Like Pride and Prejudice

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, September 2007; written by Lisa Pearson.

Our copy of “Pride and Prejudice” has been checked out twice as often – in the same amount of time - as “Thinner” by Stephen King. Not only can Jane Austen’s 194-year-old novel hold its own on the shelves with modern bestsellers, but it has also inspired dozens of adaptations, sequels, and retellings. If you enjoyed the original, you might find some of these modern versions entertaining. And if you were left cold by Austen’s 19th century prose, then perhaps you would prefer the storyline in a more updated setting. Basically, if you have an ounce of romantic feeling, one of our myriad adaptations of “Pride and Prejudice” (hereafter referred to as P&P) should interest you.

The author who adheres most strongly to the Austen tradition is Pamela Aiden, whose “Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman” trilogy retells the P&P story from his point of view. Why exactly did stuffy Mr. Darcy fall in love with Elizabeth? And what internal struggles did he go through when she rejected his initial marriage proposal? These questions and more are answered in a style that very closely matches Austen’s own. In fact, large chunks of dialog between Elizabeth and Darcy are taken verbatim from P&P. This is a very satisfying series, although some of the accessory plotlines in the second volume are downright bizarre.

“Presumption: an entertainment” also attempts to follow the Austen style, although the plot is entirely new. Julia Barrett (the penname of authors Gabrielle Donnelly and Julia Braun Kessler) imagines what life was like with the Darcy, Bennet, Bingley and Collins families after everyone was happily married off. Romance for Darcy’s wounded young sister, new scandals for the Bennet family, and the further iniquities of Mr. Wickham fill the pages of this novel.

If the idea of reading about pelisses and phaetons makes your eyes cross, then perhaps you would like a more modern version of P&P. The most popular – and perhaps the one that prompted the renewed interest in Jane Austen – is “Bridget Jones’s Diary” by Helen Fielding. Bridget is nothing like Elizabeth Bennet, but there is an aloof Mr. Darcy, lots of miscommunication, and romance simmering under the surface. The quintessential ‘chick lit’ novel, it’s a lot of fun and a breezy read.

“Vanity and Vexation”, by Kate Fenton, takes the P&P plot and switches the genders. Our hero Llew is a small-town journalist in North Yorkshire and the snooty role is taken on by sophisticated director Mary Dance, who has blown in from London to film a TV production of Pride and Prejudice (get the joke?).

If you have never read Pride and Prejudice – and thank you for sticking with me this far – then you might want to ease yourself into the story by watching it on film. Just like the variety of printed versions, we have more than one film version to choose from: a 1987 BBC production starring David Rintoul and Elizabeth Garvie, the 1995 miniseries starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, and the 2006 motion picture starring Matthew Macfadyen and Keira Knightly. Other productions may have better supporting actors, but the Colin Firth version is the best and most satisfying overall. We even have a Bollywood-style adaptation titled “Bride and Prejudice”.

If you have read and seen all of these versions, as well as Austen’s other works and you still can’t get enough, then don’t despair. I heartily recommend the historical novels of Georgette Heyer. Painstakingly accurate and full of period detail, Heyer’s books are also well written and display witty, intelligent dialogue (the hardest part of Regency novels for modern writers to get right). Heyer began writing in the 1920’s, and her books are both old-fashioned and readable. They are perfect for preteens, as they do not contain the explicit sexual encounters common in modern Regency novels. They are also perfect for anyone who is interested in social interactions and character development. She gives you a real feel for the Regency period without interfering with the pacing of the story. She is one of my favorite writers, and a nice substitute for Jane Austen. So pour yourself a cup of tea – or madeira – and check her out.