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1[[quoteright:334:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bessbyisaviel_8983.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:334:Art by [[http://isaviel.deviantart.com Isaviel]], used with permission]]
3
4''The Private Diary of Elizabeth Quatermain'' is a five-part fanfic series based on ''Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'' (the film, not the graphic novel). It follows the adventures of the non-canonical title character, daughter to Creator/SeanConnery's character Allan Quatermain, and is told entirely through entries in her diary.
5
6Following the events of the film, Elizabeth is introduced to the surviving members of the League. Through a series of somewhat bizarre circumstances, she's not only about to lose her home in London but has also been sent a letter directing her to solve an incomprehensible mystery. The League takes her under their collective wings and as the series progresses, helps her to break out of her shell. There are a few mysteries, some romance, and a lot of historical detail. The author, Tropers/LadyNorbert, devotes the last chapter of each installment to a pseudo-FAQ in which she attempts to explain certain facts (or BlatantLies) and give credit to other people.
7
8The [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/1798674/1/The_Private_Diary_of_Elizabeth_Quatermain first volume]] (originally intended to be the ''only'' volume) carries the series title as its own. The subsequent volumes were given titles of their own prefaced with the series acronym, with the final installment was completed in early 2008. The other volumes are:
9** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1882036/1/TPDoEQ-vol-II-The-Egypt-Chronicle TPDoEQ: The Egypt Chronicle]]''
10** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1926093/1/TPDoEQ-vol-III-The-Wintering TPDoEQ: The Wintering]]''
11** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1968844/1/TPDoEQ-vol-IV-Only-in-America TPDoEQ: Only in America]]''
12** ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2491780/1/TPDoEQ-vol-V-Tartan-Holiday TPDoEQ: Tartan Holiday]]''
13
14In addition to the five main volumes of Elizabeth's diary, there are numerous one-shot side stories, showing certain scenes from the points of view of the other characters; volume four even has an entire [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2014788/1/Only-in-America-Skinner-s-Story-TPDoEQ companion volume]] told from the viewpoint of Rodney Skinner, the invisible man. There is also ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2192598/1/Allan-Observes-TPDoEQ Allan Observes]],'' the ''Literature/BridgetJones''-styled comic edition in which Elizabeth's father Allan comments - quite harshly at times - on the events of the stories [[spoiler:from the afterlife]].
15
16The whole series can be found at [[http://www.fanfiction.net/u/13343/Lady_Norbert Fanfiction.net]].
17
18As of spring 2015, the series is being given the podcast treatment at [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkhDBeM-j7RjvNPou5jyHJQ Good Fanfiction Theatre]] on Website/YouTube.
19
20----
21!!This work provides examples of the following:
22
23* AlliterativeTitle: A few of the individual chapter titles, such as "Explosions and Explanations," "Terror on the Tower," and "Sun and Stone."
24* AncientEgypt: The second volume, which takes place ''in'' Egypt, references this.
25* AbortedDeclarationOfLove: [[spoiler:Skinner]] plans to make one in the fourth volume, but gets pre-empted by the villain.
26** AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: He actually gets to do it a few chapters later. It's sort of an accident.
27* AndTheAdventureContinues: The first through fourth volumes each conclude with an invitation to the reader to look for the forthcoming next volume, giving its title and a small hint about what's going to happen.
28* AnywhereButTheirLips: Elizabeth and Skinner share two very chaste kisses in the third volume. He kisses her cheek under the mistletoe; later, she kisses the top of his head to thank him for saving her life (again).
29* AttemptedRape: Toward the end of the first volume.
30* BatmanGambit: The villain's plot in the first volume.
31* BeastAndBeauty: Jekyll (or, more correctly, Hyde) and Mina
32* BerserkButton: In general, harming anyone in the League presses everyone else's button. Skinner has a particularly large neon-green one when it comes to [[{{Protectorate}} Elizabeth]]'s well-being and honor, as seen most clearly in the version of volume IV from his point of view.
