The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet – Bernie Su & Kate Rorick
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries ended close to a year and a half ago now, but wait, no it didn’t! Two ‘bonus’ videos have been released since, giving us a small update on Lizzie, as well as life with her new beau William Darcy. On top of that, showrunner Bernie Su and writer Kate Rorick give us a book based on a web series that is based on a book. Cool! The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet offers readers a deeper glimpse into Lizzie’s life and thoughts throughout her year-long vlog, along with answers to some things that didn’t quite add up on camera.
The beginning chapters start off prior to Lizzie’s YouTube debut, explaining in greater detail what her academic career entails and how she comes about making a video diary. From there, events unfold in similar fashion to the original Pride & Prejudice. This is oddly satisfying since the book contains pivotal scenes that were otherwise not shown on the vlogs (except through costume theatre in some instances). It was exciting to learn more about the infamous most awkward dance ever, the conversations between Lizzie and Darcy at Netherfield, and other tidbits that affected our beloved characters but happened off-screen.
We get to know more about the relationship Lizzie shares with her dad – a key element in the original novel – as well as her crazy mother. In fact, we get to witness Lizzie interact with many characters that she otherwise doesn’t on screen. This exposition offers another layer of authenticity to the series since the vlogs were so contained.
I love how the diary is written so that it fits into the timeline of the videos and other transmedia elements from when the show aired; now, readers can re-experience the online story while reading the book with little hassle.
Although I’m pleased with the extra information that the book offers, I felt something was lacking overall while reading. For instance, when “Darcy Day” happens in the diary, it is literally just a transcription of what happens in the video. Lizzie offers nothing more to it. No thoughts, feelings, or other introspection one might write in a diary after having such a heated conversation with a man you hate. This seemed lazy on the writers’ part, especially considering how Lizzie offers more thoughts on other characters, namely on Lydia after the ‘scandal’.
Ultimately, The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet is a great companion novel for any fan of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. It maintains Lizzie’s voice, further establishes the world she and the other characters live in, and delves deeper into some of Lizzie’s thoughts and motivations. Su and Rorick are set to release another book, but from Lydia’s perspective, sometime in the summer of 2015. I hope it manages to be more insightful, but I’m positive it will be an extremely entertaining read.
