Looking for Austen in the 21st Century: from Pride and Prejudice to The Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Keywords:
Adaptations, austenmania, darcymania, postfeminism, mediaAbstract
Jane Austen and her works have belonged to the canon since the beginnings of the 20th century, but Austen as a popular and cultural phenomenon dates back to 1995 with the release of the BBC adaptation Pride and Prejudice. This rebirth of Austen’s six novels in the form of movie adaptations, spin-offs and merchandise has led to what it is known as ‘Austenmania’. Nevertheless, not only Austen’s world is introduced into contemporary times, but contemporary times are introduced into Austen; this is obviously present in the The Lizzie Bennet Diaries DVDs (originally You Tube videos). This essay studies the last Pride and Prejudice modern-day adaptation, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, following a ‘close viewing’ of the videos as well as a careful reading of Pride and Prejudice in order to see how Austen has been introduced in contemporary fiction.
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