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Jane Austen #1
First Impressions: A Contemporary Retelling of Pride and Prejudice
First Impressions: A Contemporary Retelling of Pride and Prejudice
Lawyer Eddi Boswick tries out for a production of Pride and Prejudice in her small Texas town. When she's cast as the lead, Elizabeth Bennet, her romantic co-star is none other than the town's most eligible--and arrogant--bachelor.
Lawyer Eddi Boswick tries out for a production of Pride and Prejudice in her small Texas town. When she's cast as the lead, Elizabeth Bennet, her romantic co-star is none other than the town's most eligible--and arrogant--bachelor.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
87 people are currently reading
1066 people want to read
About the author
Debra White Smith
67 books106 followersDebra White Smith is a seasoned Christian author, speaker, and media personality who has been regularly publishing books for over a decade. In the last twelve years, she has accumulated more than 55 books sales to her credit with more than 1 million books in print. Her titles include such life-changing books as Romancing Your Husband, Romancing Your Wife, The Divine Romance: Developing Intimacy with God, the The Lonestar Intrigue fiction series, and The Jane Austen fiction series.
As a woman of God, Debra is committed to the highest standards of integrity and to spending hours a week being still before the Father, staying in tune with Him, and listening for His voice of direction in all she does. This commitment to romancing the Lord, coupled with her lifestyle of devouring, analyzing, and dissecting the Word of God has allowed God to bring about a miracle of deliverance and healing in Debra's spirit, mind, and soul. Debra holds a double Ph.D. from the toughest schools in the world. The first Ph.D. from the "School of Hard Knocks" and the second, from the "School of Very Hard Knocks." Aside from that, she holds an M.A. in English from the University of Texas.
Along with Debra's being voted a fiction-reader favorite several times, her book Romancing Your Husband was a finalist in the 2003 Gold Medallion Awards. And her Austen Series novel First Impressions was a finalist in the 2005 Retailer's Choice Awards. Debra has been a popular media guest across the nation, including Fox TV, The 700 Club, ABC Radio, USA Radio Network, and Moody Broadcasting. Her favorite hobbies include fishing, bargain-hunting, and swimming with her family. Debra also vows she would walk 50 miles for a scoop of German chocolate ice cream.
As a woman of God, Debra is committed to the highest standards of integrity and to spending hours a week being still before the Father, staying in tune with Him, and listening for His voice of direction in all she does. This commitment to romancing the Lord, coupled with her lifestyle of devouring, analyzing, and dissecting the Word of God has allowed God to bring about a miracle of deliverance and healing in Debra's spirit, mind, and soul. Debra holds a double Ph.D. from the toughest schools in the world. The first Ph.D. from the "School of Hard Knocks" and the second, from the "School of Very Hard Knocks." Aside from that, she holds an M.A. in English from the University of Texas.
Along with Debra's being voted a fiction-reader favorite several times, her book Romancing Your Husband was a finalist in the 2003 Gold Medallion Awards. And her Austen Series novel First Impressions was a finalist in the 2005 Retailer's Choice Awards. Debra has been a popular media guest across the nation, including Fox TV, The 700 Club, ABC Radio, USA Radio Network, and Moody Broadcasting. Her favorite hobbies include fishing, bargain-hunting, and swimming with her family. Debra also vows she would walk 50 miles for a scoop of German chocolate ice cream.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
June 2, 2018
I received this book for free from the Bethany House Blogger Review Program in exchange for an honest review.
I had actually just finished reading Pride and Prejudice before starting this book so everything was still fresh in my mind.
As a retelling this was pretty spot on. There was even a list of the cast of characters and their Pride and Prejudice counterparts at the beginning of the book. Personality-Wise, the characters stayed true to their Pride and Prejudice version. Linda (Lydia in P&P) was very flirtatious, Mary Boswick (Mrs. Bennet in P&P) was very silly in her views, etc. For the most part, the storyline followed Pride and Prejudice very closely. Many of the original plot points were included. Overall, the storyline was translated to modern times very well.
I liked how the book showed you multiple points of view (Eddi, Dave and Linda’s). I particularly enjoyed hearing Dave’s thoughts throughout the novel.
I also loved that since the characters in the book were putting on their production of Pride and Prejudice at their community theatre, there were lines from Pride and Prejudice in this book.
This book is Christian fiction, so some of the characters’ viewpoints lean towards that. But I wouldn’t say it was an overwhelmingly Christian book.
All in all, this was a fun retelling of a classic story.
I had actually just finished reading Pride and Prejudice before starting this book so everything was still fresh in my mind.
As a retelling this was pretty spot on. There was even a list of the cast of characters and their Pride and Prejudice counterparts at the beginning of the book. Personality-Wise, the characters stayed true to their Pride and Prejudice version. Linda (Lydia in P&P) was very flirtatious, Mary Boswick (Mrs. Bennet in P&P) was very silly in her views, etc. For the most part, the storyline followed Pride and Prejudice very closely. Many of the original plot points were included. Overall, the storyline was translated to modern times very well.
I liked how the book showed you multiple points of view (Eddi, Dave and Linda’s). I particularly enjoyed hearing Dave’s thoughts throughout the novel.
I also loved that since the characters in the book were putting on their production of Pride and Prejudice at their community theatre, there were lines from Pride and Prejudice in this book.
This book is Christian fiction, so some of the characters’ viewpoints lean towards that. But I wouldn’t say it was an overwhelmingly Christian book.
All in all, this was a fun retelling of a classic story.
June 29, 2019
Jane Austen is spinning in her grave. This starts off as a harmless romp, then halfway through you realize this is an evangelical Christian re-telling of P&P, in which marijuana is the gateway to all evil, and forcing Whickam into a shotgun wedding with Lydia miraculously turns both characters into virtuous committed spouses (cuz there's nothing like the constant neediness and demands of a newborn to bring out the best in a selfish asshole). While the "rescue" of the Lydia character is pretty misogynistic, at one point if becomes downright racist--this Darcy's virtue is proven by his Blind Side-like ministry to save troubled minority kids on the wrong path (cuz who needs a White Knight when you can have a White Savior?), earning him the puppy-like devotion of the only two black characters in the Texas town, whose names and physical descriptions are based in cringe-inducing stereotypes. Add to all this the terrible writing...do you really need another reason to skip this one?
Also...when you practice for a play, it is called REHEARSAL. Do some research, woman.
Also...when you practice for a play, it is called REHEARSAL. Do some research, woman.
April 9, 2018
A modern retelling of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice takes us to Eastern Texas where the sparks fly when a feisty lawyer overhears a handsome rancher stick his boot in his mouth.
It was fun to see Austen's novel and characters transplanted to small town Texas and seeing them enact the familiar scenes twice since everyone is brought together for a community play. Some characters are absent, thankfully not the Lady Catherine, Collins, or Caroline Bingley characters who never cease to make me smile at their antics. Some things were wisely set aside and others were inserted into the P&P play they are doing to better bring things into a modern setting.
Speaking of the play, one of my biggest niggles of this story was pacing. I did feel it was slower and I think the play is the reason. I felt like I was getting the story twice since the story actions, dialogue and characters were reflected in the play, too. I liked both, but I think maybe just glimpses now and then of the play would have made it better.
I should also say that one of the big element changes the author makes this an inspirational fiction story. Christian values, activities, and other elements are strong- attending church, ministry work, prayer, and motives for change and actions are prevalent.
I was rooting for Dave and Eddi and wanted them together just like I wanted Eddi's sisters and her friend to have their romances, but I also felt disengaged somewhat from the romance because Eddi stayed angry and ignorant of Dave's character and motives for so long. This wasn't different from the original story, but this is a modern so expectation is different, I guess. I was impatient for her to get a clue sooner since she's a quick, intelligent lawyer type in this story.
All in all, it was sweet and heartwarming, a bit slow, but definitely one I can recommend to those who enjoy Inspirational Fiction and modern retellings of Austen's novels.
I rec'd this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
It was fun to see Austen's novel and characters transplanted to small town Texas and seeing them enact the familiar scenes twice since everyone is brought together for a community play. Some characters are absent, thankfully not the Lady Catherine, Collins, or Caroline Bingley characters who never cease to make me smile at their antics. Some things were wisely set aside and others were inserted into the P&P play they are doing to better bring things into a modern setting.
Speaking of the play, one of my biggest niggles of this story was pacing. I did feel it was slower and I think the play is the reason. I felt like I was getting the story twice since the story actions, dialogue and characters were reflected in the play, too. I liked both, but I think maybe just glimpses now and then of the play would have made it better.
I should also say that one of the big element changes the author makes this an inspirational fiction story. Christian values, activities, and other elements are strong- attending church, ministry work, prayer, and motives for change and actions are prevalent.
