It is a truth universally acknowledged in these parts that I am a sucker for Jane Austen retellings. They’re not all created equal. Some are good, some not so much, but I can’t resist trying. Retellings offer readers a safety net: you get to enjoy a familiar story and see how the author reinterpreted the original. Puzzling through a retelling rarely lets me down, even if the new spin on a familiar story doesn’t quite live up to my expectations.
It’s fascinating to see how today’s authors reinterpret Austen’s classics, whether they’re changing the setting or updating the characters for our modern era. The best Jane Austen retellings give me the spark of recognition, as well as new insights. There are so many ways to explore her work and make it one’s own. That’s what today’s list is all about.
This list is fairly Pride & Prejudice heavy; anecdotally it seems like the most popular Austen novel that authors choose to adapt. I’m eager to hear your recommendations for retellings of this and especially her other novels in the comments section.
21 Jane Austen retellings
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Recipe for Persuasion
This follow-up to Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors stands on its own. In this loose retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion, Ashna is a Bay Area chef so desperate to save her family’s failing restaurant she agrees to compete on the reality tv show Cooking with the Stars. That’s where she reconnects with her first love—now a Brazilian soccer star—on live TV, for the first time since he disappeared twelve years ago on the worst night of her life. Dev puts her own spin on Austen’s classic, while highlighting the timeless themes of the original: a young woman sensitive to her family’s criticism, a disadvantaged young man with no credentials but a bright future, an unexpected second chance at first love. A satisfying update. More info →
Pride and Protest
DJ Liza fights gentrification and goes toe to toe with Dorsey, the Filipino American property developer threatening to destroy her DC neighborhood. Her protest at an event goes sideways when she thinks Dorsey is a waiter. Dorsey, on the other hand, assumes Liza’s protest is more of a performance than substantive action. He’s not expecting for her efforts to go viral—or for their and their family’s lives to be turned upside down. (Open door.) More info →
The Other Bennet Sister
If you’ve always felt the bookish and plain Mary Bennet deserved better than she got in Pride and Prejudice, this is the retelling for you. Mary takes her turn in the spotlight, undergoing her own path toward enlightenment and love. After her sisters marry and their father dies, Mary is left without a home and is shuffled between her relatives. She’s a wallflower, overlooked and mocked by her family. All she wants is to be valued for who she is and share her interests with someone who cares. When this finally happens, it’s transformative. More info →
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Though it might be dated to modern readers, this is a classic retelling. At the dawn of another New Year, Bridget Jones is 32, single, and desperate to take control of her life—so she starts keeping a diary. And such a diary. Bridget is a free spirit, fond of witty banter, enthusiastic about everything, and her enthusiasm lives on every page, where she shares her never-lukewarm opinions about everything from work to her love life. She may seem flighty, but she's always searching for deeper meaning. She also has great people skills. This might not be obvious when she first meets straight-laced barrister Mark Darcy, but the novel is based on Pride and Prejudice, so of course they get off to a bumpy start. (Heads up for anti-fat bias.) More info →
Where the Rhythm Takes You
In this tropical YA spin on Persuasion, Reyna and Aiden grew up and fell in love on the island of Tobago. Reyna feels stuck on the island, because her family owns a beautiful seaside resort she promised her mother she'd take ownership of one day. But Aiden's band hit it big, so he left to pursue his dreams. After a two-year absence, circumstances bring the two together again, and Reyna can't help but remember why she once thought they'd be together forever. Dass keeps the beats of Austen’s original while making the story her own with its winning characters, vivid tropical setting, and fun musical vibe. More info →
Longbourn
"If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah often thought, she’d most likely be a sight more careful with them." A Pride and Prejudice retelling for Downton Abbey fans: this is Austen's classic story, retold from the servant's perspective. Readers interested in the Regency era will appreciate the vivid historical detail and unique perspective in this unique retelling. More info →
The Bennet Women