33* BetterThanABareBulb: ''Allan Observes'' is extremely heavy on the LampshadeHanging.
34* {{BFG}}: Allan's elephant gun from the movie reappears in the third volume.
35* BigDamnHeroes: Everyone but Elizabeth. She tries, though.
36* BigFancyHouse: Where the series begins.
37* BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: A huge part of the plot in volume IV.
38* BusmansHoliday: They may not be called on to SaveTheWorld at any given point, but it seems the League can't go anywhere without stumbling onto some local mishap that has to be set right.
39* CannotSpitItOut: [[spoiler:Jekyll]], in the extra side story where he proposes to [[spoiler:Mina]], can't get the question out because he's so nervous. Later, [[spoiler:Skinner]] has to be essentially harassed into making his AnguishedDeclarationOfLove, because the words refuse to come until he's practically arguing with the girl.
40* TheCavalry: Referenced by Tom in the first volume, somewhat cheesily.
41--> '''Sawyer:''' As we say in America, the cavalry has arrived!
42* ClearTheirName: The League has to do this for Skinner when he's falsely accused of robbery in the fourth volume.
43* CliffHanger: The wedding in the fourth volume was deliberately split into two chapters for this purpose. The readership reacted badly when Fanfiction.net proceeded to crash in such a way that the second half could not be posted for an entire week.
44* CompletedFic
45* {{Continuation}}: Of the movie. The story actually begins while the movie is taking place.
46* CoolShip: As in the movie, the ''Nautilus''.
47* CorruptBureaucrat: The antagonist of the second half of the fourth volume.
48* DancesAndBalls: They all attend a ball in Tom's hometown in the fourth volume, which includes...
49** DanceOfRomance
50* ADayInTheLimelight: Apart from ''Allan Observes,'' extra volumes and one-shot side stories allow Skinner and Jekyll to narrate events for which Elizabeth was not present; Alexandra takes over as the narrator in the final chapter of the main series. Other stories, from a third-person point of view, omit Elizabeth entirely and focus on the original League members.
51* DeadpanSnarker: Allan, in ''Allan Observes.'' Pretty nearly the entire cast exhibits instances of this at least once or twice.
52* DeadToBeginWith: Among others, Elizabeth's elder half-brother Harry.
53** DeathByChildbirth: Elizabeth's mother.
54* DefrostingIceQueen: Mina
55* DidTheyOrDidntThey: It's never made entirely clear what happened when Tom and the vampire Kiya were cuddled together in a coffin in the second volume. ''Allan Observes'' gives the impression that Allan, at least, believes [[spoiler:that they did]].
56* TheDragon: Elizabeth's stalker, in the first volume. May actually be a DragonWithAnAgenda.
57* DrowningMySorrows: Skinner, in the version of the fourth volume from his point of view, goes out to get drunk after [[spoiler:his heart is broken]].
58* DyingClue: Elizabeth is trying to figure out why she needs to go to Paris in search of a key when the League makes their convenient arrival in the first volume.
59* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Tom practically invokes the trope by name when trying to push [[spoiler:Skinner]] into making a move.
60* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin
61* {{Fainting}}: Just once, and it's reasonably [[JustifiedTrope justified]]. Elizabeth faints in Egypt from the extreme heat.
62* FlashBackEcho: In the first volume, Elizabeth has a trauma-induced flashback to her shooting lessons in Africa with her father, the details of which allow her to [[spoiler:kill the man who is about to kill her friends, without realizing she's doing it.]]
63* ForcefulKiss: It only takes until the end of the fourth volume for them to finally get around to this, crossing it with TrueLovesKiss.
64* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Mina does a version of this to Elizabeth in the second volume, when the younger woman is wangsting over the current medical emergency.
