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    The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet: A Novel
    The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet: A Novel
    The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet: A Novel
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet: A Novel

    Written by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick

    Narrated by Ashley Clements

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Based on the Emmy Award–winning YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

    Twenty‑four‑year‑old grad student Lizzie Bennet is saddled with student loan debt and still living at home along with her two sisters—beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. When she records her reflections on life for her thesis project and posts them on YouTube, she has no idea The Lizzie Bennet Diaries will soon take on a life of their own, turning the Bennet sisters into internet celebrities seemingly overnight.

    When rich and handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his stuck‑up friend William Darcy, things really start to get interesting for the Bennets—and for Lizzie’s viewers. But not everything happens on‑screen. Lucky for us, Lizzie has a secret diary.

    The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet takes readers deep inside Lizzie’s world and well beyond the confines of her camera—from the wedding where she first meets William Darcy to the local hangout of Carter’s bar, and much more. Lizzie’s private musings are filled with revealing details about the Bennet household, including her growing suspicions about her parents’ unstable financial situation, her sister’s budding relationship with Bing Lee, the perils of her unexpected fame, and her uncertainty over her future—and whom she wants to share it with.

    Featuring plenty of fresh twists to delight fans and new readers alike, The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet expands on the web series phenomenon that captivated a generation and reimagines the Pride and Prejudice story like never before.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateJun 24, 2014
    ISBN9781442375055
    Author

    Bernie Su

    Bernie Su is the Emmy Award-winning executive producer, co-creator, head writer, and director of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries for which he received a Streamy Award for Best Writing, Comedy and Best Interactive Program. Su is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, and lives in Los Angeles.

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    Reviews for The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet

    4/5

    166 ratings18 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Lizzie Bennet, the heroine of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, is alive and well and living in America. Her sister has fallen for the rich new neighbour, Bing Lee, through whom Lizzie meets Darcy, Bing Lee's contemptuous and sharp-tongued friend. The retelling of Pride and Prejudice through this lens is based on a YouTube series with which I am unfamiliar, but even though I didn't have that background, I was delighted by the book. Although the novel would probably be classified as "chick lit", there is a lot of truth and a lot of feeling in this story about family and love. I recommend this novel for all Pride and Prejudice fans.
    • 5/5
      Ashley Clemens did an amazing job bring all the characters in Lizzie's Diary to life! I highly recommend this book and the webseries to anyone in search of a great story!
    • 3/5
       Really fun version of pride and prejudice, and a modern look that meshes with the original novel and the awesome YouTube web-series.
    • 5/5
      A really great modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. It’s so much fun.
    • 5/5
      If you are a fan of the YouTube series from a few years ago, then you will love this companion book that is written from the perspective of Lizzie's private journal while creating her vlog series. Lots of "behind the scenes" nuggets in their lives, and the bonus of the audiobook is that it is read by the woman who played Lizzie on the web series. Very well done, and a great light summer listen heading into the summer!
    • 4/5
      I liked this a lot more than I thought I was going to. I thought it would just pander to fans and cash in on the success of the series. Nope. It was supplemental and delved into parts of the characters we didn't get to see on camera. I think I will pick up the next one.
    • 4/5
      As a story, as a look behind-the-(fictional)-scenes of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, I really liked this. I liked how it captured the characters, and fleshed out their relationships with Lizzie. Especially with Lizzie's dad, who is mostly absent from the vlogs. It was interesting getting to see Lizzie when she is not performing for the camera. She's less dramatic, more thoughtful and unsure. I really liked how it filled in the gaps. Why Lizzie's social life only seemed to revolve around Charlotte and her sisters. Why Charlotte seriously considered the job proposal. Why Jane was able to move to cities so suddenly. Why some of the (mis)communication issues occurred. Why Lizzie agreed to go to Pemberley without doing much research about it beforehand. And so on.There were also gaps I didn't know existed, and conversations I hadn't wondered about.I was convinced by what Lizzie thought and what everyone did. Yes, I thought, I can believe this is the story behind the vlogs.But I was not convinced that it was a written-as-things-unfold diary. It read like a first person narrative, rather than a diary in its use of past tense and dialogue and the way Lizzie sets the scene before she announces exciting news. (Was the author ever a 24 year old pen-and-paper diary keeper? I am not convinced, oh no.) I would have also found it more realistic had Lizzie made more references to what was going on around her while she was writing and maybe talked a tiny bit more about ordinary student things, like deadlines.I suspect this would have been easier to overlook had I listened to Ashley Clements read the audiobook.Do I recommend this? Absolutely! I think it would even work as a modern Pride and Prejudice retelling for someone who hadn't seen the series. But the vlogs are better.
    • 4/5
      A few years ago, my daughter started raving about a YouTube series that was a modern take on one of my very favorite books, Pride and Prejudice. Not only did they have videos, but there was a Facebook page, Twitter, even Pinterest boards from the characters.I never did get around to watching them, although I keep meaning to.But now I know what happens! (I mean, I know what happens. I’ve read P&P many times.)This book followed the original surprisingly well, even allowing for moving it into the 21st Century. That is both good and bad. On the good side, it’s so fun to see how the characters have evolved. On the bad side, well, we know exactly how it will end.In fact, that’s been one complaint about this book—people expected it to show MORE than the web series did. As in, what happened next. Instead, the authors stay true to the original material even in that regard. (Spoiler: There’s a sequel coming in September. I have it. I’m not allowed to post a review until the book is released, however.)The book reads well, with a truly conversational tone. I am jealous about how extensive Lizzie’s diary is. I can barely manage a few sentences a day. Her horror over the events with Wickham and Lydia is genuine; and the reflection and self-analysis it prompts are real. There’s not really much I can say. I’ve always loved to see favorite stories re-told, and this fits right into that niche.Possible objectionable material: Unmarried twenty-somethings sleeping together, offscreen. A pregnancy scare. Drunkenness. Adult kids mislead/lie to their parents. Rumors of a sex tape.Who would like this: Those who like updated versions of old stories. Anyone who likes Pride and Prejudice. Women more than men. Those who like romance. Social media fans. Approximate Lexile: 950
    • 4/5

