Set
ten years after Pride and Prejudice,
the
novel explores the changes to the Darcy family's life, Europe
post-Napoleon, and life in late Regency England with humor, a love of
Austen's language, and a credible, creditable plot. Written in
Austen's “stile,” the central characters undergo the experiences,
self-criticism and self-improvement essential to Austen's heroes and
heroines.