Pride and Circumstance

by Ariane Boos, Caroline Reme (illustrator)

Rediscover one of the most enduringly popular novels of all times

The indelible love story told in Pride and Prejudice has captivated readers for over two centuries, spawning several adaptations and thousands of variations.

Pride and Circumstance, by contrast, is an actual retelling of the classic, hewing close to the original story in language and setting. With a clearer focus on the relationship between the protagonists, it aims to trace the development of their feelings and attitudes in more depth. A slightly more assertive Elizabeth, acutely aware of the social constraints of her time, is more than a match for proud Mr Darcy in the tangle of emotions unfolding over the course of their acquaintance.

Introducing some new angles and plot lines, Pride and Circumstance grants a voice to the male characters as well and explores backstories hitherto unexamined. Subtle humor, sparkling wit and a few surprising plot twists toward the end bring the protagonists of this novel to new life.

A delightful read for all Austen fans who never tire of rereading the original, yet appreciate a fresh look at their favourite novel.

558 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 6, 2024

Reviews

[Meiri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pride and Circumstance is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice that follows the key events of the original novel with apparently minor changes. What interested me on this retelling was the chance to read more about the relationship of Darcy and Elizabeth and the backstory of Darcy and Bingley's friendship. It's evident that Mrs. Boos did a great deal of research and the novel is well written, but the dialogues of P&P became pale on being rewritten and the new ones didn't add much depth to the main story.
The changes of some events were expected on a retelling but not the changes of personality. Mary, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Bingley and even Elizabeth shows traits that aren't recognisable on their original counterparts. Darcy is the one more alike to himself, though in this version he doesn't smile until Elizabeth calls him out on it.
The humorous tone was also lost in this retelling, characters that are supposed to be ridiculously funny are just boring; the great discussions of the protagonists were now focused on the importance of Women's Education and Enlightenment Philosophy, with Elizabeth always winning the debate. The feminist tone was too heavy, taking away all the brightness of the story.
Pride and Circumstance was well written and the author does admire Jane Austen's work, but unfortunately it wasn't to my liking.

[Jen B · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*
This is basically a retelling of canon with a more reliable 3rd person narrator that is not exclusively Eliabeth's POV - so we get a clearer, more honest view of various characters than in canon.
I must say that in my less charitable moments this is how I view canon Elizabeth (as pettier and more mean spirited until she matures). In canon, she is an unreliable narrator, and P&P is told from her perspective and even she admits that much of the time she spoke to Darcy to give him pain and thought meanly of Mary King (or at least in line with Lydia's thoughts if memory serves) as examples - but in canon those are only fleeting moments. I always thought of her laughing at other's foibles (no matter how archly she put it), was mocking in nature (which is not sweet and arch, but cynical and arrogant) and this is hinted at more strongly in this telling.
Now there are many scenes that are filled in here, some recast, some conversations had in new contexts; Bingley and Darcy's friendship explored in greater (and surprising) depth. Everything was in a new voice - I found it quite enjoyable

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sheila Majczan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

As the author tells us in her story description this is basically a retelling of Jane Austen's classic Pride & Prejudice.

We do have more times of reading scenes which are expanded or added to fill in some of the relationship building between Darcy and Elizabeth.

I did find Darcy to be colder and somewhat more reticent in this variation. The emphasis being to distance himself from someone not suitable for a man with his connections and wealth. There are some changes, especially towards the end, i.e. Lady Catherine, Mr. Collins but their roles fit this story.

This is a very long story and although it did interest me it was not a page turner for me. I did want to finish it to be able to know all the ways in which the two versions were or were not parallel.

If you like to reread P&P every once in awhile you might want to add this to your list. However as a stand alone story it did not have the angst I so like. The epilogue adds a few changes to the future.

[Jean Stillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this new book from Ariane Boos. The book description tells us from the beginning that the storyline follows Jane Austen's original Pride and Prejudice, but with so much more. Any true fan of the original has so often wanted more to ODC's love story. I know I have! Authors through the ages have attempted to entertain us with retellings, variations, and modern-day storylines; and some are excellent work, while others fall way short of what we hoped. With this book, we get all that, plus a closer look at all of the characters. There are a few surprising twists that have been added to keep the reading fresh and fun.
I adored Elizabeth and Darcy in this one. Always headstrong and willful, we see other dimensions to Elizabeth's sparkling character, her vulnerability as well as her boldness against society rules....to some degree. We see more of what makes Fitzwilliam Darcy tick, as well. I loved all the layers to this quiet, proud, steadfast, and honorable man. Bingley is yet another character where the author has shown us so much more to the man. And, Mr. Bennet, let me just say that the backstory here answers a lot of questions about how his family ended up in their situation.

This is a long book, almost 600 pages. So, if you want something quick to read, this is not the one. But, if you loved the immortal Pride and Prejudice, then you will surely enjoy this one.

[Katja]

I read the free sample and the foreword says that it's meant to be a rewrite of Pride and Prejudice, with basically the same plot but trying to answer some questions that the author had. So I was expecting a sticks-to-canon-very-closely sort of a book. But Bingley arrives to Meryton in November and not at Michaelmas (September). And Sir William is referred to as Sir Lucas (I always complain about Sir Lucas but only because it's wrong). I put it down as a maybe but uhh, nearly 600 pages? Can the author avoid padding the pages with boring filler material?