Three close friends live at Bennet House, an all-women's dorm at Longbourn University: EJ, a Black engineering major, Jamie, a trans French and theater double major, and Tessa, a Filipina astronomy major. Regardless of what’s happening in their personal lives, the dorm is their oasis and a source of self-discovery. As the semester gets underway, each woman finds the promise of romance in this fresh modern take. More info →
Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice
This is the fourth installment of the Jane Austen Project, which invites contemporary authors to rework Jane Austen's novels for modern times. Our modern tale is set in Cincinnati, where Lizzie is recast as an NYC-based magazine editor, Jane is a yoga instructor nearing 40, Darcy is a snooty brain surgeon, and Bingley is an ER doctor turned star of the reality show "Eligible." The purists will need their smelling salts, but Sittenfeld is no Jane Austen, and she's okay with that. Her snappy writing and spirit of playfulness make this such good fun for Jane Austen fans, if you're willing to go with it. More info →
A Certain Appeal
Take Austen’s witty banter, social commentary, and beloved main characters and drop them in a crumbling burlesque club in NYC, and you have a fun and inventive reimagining of Pride and Prejudice. Assistant by day, stage kitten by night Bennet loves her burlesque found family (each one representing a different member of the Bennet family). One night, she runs into Will Darcy and his friend there to evaluate a possible investment in the club. Despite their firecracker chemistry, Darcy and Bennet make a poor first impression, and they can’t shake it off when their best friends fall in love. With a diverse cast of side characters, spicy sexual tension, and all the Austen references your heart could want, this contemporary romance retelling is a must-read for those in search of a sassy love story. (Open door.) More info →
Unequal Affections: A Pride and Prejudice Retelling
In this interesting twist on Pride and Prejudice, Ormiston imagines what might have happened had Elizabeth accepted Darcy's first proposal. This story focuses almost exclusively on the romance plot lines and is mostly dialogue, but I found it fun and entertaining, and—unlike so many other retellings—appreciated how Ormiston left the book's characters largely intact. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Carmela Corbett, as fast as possible because I needed to find out what happened next. More info →
The Stars We Steal
What if Persuasion was a Bachelor-esque competition set in space? In this YA space opera, Princess Leonie “Leo” Kolburg needs to find a fiancé stat and agrees to take part in a matchmaking ceremony during Valg Season. But she’s not expecting her ex-fiancé Elliot to show up or for him to now be a successful captain. He wasn’t good enough for her family before and now he wants nothing to do with her, unless it’s to frustrate her at every turn. It’s hard to shake first love, however. Leo and Elliot will have to see whether their connection still exists amidst the glittering balls and space intrigue. More info →
Jane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and Sensibility
Readers, this take on Sense and Sensibility is easy-reading, well-constructed, and immensely enjoyable. In this novel, two broke adult sisters and their sweet baby sister flee expensive San Francisco to set up a new tea shop in Austin, Texas. The bones of Austen's original are visible, but Lodge doesn't hew too closely to the original, to her credit. I spent a happy afternoon devouring this book. More info →
Sense and Second-Degree Murder
When their father is murdered, scientist Elinor Dashwood teams up with her sister and detective Marianne to find the killer. Complicating matters is the fact their father never updated his will and their estate, including the private investigation firm where Marianne works, now belongs to their wretched half-brother and his wife. While adjusting to their new cramped corners, the Dashwood sisters turn up clues that point to the killer being family. They’ll put everything on the line to learn the truth. This stands on its own just fine but you’ll probably want to read the first book in this series, Pride & Premeditation, anyway. More info →
Heartstone
I NEVER would have picked this up based on the cover, but this was enthusiastically recommended by the staff at The Story Shop in Monroe, Georgia. They described it as "a completely faithful Pride and Prejudice retelling—but with dragons." This retelling hits all the familiar P&P beats, while adding familiar fantasy elements like dragon riders and warrior women and hobgoblins, and it works. Good news for Austen fans and fantasy readers: this is the first in a trilogy. More info →
Debating Darcy
In this Pride and Prejudice retelling, Leela Bose and Firoze Darcy are speech and debate team rivals. Leela loves the thrill of competition and she’ll stop at nothing to win, right down to switching to the debate team so she can crush Firoze whom she hates on sight. Except it turns out she just might have misjudged him. A fun YA read. More info →