I was rooting for Dave and Eddi and wanted them together just like I wanted Eddi's sisters and her friend to have their romances, but I also felt disengaged somewhat from the romance because Eddi stayed angry and ignorant of Dave's character and motives for so long. This wasn't different from the original story, but this is a modern so expectation is different, I guess. I was impatient for her to get a clue sooner since she's a quick, intelligent lawyer type in this story.
All in all, it was sweet and heartwarming, a bit slow, but definitely one I can recommend to those who enjoy Inspirational Fiction and modern retellings of Austen's novels.
I rec'd this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2018
Today I bring to you another Jane Austen retelling! "First Impressions: A Contemporary Retelling of Pride and Prejudice" by Debra White Smith is a retelling I read many years ago when it first released. It is a part of the “Jane Austen” series. I still have some of the old editions of this series, but I don’t have this specific book anymore, so I was excited for the chance to read it again! I love the new covers they are using to re-release the series with.
My first (and second) impression of “First Impressions” is that it’s a very well done retelling and I love it! Ms. Smith is a great writer and immediately draws the reader into the story. You don’t have to have read “Pride and Prejudice” or be a Jane Austen fan to love this fun, contemporary romance.
The characters are well written and still pretty true to Austen’s characters. Ms. Smith does a great job of staying true to the overall theme and story of “Pride and Prejudice,” while still adding her own flair. Yes, some things are different and it’s not the “exact” story. But, in my opinion, that’s what keeps it interesting and original. I found it fun picking out the tidbits and nods to Austen as I read this retelling. Ms. Smith does a great job of showing the chemistry between Eddi and Dave (our Elizabeth and Darcy characters). I love the verbal bantering and how they try to fight their attraction to each other.
“First Impressions” will leave a lasting impression on the reader. That’s why I picked it up more than ten years later!
Content: This is a clean read with a PG-13 rating for some content. Some examples of the content are: a mention of a drunk woman; alcohol is smelled on a woman’s breath; a reference to the devil; someone wonders if a man is involved in gambling or drug smuggling; a joke about a woman being a virgin on her wedding night; a woman abuses prescription drugs and uses birth control even though she is not married; it’s implied that an unmarried woman is sleeping around; implications that two people are sleeping together; a man suggests a woman tries “weed” and marijuana.
Rating: I give this book 5 stars!
Genre: Christian fiction; Contemporary; Romance; Jane Austen Retelling
I want to thank Debra White Smith and Bethany House Publishers for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.
My first (and second) impression of “First Impressions” is that it’s a very well done retelling and I love it! Ms. Smith is a great writer and immediately draws the reader into the story. You don’t have to have read “Pride and Prejudice” or be a Jane Austen fan to love this fun, contemporary romance.
The characters are well written and still pretty true to Austen’s characters. Ms. Smith does a great job of staying true to the overall theme and story of “Pride and Prejudice,” while still adding her own flair. Yes, some things are different and it’s not the “exact” story. But, in my opinion, that’s what keeps it interesting and original. I found it fun picking out the tidbits and nods to Austen as I read this retelling. Ms. Smith does a great job of showing the chemistry between Eddi and Dave (our Elizabeth and Darcy characters). I love the verbal bantering and how they try to fight their attraction to each other.
“First Impressions” will leave a lasting impression on the reader. That’s why I picked it up more than ten years later!
Content: This is a clean read with a PG-13 rating for some content. Some examples of the content are: a mention of a drunk woman; alcohol is smelled on a woman’s breath; a reference to the devil; someone wonders if a man is involved in gambling or drug smuggling; a joke about a woman being a virgin on her wedding night; a woman abuses prescription drugs and uses birth control even though she is not married; it’s implied that an unmarried woman is sleeping around; implications that two people are sleeping together; a man suggests a woman tries “weed” and marijuana.
Rating: I give this book 5 stars!
Genre: Christian fiction; Contemporary; Romance; Jane Austen Retelling
I want to thank Debra White Smith and Bethany House Publishers for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.
May 11, 2018
Wow, this was SO bad. I absolutely couldn’t get through it, though I skimmed ahead when the writing was badly done until I got to the holier -than-thou bullshit preaching.
The writing was painful. Not constantly painful, which is how I made it as far as I did, but the author was so awkward, going so far as to use words incorrectly, over explain: she was doing something “like she was as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof” cringe. I don’t mind a little sloppiness, and was ok with this poorly written book as a light read, but then...
Ugh, then It turned into some misinformation pamphlet about the terrible addictive marijuana these kids are on and an anti-choice hard sell. Gag, I like my escapist fanfic with a little less lecturing and a LOT less propaganda. When the author makes the “hero” protagonist utter absolutely made-up false information about the world as if he is an all-knowing expert, I start to fume.
Lets start here: marijuana doesn’t lead to cocaine. Marijuana is not addictive. Adult women who have sex are not fallen women who have “strayed far from the parents teaching” (especially when those parents are emotionally and physically abusive to one another). Choosing abortion might be the right choice for a woman. 20 year old females are adults. Marriage to an a-hole isn’t a good choice, even if the woman is pregnant.
And don’t use a pair of black inner city, saved by the white hero, basketball players as your token thugs—really? Really. The only clearly identified POC we meet are used as pretend toughs for some bizarre cop-bullying? That’s when I was done.
This book is the worst kind of garbage.
The writing was painful. Not constantly painful, which is how I made it as far as I did, but the author was so awkward, going so far as to use words incorrectly, over explain: she was doing something “like she was as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof” cringe. I don’t mind a little sloppiness, and was ok with this poorly written book as a light read, but then...
Ugh, then It turned into some misinformation pamphlet about the terrible addictive marijuana these kids are on and an anti-choice hard sell. Gag, I like my escapist fanfic with a little less lecturing and a LOT less propaganda. When the author makes the “hero” protagonist utter absolutely made-up false information about the world as if he is an all-knowing expert, I start to fume.
Lets start here: marijuana doesn’t lead to cocaine. Marijuana is not addictive. Adult women who have sex are not fallen women who have “strayed far from the parents teaching” (especially when those parents are emotionally and physically abusive to one another). Choosing abortion might be the right choice for a woman. 20 year old females are adults. Marriage to an a-hole isn’t a good choice, even if the woman is pregnant.
And don’t use a pair of black inner city, saved by the white hero, basketball players as your token thugs—really? Really. The only clearly identified POC we meet are used as pretend toughs for some bizarre cop-bullying? That’s when I was done.
This book is the worst kind of garbage.
May 12, 2018
Post is up! Read my review here: https://graymariewrites.blogspot.com/...
May 22, 2018
3.5 Stars
This was interesting. Not my favorite in the world, but interesting.
~wonderfuls~
Austen-feel
I've never read a Jane Austen retelling before this one, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I enjoyed it. I wasn't completely predictable like I was afraid it would be, but it still stayed true to some of Pride and Prejudice's plot. I liked that.
the characters
All of Ms. Smith's character were well-done. Although I had a few issues with a character (and the content that came with her), all of them were well-written nonetheless. I think Jenny was my favorite, although Calvin was a close second.
~not-so-wonderfuls~
religion was thrown in there
So, I thought this wasn't a "Christian" book until some part towards the middle when I think a character was like, "Oh, I'm so glad God's important to you, because He's so important to me." o.0 Kinda threw me off. If He's so important to you, why don't you act like it? It struck me as a bit odd, almost like it was a second thought. Also, there's one scene where a character is considering abortion, and although I am certainly pro-life, the characters seemed very preachy to me. Just my opinion.
repetitive descriptions
There was a lot of purple description stuff going on. Even during a tornado scene. It was interesting. And the author constantly brought up her French braid. All. The. Time. The descriptions were good, and very poetic, but repetitive, so it kinda spoiled them. :/
~personal thoughts~
All in all, I did enjoy this one, but I was a bit disappointed. Maybe I'll re-read it later on.
I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Blogger Review Program in exchange for an honest review.
This was interesting. Not my favorite in the world, but interesting.
~wonderfuls~
Austen-feel
I've never read a Jane Austen retelling before this one, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I enjoyed it. I wasn't completely predictable like I was afraid it would be, but it still stayed true to some of Pride and Prejudice's plot. I liked that.
the characters
All of Ms. Smith's character were well-done. Although I had a few issues with a character (and the content that came with her), all of them were well-written nonetheless. I think Jenny was my favorite, although Calvin was a close second.
~not-so-wonderfuls~
religion was thrown in there
So, I thought this wasn't a "Christian" book until some part towards the middle when I think a character was like, "Oh, I'm so glad God's important to you, because He's so important to me." o.0 Kinda threw me off. If He's so important to you, why don't you act like it? It struck me as a bit odd, almost like it was a second thought. Also, there's one scene where a character is considering abortion, and although I am certainly pro-life, the characters seemed very preachy to me. Just my opinion.
repetitive descriptions
There was a lot of purple description stuff going on. Even during a tornado scene. It was interesting. And the author constantly brought up her French braid. All. The. Time. The descriptions were good, and very poetic, but repetitive, so it kinda spoiled them. :/
~personal thoughts~
All in all, I did enjoy this one, but I was a bit disappointed. Maybe I'll re-read it later on.
