Publication Date: February 19, 2012
A re-telling of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” through the eyes of youngest sister Lydia, and told with the speech patterns and outlook of a modern teen of the region of England in which the story takes place.
This was the first book that I read while on vacation in 2012. Shortly thereafter, I watched the “Pride and Prejudice” movie on TCM and proceeded to laugh my backside off remembering the novel. To give credit where it’s due, Valerie Laws retelling is nothing short of brilliant. From the moment Lydia, the true heroine and mastermind of “Pride and Prejudice” tells us that “Bonnet hair is no joke…”, I was hooked. She refers to Bingley as “Blingley” (he’s loaded, you know) and says that the older married Bingley sister is married to an “oxygen thief”. Charlotte, the daughter of Mrs. Bennett’s nemesis, in fact, has a massive girl crush on Lizzie. There are no high opinions in this novel for Mr. Bennett who, according to Lydia, spends all day in his library looking at filthy books.
Laws stays mostly faithful to the novel. There are highs and lows for Lydia, though she’d have us believe that she’s always in control. We get tongue-in-cheek jokes referencing a to the modern age. Lydia tries a fruit cup called “Six on the Beech” (obviously six fruits aged in a beechwood barrel). I could spend all day going over the funniest lines and greatest references in the book, but instead, you should go out and pick it up. This novel is truly comedy gold and a must read for anyone who loves parodies of the classics.
“Lydia Bennett’s Blog” was an awesome and entertaining read and to my eyes flawless. To misquote Lydia, “If this shocks you, you want to get out more.”
Read an excerpt and buy Lydia Bennett’s Blog: The Real Story of Pride and Prejudice by Valerie Laws on:
Amazon U.S. • Amazon U.K. • Amazon Canada
Valerie Laws is a poet, crime and comedy novelist, stage and radio playwright, sci-art installation specialist, performer, mathematician, swimmer. She performs her work at readings, events, festivals and signings live and in the media worldwide. She has written 12 commissioned plays for stage and BBC radio.
For more information about Valerie Laws and her work, visit her website. You can connect with her on Goodreads, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter @ValerieLaws.