Customer Reviews

Writing Jane Austen

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Note: this review is based upon the unabridged audiobook by Brilliance Audio which was performed by Julia Whelan.

I am so disappointed with this story, which is really a shame. The premise seemed compelling enough to pick it up, but what followed was not nearly as charming. It suffered from two fundamental problems:

1. The most unlikable protagonist I've encountered in some time. Georgina Jackson was amiable to most, but when she wasn't crying "why me" over a professional opportunity, she was enthralled by how much Jane Austen had manipulated the culture around her despite refusing to partake of the aforementioned author's work herself. Add to this her unwavering immaturity, it really became a wonder how the character could have reached her present station in life with such a crippling attitude. This is altogether made worse by the fact that...

2. There was not a single conflict in the entire plot. The character faced no challenge intellectually or physically, and much of the story revolved around the protagonist's refusal to do anything other than run away inexplicably and complain about something she was easily capable of doing. We are then left apathetic when we arrive at the final twists of the plot. There was no climax, nor an oomph to the progression: just a long overdue fizzle to a thankful conclusion.

So why rate it even two stars when I clearly didn't appreciate it? Julia Whelan's performance. She put forth a marvelous and incredibly enjoyable reading that she alone was the driving factor behind my continuance after three chapters. I would not have made it beyond that had I invested time into physically reading it. Those two stars are for her.

This isn't to say I've written the author off completely; that's not the case at all. I still have a weakness for Austen-esque titles, and she's contributed a great deal to that genre so the probability of my crossing paths with her work is still relatively high. I just can't recommend this book to anyone; Jane Austen fans in particular.

Elizabeth Aston has written six novels set within Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy universe. Her latest novel, "Writing Jane Austen""" is set in 21st century Britain and features a young female protagonist who is an award winning and critically acclaimed author named Georgina Jackson. Georgina's debut novel while celebrated in literary circles did not sell very well at all. She is also in a writing slump and cannot get past the first chapter of her second novel. Forty eight different versions of chapter one to be exact.

It is at this point she is presented with the opportunity of a lifetime: to finish a recently discovered uncompleted novel by Jane Austen.

Georgina is horrified because she has never read anything by Jane Austen and has never wanted to. She also is intimidated because she knows that Jane Austen has fervent, rabid fans. How could anyone try and imitate the literary style of Jane Austen? That would be impossible. It certainly could not be done in three months time which is what her shrew/harpy of an agent and her publisher give her.

Georgina hesitates, but a financial crisis forces her to take up this Literary Call to Adventure.

I found the novel to be a light, breezy read that is laugh out loud funny. Georgina's literary agent, Livia Harkness, explodes off the page as someone I would never want to meet in real life.

Aston shows how Jane Austen's works are continuing to have an impact: from academic treatises to themed tours of the city of Bath to trinkets. Almost as if her fans are making a pilgrimage to sacred sites and the venerating of saints' relics.

The story is has a delightfully quirky tone and shows the stresses of pressure put on someone to create magic with the written word.

I think fans of Jane Austen will find many Easter Eggs hidden within the text. I recognized a character insertion of Miss Bates from "Emma" and feel that there are probably more such delights to be discovered by Janeites. Those who are not big fans of Austen will also enjoy the novel.

Overall, I recommend this book. This would be a good summer beach read.

Stepping into the 21st-century, Elizabeth Aston's new novel WRITING JANE AUSTEN offers a completely different vintage of Austen inspired paraliterature than her previous six books based on PRIDE AND PREJUDICE characters and their families from the early 19th-century. Set in present day London, readers will immediately discover that Austen's influence of three or four families in a country village, social machinations and romantic entanglements are far removed from this author's intentions - and our heroine Georgina Jackson is no Lizzy Bennet. One wonders out loud if this change is a good thing. Well, this is definitely not your mother's traditional Austen sequel. With one eyebrow raised, I am reminded of Mr. Knightley's comment in Austen's novel EMMA, "surpizes are foolish things". We shall see if his advice is warranted.

