By: Elizabeth Eulberg
Format: Hardcover, 231 pages
Published: January 1, 2001; Point
Source: finished copy received from publisher
author website | author blog | author twitter | author facebook
Summary (from Goodreads): After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn’t interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be — especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.
Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles’s friend, Will Darcy, who’s snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk — so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?
Will Lizzie’s pride and Will’s prejudice keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? Whatever the result, Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Lonely Hearts Club, has concocted a very funny, completely stylish delight for any season — prom or otherwise.
My Review:
I think this book is totally appropriate for a Valentine's Day review. With the exception of one novel, I have never met a Pride and Prejudice retelling/mashup/inspiration that I didn't like. There's even this movie
that was done in our local area that basically puts Elizabeth and Darcy in a college setting and Mormon that is hilarious. If you're not Mormon like I am, I probably wouldn't recommend it to you since it's really one of those things that you have to know the culture in order to get. But, as an attendee of BYU, I think the movie is spot on. It should also be noted that I like BOTH of the movies, and prefer Matthew McFadyen over Colin Firth as Darcy. Please don't stop reading this review if you love Colin Firth. I swear I'll never mention it again.Anyway, all of that aside, I loved Prom and Prejudice. I thought that the high school setting was fun without getting caught up in a bunch of drama. I thought that Eulberg channeled Elizabeth Bennett beautifully. I really liked the touch that Elizabeth was an accomplished pianist, since that's something she didn't particularly enjoy (to say the least) in the original.
If you are a Pride and Prejudice purist, you probably won't like the book. But, the essence of Austen's original story is still there. Yes, some of the events and people were taken out or combined. But, ultimately, Elizabeth and Darcy meet, they hate each other, and then grow to respect each other, and then... well you know what happens next.
But, I did miss some of the supporting characters. Especially the absence of Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. Their banter was one of the things that I liked about the original. I suppose that the equivalent of Mrs. Bennett would have been the atmosphere of the school and the immense pressure put on students to prepare for and secure dates to the prom. But it would have been nice to have a Mr. Bennett there making fun of the absolute ridiculousness of the situation.
Like I said at the beginning, I loved the book. It was cute, funny, and a very nice adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. I'd also recommend the novel to younger readers since it's clean, and probably something that a lot of girls can relate to.
My Rating:
Don't forget to comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of Delirium by Lauren Oliver.
