Customer Reviews

Austenland: A Novel

5 star:		(79)
4 star:		(65)
3 star:		(36)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

Shh, now. We really don't want to let this one get out, but there's a subculture afoot in the world. And I, alas, am hopelessly mired in its tentacles. Most of us are women, but there are a few men in our ranks, and we have a secret in common, tucked away on our bookshelves and video collections.

We are all hopelessly in love with Mr Darcy. Or rather, the most perfect manifestation of him in the form of Colin Firth.

This slim novel opens with Jane Hayes having a conversation with her elderly aunt, a very wealthy woman at the tag end of her life. Jane is more than a little nervous about this conversation, having been pushed into it by her bullying mother who's hoping for a piece of the old woman's estate. Jane is both fascinated and humiliated by the conversation, but a few months later gets a phone call from a lawyer who informs her that she's been left something by her aunt.

You're not rich, is the first thing that he says. But he does have a bit of a surprise for Jane -- an all-expenses paid holiday at a very private, very discreet resort in England for three weeks. Pembrook Park promises to fulfull the visitor's dreams of entering the world of genteel, simmering romance that the works of Jane Austen. After some qualms, and facing the fact that the trip is indeed, nonrefundable, Jane embarks on her trip. Perhaps now she can finally dispell her unrealistic fantasies of Mr Darcy and get on with her life; the solution is very simple, just immerse herself into the world of Austen until she is heartily sick of it, and disenchanted, and then she'll be free.

It's not that easy, and Jane's already nervous when she arrives at the inn where she's to shed her modern persona and turn into Miss Jane Erstwhile. At first, it's rather amusing, dressing in the clothing of the period, and learning to dance with a very tall, good-looking, but alas, only a servant by the name of Martin. Under the rather draconian eye of Mrs. Wattlesbrook , Jane finds out that a few modern conveniences have been allowed in -- such as modern plumbing and cosmetics -- but alas, no cell-phone, so by the time she arrives at the actual Pembrook Park, there's a distinct aura of authenticity to her.

And then there are the men -- three aristocratic men by the names of Colonel Andrews, Captain East and Mr. Nobley. Jane finds herself decidedly at the bottom of the leisured ladder, but still -- there's something about that Mr. Nobley that keeps them encountering each other, even though they throughly dislike each other. And despite knowing that it's all a game, Jane finds herself with two possible suitors -- and one of them is that gardener, Martin.

But there's a limit to this pretty bubble, and as the clock winds down, whatever is Jane to do when her time is up and she has to return to the dull reality of the 21st century?

I'll say it right off. It's a cute novel, and at times, just a bit too cute. But it worked for me, as I found myself chuckling over Jane's mishaps of trying to fit into a culture, but she can't quite keep her modern sensibilities at bay. Along the way there's some good pun, inside jokes for Jane Austen addicts, and a vivid writing style. One of the main reasons why I picked this one up is that it had a lot of appeal to me because I've been involved in historical re-enaction groups, and this one was no different. Hale's word-pictures of people trying to fit into a much more mannered time does get funny, as well as the synopsises of Jane's former boyfriends that introduce each chapter.

At the core of the novel lay the truth of any person -- that with some confidence and the knowledge that you know what you want, it's a good bet you'll get what you want out of life. The humor is gentle in this one, and while it is aimed at a specific market, it should have a wide appeal to most adult readers.

Hale is more familiar to readers of young adult fiction, but this one works. Her writing style is fluid and while the conversations get a bit stilted in places, and of course there's plenty of anachronisms in this, it still satisfies. My biggest complaint is that it could have easily been a longer novel, and I wish that Hale had taken the story a bit more in depth -- the novel is only about two hundred pages -- so it comes in overall at a tidy three and a half stars, rounded up to four.

Recommended.

This is an absolutely wonderful book.

Our protagonist Jane is a contemporary young New York City "spinster." While she has a great career, she longs for the Regency era of olde England. She loves the BBC series with Colin Firth (and that woman who played Elizabeth, too).

Then something happens which thrusts Jane into a fictional resort in England, where visitors have to behave exactly like Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. For three weeks, she has to become Elizabeth, pretty much.

The result is great fun and great learning, too. Just like with Jane Austen, it's a funny and insightful trip for all of us. The wit and pacing are quick, and the language carefully crafted for atmosphere.

I enjoyed it, but, regrettably, it made me wish that Austenland really existed. Last year my wife and I enjoyed visiting the hotel on the Vanderbilt estate outside of Asheville, NC, and can understand the escapist appeal offered by experiences of this kind...any private venture capital available??

Austenland could almost work. This very readable offering from a hitherto trusted author explores vital issues that need resolution in more lives than the fictional Jane's. I anticipated real resolution. Instead, we got to watch Jane set herself up for yet another unreal relationship, only this time, with a man who's given evidence of profound capacity for real commitment. It is almost tragedy.

