Fitzwilliam Darcy: Famous Fictional Heartthrob

If you do not know who Fitzwilliam Darcy is, you are dead to me. And quite obviously you are dead to the world, too.

I might be stereotyping here, but I would wager that 95% of women who have read Pride and Prejudice are in love with Mr. Darcy. Add on all the converts from the many film adaptations and mini-series and you are dealing with a hefty number of women all loving and lusting after this fictional man.

He is the ultimate hunk of burnin' love in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. He is mysterious, handsome, loyal, confident, caring, intelligent, and everything a gentleman should be. Yes, he is a bit too prideful and a bit high strung. Plus he can come off as a huge douche. But, as he falls in love with Elizabeth, the love begins to soften him. Their love allows them to both grow together. It is a true partnership and each lends something to the other. It is by far my favorite love story.

I have at least read this book over twenty times.

I am not delusional. I know that Mr. Darcy will never leap from the pages and into my bed...I mean arms. But, that does not mean that I do not daydream about this fictional heartthrob entering my life, loving me fully and ardently.

This daydream that many women (and men I am sure) have shared was transformed into a book and then a BBC mini-series and now a movie in production called Lost in Austen. It is a story of how a contemporary woman, who has read the book too many times to count and has a huge lady boner for Darcy, switches places with Elizabeth Bennet. Shenanigans ensue. No one marries who they should, Bingley becomes a drunk bastard, Caroline Bingley is a lesbian, Wickham turns out to be a stand-up guy, and Jane marries Mr. Collins. In the end, Darcy falls in love with the woman who switches places with Elizabeth and she decides to stay in the perfect fictional world with the perfect fictional gentleman.

I just watched Lost in Austen and I hated it. HATED IT.

Why?

Because the woman, Amanda, and Mr. Darcy do not share that connection that Elizabeth and Darcy do. Yes, there are similar parallels, but Amanda and Darcy never really talk. They yell at each other, but Darcy just all the sudden is like, "Vulgar slutty woman, I love you. Let us marry."

It was too unbelievable for me. I ultimately wanted to puke after watching Lost in Austen.

What is so great about Elizabeth and Darcy is the way they both have to work through their own misgivings and flaws. During the relationship, they learn more about themselves and grow. They are able to bring out the best in each other. They even have witty conversations and flirtatious interactions. Which is something Lost in Austen was lacking.

I admit that if I found a genie in a bottle, one of my 3 wishes would be Mr. Darcy. (Other two: endless supply of books and endless supply of saltwater taffy) But quite honestly, in reality, I do not want to marry Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy or an exact doppelganger. Maybe not even an exact model of him. Lost in Austen verifies this. I pretty much hated the Mr. Darcy in that movie. He looked like Darcy, shared some of the same qualities...but that was not enough.

What I really do want is a mutual partnership like Darcy and Elizabeth. Someone who can see my flaws, respect me, love me, and help me grow as a person. I want to be that person for that guy, too.

I have come to realize that it is not really Mr. Darcy, international man of intrigue, that I want. It is the love him and Elizabeth have that I want.

Here is to finding that love and my own Mr. Darcy.

To end.....a picture of my favorite Mr. Darcy....Colin Firth.