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- Sally Smith O'Rourke's The Man Who Loved Jane Austen

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I have a rant. However, before I rant, I need to state that I did not find anything technically wrong with Sally Smith O'Rourke's novel, The Man Who Loved Jane Austen. The story is solid and the characters are more or less developed. O'Rourke's novel is an easy read and I feel like she probably is a decent writer. I would give her another chance if she writes a book on a different subject.

O'Rourke's novel follows an artist named Eliza, who buys an antique vanity table and discovers letters written by author Jane Austen, hidden inside. In the process of trying to get the letters authenticated, Eliza meets a mysterious man, who is desperate to acquire the letters and has a very bizarre story.

Admittedly, I didn't see the twist that came 1/3 into the story. I wish that the twist had played out in a less conventional manner. 

Now the rant...

This book was recommended to me by a close friend, whom after I acquired the book, admitted that it wasn't that good. She just liked it based on the subject matter, tending to read anything involving Jane Austen. I love Jane Austen, but I find all of the Jane Austen mania to be tiresome.

O'Rourke's novel is another book to add to the long list of overly sentimental, Jane Austen themed crap. I think what bothers me the most about these modern Jane Austen books, is that they nearly always obsessive over the romantic parts of Austen's books, in particular, Pride and Prejudice. 

I feel like behind everyone one of these books is an author who needs to get their personal literary obsessions on the page. They don't add anything new to the genre and lack creativity.

I find it irritating that the focus is on the romance, rather than Austen's wit and social observations.

O'Rourke's book drove me extra nuts, because her modern characters were like caricatures of Austen's characters. I see what O'Rourke tried to do by having the modern characters mirror Jane's fictitious ones, but it never quite worked. Eliza, is often completely unlikeable in her superior attitude and the turning point where we are supposed to warm to her, never quite happens. I don't buy her connection with Darcy for a second. Darcy is just too weird and too perfect to be believed.

I feel like this is a fairytale, lacking all depth and meaning. The last few chapters with the Rose Ball were an overkill fantasy sequence. 

Maybe lovers of romance novels with Fabio on the cover will love this book?