More Discerning

A Pride and Prejudice variation novel

Kinga Brady Author page

Preface to the Gentle Reader

This book is not merely a retelling, but a conversation – with the past, and perhaps with ourselves. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice has long been a cherished companion of mine, and like many admirers of her work, I often wondered: what if her beloved characters had seen more clearly, felt more deeply, or understood each other just a little sooner?

This version, titled More Discerning (or Less Pride and Less Prejudice in Hungarian), was born from such musings. It does not seek to replace or surpass the original – rather, to reflect upon it, dream further, and illuminate familiar paths from new angles. With a few changed words, glances, or decisions, the story takes a different shape – and perhaps, casts a different light on ourselves as well.

In translating and adapting the tale, I strove to preserve the atmosphere and tone of the Regency era – the elegance of its language, and the quiet irony that lingers in Austen's every phrase. Yet this version now bears my voice, and its faults are mine alone. I ask you, kind Reader, to turn the page with a spirit of curiosity and a forgiving heart.

If your heart smiles in recognition – even as it remains open to discovery – then perhaps this modest effort has found its way.

Kinga Brady
June 2025

28 August, 2025

Finally, the new edition is here, published by Pegasus.

https://pegasuspublishers.com/books/latest-releases/more-discerning_-a-pride-and-prejudice-variation-novel

Reedited and extended, 04/2025

If you downloaded the novel before 30 April 2025, and if you wish to reread it,
I suggest that you redownload it from Amazon.

Have you thought about what would have changed if our two beloved sisters, Jane and Elizabeth, had been able to show more of a good judgement about the quality of people, if they had been more discerning? This story endeavours to discover where such a story would lead our favourite characters.

Kinga Brady

The reimagining of Pride and Prejudice in More Discerning offers a fresh perspective on beloved characters and themes while retaining the essence of the original story. By exploring the dynamics between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, the novel delves deeper into their motivations, challenges, and evolving relationship. This variation allows for a more nuanced portrayal of Regency-era society, showcasing the complexities of social class, family expectations, and personal desires.

The story invites readers to reflect on familiar moments from Pride and Prejudice while introducing new plot developments, character arcs, and conflicts that enhance the narrative. The focus on Elizabeth's agency, Mr. Darcy's inner turmoil, and the dynamics with supporting characters, such as Lady Catherine and the Gardiners, enriches the reader's understanding of the characters' growth and the societal constraints they navigate.

Ultimately, More Discerning celebrates the enduring themes of love, prejudice, and self-discovery, offering a captivating and thought-provoking retelling that honors Jane Austen's original work while presenting an original narrative that resonates with contemporary audiences.

My P&P Facebook page

Pride and Prejudice - everything to do with it

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You may read the first chapters on the new author website

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Netherfield

Longbourn

Chapter 4

Elizabeth played this at the Lucas party

Click here

Regency gowns

Scottish Reel at Netherfield

Chapter 7

Watch Lizzy's and Darcy's dance

Did you know Firth was 35 in 1995 PP -
here is how he looked like at about 28, Darcy's age in the novel

Angelo's - Chapters 20, 21

It was a famous fencing and boxing academy for gentlemen in London.

The picture is from 1791. Henry Angelo, son of an Italian fencing master made his establishment a household name at the time. He strongly believed that fencing improved general health.

Chapter 20
Savoury Pies

These were the most common for main courses, and could be elaborate or humble.

Raised Meat Pies: Made with hot water crust pastry and moulded by hand or in a form. These pies could be rich and grand, containing game such as venison, pigeon, hare, or rabbit, often seasoned with mace, nutmeg, and pepper.
Pigeon Pie: Extremely popular. Sometimes included hard-boiled eggs or even small whole birds, as was fashionable earlier.
Eel Pie: Eel was common in England's rivers, and eel pies were especially common in London and coastal towns.
Steak and Kidney Pie: Though the exact form we know today may have come later, combinations of beef, kidney, onions, and thick gravy were certainly around.
Chicken and Ham Pie: A genteel dish often served cold, especially at picnics or buffets.

