Dear readers, did you have a fun time joining in the recently concluded blog tour for Jan L. Ashton and Justine Rivard's The Most Interesting Man in the World? If you have, please consider reading this one last interview with a significant character from the novella. The title no doubt refers to the master of Pemberley, Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy but the book is written from his good friend's point-of-view. Without further delay, let's hear Charles Bingley's side of the story.
Hi Luthien84, thanks so much for hosting us here at My Love For Jane Austen to share a bit more about our book, The Most Interesting Man in the World. The book is written from the point-of-view of the always curious and irrepressible Mr Bingley. Today we thought it was time to give the man a little time to talk about the whole experience.
Interviewer: Mr Bingley, it has been quite a couple of weeks for you, what with the notoriety the publication of The Most Interesting Man in the World has brought you. How does it feel to have your innermost thoughts splashed across the page in such a way? Does it feel like a gross invasion of your privacy?
Bingley: No, no, not at all (laughs modestly). I'm quite honoured, actually. At the same time, I am not quite sure why some people seem to find my thoughts amusing. I sometimes wonder whether they are secretly laughing at me. Although I do not mind so terribly if they do, as I love to raise my friends' spirits whenever possible, even at the expense of a bit of my own dignity. (clears throat and raises eyebrow) Not like some people I could name.
Interviewer: Has the publication of the book altered your friendship with your great chum, Mr Darcy?
Bingley: No, I think we get on just as we always have in the past, especially now that we share the bond of brotherhood. Since we are not-too-distant neighbours now that I have purchased an estate in Derbyshire, we are still able to see one another with some frequency. I rely on his superior counsel with regard to estate business, such as cultivating good relations with my tenants and crop rotation, and that sort of thing. In return, I advise him on matters of the heart. It is a pleasing sort of cogito ergo sum situation, is it not, when two friends exchange kindnesses in turn that way? You give me something, and I give you something of equal value right back? Of course, we are both newly married men, and that has naturally curtailed the frequency of some of our more, um, gentlemanly pursuits.
Interviewer: Can you give us some examples please?
Bingley: Oh yes, of course. Well, we still ride out fairly frequently, and we still enjoy fencing now and again, although it is never quite a fair fight since his arms are so much longer than mine. But — and I regret owing to it — we rarely play billiards anymore. And we have both given up brandy altogether, for reasons that are all too clearly evident in the book. I think he is probably more embarrassed about that than I am. He has a reputation to uphold, you know.
Interviewer: I wonder whether your new bride was surprised by any of the revelations in the book?
Bingley: Erm, no, much to my great surprise. There was a bit of confusion and dismay, of course. Quite some dismay, actually. Dear Jane worried for Darcy's carpets and furnishings and has been rather decided upon where food should be eaten in our home. Darcy, of course, abashed as he is by all of the attention paid to our friendship, has suffered a great amount of teasing from my father-in-law, especially now that Elizabeth is expecting their first child. Mr Bennet wishes his grandchild to have the "impressive Darcy cleft". A fortunate child that would be. I, myself, can pass on little but the Bingley dimple to my children.
Interviewer: How has your newfound fame changed your life?
Bingley: I may never have to pay for a drink again. Not that I still imbibe, of course, but I do receive offers. I make quite the ideal drinking companion, or so my friends and acquaintances tell me.
Interviewer: Does Mrs Bingley permit you to spend time with Colonel Fitzwilliam?
Bingley: Oh my goodness, my dear Jane would never forbid me to do anything — besides banning food on the fine rugs and chairs, that is. She is all that is beautiful and kind. Now that you mention it, though, it is an odd coincidence that every time good old Archie has come to visit Pemberley, we have been called out of town to visit my dear wife's parents. My mother-in-law is not well, you know — her nerves. I should like to have seen him, as he and Darcy and I had some rather memorable evenings together. Or so I hear, as I have very little memory of them myself.
Interviewer: In the book, you refer to your sisters as "dreadful" on several occasions. Has this caused problems within your family?