Pride
A Pride and Prejudice "remix" that envisions Darcy and Lizzie as two Brooklyn teens. First line: "It's a truth universally acknowledged that when rich people move into the hood, where it's a little bit broken and a little bit forgotten, the first thing they want to do is clean it up." Zuri Benitez is the second daughter of a large Haitian-Dominican family that has lived forever on their block in Bushwick. When Darius Darcy pulls up to the expensively renovated mini-mansion across the street in a blacked-out SUV, she immediately hates him and the gentrification he represents. But Austen fans know that's only the beginning of the story. Hot tip: Elizabeth Acevedo narrates the audiobook, and it is incredible. More info →
Kamila Knows Best
Kamila Hussain throws weekly Bollywood movie parties, looks after her dad’s health, runs a successful #dogstagram account featuring her bichon frise named Darcy on top of working as an accountant, and she plays matchmaker for her friends. Where would they be without her? That includes Rohan, a longtime family friend, whom Kamila is suddenly seeing in a brand-new light…and it has nothing to do with her secret nemesis reappearing in town. Nothing at all! Heron frames Kamila as a people-pleaser, making for an interesting take in this Emma retelling. More info →
Unmarriageable
This contemporary Pride and Prejudice update is set in 2001 Pakistan and features a modern day version of the family you know and love: the Binat family includes a sharp-witted father, marriage-obsessed mother, and five daughters. Despite the difference of centuries, it’s clear how women’s concerns are similar between Austen’s time and Kamal’s. Alysba teaches English, and in a fun opening scene she challenges her teenage students to reinterpret Austen’s famous opening line. Kamal uses her heroine’s profession—and accompanying love of reading—to explore themes of colonialism and identity. Despite these weighty themes, she manages to keep the tone light and sometimes delightfully irreverent. (Just wait till you hear how the Bingleys make their money!) More info →
The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh (A Pride and Prejudice Novel)
It is no surprise Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s control extended to her daughter Anne. Anne was prescribed laudanum as a baby due to her fussiness, leading to addiction as a young woman. She grows up isolated, seeing few people besides family, with the understanding she will someday marry her cousin Fitzwilliam Darcy. But when her father dies and she becomes his heiress, she begins to wonder what might happen if she stopped taking the “medicine” she’s been given her whole life. This sapphic retelling explores addiction, abuse, and the power of taking back control. More info →
Ayesha At Last
"Because while it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single, Muslim man must be in want of a wife, there's an even greater truth: To his Indian mother, his own inclinations were of secondary importance." How's this for a twist? In this utterly delightful P&P-inspired retelling, set in contemporary Toronto, Darcy becomes Khalid, a devout Muslim man whose mother is trying to marry him off. I loved the supporting cast featuring good friends, a cousin dreaming of a Bollywood-inspired wedding, an embarrassing mother, and a Shakespeare-quoting grandpa. If you're a P&P devotee, this is a delight. If you've never read the original, you can still enjoy this story about love, family, obligation, and romance. More info →
Perfect Day
Joshua and Finn had a perfect summer together before it all fell apart in this MM Persuasion retelling. Instead of following Finn to LA, Joshua listened to his aunt’s bad advice and broke up with him instead. Eight years later, Joshua is a music teacher who never left and Finn, a successful actor, is back in town. He wants nothing to do with Joshua after the way he broke his heart but they’ve never quite managed to forget each other or that beautiful summer. More info →
What’s one of your favorite Jane Austen retellings? Please share in the comments.
P.S. My favorite Jane Austen film adaptations, 10 comforting classics to read after you run out of Jane Austen novels, and 5 favorite Jane Austen-inspired romantic comedies.
35 comments
A very unusual retelling that I enjoyed: immensely: Pride and Prometheus by John Kessel. It imagines that Mary Bennett met Victor Frankenstein. Part romance, part gothic, wholly original and the tone is spot on. (It’s mind blowing to realize the two source books were written at the same time, too.)
I have a secret hankering for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Can’t help it, you like what you like.
I loved Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The first proposal scene still makes me laugh when I think of it.
Not exactly a retelling but worth a mention: The Murder of Mr Wickham by Claudia Gray. I found it an incredibly fun read especially for Jane Austen fans!
