My favourite all-time classic is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice so when I heard that there was another rewrite featuring the characters of Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, I knew I had to read it. Pride by Ibi Zoboi is an original rewrite that puts the main characters in Brooklyn, New York.
In a timely update of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, critically acclaimed author Ibi Zoboi skillfully balances cultural identity, class, and gentrification against the heady magic of first love in her vibrant re-imagining of this beloved classic.
The first line in the novel made me smile in glee as the beginning of this sentence echoes one of my favourite lines in Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The remainder of the sentence echoes what is suggested in the rest of the novel: the gentrification of a neighbourhood that, on the outside, may look neglected.
Pride depicts a young woman's pride in her neighbourhood and in her culture. Zuri (Zoboi's Elizabeth Bennet) is comfortable with her culture and has no shame of her roots. She does not immediately take to Darius Darcy as he does not appear to fit in with the neighbourhood, nor does he behave in the way Zuri believes he ought to. Her prejudice reflects the prejudice of Austen's Elizabeth albeit in different surroundings. In addition, Zoboi adeptly transforms the setting of Austen's novel into a modern day Brooklyn while embedding the prejudices that people living in the environment may embrace.
The neighbourhood described in Pride is unknown to me; and I am not intimate with its culture. Tidbits are added to my knowledge as I read the story – tidbits that are subtly woven into the story. Yet the romance described is a well-known story of two young people who come to know one another and fall in love. This is a story that transcends time.
I love how Zoboi wove a well-loved and well-known story into a story of her own. The story that she created is a contemporary one and is well suited for a young teenager of colour. Yet Pride is not so far from the original that the reader cannot make the connection. I enjoyed this reworking of Austen's novel and will surely read it again in the future. If you are a fan of Austen's novel, you will enjoy this retelling. And if you do not know Pride and Prejudice, you will enjoy this romance for being a story of our times.
I've looked at this one a couple of times now, but couldn't decide if it sounded like something I'd enjoy. After reading your review, I think I need to give it a go.
I was hesitant at first too but I really enjoyed the story. I like, as well, that the writer has incorporated another culture showing that both pride and prejudice exist in all cultures.