Classic Double Challenge: Persuasion and For Darkness Shows the Stars

This is my first post for my Classic Double Challenge from One Librarian’s Book Reviews.  My goal for this challenge was to compare the re-telling to the original and see how much was the same or different.  For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund is a sci-fi re-telling of Persuasion by Jane Austen.  *There are some spoilers for both of these books.*

I loved how many similarites there were between the stories.  I wasn’t expecting there to be that many.

Read my review for Persuasion

Read my review for For Darkness Shows the Stars

Similarities

• The main character doesn’t get along with her sister or dad. Her mother dies when she is young.
• Elliot is the name of the main character in For Darkness Shows the Stars (FDSTS) and it’s also Anne’s last name in Persusaion
• Both characters are committed to duty
• Both worlds are without technology.  Persuasion’s was from lack of technology but FDSTS was from fear of technology.
• Both worlds have social classes and they both explore the beginnings of social mobility.
• There are tenants renting out a part of the estate
• Admiral of the Cloud Fleet = Admiral Croft
• Captain Wentforth = Captain Frederick Wentworth.  I also like how his name “Wentforth” applies so well to the character
• I won’t name them all, but a lot of the characters have similar personalities in each book.  It was fun to recognize them from the other story.
• Letter writing is important in their relationships.
• Both plots have a lot of walks and carriage rides in them
• Both main characters consider marrying their cousin

Differences

•  Kai (Captian Wenforth) and Elliot know each other as children.  That wasn’t true in Persuasion
• Genetic enhancements
• Elliot’s father is more of a villan than Anne’s father in Persuasion.

Do you like finding similarities in re-tellings?