Book Review- Curtis Sittenfeld's Eligible

Thank You to Random House for providing me with an advanced copy of Curtis Sittenfeld's latest novel, Eligible, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT - Eligible is Curtis Sittenfeld's modern retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Set in present day Cincinnati, Eligible follows our heroine, Liz Bennet, a late-thirties magazine writer, who has rushed home from her life in New York, to help her parents while her father  recovers from heart surgery. Liz's older sister, Jane, a yoga teacher has also returned home to help. The three younger Bennet sisters have never left the nest. Middle sister Mary, is a life long student and possible closet lesbian. The two youngest sisters, Lydia and Kitty, spend their days at a cros-fit studio, avoiding obtaining jobs. Liz's parents are in denial over their lack of income to keep their dilapidated mansion afloat. Is Liz the only Bennet facing reality?

None of the Bennet sisters are married, but Mrs. Bennet sees an opportunity when Chip Bingley, an eligible bachelor, comes to town. Bingley is a wealthy, handsome, well-connected doctor, who happens to be the star of the latest season of "Eligible", a dating reality show. Also in town, is Bingley's friend and fellow doctor, Fitzwilliam Darcy. Darcy is mysterious and aloof, attracting Liz, much to her dismay.

LIKE- Disclaimer, I'm a huge fan of Curtis Sittenfeld. She is one of my top-five favorite contemporary authors. I was beyond thrilled when Random House approved me for an advanced copy. I started reading with sky-high expectations.

I'm happy and relieved to report, that Sittenfeld did not disappoint with Eligible. Start to finish, Eligible is a fun ride and an excellent update to Pride and Prejudice. I can't imagine that many people will read Eligible without having read Pride and Prejudice ( although you can, it stands on its own), but a huge part of the fun is seeing the clever ways that Sittenfeld has updated Austen's classic story. It's brilliant.

The simple switch of raising the ages of the girls is a smart modernization. I'm the same age as the protagonist and I can relate to Liz's issues and frustrations. I see the way her parents act echoed in my own family and friend's parents. Much of this story is about the generation divide. Although Pride and Prejudice holds a special place in my heart, Eligible keeps the spirit of Austen's story, but makes it more relatable for a modern audience.

I got a kick out of the bachelor-esque reality show. The way it is woven into the plot provides plenty of laughs. Sittenfeld's Darcy is just as swoon-worthy as the original, maybe even more so. 

DISLIKE- Nothing. I realize that some people will probably look at Eligible and groan, "stop messing with Austen"...but seriously, as someone who buys just about anything Austen, Eligible is in another league. There are no zombies and Sittenfeld is an accomplished writer. This isn't a gimmick.

RECOMMEND- YES!!!!!  Eligible is another home run for Sittenfeld. If you're unfamiliar with Sittenfeld, I highly recommend that you stop what you're doing and get your hands on one of her novels. If you're an Austen fan, this is a must. 

Book Review- Curtis Sittenfelds' Sisterland

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The wait for Curtis Sittenfeld's Sisterland was a long one. I'm a huge fan of Sittenfeld's writing and her previous novel, American Wife, was released in 2008. As I said, it was a long wait! 

I was so excited over her new novel, that I saved it for my UK vacation and only started reading it when the moment was optimal and free from distractions. I knew that it was a book that I would really want to savor. 

Sisterland is the story of identical twins, Violet and Daisy, who share more than looks, they have psychic abilities. As adults, Daisy attempts to lead a normal surburban life as a stay-at-home mom and wife, keeping her abilities a secret. Violet is a complete contrast Daisy. She is single, a bit bohemian and makes a living as a psychic. Daisy finds her world turned upside down when Violet predicts an earthquake in their home town in Missouri and the prediction picks up steam in the local media. Daisy has to decide if supporting her sister and the prediction is worth the risk of having her quiet life destroyed. 

I'm an only child and the bond between siblings is a complete mystery to me. The bond between twins is even more foreign. The sibling bond was a primary theme of Sisterland. My favorite stories involve characters with lives so different from my own and on that level, this story was a winner. I have no psychic abilities (don't believe in them either), I'm not a mother and I don't live in the suburbs. This doesn't mean that the characters were not relatable as people, just that the story contained so many unfamiliar things to my own life.

I have to be honest and say that Sisterland has been my least favorite Sittenfeld novel.  That said, it's still a Sittenfeld novel and compared to a lot of other contemporary novels, a great read. If Sisterland had been her first novel, I would have been anxious for her followup. She's great at writing tense scenarios filled with biting dialogue. She writes characters with deep seeded secrets on the bubble of being exposed. Her novels are exciting to watch unfold.

She has a knack for writing characters that have really mortifying childhood stories.  Sittenfeld novels are filled with cringe-worthy moments. Daisy and Violet had a childhood filled with awkward middle-school moments. None of her books have been "Young Adult", but she knows how to write realistic YA characters. Reading her novels will make you recall some of your most embarrassing childhood memories.

Sittenfeld almost lost me right off the bat with an earthquake scene at the start of the novel. I grew up and currently live in Southern California and have been through several major Earthquakes (Whittier, Northridge). Daisy's response to the quake didn't ring true at all.

Luckily, soon after the quake chapter, I quickly became engrossed in the story. On a whole it was a quick read that kept my attention. I wavered a little towards the end of the story, when the pacing slowed down and the story arc became seemingly muddled. Ultimately though, the conclusion of the story was very satisfactory, it just took hind-sight to see where Sittenfeld was going with the entire thing.

I hope that Sittenfeld doesn't wait another five years for her next novel!