For the love of all that’s holy, people must pick up Pamela Aiden’s Fitzwilliam Darcy Trilogy. An Assembly Such as This, Duty and Desire, and These Three Remain. Aiden writes Pride and Prejudice from Darcy’s point of view. The story is so well told that you’re held by its own, then suddenly have a total ‘a-ha’ moment and enjoy it all the more. In my dream world, Julian Fellowes turns them into a mini series. 🙂
YES YES YES to this. 1,000 times. Those books are gold (also, did you know Pamela Aiden wrote a Christmas sequel for Georgiana? No where neat as long as I would have liked, but it at least exists).
As the second of four daughters, I am a sucker for Pride and Prejudice modern retellings.
Two that I would add to this list are And This Our Life by C. Allyn Pierson, this was a self-published book and then later was re-done under the name Mr. Darcy’s Little Sister, it is a continuation of Pride and Prejudice after marriage and I think well done, I liked This Our Life the best but they are both very good. Also The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James is well done as well. It is a “what if” novel where a new one is found and I really, really enjoyed it. Let’s face it, who wouldn’t love to find one more novel by Jane Austen?
I have not been interested in the retelling of any classic books. Books so well written, it seems to me, the retelling is a bit of thievery. So many new books with original thought are out there waiting to be read.
I actually don’t read a whole lot of Jane Austen retellings because I have this fear about my favorite author’s works getting misinterpreted and butchered (I feel the same way about movie and television adaptations and sequels if I absolutely loved the original work) — so I will admit that I have very little to offer on retelling front. With that said however, I did read one P&P retelling recently that I loved: Good Fortune by C.K. Chau. It’s a modern day retelling of P&P from a Chinese-American perspective — which is the main reason I decided to read it, as I’m also Chinese and from an immigrant family, so I was interested in seeing how someone from my own background would interpret the story (of course, it also helped that C.K. Chau is also Cantonese, as am I, so there were some specific Cantonese references I caught that made the reading even more fun).
You recommended Unequal Affection at some point, and I was hooked. What a world I never knew existed! Seriously, I need therapy. I don’t care for the modern, but am deep into Regency England. A worthwhile Sense and Sensibility variation, or sequel maybe, is The Year Inbetween. And one for Emma is Perfect Happiness. Both on Amazon.
I really loved “The Other Bennet Sister” by Janice Hadlow.
Here Mary Bennet gets her own voice and there is a lot of interesting literary references.
It is a sweet love story too.
I have read a couple of Jane Austen retellings but usually find them a bit of a let down but I loved The Other Bennet Sister. It felt real and believable, as if it could have been written by Jane herself. I do prefer my books to be faithful to the original. I am also the kind of person who needs smelling salts after watching any adaptation of the books because they will insist on changing things, adding dialogue etc which is completely unnecessary in any way.
Persuasion is my favorite Austen book – I love how the characters grow and mature and find their way back to each other. Highly recommend the Persuasion retelling For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diane Peterfreund. It is part of a trilogy with two other Austen retellings, but it can stand alone & I think it’s the strongest of the three (though I might be biased because of my love for Persuasion!)
I LOVE For Darkness Shows the Stars!!
I chuckled when I saw this link today. I’m currently deep into Meet the Benedettos, which is growing on me. I LOVED Eligible and Unmarriageable, and I’m very interested in The Other Bennet Sister. I always hope that Mary gets a better turn, when I read these retellings. 🙂 Glad that it’s been done!
Thanks for great timing!
Just checked out Meet the Benedettos from the library. Hope it’s fun. I have read a lot of P and P variations.
I loved Much Ado about Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin, even more than Ayesha at Last. It’s a Persuasion retelling set in the same Muslim Canadian community.
I loved THE OTHER BENNET SISTER and bought copies for my sisters. Also what a gorgeous cover! But as much as I loved that book, I strongly disliked LONGBOURN! Ick!!! PRIDE, PREJUCICE and JASMIN FIELD by Melissa Nathan is a favorite from 20+ years ago.
I did read “The Other Bennett Sister” and “Eligible” and they were both very good. Bridget Jones is also hands down my favorite book ever (outside of Jane’s)! Will definitely have to check out your other recommendations as I love a good Jane Austen retelling!
