Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix

You wouldn't think that a modern-day retelling of Pride and Prejudice would captivate a middle-aged cynic; keep him glued to the book; make him finish dinner early to get back to reading. You might not expect someone who so carefully vets his to-read list, who visits used book stores with an agenda, to impulsively grab a completely unknown book by an unfamiliar author off a shelf at said bookstore. Isn't it lovely how life derails us when we open ourselves to chance?

This was a delight. Smart, sassy, fun, literate, engaging, even surprising—doubly surprising given that you know the story, know the players, the who's-who and what's what. Oh, but in this book you don't know the how, and that was delicious. And then you discover that you don't in fact know the who or what; that these are deeper, richer more complex characters than you expected; and you find yourself caring about and learning from them.

I found myself wondering if this book is YA, which probably means it is or can be, but it's also a mature work. Zoboi's voice is kind, warm; her characters at times insufferable snots and then improbably (but believably) wise and thoughtful. Her writing is crisp and fresh, with frequent beautiful sentences that demanded rereading and savoring. Whatever fate dropped this book into my hands: thank you.