that she loved him. So, she followed him through the portal… between the living and the beyond to find him.

Going in, the reader has to know this is not a philosophical treatise on religion. It is simply a story with a mishmash of ideas from various viewpoints. Each culture has a religious base with their own ideas of an afterlife. They are as varied and as numerous as the grains of sand. This did not appear to be an attempt to preach or to proselytize… but to simply tell a story. Many have studied ancient texts from the Latin, Greek and other early writings. Mr. Bennet had such texts in his library that he studied. I was not offended by the story.

I felt the author was so involved with describing everything on the other side that she lost focus of the core story. I found myself speed reading through those parts that dragged on and on. I didn’t particularly care for the epilogue. It was sort of ‘meh’ with regard to Mary’s and Charlotte’s story. I wanted something more for them. But it ended well for ODC. I loved their interactions.
2018 era-6-regency-1811-1820 jaff-pride-and-prejudice ...more6 s Debbie1,563 51

This is a fascinating story.

Mrs. Bennet mother dies soon after this story begins, her "nervous palpitations" proven to be more than mere hypochondria. Elizabeth sees her mother's spirit out in the woods near Longbourn and follows her over one portal "to the other side," also recognizing her grandmother with her, until the two spirits part ways at another portal that apparently leads to Heaven. This gives Elizabeth some insight into what happens shortly after death. The author gives a (literally!) chilling description of what can be described as a Christian Purgatory, and Elizabeth is happy to cross back into the land of the living.

Developments in the Bennet household after the mourning period ends lead Elizabeth to stay with her Gardiner relatives in Cheapside, where it is hoped she will find a husband. The story breezes along with Elizabeth's gradual entry into upper levels of society through a friend of Mrs. Gardiner's, and eventually she meets Colonel Fitzwilliam and, through him, Mr. Darcy. There's not much pride or prejudice here--Darcy shows interest in Elizabeth almost immediately, and the attraction is mutual. Their friendship grows stronger over several months. Of course, he has to overcome his belief he must marry someone wealthier or in a higher position in society, while she is convinced he will never consider a simple country girl herself.

Although this seems to go far afield from the supernatural beginning of the story, it serves to set up the haunting second half. Once again, someone close to Elizabeth dies and she makes the difficult journey following two spirits, this time with a living companion accompanying her. What she encounters this time leads her not just to the portal leading to Heaven, but also to a terrifying portal leading to Hell and souls being herded into it.

The supernatural segments of this story are incredibly compelling. It's a stunning way to visualize the afterlife. I also love that the author finds a way to bring about a HEA when it seems none is possible under the circumstances.

There are the usual ticky-tacky errors one encounters when reading an unpublished work, and some of the (non-spiritual) scenes are irrelevant to the rest of the story. It's so far off-canon that I'm not sure it can be considered a Pride and Prejudice variation except for the character names and relationships. There's only minimal parallel between the plots.

Despite that, the author's concept is so well imagined and presented that I can only applaud and encourage others to read it. It's one you'll have trouble forgetting.jaff unpublished8 s Sheila Majczan2,439 175

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

This story has ODC falling in love rather easily although it is in London and before Darcy can propose Elizabeth is called back to Longbourn as Mr. Bennet is remarrying. (Yes, Mrs. Bennet has passed and E. has had an other worldly experience upon that event.) Darcy and Bingley show up in Hertfordshire and ODC does become engaged but before that happy fact is even shared Darcy and Wickham meet and more than one person's future is changed...fatally.

However, the main premise has to do with the afterlife and "escorts" through purgatory to heaven or a death hound herding one to "hell".

Darcy dies. Elizabeth wants to say a final goodbye and so seeks out the portal that will take her to the other side as he then escorts his father to that final place. The journey is not a peaceful one.

This story could be disturbing depending on your views about life, death, heaven and hell...and purgatory.

The story does have a happy ending for Elizabeth and Darcy and theirs is not the only story within. But I do think that it will stir around in my mind for some time. 5 s Madenna U1,905 1 follower

This Pride and Prejudice variation asks us to contemplate what is beyond death through the eyes of Elizabeth and her sister Mary. The sudden death of Mrs Bennet allows Elizabeth to see her mother "cross over" and even speak to her from beyond. She shares this experience with Mary as the two sisters become closer after their mother's death. This sets the scene for Elizabeth to be invited to London to visit the Gardiners where she meets all kinds of people - including Colonel Fitzwilliam and Darcy. Our dear couple has a beautiful courtship before Elizabeth is urgently called back to Longbourn for a wedding. I will not spoil the story but to say that her knowledge of the beyond is called into play as her romance with Darcy continues that they can cling to their happily ever after.

This book was entertaining and striking! For those that are set in their afterlife understanding, it may be a bit disturbing. However, I found it a fascinating concept. genre-fantasy genre-history-romance genre-jaff ...more4 s Judy448

Elizabeth’s powers make for an intriguing story

Elizabeth discovers she has the ability to see the dead as they pass as she is out when her mother passes away, she see’s her grandmother guide her mother to the next life.
What I d about this story was is was so different and not just another retelling of P&P. Elizabeth’s mother passes and she learns of her ability. Jane is not her favorite sister, Mary become her confidante and she believes Elizabeth’s vision. Her father was so changed, but not really likable as he really wants his daughters gone, married and out his household. Elizabeth goes to London and initially meets colonel Fitzwilliam and then Darcy. Darcy’s friendship develops into more as they understand each other. Elizabeth’s love make the story worth the read.
I would recommend this book.2 s Terri Conley754 6

I got a bit lost in the supernatural part of this story did really grab me.
But overall I did enjoy the premise. 1 Anne738 8

I remember enjoying this very much but didn’t really get the Orpheus mention.

Now that I have seen the musical Hadestown (which I enjoyed but never feel the need to see again), I would understand this novel more.

I will probably read this again one day. And usually if I love a musical I can see it numerous times. 4 s Jean Stillman861 9

This was a fantastic book, although parts were a bit slow. It was definitely not the usual, as it deals with death and the afterlife. Get a box of tissue!1 Tiffany22 3

Beautiful story telling. I wept! Such a powerful message that love can transcend time. Thank you for writing this story! Susan5,907 56

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