Check out Melissa Nathan books! Pride Prejudice and Jasmine Field and Persuading Annie are among my favorites.
I’ve read and enjoyed Heartstone, Pride, Unmarriageable, The Bennet Women, A Certain Appeal, and Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors. Eligible was okay (might have to give it another chance) but I didn’t care for Longbourn and didn’t finish it. I’d like to read more of Sonali Dev’s novels while I’m at it.
Amanda Quain has two YA Jane Austen retellings I would recommend, Accomplished (P&P) and Ghosted (Northanger Abbey). They’re very fun, I particularly enjoyed Ghosted since it’s so rare to see modern takes on Northanger and am looking forward to her Sense and Sensibility book coming out later this year!
I have to say, first off, that I DID enjoy Longbourn! I have also read Heartstone, Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid, Mary B, The Other Bennet Sister, Dear Mr. Knightley, By the Book, Ayesha At Last, Unmarriageable, Eligible, McCall Smith’s Emma, and Austenland, but I have to say that I don’t favor the ones in another time or culture. I really prefer the actual people in actual Regency England, whether it be a variation in the story, or from a different point of view, as in “Unequal Affections”! I recommend the ones by Elizabeth Adams, and Nancy Kelley, Molly Greeley (she does Charlotte Lucas, and Anne de Bourgh), Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James, and Faults of Understanding by Jennifer Altman. Claudia Gray’s mysteries are a bit too YA for me, although it IS fun seeing their children grown up!
So many great ones listed! I’d like to add the Christmas at Pemberley play trilogy by the brilliant Lauren Gunderson: Miss Bennet, The Wickhams, and Georgiana and Kitty. Absolutely delightful!
Newest one Meet the Benedettos, combining Pride and Prejudice and the Kardashians. It works!
One from 2013: Sense & Sensibility by Joanna Trollope. Utterly charming.
Two more retellings I liked: Emma by Alexander McCall Smith and Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion by Regina Wentworth, which is a his-perspective retelling of Persausion. It keeps to the original storyline and time period. The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James was good. Also I enjoyed All Roads Lead to Austen: A Year-Long Journey with Jane by Amy Elizabeth Smith who ran Austen bookclubs in South America for a year. Its part memoir, travel writing and love story. While not a retelling, it’s a unique side book for all consummate Austen readers.
Thank you all for the recommendations! I’ve added probably 20 titles to my TBR thanks to Anne’s list and all of the comments! Only because it hasn’t been yet (unless I missed it!), I’d like to mention Amanda Grange’s Mr. Darcy’s Diary. She wrote each of Jane Austen’s novels from the perspective of its male lead, and while I haven’t read any of the others yet, I enjoyed Mr. Darcy!
I would like to add a book to your list that goes along with The Heiress and it’s THE CLERGYMAN’S WIFE also by Molly Greeley. It’s a wonderful story about Charlotte Lucas after she marries Mr. Collins. Wonderful imaginative story.
I’d also recommend Emma Mill’s First & Then. It’s a modern P&P retelling set in high school. It just follows the barest bit of the original storyline, but I found it charming, fun and full of witty dialog.
The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy by Mary Street is my all time favorite Jane Austen retelling. It’s just P and P from Darcy’s POV, and I think it nails it!
As a mystery fan I enjoyed PD James’ Death Comes to Pemberley. I also heard an author interview with CK Chau this summer on her book called Good Fortune, a retelling of P&P that takes place in Chinatown in early 2000s. So that’s on my TBR as well!
Thank you for this list! I have an unusual idea for my next book club pick and that is to have each of us choose a different Pride retelling to read. My question to this group is, how best to structure the discussion? What questions to ask? Or is this idea too out there considering not everyone may have read the original or read it so long ago that it’s fuzzy or have only seen movies? Thanks!
Thanks, Anne and everyone else for all of these suggestions! I actually haven’t read any of them except for Bridget Jones’ Diary. TBR is going to grow longer!
I read Heartstone after you recommended it and I was quite surprised how much I loved it and how faithful to the original. I now have the next book on hold.