Book Reviews

Review: Pride and Prejudice in Space by Alexis Lampley

We love a good space story. And many people love a good Pride and Prejudice retelling. If you love them both, then there’s Pride and Prejudice in Space. With gorgeous illustrations, this is surely a book that appeals to fans of the classics with a new twist. Keep reading this book review of Pride and Prejudice in Space for my full thoughts.

Summary

Elizabeth Bennet lives on a small moon in the Londinium lunar system with her parents and four sisters. While she dreams of piloting a starship rather than settling down with an eligible man, her world turns upside down when the handsome Mr. Bingley docks the Netherfield StarCruiser on the neighboring estate. The arrival thrusts the Bennet sisters into the bustling asteroid field of the system’s wider society, and Elizabeth’s aspirations are suddenly in flux. Drawn into the orbit of Mr. Bingley’s friend, the proud Fitzwilliam Darcy, Elizabeth is determined to dislike him despite his ten thousand aurum per year.

Can the Bennet sisters navigate the perils of love and space? Will Elizabeth avoid the collision course she’s on with the formidable Mr. Darcy? This tale of scifi romance for women explores timeless themes of love, pride, and prejudice, set against the backdrop of the infinite cosmos.Pride and Prejudice in Space features stunning, colorful chapter headers and an array of interior art. With over 60 full-color illustrations and designs, readers will be captivated by this new world—from maps and brochures to digital message logs and pages pulled from the Bennet sisters’ journals and sketchbooks.

Review

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

Pride and Prejudice in Space is exactly what it says. With similar lines, this is one of those times when I think it’s safe to say this is a retelling. It matches in terms of emotional beats, character names, and even has lines that appear from the book. But I think this is a case of my own expectations effecting the book. While the book clearly states that this is Pride and Prejudice in space, I think I was expecting a few more derivations. With retellings, I always think it’s an opportunity to bring something new to the table.

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The space setting allows this new element. While there are some mentions of space stations and different communication means, which I did like, that’s somewhat the extent of the changes. There are a few small touches like Mary’s journal and the illustrations are stunning. But I suppose I assumed in space, more things would be different. It seems very much like a our-world-but-spacey and so I assumed that with the spaceships, things would have changed in some way. But it’s truly a case of the title is what you get. And that’s definitely fine! Pride and Prejudice in Space delivers on that!

But I think with the sheer number of retellings of this classic, readers like me might be expecting more of a twist and more changes. I’ve read so many retellings that all try to bring something new to the table. So while I have truly no complaints with the original or the space setting, I just think this may have been a case of my expectations being different than what this book ultimately is in its nature. Find Pride and Prejudice in Space on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, & Blackwells.

Discussion

What is your favorite Pride and Prejudice retelling?


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