I have read many of Jane Austen’s
original novels as well as the updated versions. Melissa Nathan’s version is among my favorite
of all. If you are looking for a light, fun book to take with you on your travels this summer. Pride, Prejudice, and Jasmin Field are just what you may be looking for. Jasmin Field is a reporter for a woman’s magazine called Hoorah! She decides to try out for a charity production of Pride and Prejudice at the Gothic church in London which is to be directed by the Academy Award winning actor Harry Noble. Jasmin, nicknamed Jazz is left with a bad impression of the great Mr. Noble when he inadvertently causes her to be late for a meeting with her sister and roommate Mo right before the audition. This happens when he is let off the train they are both on before the other passengers so that he can leave the station without being harassed by his many
fans. Jazz overhears Noble in his office, critizing her looks to his friends. She auditions then leaves and is later shocked to learn she has landed the lead role of Elizabeth Bennet. Noble drives Jazz hard and is always watching her. She talks disparagingly about Noble to anyone who dislikes him as much as she does, all the while never suspecting her life has begun to imitate the play. Melissa Nathan follows Jane’s Austen’s
original plot of Pride and Prejudice. She only twists some facts to fit the Twenty- First Century. Her writing is fresh and cleverly witty. The new characters are lovable updated versions of their roles in the play. This novel is a wonderfully original interpretation of Austen’s beloved play. A greatweekendread. Die-hard fans will love this version as much as the original.