Nostalgic Austenmania: Transcoding Pride and Prejudice

Abstract

The enigmatic charm of the Jane Austen novels, especially Pride and Prejudice (1813), continues to attract even 21st-century readers and spectators. The appeal of the Regency Era romances that lead spectators to find nostalgic and romantic impulses through visualised portrayals via appropriations have been inspired by 1990s adaptations of the Austen oeuvre, which now incrementally has been continuing with spin-offs, sequels or mash-ups to mention some of the diversions of her work. Regarding the contributions of these adaptations, it is significant to move away from criticising them for not being faithful to the source. Instead, for the cultural milieu, it may be more beneficial to see them as creating cultural meaning based on existing materials. This approach is justified by the fact that literature is also inherently interconnected through intertextuality. Remembering the previous, adapted versions of Pride and Prejudice together with the significant thematic and stylistic aspects of the novel, these re-visitings as sources of the reminders of the so-called good old days transform the codes of the text with the reminiscences of the pre-existing cultural products. The aim of this paper is to explore how some recent adaptations of Pride and Prejudice are influenced by previous adaptations and contribute to the study of Austen and its adaptation. Examples of these adaptations include Bride and Prejudice (2004), which introduces a cultural variation; Austenland (2013), which integrates the text into a tourist resort; and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016), which combines blended genres into a mash-up.

Keywords

• Adaptation
• Jane Austen
• Pride and Prejudice
• Austenmania
• intertextuality

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