Laura Wood has done a brilliant job here of maintaining the integrity of the original, whilst making this accessible for younger - or less confident - readers. This is important and will be massively valuable. Don't fret - all of the wit is still there!

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adore Laura Wood as an author and find her way with words to be romantic and soothing. Pride and Prejudice can be a challenging read and Laura Wood offers this as an accessible way to read and get to know classic literature,
Barrington Stoke are masters of their craft, getting just the right author to tackle a book suited to their style.
If you are a big fan of P&P then this maybe is not intended for you. It is ideal for a high school student wanting to read classics in a new, accessible way.

Barrington Stoke and Laura Wood have done brilliantly with this retelling!

Okay so I very clearly messed up with requesting this one as I have not gotten around to reading the original but I clearly saw Laura Wood and immediately requested.

I have watched the original BBC P&P and must have thought that this was a complete retelling with aspects being different but instead this is the story told in a way new audiences can understand.

I will get around to reading this and the original but I just dont know when.

Sorry!

Wood has cemented herself as a master craftsman, with evocative beautiful stories. This is no exception - a wonderful retelling of a beloved classic.

I requested this book simply because I adore Laura Wood and I adore Jane Austen. I thought it would be a retelling of Pride and Prejudice but it was actually an abridged version aimed at a YA audience. I am not the target audience but I like the idea of making classics accessible to young people. It shows them that classics are not as intimidating as they may seem.

Really loved Laura Woods retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I love Jane Austens version but this one made it very accessible for all.

I'm a huge fan of Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and this retelling was just as adorable. I think it's a great YA version of a beloved classic. Would absolutely recommend to teens and adults.

Classics are great. But the language is sometimes a pain to read. English the is different than English now, and I think for the younger generation (or just people who have a hard time with the writing) that this is a good book.

ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕛𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕔𝕖 - 𝕒 𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘
I read this retelling this week and thoroughly enjoyed it! Perfect for introducing younger readers to the beautiful classic. Also fantastic for readers who struggle with the language in classic books. A really good retelling, well done @lauracwood
Thank you to @netgalley for my ecopy ☺️

=I love the BBC adaptation of this book. But the book itself? I have tried three times and struggled each one. By comparison, this retelling was a complete breeze to get through. It's clear and accessible - I could easily follow what was happening without my attention wandering.

As my knowledge of this story is based on the TV show, I am not confidently able to say how much was kept and how much was trimmed to get a 122k book down into something this slim. However, it felt like it had kept the spirit and overall feel of the show, as well as all the narrative elements I can recall! And I think spirit in a retelling like this is as important as plot - probably more so, because it's what makes it into an accessible version of the story, rather than a grocery-list recount of the beats.

I believe PRIDE AND PREJUDICE is a satire of Georgian courting and the concerns of the gentlefolk. This retelling certainly brings out the silliness of the situation, poking fun at characters like Mrs Bennet and Mr Collins. I was giggling a fair bit at most of their appearances.

I probably wouldn’t call this a retelling but more of a simplified version of the classic. It felt more like someone explaining the plot of Pride and Prejudice in an easy to digest way - would have been helpful when I had to study this for my exams at school.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this adaptation. Unlike some retellings of much-loved classics that might take artistic liberties, Laura Wood stays true to the original story and tells it in a way that’s likely to be embraced by young readers.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Firstly, this is not a retelling of Pride and Prejudice - it is a rewrite in simplified English aimed at YA readers. I was disappointed not to have a new take on Jane Austen's work but this is a nice introduction to the story which hopefully encourages others to read the original.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is such a great book and a perfect way of introducing the story of Pride and Prejudice to those who haven’t read it yet. Although her mother is keen to marry off all of her five daughters, Elizabeth Bennet doesn’t want to marry someone for convenience. During one ball she meets Mr Darcy who appears to be selfish, proud and rude about her. Elizabeth has no desire to ever marry him, and Mr Darcy doesn’t seem keen on the idea either, but after many encounters, could their first impressions of each other be wrong?

