Pride and Prejudice and Mice by Kura Jane Carpenter

Hello again, Dear Readers!

I have a special morsel to share today – not a new release, but a unique, illustrated P&P adaptation where all the characters are mice! How sweet!

"Pride and Prejudice and Mice" is a “faithful yet mouse-full adaptation” written and illustrated by the New Zealand author Kura Jane Carpenter.

CC: Hi Kura-Jane, you are a new-to-me author from the JAFF community but I understand you have been writing fiction for many years. What made you decide to enter the JAFF space?

KJC: Thank you so much for having me. It’s an honour to be in the company of established and beloved JAFF authors! "Pride and Prejudice and Mice" is my first fictional JAFF, but I cut my teeth learning indie book publishing by making Austen theme puzzle and quiz books.

CC: What made you write an adaptation rather than a variation?

KJC: I love time travel and time-loop stories, and after listening to the Pride & Prejudice Book Club Podcast recommend the wonderful variations of Jayne Bamber’s Ground Hog Day style novel "Madness in Meryton," and Heather Moll’s "Nine Ladies" – I figured a time travel theme variation would be my JAFF debut. 

But while discussing Austen movies and TV series with a friend, and asking which book was her favourite I was shocked when she replied she’d never read "Pride and Prejudice." I just about walked into a tree!

I realized there was a need for a faithful adaptation of the novel aimed at 21st century readers of all ages that smoothed out the dense archaic 19th century writing style but without overly modernising the original text.

CC: Which "Pride and Prejudice" character is your favourite and do you have the same or different favourite in your mouse-filled version?

KJC: I first read P&P as a young teen, and bold and witty Lizzy was my favourite. I thought Mr. Collins was “gross”, but as an adult I really appreciate how funny he and Lady Catherine’s characters are—when you’re reading a 200-year old book and laughing out loud, it’s obvious why P&P is an enduring classic.

Lady Catherine’s mousey doppelgänger, Ladymouse Catherine of Rosebush Cottage, is my favourite from my edition—she’s the only mouse who lives indoors you know, and encourages Lizzy to practice her singing in a teapot where no one would hear her.

I also loved illustrating Ladymouse Catherine’s wigs and outfit which I made Georgian as it’s my favourite clothing era. I’ve done a bit of costuming and have a collection of historical sewing books—be still my heart for an Italian gown! I kept true to Regency styles for the rest of the characters' clothing.

CC: There have been many illustrated versions, how did you come up with the idea for an illustrated adaptation with mice as characters?

KJC: I was learning watercolour and wanted to start drawing—something I hadn’t done for many years, this was when I was still daydreaming about writing JAFF. Finally it occurred to me that I could combine the two—write JAFF while building my foundational drawing skills. Also, since drawing is a big time commitment, I wanted to create something charming but also enduring. While researching art styles I realized throughout my life I was drawn to ‘golden age’ illustration and books with a gentle and secret fantasy world elements such as "Brambly Hedge," Beatrix Potter, "Wind in the Willows" and the "Borrowers." I just loved the miniature worlds and mix of animals or tiny people living their own secret lives.

I have also wanted a pet rat for years and even ‘gave’ a story character a talking pet rat in my "Wild Enchantment Woods" mystery series, so to me, drawing a world of mice for my Pride and Prejudice adaptation was a natural choice.

Harking back to my own love of rats, my favourite character, Ladymouse Catherine, is a large white mouse with a long pink tail, and I hope people might guess she’s really a rat. Lol. I had thought about making all the characters rats to begin with, but I decided that mice were cuter. 

I also thought societies of mice made a bit more sense in the story world logic, their size means they can go unnoticed by humans.

CC: Other than the drawing side of things, what did you enjoy most about creating your Beatrix Potter mash-up with Austen?

KJC: The world-building! I loved mouse-ifying the regency world. For example, Wickham’s military mouse regiment project local mice from stray cats and hawks, and as a general rule the mice accord wealth and status to the food they own or manage, so mice living in fruit and nut trees are wealthier, the Bennet’s live in an oak and have acorns, while the Lucases live in a hazelnut. And with Mr Collins originally being a member of the clergy, my idea of making him a “poor church mouse” fit so perfectly.

