Acting up

Acting up by Melissa Nathan 5 stars

After so many disappointing reads this month I wanted to re read an old favorite of mine. This modern interpretation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is cleverly and beautiful realised.

Melissa Nathan captures the wit and imagination of Jane Austen by both having the plot based around an adaption of 'Pride and Prejudice' as a stage play but also giving us recognisable characters from the book to enjoy. Jasmin is our Elizabeth and columnist for a women's magazine. Her opinion is always right so when she meets Harry Noble, the Hollywood star who is directing and starring in the P&P play and he is excessively rude to her, the story is set for misunderstanding and revelations.

This so beautifully realised that I always lament that Melissa Nathan tragically died of cancer in 2006. I love that the story doesn't feel false or untrue and she manages to make the Bennet family scandal relevant to the modern age. I really can't say have amazing this book is, so good in fact that I have picked up the follow up Persuading Annie, her adaption of Persuasion. Review to come.