Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Seven: A Man Called Ove

Have you read A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman?  If not, you should definitely go and read it.  Immediately.  Yes, I liked it so much I was willing to use a sentence fragment there, for emphasis.  But really, A Man Called Ove is great, and I think most people who enjoy fiction will enjoy this read, a sleeper hit translated from the Swedish.  This story about a grumpy old (Swedish) man (the titular Ove) sucked me in right from page one: although the story is narrated in the third person, the narrator seems both in sympathy with Ove and a keen observer of him.  With a cast of interesting characters and an ever-increasing understanding of just why Ove might be so grumpy, I found this book to be really gripping--I hardly wanted to put it down even after I'd finished reading it!  I have a whole pile of unread books at home now, but sometime in the not-too-distant future, I'd definitely like to read Backman's other novels, and in the meantime, I'll recommend A Man Called Ove to anyone and everyone looking for a good story.

Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Six: The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet

Bear with me here: I will get to the book!  But first, some back story. So about half a year ago, one of my friends turned me onto Story Wonk, an amazing husband/wife team that, among other things, offers really great podcast seminars on some of my favorite books, including Harry Potter (the book two seminar starts next week!) and Pride and Prejudice.  While listening to the Pride and Prejudice seminar, the host mentioned a YouTube adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that he really liked, called The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.  I was skeptical.  A YouTube adaptation of Pride and Prejudice?  Set in modern-day California?  With no Mary or Kitty to speak of?  But the same friend who introduced me to Story Wonk, being I suppose less skeptical than I am, checked it out and assured me it really was good, and as soon as I saw the first episode, I was hooked!  And each episode is no more than five minutes long, so it's not much of a commitment.  In fact, I enjoyed this adaptation of Pride and Prejudice so much that when I saw a novel version of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries at the library, I had to check it out!

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick (both of whom were very involved in creating The Lizzie Bennet Diaries) covers much of the same content as the YouTube adaptation, but of course in a different format (written diary entries, rather than a vlog).  Consequently, we get more information about some events, but of course we don't get to actually see the events unfold.  Both versions of this retelling--on YouTube and in print--are detailed enough that each stands well on its own, and reading one or watching the other is really enough.  But if, like me, you're a compulsive re-reader or like returning to the things that bring you pleasure, then you'll probably enjoy checking out both versions of this retelling of Pride and Prejudice, which works way better than I thought it would.  Reinventing Lizzie as a grad student (saddled with debt, living at home) and Jane as a debt-ridden, underemployed 20-something (with Lydia, also at home, partying her way through community college) works way better than I thought it would, and puts the focus more on finding an ideal job than finding an ideal husband--at least for Jane and Lizzie.  Mrs. Bennet remains as fixated as ever on finding suitable marriage material, adding a layer of generational conflict to the plot.  I don't want to say too much more, because I hope you'll go watch or read it (or both), and I don't want to give too much away!  But this is definitely an interesting and fresh retelling of Pride and Prejudice, and I'd highly encourage fans of P&P or anyone who enjoys a good confessional-style story to go and give it a look.

Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Five: Eligible

So when I discovered that Curtis Sittenfeld was writing a modern version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice--and that somehow this retelling would take Austen's fairly short novel and expand it to nearly 500 pages--I was intrigued.  Having finally gotten my hands on a copy from the library, I enjoyed reading it so much that, sooner or later, I'll probably just buy myself a copy of it!  Not having actually read anything by Sittenfeld, but being generally familiar with the kind of books she writes, I was worried that Eligible would be too gritty or edgy a rendering of Pride and Prejudice for my taste, but I was pleasantly surprised by the warmth of the narration (not that it's sappy; it has its edgy moments, but they're not overwhelming nor do they detract from the overall mood).  Without giving too much away, all of the Bennett sisters have been aged up (ranging from 23 to 40 years old when our story begins) and the brunt of the story is set in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Darcy is a neurosurgeon; Liz writes for a NYC-based women's magazine.  Chip Bingley rose to fame on reality TV show Eligible (essentially The Bachelor), while Jane is a "penniless" yoga instructor.  Different enough from the original to keep me guessing at what exactly would happen next, but close enough to Pride and Prejudice to be thoroughly and immensely satisfying, I could hardly tear myself away from Eligible, and it left me with a lot to think over.  Whether you like Pride and Prejudice or you're just looking for a good, solid piece of realistic fiction, you'll definitely want to try Eligible.