I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Blogger Review Program in exchange for an honest review.
May 9, 2018
When it comes to Jane Austen retellings, this is probably one of the best that I’ve read, as in there was enough of Austen to know what was going on and how it was implied, but there were also enough original creativity to where I didn’t think, “Well if I wanted to read Austen, I would have just read Austen.” What Debra did with her characters was very clever and creative and fit so well for a modern “Pride and Prejudice.” If she did quote the book through the character’s modern dialogue, it wasn’t in sync with the original timeline. For example, it was in the beginning of the book that Eddi (Elizabeth) mentioned, “If I marry him, Dad will never speak to me, and if I don’t marry him, Mom will never speak to me.” It flowed into the natural conversation, was a flashback to the original story, yet wasn’t verbatim. I really liked the Austen flair recreated in a smooth fashion.
I found the story as a whole to flow very well and every POV change was perfectly timed—I was ready to see what the next person’s story had when it came.
But I gave this book three stars. Why?
One of the minor things was the characters’ vocations (and this doesn’t affect my rating). Eddi didn’t really seem very lawyer-ry. It mentioned her practice a few times, but it didn’t really feel like that was her life. Just her vocation separate from the story. Same with Jenny (Jane) and her coaching (the only reason I know she was a coach is because of the character cast in the beginning). Or maybe it’s that most typical modern people don’t include their jobs in normal conversation or off-work thoughts?
The two major things that altered my rating are what I usually point out in reviews: spiritual content and romance.
Romance first. Linda’s story (the Lydia of the retelling) was way too PG-13 for me. If it had never shown her POV, I think the story would have been fine. There were a couple of more crude comments and insinuations made by other characters, but Linda is where things really got too much for me. I can see what the author was doing, and the storyline fits well for a retelling, but… I had to skim almost every part with Linda. It goes from mentioning her taking pregnancy control pills to sleeping with men to more detailed scenes where she and a man are obviously in the middle of a sinful situation. I’d rather not go into details in my review (because I *do* try to keep these PG or above), but yeah… this is an adult book. I won’t keep it in my house because my teenage sisters might pick it up, and I definitely do not want them exposed to such content. If it weren’t for Linda’s parts, the other parts of romance really weren’t too over-the-top.
Spiritual content is harder to judge because there were a lot of mentions of God threaded throughout the whole book. But there is a difference between mentions of God, church, and praying, and really LIVING the Christian life. At one point, Eddi makes the comment, “I’m glad God means something to you, because He means a lot to me.” That was the most spiritual she was up to that point (my thoughts were, “If He does mean so much to you, then why haven’t you thought of Him or prayed to Him yet?”). I don’t wish to be harsh here, but it lacked genuine spiritual depth.
I enjoyed this book for the reasons mentioned above and really didn’t like it for reasons mentioned above.
*I received this book from Bethany House and provided my honest review*
I found the story as a whole to flow very well and every POV change was perfectly timed—I was ready to see what the next person’s story had when it came.
But I gave this book three stars. Why?
One of the minor things was the characters’ vocations (and this doesn’t affect my rating). Eddi didn’t really seem very lawyer-ry. It mentioned her practice a few times, but it didn’t really feel like that was her life. Just her vocation separate from the story. Same with Jenny (Jane) and her coaching (the only reason I know she was a coach is because of the character cast in the beginning). Or maybe it’s that most typical modern people don’t include their jobs in normal conversation or off-work thoughts?
The two major things that altered my rating are what I usually point out in reviews: spiritual content and romance.
Romance first. Linda’s story (the Lydia of the retelling) was way too PG-13 for me. If it had never shown her POV, I think the story would have been fine. There were a couple of more crude comments and insinuations made by other characters, but Linda is where things really got too much for me. I can see what the author was doing, and the storyline fits well for a retelling, but… I had to skim almost every part with Linda. It goes from mentioning her taking pregnancy control pills to sleeping with men to more detailed scenes where she and a man are obviously in the middle of a sinful situation. I’d rather not go into details in my review (because I *do* try to keep these PG or above), but yeah… this is an adult book. I won’t keep it in my house because my teenage sisters might pick it up, and I definitely do not want them exposed to such content. If it weren’t for Linda’s parts, the other parts of romance really weren’t too over-the-top.
Spiritual content is harder to judge because there were a lot of mentions of God threaded throughout the whole book. But there is a difference between mentions of God, church, and praying, and really LIVING the Christian life. At one point, Eddi makes the comment, “I’m glad God means something to you, because He means a lot to me.” That was the most spiritual she was up to that point (my thoughts were, “If He does mean so much to you, then why haven’t you thought of Him or prayed to Him yet?”). I don’t wish to be harsh here, but it lacked genuine spiritual depth.
I enjoyed this book for the reasons mentioned above and really didn’t like it for reasons mentioned above.
*I received this book from Bethany House and provided my honest review*
January 27, 2008
Beware, the story is a Pride and Prejudice reworking but this is a ministry book- the author is trying to make religious points through the whole thing. It is very judgemental regarding each character's faith and relationship with 'God'... the Darcy character's parents fought a lot but were co-pastors of a church, his own redeeming feature is that he is founding a ministry to mentor troubled young boys like his childhood foster cousin- Rick (Wickham) who dabbled in drugs and premartial sex. And there are lots of small bad parts too- bad writing, loose ends, unnessecary points- and enough with the in depth description of the cheese dip!
I see from searching here this is a series, ugh.
I see from searching here this is a series, ugh.
August 30, 2017
All Jane Austen lovers this way. All Pride and Prejudice lovers to me. Seriously, if you liked Pride and Prejudice, book or movie, READ THIS BOOK!!! It might be a little different but it is SO sweet. I fell in love with the book immediately.
Official Review:
After re-watching North and South (the one with Richard Armitage) for the umpteenth time, I decided to write a review on First Impressions. Now, why would I write a review for a Pride and Prejudice retelling? I have no idea. I was scrolling through my book list of all the books I have read and I noticed this one! Unfortunately, there are no retellings of North and South. So, I will stick to a Pride and Prejudice retelling! And to be honest, I have never read the North and South book. My sister started it and said that the movie is way better. I trust her on that and will probably never read North and South. The movie, however, I will watch many, many more times, I am sure.
Anyway, back to First Impressions. Sure, I went on a bunny trail, but I am back on track!
I first read this book a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it. It was a super sweet story with a wonderful twist on Pride and Prejudice. I love how the main characters are in the Pride and Prejudice and they are, in “real” life, like Elizabeth and Darcy.
There is one sort of funny thing throughout the story. Because Dave is rich, he has all the latest technology. The funny thing is that the latest technology in the story are palm pilots! Okay, so there is nothing wrong with palm pilots. It is just funny because now we have smart phones and tablets and that sort of thing.
The cover is really cute! I love the “theater” in the background and the sign for the play! I am going to give it 4 stars.
I am definitely giving this story 5 stars! Even though it is an older story, set in the early 2000s, it is still totally worth the read!!!
Title: First Impressions
Author: Debra White Smith
Author’s Website: http://www.debrawhitesmith.com/
This review is written in my own opinions and words.
Official Review:
After re-watching North and South (the one with Richard Armitage) for the umpteenth time, I decided to write a review on First Impressions. Now, why would I write a review for a Pride and Prejudice retelling? I have no idea. I was scrolling through my book list of all the books I have read and I noticed this one! Unfortunately, there are no retellings of North and South. So, I will stick to a Pride and Prejudice retelling! And to be honest, I have never read the North and South book. My sister started it and said that the movie is way better. I trust her on that and will probably never read North and South. The movie, however, I will watch many, many more times, I am sure.
Anyway, back to First Impressions. Sure, I went on a bunny trail, but I am back on track!
I first read this book a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it. It was a super sweet story with a wonderful twist on Pride and Prejudice. I love how the main characters are in the Pride and Prejudice and they are, in “real” life, like Elizabeth and Darcy.
There is one sort of funny thing throughout the story. Because Dave is rich, he has all the latest technology. The funny thing is that the latest technology in the story are palm pilots! Okay, so there is nothing wrong with palm pilots. It is just funny because now we have smart phones and tablets and that sort of thing.
The cover is really cute! I love the “theater” in the background and the sign for the play! I am going to give it 4 stars.
I am definitely giving this story 5 stars! Even though it is an older story, set in the early 2000s, it is still totally worth the read!!!
