Pride, Prejudice & Jasmin Field
by Melissa Nathan

PP Jasmin Field 2
amazon.com
Paperback - 288 pages (April 24, 2001)
Avon Trade; ISBN: 0060184957
PP Jasmin Field 2
amazon.co.uk
Paperback (May 1, 2001)
Avon Books; ISBN: 0060184957
PP Jasmin Field 1
amazon.ca
Paperback - 288 pages (January 14, 2000)
Avon Books ; ISBN: 0749931523
        Review by Courtney Lynne, March 2, 2000
I compulsively ordered this book last week after someone mentioned it here. It came day before-yesterday. I started and finished it yesterday. It was so good!! IMHO, a very entertaining adaptation of P&P in the modern world. I would even say a little better than Bridget Jones, as much as I enjoyed that one. It's different from BJD, the heroine is a less flaky, though still very lovable. The story is that Jasmin Field, a journalist, gets cast as Lizzy in a charity-benefit production of a P&P adaptation. The director is the A-list actor Harry Noble. Even though I knew how the story was supposed to go, I found myself wondering how the author was going to bring it about in the modern version. I think she did an excellent job.
        Review by Julie Prall, March 3, 2000
 I loved it. It's a quick read, and a fun read. I had to put it down at times because I was laughing loudly in public and, even in New York, people do tend to stare...

Anyway, Jasmin is wonderful. She's bright, witty, cynical, sarcastic and sardonic. In short, my kinda gal. As is usually the case with updates of P&P, half the fun is figuring out who is who. I was fooled once or twice, but that's about it.

As Courtney Lynne indicated, one does wonder how the author will make all the pieces fit. I can say without hesitation that Melissa Nathan does it very well. She sticks pretty closely to JA's storyline, with one or two twists of her own to make it interesting.

As I have mentioned to some people at the RoP and DWG in passing, there are a couple of passages which might offend some readers because they are rather...um...earthy (I reviewed the book over at Amazon, where I said I will never think about mangoes the same way again!), and there are some four-letter words tossed about. But, on the whole, this is a delightful book which I believe that most people here will enjoy.

        Review by Jenny S, February 5, 2000
Jasmin Field is a journalist.  She is chosen to play Elizabeth Bennet in a one-off charity performance of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.  The Director, Harry Noble is a Darcy like figure and they clash.  The book is a modern version of Jane Austen's book and the characters are vaguely echoed.  It is recommended as a light hearted and amusing and a diverting read.

        Written by Minnie   (3/13/2000 9:28 p.m.)
was disappointed!


        Written by LaurieC (3/13/2000 10:33 p.m.)
I enjoyed PP&JF mostly because of the comfort to be had in recognizing the character and scene parallels. It was a light and humorous read, and I can recommend it at that level.
        Review by Golda, March 29, 2000
Several Pemberlians have praised this book so I purchased a copy.  Alas, I am the dissenting opinion. I thought this story was the equivalent of a bad fan fic.  Naturally, the story is predictable, because it is based on P&P. And I suppose the premise is clever -- characters doing a charity production of P&P while living their role in modern day London. But I was bored. I didn't really like these people or find them terribly interesting.  The book is a quick read and I'll concede somewhat amusing, but I liked Lions and Liquorice much better. I laughed harder and cared more about the characters in L&L. I find them more sympathetic. Unless you are an avid fan of all things P&P, I'd save my scarce reading time for other material.

        Review by Linda Waldemar, March 31, 2000
This is a modernized version of P&P.  Jasmin Field, a journalist, is the Lizzy character and Harry Noble, famous actor and director, is Mr Darcy.  He is directing a charity production of Pride and Prejudice and gives the lead to Jasmin.  Most of the other main characters are present and play their counterparts in the play; William Whitby is Wickham, Jasmin's sister, Georgia, is Jane and Harry's friend, Jack is Bingley.  Harry Noble saves the Field family, Jasmin realizes that she loves him and they live happily every after (or at least for a few days)

The story is quite simple and predictable but I found that it was a quick and pleasant read.  The plot follows JA's very closely and, in my opinion, is not badly done.  While I found nothing remarkable, neither was there anything offensive or outrageous.

I think that it is worth considering for a quick and entertaining read.

       Review by Hazel RC, April 29, 2000
With considerable impatience, I waited for this book to come after discovering its existence and ordering it from Amazon.  Once it arrived, I read it in a matter of hours like the other reviewers.

Even though I prefer Lions and Liquorice over this sequel, I am nevertheless glad that I read this book.  I found myself liking all of the characters, especially Jasmin Field (Lizzy).  I must say that I can relate more to Jasmin than Bridget Jones.  Jasmin is closer to Lizzy's character than Bridget who is rather too neurotic and obsessive for her own good.  Jasmin is a more realistic character, but I didn't find her that witty.  We are told that she is witty in her columns, but I don't see much evidence of that in what she says in the book.  However, don't let that stop you from reading this book.  It is quite fun matching up the P&P's characters to their counterparts in this book.  The plot also follows JA's plot faithfully and this all seem probable and not too contrived.

