The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet

May 19, 2014
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries creator Su and series writer Rorick do a fantastic job of translating the Emmy Award–winning web series into novel format. In this modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, readers peek inside the diary of Lizzie Bennet as she records videos documenting her life for her graduate thesis while living in smalltown central California. The Bennet household is buzzing with the news that rich medical student Bing Lee has moved to town. Lizzie’s sister Jane begins a tentative romance with Bing while Lizzie juggles her wild-child sister Lydia, Bing’s snobby friend William Darcy, and a possible romance with the handsome George Wickham. After turning down a lucrative job offer from Ricky Collins to make corporate how-to videos, Lizzie begins shadowing companies for her thesis and learns that first impressions are not always correct. This book hits all the high points of Austen’s most famous novel in satisfying ways (Darcy’s confession, Lydia’s bad choices), while updating it for the digital age. Though the videos are the catalyst for the novel, readers need not have viewed them to enjoy this story. Fans of the Web series and newcomers alike will be satisfied.