Title: First Impressions
Author: Debra White Smith
Author’s Website: http://www.debrawhitesmith.com/
This review is written in my own opinions and words.
December 10, 2018
Though she’s a newcomer to this small Texas town, Eddi Boswick isn’t about to take any nonsense – from anyone. No matter how handsome he may be! Such is the case when it comes to the town’s uptight bachelor Dave Richards! As luck would have it, Eddi is cast opposite this infuriating man in the local production of Pride and Prejudice. Wills and sparks fly between the two as Eddi’s dislike of the man grows… until he challenges her always-right track record of first impressions.
If you didn’t guess, this novel is a contemporary re-telling of the Jane Austen novel Pride & Prejudice. Though I don’t know if it’s true or not, information that’s readily available online is the thought that Austen’s tome was initially titled First Impressions. A title that’s certainly befitting of this story, and these characters. This is why this novel bearing the title impresses on the reader a fun little throwback.
Originally published in the early 2000s (by Harvest House), this book held many fond memories from that initial read through. Now, in 2018, Bethany House repackages and republishes the entire 6-book collection. May we also just take a moment to acknowledge how beautiful this repackaging is? (Seriously, I mean I had to add this one to the bookshelf!) Though imperfect, and not quite as I remembered (memories came back the more I read), I did thoroughly enjoy First Impressions. It follows the original narrative faithfully, only of course, in a contemporary setting and without the word-for-word dialogue as a script might use.
The characters are quirky and sassy, though I do feel like some of them (even those we’re meant to root for) make foolish choices. One character in particular disappointed me because I don’t see their choice meshing at all with the personality we know of this sensible and kind character. Beyond this, everyone seems to match their origin characters suitably albeit with shifts to fit in the modern
world. The actions and reactions of everyone else seems like something they might have done if not for the confines of the 1800s.
Those looking for the kind of epic love story we know between Darcy and Elizabeth will be disappointed. I don’t feel like the romance is very well developed and written, but what’s there is cute and fun to follow. Despite my few quibbles, I did enjoy this (re)read. It’s easy to jump into and provides a fun bit of escapism for those wanting something lighthearted. First Impressions is sure to give you this experience.
Content note: this one does deal with an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, talk of abortion, drug use, and sexual situations. However nothing is ever graphically depicted.
Synopsis: Lawyer Eddi Boswick tries out for a production of Pride and
Prejudice in her small Texas town. When she's cast as the lead, Elizabeth
Bennet, her romantic co-star is none other than the town's most eligible--and
arrogant—bachelor. – Goodreads
Sincere thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this
book; all opinions are my own.
If you didn’t guess, this novel is a contemporary re-telling of the Jane Austen novel Pride & Prejudice. Though I don’t know if it’s true or not, information that’s readily available online is the thought that Austen’s tome was initially titled First Impressions. A title that’s certainly befitting of this story, and these characters. This is why this novel bearing the title impresses on the reader a fun little throwback.
Originally published in the early 2000s (by Harvest House), this book held many fond memories from that initial read through. Now, in 2018, Bethany House repackages and republishes the entire 6-book collection. May we also just take a moment to acknowledge how beautiful this repackaging is? (Seriously, I mean I had to add this one to the bookshelf!) Though imperfect, and not quite as I remembered (memories came back the more I read), I did thoroughly enjoy First Impressions. It follows the original narrative faithfully, only of course, in a contemporary setting and without the word-for-word dialogue as a script might use.
The characters are quirky and sassy, though I do feel like some of them (even those we’re meant to root for) make foolish choices. One character in particular disappointed me because I don’t see their choice meshing at all with the personality we know of this sensible and kind character. Beyond this, everyone seems to match their origin characters suitably albeit with shifts to fit in the modern
world. The actions and reactions of everyone else seems like something they might have done if not for the confines of the 1800s.
Those looking for the kind of epic love story we know between Darcy and Elizabeth will be disappointed. I don’t feel like the romance is very well developed and written, but what’s there is cute and fun to follow. Despite my few quibbles, I did enjoy this (re)read. It’s easy to jump into and provides a fun bit of escapism for those wanting something lighthearted. First Impressions is sure to give you this experience.
Content note: this one does deal with an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, talk of abortion, drug use, and sexual situations. However nothing is ever graphically depicted.
Synopsis: Lawyer Eddi Boswick tries out for a production of Pride and
Prejudice in her small Texas town. When she's cast as the lead, Elizabeth
Bennet, her romantic co-star is none other than the town's most eligible--and
arrogant—bachelor. – Goodreads
Sincere thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this
book; all opinions are my own.
August 3, 2018
First off, full disclosure, i generally do not enjoy contemporary fiction... however, I read a blogger's review and I am a Pride and Prejudice fan, so I thought this one could be a winner. I will say it was OK. Not the highest of praise but I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
What I did like, and any Austen fan will love, is that the author did her absolute best to keep it as true and parallel to P and P as possible. The only significant difference I could detect was that instead of five Bennet sisters, there were only three Boswick sisters. Truly, the author went above and beyond to try and include everything that made the stroyline in P and P the classic it is.
I also loved that the author touched on some hard hitting subject matter. This book was first released in 2004 and back then, some subjects were more taboo then others. The author included abortion, opiod addiction, pre-marital sex, and general corruption.
The pace of the book was up and down, fast and slow. I skimmed a few chapters to get through. I honestly think a couple of the characters got away from her and teetered on the edge of me disliking them at times and thinking she "over-did" the drama. It was hard for me to accept the sparks instantly flying and the seething hatred oozing constantly throughout.
I won this book in a blog giveaway but was not required to leave a review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
What I did like, and any Austen fan will love, is that the author did her absolute best to keep it as true and parallel to P and P as possible. The only significant difference I could detect was that instead of five Bennet sisters, there were only three Boswick sisters. Truly, the author went above and beyond to try and include everything that made the stroyline in P and P the classic it is.
I also loved that the author touched on some hard hitting subject matter. This book was first released in 2004 and back then, some subjects were more taboo then others. The author included abortion, opiod addiction, pre-marital sex, and general corruption.
The pace of the book was up and down, fast and slow. I skimmed a few chapters to get through. I honestly think a couple of the characters got away from her and teetered on the edge of me disliking them at times and thinking she "over-did" the drama. It was hard for me to accept the sparks instantly flying and the seething hatred oozing constantly throughout.
I won this book in a blog giveaway but was not required to leave a review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
May 28, 2018
Title: First Impressions: A Contemporary Retelling of Pride and Prejudice
Written By: Debra Smith White
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance
Recommended Ages: 15 and up (due to mention of out-of-wedlock pregnancy and drug use)
Introduction:
One of my favorite Jane Austen books is Pride and Prejudice, so when I had the opportunity to read this book, I took it to see how the author managed a contemporary retelling of the book. The way she wove in Pride and Prejudice was interesting, but I honestly had a hard time reading the book. For more specifics, keep reading.
Characters: .75/1
For the most part, the characters were well-written, interesting, and developed. There were times when I had a hard time understanding the reactions the characters had, but they were few and far between.
Dialogue: .75/1
I thought the dialogue was good. It was realistic for both the parts that were quoted from Pride and Prejudice as well as for the parts set in contemporary times. On occasion, I felt like the dialogue could have been written better, but overall it was good.
Plot/Storyline: .5/1
Since this is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice there were parts that were changed from the original and that was fine as it made things more realistic for modern times. However, there were also parts that I had issues with. I won't get into them too much since the issues I had were parts that would spoil the book, but the way she handled Wickham and Georgianna's retold characters was a little disappointing to me, especially since Georgianna is one of my favorite characters.
Overall Writing Quality: .75/1
I thought that overall, the writing quality was good. I found Debra's writing style a little hard to follow sometimes, but not all the time. I did find a couple typos, but they were minor ones. My main issue with the writing is that there were times I found myself skimming a page and realizing I missed an important detail and had no idea what was going on after half a page.
Un-put-down-ability: .5/1
I actually found the book easy to put down for the first half. After that it started to pick up more and actually be interesting to read. Luckily I had plenty of time to read at that point, so I could finish it.
Conclusion: 3.25/5
If you like Pride and Prejudice, you would probably enjoy this fresh look at the story. I found it a little hard to read at times mostly due to the writing style, but otherwise I did enjoy the book.
Note: I received this book from the publisher and all thoughts in this review are my own.
Written By: Debra Smith White
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance
Recommended Ages: 15 and up (due to mention of out-of-wedlock pregnancy and drug use)
Introduction:
One of my favorite Jane Austen books is Pride and Prejudice, so when I had the opportunity to read this book, I took it to see how the author managed a contemporary retelling of the book. The way she wove in Pride and Prejudice was interesting, but I honestly had a hard time reading the book. For more specifics, keep reading.
