Pride and Perjury
Twelve Short Stories inspired by Pride and Prejudice
by Alice McVeigh
Twelve deliciously witty short stories, the fourth in what Publishers Weekly described as “McVeigh's celebrated Austenesque series”.
What really happened when Wickham eloped with Lydia? What did the Longbourn servants secretly think of the Bennet sisters? Take a deep dive into Caroline Bingley's schemes, Lady Catherine's de Bourgh's diary - and Mr Knightley’s heart.
Previous books in this series have been shortlisted for the UK Selfies Book Awards, runner-up for Foreword Indies’ “Book of the Year,” and quarterfinalists in Publishers Weekly’s BookLife Prize. In April 2024, McVeigh's Jane Austen series won Chanticleer International's Book Series (historical).
‘What!’ cried Elton. ‘Not Darcy of Pemberley? Are he and Bingley, then, so very well-acquainted?’
‘Aye, and always were,’ said the older man. ‘Long before Bingley wedded one sister and Darcy the other.’
Pride and Perjury: Twelve Short Stories by Alice McVeigh depicts the lives of some of the supporting characters from two of the most cherished love stories in English literature - Pride and Prejudice and Emma.
Throughout this collection of short stories, McVeigh uses the same literacy technique as many other stories that feature the main characters from Austen’s classics: pastiches. McVeigh’s evident dedication to studying Austen’s unique writing style imbues her stories with a strong sense of authenticity. The reader can transition smoothly between Austen’s books and McVeigh’s due to the similarities in writing styles. It is hard to believe that Austen didn’t write these short stories herself, as they bear such a strong resemblance to her engaging writing style.
While some adaptations of classic literature may be hit or miss, most of these short stories were captivating. However, the way Mrs Bennet (Pride and Prejudice) and Mr Knightley (Emma) were depicted was shockingly scandalous. The notion that Mrs Bennet was hooked on opium and Mr. Knightley seduced a servant didn’t align with their established character. Mrs Bennet’s nerves were a challenge for her, but the original novel doesn’t indicate any addiction as the reason for her behaviour. In this short story, John Thorpe (Northanger Abbey) falsely claims that Miss Bennet is hooked on opium, which, even for him, seems far-fetched.
It’s even more puzzling that McVeigh is very aware of her audience, yet she decides to give a cherished character like Mr Knightley a past that rivals John Willoughby (Sense and Sensibility). Prior to the start of the “Mary Rose” story, the author cautions readers that:
“Some very genuine Austen enthusiasts can’t bear any of Austen’s heroes to be less than pure on their wedding nights. If you feel this way, I respectfully suggest that you skip this short story and scroll on to the next one.”
If your goal is to alienate your readers, then this strategy might work, but the reader can only hope that was not on the author’s mind when writing this story. The character of Mr Knightley in Mary Rose was portrayed in a way that deviated significantly from Austen’s original, making the story one of the least believable, leaving a rather negative impression, and unfortunately, an unwillingness to continue reading, which would be very concerning, as the story that directly follows Mary Rose, Pride and Perjury, was by far the best story in the collection.
The abundance of Pride and Prejudice adaptations can, unfortunately, diminish its charm, as was evident in several of these stories. The Housekeeper’s Tale lacked lustre and One Good Sonnet with its scandalous suggestion of opium seemed overly monotonous and rather degrading of a beloved, if not slightly anxious, character.
Despite this, Pride and Perjury, a tale centred on the rather presumptuous clergyman, Mr. Elton, in Austen’s Emma, proved to be the most gripping. The author’s skilful storytelling in Pride and Perjury seamlessly combines the beloved characters from Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Northanger Abbey during their time in Bath. Among the stories in this collection, this particular one stood out as an exciting and refreshing addition, making it the clear highlight. The author’s true talent shines through in Pride and Perjury, particularly in the masterful depiction of Mr Elton’s time in Bath as he searches for a wife and the brilliant portrayal of characters like John Thorpe. Likewise, A Heliotrope Ribbon was another story where the author really understands the characters – her portrayal of Mr Wickham was brilliantly depicted.
While McVeigh’s writing bears similarities to Austen’s, and artistic freedom should be embraced, it’s crucial to keep in mind the intended readership of these stories. This collection is specifically for Austen fans. It would be almost impossible to comprehend the events in these short stories without reading the original works, which contradicts the inclusion of narratives that diminish beloved characters. This book would receive the highest recommendations if One Good Sonnet and Mary Rose were not part of the collection. From the perspective of an annoying, genuine Austen enthusiast, these two stories ruined the overall enjoyment of this book.
Nevertheless, there are stories such as Pride and Perjury that will thoroughly entertain Austen fans.
Review by Mary Anne Yarde
The Coffee Pot Book Club
Alice McVeigh has been published by Orion/Hachette in contemporary fiction, by UK’s Unbound in speculative fiction (writing as Spaulding Taylor) and by Warleigh Hall Press in historical fiction. Her books have been in the last seven for the UK Selfies Book Award (2024), been a runner-up for Foreword Indies’ “Book of the Year” and joint runner-up in Writers Digest International Book Awards. Three of her novels have been Publishers Weekly’s starred “Editors Picks” – one was a BookLife quarterfinalist. McVeigh’s multi-award-winning Austenesque series won First Place for Book Series (historical) in Chanticleer’s International Book Awards 2023.
A long-term Londoner, McVeigh was born in Seoul, South Korea, and grew up in Thailand, Singapore, and Myanmar, where her father was a US diplomat. After spending her teenage years in McLean, Virginia, and achieving a degree with distinction in cello performance at the internationally renowned Jacobs School of Music, she came to London to study cello with William Pleeth. McVeigh spent over fifteen years performing worldwide with orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, and Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s Orchestre Revolutionaire et Romantique.
She was first published in the late1990s, when her two contemporary novels (WHILE THE MUSIC LASTS and GHOST MUSIC) were published by Orion Publishing to excellent reviews, including: “The orchestra becomes a universe in microcosm; all human life is here . . . McVeigh succeeds in harmonising a supremely comic tone with much darker notes”(The Sunday Times). And: “McVeigh is a professional cellist and is thus able to describe with wry authority the extraordinary life of a London orchestra. This is a very enjoyable novel, and not quite as light as it pretends to be” (The Sunday Telegraph). Inspired by her life as a touring cello professional, both novels have been recently released in completely new editions on Smashwords.
Alice has long been married to Simon McVeigh, Professor Emeritus at the University of London; their daughter Rachel has a Presidential Scholarship at Harvard in Chinese Lit. (Ph.D). When not playing cello or writing, Alice is generally smiting tennis balls at the Bromley Tennis Centre. (Often far too hard. As Rachel observed when aged four, “My mum hits the ball farther than anybody!”)
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