Years ago I read a novel by Fenton called Lions and Liquorice and loved it. So I snapped this one up when I saw it in the Borders closing down sale. Be warned: it’s the same novel renamed for the US market. Not to worry, I didn’t own a copy and I enjoyed reading this again.

Here’s the blurb …

A clever and cunning modern day retelling of the adored Jane Austen novel

“Tall, dark, and arrogantly handsome—not to mention distinguished, powerful, and rolling in money. Mr. Darcy? No, that’s just the woman director of Pride and Prejudice,” reports Nicholas Llewellyn Bevan, impoverished novelist and occasional (reluctant) journalist, when a TV production company trundles into his sleepy North Yorkshire valley. Amusedly he watches these glamorous invaders combine the filming of Jane Austen’s romantic classic with the much less modest pursuit, off-camera, of real-life romances with the locals.

Under his very nose, his bashful handsome neighbor John is plucked out of a village dance by the famously gorgeous (and wealthy) leading actress, Candia Bingham, with whom he at once falls completely in love. Our would-be hero manages only to trip over the black-booted foot of the intimidating and imperious director, Mary Dance. So he’s amazed—and a little bit alarmed—when her steely eye seems to be straying his way.

A witty and entertaining update on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Austen fans old and new will adore Vanity and Vexation’s modern take on her sublime blueprint of the romance game complete with sex, money, and power. With an assured and respectful hand, in the context of the contemporary world, Kate Fenton has penned a riveting story with a hilarious twist.

After all, it is a truth universally acknowledged that Hollywood taking an interest—better still an option—in a novelist’s work is a surefire way to propel that novelist into serious sales figures and the bestseller lists.

If you are a Pride and Prejudice  fan, then you will enjoy this modern, gender swapping version. Mr Darcy is Mary Hamilton (or Mary Dance) a successful film director and Elizabeth Bennet is Llew Bevan an aspiring novelist. This novel contains another novel where Llew (or Nick as he is known in real life) is writing a modern gender swapping version of Pride and Prejudice – confused yet? It will make sense when you read it. All of the major events of Pride and Prejudice are replicated, for example, the Lydia character (Nick’s son Chris) is rescued from Bangkok by Mary Hamilton (and her father’s private jet).

It is cleverly done and a light, entertaining read.

The story is a bit dated – quite a bit of time is spent using pay phones, finding pay phones and running out of coins for pay phones! It is a shame it didn’t get updated for it’s re-release, although whole climax might not work if everyone had a mobile phone.

This is one of my favourite Pride and Prejudice re-workings.

More reviews …

There is a whole page of reviews at Pemberley.com

 http://janicu.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/vanity-and-vexation-a-novel-of-pride-and-prejudice-by-kate-fenton/

My local Angus and Robertsons has gone out of business, but the space now has one of those $5 book shops, which was where I found this novel. How could I not buy it?

Here’s the blurb …

Full of characters obsessed with Jane Austen and set in Jane Austen locations in England, this lively modern Jane Austen romantic comedy trilogy features two pairs of lonely hearts who find each other and themselves at a Jane Austen Addicts weekend.

Dr. Katherine Roberts is a Jane Austen lecturer at St Bridget’s College, Oxford, who secretly loves the racy Regency novels of Lorna Warwick. But Lorna is really a man who’s slowly been falling in love with Katherine. He’s hoping that the Jane Austen Addicts weekend will be the perfect opportunity to declare his feelings..

This was a light, entertaining and fun novel that didn’t take it self too seriously. I read it on a weekend and thoroughly enjoyed myself – it is escapist fiction, but the writing is good (and Ms Connelly didn’t try to replicate Austen’s style) and the author is obviously familiar with Austen’s novels.

This novel is a good romantic comedy (which is quite rare these days) and I have no hesitation in recommending it to fans of the romantic comedy genre (You don’t even need to be an Austen fan to enjoy this one).

More reviews …

http://austenprose.com/2011/07/06/a-weekend-with-mr-darcy-by-victoria-connelly-–-a-review/ 

http://savvyverseandwit.com/2011/07/a-weekend-with-mr-darcy-by-victoria-connelly.html

http://fansofjane.wordpress.com/2011/10/19/a-weekend-with-mr-darcy-by-victoria-connelly/ 

I’m not sure what happened to April, May and June – a nit of a gap in the Jane Austen reviews!

I think Austen fans read Austen related texts for different reasons. Some read it for the romance, others for the period detail and others (myself included) for the wit and beautiful prose. I admire anyone trying to emulate Austen. The fans are a tricky group quick to criticize and slow to praise.