Characters: .75/1
For the most part, the characters were well-written, interesting, and developed. There were times when I had a hard time understanding the reactions the characters had, but they were few and far between.
Dialogue: .75/1
I thought the dialogue was good. It was realistic for both the parts that were quoted from Pride and Prejudice as well as for the parts set in contemporary times. On occasion, I felt like the dialogue could have been written better, but overall it was good.
Plot/Storyline: .5/1
Since this is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice there were parts that were changed from the original and that was fine as it made things more realistic for modern times. However, there were also parts that I had issues with. I won't get into them too much since the issues I had were parts that would spoil the book, but the way she handled Wickham and Georgianna's retold characters was a little disappointing to me, especially since Georgianna is one of my favorite characters.
Overall Writing Quality: .75/1
I thought that overall, the writing quality was good. I found Debra's writing style a little hard to follow sometimes, but not all the time. I did find a couple typos, but they were minor ones. My main issue with the writing is that there were times I found myself skimming a page and realizing I missed an important detail and had no idea what was going on after half a page.
Un-put-down-ability: .5/1
I actually found the book easy to put down for the first half. After that it started to pick up more and actually be interesting to read. Luckily I had plenty of time to read at that point, so I could finish it.
Conclusion: 3.25/5
If you like Pride and Prejudice, you would probably enjoy this fresh look at the story. I found it a little hard to read at times mostly due to the writing style, but otherwise I did enjoy the book.
Note: I received this book from the publisher and all thoughts in this review are my own.
June 6, 2018
The name of this book, "First Impressions," was (if I'm recalling history correctly) the original title that Jane Austen used for the book we now know as "Pride and Prejudice." I believe this history was the reason Debra White Smith chose the name for this book, her contemporary retelling of "Pride and Prejudice."
In "First Impressions," Lawyer Eddie Boswick, living in a funny small town called London in the middle of Texas, decides to audition for the town play of "Pride and Prejudice." She is cast as Lizzie herself, and that despicable Texas rancher (who happens to be rich and absurdly handsome) is cast as Mr. Darcy. Eddie can't stand his arrogance, but she would rather die than back out of the play because of him...
If you are at all familiar with "Pride and Prejudice," I'm guessing you can see where this romance is going. That is one of the things I love about retellings: I get to experience a favorite book all over again in a different way. I definitely enjoyed this book. It was especially funny because Eddie, who is Lizzie, actually plays Lizzie in the performance; even though she is acting out the exact same thing, she doesn't see the connections between hers and Lizzie's story! Also, both Eddie and our Darcy character quote lines from "Pride and Prejudice" at each other when they argue (I can't decide if that's a cop-out or extremely clever).
Altogether, I enjoyed this modern retelling of "Pride and Prejudice," and I recommend it to all the awesome Austen fans!
I received a complementary copy of this book. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for sharing them.
In "First Impressions," Lawyer Eddie Boswick, living in a funny small town called London in the middle of Texas, decides to audition for the town play of "Pride and Prejudice." She is cast as Lizzie herself, and that despicable Texas rancher (who happens to be rich and absurdly handsome) is cast as Mr. Darcy. Eddie can't stand his arrogance, but she would rather die than back out of the play because of him...
If you are at all familiar with "Pride and Prejudice," I'm guessing you can see where this romance is going. That is one of the things I love about retellings: I get to experience a favorite book all over again in a different way. I definitely enjoyed this book. It was especially funny because Eddie, who is Lizzie, actually plays Lizzie in the performance; even though she is acting out the exact same thing, she doesn't see the connections between hers and Lizzie's story! Also, both Eddie and our Darcy character quote lines from "Pride and Prejudice" at each other when they argue (I can't decide if that's a cop-out or extremely clever).
Altogether, I enjoyed this modern retelling of "Pride and Prejudice," and I recommend it to all the awesome Austen fans!
I received a complementary copy of this book. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for sharing them.
June 1, 2018
I was excited about reading First Impressions, as I am a big Jane Austen fan. I loved Pride and Prejudice and I have enjoyed many of the retellings of this classic novel that I have read over the years. Unfortunately, this retelling fell flat for me.
I do think that the storyline was a creative set up. The new characters shared initials with the original characters and followed along fairly well with updated personas. It was cute having the characters acting in a small theater production of Pride and Prejudice, too.
While others may thoroughly enjoy this contemporary tale, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I felt as if I was watching them going through the actions, but not able to feel any emotion between them. I also struggled with the pace of the story. It felt very slow to me for the first half of the book. It did pick up in somewhere in the second half of the story and I began to enjoy the novel a bit more at this point.
This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I may give Possibilities, the retelling of Persuasion, a try to see if that book suits me better.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
You can read this review on my blog:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...
I do think that the storyline was a creative set up. The new characters shared initials with the original characters and followed along fairly well with updated personas. It was cute having the characters acting in a small theater production of Pride and Prejudice, too.
While others may thoroughly enjoy this contemporary tale, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I felt as if I was watching them going through the actions, but not able to feel any emotion between them. I also struggled with the pace of the story. It felt very slow to me for the first half of the book. It did pick up in somewhere in the second half of the story and I began to enjoy the novel a bit more at this point.
This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I may give Possibilities, the retelling of Persuasion, a try to see if that book suits me better.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
You can read this review on my blog:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...
July 15, 2020
I also reviewed this book on my blog:
The Real World According To Sam
Where oh where to begin? Pride & Prejudice is one of my favorite novels and I just love Texas (best state ever!), so when my mom gave me this book to use for my senior project, I was more than thrilled.
The characters were excellently depicted and had many aspects to them that made them incredibly realistic. The setting was perfect. I lovehow the checkpoints with the play they are working on coincide withthe events as they occur.
A lot of the little details are what made this book so comparable to Jane Austen's original novel. Everything was done with the perfect modern touch. This book is absolutely brilliant on every plane. At every turn I felt myself unable to tear away from it.
My favorite part had to Dave's improvisation towards the end of the play/book. It was so perfect!!! Needless to say, this will be a book that I frequently revisit due to its wonderful ability to bring Pride & Prejudice and Texas together. This is a book that every romantic needs to read, even if they've never read Pride & Prejudice. =)
The Real World According To Sam
Where oh where to begin? Pride & Prejudice is one of my favorite novels and I just love Texas (best state ever!), so when my mom gave me this book to use for my senior project, I was more than thrilled.
The characters were excellently depicted and had many aspects to them that made them incredibly realistic. The setting was perfect. I lovehow the checkpoints with the play they are working on coincide withthe events as they occur.
A lot of the little details are what made this book so comparable to Jane Austen's original novel. Everything was done with the perfect modern touch. This book is absolutely brilliant on every plane. At every turn I felt myself unable to tear away from it.
My favorite part had to Dave's improvisation towards the end of the play/book. It was so perfect!!! Needless to say, this will be a book that I frequently revisit due to its wonderful ability to bring Pride & Prejudice and Texas together. This is a book that every romantic needs to read, even if they've never read Pride & Prejudice. =)
May 21, 2018
First Impressions accomplishes what any good retelling does: a fresh take on the classic with its own unique elements and wonderful nods to the original text. In this case, the tropes are all present with a new setting, time period, and extra quirks to familiar typecast characters.
This story is likable overall, BUT, some situations and behaviors felt contrived because of the expected underlying storyline. I would have liked a little more emotional depth in a grab-your-heart and relate way. A large amount of the characters’ time is spent preparing and practicing for an actual play production of Pride and Prejudice. This made story-inception and personality parallels fun, but I feel like it dragged down the pace of the story.
It was refreshing how characters one might dislike/love from the classic are more fully fleshed out and challenging their own stereotypes with their behavior — especially “Aunt Maddy”. I loved her! And, I did enjoy seeing the personalities of “Elizabeth and Darcy” playing out in a modern day comedy.
Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for the review copy. This is my honest review.
This story is likable overall, BUT, some situations and behaviors felt contrived because of the expected underlying storyline. I would have liked a little more emotional depth in a grab-your-heart and relate way. A large amount of the characters’ time is spent preparing and practicing for an actual play production of Pride and Prejudice. This made story-inception and personality parallels fun, but I feel like it dragged down the pace of the story.
It was refreshing how characters one might dislike/love from the classic are more fully fleshed out and challenging their own stereotypes with their behavior — especially “Aunt Maddy”. I loved her! And, I did enjoy seeing the personalities of “Elizabeth and Darcy” playing out in a modern day comedy.
Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for the review copy. This is my honest review.
October 26, 2013
Oh my. I saw this in a recent EW article about books based on Austen's work. I went through and saw what my library had and put them on a list to check out. This was the first one I tried. Wow.
