As an avid consumer of all things Pride and Prejudice, including every retelling I can get my hands on, I was so excited for this. I have purchased many book covers and special editions from Nerdy Ink and know of the author’s love of Jane Austen. However, I have to say I was disappointed by this. The setting was exceedingly creative but that’s where the creativity ended, as huge portions were lifted directly from the original text. I would have liked to see the dialogue and scenes interpreted more to fit the setting, or it felt as though Pride and Prejudice was literally taking place in space-but not in a good way.

I love Pride and Prejudice. it’s one of my favorite novels and I will fight you over the fact that the 1995 BBC version is the best movie adaptation. Colin Firth is Mr. Darcy. I also love P&P retellings. I am a sucker for them. I have a whole Goodreads shelf, dedicated to this tiny sub genre. So when I saw this book on NetGalley, I was very excited. I had never read a sci-fi retelling of P&P.

And guess what? I still haven’t.

This is not a retelling. This is literally Pride and Prejudice with the setting changed to space. The characters all have the same names. Much of the dialogue is exactly the same. The place names are either identical or slightly modified to sound more spacey. And the plot is blow by blow exactly the same except for a minor alteration at the end with Lydia’s character. Besides the fact that I already knew everything that was happening, it felt strange to me that this futuristic society who could navigate some far-flung reach of space and build spaceships and cities on moons would have the same patriarchal traditions of early 19th century England. Just like in the original women could not inherit property and spend their days painting and sewing.

The book does have gorgeous illustrations. And that’s the only reason I gave three stars instead of two. (Although my review copy had a lot of blank spots were illustrations will, I assume, be added in the final edition.)

But if I hadn’t been reading this to review, I would’ve DNFd. I don’t need to read a word for word space version of Pride and Prejudice. I’d rather read the original. And I recommend you do too.

I think I expected more from this than for the original text to be pasted into a space setting. I was expecting a true adaptation…. with that said I had to DNF. The illustrations are gorgeous and I am excited to see what they look like in print.

This retelling of the classic novel is exactly what it sounds like: Pride and Prejudice, but set in a galaxy far, far away. As a diehard Jane Austen fanatic, I am often skeptical about reading reiterations of her novels. However, when I saw the cover and concept of this one, I had to give it a try.

My initial impression was the mindblowing visuals: lunar maps, communication logs, character sketches, and journal entries. The concept of this was immediately exciting and the graphics were beautiful. As I read through the book, I did find the characters a little flat, however. It was essentially the original text overlaid with an outer space storyline, but I wanted more from the characters. Again, the concept is incredible, but I was found wanting more in the dialogue.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. I personally thought this would be a retelling, but it was almost the exact original in the space setting, which disappointed me. I think that people who enjoyed the original will enjoy this, but it wasn't for me. I would still recommend it to patrons at the library.

This was a cute rewrite of Pride and Prejudice, only of course set in space. It felt very similar to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies where the language and scene by scene were almost exactly the same but the setting was just space. I did enjoy the story, but I don't think this format worked as well with a space setting. I almost wish it was just a variation of Pride and Prejudice with more world building of the space stations and moons and such. The juxtaposition of space and the old English and traditional values like the need to get married etc. just felt out of place. Overall if you love pride and prejudice and you love silly families and awkward men- youll still love this, just know what it is going in!

I love a good retelling, especially when it’s a book I’ve enjoyed many times over the years. There is so much that can be done to bring classics into the modern age, and I especially love when populations of people who may have been omitted from the original work are somehow included in the reimagining.

While retellings can vary so much, with some only loosely relying on the source material and others sticking to the original plot, I generally expect there to be some bigger changes that deviate from the original to keep my interest piqued. Unfortunately this one felt like the original work with a modern filter overlaying it. While I did like the world of Londinium and the spacey setting, I noticed that there were entire scenes that seemed to have been taken almost word for word (with some added slang) from the original book. This was honestly disappointing to me because I was hoping for something fresh and new to re-invigorate the original story. Some of the original plot ideas simply don’t feel like they logically work in a futuristic space setting, and I would have loved to see some adjustments made to modernize the themes rather than only the setting.

Some aspects of the book that were positives were the gorgeous illustrations, the communication logs in lieu of diary entries, and the extra points of view! If you have never read Pride and Prejudice and have been intimidated by the idea of reading a classic, this modern edition might be a fun one to try. If you do, I recommend a print version so you can get the best view of the gorgeous illustrations!

I felt that there was a disconnect here. The story is written in a mix between ordinary fiction and diary entries and letter/message exchanges. The language of the ordinary fiction parts was super close to the original P&P (sometimes even verbatim, I believe, which also bothered me), but the other parts were more informal and more sci-fi, YA-ish. I don't know, it just didn't jive with me. And I usually love a good Austen-retelling. This just didn't work for me.