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Austen would be proud

Excellent retelling of Miss Austen's well loved Pride and Prejudice. This deep dive into untold scenes and conversations was a wonderful read. Though there were a few twists from the original, I think most purists will enjoy this with no complaints. Highly recommended!

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creative take on a timeless classic. The in-depth character insight, emotions, and backstory was truly special and enjoyed tremendously! Fell in love with Darcy and Lizzie all over again in a new fresh way.

Would’ve been a perfect 5 for me, except there were a few modernized takes and very forced moments and choices that felt like a 21st century feminist trying to force a 19th century feminist to fit her own agenda. Jane Austen was a brilliant feminist in her own right, time, and place. Let her be and relish her paving the way for us now, but don’t try to modernize her. She was ahead of her time, but not centuries quite yet. The ending felt very forced and awkward. Appreciated Darcy’s perspective but it didn’t fit the character we had just experienced.

Almost, but not quite there! Truly there can never be a better than the original. But it was a pleasant experience. I was pleased to be able to receive this advanced reader copy, and was happy to leave my review.

[Gill M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is described as a rewrite of Pride and Prejudice, and so it is.

However, it is so much more. Really well imagined episodes, that expand upon Darcy and Elizabeth's relationship.

It took me a little while to get into the story, but it is definitely worth the effort.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Linda K Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pride and Circumstance

Definitely a recap of the original Pride and Prejudice, but there is enough different to make it interesting. So you must really not mind very little change for the original.

Love that Elizabeth rides horses, and en cavalier, oh my, like a man. Ha ha. Low Angst.

It may be well written and barely enough difference but just has to ruin it in the epilogue, which almost saved it until she has to hint at sin.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually read contemporary fiction and was afraid this book would be to difficult, especially as it is quite long. I read Pride and Prejudice in school, and it was a struggle at times because Jane Austen´s style is demanding, especially for non-native speaker. This novel was recommended to me by a friend, and it turned out to be a surprisingly smooth read. The story was so well-written and interesting that despite the length I finished the whole book in a few days.
I liked that the author made Elizabeth a little more modern and assertive. I also love horses and I find that it makes perfect sense for her to be a rider. Darcy, too, loves horses and this gives them a great and believable opportunity to connect. Elizabeth has a better understanding of how unjust life as a woman was at the time and even though she does not completely defy the conventions of the time, I found it easier to identify with her than with her character in the original. I´m sure that fans of Jane Austen would enjoy this new version of Pride and Prejudice, even though there are a few changes to the original story, especially towards the end (my favorite part!)

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally read Pride and Prejudice for the first time about 6 months ago and instantly fell in love with the story and the characters; so when I saw there was an ARC available for a story which promised to fill in the gaps of the original tale and give the reader insight into characters other than Lizzie, I was intrigued.

The author does a very good job of matching Jane Austen's writing style, so much so that you sometimes forget you are reading something a scene that wasn't in the source material and all the characters here feel true to their original versions.

The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the fact certain, iconic [in mind, at least] plot points had been changed from the original story; but as the story progesses, you can see that alterations pay off in a slightly differerent way to the source material and none of them ruin the overall enjoyment of this story or the original.

No major spoilers here, but make sure you have some tissues ready at the epilogue.

Thank you to Booksirens for providing me with an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[J.C. Plummer · Rating 2 out of 5]

A ponderous retelling with a huge dose of 21st century feminism that robbed Elizabeth of her wit and likability. For a retelling (as opposed to a variation) several characters (Mary, Col Fitzwilliam, and Bingley) were unrecognizable.

The epilogue inferred that Anne de Bourgh and Charlotte were “in a relationship” if you know what I mean. Charlotte was the widow of a pastor, which makes this especially offensive and absurd.

[Heather Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this retelling of Pride & Prejudice! The language and syntax made me feel that I'd truly entered the world of P&P, but with the extra pleasure of more dialogue than the original, fleshed-out back stories, and occasional dips into Darcy's and Bingley's heads. The story stays fairly faithful to the original, with just a few plot twists mostly at the end. The author also adds other convincing embellishments that helped flesh out the characters (Elizabeth's love of riding, for instance, and her refusal to ride side-saddle, which Darcy finds both scandalous and intriguing). All in all, a pleasure to read!

[Abigail Kopp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could barely put this book down.

Taking the timeless story that is already full of life and loved by many, Boos transforms Pride and Prejudice into a deeper narrative of misunderstanding and and hypocrisy, diving deeper into the minds and backstories of many characters.

I feel as if I had been immersed into the world of Jane Austen, better understanding the motives of the characters. I am glad that Boos did not neglect Mary and Kitty, instead giving them purpose and better motivations and a relatively happy ending.

A longer review to come.

[Amanda Lima · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, english is not my native language, so, I'm sorry for any possible mistakes.

It's not a bad book, it is well written. But, personally, I don't see much sense in write a variation of a book with so little change from the original. Yes, we have much more dialogues and interesting conversations, little changes in characters, but the plot is almost the same.

[Paula Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely read. Exciting, but relaxing and a fun escape into Austenian English. It was a pleasure to continue where Austen left off with Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.

[Tzippy Sheffi Elgar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pride and Circumstance by Ariane Boos is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice with additional scenes and delving into the thoughts of the main characters. There are some scenes that where different from canon but I didn't feel it added much to the plotline. Some of the characters are different than canon. Elizabeth, for example, is more petulant and complaining about her situation. I wish there was more delving into Darcy's thoughts and perspective of the events.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.