65* GoThroughMe: Skinner takes his self-appointed role as Elizabeth's "invisible shield" very seriously. In volume II, he takes it to literal extremes, getting between her and a crocodile [[spoiler:(and later, a vampire)]].
66* GreatWhiteHunter: Sebastian de Gaulle calls Allan this in the first volume. In fact, the first volume's unofficial subtitle (as shown in one of the extra stories) is "Legacy of the Great White Hunter."
67* GreenEyedMonster: A mild example in the final volume. [[spoiler:Skinner]] is rather miffed that his fiancee is spending so much time with another man. [[spoiler:He's considerably soothed when he finds out that Elizabeth's main interest in Literature/SherlockHolmes is the fact that he knew her father.]]
68* HappilyEverAfter: The ending of the last volume implies this is more or less the case.
69* HealingHands: Jekyll, generally; when he's temporarily felled by dysentery in the third volume, Mina takes over.
70* HeroicSacrifice: Elizabeth tries to make one of these, or something like it, toward the end of the third volume. It doesn't quite go as planned.
71* TheHerosJourney
72* HiddenInPlainSight: The false bottom of Allan's sea chest in volume III.
73* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Volume II has the League befriend Dr. Howard Carter, the famed Egyptologist who is best known for the discovery of King Tut's tomb. Volume V introduces them to Queen Victoria herself.
74** A few others are mentioned in ''Allan Observes,'' including George Washington, Geoffrey Chaucer, and Caligula.
75* IDoNotOwn: Part of the FAQ chapter at the end of each volume; Lady Norbert comments that she can't legitimately claim to own anything except the plot and "the personality of Elizabeth, who says that she is perfectly capable of owning that herself, thank you very much."
76* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: In the fourth volume, [[spoiler:Elizabeth finds herself forced into marrying someone she doesn't like.]]
77* IHaveYourWife: The villain of the second half of the fourth volume makes a point of letting Elizabeth know that he's holding Skinner hostage for her continued cooperation. [[spoiler:Too bad he doesn't realize Tom's listening at the door.]]
78* IKissYourHand: This being the Victorian era, it's not unusual, so the few instances Elizabeth writes down are highly significant.
79* INeverSaidItWasPoison: How Tom traps the real perpetrator of the crime for which Skinner is blamed in volume IV.
80* InformedAttribute: Elizabeth's former best friend and her husband are apparently not very nice people, although we're not really shown evidence of it.
81* InnocentInaccurate: Details are sometimes glossed over because Elizabeth is unconscious, not present, or just has absolutely no idea what's going on.
82* InsistentTerminology: Skinner absolutely refuses to use Elizabeth's proper name, preferring to address her as Bess or Bessie. It becomes significant in the third volume, when he finally calls her Elizabeth and thus prompts her LoveEpiphany.
83** In ''Allan Observes,'' Allan stubbornly refuses to identify either of his children by their names, simply referring to them only as Son and Daughter.
84* {{Invisibility}}: Skinner has the opportunity to be cured of his in the fourth volume.
85* InvisibleStreaker: One of the villains from the first volume and, as in the film, Skinner. {{Lampshaded}} in ''Allan Observes'' (like almost everything else) when Allan comments that Skinner is frequently naked around Elizabeth.
86* ItHasBeenAnHonor: In the final volume, Elizabeth has a conversation of this nature with her foster father Nemo, telling him that "It has been an honour to live as your daughter."
87* ItWasAGift: Arguably, everything given in the Christmas chapter could qualify, but most particularly Skinner's mother's locket.
88* LandmarkOfLore: The Valley of the Kings, the Parthenon, Machu Picchu, and Stonehenge all show up during the course of the series, among others.
89* LastNameBasis: What most of the League remains on, particularly with Skinner, who is never called anything ''else'' except by Elizabeth and Alexandra.
90* LastOfHisKind: Elizabeth being [[spoiler:the last Quatermain]] is a plot point in the first volume. In the fifth volume, it's revealed that she's also all that remains of her mother's family.