CC: That sounds adorable. I love world-building too! Who is "Pride and Prejudice and Mice" best suited for? Kids or adults?

KJC: I’ve done my best to make it suitable for everyone, a story to be shared between generations. Whether you’re reading itself, or having it read to you. It’s the kind of story that grows with you. I think adults who hold an element of whimsy in their hearts and have read Jane Austen’s originals, will enjoy the mouse storyworld. But it’s also a perfect introduction for Janeite parents who want their kids to have a faithful but fun intro to the Austen’s classics, and equally, if as an adult you haven’t read the original novels but love the movies or TV series, then my version is so easy to read while still staying true to the original plot.

My hubby recently sold a paperback copy to a colleague who came back and bought 2 more—telling him she was gifting those copies to her adult daughters and they were going to start a book club. It was utterly heart-warming—being part of something spreading the love of reading among families is a true privilege.

CC: My curiosity is piqued. I think we better see the excerpt!

Pride and Prejudice and Mice

Chapter 1

Netherfield Walnut Tree

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his ladymouse to him early one morning when he returned from foraging, “have you heard? Netherfield Walnut Tree is occupied at last!”

Mr. Bennet gave no answer, setting down the plump berry he carried into the burrow.

“Do you not want to know who has rented it?” squeaked his spouse impatiently.

“You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”

This was invitation enough.

“My friend, Mrs. Longtail, told me that a young gentlemouse came to see the tree, and was delighted with it!”

Her distracted spouse hung the berry on a hook. “What is this gentlemouse’s name?”

“Bingley!”

“Is he married or single?”

“Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! A single mouse of large fortune—four or five thousand acorns a year. What a fine thing for our offspring!”

“How so?” Mr. Bennet narrowed his dark eyes. “How can it affect them?”

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” tutted his spouse, her whiskers twitching, “how can you be so tiresome? You must know that I am thinking he could marry one of them.”

“Is that his plan for moving here?”

“His plan! Ha! Nonsense, how can you talk so? It is my plan!” Mrs. Bennet’s tail flexed. “He will fall in love with one of them, and for that to happen you must take them and go visit him.”

“No, no. I see no occasion for that,” dismissed her spouse, combing his paws through his whiskers. “You and the offspring may go—better yet, send them by themselves. For you are as handsome as any of them, my dear spouse, and he may like you the best of all.”

“My dear sweet mouse, you flatter me. But, you know very well as the mouse of the house, you must go and welcome Bingley when he moves in. That is the proper way.”

“Proper it may be, but alas, I am far too busy gathering blackberries I assure you.”

“Oh! But consider your family.” Mrs. Bennet scampered back and forth across their burrow in agitation. “Don’t you realise that our neighbours Sir William and Ladymouse Lucas are determined to go—they have several unmarried offspring including Lizzy’s friend Charlotte! What if the Lucases beat us to the cheese?”

“Tell you what. I will send a messenger bird to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of our offspring—though I must throw in a good word for my favourite, Lizzy.”

“You will do no such thing! Gracious! Having favourites—for shame.” And she stamped her paw, quite unaware her spouse was teasing her all along. “Lizzy is no better than the others. She is not half so pretty as Jane, nor half so good-humoured as Lydia.”

“None of them really have much to recommend them,” replied he with a sigh.“They are all silly mice, though Lizzy has more squeak in her than her sisters.”

“Mr. Bennet, how can you joke about your own family? You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion for my poor nerves.”

“You are quite mistaken, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are like my old friends—I have listened to you mention them enough.”

“Nonsense—how I suffer from your teasing—you could have been born a cat!”

Pride and Prejudice and Mice

Chapter 2

Mr. Bennet Snatches the Cheese

As it turned out, Mr. Bennet was one of the first mice who called upon Bingley, having always secretly intended to visit their new neighbour, but until the evening after the visit was paid, he told no one…

Observing his five offspring plaiting grass into dainty headpieces as they all gathered after dinner, Mr. Bennet suddenly said to his second eldest, Elizabeth, “How pretty. I hope Bingley will like it, Lizzy.”

