“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Well, what about what a young, tolerably beautiful, moderately accomplished, quick-witted, and sharp-minded Austen heroine wants?
That is the question at the heart of You Are Elizabeth Bennet: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure by Emma Campbell Webster, a choose-your-own-adventure novel that lets readers slip into the shoes of none other than Elizabeth Bennet. As the familiar events of Pride and Prejudice begin to unfold, the plot thickens with scenes and storylines borrowed from Austen’s other beloved novels. Suddenly, Mr. Darcy’s brooding stare isn’t the only thing vying for your attention; there are encounters and entanglements with a full cast of Austen’s literary men. Your mission is made clear from the start: find love, preferably in a handsome and advantageous package.
Campbell Webster borrows from the originals just enough to keep the world recognisable, without tipping into parody. There’s a fine balance between reverence and reinvention and for the most part, she gets it right. The transitions between stories and chapters are handled with care, making the Austen storylines complementary rather than parallel. You’re never so disoriented that you’re jolted out of the narrative. Yet the choice of Elizabeth Bennet as the narrative anchor comes with its own set of complications. In some storylines, particularly those lifted from Emma, Lizzie begins to feel less like herself and more like a placeholder for Austen’s other heroine. The dynamic with Mr. Knightley, for instance, mirrors his relationship with Emma Woodhouse so closely that it stretches the believability of Lizzie’s character. Her responses and reactions, specifically when borrowed directly from the titleholder character, ring false; while Lizzie is prideful to a fault and her sharp tongue sometimes leads her to unfortunate situations or revelations, she lacks Emma’s casual, almost oblivious disregard of how her status can make her cruel. It’s a reminder that while Austen’s heroines share similarities, their social worlds and personalities aren’t fully interchangeable. 
Logistically and thematically, it makes sense that Campbell Webster chose Austen’s most famous heroine as the reader’s avatar. But this choice does require a degree of mental gymnastics and a tacit agreement between reader and author that this isn’t meant to be a meticulously constructed literary multiverse that fits together like clockwork. It’s meant to be fun: a playful, whimsical exercise in make-believe.
And fun it is. Because this Lizzie — your Lizzie — retains the core of the original while also becoming a mirror of the reader. Will you be headstrong and double down on your convictions, much to your mother’s despair? Or will you choose the sensible path, setting aside your own happiness for security? Each choice you make bends the story’s arc in unexpected directions. Some paths lead to triumph, others to heartbreak, and the non-linear structure ensures you’ll never be able to predict where you’ll end up. It also means the book rewards rereading, as you can return again and again to inhabit a different version of Lizzie.
This is clearly the work of an Austen lover. Campbell Webster, who studied English Literature at the University of Oxford with a focus on Austen, brings scholarly knowledge to the page without letting it weigh the story down. Her touch is light and affectionate. She knows her audience, too. This isn’t a book for those looking for literary profundity or rigorous experimentation.
It’s for readers who own well-loved copies of Austen’s novels, who can recite the love confessions from Austen’s work with ease and pleasure, and who don’t shy away from a little girlish delight.
In a literary landscape that often demands every work to be subversive or profound, You Are Elizabeth Bennet is refreshingly unconcerned with proving its cleverness. It revels in its playfulness, its indulgence, its coziness. It’s a book best enjoyed with a cup of tea on a quiet autumn afternoon, curled up in a soft armchair, ready to tumble once more into Austen’s world. Only this time, you’re the heroine.
Written by Teodora Strugaru.
You are Elizabeth Bennet by Emma Campbell Webster is published by Faber and can be purchased here.