91* LikeBrotherAndSister: Elizabeth's relationship with Tom Sawyer, eventually.
92* LockedInAFreezer: Skinner in the old mine shaft, in the fourth volume.
93* LoveEpiphany: Elizabeth finally stops being ObliviousToLove at the end of the third volume when she has one of these.
94* LoveTriangle: The first volume awkwardly establishes two - one consisting of Jekyll/Mina/Tom and one consisting of Tom/Elizabeth/Skinner. By the second volume, it's pretty clear how the first one will be resolved, although it takes a bit longer for the second one to sort itself.
95* LukeYouAreMyFather: The villain of the first volume believes himself to be Allan Quatermain's illegitimate son. WordOfGod says that [[spoiler:this is not true and the guy was frankly crackers.]]
96* MarriedAtSea: [[spoiler:Mina and Jekyll]], in the third volume.
97* MasqueradeBall: They attend one in a DreamSequence Elizabeth records in one diary entry.
98* MediumAwareness: In the third volume, Elizabeth essentially {{lampshades}} the idea of her diaries being read by an outsider.
99-->''It may be wondered that I would engage in such a breach of propriety as to travel openly in a carriage with three unmarried men. It should be remembered, however, that Nemo is my guardian for all intents and purposes, and therefore spending time in his company is no more questionable than if my own father were here. I make note of this here not so much for my own awareness as for that of anyone who may chance to read this volume after my death; I can assure the reader that, in the capacity of my guardian, Nemo is a perfectly acceptable chaperone.''
100** Also played with in the version of the fourth volume from Skinner's point of view, in which Tom snarks that "this is real life, not fiction."
101* MeaningfulEcho: In the fourth volume, Tom tells Elizabeth to keep her "Eyes open, girl. I can't watch you all the time." This is an almost exact quote of what Elizabeth's father says to Tom in the movie.
102* MementoMacGuffin: Skinner's mother's locket; to a lesser extent, the handkerchiefs Elizabeth monograms for his Christmas gift.
103* MostWritersAreWriters: Hence the sometimes relatively improbable level of detail in Elizabeth's diary entries.
104* TheNamesake: Played with in the Christmas chapter of volume III, when all of the League members (except Skinner) present Elizabeth with additional diaries, so she can continue to document their adventures.
105* {{Nephewism}}: Gender-flipped version. The last volume added Skinner's niece Alexandra to the cast.
106* OfCorsetsSexy: Averted, largely; although the women wear them, it gets mentioned only once.
107* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: The villain of the fourth volume makes one to Elizabeth, using the (fairly believable) claim that her refusal will mean the deaths of both Tom and Skinner.
108* OurVampiresAreDifferent: The Egyptian vampire Kiya bewilders even Mina.
109* OutOfClothesExperience: Played for laughs in the fifth volume, when Skinner is able to use two different formulae to become visible or invisible as needed. He forgets to put his clothes back on before taking the visibility serum.
110* PapaWolf: Nemo, Jekyll, and Skinner all have tendencies in this direction. Nemo and Skinner both behave this way toward Elizabeth; Nemo is also AFatherToHisMen (as in the movie) and Skinner has his niece. Jekyll eventually has [[spoiler:his adopted son]].
111* PersonalMook: The villains of volumes I and IV have these, although the ones in the fourth volume are shown to be more personally mookish. This is largely due to Elizabeth's perspective.
112* ThePianoPlayer: Alexandra
113* PostKissCatatonia: Skinner experienced this after the thank-you kiss Elizabeth gave him on the top of his head. He was literally startled into silence.
114* PowerOfTrust: Comes into play when Skinner is accused of robbery in the fourth volume.
115* RaisedByGrandparents: [[spoiler:Little Jonathan Harker, Mina's grandson, once she locates him in an orphanage.]]
116* ReformedCriminal: Skinner; Nemo and Jekyll, to an extent.