It is my life's aim to read all the retellings of P&P. But this one did not cut it. You cannot make a retelling by lifting entire plots and dialogues and just putting them in a different setting.

Of course, the hero earns in aurums than pounds. Of course, they send comcasts instead of letters. But that was about it.

2 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Union Square & Co. for an ARC.

Pride and Prejudice in Space, by Alexis Lampley

Genre: Retelling, Science Fiction, Romance

...

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a booklover in possession of a brain must have read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen or also have known any other work related, either cinematographic or literal.

I am one of those girls who grew up with the cult of Elizabeth Bennet as one of the most fascinating characters in English Literature and fell in love with Mr. Darcy's professions of love for Lizzie.

I can admit it's one of the main reasons I've applied for reading this ARC, combined with my own obsession with astronomy & astrophysics.

A Retelling set in space, with spaceships & court manners? Sign me in!

...
Probably the strongest (and weakest) point is that it's Pride & Prejudice. I've read both the original novel and the translation in my native language (Italian), and I can say with precision that most parts are indeed a copycat from the 1813 novel.

Yes, the parts (and traits of the characters) were adjusted to the setting (I really loved a Lizzie space pilot, btw), but this was P&P. Point.

This will surely be appreciated by the "purists", but also raises, in my opinion, a doubt: was this really necessary?


In truth, Lampley gives spotlight to the other characters: we have coms between the Bennet sisters, journal entries from many characters, including Charlotte Lucas and even the one and only Fitzwlliam Darcy.

The author's artistic side is showed in colourful drawings of the Londinium (London) Solar System and its surroundings moons (Kaels - Kent, or Dyberion - Derbyshire), creating a little gem, which I could say it's on my physical TBR.

In the end, I can only lower my rating (a .5 rounded higher) being this truly P&P with fewer innovation that I'd expected.


Rating: ★★★.5 (rounded to ★★★★) but infinitive for the AustenVerse.

...

I want to thank UnionSquare & Co for the digital ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) via Netgalley. I'm not affiliated to the author, to the publishing house or any other person/agency. My review is honest and based only on my thoughts/feeling while reading the book.

Anais by The Bookish Scorpio

I recently re-read the original Pride & Prejudice in January of this year, and loved it just as much as the first time I read it. I’m also working on writing Pride & Prejudice retelling myself. So, naturally I was very excited to read this ARC. And unfortunately I was quite disappointed. I thought this was going to be a fun, slightly campy sci-fi reimagining of the original tale. However, nothing significant was altered from the original plot, just the way things played out. For example, whole entire conversations, recognizable pieces of dialogue, etc. are essentially copy and pasted into this sci-fi context with only some sci-fi slang flair added, or with letters presented as “emails” / journal entries that read in a very different tone than the rest of the book. Pride & Prejudice is a beloved story, I believe a successful retelling needs to capture the spirit of the original while making meaningful changes to suit a new context. For example, A Court of Thorns and Roses is essentially a Beauty & the Beast retelling but there is a lot of newness added to it. In any case, this story unfortunately fell flat for me and I don’t know if I could recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Union Square & Co., and Alexis Lampley for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This P&P adaptation was really refreshing to read. Certainly unique in its way taking place in space but very interesting especially with the landscape descriptions too. Some aspects from the original plot that do make sense in the regency era felt a bit out of place in this space setting. Other than that it was an entertaining read for sure.

Pride and Prejudice in Space...say no more. I always enjoy a good twist on Pride and Prejudice. This one worked really well for me.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy.

DNF @ 18%

...I didn't see the point of this. This is not a book I would consider a retelling, it's at best a space AU that I would see well on ao3 but not as a book people pay money for. And it makes me sad to say this because I do see where the author put her own effort into this, but none of it made any sense to me. Why use actual P&P dialogues, speaking like they do in the book, only changing a few words here and there to fit the space concept? Why do people in space still hold all these visiting people's houses spaceships rules, why is marriage still so important, etc etc etc? I liked seeing Darcy's POV but then doesn't it spoil the fun of finding out, yet again, that's he's madly in love? Idk.

I liked the illustrations though. I wish the e-ARC had been formatted better, because I wasn't able to properly view them or zoom in on them, but I'm sure this is something that will be fixed in the final version.

3.5 STARS
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I should start by stating that Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite stories of all time. I collect every edition I can get my hands on, and I read the book at least once every other year and watch the different screen iterations more than I probably should.

All that being said, I was very excited when this book was announced, and even more excited when I was chosen to review it. I really did enjoy this one for the most part, there were just a few things I didn't love.

