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.
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