Okay, so the Amazon blurb says that this is "loosely based" on P&P. Um, how about a complete rip off? The characters are performing P&P as a play and their lives mirror the story SO MUCH, yet no one remarks on it? Really? Also, I don't read Christian fiction. It's annoying and preachy and usually very badly written. Had I know that's what this was, I would have passed it up. Yet, the classifications that are usually there on Amazon are missing on this one, so it snuck past and before I knew it, I was stuck reading this tripe. The whole thing read like a really, really bad after school special for churchy homeschool kids. Blech. I can't recommend this to ANYONE, especially to Austen fans as Smith has managed to suck all the life out of the original P&P story that I loved so much. It will be a while before I'll be able to read P&P again without this godawful story tainting it.
Okay, so the Amazon blurb says that this is "loosely based" on P&P. Um, how about a complete rip off? The characters are performing P&P as a play and their lives mirror the story SO MUCH, yet no one remarks on it? Really? Also, I don't read Christian fiction. It's annoying and preachy and usually very badly written. Had I know that's what this was, I would have passed it up. Yet, the classifications that are usually there on Amazon are missing on this one, so it snuck past and before I knew it, I was stuck reading this tripe. The whole thing read like a really, really bad after school special for churchy homeschool kids. Blech. I can't recommend this to ANYONE, especially to Austen fans as Smith has managed to suck all the life out of the original P&P story that I loved so much. It will be a while before I'll be able to read P&P again without this godawful story tainting it.
May 15, 2018
*This is a review copy from the publisher. No review, positive or otherwise, was required—all opinions are my own.*
This is a cute modern retelling of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. Originally published in 2004, but has been re-released with a new cover. The cover is so unique, I love it. The story was original (taking place in the South), but predicable. But I loved it anyway. I am looking forward to read more of this series.
This is a cute modern retelling of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. Originally published in 2004, but has been re-released with a new cover. The cover is so unique, I love it. The story was original (taking place in the South), but predicable. But I loved it anyway. I am looking forward to read more of this series.
January 3, 2019
It started off as decent Pride and Prejudice retelling but ended up being incredibly racist and sexist. Darcy commands two "black and beautiful" "at-risk" youth as his own private security squad to force Wickham to marry a 20-year old Lydia. Both Darcy and Elizabeth admit Wickham may be abusive or a drug addict but young Lydia should marry him anyway. There are ways to update 19th century English social mores but this was not it.
September 2, 2018
Awful. Just awful. Sanctimonious, nauseating drivel. The author should be embarrassed for her attempt to manipulate Ms. Austen’s work. Eddi, the Lizzie character, is mean & judgmental. I hated this book.
May 11, 2018
First Impressions is the first book in Debra White Smith's Jane Austen Series, originally published in the early 2000's by Harvest House Publishers and re-released (along with the five following books) this year by Baker. I was intrigued when I first received this book to review, but unfortunately it was very disappointing.
First Impressions very closely mirrors Pride and Prejudice, and this is primarily where it flops: the "retelling" is too similar to the Austen classic and not realistically "contemporary." I was distracted by conflicts and issues involving social class, wealth, social mores, reputation, sexism, marriage, cavalier lifestyles (sometimes detailed), etc. that are identical to those found in Pride and Prejudice but outdated and out of place in 21st Century America, even one with an underlying Christian worldview of sorts. The characters in First Impressions are stilted copycats (down to the initials of their names), lacking authenticity; at times they are saddeningly out of character with their Pride and Prejudice counterparts (for example, Eddi is not just misunderstanding, but mean). Also, First Impressions seems even more redundant because the story involves a play adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, including many direct quotations in the context of practices and performance.
One aspect of First Impressions that differs from Pride and Prejudice is the point of view. Whereas Pride and Prejudice is written in the third person narrative, certainly a story about Elizabeth primarily but not told in first person or even third-person omniscient (and thus, lacking emotion and being more intellectual and opinion-based), First Impressions is written in the first person point of view, and of varying characters (mainly Eddi and Dave, and randomly the "Lydia" equivalent), so Smith inserts more feelings and thoughts, generally, including an entire character (Darcy) specifically, than are explicit in Austen's original. Perhaps this would have been insightful if the characters of First Impressions were better developed in and of themselves, but as it was, it came across more sanctimonious and sappy, and I was left pondering Austen's effective subtlety.
Sigh. I really didn't want to write this review for a retelling of one of the great classic stories. But, again, unfortunately, First Impressions really missed the mark in my opinion. It just doesn't work to change the historical time period, add some modern objects like cell phones and computers (though, wow, technology has really advanced in the last fifteen years since this book's first edition, which apparently wasn't updated for its re-release!), change the character names, and call it a "contemporary retelling." Pride and Prejudice is much too complex, and, honestly, it's much too good to attempt (or need) to retell.
Disclaimer: This book was received for free from Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my honest review. Note as with all reviews and references, I do not necessarily agree with (or am even aware of) any or all of the beliefs, views, etc. of the author; please read my disclaimer here.
First Impressions very closely mirrors Pride and Prejudice, and this is primarily where it flops: the "retelling" is too similar to the Austen classic and not realistically "contemporary." I was distracted by conflicts and issues involving social class, wealth, social mores, reputation, sexism, marriage, cavalier lifestyles (sometimes detailed), etc. that are identical to those found in Pride and Prejudice but outdated and out of place in 21st Century America, even one with an underlying Christian worldview of sorts. The characters in First Impressions are stilted copycats (down to the initials of their names), lacking authenticity; at times they are saddeningly out of character with their Pride and Prejudice counterparts (for example, Eddi is not just misunderstanding, but mean). Also, First Impressions seems even more redundant because the story involves a play adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, including many direct quotations in the context of practices and performance.
One aspect of First Impressions that differs from Pride and Prejudice is the point of view. Whereas Pride and Prejudice is written in the third person narrative, certainly a story about Elizabeth primarily but not told in first person or even third-person omniscient (and thus, lacking emotion and being more intellectual and opinion-based), First Impressions is written in the first person point of view, and of varying characters (mainly Eddi and Dave, and randomly the "Lydia" equivalent), so Smith inserts more feelings and thoughts, generally, including an entire character (Darcy) specifically, than are explicit in Austen's original. Perhaps this would have been insightful if the characters of First Impressions were better developed in and of themselves, but as it was, it came across more sanctimonious and sappy, and I was left pondering Austen's effective subtlety.
Sigh. I really didn't want to write this review for a retelling of one of the great classic stories. But, again, unfortunately, First Impressions really missed the mark in my opinion. It just doesn't work to change the historical time period, add some modern objects like cell phones and computers (though, wow, technology has really advanced in the last fifteen years since this book's first edition, which apparently wasn't updated for its re-release!), change the character names, and call it a "contemporary retelling." Pride and Prejudice is much too complex, and, honestly, it's much too good to attempt (or need) to retell.
Disclaimer: This book was received for free from Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my honest review. Note as with all reviews and references, I do not necessarily agree with (or am even aware of) any or all of the beliefs, views, etc. of the author; please read my disclaimer here.
March 10, 2018
First impressions di Debra White Smith è, come ci indica il titolo, un retelling - in chiave moderna - di Orgoglio e Pregiudizio di Jane Austen.
La protagonista, Eddi/Edwarda (Elizabeth), è un'avvocatessa che sceglie di trasferirsi nella piccola cittadina di London, Texas, desiderosa di vivere una vita più semplice - nonché di allontanarsi dalla propria famiglia.
Dave (Darcy) è invece l'uomo più ricco del posto, e per questo lo scapolo più ambito, ma nasconde dei segreti riguardo se stesso e il suo passato...
Le prime interazioni tra i due non fanno ben sperare: come nella storia originale, Eddi ascolta Dave fare dei commenti negativi su di lei all'amico Calvin (Bingley), ed è inoltre irritata dall'orgoglio dell'uomo, che giudica rozzo e sgarbato.
Dave, dal canto suo, è stanco di essere inseguito da donne interessate solo al suo patrimonio, e col tempo si forma una pessima opinione delle sorelle di Eddi, Jenny (Jane) e Linda (Lydia).
L'attrazione che i due provano l'uno per l'altra è però innegabile, ed entrambi si ritroveranno poi a soffrire per scelte sbagliate e per essersi lasciati accecare dall'orgoglio e dal pregiudizio...
Il romanzo purtroppo non mi è piaciuto, e più di una volta ho avuto la tentazione di mollarlo. Solo verso la fine sono riuscita a trovarlo interessante (ma forse perché volevo semplicemente il mio lieto fine).
Innanzitutto non ho apprezzato lo stile, che a tratti mi è parso grossolano.
Il problema maggiore, però, è stato lo stesso cuore della storia: quasi tutti i personaggi, infatti, sono impegnati nel mettere in scena una riduzione teatrale di... Orgoglio e pregiudizio.
