Book Review: Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

PROM & PREJUDICE by Elizabeth Eulberg
Publication Date: January 1st 2011 by Point
Rating: |

Summary:

After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn’t interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be — especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.

Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles’s friend, Will Darcy, who’s snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk — so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?

Will Lizzie’s pride and Will’s prejudice keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? Whatever the result, Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Lonely Hearts Club, has concocted a very funny, completely stylish delight for any season — prom or otherwise.

Review Overview:

  • Quick delightful retelling
  • Despite modern setting, characters were true to original characterizations
  • Not quite as romantic as the original

Okay, I wasn’t sure how much I was going to like this one but I have to admit that I ended up giggling like a school girl by the time I finished this book. At less than 300 pages, PROM & PREJUDICE was a quick delightful modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice.

I thought that Eulberg perfectly captured the characteristics of Austen’s beloved novel. Her portrayals of Will and Lizzie remained in character throughout the entire novel, despite the modern spin. I think the premise of the novel was credible, but bordering on a little silly. Lydia drove me absolutely nuts. She didn’t drive me nearly as crazy as she did in the original. I think Eulberg did a wonderful job capturing her character in a modern day setting.

My favorite part about this novel is probably how music was incorporated. The scene at Carnegie Hall was so much fun to read and that little twist was one I didn’t see coming. As a sucker for novels that are set in New York City, I loved the scenes in Manhattan and Hoboken (okay, not New York exactly, but close enough).

Prom wasn’t as a big deal in my high school experience so I didn’t find the story as romantic as the original. But then again, it would be hard to match up to Austen’s work. I thought that the ending was appropriate and really cute. Eulberg definitely made Lizzie and Will’s relationship a lot more meaningful.

About the Author

Elizabeth Eulberg was born and raised in Wisconsin before heading off to Syracuse University and then making a career in the New York City book biz. She lives outside of Manhattan with her three guitars, two keyboards, and one drumstick. In researching The Lonely Hearts Club, she tried swearing off boys forever. It didn’t work. She did, however, learn how to play Rachmaninoff’s Eighteenth Variation from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini on the piano while writing Prom and Prejudice, so she’s not a total slacker.

Find the Author

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5 Comments

  1. This sounds like a really cute story. I wanted to get this when it first came out, but I read too many bad reviews on it. I’m glad that there’s a good side to this story and I think I’ll borrow this from my library sometime. Thanks for the review!
    -Danna

  2. I love pretty much everything and anything Jane Austen and this one sounds just so cute. Modern retellings can go either way in being good or bad so I’m glad to hear this one was a good one! I’m definitely going to check this book out when I can.

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