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theamyleblanc's review against another edition
2.0
The stars say it all. It was okay.
I've always been curious about how Elizabeth and Darcy's story would translate into modern times so I picked this up. I don't think it worked so well. It was almost like they could've been anyone. They didn't have to be Elizabeth and Darcy.
I did love some of the interesting takes on the other characters. Lou was amusing and cute; Charlotte made total sense; etc. Some parts of the story had me laughing out loud, garnering me some weird looks from the people sitting around me.
This book was a simple, quick, enjoyable read. Nothing more than that.
I've always been curious about how Elizabeth and Darcy's story would translate into modern times so I picked this up. I don't think it worked so well. It was almost like they could've been anyone. They didn't have to be Elizabeth and Darcy.
I did love some of the interesting takes on the other characters. Lou was amusing and cute; Charlotte made total sense; etc. Some parts of the story had me laughing out loud, garnering me some weird looks from the people sitting around me.
This book was a simple, quick, enjoyable read. Nothing more than that.
bak8382's review against another edition
3.0
In this modern adaption of [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1279118438s/1885.jpg|3060926] Darcy is a judge and Elizabeth is a lawyer who frequently appears before him. She takes an instant dislike to him, while he reverses his original thinking and can't stop thinking about her. They are surrounded by the usual characters as they move towards their happy ending.
The first part of this book is actually quite clever. The main characters work well in their respective settings and careers, and many of the minor characters also translate well. I especially liked the passing reference to Collins. On the other hand while I didn't mind Lizzie having a gay best friend I do take issue with who he's named for. In the original the Hursts were the least likely people for her to confide in, so why chose that name for someone who is supposed to be close to her? Speaking of odd choices, where was Wickham? Angelini instead uses Fitzwilliam to make Darcy jealous, but Wickham is a much more interesting and effective choice.
Darcy and Elizabeth get together too early on, and consequently spend much of the 2nd half fighting/whining about why they can't be together. As the book progresses it becomes less of a clever take on the original, and ends up as just another okay romance novel. Of course that didn't stop me from reading it cover to cover in almost one sitting. What can I say? I'm a sucker for P&P in almost any form.
The first part of this book is actually quite clever. The main characters work well in their respective settings and careers, and many of the minor characters also translate well. I especially liked the passing reference to Collins. On the other hand while I didn't mind Lizzie having a gay best friend I do take issue with who he's named for. In the original the Hursts were the least likely people for her to confide in, so why chose that name for someone who is supposed to be close to her? Speaking of odd choices, where was Wickham? Angelini instead uses Fitzwilliam to make Darcy jealous, but Wickham is a much more interesting and effective choice.
Darcy and Elizabeth get together too early on, and consequently spend much of the 2nd half fighting/whining about why they can't be together. As the book progresses it becomes less of a clever take on the original, and ends up as just another okay romance novel. Of course that didn't stop me from reading it cover to cover in almost one sitting. What can I say? I'm a sucker for P&P in almost any form.
mcsangel2's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic P&P fanfic in a modern setting! Can't wait to own my own copy. LOTS and LOTS of steamy sex, so not for the faint of heart. This is my favorite modern JAFF, and how I wish people would write more of them!
avalydia's review against another edition
2.0
Had some funny moments, but overall there was too much sex and the complete lack of Wickham was simply inexcusable.
bannisterb's review against another edition
Let's get one thing clear: this book has nothing to do with the events in Pride & Prejudice, despite claiming to be a contemporary version of it. That alone would be enough to mark off a few stars (but not doom it). However, reviewing it simply as contemporary chick lit doesn't bode well for it, either.
I made it about 2/3 through, but I knew I was giving up much sooner. The lack of substantial content and interesting conflict ("Oh, no, my feelings for this person are too strong" is not interesting or real conflict) remind me of many bad fan fiction attempts that eliminate conflict early on in an impatient attempt to see a couple together as soon as possible, resulting in a slice of life that is painfully dull and boring. I've read plenty of fan fiction (from a variety of fandoms, bad and great and everything in between) and the construction, plot, and characterization in this book are poorer than most amateur stories posted to fan websites. I've no interest in reading about a perfectly happy couple encountering only perfectly happy situations, and that is what this is. You could replace the characters' names with those from other fandoms or even something original, and the result would be the same.
