And it’s not until she’s actually allowed to be in the action that you can have this resolution to the story, because it had to be both of them, as equal partners, not him saving her,” Pleasants said. “Every time there’s action, the female, she’s pulled back. She weaves feminism into the fictional and primarily male-dominated world in a way that bolsters the whole story. However, Pleasants wanted to more deeply explore the frustration that Elizabeth and other female characters experienced about the expectations the world had for them. When you think of an Austen book, feminine empowerment may not be the first theme to come to mind. And potential spoiler alert - the villain’s identity was definitely a surprise to me. The novel might have benefited from a few more twists overall, but ultimately the old and new storylines meshed well. The second half of Disenchanted was more enjoyable than the first, primarily because it featured more variation on the original plot.

“It’s empowering to accept yourself as a writer - and fan fiction writer - and let go of some of those unrealistic expectations,” Pleasants said. But when she wanted to write something “real,” she felt she didn’t have that same kind of creative freedom. Seeking the best Austen adaptations available, publishing company Quills & Quartos, expressed interest in the story, and she agreed.Īt first, Pleasants didn’t believe that what she had written was a “real novel.” Because writing fan fiction was supposed to be fun, she didn’t put the same pressure on herself as she wrote. Though Pleasants wrote the book during her senior year at this university over a decade ago, it wasn’t until this past fall that she decided to publish it. The novel originated on an Austen fan fiction website, where Pleasants posted her writing chapter by chapter. It felt like a gathering of all the best parts of the story, with much less of the frilly language - and fewer superfluous descriptors - that Austen is known for.

And it was a lot easier to read than Austen’s original prose. Though you don’t have to know the Pride and Prejudice storyline, it certainly makes the novel more enchanting if you do. As a fan of Austen, this novel was a ridiculously fun read.

Disenchanted by Kara Pleasants