It is a truth universally acknowledged (by my family) that if there's a novel, story, or film with a connection to Pride and Prejudice, I'm going to want to read or view it. Stacy King has adapted Jane Austen's novel for a manga version, with the art drawn by Po Tse. This version retains the general story arc from the original version where Darcy's proud demeanor and Elizabeth's prejudice against Darcy present impediments to their romance. However, being an adaptation, there have been some alterations in the story, most of which I can live with, with the exception of Darcy being a poor dancer. (Sorry, in my universe, Darcy probably suffered through lessons with a dancing master, and is probably an excellent dancer; but he just doesn't enjoy the activity.)
Some of the language has been modernized, and is not what I'd expect a person living in Regency times would use, but that would be helpful for those who don't want to slog through archaic expressions in order to understand and appreciate the content of the novel.
Generally, I liked the artwork. The Bennet girls look suitably cute and adorable, Charlotte Lucas and Mary King look sufficiently plain, Bingley has the hair of an angelic choir boy, and Wickham is the best looking man in the crowd. Darcy does have a handsome and noble mien, but personally, I find that the depiction of his hair in most of the drawings...is a bit of a miss for me. There are three locks that seem to wing off in different directions. You kind of have to see it to understand...although I will say: shades of Dagwood Bumstead.
Like the 1995 BBC televised version of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth, there is a bit of a wet shirt scene in the manga version, although the appearance of Darcy in such a disheveled state occurs at a different point of the story than that of the television series. The manga is clean, although Elizabeth and readers get to see some glimpses of Darcy's six-pack. The Darcy fan-girl in me squeaked a bit! :P
I thought that this was a pretty good adaptation, and I enjoyed reading this book. I would recommend this for those who enjoy manga romance but don't want to see anything too provocative, and for those who might find it difficult reading the original text of this classic novel.
