For my last book club pick, I went with Curtis Sittenfeld's Eligible. Not because I'm a Jane Austen fan, but because I'm a fan of Sittenfeld's Romantic Comedy. Eligible is (probably?) the latest in the many modern takes on Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Which gave me pause because -- and please don't send hate mail -- I've never liked that book. I found Elizabeth Bennett kind of cold and Austen's writing tedious. I know, I know. It's a classic, not to mention the archetype for every romantic comedy ever. Even the famously critical Sheldon Cooper couldn't argue its excellence when trying to denigrate things Amy Farrah Fowler loved on The Big Bang Theory, conceding, "He has too much pride, she has too much prejudice. It just works." That said, I was intrigued by Eligible as a pop culture comment on a novel that's never far from the zeitgeist.
And you know what? It was a hoot. This time Elizabeth is a New York City-based women's magazine writer. Her big sis Jane is a yoga instructor and lives in the Big Apple too, and their three younger sisters Mary, Kitty, and Lydia are unemployed and live with their parents in a crumbling mansion in Cincinnati. I always knew that Mr. and Mrs. Bennet were caricatures, but I never appreciated just how laughable they are until Sittenfeld reincarnated them as a health insurance objector and shopaholic hoarder. Even Elizabeth's dislike for Darcy rings truer when she overhears him disparaging her hometown to his bestie and Jane's love interest Bingley. Darcy, by the way, is an ER doc, a role that imbues him with all the arrogant pomp he needs to do his namesake justice. Not only that, but he's still super rich and master of Pemberley.
But it's not just the characters that emerge as more vivid. I really enjoyed the language. It's just dry enough, sharpened by wit and insight and, yes, heart to echo the vibe of the original in a way that doesn't, as I like to say, "stick in your throat." Add some very present-day social scenarios, all of which reveal Elizabeth to, surprise surprise, be the most traditional as well as the most forward-thinking of the Bennetts, and you have a silken satire.
So hats (bonnets?) off to you, Curtis Sittenfeld, for softening my misinformed prejudice toward this timeless title.
Maybe I'm a little like Elizabeth after all.
3 comments:
Such a delightful review. Great to know how this novel came about. I am so glad it is written in this language as well..since that put me off the most with Pride and prejudice. 💛🍋💚🍀🍋💛💚🍀Thank you so much for your comments! Oh, I have a feeling I will be on the phone this morning trying to find a new doctor who can see me earlier than the appointment I have. Hopefully, we will get the library tagging done soon. Although, now..the tagging will always happen, but not to these great strides of unloading shelves just to load them back up again after the security procedure. 🍀💚🍀💚🍀💚🍀💚 All the best to your March reading list!
I am a fan of Jane Austen, and I really did like Pride and Prejudice. Sheldon was right. It just works. That said, the way you have described this book has me eager to read it. I’m midway through a book currently, but I’m going to look for this to read next. It sounds like an absolute delight.
You know, I've never read Pride and Prejudice, but considering there is so much influence in pop culture (an entire dedication to it is currently on Hallmark this month, featuring movies influenced by Jane Austen) - maybe I need to give it a read sometime just to see what it's all about! This sounds like a cool book and a cool nod to the Pride and Prejudice characters, and I really like how you styled the photo! 💍💖
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