The Myth of Mr. Darcy

Why do we still believe that someone who rejects us and only replies to messages after midnight will turn out to be a charming Mr. Darcy? It' s simple – because of Mr. Darcy! The brash romantic hero of Pride and Prejudice, who initially insults and ignores our witty, bright heroine, but eventually succumbs to her charms. But literature lies to us. In this book, Rachel Feder explores diverse cultural milestones: from the life of Lord Byron to Sally Rooney' s Normal People to the Taylor Swift phenomenon and the Bridgerton series. It attempts to unravel why our culture is obsessed with cruel, emotionally unavailable romantic heroes (and heroines) and what to do about it.