Darcy Swipes Left

OMG Classics

by Courtney Carbone (Adaptor), Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice, one of the greatest love stories ever told . . . in texts?!
 
What if Lizzy Bennet and Mr. Darcy had smartphones and dated IRL (in real life)? A classic is reborn in this clever adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice !
 
A truth universally a rich guy must want a wife.
A terrible first impression.
A couple that’s meant to be . . . if they can just get over themselves. #hatersgonnadate
 
Don’t Lydia taking selfies with soldiers, Mrs. Bennet’s humble-brag status updates, Lizzy texting from her long walks, and Darcy swiping left on a dance card app.
 
tl;dr Jane Austen’s most famous novel told through its characters texting with emojis, posting photos, checking in at locations, and updating their relationship statuses. The perfect gift for any teen (or any reader with a sense of humor)!
 
A glossary and cast of characters are included for those who need it. For tl;dr means too long; didn’t read.

Genres: Humor, Romance, Fiction, Classics, Retellings, Young Adult, Graphic Novels

128 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2016

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books crack me up. The whole idea of Mrs. Bennet having access to social media.....hahaha!

[Ebony and Ivory · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was so bad.

[Nicole (TheBookWormDrinketh) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Jane Austen Fangirl in me: 1 out of 5
The Whimsical Silly Girl in me: 5 out of 5
Overall Rating?? 3 out of 5

Well, this review is going to be fairly short and sweet because there isn’t a whole lot to say about it except…OMG is correct!! HA HA HA! I don’t even know what to say about this one. I’ve been trying to be good and not post reviews on my JAFF (Jane Austen Fan Fiction) But,with this one I COULDN’T HELP MYSELF!!

Pride and Prejudice told entirely through social media and emojis…. being a Noob in the social media world I actually had to highlight some of the acronyms to look up what they meant!!

Don’t hate me for not understanding these… and try not to laugh when I tell you what I had to look up.. But, for all of those out there who are NOT down/up?? with all the Terms:

SMH: Shaking My Head

TBT: Throwback Thursday

IMHO: In My Humble Opinion

OTP: One True Pairing

NTM: Not Too Much

And for those of you who decide to check out this book THERE’S A LEGEND AT THE BACK THAT TELLS YOU WHAT ALL THE TERMS MEAN!!! THAT would have been nice to know when I was Google searching all of these terms! Lol!!

For a taste of how the book reads.. here you go!

“From: Jane Bennet To: Lizzy Bennet

Subject: Lonely in London Lizzy!

It’s been 4 weeks and I still haven’t run into Bingley. 😣His sister waited 2 weeks(!) to say hi. 😳When she did come over, she was so incredibly rude. I don’t want 2 b friends 👭 w/ her anymore. Maybe she’s protective of Bingley?? But that doesn’t make sense bc he’s completely ghosted 👻me anyway. No📱 , no 📩, no✉ . Nothing. 😳💔Caroline even said he knew I was here. Maybe I’ll never find 💓. Time to start collecting 🐱s! Hope things are better on your end. xox Jane”

I thought this book was very humorous and really well done just because of the characters and how I could TOTALLY see them on social media!!

Mrs. Bennet: Mrs. Bennet took a quiz. Using one emoji, describe your daughters.

Jane: 😇

Lizzy: 💡

Mary: 📚

Kitty: 😍

Lydia: 😘

👍Kitty likes this. REPLY

But, then seeing Darcy calling Elizabeth Lizzie and using things like #SorryNotSorry had my Jane Austen fangirl heart breaking… Lol! It was definitely one of those books that I’m happy I read, but it also hurt to read it!!

[Anna Fitzwilliam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really funny. :D

[Stay Fetters · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I will do whatever makes *me* happy. #ByeFelicia"

This book had me rolling. It was funny and interesting. This is definitely how you get kids interested in classic novels.

[Danyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

a v ironic five stars but u know what i had FUN

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this latest "Pride and Prejudice" knockoff, the famous story by Jane Austen is told through text messages, emojis, emails, status updates and various other social media avenues. If you read this you should know that it is very tongue and cheek and is meant to explore how Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship might play out in a modern day setting. Imagine everyone at the ball trying to converse, court one another and dance with prospective suitors all while having their noses buried in their smartphones. The only way you could interact with your dance partner would be to text them! Anyone who has an iphone will appreciate the page that includes the weather updates for Cupertino, New York and Hartfordshire. That was only one of the instances that I literally lol'd!

Do not read this book as an easier version of "Pride and Prejudice" or give it to anyone who has never read the original before. While it is a fun read and actually quite humorous you do not get the full story you would from reading the original. Overall, it was a fun and super quick read that had me laughing throughout. The humor in this would most likely be lost on someone not familiar with the characters and story already, but anyone who is a true Austen fan should enjoy the silliness that is this version of events.

[Juliana · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a fucking tragedy. I can't even begin to tell you how ridiculous and angry this book makes me.
Jane Austen would be rolling in her grave if she saw what this author did to her work and then have the audacity to put her name on the book!
Turning a classic book into text speak and having characters like Darcy using sly faces and STFU as a response. I can't even find the words. The most bizarre part of this whole horrible experiment is that it's still set in the original time period ?????? Jane asks for the carriage at one point and they talk about governesses. If you're including phones and facebook statuses and everything, WHY?
At the beginning and end of the book are guides to all the emojis the author used. Then I discovered she has used the same treatment with other Austen and Shakespeare books. I am offended over ALL OF THIS.

