** An ARC was received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **

<I>Pride and Prejudice</i> has to be, hands down, my all-time favourite Jane Austin novel. I have read this countless of times, so when I saw the Manga version of it, I thought.. "what the hell.."

To be honest, I have never read manga before, so the format was a little difficult to get used to. Read a book literally back-to-front was a little confusing at first, but I soon got used to it.

It's true that this is an adaptation, so it may not be an exact word-for-word re-work of the novel, it definitely is a another way to enjoy the original story. If I had never read the original work before, I certainly would know the general gist of the story, but there are certain aspects that are omitted in the graphic version so I would have missed a great deal of the chemistry between Elizabeth and Darcy.

I certainly wouldn't read this (or any other Manga Classics) without knowing the story beforehand, as it very condensed but the graphics are very expressive and beautifully done and I quite enjoyed it as an accompaniment to the original book.

I really enjoyed this book! It is always a little scary going into something like this, when you love the original Pride and Prejudice. However, I really enjoyed it! Full review to come on my Goodreads and Amazon.

It is no secret that 'Pride & Prejudice' is one of my old time favorites so once I saw adapted Manga in netgalley, I cannot not request it and I'm glad I've been accepted.

The cover and art is gorgeous!



Even black & white images as well -



I wish I can keep this book forever but as all comics, it is on lease and would be only available for 50 days...I'll cherish as long as I can then!

First, I have to admit that I am not a big 'graphic novel' reader, but I do see the value they have in bringing stories to life and engaging children, notwithstanding the wonderful artistic ability displayed.
Manga is in a field of its own. Once I sorted out the reading order (the book contains a simple guide to help you), the rest flowed quite easily.
Do not expect the dialogue to be repeated word for for word, and you will have to grit your teeth and allow for the addition of extra words for dramatic flair (why? I don't know). The characters are drawn in various ways and given unusual characteristics. Mr Bennett, for example, reminds me of wolverine.
Also, it might be a manga thing, but every now and then the story cuts away to simplified drawings (simple and simpler), almost as a subtext.
It was all very comical, but if it gets my manga-enthusiastic students exposed to the classics, I'm all for it.

The artwork in this is absolutely stunning and I love the fact that this one is read in true manga/Japanese tradition!!! Right to left instead of left to right. It was awesome seeing Jane Austen's characters brought to life in anime form!!!!

To start off, I didn't ever think I could really call myself an official fan of Pride and Prejudice or Jane Austen. I've only read the book just the once, and indeed, after many many tries. However, I have also watched both the movie and TV series adaptations and the Youtube web series adaptation The Lizzie Bennett Diaries (which is so so good and you should totally watch it if you haven't) and I think somewhere along the way I fell in love with Elizabeth and Darcy's story.

And my feelings were no different with this adaptation.

I really really loved reading Manga Classics: Pride & Prejudice. I'm actually a bit of a fan of manga and have read the occasional one in the past so I have seen various art styles before. The art in this one really suited the story and I absolutely loved it. The artist did a really good job. As well, the writing was really good; it was in the style of the original classic but still made perfect sense.

The manga is quite a sizable length at over 350 pages but I think it was just right. Not too long for a graphic novel (and I'm a slow reader and it only took me like an hour or two) and not too short, so that the plot could be well-developed and explained properly.

I think this manga did a great job in getting the reader invested in all of the characters and their stories and it didn't matter that I already knew what was going to happen next. I think, even if I hadn't had any idea what P&P was (but how could anyone in this day and age, not?), I would have really enjoyed the story just from this book alone. In saying this, I think that those out there, especially younger readers, that don't like reading the writing in classics or have no interest in them, could easily become interested in the stories through this manga and the other manga classics that the publisher has published. I definitely agree that this would especially suit school students.

I'm now actually so excited to start reading the other Manga Classics that I was approved for on Netgalley. If they're anything like this one, I won't be disappointed!

So, regardless of the fact that I am a little biased and I feel like rereading P&P all over again after this, my final verdict is that Manga Classics: Pride & Prejudice is a great manga adaptation (and for anyone who doubts that classics can be translated into the manga format, yes, it can be done) that will appeal to both fans of the story and new readers alike.

Last year, I first read this Jane Austen masterpiece and how it could not be different for an inveterate romantic like me: it was passion at first sight.
Now I had the chance to read in manga format and to delight in the fortunes and misadventures of the Bennett family. Just as he did with Emma, ​​the writer Stacy E. King also tried hard to preserve the story in this adaptation, in some moments it was magnificent, in others not so much. So, I'm actually going to report what I liked about the adaptation and what I did not like.

The manga begins, as well as the original work, with Jane's famous single-man phrase and presents the family, highlighting the protagonists of this incredible love story: Elizabeth and Jane.
We have already begun to glimpse the characterization and highlight of each character in the plot.
Initially, I thought the manga-ka was a little caricature in his images showing characters a little different from what I imagined when reading the original work.
- Jane demonstrating rebelliousness and impulsivity, almost always with loose and careless hair
- Mr. Darcy somewhat explosive and always angry
- Mr Collins almost a goofy and so stereotyped

As much as Jane is stubborn and strong, Mr. Collins is extremely talkative and a bit nasty, and Mr. Darcy is arrogant, pedantic, and serious. I could not see them so different from what I read in the original book, but as the story progressed I realized that Po Tse used these exaggerated elements so that the reader (especially the one who never read the original book) could understand Jane Austen's intentions in setting up this history. Details that are between the lines in the original reading and that need to be transmitted through the drawing in the case of the manga.

Along with this I also noticed some slight changes in the text to facilitate the understanding of finished situations, since we do not have a narrator in the manga, but it was nothing that compromised the central idea of ​​the book.
At this point, I missed the setting and dialogues of the emblematic scene that takes place in Mr. Bingley's house when Mr. Darcy is writing a letter to his sister and Caroline talks to him and then to Elizabeth. So far the text has been preserved but Darcy's discussion with Elizabeth has been cut short and for me it's one of the strongest times Darcy ever begins to show interest in that girl.
I also missed the various field rides that Elizabeth does and where she can sometimes talk to some characters.
Apart from these details I enjoyed the adaptation and how it clearly showed the difference in personality of each sister.
I loved the fun and desperate Mrs. Bennett and her follies to see the married daughters, no matter with whom.

In addition to all this, the designer presents in several passages between the chapters a comic to show more fun yet the strong personality of some characters, such as:

-Mr. Bennett who was portrayed in a way that was perfect for me."

-Sr. Darcy and the image he makes for himself and Mr. Bingley of Jane.

High point of the story continued to be the declaration of love between Jane and Darcy entitled to a modernized on the scene which further increased my passion for the manga.
I know the review is long, but I can not finish without mentioning the extremely romantic finale and the cute cover and representative, putting the scene of the famous first dance of them.
I loved it all a lot .... hehehehe ....
4/5 stars.

Highly recommended
Kisses, Myl

What a read!

A classic tale adorned with beautiful artwork!

I absolutely loved this Manga Classic. The storytelling was good. The characters' faces showed really good expressions. I could see when they were happy, sad or angry. Jane and Darcy were drawn beautifully. It was good seeing these characters in 2D.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.