In this particular modern alternate universe "adaptation," Jane and Bingley (called Charley) are also intwined in a similar conflict-free adoration of one another. Various supporting characters are cute, endearing, and even when set up to oppose a main character, sympathetic. The dialogue is often disjointed and choppy, the changes in point-of-view are abrupt and brief, and long stretches of the book (multiple chapters in a row) are dedicated to detailing one day after another of idyllic and love-filled days of dating and sex. I should have known better early on; Darcy and Elizabeth were, of course, established as rivals quickly. But soon after, the narration jumped forward several months, and in a few paragraphs quickly summed up that Darcy's feelings had changed in that time, with very little evidence as to why.
Blah, skip it.
I made it about 2/3 through, but I knew I was giving up much sooner. The lack of substantial content and interesting conflict ("Oh, no, my feelings for this person are too strong" is not interesting or real conflict) remind me of many bad fan fiction attempts that eliminate conflict early on in an impatient attempt to see a couple together as soon as possible, resulting in a slice of life that is painfully dull and boring. I've read plenty of fan fiction (from a variety of fandoms, bad and great and everything in between) and the construction, plot, and characterization in this book are poorer than most amateur stories posted to fan websites. I've no interest in reading about a perfectly happy couple encountering only perfectly happy situations, and that is what this is. You could replace the characters' names with those from other fandoms or even something original, and the result would be the same.
In this particular modern alternate universe "adaptation," Jane and Bingley (called Charley) are also intwined in a similar conflict-free adoration of one another. Various supporting characters are cute, endearing, and even when set up to oppose a main character, sympathetic. The dialogue is often disjointed and choppy, the changes in point-of-view are abrupt and brief, and long stretches of the book (multiple chapters in a row) are dedicated to detailing one day after another of idyllic and love-filled days of dating and sex. I should have known better early on; Darcy and Elizabeth were, of course, established as rivals quickly. But soon after, the narration jumped forward several months, and in a few paragraphs quickly summed up that Darcy's feelings had changed in that time, with very little evidence as to why.
Blah, skip it.
nicolelynnreads's review
4.0
This was a fun modernization of Austen’s Pride & Prejudice! I enjoyed the characters, the setting and the twists in the story. The characters, their actions (for the most part) and the storyline seems believable and relatable. While at times I found the breaks / shifts in time to be jarring and some passages to be a bit unnecessary long, I still really enjoyed this story. It’s been a while since I’ve read a modernization/an adaptation and thoroughly enjoyed this one. Will probably reread this one! The only thing that really held it back for me was some of the unnecessary length of passages (or even some of those ending chapters). Otherwise this is a sold read for any romance/Jane Austin fan!
leahkarge's review against another edition
3.0
What You Need to Know Before Reading The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy:
1. This book is not Pride and Prejudice.
2. The text and conversation can, at times, feel awkward and stilted, because it seems that Sara Angelini is under the mistaken illusion that British people rarely, if ever, use contractions.
3. This book is not Pride and Prejudice.
4. Go into this book with an open mind. If you are like me and love Pride and Prejudice a ridiculous amount, you need to go into this book knowing it is almost nothing like Jane Austen's masterpiece.
5. If you are looking for a book that is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, meaning with the same events and all that good stuff, do not read this. As I've stated already, this book is not Pride and Prejudice.
6. You can end up really enjoying this book if you don't expect an exact retelling of Pride and Prejudice.
Ways that The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy is Similar to Pride and Prejudice:
1. The main characters: Fitzwilliam "Will" Darcy, Elizabeth "Lizzy" Bennet, Charles "Charley" Bingley, and Jane Bennet.
2. Will is filthy rich. As is Charley.
3. Charley and Jane get married.
4. Will and Lizzy get married.
5. Caroline Bingley has a majorly annoying thing for Will.
6. Will is very close with his sister, Georgiana.
7. Georgiana and Wickham had a thing. Will fixed it.
8. Will and Lizzy started out hating each other.
9. Will starts to like Elizabeth against his better judgment, pulled in by her eyes every time.
10. Will and Lizzy see each other at Pemberley, Darcy's home in England.
11. They fall in love.
12. Despite this, they torture each other for months on end before getting together.
13. Lizzy is Mr. Bennet's favorite daughter.
14. Lydia is a ho.
15. Georgiana plays piano well.
Ways that The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy is Different from Pride and Prejudice:
1. Will is a judge; Lizzy is an attorney.
2. Charley and Jane are surgeons.
3. Caroline and Will have sex.
4. Charlotte Lucas is not Lizzy's best friend but a coworker.
5. Charlotte is a lesbian.
6. Charley does not depend on Will to make all his decisions for him.
7. Jane actually has a spine!
8. The main setting is California, with a little time spent in England.
9. Will and Lizzy have a torrid two-week affair while they are in England.
10. Also while in England, Will, Lizzy, Charley, and Jane go clubbing.
11. Will goes clubbing with the other three, gets toasted, and then fucks Lizzy on the table in their hotel room while Charley and Jane are just down the hall in the next bedroom.
12. Surprisingly, Jane and Charley hear none of the loud, table sexcapades.
13. Mr. Hurst is Louis Hurst. He is not married to Charley's sister. He is also very gay. Literally.
14. Lydia, Mary, and Kitty make very brief appearances at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.
15. Mr. Collins is not present except for in the first few pages when he is a client Lizzy is defending on the charges of soliciting a prostitute.
16. Wickham makes one brief appearance. He is a druggie.
17. Everyone is American except Will and Georgiana.
18. There is way more sex. (Not hard I suppose compared to the none in Pride and Prejudice.)
19. Mrs. Bennet is not annoying! Shocking, I know.
20. Will and Lizzy have sex in a elevator. Yes, an elevator.
21. Colonel Fitzwilliam is actually Richard Fitzwilliam, playboy extraordinaire.
22. Georgiana tells Lizzy about the Wickham drama way before Darcy does.
23. Caroline is actually nice to Jane, Lizzy, and their family.
Leah's Further Musings on The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy:
1. I should have read reviews about the book before I read it, because I did not expect it to be quite so different from Pride and Prejudice.
2. Lizzy is a ho.
3. I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of Mr. Darcy ever doing anything like the clubbing/table sex scenario.
4. This book made me want to punch Lizzy more than I ever wanted to punch her in Pride and Prejudice.
5. Lou was extremely annoying. As was Richard. And Caroline.
6. I am also having a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea that Mr. Darcy might ever participate in sex in public.
7. This is definitely not one of my favorite Pride and Prejudice fiction books, but it did have its funny parts.
8. Lizzy doesn't deserve Will.
9. The lack of contractions really bothered me. It's not that hard to write them. And, correct me if I'm wrong, British people do use them! And I know Americans do.
10. I most likely will never read this ever again.
11. I'm glad I borrowed it from Sans instead of buying it. You saved me from wasting my money on a book I will never read again, my friend, so I thank you.
12. I really hate trade paperbacks. They always take longer for me to read because the pages are so much bigger. And they are a lot harder to carry around in my purse.
13. Popcorn is really yummy. Oops, that's not about the book, is it? Oh well.
14. Chocolate pudding is yummy, too.
All in all, the book was okay. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it. However, I will be sticking with Pride and Prejudice from now on, I think.
1. This book is not Pride and Prejudice.
2. The text and conversation can, at times, feel awkward and stilted, because it seems that Sara Angelini is under the mistaken illusion that British people rarely, if ever, use contractions.
3. This book is not Pride and Prejudice.
4. Go into this book with an open mind. If you are like me and love Pride and Prejudice a ridiculous amount, you need to go into this book knowing it is almost nothing like Jane Austen's masterpiece.
5. If you are looking for a book that is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, meaning with the same events and all that good stuff, do not read this. As I've stated already, this book is not Pride and Prejudice.
