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Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix
Summary
Pride and Prejudice gets remixed in this smart, funny, gorgeous retelling of the classic, starring all characters of color, from Ibi Zoboi, National Book Award finalist and author of American Street.
Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable.
When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can't stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.
But with four wild sisters pulling her in different directions, cute boy Warren vying for her attention, and college applications hovering on the horizon, Zuri fights to find her place in Bushwick's changing landscape, or lose it all.
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 reimagining of this beloved classic.
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Reviews
If you know me, you also know that I named my dog after Darcy's estate in Pride and Prejudice. So, I'm kind of a fan. And I am such a fan of this modern retelling! Not only did it tackle the "love story" of two people from different social classes, it addressed culture, identity, and judgment, it included a bit of free verse that really spoke truth, and it shined a light on the reality of gentrification and inequality that's still so prevalent in the U.S. Highly recommend!
After reading this re-imagined Pride and Prejudice and countless others I'm left wondering if I ever really liked Elizabeth Bennet. In every retelling I hate the "Lizzie Bennet" for the way she treats "Mr. Darcy" in the beginning. She's unjustifiably rude and downright unpleasant. Or maybe that's just me. Zuri Benitez has lived in a run down apartment building in Bushwick for her whole life. Her family is everything to her and she's excited for her sister Janae to come home from college for the summer. When a wealthy family purchases the dumpy old house across the street and renovate it into a modern new house Zuri despises the changes she sees on her street. She doesn't warm up very much to the Darcy family that owns that house either. Here's the rundown Zuri - Elizabeth BennetDarius - Mr. DarcyAinsley - Mr. BingleyJanae - Jane BennetWarren - WickamMarisol - Mary BennetLayla - Lydia BennetKayla - Kitty BennetCarrie - Caroline BingleyGeorgia - Georgiana DarcyCollin - Mr. CollinsCharlize - CharlotteCatherine Darcy - Lady Catherine de BourghSome personalities were altered to make them a little more likeable and others were kind of one-offs just for the nod towards the original material. In the end I still liked where the story went and even though the romance was lame I did like Zuri by the end.
A contemporary YA remix of Pride and Prejudice set in Brooklyn. Seventeen year old Zuri Benitez is proud of her family, of their Haitian-Dominican heritage, of their community. She’s unimpressed by the change she sees, like gentrification of her neighbourhood and the wealthy Darcy family moving in across the street. It’s a truth universally acknowledged that when rich people move into the hood, where it’s a little bit broken and a little bit forgotten, the first thing they want to do is clean it up. But it’s not just the junky stuff they’ll get rid of. People can be thrown away too, like last night’s trash left out on sidewalks or pushed to the edge of wherever all broken things go. What those rich people don’t always know is that broken and forgotten neighborhoods were first built out of love.Pride twists the events of Pride and Prejudice fit Zuri’s context, rather than the other way round. This allows the story explore cultural identity and class and dealing with change, and to be not so predictable for someone who knows Pride and Prejudice backwards; it means Zuri’s relationship with Darius makes sense for two 21st century teenagers. Pride is a cute teen romance, but it’s most powerful as a love-letter to Zuri’s hood, to this world she’s grown up in. I listened to the audiobook, which helped bring Zuri’s hood to life even more vividly -- I got to hear the accents and the proper pronunciations and Zuri’s spoken-word poetry.
This novel is entertaining and interesting. It brings clarity and life to a poor, predominately black neighborhood that is becoming “gentrified.” When the mixed, rich family moves into the big ol' house next door after fixing it up to be almost a mansion, there is bound to be tension.I loved the language of this book, the slang I'm not familiar with, the ethnic phrases, and the excellent narration. And don't get me wrong; I enjoyed the book. But the plot was a little too tired, a little too predictable, just dressed up in fresh, new clothes. Pretty clothes, yes, but nothing I haven't seen before.
I got this book from an Owlcrate. I read the first 60 pages of this book and decided to set it aside. It's not an awful book but not something I really was into either. It's one of those contemporary YA romance books set in the "hood" so to speak. It's also a retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Neither theme really appeals to me much and the story didn't draw me in.The book starts with Zuri and her sisters as they watch the wealthy Darcy family move in across the street from them. Right away you can tell that this is a book where the sisters will fall in love with the charming Darcy brothers. However, the “twist” is that this book is set in Brooklyn and there are ramifications for Benitez’s welcoming the wealthy Darcy’s. Overall this was just not my thing. The writing style is okay but I found it hard to engage with the story or the characters.