see more just below

Chapter 24

Bingley's favourite sweetmeat - bitter chocolate

Pies in Chapter 20, and Inns in the Regency, Chapter 25

Lake District, Chapter 32

Pemberley Fantasy

Tea served, Chapter 32

Tea in the afternoon did not actually become common until the 1700's. By the Regency Era, the custom had long since caught on, and the upper class had afternoon tea at about four o'clock, which was before the fashionable time to promenade in Hyde Park if one was in London. Afternoon tea included, of course, tea served hot. Also served with tea, one would find small finger sandwiches (thin and crust-less), biscuits, seedcake, and small cakes sometimes called fairly cakes with butter icing, which, were probably not much bigger than mini cupcakes. There has been much discussion among Regency enthusiasts as to whether scones with jam and clotted cream (also known as Devonshire cream) were served during the Regency or if that become more common during the Victorian era, when High Tea became such a grand affair.
https://donnahatch.com/english-afternoon-tea-jane-austen-style/

Mozart's Lacrimosa

Listen to Georgiana playing

Christmas table in the Regency

Chapter 36
The song the sisters sing at the dinner party and enchant the guests

Woodland Folk[1]

As the sun sets in the west

And the sky grows dim
Through the leaves, the last warm rays
Are shimmering in the breeze

Take my hand, and I'll show you the way.

Come with me down the Woodland Lane.

Night has fallen in the wood

There's an earthly sigh.
As the Woodland Folk come out
To dance throughout the night

Chorus

In the grove neath starry sky

There stands the golden queen
And her voice lights up the night.
And fills the trees with dreams.

[1] By Ella Roberts

Jane's song: Woodland Folk

Click here

Christmas gifts from the Darcys

Chapter 41

Elizabeth's engagement ring

The idea of an engagement ring is a new idea at this time. Regency brides did not receive engagement rings.
Diamonds were extremely rare at this time. From the 1730s onwards, they were only mined in India and Brazil and reserved for royalty.

Chapter 43 Regency fashion plates

`Bath in the Regency`

Bath, mentioned in Chapter 47

In the Regency period, the reasonably well-off were able to afford a life of cultivated leisure. Reading, writing letters, and sauntering in parks and gardens, such as the Sydney Gardens below, filled the day. Conversation was considered an art and concerned itself with the behaviour of others and romantic entanglements. Bath, with its classical colonnades and neat squares, made the perfect backdrop to this regulated and well-ordered life.

It was in the Regency period that Bath developed from a small provincial spa to one of the most important centres of social life outside London. The town became the height of fashion for its seasonal social gatherings and grand balls. It had previously been an unremarkable Elizabethan town but was rebuilt in the elegant Palladian style by the father-and-son architectural partnership of the Woods.

Even today, the town inspires many to relive life, as in the Regency when Jane Austen walked its streets and wrote Northanger Abby.

Hyde Park

Darcy House on Park Lane - fantasy

Rosings Fantasy

Shopping in London, Chapter 54

Hungarian Hussars

Mentioned in chapter 54.

https://dailynewshungary.com/the-story-of-the-hungarian-hussars-photos/

Brummell and the Regency Dandy, Chapter 54

Theatre in Regency - Covent Garden, Chapter 54

The George and Vulture, Chapter 55

Dinner at Darcy House, Chapter 55

Regency luxury

Vivaldi: Four Seasons

Winter

Click here

More Regency

After their marriage

Darcy asked Elizabeth to keep this necklace.

Dear Sir,

My first novel.

It starts with an unexpected letter from an unexpected source about ten days after the disastrous proposal from Darcy in Hunsford. The letter sets things on a different course...

Elizabeth decides to share the content of her letter from Darcy with Jane while still in London.
Jane, after her reflections during the winter months, does not want Darcy to suffer unnecessarily. Impulsively, she decides to write him a letter to tell him that he was not wrong in his estimation of her feelings toward his friend.
The letter changes everything...

Novel first published in two volumes and now available in one tome reworked and edited with 7000 added words, including a bonus chapter at the end.

https://dearsirprideandprejudicefanfictionsite.webnode.co.uk/

Available on Amazon