Bingley: I have not seen Caroline since the publication of the book. She was rather unpleasant over my tales of Tuffy the spaniel and Cousin Emily, and has hied away to visit Aunt Florabella in Scarborough. I have not heard from her since. My aunt writes me that Caroline is busy with her pen, writing a book about "the most interesting woman". I believe the titular character's name is Maroline Singley or some such thing. As for Louisa, she and Hurst are occupied with expanding their household. A pair of pugs!
Interviewer: There is a rumour floating about that your servants are robbing you and Mrs Bingley blind. Is there any truth to that gossip?
Bingley: No, no, our staff are delightful. Mrs Bingley and I hardly ever notice things going missing, and nine times out of ten my purse is still full and my pocket watch still ticking away on my dressing table when I wake up in the morning. Well, perhaps eight times out of ten.
Interviewer: Readers have noted that you spend quite a lot of time in the book eating. Can you please tell us more about your culinary tastes?
Bingley: I do enjoy good old English cooking the most and I am really most particular about it, in spite of what that book claims. No fancy sauces or remoulades or what have you for me. There are really only a very, very small number of things that I truly enjoy eating. Sausages, for instance, are quite lovely...(he pauses for a moment rather dreamily) Yes, and roasted, braised, jerked, fried, grilled, broiled, smoked and boiled meats, particularly beef, lamb, pork, mutton, goat, rabbit, veal and wild game as well. Pies, both savoury and sweet, pastys, tarts and any potato, parsnip, rutabaga, turnip or beet preparation. All types of fish or fowl, either domesticated or wild. Cakes, puddings, bread and English cheese. None of that French stuff, mind you. I would say those few things are my very favourites. Oh, and ginger biscuits. So you see I am quite fastidious about what I eat, much as my friend Darcy is fastidious about his waistcoats and cravats. That is one way we are alike.
Interviewer: Are there any intimate secrets or details about Mr Darcy that you would care to share with our readers?
Bingley: Hmmm.... For all the mockery of my pocketing biscuits, Darcy keeps quite the supply of apples and carrots in his own pockets for his horses, and he is far guiltier than I of feeding scraps of ham to the dogs. I should add that his grasp of German grammar is rather tenuous, or so I am told by those in the know.
Interviewer: Some readers have expressed confusion about the man to whom the title refers. Some think that it is Darcy, some Colonel Fitzwilliam, and some yourself. What is your opinion?
Bingley: I do not see how it could possibly refer to anyone other than Darcy. He is the most magnificent specimen of manhood ever in the history of the world. A true gentleman and a paragon of all that is right and just and good. Colonel Fitzwilliam, um, Archie, is of course a close second. I would not even crack the top ten thousand, of that I am certain. But it brings me no small satisfaction that I am brother to the man who will always hold that title.
What has gotten into Fitzwilliam Darcy lately?
Charles Bingley, a jolly fellow who relies on his great friend's impeccable judgment in all things, is determined to find out. What could explain Darcy's ill humour and distraction? Or his uncharacteristic blunder of speaking Greek to a horse who only understands Latin! Not to mention that shocking book accident! Certainly, it has nothing to do with Elizabeth Bennet, the sister of Bingley's own angel, Jane. Bingley is certain of it.
What was really going on behind the scenes at Netherfield, Pemberley and Darcy House, and just what did those men talk about over billiards and brandy? In this novella, Bingley sheds a little light on keeping company with the most interesting man in the world and shares his own musings on puppies, his dreadful sisters and the search for true love.
Justine Rivard is a very serious college professor who has no time for frivolity or poppycock of any kind. She strenuously objects to the silliness found in this story and urges you to put the book down at once before it gives you ideas. You are invited instead to join her in the study for a lecture about her extensive collection of whimsical 18th-century animal husbandry manuals.
J.L. Ashton, on the other hand, is a very unserious writer of Jane Austen variations you might have read (A Searing Acquaintance and Mendacity & Mourning) and collector of recipes she will never attempt. She encourages a general lack of decorum and has a great appreciation for cleft chins, vulnerably brooding men and Instagram accounts featuring animals. Especially cats. Also foxes.
