It is a truth universally acknowledged that true classics cannot be improved upon.
However sometimes they can be updated and adapted (bent?) and enjoyed all over again in a different form - first I must say that Pride and Prejudice is one of my all-time favorite books and I'm very very familiar with all the major plot points. I've read the book repeatedly and have seen the BBC version of the story a score of times with the later version featuring Keira Knightley at least a dozen times as well.
When I learned that there was an m/m version set in modern times, I simply HAD to read it. But I was as ready for disappointment as I could be. How does one update the ultimate "chick-lit" classic about regency era women's property rights and marriage without mangling it irreparably?
This book does it! While it will never be as great as the original on which it's based, it is a fun new twist on many of the story elements for true fans, if not for Austen purists. It's clear that the adaptation was done in a loving and clever manner... and with no zombies!
The five Bennet sisters become the five Bennet brothers with Jaime and Liam as the two oldest rather than Jane and Lizzie. And when Bingley Corporation rents nearby Netherfield Hall for a cocktail reception/product unveiling party, the fun is on. But this homage to the original is more than just names and plot points. Yes, Jamie Bennet does get an internship at Bingley Corporation. When one learns that Jamie is the only "out" Bennet brother, one has to laugh as one ponders just how much differently the term "out" once was.
The one character that has seemingly changed the least is Lady Catherine de Bourgh but then would anyone who knows P&P expect that crusty old harridan to be changed by only a century and a half? Just as her confrontation with Lizzie in the original is epic, her face-off with Liam is gut-wrenchingly funny.
Charlotte and Mr. Collins have their moments as Wickham and the youngest Bennet, now renamed Nathan. Even Georgiana has her part to play but her role has morphed the most.
This book will not be to everyone's taste. (I'm sure that the Austen purists will hate it) But for me it was fun romp through familiar environs and fresh way to enjoy a favorite classic. I suggest that you read it and decide for yourself.
However sometimes they can be updated and adapted (bent?) and enjoyed all over again in a different form - first I must say that Pride and Prejudice is one of my all-time favorite books and I'm very very familiar with all the major plot points. I've read the book repeatedly and have seen the BBC version of the story a score of times with the later version featuring Keira Knightley at least a dozen times as well.
When I learned that there was an m/m version set in modern times, I simply HAD to read it. But I was as ready for disappointment as I could be. How does one update the ultimate "chick-lit" classic about regency era women's property rights and marriage without mangling it irreparably?
This book does it! While it will never be as great as the original on which it's based, it is a fun new twist on many of the story elements for true fans, if not for Austen purists. It's clear that the adaptation was done in a loving and clever manner... and with no zombies!
The five Bennet sisters become the five Bennet brothers with Jaime and Liam as the two oldest rather than Jane and Lizzie. And when Bingley Corporation rents nearby Netherfield Hall for a cocktail reception/product unveiling party, the fun is on. But this homage to the original is more than just names and plot points. Yes, Jamie Bennet does get an internship at Bingley Corporation. When one learns that Jamie is the only "out" Bennet brother, one has to laugh as one ponders just how much differently the term "out" once was.
The one character that has seemingly changed the least is Lady Catherine de Bourgh but then would anyone who knows P&P expect that crusty old harridan to be changed by only a century and a half? Just as her confrontation with Lizzie in the original is epic, her face-off with Liam is gut-wrenchingly funny.
Charlotte and Mr. Collins have their moments as Wickham and the youngest Bennet, now renamed Nathan. Even Georgiana has her part to play but her role has morphed the most.
This book will not be to everyone's taste. (I'm sure that the Austen purists will hate it) But for me it was fun romp through familiar environs and fresh way to enjoy a favorite classic. I suggest that you read it and decide for yourself.