Georgina Jackson is an American writer living in London with one highly acclaimed but not so best-selling book under her belt. Her specialty is grim late Victorian and her second novel is way over deadline. Her high-powered agent Livia Harkness is about to scratch her off her client list when she offers her a literary chance of a life-time to complete a recently discovered unfinished manuscript by Jane Austen. Georgina is not impressed. She does not do early nineteenth-century. She is however, getting nowhere with her present novel, over-drawn at the bank and terrified to be deported back to America with no money and a dead career. With little choice she begrudgingly accepts the job, even though she thinks Austen is only about frivolous romance and has never had a desire to read one of her books.

The pressure is on to complete the novel in three months so she sets off on a research expedition to discover everything she can about Austen in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Overhelmed, she heads to Bath to follow in Austen's footsteps through the beautiful Georgian city. Finding the Jane Austen(tm) franchise everywhere and seemingly everyone making money off it, Georgina is repulsed and now dislikes Austen and her obsessive fans even more. Next she travels to Lacock, a Regency-era village to experience life as Jane would have known it. There she finds more trinket shops, tour buses and a film shooting of yet another adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Discouraged, Georgina returns to London to her rented room in a terrace house she shares with her landlord Henry Lefroy an unemployed banker, Maude his precocious teenage sister and Anna Bednarska the indefatigable Polish housekeeper. They all know and admire Austen's works and are ready and willing to coach her through any snags. Still procrastinating and stymied to write a word, Georgina finally opens PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Engrossed, she reads all of Austen's six major novels nonstop for two days. Her life would never be the same.

This fast passed novel is packed full of Austen lore galore, though you do not have to be a Janeite to enjoy all the in-jokes and jabs at the Austen industry. Anyone who has seen the BBC 1995 adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE will get half the humor. Janeites will get all of it and laugh and roll their eyes at how Austen fandom is viewed by the uninitiated. Even though this is a new style for Aston, the framework has been around since Helen Fielding introduced us to her angst-ridden and weight obsessive Bridget Jones in 1995. Is this chick-lit you ask? Definitely. Aston's heroine Georgina Jackson is as ambitious and insecure as her pink covered compatriots but without the main drive to find a man. Instead, Georgina's objective is to find Austen and learn to write like her. Aston is a master at research and I found her historical references to Austen, her novels and her family quite impressive. By three-quarters into the book I wished the heroine would accept her plight and just get on with writing, but that was the author's prolonged point. Readers will be entertained by the quirky humor of Georgina's dilemma, charmed and annoyed by the well-crafted supporting characters and surprised by the eventual outcome. However, if you are expecting a drawing room drama punctuated by romance, WRITING JANE AUSTEN is exactly what its title implies.

Laurel Ann, Austenprose

*Spoilers ahead*

For brevity's sake, I won't summarize the plot points of this book here because quite a few other reviewers have done that very well already. I will just tell you my own feelings concerning this novel. Just for background info, I should let you know that I'm quite a fan of both Jane Austen and also funny, romantic contemporary novels as well. Hence, I thought that WRITING JANE AUSTEN might be exactly my type of thing because it seemed to blend both worlds together, to some degree.

However, my worst hurdle in enjoying this book was that I had trouble liking the main character, and it's not a good sign if you don't completely support and root for the protagonist. I found Georgina Jackson (for the first part of the book) to be overbearingly snobby in her views towards Jane Austen's novels, looking down her nose at them without knowing anything firsthand about them. Her vitriolic scorn was hard for me to stomach, being an Austen fan myself. I realize that a whole industry has sprung up around Jane Austen outside of her published works, and very few merchandising stones have been left unturned. However, I had difficulty with a learned, educated woman completely discounting a much-beloved author's works without having read a single one of them herself. I know that intellectuals aren't always known for their open, unbiased views, but this type of attitude in a heroine doesn't exactly endear her to readers. Also, the many times that Georgina runs away (or procrastinates unendingly) gets a little repetitive. I felt like she spent so much time fighting her situation and bemoaning that there was no way she could write that book when she could have been trying to seek an actual solution SO MUCH sooner. However, these character flaws, though irksome at times, didn't ruin the book for me. Also, the way that Georgina completely changes her viewpoint on Austen's novels, once she's read them, makes up for her earlier attitude.

