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A review by catsreads
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
My feelings on this book are kind of conflicted.
Really well modernized in some ways and tone-deafly modernized in others. The inclusion of non-straight white characters fell off, like it was trying to be 'progressive' and, to put it kindly, missed the mark. Gotta be honest I was reading it and I got to *certain parts* and was like "when was this written?!" I would have guessed the late 00s, but no! Slightly dismayed to see this was written in 2016. Wasn't all bad perse, just uncomfortably/poorly executed, I guess.
I really didn't like the use of Ham being trans as the shock value. Like it mattered more that he was trans than that they eloped. It didn't make a lot of sense from a story standpoint that she would rush home from this either. It felt awkwardly written, awkwardly handled and there were better ways to modernize the Lydia plot-point, that didn't require that.
Really well modernized in some ways and tone-deafly modernized in others. The inclusion of non-straight white characters fell off, like it was trying to be 'progressive' and, to put it kindly, missed the mark. Gotta be honest I was reading it and I got to *certain parts* and was like "when was this written?!" I would have guessed the late 00s, but no! Slightly dismayed to see this was written in 2016. Wasn't all bad perse, just uncomfortably/poorly executed, I guess.
Content Warnings
Minor: Transphobia and Racism
not super spoiler-y but The book uses the Bennet parents (especially the mom) being racist and generally bigoted to modernize the social impropriety from the original Pride & Prejudice. This was certainly an interesting take, to say the least. There is also a character that is revealed to be trans. And while I am all for representation, it felt a lot forced and off, like I can't quite put it into words.