Ms Saunders has re-worked Persuasion in a modern Californian setting. Here is the blurb …

Nearly eight years ago, Anne’s family, specifically her father, convinced her that she was too young to wed and insinuated that her fiancé Rick was solely interested in her wealth and status. Against her better judgment, Anne agreed to postpone the marriage, only to watch the love of her life walk away, never to be heard from again. Almost a decade later, still single and no longer wealthy, Anne struggles to make a name for herself designing greeting cards. Unable to move on with her life, she finds herself still emotionally bound to the man who disappeared the moment things didn’t go his way. Through a series of serendipitous events, however, Anne is reunited with her old love—just as a new beau enters the scene. Only time will tell if her heart can finally be set free to love again, or if Rick’s initial betrayal will leave her single…forever.

The plot follows Persuasion closely although with a modern twist. For example, Rick Wentworth is a successful novelist. The re-invention of some classic Austen scenes was very well-handled. In particular, the scene where Lady Dalrymple’s carriage collects Miss Eliott and Mrs Clay, but there is no room for Anne, because it is raining is replaced with Elizabeth’s car breaking down and Missy Dee arriving just in time to save Elizabeth and Susan.

If you love Austen for the romance, then this is the novel for you.

Here is the author’s website which has links to other reviews.

This novel is based on Sense and Sensibility. I have been disappointed in the past with sequels, prequels, etc, but being eternally hopeful (or just wanting more Austen) I’m always prepared to try another one.

Here’s a synopsis

Jane Austen’s beloved Sense and Sensibilityhas moved to Westport, Connecticut, in this enchanting modern-day homage to the classic novelWhen Joseph Weissmann divorced his wife, he was seventy eight years old and she was seventy-five . . . He said the words “Irreconcilable differences,” and saw real confusion in his wife’s eyes.“Irreconcilable differences?” she said. “Of course there are irreconcilable differences. What on earth does that have to do with divorce?”Thus begins The Three Weissmanns of Westport, a sparkling contemporary adaptation of Sense and Sensibility from the always winning Cathleen Schine, who has already been crowned “a modern-day Jewish Jane Austen” by People’s Leah Rozen.In Schine’s story, sisters Miranda, an impulsive but successful literary agent, and Annie, a pragmatic library director, quite unexpectedly find themselves the middle-aged products of a broken home. Dumped by her husband of nearly fifty years and then exiled from their elegant New York apartment by his mistress, Betty is forced to move to a small, run-down Westport, Connecticut, beach cottage. Joining her are Miranda and Annie, who dutifully comes along to keep an eye on her capricious mother and sister. As the sisters mingle with the suburban aristocracy, love starts to blossom for both of them, and they find themselves struggling with the dueling demands of reason and romance.

I enjoyed reading this novel. The author didn’t try to emulate Austen’s style but took the situation (mother and two sisters in reduced circumstances) and made a whole new (modern) story from it.

It is one of the better re-interpretations that I have read.

Here are some reviews …

http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/the-three-weissmanns-of-westport-by-cathleen-schine-a-review/

http://mrsodellreads.com/2010/06/23/the-three-weissmanns-of-westport-by-cathleen-schine-review/

http://austenblog.com/2010/06/07/review-the-three-weissmanns-of-westport-by-cathleen-schine/

In the second episode Amanda tells Mr Bingley she is a lesbian (to avoid his advances). She entertains Mr Darcy, Mr Bingley and Miss Bingley with a rendition of Downtown – unfortunately this is edited from the DVD – you can find it at Youtube.

Returning to Netherfield they encounter Wickham when their carriage breaks down and he comes to their rescue. Mr Collins visits Longbourn, Amanda tells Miss Bingley that she has ‘£27 000′ a year, she becomes engaged to Mr Collins (to stop Jane from marrying him), Mr Wickham tells everyone she is the daughter of a fishmonger, Mr Collins breaks of the engagement, she ‘assaults’ him and Jane marries Mr Collins. It is all going horribly wrong.

Some great moments …

Amanda telling Mr Bingley she is a lesbian

Mr Bingley: I am drawn to you! I am a man.

Amanda: And I am a woman! And I am drawn … to other women.

Mr Bingley: You mean there really are ladies who… steer the punt from the Cambridge end?

After Amanda sings Downtown

Mr Bingley: Brava, Miss Price! And whenever life is gettin’ me down, I shall be sure to go ‘downtown’. Eh, Darcy?

Mr Darcy: With alacrity

I think it’s extremely clever the way the plot is spiraling out of control.

It has  been my experience that Austen fans fall into two groups; those who admire her brilliance, read and re-read her novels and are amazed that other writers would even dare to try to imitate her style, then there is the other group who love the characters, the period setting, they want to know what happened afterwards and they read sequels, prequels, re-tellings etc.

If you are in the first group, then this novel is not for you. Ms Hox’s writing is very different to Austen’s. However, if you love the characters and want to know how Darcy and Elizabeth interacted after their engagement, then you will enjoy this story.

Here is the blurb …

Would Pride and Prejudice have been different if Colonel Fitzwilliam had accompanied Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy to Netherfield?

