Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld was published in 2016 as part of the Austen Project series. The series was launched by Harper Collins in 2013 and features contemporary authors reimagining Austen’s classic stories in a modern context. Other authors include Joanna Trollope, Val McDermid and Alexander McCall Smith.
I love Jane Austen but I’m always a bit reluctant to read any retellings. Afterall, you can’t improve on perfection. I therefore hadn’t read any books in the Austen Project series until Eligible. I decided to read Eligible after reading Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld and really enjoying her writing style.
Pride and Prejudice is my all time favourite book. It’s the ultimate comfort read and I just love everything about it. The enemies to lovers trope, the wit, the dialogue, the yearning, the repressed feelings…just perfect!
I was therefore slightly apprehensive when starting Eligible, despite knowing I loved Curtis Sittenfeld’s other works.
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Plot
Liz Bennet is a successful magazine writer living in New York City, and Jane Bennet is a yoga instructor. The two sisters return to their childhood home in Cincinnati when their father has health issues. While there, they meet Chip Bingley, a handsome doctor who appears on the reality TV show “Eligible,” a Bachelor-style dating competition. Chip quickly becomes smitten with Jane.
At the same time, Liz encounters Fitzwilliam Darcy, a neurosurgeon who is initially perceived as arrogant and aloof. The two share a mutual dislike for each other, but as they continue to interact, their feelings begin to change.
Eligible Book Review
Despite my initial reservations, I really enjoyed this book. Having the story set in modern Cincinnati rather than 19th century England felt a little jarring at first but I soon got past it.
I really liked how the story was different enough to almost forget it was a retelling. While the main plot points were covered, the modern twist meant I could appreciate the story on its own merits. We had the insult from Darcy, The Bennets being embarrassing, Lydia’s scandal and Jane’s heartbreak, all with a fresh modern twist.
There are huge liberties taken with story but I expected that. I loved the parallels with the original story but I also enjoyed the differences. Lady Catherine De Bourgh became Kathy De Bourgh, a feminist icon. George Wickham became Jasper Wick, Liz’s on-again-off-again romantic interest.
I didn’t find Lydia and Kitty as infuriating as I did in Pride and Prejudice. While they were undoubtedly annoying, I was able to warm to them slightly more.
I have to admit to not liking Liz in Eligible as much as I adored Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. She is still the voice of reason but I just felt she lacked some of Elizabeth’s warmth. I also could never imagine P&P’s Lizzie pining over someone like Jasper Wick for so many years.
I felt the author stayed to true to Darcy’s character which I was pleased about. However due to the change in the story, and his much weaker connection to Jasper Wick and misdeeds, his actions seemed much less impressive. In the original Pride and Prejudice he goes above and beyond to secure the Bennet family’s future and rescue the Lydia situation. Lydia’s “scandal” in this book was barely even a scandal at all and so his actions weren’t nearly as heroic.
I did enjoy how Eligible shows how timeless the themes in Pride and Prejudice are. The characters’ struggles with societal expectations, family dynamics and the complexities of love are still as relevant today as they were in the early 19th century.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and appreciated the parallels between this story and the original. It shows that despite the many changes over the 200 years since Pride and Prejudice was written, so many of the same dilemmas remain unchanged.
Whilst it isn’t and could never be Jane Austen, Eligible is still a fun and witty read and I’m glad I read it.
What to read next
If you enjoyed Rodham, I’d suggest reading more books by Curis Sittenfeld. I particularly enjoyed Romantic Comedy and Rodham. I’d also recommend reading other books in the Austen Project series.
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