I have not yet read the full novel by Jane Austen though I have loved watching the 90s tv show and the more recent film of the book. The full book of Pride and Prejudice is big with much more happening than in this retelling, however, amazingly, the author has managed to fit the entire story into around 130 pages! This retelling reads really well and is so easy to get into right away. The characters are all interesting and shown well and I especially enjoyed Mrs Bennet and Mr Collins characters as there is a lot of humour around those two and what they end up saying.

The whole story is told so well and although I knew what would happen to everyone it is still such a joy to read. I have only seen the story on screen so it was also interesting to see where this book’s story changed slightly and how it ends. The chemistry between Mr Darcy and Elizabeth is brilliant and I loved moments like the failed proposal, Darcy’s awkwardness, and their dance together. The ending is good and the whole book is written in a way that just makes you feel so happy after reading it, and I love how I got to read and know the story of Pride and Prejudice in such a short form.

The book is especially made to be easier to read for dyslexics and so features a good sized text, a special font used and all the text on an off-white/cream coloured paper. The pages are also very thick which help in reading and there is a lovely small gray coloured peacock feather image at the start of every chapter. The whole story of Pride and Prejudice has been retold so well and this is the perfect sized book to help anyone who is reluctant to read the original text, maybe finding the original just too daunting in size! There is something so lovely about being able to read a classic in a retelling like this. Although it doesn’t feature every moment from the book and some details or scenes are merged into each other so that everything happens quite quickly, there is something so wonderful about the way this story reads and the easy more modern language of the text helps too.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who is interested in reading Pride and Prejudice and wants to get to know the story but either doesn’t have the time to read the full length novel or finds the original classic a daunting read. At just over 130 pages this book is such a wonderful quick read and is written in such a way that you really feel the drama, humour and touching romance of the story. It’s definitely a good book to also introduce a young person to the classic which they might want to read in future too.

I love Jane Austen and I’ve read all her books, but I accept that it can be daunting to someone who wants to read it being 13 , 30 or 99 if you aren’t used to the writing style or language used, so it was really interesting to see how this accessible version would land for me, would it be good enough, would it cover enough of the nuances and wit of the original. I am really glad to say it did , Laura has done a marvellous job in adapting this for all levels to read without losing the class of the original . This is a fantastic introduction to Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen and any classic novel, I would definitely recommend this for readers who dont want to jump into a classic to begin or don’t feel ready for a heavier read. Well done


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

An easy to read, simplified version of the classic Pride and Prejudice. It would be great for a teen who may be turned off by the old English.

A lovely introduction for younger readers from a long time fan of Austen. A great way to get younger readers into classic fiction and thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

First, this is a hi-lo book, meaning high interest/low level, meaning it is "appropriate to the age of the reader but the text is edited to suit a lower reading age." After working at a book store for more than 21 years, I've had more requests for this type of book than I can remember, and I love that this issue is being addressed by publishers. In the case of this book, the text is suitable for readers 13+ years while being written at a 9 year old reading level.
Let's face it, Jane Austen is a great writer, but it can be a bit daunting reading her work. Not everyone can slip easily into the language of the time (myself included), and this can be daunting to some readers. Laura Wood has successfully adapted P&P and made it accessible to readers of all levels while keeping the flavor and wit of the original. This is not an easy thing to do, but Wood makes it look easy. This is a great introduction to Austen's work for readers who aren't quite ready for the original work but still would like to experience the story.

#PrideandPrejudiceARetelling #NetGalley

A great retelling of Austen’s pride and prejudice for a younger audience. This book captured the wit, characters and storyline whilst being more accessible for younger readers. This would be a great way to introduce children to Austen’s writing and books. It was fun, fast paced and didn’t deviate from the plot. The characters were very true to the originals and it kept the comedy elements that I love so much about Austen.

Laura Wood captures the romance, wit and drama of the original in an adaptation that's quick and clear to read. This retelling is perfect for readers who love romance but might struggle with regency era language. It could also offer a great way into the original text. I can also imagine this appealing to adult readers who enjoys the TV and film adaptations, beyond Barrington Stoke's usual child and teen audience.

Some of the dialogue and wittiest lines remain the same, but there's also a more modern insight into internalised emotions and character's motives (which makes the story easier to follow). However, it never feels like a summary of the story, and nothing seems rushed or glossed over. A perfect, pocket-sized period retelling.