Eligible - Book Review

Eligible - Curtis Sittenfeld B+


Published April 2016

I never read Jane Austen, so I'm sure there are unique subtleties in Eligible that I'm missing out on. But, one doesn't have to be familiar with Austen to thoroughly enjoy this modernized reimagining of Pride and Prejudice. I became curious about this book when I heard Sittenfeld was updating Austen's 1813 story by injecting a heavy dose of reality television's The Bachelor. Eligible is the kind of novel that drives me crazy, in a good way. The characters are annoying and simultaneously intriguing. Throughout the novel I kept wondering if I would date some like Liz Bennett (the main character) - she's smart, ambitious and sexy; yet, extremely exhausting and gossipy. Liz's sisters- Kitty, Mary, Jane and Lydia, were okay even though I didn't find any of them particularly exciting. The same goes for Liz's mother (she was dreadful) and father. Ultimately, I was taken with Liz, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Chip and Jasper - they stole the show and kept me intrigued. It almost makes me want to read Pride and Prejudice... almost.