6. You can end up really enjoying this book if you don't expect an exact retelling of Pride and Prejudice.
Ways that The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy is Similar to Pride and Prejudice:
1. The main characters: Fitzwilliam "Will" Darcy, Elizabeth "Lizzy" Bennet, Charles "Charley" Bingley, and Jane Bennet.
2. Will is filthy rich. As is Charley.
3. Charley and Jane get married.
4. Will and Lizzy get married.
5. Caroline Bingley has a majorly annoying thing for Will.
6. Will is very close with his sister, Georgiana.
7. Georgiana and Wickham had a thing. Will fixed it.
8. Will and Lizzy started out hating each other.
9. Will starts to like Elizabeth against his better judgment, pulled in by her eyes every time.
10. Will and Lizzy see each other at Pemberley, Darcy's home in England.
11. They fall in love.
12. Despite this, they torture each other for months on end before getting together.
13. Lizzy is Mr. Bennet's favorite daughter.
14. Lydia is a ho.
15. Georgiana plays piano well.
Ways that The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy is Different from Pride and Prejudice:
1. Will is a judge; Lizzy is an attorney.
2. Charley and Jane are surgeons.
3. Caroline and Will have sex.
4. Charlotte Lucas is not Lizzy's best friend but a coworker.
5. Charlotte is a lesbian.
6. Charley does not depend on Will to make all his decisions for him.
7. Jane actually has a spine!
8. The main setting is California, with a little time spent in England.
9. Will and Lizzy have a torrid two-week affair while they are in England.
10. Also while in England, Will, Lizzy, Charley, and Jane go clubbing.
11. Will goes clubbing with the other three, gets toasted, and then fucks Lizzy on the table in their hotel room while Charley and Jane are just down the hall in the next bedroom.
12. Surprisingly, Jane and Charley hear none of the loud, table sexcapades.
13. Mr. Hurst is Louis Hurst. He is not married to Charley's sister. He is also very gay. Literally.
14. Lydia, Mary, and Kitty make very brief appearances at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.
15. Mr. Collins is not present except for in the first few pages when he is a client Lizzy is defending on the charges of soliciting a prostitute.
16. Wickham makes one brief appearance. He is a druggie.
17. Everyone is American except Will and Georgiana.
18. There is way more sex. (Not hard I suppose compared to the none in Pride and Prejudice.)
19. Mrs. Bennet is not annoying! Shocking, I know.
20. Will and Lizzy have sex in a elevator. Yes, an elevator.
21. Colonel Fitzwilliam is actually Richard Fitzwilliam, playboy extraordinaire.
22. Georgiana tells Lizzy about the Wickham drama way before Darcy does.
23. Caroline is actually nice to Jane, Lizzy, and their family.
Leah's Further Musings on The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy:
1. I should have read reviews about the book before I read it, because I did not expect it to be quite so different from Pride and Prejudice.
2. Lizzy is a ho.
3. I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of Mr. Darcy ever doing anything like the clubbing/table sex scenario.
4. This book made me want to punch Lizzy more than I ever wanted to punch her in Pride and Prejudice.
5. Lou was extremely annoying. As was Richard. And Caroline.
6. I am also having a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea that Mr. Darcy might ever participate in sex in public.
7. This is definitely not one of my favorite Pride and Prejudice fiction books, but it did have its funny parts.
8. Lizzy doesn't deserve Will.
9. The lack of contractions really bothered me. It's not that hard to write them. And, correct me if I'm wrong, British people do use them! And I know Americans do.
10. I most likely will never read this ever again.
11. I'm glad I borrowed it from Sans instead of buying it. You saved me from wasting my money on a book I will never read again, my friend, so I thank you.
12. I really hate trade paperbacks. They always take longer for me to read because the pages are so much bigger. And they are a lot harder to carry around in my purse.