Jan and Justine, thank you very much for extending your time to come to my blog although the official blog tour has already ended. It was a pleasure to learn more of the jolly and always cheerful Mr Bingley. This visit would not be a success without the help of Janet Taylor. My grateful thanks to you, ladies.
What do you think of the interview, readers? Did you have an enjoyable time getting to know Mr Bingley better? Were you glad he has a say at last? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
A Parting Interview with Charles Bingley
Our subject today has been much in the news of late since the release of a book sharing his thoughts and reflections on life, love, family and friendship. Before he shifts back into all of his day-to-day concerns, we sat down for a conversation with Mr Bingley, late of Netherfield and now happily wed and ensconced in a new estate much further north of his new bride's family.Interviewer: Mr Bingley, it has been quite a couple of weeks for you, what with the notoriety the publication of The Most Interesting Man in the World has brought you. How does it feel to have your innermost thoughts splashed across the page in such a way? Does it feel like a gross invasion of your privacy?
Bingley: No, no, not at all (laughs modestly). I'm quite honoured, actually. At the same time, I am not quite sure why some people seem to find my thoughts amusing. I sometimes wonder whether they are secretly laughing at me. Although I do not mind so terribly if they do, as I love to raise my friends' spirits whenever possible, even at the expense of a bit of my own dignity. (clears throat and raises eyebrow) Not like some people I could name.
Interviewer: Has the publication of the book altered your friendship with your great chum, Mr Darcy?
Bingley: No, I think we get on just as we always have in the past, especially now that we share the bond of brotherhood. Since we are not-too-distant neighbours now that I have purchased an estate in Derbyshire, we are still able to see one another with some frequency. I rely on his superior counsel with regard to estate business, such as cultivating good relations with my tenants and crop rotation, and that sort of thing. In return, I advise him on matters of the heart. It is a pleasing sort of cogito ergo sum situation, is it not, when two friends exchange kindnesses in turn that way? You give me something, and I give you something of equal value right back? Of course, we are both newly married men, and that has naturally curtailed the frequency of some of our more, um, gentlemanly pursuits.
Interviewer: Can you give us some examples please?
Bingley: Oh yes, of course. Well, we still ride out fairly frequently, and we still enjoy fencing now and again, although it is never quite a fair fight since his arms are so much longer than mine. But — and I regret owing to it — we rarely play billiards anymore. And we have both given up brandy altogether, for reasons that are all too clearly evident in the book. I think he is probably more embarrassed about that than I am. He has a reputation to uphold, you know.
Interviewer: I wonder whether your new bride was surprised by any of the revelations in the book?
Bingley: Erm, no, much to my great surprise. There was a bit of confusion and dismay, of course. Quite some dismay, actually. Dear Jane worried for Darcy's carpets and furnishings and has been rather decided upon where food should be eaten in our home. Darcy, of course, abashed as he is by all of the attention paid to our friendship, has suffered a great amount of teasing from my father-in-law, especially now that Elizabeth is expecting their first child. Mr Bennet wishes his grandchild to have the "impressive Darcy cleft". A fortunate child that would be. I, myself, can pass on little but the Bingley dimple to my children.
Interviewer: How has your newfound fame changed your life?
Bingley: I may never have to pay for a drink again. Not that I still imbibe, of course, but I do receive offers. I make quite the ideal drinking companion, or so my friends and acquaintances tell me.
Interviewer: Does Mrs Bingley permit you to spend time with Colonel Fitzwilliam?
Bingley: Oh my goodness, my dear Jane would never forbid me to do anything — besides banning food on the fine rugs and chairs, that is. She is all that is beautiful and kind. Now that you mention it, though, it is an odd coincidence that every time good old Archie has come to visit Pemberley, we have been called out of town to visit my dear wife's parents. My mother-in-law is not well, you know — her nerves. I should like to have seen him, as he and Darcy and I had some rather memorable evenings together. Or so I hear, as I have very little memory of them myself.
Interviewer: In the book, you refer to your sisters as "dreadful" on several occasions. Has this caused problems within your family?