What would happen if Mr. Darcy made friends with a mysterious member of the Meryton neighborhood who refuses an introduction but who has a close relationship with the Bennet household?

Elizabeth Bennet, the second of five daughters to Mr. Thomas Bennet has caught the attention of the rich and handsome Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy almost from the moment he laid eyes on her, but when he purposefully misinterprets her families expectation of her marrying well and slights her in a way unknown to those who have always loved Jane Austen’s acclaimed Pride and Prejudice, he must leave forever or make amends. Sulking in the library he determines to leave the place and give her up, but is waylaid by a member of the Meryton neighborhood who claims an intimate acquaintance with the Bennet family and offers up advice on how to win Elizabeth’s heart.

Longbourn’s Unexpected Matchmaker puts a spin on Pride and Prejudice that no one would ever expect as Colonel Fitzwilliam attends Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy to Netherfield, Elizabeth Bennet is witty enough to detect the motives of Mr. Darcy’s long time enemy Lieutenant Wickham and Georgiana Darcy is bold enough to defy her brother and cousin and comes to Meryton in the midst of a storm. Not to mention Caroline Bingley, Lieutenant Wickham and Lady Catherine are all working against our hero and heroine ever finding their own happily ever after.

I like a good ‘what if’ scenario. I thought Lost in Austen (the recent television series where Amanda Price a modern day heroine swaps places with Elizabeth Bennet via a door in her (Amanda’s) bathroom) very witty and clever. In this scenario Colonel Fitzwilliam is also part of the Netherfield party and Mr Bennet develops an anonymous friendship with Mr Darcy where he provides much insight into the Bennet family. For example, he explains why Jane and Elizabeth are superior in manners and education to their younger sisters, why the estate is entailed on Mr Collins and why Elizabeth is ‘no horse woman’.

Mr Bennet plays a much larger role in this version of the Pride and Prejudice story being the titular matchmaker. I’ve always thought highly of Mr Bennet – yes he is indolent and shows his lack of respect for his silly wife, but he loves Elizabeth and Jane and he is clever and witty. Besides, in this verison, I liked his sparring with Mr Darcy.

Like many of the recent television and movie adaptations of Austen, this retelling gives you much more of the male perspective. Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr Darcy have many serious conversations (thus revealing important plot points)  plus the story is occasionally seen from Mr Darcy’s point of view.

As you can imagine, once Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr Bennet ‘s roles change then the whole chain of events is altered. Elizabeth and Mr Darcy quickly fall in love, as do Mr Bingley and Jane. Mr Wickham is still a villain; even more so in this version because we know he is evil right from the start (we overhear a conversation between Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr Darcy describing his attempt to elope with Georgiana) unlike the original where we (the reader) along with Elizabeth  accept surface appearances.

Ms Hox uses a mix of Austen’s dialogue and her own. She also changes which characters say what, for example Colonel Fitzwilliam rather than Mr Darcy says the following …

“Your list of the common extent of accomplishments,” [...] “has too much truth. The word is applied to many a woman who deserves it no otherwise than by netting a purse or covering a screen. But I’m very far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general. I cannot boast of knowing more than  half a dozen who are truly accomplished.”

In fact the dialogue in this novel is very weak. It is stilted and wooden and entirely lacking in any kind of wit. For example,

“Thank you, Mr Darcy, I would be pleased to accompany you if you are indeed seeking my presence despite my recent unladylike display.”

Darcy chuckled at her response. “Yes, I am indeed seeking your presence after your unladylike display. In fact it is that unladylike display I would speak to you about.”

Elizabeth cringed “Mr Darcy, I apologise that you were made to witness …”

“Miss Bennet.”

“The inappropriate manner in which …”

You get the picture.

The writing is quite poor which is a shame because it detracts from an interesting and imaginative plot. There is also too much ‘telling rather than showing’ which I’m sure is a cardinal writing error. I know it has been re-edited, but there are still a few distracting errors, for example…

Before she could make it there, Darcy was on his feet with Elizabeth in his, embarrassment now being the furtherest from her mind as she felt his warm lips upon hers.

In his what?

And this sentence is just awkard (Austen is never akward) …

“Now, let us ready for breakfast to futher occupy ourselves”.

To my mind this was a first draft (a bit like First Impressions) which should have been put away and re-worked at a later date.

Having said that, the relationship between Elizabeth and Mr Darcy is lovely and will satisfy many a romantic and once the plot moved beyond Pride and Prejudice territory I enjoyed it much more – in fact I think Ms Hox should write a regency romance (in the style of Georgette Heyer) independent of Austen (does that make me sound like James Stanier Clarke?).

This novel was dreadful! If you enjoy Jane Austen novels, then avoid this like the plague! This review is going to be short because I don’t want to waste any more time on this book.

The relationship between the heroine and hero followed that of Elizabeth and Darcy quite nicely, if somewhat obviously, but the time travelling (or was it a drug/alcohol fueled hallucination) Darcy episodes were horrendous.