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A review by rmnedder
Pride and Prejudice by Kate Hamill
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I was not a fan of this adaptation. Sure, no adaptation will be 100% faithful to the source material, but there were some weird departures on this one: the excision of an entire Bennett sister, the wild mischaracterization of multiple characters, and the insertion of multiple "on the nose" monologues all threw me off.
I also find that Kate Hamill has a pretty strong internalized misogyny streak. The only characters allowed to be attractive or charming are the men, and the women--if they're not Jane or Lizzy--are at best tertiary, and at worst misogynistic stereotypes. Her Mrs. Bennett is genuinely unpleasant to read; she's obnoxious past the point of tolerance.
I will say I did really appreciate some of the motifs in here; the Blind Man's Bluff game is particularly compelling in how it frames the show. She manages to land some jokes here and there, but I find that many of them are made at the character's expense, and some of them toe the line too far and just become uncomfortable.
Overall, this was not to my taste, and if you're looking for a more faithful or balanced adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, I'd skip this one.
I also find that Kate Hamill has a pretty strong internalized misogyny streak. The only characters allowed to be attractive or charming are the men, and the women--if they're not Jane or Lizzy--are at best tertiary, and at worst misogynistic stereotypes. Her Mrs. Bennett is genuinely unpleasant to read; she's obnoxious past the point of tolerance.
I will say I did really appreciate some of the motifs in here; the Blind Man's Bluff game is particularly compelling in how it frames the show. She manages to land some jokes here and there, but I find that many of them are made at the character's expense, and some of them toe the line too far and just become uncomfortable.
Overall, this was not to my taste, and if you're looking for a more faithful or balanced adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, I'd skip this one.