#jane Austen retelling

[averymorstan]

How do we feel about a sapphic Persuasion retelling set in a small town bowling alley with added vampires for spice? Because I'm feeling very good.

#I do my best work when there is too many ideas #I've been planning this book for a while now #persuasion #anne elliot #captain wentworth #jane austen retelling

[chardwic]

Books I've Read in 2023: Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a brilliant idea, conceived and executed by a clever young woman, must be claimed by a man.”

#booksociety #booksedits #dailylit #pride and premeditation #tirzah price #jane austen #jane austen retelling #elizabeth bennet #fitzwilliam darcy #darcy x elizabeth #yalitedit #ya lit #young adult lit #*mine

[fangirlx]

#FridayReads - Eden Appiah-Kubi's Her Own Happiness

This week’s pick included a quick discussion about Tess of the D’Ubervilles that I couldn’t make fit in my review. However, I still want y’all to know that I agree with any and all slander about that horrible book. In Her Own Happiness, Maya Davis is caught unaware as her dream life crumbles around her. Now, heading back to her parent’s house with her best friend, Ant, in tow, Maya has to…

View On WordPress

#Ace Romance #Asexual Characters #Black Romance #Clueless #Eden Appiah-Kubi #Emma #Friday Reads #fridayreads #Her Own Happiness #Jane Austen Retelling #LGBTQ+ #No Spice #Only One Bed #Pan Romance #Pansexual Characters #Plus Sized Romance #Romance #They Were Roommates

[ezichiny]

Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne

TITLE: Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne My rating: 4 of 5 stars Genre: Modern retelling, contemporary romance, Jane Austen retelling, diverse romance Format: Paperback (401 pages) Published: November 15, 2022 by Berkeley Blurb: Liza B–The Only DJ That Gives a Jam—wants to take her neighborhood back from the soulless property developer dropping unaffordable condos on every street corner in DC. But…

View On WordPress

#23for23 #Audiobook #author of color #Chick-Lit #Contemporary Romance #diverse romance #Jane Austen retelling #Review #steamy lit con author

[henry-fox-biggest-stan]

Favorite niche book genre

#these 4 are the ones than mainly caught my eye #but there are hundreds of Austen retellings like that #specially mixing p&p and vampires #I saw one where mr Darcy turned into a platypus #one where Elizabeth Bennet and Catherine Morland were cousins and #they found vampires or smth #one set in a post-canon p&p universe where Elizabeth fights aliens? #this is basically fanfiction it’s so fun #idk if they’re any good I haven’t read them yet I want to #jane austen #sense and sensibility #pride and prejudice #northanger abbey #mansfield park #retelling #pride and prejudice and zombies #sense and sensibility and sea monsters #Northanger abbey and angels and dragons #Mansfield Park and mummies

[fictionadventurer]

While we're on the subject of Persuasion, I want to mention that I think no one should be allowed to make YA retellings of that book. "I'm twenty-seven and running into the guy I broke a betrothal with at nineteen" is in no way comparable to "I'm eighteen and running into the boyfriend I dumped at sixteen." Persuasion's arc requires maturity. Time for both the leads to grow. You can't get that with teenagers.

#persuasion #jane austen #books #i say this as i have a ya retelling on my library pile #but that's cuz it's set in trinidad and counts for my world tour #(and i gotta admit that having anne's family run a hotel is a sharp adaptation choice)

[misscrawfords]

I'm reading Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne, a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice and I'm struggling.

I actually find what Payne has done with the characters and setting really interesting and there are some touches I really like, especially turning Mary into Maurice - an "activist" who changes his activism regularly and lectures others on what they should be doing. (Any interpretation of Mary that isn't "misunderstood, shy, nerd girl who isn't-like-other-girls and is actually just like me, a misunderstood, shy, over-looked nerd girl" gets a positive vote from me.)

However, I really very much dislike her interpretation of Darcy (Dorsey) and Elizabeth (Liza)'s relationship and that is... kinda crucial!