117* RelationshipUpgrade: Continual throughout the series, between all the characters as they become more of a family, and particularly between [[spoiler:Jekyll and Mina, and later Elizabeth and Skinner]]. WordOfGod confirms that [[spoiler:Tom and Alexandra]] eventually get one too.
118* RescueRomance: Played straight and averted, depending on which character is doing the rescuing.
119* UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}: Where the series ends.
120* Literature/SherlockHolmes: Much of the final volume centers around locating him.
121* ShipperOnDeck: Tom more than anyone, especially in the fourth volume. In the fifth volume, Elizabeth and Skinner become this for him and Alexandra.
122* ShoutOut: To everything from ''Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' to ''Theatre/MuchAdoAboutNothing'' to ''Literature/KingSolomonsMines''.
123** Also, ''Allan Observes'' includes a ShoutOut to ''FanFic/TheVerySecretDiaries,'' as Allan amusedly notes of a number of characters that "Skinner will kill him if he tries anything."
124* ShownTheirWork: The author not only researched everything she had the League do, she had Elizabeth explain everything in (sometimes ridiculous amounts of) detail in her diary.
125* SideBet: The ''entire crew'' of the ''Nautilus'' turns out to have one of these going about if and when [[spoiler:Skinner and Elizabeth will get married]]. Mostly due to RuleOfFunny.
126** Allan, as shown in ''Allan Observes,'' has one of his own going on about what Skinner will look like when the invisibility is cured. He notes that he lost on the hair color, having guessed black, but correctly bet that Skinner has blue eyes.
127* SmugSnake: Ben Everett in the fourth volume.
128* SpeakNowOrForeverHoldYourPeace: [[spoiler:Skinner, at Elizabeth's forced marriage]] in the fourth volume. Played slightly for laughs, as the interruption arrives a little bit late and they con the minister into repeating the line to get the desired effect.
129* SpecialGuest: Quite a few literary characters make cameos, including Mycroft Holmes and Becky Thatcher.
130* StalkerWithACrush: Elizabeth has a particularly {{squick}}y one of these in the first volume; he's invisible to boot.
131* StuffBlowingUp: Mina's chemistry lab in the first volume. Allan, in the ''Allan Observes'' version, is only surprised that Elizabeth isn't the one at fault.
132* TrueCompanions: The League, increasingly.
133* UnbrokenVigil: When [[spoiler:Elizabeth is semi-comatose from excessively high fever, Skinner]] parks himself in the chair next to her bed and the rest of the League can't pry him out of it with a crowbar.
134* UnderTheMistletoe: [[spoiler:Skinner and Elizabeth]] end up there when dancing a polka on Christmas Day. It's left to the reader to decide whether this was intentional on his part or not.
135* UnusualEuphemism: In the Skinner version of volume IV, the villain makes a comment about [[spoiler:how he's going to "take the blush off your English rose." Skinner's]] reaction unsurprisingly violent.
136* VampireBitesSuck: Just ask Tom, Skinner, and Dr. Howard Carter.
137* WackyMarriageProposal: After getting out of jail in the fourth volume, Skinner asks Elizabeth if she wants to elope to mess with everyone else's heads. [[spoiler:The version from his point of view shows that he was secretly hoping she'd say yes.]]
138* WebSerialNovel: All told, the entire series rings in around 200,000 words.
139* WeddingFinale: [[spoiler:Skinner and Elizabeth]] marry in the very last chapter of volume V.
140* WeddingDeadline: In the fourth volume.
141* WeNeedToGetProof: Tom says this almost verbatim about how they're going to clear Skinner's name in the fourth volume.
142* WorldOfSnark: ''Allan Observes'' the story from what could be described as this.
143* TheXOfY
144* YouMustBeCold: When Elizabeth follows a troubled Skinner out into the rain in the third volume, he immediately throws his coat around her. Later in the same volume, he covers her with it while she sleeps.

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