In addition, the secondary characters were wonderful. I really enjoyed Henry, Maud, and Anna (though the latter was a bit too preachy for me, at times), and they saved the book for me. Their personalities evened out Georgina's flaws, and I was able to like her more at times because of what they brought out in her. Some other less-fleshed-out secondary characters popped up for a chapter or two and then dropped out of the story, more or less, which seemed a little odd. They did give Georgina individuals to play off of while she was off researching the places associated with Austen, but it was still a little bit disjointed at times.

Personally, I liked all of the little Austen tidbits that were dropped into the story here and there that a reader might not notice if not familiar with Austen's novels (such as Harriet Smith being the name of a student on a school trip at one of the Austen tourist sites). I also enjoyed what we learned about how authors go about writing their novels; the methods they employ to go from a blank screen to a finished work were fascinating.

Also, the style of narration by this audiobook's reader was lively and entertaining, even if some didn't feel that her British accents were as good as they should have been. For example, her Maud was fun and quirky, and I like how she voiced that character.

My final feeling on this book is that, even when I was a bit annoyed with the main character, I always felt deeply compelled to keep reading to find out what would happen next and how Georgina would achieve her professional "happy ending." Also, I was very happy with how (and with whom) her personal "happy ending" worked out, even if it seemed to be a little too easily sorted out. However, I've suspended disbelief before when reading a romance novel, and I'm sure I'll do it again. I have a feeling that I'll be re-reading this one in future, primarily to enjoy re-visiting the interesting characters and their relationships but also to be swept along again as a doubter falls in love with Austen for the first time.

This book had something that is all too rare these days: charm. It is, of course, froth, but it has more teeth than a run-of-the-mill chick lit novel. I loved the characters, especially Maud (a beautifully drawn, highly individualistic 14 year old girl) and Henry. The plot is completely improbable, but the charm of the novel means that this doesn't matter--the book draws one in, even while one feels a bit rueful about allowing oneself to be seduced into its world. I laughed out loud in places, something that I rarely do.

In any event, the book is beautifully written. I very much enjoyed the main protagonist's inevitable love affair with Jane Austen's work, and her waking up to the idea that a novel does not have to be grindingly and depressingly politically correct to be good. No one read her deeply depressing, albeit prize-winning, first novel, and in a way the book is about her figuring out why. She learns that it is acceptable for a book to be enjoyable, and that social commentary does not require that the author convey the view that life is not worth living.

I highly recommend this book. It is ideal for long summer days, but also great for cozy fall and winter evenings. Reading it in the winter would actually be fun, as it will keep you warm. I will wait to reread it until the cold weather comes.

I was very excited to see this book hit the shelves, as I adore Elizabeth Aston's P&P sequels. I was very disappointed in this book. The character was mopey and spent way too much time avoiding her work. There were loose threads that just didn't make sense, like romantic relationships that don't appear to have a point. I was annoyed that a character not seen since the first 50 pages was integral to the ending and I found the constant Jane Austen tidbits distracting, almost as if the author was paid to make sure Austen's name was mentioned at least once every two pages.

On the whole, I'd skip this one and wait for the next one. Hopefully it will be better.

Georgina Jackson, feeling a mixture of apprehension and dread, makes her way down to her literary agent's office, wondering what it is her agent wants to see her for. It probably has nothing to do with her first novel from two years ago, which received raved reviews from critics but was not a big seller, and most likely isn't about her second book, in which Georgina is unable to write beyond the first chapter. What could her churlish agent want with her?

Georgina soon learns the reason she has been summoned: she has received a commission to complete a recently discovered fragment of novel for a famous author. While this sounds like a fantastic professional opportunity and an answer to Georgina's financial problems, she cannot accept this assignment. Why? Because the famous author she is suppose to imitate and complete the fragment for is none other than Jane Austen!

The novels of Jane Austen and Georgina Jackson are as different as night and day. Georgina writes dark and tragic novels, filled with misfortunes and misery, and Jane Austen writes (in Georgina's opinion) "about young women falling in love and getting husbands." Or at least that's what she believes she writes, since Georgina has yet to read a Jane Austen novel. Gasp!