I have never been much of a Jane Austen fan. I know, I know. That’s like Book Community Excommunication talk but, hey, there’s a book out there for everyone and Jane just isn’t my cup of tea.With that in mind, I was a little nervous when Zoboi’s Pride came my way.The nerves were all for nothing, however, because she managed to make boring old English nonsense super cool.If you’ve read the original, you know the basic storyline. A family of teenaged women with their own hopes, dreams, and baggage have a couple of cute young men “of class” thrust upon their quiet little life. In this case, that little life is not the English countryside but quickly gentrifying Brooklyn but the sentiment is largely the same.Honestly, the newer version took my heart, perhaps because it was more relatable, perhaps because the young women were more interested in school and art and music than social status. Perhaps because I have a weird affinity for Brooklyn, I don’t know. Honestly, it’s probably just because Zoboi is clearly a gifted writer.Regardless of the reason for my preference, the book was fantastic. Zuri, the somewhat guarded, academically inclined, second oldest, is the driving voice of the story (she stands in as the new Elizabeth Bennett if memory serves) and returns some much-needed sparkle to a drab old tale. Like the original, the boys were somewhat tedious but they did have their endearing qualities.I don’t know if I just overlooked this nuance in the original but the commentary on the changing landscape of a city neighborhood was written so well it was almost a complete character of the book. It could have been written about Atlanta or Boston or L.A. and held up to the struggle many neighborhoods are facing (and have been facing) as rich, mostly white, homebuyers move in.I haven’t read Zoboi’s first book but I’m off to go find that before I leave for vacation because if it’s anything like this one, I’ll fall in love.
This was modern day retelling of Pride and Prejudice with Elizabeth Bennett being replaced by Zuri Benitez, an Afro-Latina whose Brooklyn neighborhood is shaken up when the wealthy Darcy family moves in. Much of the plot follows the overall path of P and P, but the modern venue added some new twists. Since it's the 21st century, Zuri's sister's reputation isn't ruined by running off with a boy, but no spoilers here, you'll have to read the book. But beyond the classic love story there were some added themes that really added to this book. The overall issue of how gentrification is changing neighborhoods was definitely a good topic to ponder, as well as the overall issue of being black in America, even in a city as tolerant as New York.I listened to this book (thank you Libro.fm for the free ALC!). Definitely recommend listening to this one. There is a lot of slang and narrator Elizabeth Acevedo did a phenomenal job in her performance of this book with accents and different voices for the cast. Highly recommended!
Zuri loves repping her block. But things are starting to change. When a HUGE new house is build across the street and the wealthy, handsome Darcy brothers move it, her world shifts. She hates Darius instantly, judging him on his appearance. But as the two get to know each other they connect. Zuri's small world is getting bigger as she visits Howard and thinks of college, as her family considers moving, and it throws her. Poetry is interspersed throughout the narrative. Elizabeth Acevado's narration is powerful in the audiobook.
Zuri Benitez loves her Brooklyn neighborhood. It's loud, it's poor, but it's comfortable in all the right ways. When an upper-class Black family moves in across the street, she's not as excited as her four sisters, despite the fact that the two teenage brothers are very fine, indeed. She doesn't like the way they look down their noses at her street, at her sisters -- particularly Darius, the younger brother, who strikes her as entirely arrogant. But as the two families are thrown together, she starts to see him in a new light...This is billed as "A Pride and Prejudice Remix," and it does a great job of interpreting the original in a new context. Some of the humor of the original is lost, as is a little of the drama. On the other hand, it addresses plenty of timely issues regarding race, and it still has a satisfying romantic plot. It's a fast, enjoyable read, both for fans of the original, and for those encountering it for the first time. Recommended.
I liked the poetry the most. I also enjoyed following the strong female lead while she struggled to grow up and better understand the world around her.
It was also interesting to hear about the way people perceive other people and how they work toward understanding each other despite the differences rising from upbringing, pride,prejudice, education or naivete.
It was also interesting to hear about the way people perceive other people and how they work toward understanding each other despite the differences rising from upbringing, pride,prejudice, education or naivete.
Enjoyed this Pride and Prejudice contemporary adaptation. Definitely a remix.
This started off slow but, became very interesting. The characters were very relatable! I really like Zuri
Amazing this Audio was so good. I highly recommend this to everyone
Everything I wanted and more! A wonderful interpretation of Lizzie Bennet. Listened to the entire book in two sittings :)
This book pulls you in after a couple of chapters. It gave me the chills like Pride & Prejudice did, and I love the modern remix that speaks to current themes of identity, neighborhood change, belonging, understanding, generational differences and influence.
Another great book by Ibi Zoboi. She can do no wrong!
Beautiful! Absolutely stunning and I loved every part of it!
Great audiobook with an amazing story and narrator. It was a meaningful, quick and beautiful written story. Totally recommend! I loved the author's previous novel and this one was no different!
Ok woow!! Loved this! Definitely gooing to write a bigger review!