“We cannot know what Bingley likes,” interrupted Mrs. Bennet from the other side of their oak tree burrow where she sat sorting grass seeds, “since you refuse to visit him.”

“But you forget, mamma,” said Elizabeth, “that we shall meet him at the hay ball gathering, and that Mrs. Longtail promised to introduce him.”

“I do not believe Mrs. Longtail will do any such thing,” squeaked her mothermouse resentfully. “She has two offspring of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical mouse, and I have no good opinion of her.”

“Nor do I,” agreed Mr. Bennet, “and I am glad to find that you do not depend on her helping you.”

“Harrumph,” Mrs. Bennet said, annoyed, brushing dust from her fur, and she began squeaking at another of her five offspring who was scratching a paw behind her ears. “Don’t keep itching your fleas so, Kitty, for harvest’s sake! Have a little compassion on my nerves. You flick up the dust!”

“Kitty has no discretion in her fleas,” said her father. “Like the cat she was named after, they strike without warning!”

“I do not scratch for my own amusement,” replied Kitty fretfully. “And when are hay balls to be assembled, Lizzy?”

“A week from tomorrow, once the grass is cut and dried.”

“Aye, so it is,” squeaked her mother, “and Mrs. Longtail is away till the day of the assembly—so it will be impossible for her to introduce him to us, for she won’t have time to meet him herself.”

“Then, my dear,” said her spouse, twitching his nose slyly, “you may have the advantage of your friend, and introduce Bingley to her.”

“Impossible, Mr. Bennet, impossible! You know I am not acquainted with him myself.”

“True. And a week’s acquaintance is certainly very little. One cannot know what a mouse is really like until at least the end of a fortnight. But we must try.”

All five of the young mice stared up at their father. Mrs. Bennet squeaked, “What cat-riddle nonsense is this now?”

“What say you, Mary?” Mr. Bennet asked his quiet and exceptionally mousy third offspring. “You are a young mouse of deep reflection, I know, and nibble many great books. Do you make sense of my cat and mouse riddles?”

Mary wished to say something sensible, but knew not how.

“Tell us, father!” cried bold little Lydia, nudging her gentle sister Jane aside. “You have news about Bingley?”

“I am sick of Bingley,” cried Mrs. Bennet, whiskers quivering with indignation at her grinning mouse spouse. “You tease and talk riddles. I shall call you Mr. Bennet no more—you are Mr. Cat.”

“I am sorry to hear that, had I known as much this morning I certainly would not have called on our new neighbour. It is very unlucky, but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot escape the acquaintance now. The trap is sprung, as they say…”

The astonishment of the family was just what he wished, and he laughed at their stunned expressions. Mrs. Bennet, frisked about like a cat had swallowed her whole and then spat her out, and declared it was what she had expected all the while.

“How good it was of you, my dear bold mouse, Mr. Bennet! You have snatched the cheese! But I knew I should persuade you at last. I was sure you loved your little ones too well to neglect such an acquaintance. Well, how pleased I am! It is such a good mousey joke, too, that you should sneak in this morning and never said a word about it till now.”

“Now, Kitty, you may scratch as much as you choose,” said Mr. Bennet as he left the burrow, to the delighted squeaks of his spouse.

“What an excellent papa you have!” said she, preening her youngest Lydia’s soft fur. “I do not know how I shall make amends for his kindness. Lydia, my love, though you are the youngest, I dare say Bingley will dance with you at the hay ball.”

“Oh!” said Lydia with a laugh, “I do hope so, for though I am the youngest and smallest, I have the longest tail to catch him!”

CC: WOW!!! This is quite as adorable as the Wishbone Adaptation! I would love to see it in animation!

Check out "Pride and Prejudice and Mice" on Kindle Unlimited for a glimpse of the Meryton Hay Ball, and to meet Bingley and Darcy Mouse!

About the Author:

Kura Jane Carpenter is a New Zealand author and was the 2019 recipient of the Sir Julius Vogel award for Best New Talent. When not writing, Kura enjoys convincing strangers that greyhounds make the best pets.

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