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A review by aurigae
Meet the Benedettos by Katie Cotugno
5.0
Meet the Benedettos is an engrossing, witty, touching retelling of Pride and Prejudice, in which Jane Austen's characters are transmuted into contemporary actors and celebrities. The transformation is done with wit and insight, giving some of the characters modern trappings to the personalities Austen gave them (Kitty and Lydia are influencers, of course) while others are transformed in ways that will satisfy contemporary Austenites (I particularly loved the reinterpretation of Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins).
I don't usually enjoy romances involving movie stars, and I don't know anything about the Kardashians. But specific trappings of celebrity are not a big part of this story; the Benedettos' fame is mostly a proxy for the social approbation (or disapprobation) that's such a big part of Austen's world. At the same time, the author lets the modern elements of her adaptation take on their own life, giving the characters career aspirations and insecurities and backstories. in that way, Meet the Benedettos becomes both a delightful riff on Austen's work and something more, a romantic comedy about the boxes we put others in and the ones we build for ourselves.
[I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley. Opinions are my own.]
I don't usually enjoy romances involving movie stars, and I don't know anything about the Kardashians. But specific trappings of celebrity are not a big part of this story; the Benedettos' fame is mostly a proxy for the social approbation (or disapprobation) that's such a big part of Austen's world. At the same time, the author lets the modern elements of her adaptation take on their own life, giving the characters career aspirations and insecurities and backstories. in that way, Meet the Benedettos becomes both a delightful riff on Austen's work and something more, a romantic comedy about the boxes we put others in and the ones we build for ourselves.
[I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley. Opinions are my own.]