The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

I love Jane Austen and someone recommended this web series to me. I was sceptical at first but it turned out to be absolutely brilliant.

In a hilarious modern adaptation Lizzie Bennet tells the story of her family, mostly her mother's quest to get all her daughters married to rich men (as per P&P) vlog style. Jane (practically perfect), Lydia (we're all glad she's too old to appear on Teen Mom) and Charlotte (their mothers went into labour in a Sense and Sensabily book club) often appear as well.

The cast are all great, especially Ashley Clements as grad student Lizzie and the fake vlog style works surprisingly well for a book that relies so heavily on so many characters interacting with each other.

I've never read Pride and Prejudice, or watched any other adaptation, and before watching the Lizzie Bennet Diaries I had no clue what P&P was at all, basically (I'm from Sweden). So this is coming from someone who sees the show in a vacuum, for good or bad.

And the show is amazing. Really, really amazing. The actors are perfect for their roles, and in general are so very believable. It doesn't feel like watching characters, it feels like watching actual people. I have to remind myself that it is a show and not real, when I want to scream at the protagonist for sometimes being an a-hole towards the other characters. The characters, while often a bit over the top, are very relatable and you can really empathize with them. A special call-out to Mary Kate Wiles who does her role exceptionally well.

I think the format has a lot to do with it and also fits the story very well. The main protagonists impressions of the other characters, especially those not seen on screen, allow for characters that are at the same time over the top and very believable.

I'm on my third run of watching the show now, and I can tell you, it's not one wasted minute.

This is really a must see, even for us who have no cultural reference for Pride & Prejudice.

Being a huge Pride & Prejudice fan (and Jane Austen in general), I have seen every adaptation of the book possible. I was skeptical of this at first, since the "modern versions" have generally disappointed me. But what a delight!! I finished the whole series in 1 day. Couldn't stop watching once started. Every character is true to the book (in modern day of course). Jane's "perfection", Lizzie's "smartness" and Lydia's "craziness" have been well presented. Even Charlotte's character has been very well portrayed. There are some easy-to-guess moments, but they still made me smile. And the surprises!! I couldn't stop screaming and laughing. A must see for every Austen fan.

IT IS AWESOME!!

Colin Firth's Pride and Prejudice series was made in 1995. Kiera Knightly did one in 2005. And while we all anxiously wait for what MUST be made in 2015, this vlog-style show is JUST what the doctor ordered! Everyone knows the characters, but this production really gives Elizabeth Bennet new life as a modern twenty-something with cute sisters and friends. It is just as it ought to be. Instead of balls and livings, there are weddings and student loans (Ugh! So true!). Any twenty-something can relate.

I sometimes find myself wanting MORE when I watch the Lizzie Bennet Diaries... specifically I want a glimpse of the elusive (and so far douche-y) Darcy. But there's something about Lizzie's narrative that makes me forget that only four of her characters have made appearances. Lizzie's opinions do the other characters justice and keep the retelling of the story honest. What twenty-something would invite a new acquaintance over to be on her video blog? Not I!

Move over babies biting fingers, Rebecca Black, and dancing cats! There's a new sheriff in town! Hank Green's latest project, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, a modern adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, is the latest mini-series to make a big splash on the YouTube scene.

Since April 2012, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries has been telling the story of Lizzie Bennet, a graduate student studying mass communications, as she shares the details of her crazy family, romantic endeavors, and struggles to finish school and find a well-paying job through video blogs. Living at home, especially when your mother is constantly harassing you about not having found a wealthy man to marry, and going to school can be pretty stressful. Don't think it can get any more stressful? You're wrong!

When Bing Lee, a wealthy medical student, rolls into town and wins the heart of Lizzie's older sister, Jane, the Bennet household turns upside-down. Bing's stiff, critical friend William Darcy is also new in town and is getting on Lizzie's last nerve. Meanwhile, Lizzie's younger sister, Lydia, can't seem to stay out of trouble as she parties herself dry and pesters Lizzie constantly for a chance at Internet fame. Can Lizzie sort out Jane's love life, tame Lydia's party-loving ways, and avoid William Darcy at all costs? You'll just have to watch to find out!

Hank Green, the producer of the series, is a big name on YouTube already. Making his Internet debut with Brotherhood 2.0, a video blog project he started in 2007 with his brother, novelist John Green, Green has since created DFTBA Records, a record label inspired by YouTube musicians, educational YouTube series SciShow and Crash Course, 2-D glasses, Vidcon, the first YouTube convention, and many other great projects. He is also a musician and has released four albums available to purchase on iTunes. Green was featured on the promotional book tours for John Green's Papertowns in 2008 and The Fault in Our Stars in 2012.

Already being a fan of Hank Green's work for several years, I had no doubts that I would fall in love with the classic story of the Bennets in his modernized retelling. While I can't relate very well with Jane Austen's novel, I feel seeing a modern Lizzie makes forming both a mental and emotional connection much easier. As a fan of the film adaptations of the story, I can say that even the ladies claiming Colin Firth is the only Darcy for them will love this story. The talent and quality of the writers, actors, and technical crew are phenomenal. Half the time I forget that the episodes are based off a book from the 1800s because the acting is so realistic and the transition from book to modern screenplay is seamless.

Having met Hank Green on tour in 2012, I can say from experience that he puts forth a tremendous amount of effort and time into everything he does. His passion and enthusiasm for creative expression on both YouTube and all over the Internet is outstanding and apparent in each individual project he begins. Like his many other accomplishments, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is bound to keep you coming back for more.

Green's latest project, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, is a must-see series for everyone. A new episode, each between three and six minutes long, is posted every Monday and Thursday morning.