The community of romance readers is full of Jane Austen stans, and more than a few of us have tried our hand at retelling one of her classic tales. I’m sharing a few of my favorites here, along with my ever-growing Jane Austen Adaptations TBR list.
Each book will feature links to Bookshop and Amazon if you’d like to purchase–these are affiliate links, but there is no extra cost for you. Just a little bonus income to keep the lights on for this website.
(And to start with, here’s the full list on Bookshop!)
Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors: Sonali Dev has a special place in my heart, as does this series. An enemies to lovers story (naturally!) that stars a neurosurgeon and a chef.
Recipe for Persuasion: Another fun installment in the series. This one has second chance romance and a reality television setting.
Incense and Sensibility: So much depth and heart in this one, as Dev centers this retelling around a young politician running for governor and a yoga teacher who happens to be his sister’s best friend.
Ayesha at Last: A sweet retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in a Muslim community in Toronto.
Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies: I believe this was the first Pride and Prejudice adaptation I ever heard of or read, and it isn’t like any of the others mentioned here. I found it both bizarre and really fun.
Bridget Jones’s Diary: I always forget that this one is an adaptation, even though there’s literally a Mr. Darcy in it. Good old 90s fun.
Pride, Prejudice, & Turkish Delight: Sneaking in my own books at the bottom again, featuring a multicultural relationship set in Antalya, Turkey.
Sense, Sensibility, & the Mediterranean Sea: And this is part 2 of the Austen in Turkey duet.
Screen:
Apart from the typical adaptations (of course BBC is great and who doesn't love Mr. Darcy's hand flex?), here are a couple other fun ones.
Bride and Prejudice: It’s Bollywood, a multicultural relationship, and honestly just a lot of fun. I had a great time watching it.
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: A modern retelling in the form of vlogs, which was so addictive to binge watch. They’ve put out some others, like Emma Approved, which I also recommend! The full series is on YouTube.
TBR:
These are all waiting for me on my bookshelf, clearly waiting for just the perfect moment to dive in.
The Emma Project: The last book starring the Raje family, and I’m not ready for it to end!
Pride and Premeditation: A murder mystery retelling. Can’t wait to dive into this one!
Pride and Prometheus: Mary Bennet and Victor Frankenstein fall in love…I have a feeling this is going to be a fun read.
The Other Bennet Sister: Another take on Mary Bennet’s story, though likely very different from the one above.
The Jane Austen Project: We’ve got time travel here, that takes our main characters back to actually meet Jane.
The Jane Austen Society: This is about a community coming together to preserve Jane Austen’s home and legacy.
Miss Austen: This novel stars Jane’s sister, Cassandra.
The Sense & Sensibility Screenplay & Diaries: I love Emma Thompson, and I imagine her diaries from shooting Sense and Sensibility will be an absolute delight. Also, she wrote the screenplay, and I love that.
