Book review: Oh, that Mr. Darcy…

There are lots of reasons to recommend Curtis Sittenfeld’s Eligible to you. First, it is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, that pioneer of the romantic comedy genre. The writing and the humor are fresh and lively. While it is a longish read, it’s broken into many very short chapters, which kept me turning virtual pages on my Kindle long past my bedtime.

If you’ve read P&P or even seen any of the cinematic treatments, you will recognize members of the Bennet family and the rest of the quirky cast. Darcy and Liz take an instant dislike to each other, of course. Bingley is a recent contestant on a Bachelor-like show, called—what else?–“Eligible.” Even Lady Catherine de Bourgh shows up as Kathy, a Gloria Steinem-like icon of feminism.

The inciting incident here is Mr. Bennet’s heart attack. Liz Bennet, a journalist, and sister Jane, a yoga instructor, are in their late thirties, single, and living in New York City. Their father’s illness and recovery bring them back to their Cincinnati home, which is in a sad state of disrepair. While Mr. Bennet remains sardonic, he is unable to see a way out of the mounting financial difficulties which have caught him by surprise. Mrs. Bennet is still petty and worried about appearances. Her prejudices are only lightly veiled and she appears to have developed a problem with catalogue shopping and hoarding. The younger sisters have remained at home. Reclusive Mary is always studying, except for a mysterious Tuesday night commitment. Lydia and Kitty are unemployed, unmannerly, and vain.

Since what was shocking in Regency Era England, might be pretty ho-hum today, all the scandals and social issues have been updated. Think IVF, LGBT, CrossFit, reality TV, and what can happen to a family’s wealth when they don’t have health insurance. Oh, and there is a lot more casual sex. Even “hate sex.”

I found Eligible to be great fun.