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Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Endurance of Pride & Prejudice
You might have seen other posts and news articles out there this week marking the 200th Anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
Now I am not a huge fan of Austen's writing style myself, but the story she created with Pride and Prejudice is remarkable. She was able to create a mash up of social commentary and romance in a way that still resonates with readers today.
There is an entire industry of Jane Austen fan fiction. Use this link to access the GoodReads main page for all things tagged and shelved as "Austen Inspired;" you could spend hours there.
This week, the USA Today's Book Section had this article about why people still love the novel. It really is an excellent analysis. It is worth a look even if you don't think you like P and P because it reminds us that it has influenced so much in our lives. [The Kardashians as the modern day Bennet sisters?]
These videos retell the entire novel set in present day California. Lizzie is a graduate student, her older sister Jane is a sensitive young woman working in the fashion industry, and little sister Lydia is a party girl. All the characters are there, and all of the places; although Pemberley is no longer an estate it is a tech company. And the story is told over multiple media platforms.
Even though I know what is going to happen, I love watching these videos. Following the story into other charcaters' channels and websites increases my enjoyment too. I feel like secondary characters, such as Lydia, are allowed to stretch their wings and grow in ways the novel never allowed for. The videos also capture the social commentary and universal human nature issues that Austen did such a great job bringing to light 200 years ago.
But you can also enjoy the Lizzie Bennet Diaries without any knowledge of the source material. I have embedded the first episode at the end of this post, but I apologize in advance if it sucks you in as it did for me. At least I started when there were only 25 episodes already out. Now it is in the 80s!
So what about you? Does P and P have any relevance in your life today?
Bio: Becky Spratford [MLIS] is a Readers' Advisor in Illinois specializing in serving patrons ages 13 and up. She trains library staff all over the world on how to match books with readers through the local public library. She runs the critically acclaimed RA training blog RA for All. She is under contract to provide content for EBSCO’s NoveList database and writes reviews for Booklist and a horror review column for Library Journal. Becky is a 23 year locally elected Library Trustee [still serving], a former Board member for the Reaching Across Illinois Library System, and currently on the Executive Board of the Illinois Library Association. Known for her work with horror readers, Becky is the author of The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Horror, Third Edition [ALA Editions, 2021] and the forthcoming Why I Love Horror and You Should Too [Saga Press, Sept 2025]. She is on the Shirley Jackson Award Advisory Board and is a proud member of the Horror Writers Association, currently serves as the Association’s Secretary and Co-Chair of their Library Committee. You can follow Becky on X @RAforAll.
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