So, if you have a few hours to spare and can't get enough Pride and Prejudice,  add this to your collection!

        Written by Julia R (12/3/2000 4:43 p.m.)
 I have just finished reading a book listed on the Austen Sequel page called Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field by Melissa Nathan. (It was really good - I would recommend it).
        Written by Nora Neibergall (2/28/2001 1:13 p.m.)
Just a month or two ago, I stumbled upon Melissa Nathan's work, "Pride, Prejudice & Jasmin Field" at Amazon.uk.co. (I think you can find it on Amazon.com here in the US and I  also saw it at the local Borders store.) It's a contemporary P & P - set around the staging of a benefit performance of P & P as a play. "Darcy" is a big deal actor/director, Lizzie  (Jasmin) is a newspaper columnist who is cast as Lizzie in the play and most of the other characters are there too - there's love, deceit, adultery, you name it. ("Charlotte" and "Mr.  Collins" are fun.) It's not great fiction along the lines of JA, but it's a fun read - and so less full on angst than a lot of JA sequels.
          Review by Nadine Mendoza, 15 May 2001
While slow to start, this actually became a thoroughly fun and entertaining read. While I admire Kate Fenton's writing and quite liked Lions and Liquorice, I actually found Nathan's version -- a more direct contemporizing -- a quicker read. As I've mentioned in my other reviews,

I doubt any of these novelists suppose themselves to be Austen or even her successor, but translate their affection for P&P into a story to be enjoyed by other fans. Nathan's novel is one such tale. She effectively tells the story, while fully acknowledging P&P (the characters are actually doing a theatrical production of the novel), in a witty manner and in a modern English setting. Delightful and easy to read.

        Written by Allison (6/26/2001 5:09 p.m.)
I will only say that it was a fun read, but that's as far as i will go.

        Written by Jackie   (12/14/2001 11:43 a.m.)
 I am currently reading a book by Melissa Nathan, titled Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field (reviewed on the 'sequels' page). While nobody can quite live up to Lizzy, Jasmin seems much closer- although I'm only on page 105, I can see many parallels developing, and Harry Noble (Darcy's equivalent) seems to be well developed and I think he'll fit the bill quite well. The book revolves around a one-off production of P&P for the stage, and Jasmin herself notes the many similarities between the people cast in the play and the characters they are supposed to portray.
        Written by Joanne B  (12/15/2001 12:49 p.m.)
I've read this. It's alright but nothing special. The characters were too close to their P&P counterparts (but not as nice). I would have liked it if she had changed it a bit, or not had them playing exactly the same people in the play.
        Written by CatyBeth (1/19/2002 11:59 p.m.)
Has anyone read Pride, Prejudice, and Jasmin Field by  Melissa Nathan? I just finished it, read it all in one day. It's a great re-telling of JA's P&P. The main character is both living the story  in her own life and in a stage play adaptation of P&P, which makes her  laugh occasionally at life imitating art.
        Written by Leandra (1/23/2002 3:52 p.m.)
Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field is not a sequel, but a modern-day re-telling of the story. I found it a very fun read. Some of the quips are sly and funny, just like JA's. Unfortunately, since I am not from the UK, some of the comments were lost on me.
        Written by Kelly Jean (3/3/2002 9:32 p.m.)
I know this belongs on the sequels page, but I just wanted you to know that I LOVED P, P, and Jasmin Field...It was the best "sequels/continuation/contemporary/" P&P that I have read :)
         Written by Rilla Rae (4/27/2003 7:01 p.m.)
I just finished this modern version of P&P and enjoyed it very much. It was entertaining, despite the fact I already knew what was going to happen. In fact, it had me laughing nearly every page.
        Review by Mary-L, 17 August 2003
I got this book from the grab-bag table at Criagville, and recall Linda W saying she "didn't mind it!"  So I thought I would give it a whirl.

I just got back from a family vacation at the ocean beaches, where I came down with a cold after all kids and grandkids had left.  So this was the perfect book, read in one day (as did all others) with no distractions or needs to exercise or cook or ...  I was rather entertained by watching how the parallel plot was fashioned, and how the characters would match P&P, and how the author would introduce parallel events.  I felt it was rather cleverly done, without clumsy or creaky contrivances.  Overall, I'd give it a B+ for creativity and adherence to the original.  Worth a sick day at the beach, with a few good laughs.

        Written by Tori Marie (9/29/2003 4:30 p.m.)
Given your comments about parallels, I wonder if you've read Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field by Melissa Nathan. It's a retelling that has the main characters staging a play of P&P in London. Again, it's predictable but nicely interweaves the story within the story, IMO. It's not for the younger set, however, or those put off by coarse language and risque situations. It's definitely R-rated, a la Bridget Jones.