I lost brain cells reading this thing.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an amusing fun read. I know the Pride & Prejudice story well, so I can't honestly speak to how well this would have conveyed the story if you *didn't* already know all the characters, locations, etc. But I don't really think that's the point of the book. I think it's just meant to be a fun/funny experience. And it was. ;-)

I was pleasantly surprised at how much of the story this little book managed to fit in (though a bit sparse on character revelations at time), but I also felt the characters could have been better expressed via text. I know part of the fun of this book is the emojis, the acronyms, etc. but I think the use and/or lack of use of those could have been better suited to the characters. Lady Catherine de Bourgh, for example, fit well as she didn't use abbreviations or emojis and still texted with a more "elevated" tone. But all the other characters felt/read fairly similar. Part of me feels like Darcy would be "above" emojis. But anyway, this is probably all way too picky for what the book is meant to be. In any case, it was fun, but just probably could have been a bit more representational of the individual characters.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

HILARIOUS

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fans of the classic Pride and Prejudice will have great fun reading this version of the story told through a series of texts. Although some of the subplots and other family members receive some small attention here, it is the off-again, on-again relationship between Darcy and independent-minded Elizabeth Bennett that is at the center of the story and makes this version of the story so compelling. Imagine being at a ball but spending most of your time head down, texting madly, and often missing chances to dance with someone. Readers will get a kick out of the misunderstandings that bloom between the would-be couple, and all the drama created by onlookers as they work their way back to safe romantic ground. Although those who haven't read the original book may be a bit clueless about the plot's intricacies, this one might provide enough of a tease to encourage them to read the Jane Austen title that inspired this book.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I love all things Pride and Prejudice, but this just wasn't for me. You tend to loose some depth to the characters and the plot when the whole story is told through social media. I also can't imagine a Lizzy Bennett who would use the poop emoji.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this one was #5 book in the #readathon . And it was so hilarious. I laughed out loud so much. Thank goodness no one was around to witness that or they would think I was some kind of a weirdo!

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Snort*

[CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darcy Swipes Left is a charming retelling of Pride and Prejudice, by way of text messaging, social media posts, and oodles of emojis. If this sounds gimmicky, well, maybe it is. But librarian friends assure me that kids gobble up these retellings. And, having read this one, I have to say, it REALLY gets to the point of the story. I had no idea how such a small book could in any way credibly condense the original much larger story, but it did. There's a strong sense of personality imbued into the characters through their texts and posts and check-ins (There really should be selfies to, to make this well rounded in regards to contemporary social media, but I realize that that would be a much different challenge.), and the story itself makes sense even in this condensed version. I meant to read a few pages before I headed to bed one night. Instead, I read the whole book in one sitting, laughing frequently. I highly recommend this unassuming little book, either for Austen lovers who enjoy the different perspectives that come from retellings, or for those with children in theirs lives who'd like to encourage them to appreciate more classics. I can very much imagine this being a 'gateway drug' for kids who think classics are boring. It certainly kept me engaged and entertained. I hope it will for you too.

[Allie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book thinking it was going to make me laugh, but honestly, I had to force myself to keep going after only a few pages. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite classics, which is probably the only reason this book got two stars instead of one.

All of the slang that was used was so overdone and it drove me crazy. No one uses acronyms and emojis that much - at least, no one I know.

This may be a good way to introduce the story to elementary schoolers, but I personally don't think it would work even for that.

I wish I'd liked this more since it was Pride and Prejudice, but this ended up being the first 2-star review I've ever given...

[Ina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wildly creative concept that works - retelling classic stories in texts - complete with emojis and modern "text speak." In this case, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. This modern retelling captures the heart of the story and is hysterically funny. There are app screen shots...like a weather app and an app that replaces an old fashioned dance card. OMG This is the most creative retelling ever!

[Completely Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read Pride and Prejudice and I have watched Pride and Prejudice and though I know that this is a very unpopular opinion, I am not a huge fan of the story. I just find it to be dull. That being said, I do really enjoy these text/emoji versions that have come out of several different stories. They are quite fun to read though I think I prefer the Shakespeare ones.

[Odette Brethouwer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, dit is geniaal, geweldig, hilarisch!

Weet niet hoe goed het te volgen is als je het origineel niet kent.

Ik heb erg genoten van de originaliteit van de vorm van dit boek, en ik vind het heel tof hoe goed het de essentie van het verhaal heeft weten te pakken. Een echte aanrader voor iedere Jane Austen liefhebber!

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, if you want to get younger readers interested in classics... I guess this is one of the ways to go about it.

This is definitely meant to be taken lightly and seen as a fun and more modern adaptation of the classic by Jane Austen.

I had fun, it was a quick read and it made me laugh. So... mission accomplished!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big dumb fun and Darcy. I think Jane Austen would have liked it if she weren't dead for 200 years.

I was grateful for the glossary of emoticons and text-speak translations...as I couldn't guess a few. I'm always slow on the uptake of stuff like that.

[BookLionQueen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this four stars because while reading it I had a smile on my face the whole time. If you're a purist you probably wouldn't like it but if you like any Jane Austen adaptation you might like this one if you like things more on the silly side.

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best retelling I’ve seen of P&P. True to the story in its abridged format, but styled in a more... modern sense. (Honestly, makes me feel old for not recognizing some acronyms. Glad there was a guide in the back.)

Was witty and hilarious. Highly recommend.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pride and Prejudice retold through emojis. 🤦🏻‍♀️. Kids today.

[Maybeline Tay · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is hilarious to read Mrs Bennett’s reactions and messages (social media edition). It was 100 times more pronounced. I shudder to think of myself in Lizzy’s or Jane’s shoes.
One downside is the use of expletives in the book.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy and get a kick out of these Shakespeare emoji books.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pride and Prejudice retold in text messages and emojis. I can't help but think Jane Austen herself would be laughing this one up :)

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious retelling of one of my favorite books ever!

**read for book scavenger hunt - a book you can finish in a day**

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly and funny, Mrs. Bennet online was probably the best part