miraleighv's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kazuesohma's review against another edition
1.0
I'm not an Austen fanatic but I have read and enjoyed Pride and Prejudice. I tried my best not to let my opinions on the original influence my opinion of this adaptation. Unfortunately, “Eligible” is a terrible book all on its own even without being compared to its stellar source material.
~~~Spoilers~~~
The book starts off with Jane and Elizabeth (aged up to be in their late thirties), sharing a larger than necessary apartment in New York City paid for by their parents (!) (Makes sense because a yoga instructor and a writer for a women's magazine can hardly afford an NYC apartment). That detail should have immediately tipped me off to the amount of entitlement to come. In this book the Bennetts are an upper-middle class family from the Midwest who prioritize country club memberships over mortgage payments. The Mrs. Bennett of 'Eligible' is not the quirky, overeager, social-faux pas-committing yet ultimately well-meaning mother featured in the original. Instead, she is blatantly racist, transphobic, homophobic, and antisemitic which make her character both repugnant and completely unsympathetic. Mrs. Bennett's vile views remain unchecked in the narrative and are written off as 'quirky Midwesternisms.' The treatment of black characters by the writer is appalling and reminiscent of tokenism.
Perhaps the most egregious error the book commits is in the treatment of its trans character, Ham. He is the stand-in for Mr. Wickham, the primary villain in the original novel. While he is not an antagonist in this adaptation, he is portrayed as deceptive and made to apologize for "hiding" the fact that he’s trans from the extended Bennett family. He has to prove his "normalcy" to the family before being accepted for who he is. Darcy's 'grand gesture of kindness' in this book is reduced to a few sentences about how he convinced Mrs. Bennett that Ham was not abnormal because "being trans is a birth defect like a cleft palate". The author's superficial explanation that such an argument is "not very politically correct" does little to make up for the damage done by such harmful stereotypes and backwards characterization.
There are other such offenses peppered throughout the book. Homophobic jokes are constantly made at a Mary Bennet's expense and the speculation regarding her sexuality by the other characters is shoddily lampshaded by the bizarre epilogue chapter. The mention of anorexia in reference to Georgina (Georgie) Darcy is completely unnecessary and comes off as salacious. The reality TV element is cringe-inducing and the love at first sight aspect of Jane and Bingley's relationship is unconvincing in a contemporary setting. While the sisters were aged up to appeal to modern-day sensibilities, they behave extremely immaturely. Jane is forty and desperate to be a mother yet is financially dependent on her parents and is laughably cavalier with her spending. Elizabeth writes for a struggling magazine for a living and has been having a 10-year affair with a married man who treats her poorly. She seemingly does not care about her job as evidenced by her not taking an important interview because she was "not feeling like it". Her behavior throughout the novel is emblematic of white-privilege and even when she tries to mend her behavior, it seems disingenuous. We are told repeatedly that Elizabeth is a "strong, independent woman" yet almost all the pivotal decisions in her life are made for the men in her life. Liz is self-righteous and embodies the 'not like other girls' trope perfectly. Suffice it to say that she is a far cry from the Elizabeth Bennett of Pride and Prejudice.
This book would have headed straight into the lighthearted romp category if not for the disrespectful characterization of those who are not straight, cis, white, christian, and rich. I wish I had skipped this book and spent that time staring at my ceiling instead. Pretty sure I would have been less enraged.
~~~Spoilers~~~
The book starts off with Jane and Elizabeth (aged up to be in their late thirties), sharing a larger than necessary apartment in New York City paid for by their parents (!) (Makes sense because a yoga instructor and a writer for a women's magazine can hardly afford an NYC apartment). That detail should have immediately tipped me off to the amount of entitlement to come. In this book the Bennetts are an upper-middle class family from the Midwest who prioritize country club memberships over mortgage payments. The Mrs. Bennett of 'Eligible' is not the quirky, overeager, social-faux pas-committing yet ultimately well-meaning mother featured in the original. Instead, she is blatantly racist, transphobic, homophobic, and antisemitic which make her character both repugnant and completely unsympathetic. Mrs. Bennett's vile views remain unchecked in the narrative and are written off as 'quirky Midwesternisms.' The treatment of black characters by the writer is appalling and reminiscent of tokenism.
Perhaps the most egregious error the book commits is in the treatment of its trans character, Ham. He is the stand-in for Mr. Wickham, the primary villain in the original novel. While he is not an antagonist in this adaptation, he is portrayed as deceptive and made to apologize for "hiding" the fact that he’s trans from the extended Bennett family. He has to prove his "normalcy" to the family before being accepted for who he is. Darcy's 'grand gesture of kindness' in this book is reduced to a few sentences about how he convinced Mrs. Bennett that Ham was not abnormal because "being trans is a birth defect like a cleft palate". The author's superficial explanation that such an argument is "not very politically correct" does little to make up for the damage done by such harmful stereotypes and backwards characterization.
There are other such offenses peppered throughout the book. Homophobic jokes are constantly made at a Mary Bennet's expense and the speculation regarding her sexuality by the other characters is shoddily lampshaded by the bizarre epilogue chapter. The mention of anorexia in reference to Georgina (Georgie) Darcy is completely unnecessary and comes off as salacious. The reality TV element is cringe-inducing and the love at first sight aspect of Jane and Bingley's relationship is unconvincing in a contemporary setting. While the sisters were aged up to appeal to modern-day sensibilities, they behave extremely immaturely. Jane is forty and desperate to be a mother yet is financially dependent on her parents and is laughably cavalier with her spending. Elizabeth writes for a struggling magazine for a living and has been having a 10-year affair with a married man who treats her poorly. She seemingly does not care about her job as evidenced by her not taking an important interview because she was "not feeling like it". Her behavior throughout the novel is emblematic of white-privilege and even when she tries to mend her behavior, it seems disingenuous. We are told repeatedly that Elizabeth is a "strong, independent woman" yet almost all the pivotal decisions in her life are made for the men in her life. Liz is self-righteous and embodies the 'not like other girls' trope perfectly. Suffice it to say that she is a far cry from the Elizabeth Bennett of Pride and Prejudice.
This book would have headed straight into the lighthearted romp category if not for the disrespectful characterization of those who are not straight, cis, white, christian, and rich. I wish I had skipped this book and spent that time staring at my ceiling instead. Pretty sure I would have been less enraged.
libbypittman's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
katylang's review against another edition
3.0
Falls flatter than the original but I enjoyed exploring the "modern day" characters. Even tho Lizzy tries to be "woke" to the reader, the use of a transgender person as a plot point is really icky.
floribunda52's review against another edition
4.0
A very quick read, perfect for summer, and for anyone who has read and loved (and re-read) Pride and Prejudice!
sandeestarlite's review against another edition
2.0
I get that this is (I hope) a parody. Pieces of the writing are engrossing enough for me to try another by the author but the overall story didn’t catch me with the rich white people.
rjvrtiska's review against another edition
1.0
The Kardashians could do this better. I quit after listening to 21%, 3 hours in. I’m an Austen fan, and immensely enjoyed the Clueless movie. I was hoping for a similarly creative reinterpretation of the classic here. Instead, I don’t care for any of the characters, nor what happens to them, which is notably problematic since I generally know what happens. Austen’s genius is creating flawed characters who the reader cares deeply about, generally because they care deeply about each other. No character here had an altruistic bone in their body. Jane’s female characters dreamed and schemed because there are so few options available to them. Sittenfeld’s characters had every option available and schemed in pettiness anyway.