21 Jane Austen retellings Archives

Recipe for Persuasion

by Sonali Dev

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 sensitive, satisfying update.

Pride and Protest

by Nikki Payne

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.)

The Other Bennet Sister

by Janice Hadlow

Helen Simonson, author of the Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and The Summer Before the War says "Jane fans rejoice! . . . Exceptional storytelling and a true delight." From the publisher: "Mary, the bookish ugly duckling of Pride and Prejudice's five Bennet sisters, emerges from the shadows and transforms into a desired woman with choices of her own. What if Mary Bennet's life took a different path from that laid out for her? What if the frustrated intellectual of the Bennet family, the marginalized middle daughter, the plain girl who takes refuge in her books, eventually found the fulfillment enjoyed by her prettier, more confident sisters? This is the plot of Janice Hadlow's debut novel with exactly the affection and authority to satisfy Jane Austen fans. Mary's destiny diverges from that of her sisters. It does not involve broad acres or landed gentry. But it does include a man; and, as in all Austen novels, Mary must decide whether he is the truly the one for her."

Bridget Jones’s Diary

by Helen Fielding

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 diet to work 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 (INTJ), but the novel is based on Pride and Prejudice, so of course they get off to a bumpy start.

Chirp

Where the Rhythm Takes You

by Sarah Dass

A sweet and chaste tropical YA romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Reyna and Aiden grew up and fell in love on the island of Tobago, where her family owns a beautiful seaside resort. When Aiden’s band hit it big, he left to pursue his dreams and Reyna got left behind. It’s been tough: she’s still grieving her mother’s death and starting to feel trapped by the hotel she once loved. After a two year absence, Aiden returns to the hotel with his bandmates as VIP guests. Though Reyna resolves to keep her distance, the two are thrown together when his friends insist she take charge of their schedule—and she can’t help but remember why she once thought they’d be together forever. Readers will appreciate the way 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. For fans of Ibi Zoboi’s Pride and Tahereh Mafi’s A Very Large Expanse of Sea.

Longbourn

by Jo Baker

Pride and Prejudice meets Downton Abbey: this is Austen's classic story, retold from the servant's perspective. You'll love it or you'll hate it. (But hey, polarizing books make for great discussion.) Book club discussion highlight: what Baker did with Mr. Wickham. (Shudder.)

The Bennet Women

by Eden Appiah-Kubi

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.

Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice

by Curtis Sittenfeld

This is the fourth installment of the Jane Austen Project, which invites contemporary authors to rework Jane Austen's novels for modern times. Sittenfeld is no Jane Austen, but 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. (Think what 10 Things I Hate About You did with The Taming of the Shrew. Our modern tale is set in Cincinnati, where Lizzie is re-cast 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," (which, in a running gag, all the characters watch but pretend not to). If you're revolted at the idea of on-screen sex in an Austen remake, or Darcy and Liz spewing profanity, this is NOT for you. The purists will need their smelling salts.

A Certain Appeal

by Vanessa King

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.)

Unequal Affections: A Pride and Prejudice Retelling

by Lara S. Ormiston

You all have been telling me to read this for YEARS, and last week I finally listened to the Audible version, which I quite enjoyed. I listened to this really fast because I wanted to find out what happens next.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.

The Stars We Steal

by Alexa Donne

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.

Jane of Austin: A Novel of Sweet Tea and Sensibility

by Hillary Manton Lodge

Like many devoted Austen fans, I approach most modern Jane Austen adaptations with a combination of enthusiasm and dread—I WANT it to be wonderful, but what if it's terrible? Readers, this new take on Sense and Sensibility was so much fun. In this novel, two broke adult sisters and their sweet little 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.

Sense and Second-Degree Murder

by Tirzah Price

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.

Heartstone

by Elle Katharine White

I NEVER would have picked this up based on the cover, but this was enthusiastically recommended by the staff of Monroe, Georgia's wonderful store The Story Shop. 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.

Debating Darcy

by Sayantani DasGupta

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.

Pride

by Ibi Zoboi

From the author of American Street, a P&P "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.

Kamila Knows Best

by Farah Heron

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.

Unmarriageable

by Soniah Kamal

This contemporary Pride & Prejudice update is set in Pakistan, 2001, 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; she also despite these weighty themes she keeps her tone light and sometimes irreverent. (Just wait till you hear how the Bingleys make their money!) This is, above all, a rom com—and it's a fun one.

The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh (A Pride and Prejudice Novel)

by Molly Greeley

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.

Ayesha At Last

by Uzma Jalaluddin

"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." In this P&P-inspired retelling, set in contemporary Toronto, Darcy becomes Khalid, a devout Muslim man whose mother is trying to marry him off. Elizabeth becomes Ayesha, a teacher who'd much prefer to be a poet. When they first meet, it's utter disaster: she thinks he's rigid and judgmental; he thinks she's not a good Muslim because she's holding a drink (virgin) and cigarette (not hers). But circumstances bring them together again, of course. 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.

Perfect Day

by Sally Malcolm

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.

21 Jane Austen retellings

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