Book Review

Jane Austen, with a Twist In Pride and Prejudice, the first time wishes to win the
Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet meet, hero for herself.
Twilight
Mr. Darcy is rude and unforgivable. Edward, like Mr.
By Stephenie Meyer. Elizabeth walks away with slightly hurt Darcy, has family
Little, Brown, and Company, 2005. feelings but is able to laugh it off with expectations
498 pages. Hardcover. $17.99
her friend Charlotte Lucas. Bella Swan, placed upon him
Reviewed by Shirley and Wallis Kinney. Twilight’s female protagonist, is a bit regarding mar-
more fragile emotionally, and when riage. Edward’s
Pride and Prejudice, with its wonderful Edward is rude (and slightly scary) at sisters are con-
romance, witty dialogue, and captivating their first meeting, a hurt Bella walks sumed with fash-
plot line, enjoys enormous popularity away with no one to console her. What ion, as Mrs. Hurst
after almost two hundred years. Its she doesn’t realize —and here you must and Miss Bingley are preoccupied with
“boy meets girl, girl dislikes boy, they suspend your disbelief and get into the rank and money. The evil Mr. Wickham
eventually fall in love” story is repeated spirit of the novel—is that Edward is character does not play a large role in
in numerous books and movies. In rude because of his strong attraction to Twilight but is important in the third
2005, a novel was published that follows her; specifically, he wants desperately book in the series.
the Pride and Prejudice plot closely to drink her blood. He comes from a
but gives quite a different twist to the One of the strongest similarities between
family of self-proclaimed “vegetarian”
romantic tension. Edward and Mr. Darcy is that they are
vampires. If he were to drink human
both drawn to the heroine even though
Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, is the blood, not only would he feel a huge
they know they shouldn’t be. Mr. Darcy
story of Bella Swan, a 17-year-old girl amount of guilt, but he would also en-
should not be attracted to Elizabeth
who moves to Forks, Washington to live danger his family.
because she is not (in his initial view)
with her father after her mother remar- In addition to similar events in P&P and his equal in social standing. Edward
ries. On her first day of school, Bella Twilight, many of Twilight’s characters should not be drawn to Bella because
meets Edward Cullen, a wonderfully resemble those in Pride and Prejudice. his family plans for him to marry a
handsome boy who is her science lab Whereas the Bennets are minor gentry, woman “created” for him—not to
partner. The romance between them Bella Swan and her father are middle mention the impropriety of his desire to
sweeps both Bella and the reader off of class. While finding a husband isn’t on drink Bella’s blood. One reason for the
their feet. However, it differs from a nor- Bella’s mind, finding enough money heroes’ attraction to the heroines is that
mal teenage romance because Edward for college is. The Swan family and the Bella and Elizabeth are much smarter
is a vampire. On the surface, the novel Bennet family both struggle with the than the other girls around them.
seems to have nothing to do with Jane need for money. Bella’s mother, like (This is obvious because Bella reads
Austen; however, when one looks care- Mrs. Bennet, is slightly neurotic and Jane Austen!) Edward and Mr. Darcy
fully, many similarities emerge. childish. And neither Elizabeth’s nor become trapped by an unwished-for
Stephenie Meyer, an avowed admirer of Bella’s parents are in love with each attraction. They both make attempts
Jane Austen, bases Twilight on events other anymore. While Elizabeth is very to forget the heroine, but they are, of
and characters in Pride and Prejudice. close to her father and finds comfort in course, drawn back.
The second novel in the series, New him, Bella has never had the experience
The main themes of both novels deal
Moon, was inspired by Romeo and of living with her dad. Their relation-
with men and women finding each other,
Juliet. Unless you are a Bronte fan, don’t ship deepens as the story unfolds.
finding themselves, and overcoming the
read the third book, Eclipse, because At Bella’s new high school, the boys problems imposed on them by their
it was inspired by Wuthering Heights. find her irresistible. Elizabeth Bennet families and society. Despite multiple
The Twilight series is now a best-selling and her sister Jane have always been obstacles, including a fanged version
sensation, and the first movie adaptation talked of as the prettiest girls in their of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the
was a box-office hit last year. small town. Mr. Darcy, to the dismay of couples eventually prevail. Although
Miss Bingley, even notices Elizabeth’s Pride and Prejudice does not contain
Shirley Kinney is a senior at North Hills “fine eyes.”  The male protagonists in evil vampires or rapid chase scenes,
Prep in Irving, Texas. Wallis Kinney is a both novels, Edward and Mr. Darcy, and Twilight does not contain assembly
freshman at The Taft School in Watertown, are exceptionally rich, handsome, and balls or scandalous elopements, the
Connecticut. Both are life members of the intelligent, but also unattainable. They similarities make Twilight a fun read for
Jane Austen Society of North America and each have a close female acquaintance anyone who loves Jane Austen.
devoted Stephenie Meyer fans. who is rude to the novel’s heroine and

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