Title: The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet
Author: Bernie Su and Kate Rorick
Publisher:
June
24th 2014 by Touchstone
ISBN: 1476763216 (ISBN13: 9781476763217)
Pages: 288
pages
Source of Book: ARC NetGalley ebook
Genre: contemporary, romance,
retelling
Synopsis:
A modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride
and Prejudice based on the Emmy Award-winning phenomenon, The
Lizzie Bennet Diaries.
There is a great deal that goes into making a video blog. Lizzie Bennet should know, having become a YouTube sensation over the course of her year-long video diary project. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries chronicled Lizzie’s life as a twenty-four-year-old grad student, struggling under a mountain of student loans and living at home with her two sisters; beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. What may have started as her grad student thesis grew into so much more, as the videos came to inform and reflect her life and that of her sisters. When rich, handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his stuck-up friend William Darcy, things really start to get interesting for the Bennet’s and for Lizzie’s viewers. Suddenly Lizzie who always considered herself a fairly normal young woman was a public figure. But not everything happened on-screen. Luckily for us, Lizzie kept a secret diary.
The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet provides more character introspection as only a book can, with revelatory details about the Bennet household, including Lizzie’s special relationship with her father, untold stories from Netherfield, Lizzie’s thoughts and fears about life after grad school and becoming an instant web celebrity.
There is a great deal that goes into making a video blog. Lizzie Bennet should know, having become a YouTube sensation over the course of her year-long video diary project. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries chronicled Lizzie’s life as a twenty-four-year-old grad student, struggling under a mountain of student loans and living at home with her two sisters; beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. What may have started as her grad student thesis grew into so much more, as the videos came to inform and reflect her life and that of her sisters. When rich, handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his stuck-up friend William Darcy, things really start to get interesting for the Bennet’s and for Lizzie’s viewers. Suddenly Lizzie who always considered herself a fairly normal young woman was a public figure. But not everything happened on-screen. Luckily for us, Lizzie kept a secret diary.
The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet provides more character introspection as only a book can, with revelatory details about the Bennet household, including Lizzie’s special relationship with her father, untold stories from Netherfield, Lizzie’s thoughts and fears about life after grad school and becoming an instant web celebrity.
My thoughts: (reviewed by Helen)
Okay,
never one to be at the forefront of what’s ‘hip’, I admit to jumping on the
“Lizzie Bennet” train late – way too late. Finally when the YouTube sensation
had crossed my path enough times I decided to check out a couple of videos
(each only ranging from about 3-4 minutes) – in a word “AWESOME” – loved them! Fortunately
fate would see me train jumping at maybe the right time after all, as two years
on from the online sensation the book has just been released *happy dance*.
I
say it right from the start, I love Pride and Prejudice and I am not afraid to
sample the plethora of material out there pertaining to the original, spin-offs
and modern adaptations. However, if you live and breathe everything about
Lizzie and Darcy and are open to a very modern and highly amusing adaptation,
then this is the book for you. The book does stand alone but obviously an
appreciation of the original Austen story and maybe a visual sighting of some
of the characters from the web series will very much enrich your experience.
And if you have already watched the web series you will not be disappointed as
so much more depth and detail and behind the scenes intrigue is contained in
this book.
The
very clever aspect of this book is how it faithfully follows plotlines and
moments of Pride & Prejudice. Faithfully, but with a modern retelling that
allows it to make more sense in the present day.
Darcy:
“I know you like to walk, but if you prefer, we can have the car ….”
Lizzie:
“No. It’s too nice a day to not walk”
And:
Ms
De Bourgh: “Do you go by Lizzie or Liz? …… Of course it’s Liz. No grown woman
would ever go by such a juvenile name as Lizzie”.
For
all its amusing anecdotes and re-enactments, there is still some really worthy
messages:
“Charlotte
sends her love …. No she’s not married yet … because she’s working very hard
and doesn’t need a man to define her”.
Or:
“I
have a lot of ambitions and dreams for what I want to do with my life: I want
to be able to effect change. To make at least my small corner of the world
better in some way. To inspire and be inspired."
If
you're a fan of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, then you must read this book! I
thoroughly enjoyed it as it gives the web series an added dimension; the two
really go hand in hand, complimenting each other and perpetuating the never
aging tale that is Pride & Prejudice.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating:
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