It's waaaaaay over sexualised. Like, I get this is a romance book, but, like, I'm reading along enjoying the story and plot and then suddenly Dorsey is thinking about burying himself in Liza's breasts and I'm like "wooaah!" It's like it's impossible for the author to show them having feelings for each other without it being explicit and I find that out of place both with the source material and with the rest of the narrative.

Secondly, it is sexual... immediately. It commits the cardinal sin of saying "Darcy and Lizzy were hot for each other from the start and all the tension is ~ s e x u a l tension". The 2005 abomination does this too with the near kiss in the rain. And pretty much every single P&P inspired enemies-to-lovers narrative out there does it too. The problem is... this is a really, really inaccurate interpretation of the original book. Darcy is, admittedly, attracted to Elizabeth very quickly. Something that he manages to show not at all to anybody. Only Caroline Bingley, who is intensely interested in Darcy's romantic feelings, spots it. Later on, arch observer Charlotte and good friend Col Fitz also suspect something but by this point in Rosings Darcy has given into his feelings and is trying, albeit terribly, to court Elizabeth. Not that she notices. Darcy is completely able to conceal his sexual attraction to Elizabeth from everyone who isn't thinking about Darcy sexually. He is not quite so able to conceal his romantic interest later on. But crucially, at no point does Elizabeth notice a thing. She has LITERALLY NO IDEA. This is because Elizabeth has no concept of Darcy as a romantic prospect for her at all. She laughs at thinking what a good match he'd be for Anne de Bourgh, a probably sexless in appearance invalid. She doesn't hate him in a ~sexy~ way, she just really does not like him and does not consider him as a romantic option.

If Elizabeth is aware that Darcy has the hots for her, this changes the dynamic completely. If she is actually attracted to him in the first part of the story, that changes the dynamic completely. And both of these changes alter and potentially cheapen Elizabeth's character. If she is aware on some level that Darcy likes her and is interested in her, then she ends up looking like an idiot when the first proposal comes around. Or she ends up looking coy and like she is actually flirting with him. Yes, there is banter but Elizabeth is not consciously flirting or trying to attract him! Elizabeth spends the whole first part of the novel with a crush on Wickham. Austen is perfectly capable to showing to the audience without needing modern explicit language that a character has the hots for another character. Elizabeth fancies Wickham, not Darcy! As the meme goes, Darcy and Elizabeth are experiencing two very different kinds of tension! That's part of the comedy. And if Elizabeth is aware that she is attracted to Darcy, it just becomes a different story, and a less interesting one. Elizabeth becomes yet another romance novel heroine who likes the "bad boy" and tries to persuade herself not to, until the tension is sooooo strong and she ~snaps.

But one of the major points is that Elizabeth doesn't like bad boys! She falls for (well, crushes on) Wickham because she thinks he's good. She dislikes Darcy because she thinks he's bad. She only starts to consider Darcy positively when she understands and sees for herself the truth of his character. That is what she finds attractive, not him being a buttoned up jerk! "One has all the goodness, the other all the appearance of it." That is central to P&P's story and its message.

Unfortunately, in the aims of writing a "romance" novel, Pride and Protest gives us heaving busoms and erections and almost-kisses and therefore completely destroys my interest in Dorsey and Liza's relationship at the same time as well as finding it just a bit tasteless because it feels like there are two stories going on: an interesting exploration of how the context and characters of P&P would work in a highly politised and racially diverse modern USA - and a very generic romance novel story which doesn't do either Darcy and Elizabeth justice. A shame.

It does make me wonder about how to update Austen's novels in terms of sex. Because obviously one of the major changes between the 1810s and now is that having extra-marital sex is totally normal and people date and break up without social repercussions. So unless you are setting the update in a community where that is not the case, you've got to deal with sex being freely on offer. I guess there are different ways around it but I think if how you deal with sex means that the fundamental beats of the narrative and character development are changed, then something's gone wrong somehow. And I feel that Elizabeth's total obliviousness to Darcy having any positive feelings towards her at all until the moment he proposes to her is a crucial part of the plot and a source of unending humour.