Ora, provo sempre fastidio e perplessità quando i personaggi di un retelling austeniano leggono il romanzo di Jane Austen da cui è tratta la loro stessa storia, o ne guardano un adattamento in tv, o, come in questo caso, ne imparano a memoria le battute.
Non faccio che chiedermi: " Non si accorgono di vivere gli stessi identici eventi?"; " Nessuno si chiede come mai i nomi di tutti, nonché le loro personalità siano uguali, o quanto meno poco dissimili, a quelli dei personaggi a cui si stanno appassionando?".
Personalmente lo trovo un fastidioso glitch, una sorta di bug.
Altro elemento che non ho apprezzato è stata la violenza. Non parlo di violenza fisica: nessuno (o quasi) viene malmenato. Tuttavia Eddi viene di continuo strattonata, trascinata da una parte all'altra e sembra tutto normale, nemmeno una donna forte e in carriera come lei si ribella a questo comportamento. Mi hanno infastidito, sempre riguardo a questo punto, anche alcune interazioni tra i coniugi Boswick (Bennet), nonché i modi di fare di Dave, che avrebbe dovuto essere l'epitome del fascino, ma non mi ha per nulla incantato.
Mi è piaciuto il cambiamento di cui è stata oggetto Lady Catherine (qui Mrs DeBloom), tuttavia, all'occorrenza, all'improvviso la dolce zia si è trasformata nel suo corrispettivo cartaceo, altezzosa e classista...
Vi sono stati però anche degli elementi che ho apprezzato molto: Calvin, ad esempio, e la sua reazione nel vedere Jenny per la prima volta, o il modo di presentare il disagio di Linda, di sicuro influenzata dalla predilezione del padre per Eddi, o dalla decantata bellezza di Jenny; la gelosia di Dave nel vedere Conner (Collins) essere in confidenza con Eddi.
Anche il rapporto tra i coniugi Boswick è stato indagato a fondo, tuttavia credo che un padre non dovrebbe parlare in modo così aperto alla propria figlia della relazione con la madre.
Nella storia non ci sono contenuti maturi (e di questo ne sono stata ben lieta) e abbastanza intrusivo è il ruolo della religione.
https://iltesorodicarta.blogspot.it/2...
La protagonista, Eddi/Edwarda (Elizabeth), è un'avvocatessa che sceglie di trasferirsi nella piccola cittadina di London, Texas, desiderosa di vivere una vita più semplice - nonché di allontanarsi dalla propria famiglia.
Dave (Darcy) è invece l'uomo più ricco del posto, e per questo lo scapolo più ambito, ma nasconde dei segreti riguardo se stesso e il suo passato...
Le prime interazioni tra i due non fanno ben sperare: come nella storia originale, Eddi ascolta Dave fare dei commenti negativi su di lei all'amico Calvin (Bingley), ed è inoltre irritata dall'orgoglio dell'uomo, che giudica rozzo e sgarbato.
Dave, dal canto suo, è stanco di essere inseguito da donne interessate solo al suo patrimonio, e col tempo si forma una pessima opinione delle sorelle di Eddi, Jenny (Jane) e Linda (Lydia).
L'attrazione che i due provano l'uno per l'altra è però innegabile, ed entrambi si ritroveranno poi a soffrire per scelte sbagliate e per essersi lasciati accecare dall'orgoglio e dal pregiudizio...
Il romanzo purtroppo non mi è piaciuto, e più di una volta ho avuto la tentazione di mollarlo. Solo verso la fine sono riuscita a trovarlo interessante (ma forse perché volevo semplicemente il mio lieto fine).
Innanzitutto non ho apprezzato lo stile, che a tratti mi è parso grossolano.
Il problema maggiore, però, è stato lo stesso cuore della storia: quasi tutti i personaggi, infatti, sono impegnati nel mettere in scena una riduzione teatrale di... Orgoglio e pregiudizio.
Ora, provo sempre fastidio e perplessità quando i personaggi di un retelling austeniano leggono il romanzo di Jane Austen da cui è tratta la loro stessa storia, o ne guardano un adattamento in tv, o, come in questo caso, ne imparano a memoria le battute.
Non faccio che chiedermi: " Non si accorgono di vivere gli stessi identici eventi?"; " Nessuno si chiede come mai i nomi di tutti, nonché le loro personalità siano uguali, o quanto meno poco dissimili, a quelli dei personaggi a cui si stanno appassionando?".
Personalmente lo trovo un fastidioso glitch, una sorta di bug.
Altro elemento che non ho apprezzato è stata la violenza. Non parlo di violenza fisica: nessuno (o quasi) viene malmenato. Tuttavia Eddi viene di continuo strattonata, trascinata da una parte all'altra e sembra tutto normale, nemmeno una donna forte e in carriera come lei si ribella a questo comportamento. Mi hanno infastidito, sempre riguardo a questo punto, anche alcune interazioni tra i coniugi Boswick (Bennet), nonché i modi di fare di Dave, che avrebbe dovuto essere l'epitome del fascino, ma non mi ha per nulla incantato.
Mi è piaciuto il cambiamento di cui è stata oggetto Lady Catherine (qui Mrs DeBloom), tuttavia, all'occorrenza, all'improvviso la dolce zia si è trasformata nel suo corrispettivo cartaceo, altezzosa e classista...
Vi sono stati però anche degli elementi che ho apprezzato molto: Calvin, ad esempio, e la sua reazione nel vedere Jenny per la prima volta, o il modo di presentare il disagio di Linda, di sicuro influenzata dalla predilezione del padre per Eddi, o dalla decantata bellezza di Jenny; la gelosia di Dave nel vedere Conner (Collins) essere in confidenza con Eddi.
Anche il rapporto tra i coniugi Boswick è stato indagato a fondo, tuttavia credo che un padre non dovrebbe parlare in modo così aperto alla propria figlia della relazione con la madre.
Nella storia non ci sono contenuti maturi (e di questo ne sono stata ben lieta) e abbastanza intrusivo è il ruolo della religione.
https://iltesorodicarta.blogspot.it/2...
May 8, 2018
First Impressions was published first in 2006, but on April 17 they came out with this brand spanking new to-die-for cover!
I had a fairly small TBR list for this month so I decided to squeeze this one in as well. I started reading it immediately after I finished my previous book and I couldn't get it down once I got about 50 pages in.
First Impressions is a re-telling of Pride and Prejudice set in a small town in Texas.
Our main characters are Eddie Boswick, who's a lawyer and gets to play Elizabeth Bennett and William Davidson, a moody "cowboy" who lands the role of Mr. Darcy.
Pros:
-It was a fairly quick read for me. I wanted to find out what happened next so I just kept reading until I finished it.
-Some of the characters were really good people I genuinely enjoyed.
-Even if some characters did annoy me, I felt like all of them had a role they needed to play and they all played it fairly well to boost the book along to the ending.
-I love the small-town vibe that was going on in the book. Close-knit communities are a subject matter I really enjoy reading about. I come from a small town so that's probably why it resonates so much with me!
-I love how well the actual plot was tied into Pride and Prejudice's plot.
-The snarky dialogue was a riot sometimes.
Cons:
-I really felt like this book had an agenda. I'm not a religious person at all so I felt like beliefs were being shoved down my throat.
Abortion, sleeping with multiple people, sex before marriage, and marriages motivated by money are key points in this book.
I was able to decently ignore how bad the author made all of these things sound and enjoy the book for what it was.
Something that didn't require a lot of brain power to read that was decently light and fluffy and not meant to be taken too seriously.
If Christian values aren't your forte and they just flat out annoy you, I'd tell you to avoid reading this one.
-I felt like Eddie was super naive for a lawyer who had to have gone to school and couldn't have been all that innocent to the ways of the world...right?
I had a fairly small TBR list for this month so I decided to squeeze this one in as well. I started reading it immediately after I finished my previous book and I couldn't get it down once I got about 50 pages in.
First Impressions is a re-telling of Pride and Prejudice set in a small town in Texas.
Our main characters are Eddie Boswick, who's a lawyer and gets to play Elizabeth Bennett and William Davidson, a moody "cowboy" who lands the role of Mr. Darcy.
Pros:
-It was a fairly quick read for me. I wanted to find out what happened next so I just kept reading until I finished it.
-Some of the characters were really good people I genuinely enjoyed.
-Even if some characters did annoy me, I felt like all of them had a role they needed to play and they all played it fairly well to boost the book along to the ending.
-I love the small-town vibe that was going on in the book. Close-knit communities are a subject matter I really enjoy reading about. I come from a small town so that's probably why it resonates so much with me!
-I love how well the actual plot was tied into Pride and Prejudice's plot.
-The snarky dialogue was a riot sometimes.
Cons:
-I really felt like this book had an agenda. I'm not a religious person at all so I felt like beliefs were being shoved down my throat.
