Eligible

A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice

By: Curtis Sittenfeld

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

From the "wickedly entertaining" (USA Today) Curtis Sittenfeld, New York Times best-selling author of Prep and American Wife, comes a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Equal parts homage to Jane Austen and bold literary experiment, Eligible is a brilliant, playful, and delicious saga for the 21st century.

This version of the Bennet family - and Mr. Darcy - is one that you have and haven't met before: Liz is a magazine writer in her late 30s who, like her yoga instructor older sister, Jane, lives in New York City. When their father has a health scare, they return to their childhood home in Cincinnati to help - and discover that the sprawling Tudor they grew up in is crumbling, and the family is in disarray.

Youngest sisters Kitty and Lydia are too busy with their CrossFit workouts and paleo diets to get jobs. Mary, the middle sister, is earning her third online master's degree and barely leaves her room except for those mysterious Tuesday-night outings she won't discuss. And Mrs. Bennet has one thing on her mind: how to marry off her daughters, especially as Jane's 40th birthday fast approaches.

Enter Chip Bingley, a handsome new-in-town doctor who recently appeared on the juggernaut reality TV dating show Eligible. At a Fourth of July barbecue, Chip takes an immediate interest in Jane, but Chip's friend, neurosurgeon Fitzwilliam Darcy, reveals himself to Liz to be much less charming....

And yet, first impressions can be deceiving.

Wonderfully tender and hilariously funny, Eligible both honors and updates Austen's beloved tale. Tackling gender, class, courtship, and family, Sittenfeld reaffirms herself as one of the most dazzling authors writing today.

©2016 Curtis Sittenfeld (P)2016 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Narrator Cassandra Campbell's lively narration complements Sittenfeld's sharply observed and witty updates. She voices Darcy, now an accomplished, if snobby, neurosurgeon, in a dry and understated style, contrasting him beautifully with the often exasperated and indignant Liz, a magazine writer. Especially notable is Campbell's handling of party scenes, in which the five Bennet sisters and assorted other characters interact in rapid-fire dialogue. To Campbell's credit, each character remains clearly distinguishable through subtle vocal variations. Sittenfeld's retelling is smart and funny, and Campbell's performance highlights the novel's many strengths." ( AudioFile)

Couldn’t stop

I Love Pride and Prejudice, it’s the only book I’ve read multiple times and my absolute favorite movie.... and I thought this book was absolutely delectable. It’s fun- not too serious.

My complaint is that I really didn’t like the voice the narrator used to portray Elizabeth- it was terrible! So squeaky and not how I’d portray her!

Otherwise, a super fun book.

Great listen!

A perfect summer read (or listen). Story moves along at a nice pace and is light hearted, funny and interesting.

Wonderful in all the right ways!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Curtis Sittenfeld's modern retelling is a perfect balance of indulgence and provocation.

What other book might you compare Eligible to and why?

This is in a league of its own...

Have you listened to any of Cassandra Campbell’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. I found her voice and inflections fitting.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I found myself laughing out loud at many of Bennett family's outrageous exchanges and always wanted more. Curtis Sittenfeld clearly understands Austen's subtlety and the romance between Liz and Darcy is both refreshingly thrilling and realistic.

Any additional comments?

I loved it and was left smiling. Best credit I've used in quite some time....

Very contemporary take on Regency-era romance

Jane Austen can’t be improved upon, but she can be updated from generation to generation and Curtis Sittenfeld does that. While there is no «hate sex,» transgender identity or telecommuting in the original, they do make their points here. They also make for fun reading.

The reading by this narrator, though, is awful. The characters are difficult to distinguish, too many sound supercilious and just plain silly—even the sympathetic ones—and I started to wonder a few chapters in whether the reader knows anything about diction. About a third of the way into the book I switched to the Kindle version and had a much better experience.

Quirky

A fun and kind of quirky telling of a family and all their craziness, but LONG!

If You Like Soap Operas...

Has Eligible turned you off from other books in this genre?

Yes.

Which character – as performed by Cassandra Campbell – was your favorite?

Obviously, the most developed character was Liz. But her cluelessness wasn't necessarily charming. I prefer a bit more maturity in my novel characters, or else more angst.

Any additional comments?

In a lot of ways, this book reads like you would watch successive episodes of The Bachelor TV series, which it is based upon. If you like this type of entertainment, then "Eligible" is for you, but otherwise, you might just want to go back to the original "Pride and Prejudice."

Read this one yourself, if at all

The story had its good moments. But I really had to push on to get through the dreadful narration. The characters are in part to blame but I found the voices grating. After all the build up, I also thought the story ended somewhat abruptly and on one of the most marginal characters too.

A little underwhelmed

Given all of the hype I have to say I wasn't as impressed as I'd hoped to be. That being said it was clever and a fine story, although I felt it dragged at times. The narration was excellent.

Fun and frivolous

A silly and fun modern rendition of Pride and Prejudice . Entertaining and light. Good narrator

lots of nails hit on the head.

while the subject matter is very tabloid and superficial, the author brings a clever lense to bear on courtship in the modern era that kept me wanting more. sad it's over! loved the book.