First, I think the concept was very cool--bringing the Pride and Prejudice story into a space/sci-fi setting. I just don't think it was very well executed. I would have loved to see the story adapted into a sci-fi rather than how it was done, which was to take Austen's words and paste them into this setting while only changing a few words so that it "fit" contextually. This actually kind of threw me off more than pulling me in. Why do these people with electronic communication devices, and spaceships care at all about balls and the societal pressures to marry well? It just didn't make much sense, or flow very well to me. It would have been much better if the original story had been altered more to fit into the setting better.

But like I said, I did enjoy it for the most part, as I really liked the concept. I did like that Lampley slightly altered some of the characters storylines, and I really enjoyed the "journal" entries from some of the other family members we don't normally get pov's from like Mary.

Also, the illustrations were GORGEOUS! I cannot wait to get my finished copy of the book, because the artwork is phenomenal.

Overall it was alright decent read, and I think it is worth picking up if you like the original story, and also like sci-fi stories. If you don't like either of those things, it may be confusing and hard to read.

I absolutely loved this book. I have never read or watched Pride and Prejudice, so I can't speak on how similar it is to Jane Austen's novel. All I can say is that it was amazing, and now I'm more inclined than ever to do so. All the little space details really just did it for me since I love space. As well as the way the book is formated with different pieces of content in between the chapters was a really nice touch. Thank you NetGalley for the privilege to read this book.

Don't get me wrong this book is absolutely stunning, the illustrations blew me away and I would love to see the artist maybe make an edition of the original P&P with her gorgeous art. But, that's pretty much where my love for this book ends. I was really excited and maybe it's on me for assuming this would be a retelling but it isn't, at all, it's borderline word for word the same. It is quite literally the original P&P but in space and I totally see that's how it was described but like would this not be considered sort of a rip off to not change anything but the setting?? I don't know overall it was just disappointing

That concept! Could not resist it. And the book is a delight. Really fun to read, very much enjoyed.

Just fantastic! Such a fast paced read but one I wanted to sit down and savor and have it never end. I loved it so much and I need more from this author immediately. The characters, the plot, the pacing. It was all perfection.

While I have to draw the line somewhere (usually around the realm of contemporary romance), I try to read as many Jane Austen re-tellings as I can! This one had immediate appeal as it combined both a “Pride and Prejudice” re-telling with science fiction, one of my favorite genres! There was also the promise of beautiful illustrations to spur me forward!

There was a lot to like about this book! However, I do think that readers might not be properly prepped for the sort of story this is meant to me. When I first picked it up, I was expecting a loose re-telling in which the main characters and plot are the same, but the story itself is written over again in a wholly original manner. Instead, this falls much more in line with re-tellings like “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” where the majority of the text is directly pulled from the original book. Now, the original book is obviously brilliant, and once I understood what we were doing, it was fine. But I do think some readers may be surprised to find themselves largely reading the original version of “Pride and Prejudice” all over again with a few tweaks here and there. Some of those tweaks, of course, were fairly straightforward changes. Instead of travelling by carriages, they would trap in space ships. The villages were not towns, but different planets and moons. There was also a very useful map included in the beginning which really helped with this new layout.

However, the book diverged further from the original novel by including chapters from other characters’ perspectives (like Jane’s) as well as various communications between characters (texts and emails and such). I think, overall, the latter was more successful than the former. With the messages and communications of that sort, the style was clearly different from the novel portions, so the change in language served to enhance the added information we were getting. However, when the book would switch from Jane Austen’s original text to a wholly original chapter from Jane’s perspective, for example, it was a bit jarring to mentally switch over. The author makes a strong attempt, but doesn’t quite capture the same tone as Austen’s writing, making these switches feel a bit clunky. They also felt largely unnecessary. This is, perhaps, one of those situations where less is more, and the book would have been better served to remain largely as a slightly adjusted re-imagining of the original, with the addition of the epistolary sections for extra flair and insight.

The unfortunate thing about reading this book in its ARC format was that I was cruelly teased with regards to the art. The cover, of course, is fantastic. And as I was reading, there were numerous spreads of art throughout. Unfortunately, this was all in greyscale, so I wasn’t able to fully appreciate what I’m sure were excellent pieces of art.

Overall, I thought this was a very fun re-telling of the classic tale. I do wish that it had perhaps committed a bit more fully one way or the other. Either, remain using mostly only the original language with only little flairs of unique text here and there. Or re-write the entire thing in the author’s own words. As it is, the story was a bit clunky and broken up at times switching between the two. However, fans of Jane Austen who are looking for a new version of this story should definitely give it a go!

Rating 8: Who knew that what we really needed was a version of “Pride and Prejudice” where Darcy and Elizabeth whizz around in space ships?? Well, we did, and this was great fun all around!

(Link will go live October 25 on The Library Ladies blog).