I'll try to explain without giving too much away. Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy gets the blame for Jane's lengthy history of failed relationships, but the little vignettes about them reveal the real problem -- Jane's overeagerness to fall in love and to idealize her beloved rather than come to really know him and relate to him as a living, breathing, fallible but lovable individual. Prime example is the boyfriend of 5 months that Jane "experiences" without "trading psychological profiles", only to drop him cold when she hears him snort while laughing. That's not a relationship, but a failed fantasy. And yes, she collects creeps, but how could she avoid doing so when she persistently throws herself into a romance without first solidifying a friendship? She doesn't give herself time to discern whether he's a creep or not, or to discover the mixture of quirks and strengths that form the basis for a real, loving relationship.

Austenland is supposed to be therapy for Jane's penchant for fantasy. And it almost is, with a few twists and turns through layers of self-deception. At last, the moment of truth comes, Jane discovers that she's been deceived yet again and walks away. (Good for her)! And reality -- or the potential of a genuine, committed relationship, follows her onto the plane.

She is astounded. She is disbelieving. She says "you don't know me." He says he thinks he does and he wants a chance at forever. He is seatbelted next to her for a transatlantic flight. A perfect opportunity for the best and lengthiest conversation of her life -- a conversation that could lay the foundation for forever. They don't have it. Instead, she pulls him close and kisses him... for the entire flight, only to continue romancing in her apartment once the plane touches down.

Reality has gone on a holiday. We're back in fantasyland, and dreading what's going to happen to this already wounded hero when Jane finally wakes up and discovers that he snorts, or does something else equally irritating.

A different ending could have made this a worthwhile read, although it might not overcome the improbabilities of finding a good man in a high-class-almost-brothel like Austenland.

I expected better of Hale.

Shannon Hale has found success with her novels for teens, which often retell folktales and fairy tales. She has a talent for giving would-be princesses interesting backstories and well-earned triumphs.

Her first novel for adults which is quite unlike her previous works - and every bit as enjoyable. Austenland is the story of Jane, a twenty-nine-year-old New Yorker whose day job is successful but rather unsatisfying. Jane is secretly obsessed with Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice and has watched the BBC miniseries countless times.

Jane is snatched out of her humdrum life when a family tragedy leads her to visit a very special resort in England. There, everyone and everything is straight out of the Regency period. She must dress, speak, and act accordingly. The three-week trip could be the time of her life -- or her wake-up call to actually get a life.

Jane Austen fans will lap up Austenland like a happy kitten with a saucer of cream. Both the wit and pacing are quick, with no words or time wasted. This romantic comedy is sure to make readers laugh one page and smirk the next. Not only is it a fast read, but it's also a fairly clean read, allowing her teen fans to share that saucer and enjoy Jane's sauciness.

The audio edition is literally suits the story's tone. The characters sound as they should, with Jane's words and the narration delivered in an American accent while the English characters have their lovely lilts.

* If you love Jane Austen novels, this book is for you.

* If you love the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice and think Colin Firth is the BEST EVER Darcy, this book is for you.

* If you enjoy a lighthearted romance that you would not be embarrassed to share with your mother or your daughters, this book is for you.

* If you are currently sewing period dresses for a daughter who has become involved in English Country Dancing and making note of how most of the fullness in Regency style empire waisted skirts is at the back at of the dress to allow for a smooth profile from the front, this book is for you.

Jane Hayes feels like she is a loser at love. She has the DVD of the BBC miniseries 'Pride and Prejudice' which she pulls out when she needs a shot of Mr. Darcy. She longs for the romantic connection of an Elizabeth Bennet-and-Fitzwilliam Darcy sort in her own life.

She is bequeathed a trip to a "Jane Austen World" in England, by a great-aunt. Pembrook Park lets the "campers" live and breathe 18th century England, complete with elegant gowns, etiquette and diversions. Jane decides this is her opportunity to purge herself of her Darcy neediness by immersing herself in the fantasy. She IS a 21st century person at heart though, so as she becomes accustomed to corsets and dresses that are not conducive to exercise, there is a part of her that holds back. In her heart she knows the "gentlemen" are actors but that does not keep her from wishing for a true romance.

I enjoyed Jane's ability to match the events at Pembrook Park to the plots and characters from Jane Austen's novels. The book's style does not swerve to the biting humor of Bridget Jones but it is an entertaining and fun summer read. No one can "do" Jane Austen. 'Austenland' is Shannon Hale's curtsy to the master.

I listened to audio version of the book because of my schedule. I enjoyed it but I am also looking forward to going back and actually reading it, which is something I rarely do.

I've been a Shannon Hale fan for awhile now (mostly due to her amazing lyrical writing and overall humor), so when I found she was writing an Austen-related book, I nearly squealed. I knew somehow I would find myself in the story.

I wasn't disappointed at all in Hale's writing; it still shines in this geared-for-adults novel and isn't clouded or tainted with lusty "harlequin" details that can be common with modern hommages to Austen. Austenland was hilarious, fun, and cleverly written! I can be a stickler for anachronisms, but I was too sucked into the language to even bother being overly critical. And of course, I found myself secretly wondering where I could find Pembrook Park...

The main character Jane Hayes goes back and forth with reality and fantasy. What is her reality? What is her idea of perfection? And does she really want this ideal? I think most Austen devotées toy with the same notions. Most women (including myself) idly wonder if there is such a thing as the "perfect man" for us. With this novel, we can at least live vicariously through Miss Hayes for a few hours.

