Jane Austen is one of the most beloved novelists Great Britain has ever produced. From PRIDE AND PREJUDICE to NORTHANGER ABBEY, she has charmed readers throughout the world and influenced generations of writers. In celebration of her birthday today, we present several of our favorite works of fiction that are inspired by her greatest novels—and plenty of them include our beloved Darcy.
Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!
Bridget Jones's Diary
This hilarious and self-aware novel inspired the classic romantic comedy starring Renée Zellweger and Colin Firth. Welcome to a year in the life of a single thirtysomething woman who’s struggling with losing weight, maintaining a job, ignoring smug married friends, finding a responsible and kind man, and just being a functional adult. Somehow.
Bridget Jones's Diary
Loosely based on Pride and Prejudice, this laugh-out-loud chronicle charts a year in the life of Bridget Jones, a single girl on a permanent, doomed quest for self-improvement. Caught between her Singleton friends and the Smug Marrieds, Bridget struggles to keep her life on an even keel—or at least afloat.
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A modern thirtysomething returns to her childhood home and balances caring for her ailing father, living with her sisters again, and ignoring her mother’s desperate attempts to find husbands for her daughters. Too bad that her handsome new neighbor’s friend is less than charming . . . at least, at first glance.
Eligible
A modern thirtysomething returns to her childhood home and balances caring for her ailing father, living with her sisters again, and ignoring her mother’s desperate attempts to find husbands for her daughters. Too bad that her handsome new neighbor’s friend is less than charming . . . at least, at first glance.
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Austenland
Jane Hayes, a modern Jane Austen fanatic, goes on the trip of a lifetime to an English resort where guests can live like their favorite author’s Regency-era heroines. Amid the etiquette, empire gowns, and Spencer jackets, Jane finds herself in a love triangle reminiscent of Austen’s greatest novels.
Austenland
Jane Hayes, a modern Jane Austen fanatic, goes on the trip of a lifetime to an English resort where guests can live like their favorite author’s Regency-era heroines. Amid the etiquette, empire gowns, and Spencer jackets, Jane finds herself in a love triangle reminiscent of Austen’s greatest novels.
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The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet
From the award-winning YouTube series, grad student Lizzie becomes a viral sensation with her YouTube reflections on life, love, and her thesis troubles. Off-camera, Lizzie and her sisters encounter the rich Bing Lee and his haughty friend William Darcy, and nothing is ever the same for these spirited, clever, and quirky sisters.
The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet
From the award-winning YouTube series, grad student Lizzie becomes a viral sensation with her YouTube reflections on life, love, and her thesis troubles. Off-camera, Lizzie and her sisters encounter the rich Bing Lee and his haughty friend William Darcy, and nothing is ever the same for these spirited, clever, and quirky sisters.
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For Darkness Shows the Stars
This post-apocalyptic homage to PERSUASION is a Jane Austen retelling unlike any other. Elliot North, an upper-class young woman in a devastated world, exerts complete control over her father’s estate. When Kai, a runaway servant whom she once loved returns, Elliot wonders if she should risk everything for a second chance at love.
For Darkness Shows the Stars
This post-apocalyptic homage to PERSUASION is a Jane Austen retelling unlike any other. Elliot North, an upper-class young woman in a devastated world, exerts complete control over her father’s estate. When Kai, a runaway servant whom she once loved returns, Elliot wonders if she should risk everything for a second chance at love.
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Unleashing Mr. Darcy
A young New Yorker escapes the scandal that ruined her career by crossing the pond to England. In an effort to earn money while abroad, she begins caring for show dogs and encounters an arrogant, sexy, and wealthy dog breeder. A charming and witty retelling perfect for both Austen fans and dog lovers.
Unleashing Mr. Darcy
A young New Yorker escapes the scandal that ruined her career by crossing the pond to England. In an effort to earn money while abroad, she begins caring for show dogs and encounters an arrogant, sexy, and wealthy dog breeder. A charming and witty retelling perfect for both Austen fans and dog lovers.
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Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
In this absorbing and merry adventure, a Jane Austen fan goes to sleep in modern-day Los Angeles, but she wakes up in a bedchamber in Regency England. Can her love of Austen’s novels help her survive in the world of chamber pots, smelly inns, and smothering chaperones? Not to mention, will she ever get home?
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
In this absorbing and merry adventure, a Jane Austen fan goes to sleep in modern-day Los Angeles, but she wakes up in a bedchamber in Regency England. Can her love of Austen’s novels help her survive in the world of chamber pots, smelly inns, and smothering chaperones? Not to mention, will she ever get home?
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Lizzy and Jane
Elizabeth left her family to pursue a culinary career in New York, but she returns when her sister, Jane, is diagnosed with cancer. Focused on family for the first time in years, Elizabeth tries to balance her previous dreams with a newfound love and being there for her sister. This is a love letter to family, faith, and Jane Austen.
Lizzy and Jane
Elizabeth left her family to pursue a culinary career in New York, but she returns when her sister, Jane, is diagnosed with cancer. Focused on family for the first time in years, Elizabeth tries to balance her previous dreams with a newfound love and being there for her sister. This is a love letter to family, faith, and Jane Austen.
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First Impressions
A gripping literary mystery, FIRST IMPRESSIONS is a dual narrative that alternates between a modern bookseller trying to find the truth behind the authorship of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and a young Jane Austen’s friendship with an enigmatic writer and cleric. This is a colorful mystery is sure to intrigue book lovers everywhere.
First Impressions
13 Books About Books for Big Book Nerds
Few people love books as much as we do. Authors might be the exception to that rule. It’s no wonder, then, that so many have included books as crucial plot points in their novels, often crafting brilliant stories within stories. For a meta reading experience, here are 13 great novels in which books play a prominent role—usually instigating the plot.
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