Get a good book and a free hat.

Join now for $5.

We’ll make this quick.

First, enter your email. Then choose your move.

By pressing "Pick a book now" or "Pick a book later", you agree to Book of the Month’s Terms of use and Privacy policy.

Get a good book and a free hat.

Join now for $5.
undefined

You did it!

Your account is now up to date.

get the appget the app

Our app is where it’s at.

Unlock our Reading Challenge, earn prizes, and get notified of new books on our app.

Our app is where it’s at.

Unlock our Reading Challenge, earn prizes, and get notified of new books on our app.

Download on the App Store
Get it on Google Play

Already have the app? Explore here.

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

Contemporary fiction

Eligible

by Curtis Sittenfeld

Excellent choice

Just enter your email to add this book to your box.

By pressing "Add to box", you agree to Book of the Month’s Terms of use and Privacy policy.

Volume 0
Volume 0

A free gift for you.

Yes, she’s embroidered.

No thanks, just checkout

Quick take

Sittenfeld's version of the Austen classic features a lot less dancing and letter-writing than the original, and a lot more alcohol and sex.

Why I love it

Whenever I discuss Pride and Prejudice with a friend, the first question I ask is: "Jane or Elizabeth?" Whether a person favors Jane (sweetness and calm personified), or Elizabeth (tough as nails but with an aching heart – and loins) tells me a lot.

The same is the case for Eligible, written by the entertaining and clever Curtis Sittenfeld. In this contemporary retelling of the brewing behemoth of sexual desire that is Pride and Prejudice - let's not pretend otherwise - Liz Bennett has been modernized into a jaded 38-year-old magazine writer living in Brooklyn; her sister Jane is a yoga instructor, and her flame Mr. Darcy is a brain surgeon.

Sittenfeld's version of the Austen classic features a lot less dancing and letter-writing than the original, and a lot more alcohol and sex. But the path to true love remains - as always - bumpy. Liz and Darcy circle each other, in ways both expected and unexpected, and even Pride and Prejudice devotees will be captivated by their "will they or won't they?" games. Sounds perfect, right?

And perfect it absolutely is. A perfectly hilarious and engaging read that will send you back to thumb through Pride and Prejudice to check the corresponding details. But not until you've reached the satisfying and yet still surprising ending of Eligible. Love really does overcome all - even reality TV.

Sittenfeld offers a marvelous lesson about relationships: channeling Jane - the author, not the character - we can have it all: lust, love, friendship, and even a lasting détente with our families, to say nothing of our in-laws. And the "Elizabeth or Jane" test holds up perfectly for this modern adaptation. Those of you readers who identify with Elizabeth probably need to chill out a bit - don't be so judgmental! - and those of you who identify with Jane need to ease up on the yoga and try a bout of kickboxing. Readers of the world, get your Austen on.

Member ratings (1,456)

Contemporary fiction
The Last Love Note
What Does It Feel Like?
Anita de Monte Laughs Last
The Wedding People
Honey
The Leftover Woman
The Same Bright Stars
Bye, Baby
Definitely Better Now
Swan Song
The Days I Loved You Most
The Connellys of County Down
Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life
Jackpot Summer
Adelaide
I Might Be in Trouble
The Collected Regrets of Clover
Again and Again
Evil Eye
Black Cake
Maame
Romantic Comedy
Someone Else’s Shoes
Once There Were Wolves
We Are the Brennans
The Bad Muslim Discount
What Comes After
Olga Dies Dreaming
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel
Monster in the Middle
Nine Perfect Strangers
The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany
The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes
Honey Girl
In Every Mirror She's Black
Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?
Sankofa
The Unsinkable Greta James
The Love of My Life
The Five-Star Weekend
A Home for the Holidays
The Wishing Game
Behold the Dreamers
The Mothers
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things
Little Fires Everywhere
The Music Shop
Where’d You Go, Bernadette
The Reckless Oath We Made
When We Were Vikings
The Girl with the Louding Voice
A Good Neighborhood
Big Summer
All Adults Here
Happy & You Know It
Friends and Strangers
The Comeback
True Story
The Last Story of Mina Lee
Troubles in Paradise
White Ivy
This Close to Okay
The Chicken Sisters
The Prophets
In a Book Club Far Away
The Other Black Girl
Apples Never Fall
A Quiet Life
We Are the Light
The Most Likely Club
The Fortunes of Jaded Women
When We Were Bright and Beautiful
The Hotel Nantucket
Contemporary fiction
View all
The Last Love Note
What Does It Feel Like?
Anita de Monte Laughs Last
The Wedding People
Honey
The Leftover Woman
The Same Bright Stars
Bye, Baby
Definitely Better Now
Swan Song
The Days I Loved You Most
The Connellys of County Down
Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life
Jackpot Summer
Adelaide
I Might Be in Trouble
The Collected Regrets of Clover
Again and Again
Evil Eye
Black Cake
Maame
Romantic Comedy
Someone Else’s Shoes
Once There Were Wolves
We Are the Brennans
The Bad Muslim Discount
What Comes After
Olga Dies Dreaming
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel
Monster in the Middle
Nine Perfect Strangers
The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany
The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes
Honey Girl
In Every Mirror She's Black
Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?
Sankofa
The Unsinkable Greta James
The Love of My Life
The Five-Star Weekend
A Home for the Holidays
The Wishing Game
Behold the Dreamers
The Mothers
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things
Little Fires Everywhere
The Music Shop
Where’d You Go, Bernadette
The Reckless Oath We Made
When We Were Vikings
The Girl with the Louding Voice
A Good Neighborhood
Big Summer
All Adults Here
Happy & You Know It
Friends and Strangers
The Comeback
True Story
The Last Story of Mina Lee
Troubles in Paradise
White Ivy
This Close to Okay
The Chicken Sisters
The Prophets
In a Book Club Far Away
The Other Black Girl
Apples Never Fall
A Quiet Life
We Are the Light
The Most Likely Club
The Fortunes of Jaded Women
When We Were Bright and Beautiful
The Hotel Nantucket