All in all, the book rings with humorous self-assessment and ends with a "conclusion" that we all hope to have.

Like other reviewers, I do wish this book would have been longer. Many of the scenes and characters could have been fleshed out more, but I think it's a good sign when readers are craving for more.

I don't re-read very often, but I certainly will re-read this one in the future!

Jane Hayes is just your average, thirty-something, single New Yorker except for one little thing...her obsession with Pride and Prejudice, particularly with Mr. Darcy (as portrayed by Colin Firth, of course!), is ruining her life. No living, breathing, real man can compare to Darcy, the epitome of Regency-era male perfection. And so a succession of relationships crashes and burns, and Jane secretly watches her P&P DVDs, and then hides them like contraband from others when they visit her apartment, just in case they should see them and guess at her grand obsession (and correspondingly pathetic lack of a love life).

Then Jane's Aunt Carolyn dies and leaves her an unexpected and intriguing bequest in her will -- a three week stay at a role-playing resort in England called Austenland, a complete immersion into Austen's world for obsessed fanatics such as Jane. Seizing the opportunity to lay her Darcy fantasies to rest forever so she can live for something real, Jane accepts the trip and and heads to Austenland to live as Miss Jane Erstwhile, circa 1816, for three weeks. Jane's resolve to put her Darcy-esque fantasies behind her forever is sorely tested when confronted with the reality of the handsome, cravat-wearing gentlemen who populate Austenland and pay court to female guests. In the ultimate Austen-lover's fantasy world, can Jane find something real?

I so enjoyed this book. Hale's novel is a witty, clever send-up of the rabid Austen / Darcy mania that just about every woman I know can relate to in some degree. I would have liked to have seen the novel written in first-person from Jane's point-of-view -- the concept just screams "chick lit" and a change from third- to first-person would have enabled Hale to give greater insight and depth to Jane's character and smoothed out the narrative a bit. The supporting cast of characters that people Austenland is fabulous, though slightly underdeveloped. At a mere 194 pages, Austenland is an extremely short, fast read that begs to be about 100 pages longer (at least). I loved the world Hale created, and I loved Jane (I can SO relate to her Darcy mania!) and a certain someone that she meets at Austenland -- I won't spoil the surprise for those of you reading the review by naming names, even though when you read the novel Jane's real-life "Darcy" is telegraphed VERY early on. However, this lack of suspense doesn't detract from the sheer enjoyability of the read. I just wish there was more of it. Primarily known as a young adult fantasy author (The Goose Girl, Enna Burning) Hale is a promising voice in funny, clever, chick-lit style novels and I look forward to reading more from her. Austenland is a perfect summer read -- what it may lack in substance it more than compensates for in wit and invention.

Shannon Hale is best known for The Princess Academy and other children's tales. This is her first adult book.

Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker with a hidden obsession. She's crazy about Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Problem is this is ruining her life. No real man can compare.

When a wealthy relative wills her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies come true.

It's all a game but the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to vanish. Will she finally kick her Austen obsession for good or will her dreams actually result in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

This is the perfect book to take to the beach. A fun roam through the world of Jane Austen. Shannon Hale does a great job of bringing this world to life with the perfect Regency-era gentlemen, empire-waist gowns, no modern appliances, and the stiff British conversations.

I especially loved the references to Jane's former boyfriends that are woven throughout the story. The only problem I had was with the ending. I thought it was a little bit too predictable.

I'll read anything that relates to Austen even a little bit, frankly, so it was no surprise when I picked this book up off the floor at Book Expo America.

Hale did a great job of capturing the obsession that so many of us have with Austen, Pride and Prejudice especially, and most certainly Mr. Darcy. It was a charming little book, definitely fluffy, but a great homage to Austen, her wit, and the regency consumed. I was particularly amused by the main character's "fish-out-of-water" emotions once she got to her fantasy world and her irritation with the role in which she'd been plopped. Her refusal to be Fanny Price made me laugh out loud.

While the end felt a little forced and more than a little contrived, I read the book in a day and closed it with a smile on my face...so that should count for something, right?

Worth the read if you get your hands on it!

I wanted to like this book much more than I did. As an Austen fan, the premise sounded interesting, but as I was reading, it became more and more creepy. The whole idea of going to a "resort" where male actors are paid to romance the guests does seem one step above a brothel. What self-respecting woman would enjoy that? I also found it a little unbelievable that Jane, the narrator and a P&P addict, would not realize that Mr. Nobley was playing the Mr. Darcy role. There were so many parallels between Nobley's behavior and Darcy's in the book/movies, yet more than once Jane said "he's no Mr. Darcy." Jane wasn't particularly likable or consistent in what she wanted, and I couldn't understand her attachment to the Martin character, particularly at the end. The ending itself is completely predictable, yet ludicrous at the same time. Without spoiling the details, nothing like that could happen, considering modern-day airport security. It is a quick read and the blurbs about Jane's former boyfriends were mildly amusing, but unfortunately I can't recommend it.