      Having been a huge fan of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube, and basically recommending the series to EVERYONE, this book is just what I needed to convert me into an even bigger fan.

      I loved this book because it added such a layer of depth to what the videos on YouTube where all about.

      Why did Lizzie want to start this in the first place? Is she being completely truthful in her videos? What happened when the camera wasn’t on? All these questions get answered!

      I really loved this because it captured Lizzie’s voice perfectly. You can still feel her snark, her hopefulness, her contempt; we can feel everything she’s feeling.

      It was like I was right in the middle of something amazing happening. While Lizzie’s videos where slowly gaining more and more views, I could really feel the book building up to something amazing. I could feel Lizzie’ character growth, as well as experience first-hand Jane’s and Lydia’s parts in Lizzie’s story. I almost felt like I was another Bennet sister witnessing the drama that was their life. I relished every second of it.

      I also loved the fact that since this was a diary, we would get some insight as to what Lizzie actually felt. I was transported back to that time in my senior year where all I ever did on my free periods was clutch my phone desperately hoping for a new video to be uploaded in the LBD playlist.

      Something that I found odd, yet wonderful, was the fact that I think I fell so quickly for Darcy in this book. Even when he was being a total asshat, I couldn’t help but smile at his awkwardness. Darcy is charming in a way that he never tries to be. I think that was wonderfully executed both on screen and on the page. I am a Darcy lover through and through!

      The only complaint that I have is thtat the most pivotal parts of the book where either transcripted from the videos or glossed over. I wanted to see more emotion! More Lizzie and her frantic, disorganised thoughts!

      However I really think this book did a wonderful thing; it took one of my all-time favorite books (and one of my all time favorite book adaptations for that matter) and brought it together.

      You don’t really need to watch the series to read this book, but it’ll be a much more amazing experience if you watch the series first (or even concurrently with the book!).

      Overall, a really well done adaptation that will bring new depth and meaning to the Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Hats off to Bernie Su & Kate Rorick. They’ve reaffirmed my love for this series in a wonderful way. I’d like to believe that Jane Austen herself would be amazed at the way this series has captured Pride and Prejudice.