#pride and prejudice #pride and protest #modern retelling #jane austen #fitzwilliam darcy #elizabeth bennet #darcy x elizabeth

[steelycunt]

‘gay retelling of a classic!’ ‘feminist sapphic twist on this greek myth!’ why don’t you write a better book than that. i think we deserve better books than that

#just had ‘jane austen’s mansfield park reimagined as a sapphic murder mystery’ advertised 2 me on IG. and i just think you should write a #better book than that. if you want to write a ‘sapphic murder mystery’ then write it. the fact that you have to lean on existing classics #and advertise yours as a ‘retelling’ or a ‘twist’ or a ‘reimagining’ suggests to me that you are not a very good writer. sorry this is very #hatery but i believe it…just write a new book. a better book. what is the point of writing a gay version of wuthering heights other than it #solves your problem of not being able to come up with a plot because you are not a very good writer. i dont know. i suppose there is space #for anything and should be space for all sorts in the publishing industry but also i hear sapphic murder mystery mansfield park and i think #that’s probably not a very good book. idk. there is excellent queer and feminist original fiction out there without the need to take #existing literature at random and use that as a crutch for some reason… #(ridi's) bigmouth strikes again

[abba-enthusiast]

Can we cool it with the retellings and live action adaptations. Let’s work on some original ideas

#i‘m sorry but i have had Enough 😭 #greek mythology retelling this jane austen retelling that #please for the love of god. give me something original #i‘m sorry i scrolled on instagram for too long. if i have to hear the words hades and persephone retelling one more time i am going to set #myself on fire

[belpheg0r-luna]

Why must Wickham be the most awful person in every retelling as well?! THE scum of this earth

#i read the name wickham and i just see EVIL #mr wickham #george wickham #most ardently #a pride & prejudice remix #remixed classics #gabe cole novoa #pride and prejudice #pride and prejudice 1995 #pride and predjudice 2005 #jane austen #classic literature #modern retelling #belphegor luna

[averymorstan]

So my spring book is a Jane Austen retelling set in the Quaint City After Dark universe. Bowling alleys, vampires, what could possibly go wrong. Except the part where I have a character that is named Frankie in that universe and it never occurred to me that a Frankie and a Freddie could possibly be confusing? So I've now had to rename one of the mains. But it's okay, I love Freddie's new name.

I also was looking into how long it takes to be a captain in the Navy and it's like, 20 or more years ... but I'm wondering if that's a problem. Like, I do like to write for the late 30's early 40's audience, so is it okay if the heroine has waited 20 years for her love instead of like, 7?

#indie author #queer author #sapphic persuasion #persuasion retelling #jane austen retelling #coming out in may

[blogmollylane]

Currently reading: The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick

#fiction #reading #books #currently reading #the lizzie bennet diaries #Bernie si #Kate rorick #elizabeth bennet #pride and prejudice #jane austen #diary #romance #domestic fiction #retelling #ya novels #literary web series

[theboarsbride]

Old Regency era au doodle I'm still proud of...😳

Sophie: "Oh, don't you be looking so smug! I've only come to be in your company as a means to satisfy my oaf of a brother."

#the monster and the butterfly #beauty and the beast #beauty and the beast retelling #gothic romance #monster romance #monster boyfriend #regency fashion #regency romance #jane austen #bridgerton

[jessread-s]

Thanks to the author for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✩🎭💜Review:

Guedes debut novel is a delight!

“First Impressions of You” follows Luiza Bento, an aspiring actress facing deportation from the United States. After months of working at a theme park, an opportunity to star in the theater’s next play might just allow her to stay. That is until she discovers that she is starring opposite Winter Davis, a seasoned actor that isn’t too keen on sharing the spotlight with Luiza. Then again, first impressions aren’t always accurate.

I really enjoyed this modernized “Pride and Prejudice” retelling! Guedes uses Austen’s beloved romance novel as the foundation for her own, setting it against a theme park backdrop that creates a cinematic atmosphere for readers. To further diverge from her source material, she also diversifies her cast of characters by providing plus size and Latine representation, which I greatly appreciated. 

