I wanted to love this book. I am a huge Jane Austen fan and am always happy to read fan lit. So I was very excited about the prospect of this book, especially with all of the great reviews that I read. But I hated it.
I think the thing that bugged me the most was the author’s treatment of Elizabeth (Zuri) and Darcy (Darius). Nothing about these characters reflected their original counterparts. Elizabeth Bennet is prideful, but she is also polite and kind. From Zuri I did not get pride, I got anger and insecurity and rudeness. One of the wonderful things about Austen’s Darcy character is the way he changes from surly to doing everything he can to make up with Elizabeth. However, Darius comes off first as a lost and later as a love struck puppy. Neither character spoke to me – and I kept giving them chances.
The one part of the book that I did enjoy was the author’s description of Latino New York. I grew up around that culture and her descriptions felt like home. They made me laugh and cringe and have all the emotions. The descriptions of Washington, DC and its suburbs were also fun, as I know those streets quite well. I only wish that the characters had been given the same care as the settings.
In the end, I am glad I read it. I will always give Austen fan fiction a chance. However, I believe that good fan fiction takes the original characters and gives them a unique twist. What Pride does is take the characters and gives them such different personalities that they barely resemble their namesakes. It is a shame, because the book had so much potential. It just did not deliver.
Oh no, that sucks that you didn’t enjoy this. I liked it a bit more than you did (it’s on my list to review), but it’s good to know the complaints so I can caveat it when recommending it. I’m blanking on the name, but have you read the dragon P&P retelling?