      Rating: 4.5 stars
    • 5/5
      I have never been able to enjoy the original Pride and Prejudice (yes, a sin, I know). The LBD series/book adaptation, however, made me understand why Lizzie and Darcy's story is so compelling.
    • 5/5
      It seems there is no end to the popularity of retellings and re-imaginings of Jane Austen's novels. This one stands out out above the rest. Pride and Prejudice receives a 21st century update, with graduate student Lizzie Bennet creating a video blog as a new media project. The vlog takes on a life of its own with unforeseen consequences for Lizzie's life and that of her family and friends. The book is a companion to the web video series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and it fills in gaps from the videos. I didn't notice any inconsistencies between the book and the videos or between this book and the original Pride and Prejudice. I like the book better than the videos. However, I don't think I would have liked the book nearly as much if I hadn't already watched the video series. I didn't take the time to re-watch any of the videos this time through. I'd like to reread the book and re-watch the videos together at some point. I think there's still more to be discovered and enjoyed.
    • 5/5
      Let's talk about things that are completely adorable.
      Such as this book.
      I loved the video series, and bought the book immediately when it came out, and didn't regret it for a minute! Couldn't put it down!
    • 4/5
      I liked this book a lot, but that was because I was obsessed with the web series. I don't think I would really suggest this book for people who hadn't watched the series. I love the voice of Lizzie in the book and it was a fantastic reproduction of Ashley Clements' performance. I thought that the book did a better job with the Lydia situation and was so much more emotionally gratifying. I also loved that we got to have Mr. Bennett as a larger part of the story. I always loved him in Pride and Prejudice (he definitely is one of my favorite literary fathers). It took me a few entries to get over the whole fanfic feel of the book (since it's like an adaptation of an adaptation). I think this could be off putting for people who did not watch the videos. I think the youTube talk could also be off putting for people who didn't watch the videos. (I thought it was fun, but Hank Green name dropping would be meaningless to most people).
    • 5/5
      I love JA retellings, and this is one of the best! A perfect fit in a modern setting, with some insight into mass communications and social media. I didn't know about the web series, but I watched a few - they're funny, too. But the book is great!
    • 5/5
      I watched the YouTube series and when I heard that the creators were writing a book I was excited! This book did not disappoint. I am glad that I read it and now I want to watch the entire series again!
    • 5/5
      The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ that transports the characters from the early 1800s England to 2014 America. Lizzie Bennet is a college grad student that has begun vlogging about her daily life as a study of social media for her thesis. What started out as a simple school project though becomes so much more.Okay, confession time: I have never read the original Pride and Prejudice. YES, I plan on correcting this, hopefully soon. I have read the movies though (and LOVE them) so I’m at least aware of the storyline. TLBD was constantly popping up on my Twitter feed and when I finally asked I was directed here. WARNING: If you have not yet watched TLBD please make sure you have several hours of time on your hands before clicking on the link. I’m serious. That shit is addicting. And SO fun.If you’re a fan of TLBD on YouTube, you will adore this book. Yes, it’s the same story for the most part but there are small additions to the story that would have happened off camera that we get an interesting in depth look into. Plus, if you’re suffering through withdrawals of TLBD then you’re likely willing to take anything you can get.If you’ve opted to read this via audiobook, it is quite frankly like listening to the YouTube videos with your screen minimized. The lack of actual facetime with the characters was sorely missed because they are all incredible in their roles, but Ashley Clements (the actor who played Lizzie in TLBD) did a superb job at narrating the assorted voices and made me glad I opted to go the audio route. For those of you that have not watched the YouTube videos, it is not necessary to fully appreciate the book but you’ll likely want to watch them after getting immersed in the world of modern Lizzie Bennet.
    • 3/5
      ** spoiler alert ** I did enjoy myself while reading- it was a nice little hit of nostalgia for the webseries.Thing is, despite it being vaunted as what was really happening behind the scenes and all the stuff that Lizzie couldn't talk about on camera... there was actually only one big thing that was truly new. A few little things here and there that were conversations which Lizzie didn't recount for the vlog (like a really cute depiction of the San Francisco sight-seeing day), but only one huge revelation that came from left field.And that one thing was completely out of character and did not fit with the narrative we'd been given. I didn't think OH MY GOSH WHOA, I thought Well, this is ridiculous and so improbable it might as well be impossible.And they went way to far into the part of the main series that I hated the most- Lizzie beating herself up for being a terrible sister to Lydia.Lizzie was a good sister to Lydia (who made an unfortunate joke once), and Lydia was a jerk who threw it all back in Lizzie's face while calling her all kinds of cruel names. It's infuriating to see Lizzie being a good sister in book and show while Lydia is not expected to be responsible for herself at all.Kids, don't steal, lie, be cruel, do drugs, and have unsafe sex and expect to be coddled. (Do, however, expect love and support from your siblings if your significant other turns out to be a using, abusive asshat.)....sooooooo:Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but nothing particularly special. I kinda wish I'd bought the paperback instead of the hardcover.
    • 5/5
      This was so great. Loved it.