Winter and Luiza’s workplace romance made my heart flutter! Guedes takes her time in developing their relationship from rivals to lovers, painstakingly detailing Luisa’s prolonged refusal to give in to her feelings. But once she does, the pay off is magical. Luiza and Winter’s chemistry leaps off the page! Their banter and their steamier moments set this book apart from other Austin retellings.

My only wish is that there were more positive interactions between Luiza and her sisters featured on the page. Luiza’s strained relationship with her youngest sister in particular broke my heart, which is a testament to Guedes’ writing in and of itself seeing that I was emotionally invested in her characters. 

I look forward to seeing what Guedes puts out next! 

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

#first impressions of you #luiza bento #winter davis #gabriela graciosa guedes #debut novel #rivals to lovers #enemies to lovers #workplace romance #retelling #jane austen #pride and prejudice #contemporary romance #book review #booklr #book blog #book blogger #bookish #adult romance #romance books #romance novels #spicy romance #bibliophile

[fictionadventurer]

...Is Persuasion home-front fiction?

Obviously there's not a war happening just then, but you still get a story taking place in a vast world with all sorts of exciting things happening, but we focus on the people living small domestic lives far away from all that.

#persuasion #jane austen #i keep thinking about that cinderella retelling #getting pretty excited about how things are developing #but then it hit me that i have this vast world of flying sailing ships and explorers and daring pilots #but the story is all about a character who's left behind in ordinary life away from all that #so like isn't that a waste of a world? #on the one hand maybe #but on the other hand the austen type of stories i'm drawing from already *are* this #(and my mc does get a bit of adventure) #(and has been shaped by experience in the more exciting elements of that world) #(plus there's nothing wrong with focusing on how all the changes brought about by the exciting explorers and airships stuff) #(affects the culture of ordinary life) #adventures in writing

[fairytalearista]

Merry Late Christmas!

This is a post to say that the Six Broken Mirrors (a set of Snow Queen retellings) have now (almost) all released upon the world and you REALLY need to go check them out if you haven't already.

Snowfield Palace. Austen/Fairy tale mashup. My book. Probably the most distorted take on the Snow Queen, as the plot more closely follows Mansfield Park's - BUT all of the Snow Queen elements are there, at some point or another, including the whole mirror madness which has taken the place of the PLAY. Mwahahaha. I got to write a trope I've wanted to use for a LONG time and it was brilliant. Book 4 of a series, though, and I do recommend starting at the first book, but, hey, that just means more Austeny Fairy tales!

The White Queen's Spell. Okay, confession - this is the one we had to delay to mid-January. BUT you can go read the prequel, The Dark King's Curse, which is Celtic Twelve Dancing Princess, and one of my favorite 12DP framings. (aka, third-party female who helps the hero and winds up with the "dark king," who's not so much a bad dude after all.)

Shattered Reflection. Have you ever wondered if it were possible to have an epic, enchanting retelling of the Snow Queen with no magic at all? I didn't think it possible, either, but it is. A beautiful tale of loyalty, betrayal, and second chances, this is a story you don't want to miss.

Of Ice and Roses. You know the part of the Snow Queen where she gets stuck in a cabin with no memories? Well, what if the old woman were protecting her and she stays there for eight years until she grows up, Cinderella's her way into marrying the local prince, and then the war against the Snow Queen turns critical and her finding her old friend is the one thing that can save the world. Because that's this book and it's sweet and exciting, and I'm in love with it.

Through a Shattered Glass. Oh, yes, that's right. An Alice in Wonderland mashup. I was so excited when Sarah sent it to me, and boy-howdy did she deliver. It's such a beautiful story. And that ending! My heart.

Christmas Games. And finally we have a virtual reality Christmas story. If you're a fan of Star Trek episodes where the holodeck malfunctions, then this is the Snow Queen story for you. It is a spin-off to a series with some pretty complicated worldbuilding, which I haven't had a chance to read yet, but it's a fun little story and the series sounds pretty epic.

So that's the set - and there's still a day or so left on the giveaway, if you want to go check that out. BTW, sharing this post counts as "spotlighting the books" and thus is an entry....

#Snow Queen #retellings #tumblr authors #books #Jane Austen #Alice in Wonderland