Abortion, sleeping with multiple people, sex before marriage, and marriages motivated by money are key points in this book.
I was able to decently ignore how bad the author made all of these things sound and enjoy the book for what it was.
Something that didn't require a lot of brain power to read that was decently light and fluffy and not meant to be taken too seriously.
If Christian values aren't your forte and they just flat out annoy you, I'd tell you to avoid reading this one.
-I felt like Eddie was super naive for a lawyer who had to have gone to school and couldn't have been all that innocent to the ways of the world...right?
August 20, 2018
Une version très très catholique de Pride & Prejudice... La version se veut contemporaine, par conséquent, l'auteure a un peu modifié l'histoire (notamment l'ordre des rebondissements et Georgiana est devenue un garçon en plus d'être morte). Les changements sont originaux et ne nuisent pas à l'histoire, la trame est respectée ainsi que les grandes caractéristiques des personnages principaux. J'aime beaucoup l'idée de Rick (Wickham) entrainant le frère de Darcy dans la drogue. Les soeurs ne sont plus que trois mais l'absence de Mary et de Kitty ne pose pas de problèmes et j'ai beaucoup apprécié la dynamique entre Linda, Jenny et Eddie.
Le gros problème en fait de cette version c'est qu'elle se veut contemporaine mais ne l'est pas: pas de sexe avant le mariage, pas d'alcool, pas de cigarettes, pas de drogues, pas de divorce et bien entendu pas d'avortement... On se croirait revenu au Moyen Age et les personnages passent leur temps à se juger en fonction de l'amour de dieu. De fait l'énorme problème de cette version est la propagande catholique. C'est d'autant plus dommage que je trouve l'auteure imaginative et que j'ai apprécié la manière dont elle a réinventé les scènes du roman
Ce que j'aime : le travail fait sur les différents rebondissements originaux, le fait que les personnages adaptent Pride & Prejudice au théâtre
Ce que j'aime moins : le manque de modernité de l'histoire, la propagande religieuse
En bref : Une version qui se veut contemporaine mais que l'omniprésence de la religion rend complètement archaïque
Ma note
6,5/10
Le gros problème en fait de cette version c'est qu'elle se veut contemporaine mais ne l'est pas: pas de sexe avant le mariage, pas d'alcool, pas de cigarettes, pas de drogues, pas de divorce et bien entendu pas d'avortement... On se croirait revenu au Moyen Age et les personnages passent leur temps à se juger en fonction de l'amour de dieu. De fait l'énorme problème de cette version est la propagande catholique. C'est d'autant plus dommage que je trouve l'auteure imaginative et que j'ai apprécié la manière dont elle a réinventé les scènes du roman
Ce que j'aime : le travail fait sur les différents rebondissements originaux, le fait que les personnages adaptent Pride & Prejudice au théâtre
Ce que j'aime moins : le manque de modernité de l'histoire, la propagande religieuse
En bref : Une version qui se veut contemporaine mais que l'omniprésence de la religion rend complètement archaïque
Ma note
6,5/10
April 9, 2018
I enjoyed this modern re-telling of P&P. Eddi and Dave have life circumstances and personalities similar enough to Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy that it is ironic for them to be cast as Elizabeth and Darcy in a community theater production of Pride and Prejudice. I thought the character development and world building was handled well and organically, included in ways that carried the action of the story forward. Since this is told with a Christian worldview, I appreciate the insertion of church attendance and church social functions into the story. I thought the tone was pretty dramatic and serious throughout; I missed the humorous tone of Austen's social commentary which is absent from this retelling.
I voluntarily read an advance review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley and I offer my honest opinion in response.
I voluntarily read an advance review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley and I offer my honest opinion in response.
August 18, 2018
I LOVE THIS BOOK! I am a huge fan of Jane Austen and I think that her stories can't be "improved" and I was SO happy that that didn't seem to be Debra's goal! She keeps all the great classic parts of Pride and Prejudice yet still adds changes and twists to make it fit into a more modern style! I LOVED being able to read from different character's perspectives and really enjoyed all of these characters as well as the over all setting! The little town feel was nice and there were times I couldn't help but laugh our loud! I will DEFINITELY be reading more of this series! P.S. I LOVE the clever title and other titles for these books!
August 5, 2018
Couldn't make myself read past the second chapter...what an awful read! Sorry!
July 4, 2021
re telling of Pride and Prejudice while the characters also do community theater production of Pride and Prejudice. So a story within a story. Interesting method.
July 27, 2019
Poor Dave Davidson has problems. He's rich -- like, super rich -- and every girl in his small town wants to jump into marriage with him. (Yes, marriage. Because in this book no one dates as it's an indicator of loose morals. Instead they immediately enter into serious relationships and get married quickly.) He's forced to spend his days dodging the unwanted throngs of women throwing themselves at him for the purpose of, you guessed it, marriage! Such attention, as you can imagine, makes him testy around the opposite sex. He must discourage them!
At the bank: "Good morning, sir! Great weather we're having!"
"I won't marry you, so you can just forget it."
At the store: "Will that be cash or charge?"
"Get away, fortune hunter! You won't tempt me with your wiles!"
At the library: "Here you are, Mr. Davidson. These are all due on the 16th."
"WHY CAN'T YOU PEOPLE JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!?"
Seriously, the dude is obsessed with the thought that everyone wants to marry him. He also has funny ideas about marijuana, how to view a PoC, and forcing young women into marriage with an abusive and (in his own opinion) drug-addicted men via a shotgun wedding "like the good ol' days." I won't even mention the misuse of words and phrases, incorrect grammar, spelling errors (ex: Caroline, not Carolyn), and unnecessary filler. That effort would've been better spent developing the characters more fully.
It started out entertaining enough, but around the halfway point it became unexpectedly religious and preachy, not to mention judgy. Not what I was looking for when I thought I was digging into some much-needed escapism. The characters became flatter as time went on, and the Darcy and Lizzie replacements were meaner spirited than in the source material. Some of the morals were a bit skewed for modern times; apparently premarital sex trumps prescription drug abuse and hints of a burgeoning alcohol addiction.
I think mostly I feel a little duped. There was no hint this would be a ministry book and I suspect the author didn't insert her own ideals until halfway because by then many readers wouldn't abandon a book they've invested that much time reading. If you want to know what happens to the characters you have to sift through large chunks of moralizing first. If this isn't your cup of tea, just be warned.
It's a bummer, really. I was into the premise and it started out promising.
Just another thought on the moralizing -- Pride and Prejudice was able to achieve the same message with more subtlety and greater success. You never felt you were being preached at. In the end, everyone got their comeuppance and those on the moral high ground were rewarded. Darcy, Elizabeth, Bingley and Jane were the cream that rose to the top, to the benefit of everyone involved in the story. You don't have to beat someone over the head when there are gentler, less annoying ways of spreading your message.
At the bank: "Good morning, sir! Great weather we're having!"
"I won't marry you, so you can just forget it."
At the store: "Will that be cash or charge?"
"Get away, fortune hunter! You won't tempt me with your wiles!"
At the library: "Here you are, Mr. Davidson. These are all due on the 16th."
"WHY CAN'T YOU PEOPLE JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!?"
Seriously, the dude is obsessed with the thought that everyone wants to marry him. He also has funny ideas about marijuana, how to view a PoC, and forcing young women into marriage with an abusive and (in his own opinion) drug-addicted men via a shotgun wedding "like the good ol' days." I won't even mention the misuse of words and phrases, incorrect grammar, spelling errors (ex: Caroline, not Carolyn), and unnecessary filler. That effort would've been better spent developing the characters more fully.
It started out entertaining enough, but around the halfway point it became unexpectedly religious and preachy, not to mention judgy. Not what I was looking for when I thought I was digging into some much-needed escapism. The characters became flatter as time went on, and the Darcy and Lizzie replacements were meaner spirited than in the source material. Some of the morals were a bit skewed for modern times; apparently premarital sex trumps prescription drug abuse and hints of a burgeoning alcohol addiction.
I think mostly I feel a little duped. There was no hint this would be a ministry book and I suspect the author didn't insert her own ideals until halfway because by then many readers wouldn't abandon a book they've invested that much time reading. If you want to know what happens to the characters you have to sift through large chunks of moralizing first. If this isn't your cup of tea, just be warned.
It's a bummer, really. I was into the premise and it started out promising.
Just another thought on the moralizing -- Pride and Prejudice was able to achieve the same message with more subtlety and greater success. You never felt you were being preached at. In the end, everyone got their comeuppance and those on the moral high ground were rewarded. Darcy, Elizabeth, Bingley and Jane were the cream that rose to the top, to the benefit of everyone involved in the story. You don't have to beat someone over the head when there are gentler, less annoying ways of spreading your message.
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