• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to footer

R. L. Stedman

Writer

  • My Books
  • My Story
  • Contact
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Giveaways
  • All Books
  • SoulNecklace Stories
  • Middle Grade

Love Pride and Prejudice? Here’s 4 Books To Read

July 14, 2017 By Rachel Stedman

4 Books Like Pride and Prejudice —

If you love all things period romance, here’s 4 books I guarantee you’ll love.

But first, That Shirt…

Pride and Prejudice

1.   Emma

Emma - a book like Pride and Prejudice

Emma is the second-best Jane Austen novel after Pride and Prejudice. Well, that’s what I think!

Like P&P, Emma abounds in eccentric individuals. And like Austen’s other work, there’s character transformation.

Emma, a rich and beautiful woman, is certain she should be a wonderful matchmaker — why, she knows which man deserves which woman, better even than the individuals themselves…

Like Pride and Prejudice, Emma is very funny and with a surprisingly contemporary tone. Personally, I don’t find it quite as fast-paced as P&P, but it’s still an enjoyable read.

Emma has been made into television shows, movies, stage plays.

Here’s one of my favourite clips from Gwyeneth Paltrow’s version.

2.   Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre - a book like Pride and Prejudice

Charlotte Bronte’s gothic novel about a governess who falls in love with her charge’s father is considerably darker than Austen’s romances.

Jane Eyre is a story of love and loss; of deceit and poverty. I love the settings of Jane Eyre, and Mr Rochester has, I think, more depth than many of Austen’s characters.

BUT — there’s not a whole heap of fun in this book.

However, if you like period romances with a gothic twist you must read Jane Eyre. In this work Bronte created a genre that we’re still enjoying today. From Twilight to Feverborn, readers love the attraction of the dark.

The movie trailer below shows why.

3.  Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome

Three Men in a Boat

Three Men in A Boat is SUCH a good book! Like Pride and Prejudice, Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) is laugh-out-loud funny, and like P&P, it’s true to its era.

Unlike P&P, it’s not a romance. Three Men in a Boat is a travel book, quite possibly the first of its kind! It reads a little like Bill Bryson meets Queen Victoria.

Three Men in A Boat tells the tale of three (slightly hypochondriac) men who feel they need a holiday. So they take a week to travel from London to Oxford by rowing upstream along the Thames.

The story meanders like the river, moving from anecdote to anecdote, and as long as you’re happy to not journey in a straight line, it’s highly enjoyable. Published in 1889, Three Men in a Boat was a hit almost as soon as it hit the stores, and has retained all its charm.

I’ve actually rowed part of the portion in the book, and the descriptions are still accurate. Not all of the pubs remain, alas :).

It’s been made into TV, movies and has ripped off by plenty of comedians and writers. Watch this clip!

4.   Arabella by Georgette Heyer

Arabella - a book like Pride and Prejudice

If you haven’t yet discovered Georgette Heyer, you’re in for a treat! Heyer specialised in regency romances and despite being written in the 1950s, her books feel true to period.

Like Austen, Heyer is very funny and like Austen, she manages to move between third-person limited point of view and third-person omniscient effortlessly. Note to non-writers: this is very hard to do.

Arabella has the classic prejudice of a heroine to the hero; and the hero in Arabella, is extremely proud, but the story is faster-paced than Austen’s.

A brief summary: Arabella is to journey to London to stay with her godmother. The oldest of eight children, from a penniless-but-respectable family, she knows it is her duty to marry well. Unfortunately, she convinces the monde that she is an heiress…

Heyer’s books are superbly written. They’ve been continuously in print since their first edition, and their popularity remains high. However, they’ve never been turned into television or movie, which is a real shame, and Heyer herself never appeared to gain recognition within the literary community.

But if you love P&P, Arabella is the ONE book in this list you must try. And once you read it, you’ll be hooked for life!

But wait – there’s more!

If you’re still short of reading material here’s some other works that are similar to P&P. These books were either written in the same period as Austen, or their tone is similar. The links here lead to the Amazon store, so you can check the description.

Wuthering Heights – by Emily Bronte

My Cousin Rachel – by Daphne Du Maurier

The Grand Sophy – by Georgette Heyer

You could also check out the Silver Petticoat Review; a blog for all things romantic!

Over to you – any books you’d recommend?

Post Script:

Pride and Prejudice bank note
Image Source

Just after writing this post, the Bank of England released a new 10 pound bank note. The bank note features Jane Austen, along with a quote from Pride and Prejudice!

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading”

Ironically, this line is spoken by Caroline Bingley — a character who in Pride and Prejudice who is far more interested in Mr Darcy than books.

This bank note makes Jane Austen to be the only woman (apart from the Queen) to be depicted on a UK bank note.

Go Jane!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Book Review, Books Tagged With: Book Review, Just for Fun, Reading, Teen Reads

About Rachel Stedman

Award-winning author Rachel Stedman lives in Dunedin, New Zealand with her husband and two children. Her first novel, A Necklace of Souls, won Best First Novel at the New Zealand Post Book Awards 2014. In 2012 Rachel was the winner of the Tessa Duder Award and was shortlisted for the Tom Fitzgibbon Award. If she's not got her nose in a book, she's on instagram or twitter (@rlstedman) or at her local library. Her website is www.RLStedman.com.

Footer

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Our Privacy Policy

rose100

Facebooktwitterinstagram

Privacy Policy | Website Disclaimer | Terms & Conditions of Sale
Copyright © 2018 R L Stedman. Website: Arts Net
This website uses Affiliate Links: as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
 

Loading Comments...