Georgina has been given an insurmountable task. Not only does she need to write a believable pastiche of a Jane Austen novel, but she needs to do it in three months time! It would be a substantial challenge for any writer to complete a one hundred and twenty thousand word novel in twelve weeks time. Let alone a writer who needs to spend time reading and researching an author she knows nothing about. Assisting Georgina in this project is her scientist landlord, Henry, his fourteen year old sister, Maud, and their Polish housekeeper, Anna, who all adore Jane Austen and are very knowledgeable on all things Austen. Furthermore, these characters also help Georgina escape her loathsome agent and publisher who are relentlessly harassing and nearly stalking her.

With such a fantastic premise and intriguing plot, I found myself very excited to read Writing Jane Austen. While I enjoyed many parts of this story such as the minor characters, the references to Jane Austen novels and characters, and the jabs at the Austen industry, there were some aspects of this novel I did not enjoy. The first being our heroine, Georgina Jackson. I understand the author wanting to portray Georgina as very anti-Austen and create conflict with her difficulties writing a Jane Austen novel, but I feel she maybe carried it too far. Georgina spent so much time avoiding her work, running from her agent, and procrastinating that I started to find her a little unlikable and immature. Perhaps if Georgina showed some significant maturation or responsibility, readers would feel a little more sympathetic and endeared towards her.

Another aspect of this novel I wasn't too fond of was how some characters and plots seemed a little superfluous and often disregarded later on in the novel. For example, one time when Georgina is hiding from her publisher, she stays at her ex-boyfriends apartment. The author gives a brief background on this ex-boyfriend and his relationship with Georgina but never alludes to his existence again. Another scenario is when Georgina visits a friend in Bath. There is a couple of chapters devoted to this trip, yet it seems a little isolated and does not connect to the main plot very cohesively.

With six lovely Pride and Prejudice sequels already published, Ms. Aston is becoming a well-known and admired Austenesque author. I am delighted that Ms. Aston decided to deviate from Pride and Prejudice sequels and write an Austen-Inspired/Jane Austen Chick-Lit novel. Whatever the genre is, Ms. Aston's novels always illustrate her great love and veneration for Jane Austen and her world. I dearly hope Elizabeth Aston continues to pen more Austenesque novels!

Austenesque Reviews

Georgina Jackson has forty-eight chapters written for her sophomore novel, except they're all Chapter One. She simply can't move forward. When her agent rings and demands a meeting, she knows there's going to be sharp words exchanged.

Instead, Georgina's in for a shock. She's being offered the role of a lifetime, an opportunity most authors would kill to achieve. Someone recently discovered a never-before-seen chapter of a Jane Austen novel. It's been authenticated and her agent demands that Georgina finish the book.

Georgina knows nothing about Jane Austen and she has no desire to start learning. However, the advance would be substantial, and when Georgina discovers that the monies might be her only chance at remaining in England, she agrees to write the book in twelve weeks.

First, she must learn about Jane Austen, and then she must come up with an idea, and transfer that idea into a manuscript. Georgina's certain she's doomed to fail, but with her landlord, Henry, his sister, Maud, and flatmate, Anna, propping her up, she just might be able to accomplish the impossible.

Elizabeth Aston writes an amusing tale about the discovery of Jane Austen after avoiding the author like the plague. She humorously focuses on the pains of writing, including the need for many breaks, procrastination techniques, and how to duck phone calls and dodge unwanted visitors. She details the joys and annoyances of friendships and adds a dash of romance to this entertaining read.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

I adore Elizabeth Aston's continuations of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Her novels are the only ones I've found to stand up to the Austen standard. This was her first foray (that I'm aware of) into a novel set in modern times.

The heroine of the story is an author who has never read any Jane Austen, yet is coerced into completing a manuscript of Austen's that has just come to light. The story follows her as she travels through Austen's life, seeing the world as Austen must have.

Parts of it were a bit flighty for me - how many times was she going to run away? - but in general it was an entertaining and easy read. Predictable, but enjoyable. The protagonist is not the strong Austen heroine we are used to, and perhaps that is what detracts from the story the most.

This author is known for her P&P continuation series with the children of Darcy and Elizabeth. This book takes a new direction with it set in modern times and with the main character who despises Austen and is baffled by the appeal. It was interesting how Georgina has misperceptions regarding the JA books and what they are about until she finally gives in to read them.
I will not give away the plot, but it is a light and easy read. I would have enjoyed more detail with her friend in Bath and not so quick a resolution in the end, but all in all, not bad.