13. Popcorn is really yummy. Oops, that's not about the book, is it? Oh well.
14. Chocolate pudding is yummy, too.
All in all, the book was okay. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it. However, I will be sticking with Pride and Prejudice from now on, I think.
emmaborgia's review against another edition
4.0
I flew through this book. Very light reading that made it hard to put down. Not only was it romantic, but it was also witty and very enjoyable. I genuinely cared about the characters and became invested in what became of them. I'm a sucker for any sort of Jane Austen retelling, but this is among the best that I've come across.
victoriaharris001's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
serenaac's review against another edition
4.0
The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini is loosely based upon Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. Fitzwilliam Darcy is the youngest judge appointed to the bench of San Francisco and Meryton is not a town in England, but a town outside of San Francisco, California. Elizabeth Bennet is an attorney with Gardiner & Associates, and the lead attorney is not her uncle Mr. Gardiner, but her boss. California has laws about fraternization between judges and attorneys who work on the same cases, and when sparks fly between Elizabeth and Will, it becomes a sticky situation.
"'So, what are you doing during the first two weeks of June?' Jane asked. Elizabeth switched the phone cradle to her other ear and spread the California Bar Journal in the desk before her.
'Um, same thing as usual. Bill ten hours and work fourteen. Go home, eat Lean Cuisine over the sink, and go to bed convinced I'm never going to meet Mr. Right. I blame Mom. Oh, and I'll probably have Lou give me a massage.'" (Page 63 of ARC)
Angelini has a brash style all her own in this modern take on these famous characters, but readers could find the explicit sex scenes and sometimes crass language tough to take if they are looking for the same Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam. However, The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy exhibits the dynamics of modern relationships well, from the frenzied first glimpses of attraction to the obsessive first moments together and more.
Elizabeth and Darcy spar well in the courtroom before they realize their attraction, but attorneys, clients, and readers will cringe at the biting remarks they make to one another in the courtroom following a break from the realities of California.
"'How did it go?' he asked anxiously.
'I've got competition,' Elizabeth replied.
'Lady Boobs-a-Lot?' he asked, referring to Caroline.
'Yep. She's catty too.'
'I know you. You can match her bitch-slap for bitch-slap.'" (Page 251 of ARC)
Readers will enjoy this retelling, though they should expect differences in the characters' personalities from Elizabeth's greater outspoken nature and stubbornness to Lou Hurst, Elizabeth's gay friend and confidante. Jane is in the novel with Bingley--both work at the hospital in Meryton--but their love story is more of a sideline and is derailed less by Darcy and more by Jane's need to defend her sister against Bingley's sister, Caroline.
Overall, The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini could have been its own stand-alone chicklit novel without the references to Pride & Prejudice, but the modern spin Angelini gives to the characters and the plot makes the novel a quick, fun read. A great way to spend a lazy afternoon.
"'So, what are you doing during the first two weeks of June?' Jane asked. Elizabeth switched the phone cradle to her other ear and spread the California Bar Journal in the desk before her.
'Um, same thing as usual. Bill ten hours and work fourteen. Go home, eat Lean Cuisine over the sink, and go to bed convinced I'm never going to meet Mr. Right. I blame Mom. Oh, and I'll probably have Lou give me a massage.'" (Page 63 of ARC)
Angelini has a brash style all her own in this modern take on these famous characters, but readers could find the explicit sex scenes and sometimes crass language tough to take if they are looking for the same Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam. However, The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy exhibits the dynamics of modern relationships well, from the frenzied first glimpses of attraction to the obsessive first moments together and more.
Elizabeth and Darcy spar well in the courtroom before they realize their attraction, but attorneys, clients, and readers will cringe at the biting remarks they make to one another in the courtroom following a break from the realities of California.
"'How did it go?' he asked anxiously.
'I've got competition,' Elizabeth replied.
'Lady Boobs-a-Lot?' he asked, referring to Caroline.
'Yep. She's catty too.'
'I know you. You can match her bitch-slap for bitch-slap.'" (Page 251 of ARC)
Readers will enjoy this retelling, though they should expect differences in the characters' personalities from Elizabeth's greater outspoken nature and stubbornness to Lou Hurst, Elizabeth's gay friend and confidante. Jane is in the novel with Bingley--both work at the hospital in Meryton--but their love story is more of a sideline and is derailed less by Darcy and more by Jane's need to defend her sister against Bingley's sister, Caroline.
Overall, The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini could have been its own stand-alone chicklit novel without the references to Pride & Prejudice, but the modern spin Angelini gives to the characters and the plot makes the novel a quick, fun read. A great way to spend a lazy afternoon.