Bingley: I have not seen Caroline since the publication of the book. She was rather unpleasant over my tales of Tuffy the spaniel and Cousin Emily, and has hied away to visit Aunt Florabella in Scarborough. I have not heard from her since. My aunt writes me that Caroline is busy with her pen, writing a book about "the most interesting woman". I believe the titular character's name is Maroline Singley or some such thing. As for Louisa, she and Hurst are occupied with expanding their household. A pair of pugs!
Interviewer: There is a rumour floating about that your servants are robbing you and Mrs Bingley blind. Is there any truth to that gossip?
Bingley: No, no, our staff are delightful. Mrs Bingley and I hardly ever notice things going missing, and nine times out of ten my purse is still full and my pocket watch still ticking away on my dressing table when I wake up in the morning. Well, perhaps eight times out of ten.
Interviewer: Readers have noted that you spend quite a lot of time in the book eating. Can you please tell us more about your culinary tastes?
Bingley: I do enjoy good old English cooking the most and I am really most particular about it, in spite of what that book claims. No fancy sauces or remoulades or what have you for me. There are really only a very, very small number of things that I truly enjoy eating. Sausages, for instance, are quite lovely...(he pauses for a moment rather dreamily) Yes, and roasted, braised, jerked, fried, grilled, broiled, smoked and boiled meats, particularly beef, lamb, pork, mutton, goat, rabbit, veal and wild game as well. Pies, both savoury and sweet, pastys, tarts and any potato, parsnip, rutabaga, turnip or beet preparation. All types of fish or fowl, either domesticated or wild. Cakes, puddings, bread and English cheese. None of that French stuff, mind you. I would say those few things are my very favourites. Oh, and ginger biscuits. So you see I am quite fastidious about what I eat, much as my friend Darcy is fastidious about his waistcoats and cravats. That is one way we are alike.
Interviewer: Are there any intimate secrets or details about Mr Darcy that you would care to share with our readers?
Bingley: Hmmm.... For all the mockery of my pocketing biscuits, Darcy keeps quite the supply of apples and carrots in his own pockets for his horses, and he is far guiltier than I of feeding scraps of ham to the dogs. I should add that his grasp of German grammar is rather tenuous, or so I am told by those in the know.
Interviewer: Some readers have expressed confusion about the man to whom the title refers. Some think that it is Darcy, some Colonel Fitzwilliam, and some yourself. What is your opinion?
Bingley: I do not see how it could possibly refer to anyone other than Darcy. He is the most magnificent specimen of manhood ever in the history of the world. A true gentleman and a paragon of all that is right and just and good. Colonel Fitzwilliam, um, Archie, is of course a close second. I would not even crack the top ten thousand, of that I am certain. But it brings me no small satisfaction that I am brother to the man who will always hold that title.
Book Blurb
Charles Bingley, a jolly fellow who relies on his great friend's impeccable judgment in all things, is determined to find out. What could explain Darcy's ill humour and distraction? Or his uncharacteristic blunder of speaking Greek to a horse who only understands Latin! Not to mention that shocking book accident! Certainly, it has nothing to do with Elizabeth Bennet, the sister of Bingley's own angel, Jane. Bingley is certain of it.
What was really going on behind the scenes at Netherfield, Pemberley and Darcy House, and just what did those men talk about over billiards and brandy? In this novella, Bingley sheds a little light on keeping company with the most interesting man in the world and shares his own musings on puppies, his dreadful sisters and the search for true love.
Author Bios & Links
What do you think of the interview, readers? Did you have an enjoyable time getting to know Mr Bingley better? Were you glad he has a say at last? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
I enjoyed reading this, especially regarding the ‘FEW’ favourite foods! I’m not sure there is much left! I have really enjoyed this tour and now can’t wait to read the book. It’s on my list for when I next have a book buying spree (it may be my Mother’s Day treat)
ReplyDeleteThank you!
BAAAhahahahaha! Great interview, Bings! Jan and Justine would be proud of you. I'm sure Lúthien84 is really pleased to have you on her blog today. Best wishes to you and your daydreams!
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