Okay, now when you’re done with that, come back and read this review. And then maybe get yourself a copy of The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet and snuggle up in your reading chair for a couple of hours.
What this book is, basically, is an adaptation of a YouTube series, which is itself a modern day adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, told in interactive vlog-form (there are additional in-world videos, Tumblrs, and Twitter accounts, and if you watched live, you could interact with the characters). Please note: you absolutely don’t have to have read P&P to enjoy the series. I didn’t cotton on to it until it was about a month away from being finished, so I had the glorious experience of binge-watching almost all of it. I think I might have watched like, seventy-five episodes in a row or something. I remember I was sick at the time, and I just sat in front of my computer for nine hours straight (in a rather uncomfortable chair, I might add, since I didn’t have a laptop at that point, or the ability to stream YouTube on my TV like I do now). Such was the power of the narrative.
I had almost the same experience with the book, in that I read it straight through. I was a bit worried going in that it would just be a rehash of what I’d already seen in the series, but a majority of it is either new content (stuff they wanted to put in the show, but either couldn’t find a way to logistically make it work, or which wouldn’t have been something we learned via the chosen vlog format), or old content viewed in a new way. And since Lizzie is a grad student, it’s also sort of a meta-commentary on the videos she made (which in-universe were made as part of a graduate project).
Maybe I’m sort of underselling how fun both the book and webseries are. Especially the webseries. Lizzie gets around the problem of having people she’s talking about in the videos by role-playing with her family and friends, and it’s the goofiest fake costume drama ever. I’m also sort of obsessed with the girl who plays Jane, who has now guest starred on Bones, Sleepy Hollow, and turned up on Big Bang Theory as Raj’s love interest. For my money she’ll always be Jane Bennet, though. She’s so good at it! And she has the best hair ever.
Also, y’all should watch Emma Approved, which is Pemberley Digital’s adaptation of Emma, and Frankenstein M.D., which is their gender-swapped adaptation (partnered with PBS) of Frankenstein. Because the internet is amazeballs. Which is a real word now, so I’m totes allowed to use it.
I’m about 75% of the way through the series on YouTube and adore it. And now you’re telling me they have other shows I need to watch, too? Good thing the kids are going back to school soon…between these videos and the Courtney Milan books I’ve been shoving into my brain, it’s been hard finding time to do real-life things.
Yeah, Emma Approved is wrapping up pretty soon, and Frankenstein M.D. just premiered this week. It’s only going to go for 26 episodes. They also had another smaller run series called Welcome to Sanditon, which was a very loose adaptation of Austen’s unfinished novel Sanditon, only starring Gigi Darcy. I actually haven’t gotten around to watching that one yet.
I’m so glad you liked the book too! I also thank you for pointing out to me that “amazeballs” and “adorbs” are proper authorised words in the dictionary now, that made my whole day.
I’m off to watch the last episode of Emma Approved and then to check out Frankenstein, M.D. I’ve not read the book, and am thinking that may be my next Classics project. I’ll probably get it in audio book, as after I caught up with the Dresden Files I keep forgetting I have an Audible account.
Frankenstein is interesting. It’s not what most people expect when they first read it. It’s more subtle, and the ‘monster’ is not exactly what you’re used to seeing in the movies.