You’ve read all of the Austen novels, including the juvenilia and incomplete works. You might be going through the common withdrawals, longing for the dashing young men of large fortune in waistcoats and witty language spoken to you. Unfortunately, Austen is will not be writing any more new books but you have writers who are either devoted “Janeites” like us who want to see her stories continue on or writers who created similar plot lines but will have Austen lover fall head over heels for the story . So here are ten books that won’t replace Austen, but definitely will fix that missing space your heart.
*A lot of these adaptations are based off from Pride and Prejudice, which is understandable since that is Austen’s most popular book.*
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
The relationship between Margaret Hale and Mr. Thornton is a lot like Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy. However, this honest portrayal of Victorian England will have you try to guess if you are reading an Austen novel, even if they are at least 50 years apart.
Pride and Prejudice story…told through the servants. Although it could have been better, it is a good retelling for any Austen fan.
Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
Ever wondered if Elizabeth and Darcy could solve a mystery? Probably not, but it is interesting to see two favorite characters thrown into a country house murder.
Letters from Pemberley: The First Year by Jane Dawkins
An epistolary novel that gives us readers a chance to read more about Elizabeth’s inner most thoughts during her first year of marriage to Darcy.
More Letters from Pemberley: 1814-1819: A Further Continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice by Jane Dawkins
If you enjoyed the first one, then you will like this one.
The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini
This is not, I repeat, not a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, however, it has a lot of the same heart and humor that you will find this to be an enjoyable story.
Mr. Darcy’s Daughters by Elizabeth Aston
A classic tale of history repeating itself. It was a cute and romantic continuation.
I haven’t read these three but I have heard good things and they are very popular so I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt and suggest them:
Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
Austenland by Shannon Hale
Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Curtis Sittenfeld
Discover more from cup of tea with that book, please
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I definitely see the parallel’s between North and South and Pride and Prejudice but I think calling N&S an “adaptation” is a little misleading. It’s a totally independent work and Gaskell’ s scope was much more broad than Austen’s. That said, I would still recommend N&S to a P&P fan, because there are a lot of parallels in terms of the central relationship.
Good calls on the recommendations of Longburn and Death Comes to Pemberly. Both are some of the best Austen fan fiction I’ve read.
Loved Death comes to Pemberley! Haven’t read the rest, except for North and South which admittedly I didn’t like anywhere near Pride and Prejudice (still a great novel, but just not one I’d pick up for a re-read every year, which P&P is). I have yet to read a P&P fanfic that I’ve truly fallen in love with. Oh, I have read Bridget Jones after watching the movie, but didn’t like it as much as the film (Renee and Colin made the story I think!).
I actually did pick up Eligible and found it nothing like Pride and Prejudice. It was just too hard to picture Elizabeth having “hate-sex” with Darcy and all the other twists that were done to make the story fit a modern society. The plot was more or less the same, from what I skimmed, but I didn’t feel like the characters were that close at all. Personally, I feel like some of the YA fiction, like “How To Keep A Boy From Kissing You,” did a better job of adapting Jane, as the characters were unique but similar enough to be amusing (but that was a retake on Emma, not Pride and Prejudice).
What were your thoughts on Letters from Pemberley? Worth reading, or does it not feel that much “in character”?