Eligible is a retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Set in modern day, the five Bennet sisters are all back at home after Mr. Bennet has health issues--though some of the sisters have never left. CrossFit, reality shows, fertility treatments, and dating make for some humorous situations. I found the plot enjoyable, funny, and sometimes refreshingly real when dealing with more serious situations. Unfortunately, I did not like our main character, Liz, very much. Liz is important as the glue that hold the Bennets together, but her modern-day past was a bit disappointing for me. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed Mary, who has never been my favorite character. If you are attached to Austen's characters as they were in Pride and Prejudice, this book may not be for you.
Eligible is part of The Austen Project, which has popular contemporary authors recreating one of Austen's novels. This is the fourth book in the project by publisher HarperCollins. See below for a list of the others titles that have previously been published.
The Austen Project:
Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trollope
Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid
Emma by Alexander McCall Smith
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld