Booklist Review

What happens when the BBC descends on the quiet North Yorkshire town of Maltstone to make a new version of Pride and Prejudice? For one thing, it upends the life of writer Nick Bevan, who's holed up in Maltstone to work on a novel. In this gender-bending retelling of Jane Austen's classic, Nick and his neighbor and best friend John stand in for Elizabeth Bennett and her sister, Jane, while the parts of Darcy and Mr. Bingley are taken by Mary Dance, the film's formidable director, and Candia Bingham, the leading lady. Both romances are beset with difficulties similar to the ones Austen devised. Is the romance between John and Candia a mere fling? Will Nick and Mary overcome their initial dislike and give in to mutual attraction? It's fun to look for parallels with the original, but though Fenton borrows freely from Austen's plot, she also adds her own twists. The result is brisk and entertaining, a good choice for readers looking for something clever, with an English accent. --Mary Ellen Quinn Copyright 2004 Booklist