The Promise Behind the Promise: or Pride and Prejudice and Reinsurance

Suppose all the characters from Pride and Prejudice were somehow transported to a modern corporation. How does the story play out in such a setting? Some elements need to change, but a surprising amount is able to be very similar - in fact, scene by scene and chapter by chapter, remarkably similar. The result is a wry corporate comedy of manners that provides a fresh view on the original. It's hard for us as modern readers to fully appreciate the social precariousness of the young women in Austen's novel, the disparity of power between them and their potential suitors, and the extent to which their search for a suitable partner was their available form of careerism. The corporate environment in The Promise Behind the Promise brings those realities to life.Happily, no special knowledge of either Pride and Prejudice or reinsurance is necessary to enjoy this work. By turns witty, wise, and surprising, The Promise Behind the Promise stands as the definitive melding of English literature and financial services - at least until someone gets around to writing Middlemarch Mutual. Mark MacGougan is the author of Newspaper Boy.