Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice (The Austen Project #4) by Curtis Sittenfeld

Quite charming, and for the most part a note-perfect retelling of the classic for modern times. There were really only two false notes for me: the first was the laughable idea that, as a writer-at-large, Lizzy Bennett earns $105k a year, and the second was the last marriage proposal of the book, which I thought came a little too soon in that relationship, modern-day updating notwithstanding. Otherwise, it was quite interesting to see the parallels Curtis Sittenfeld drew between Eligible and the source material. I particularly enjoyed how she “split”, for lack of a better word, the original’s Wickham character to make for more interesting, topical reading. In addition, the coda as to Mary’s life was quite refreshing to read, even as someone who is quite happy to be coupled up (and has, on occasion, been lovingly accused of being boy-crazy.) It was nice to read a defense of singlehood in a book teeming with marriage plot upon marriage plot.

And for some reason, I suffered from the vague notion that this and Margaret Atwood’s Hag-Seed were from the same series, which I only cured myself of about 70% of the way through. Both excellent retellings, of course, but from quite different oeuvres.