I remember reading somewhere that one reviewer found Fowler too clever. I think I agree. Generally, I enjoyed this and found some of Fowler's observations more insightful than I had expected them to be, but overall I wish she had done a little more characterizing for its own sake and a little less paralleling Austen (dare I say, for its own sake). Still, enjoyable, and trips right along. A suitable summer read. ( )

Five women and one man come together to read the complete works of Jane Austen.

I initially liked this book very much. I found it very readable, and I appreciated the structure. It's well-paced, and Fowler presents some lovely character studies as she moves through the months, (and the Jane Austen novels), with these individuals. There are some good parallels between the characters' lives and the books they study, too. It was an interesting premise, and Fowler seemed set to make it pay.

As the book progressed, though, I felt my interest wane. Each character receives very little attention after her or his chapter is over. There's almost no further growth. The parallels wane somewhat, too, and the Jane Austen discussion fades into the background. I found it rather unsatisfying.

In the end, this was a mildly entertaining book, but certainly nothing special. I felt okay about passing along to someone else. ( )

Brace yourself, Trin: I actually did not hate this. I expected, especially given the terribly pastel cover, that reading this would induce a facial tic—however, there was just enough dry humour and nicely observed character interaction to win me over. There was even one point—about The Mysteries of Udolpho—which made me grin. Grigg's section of the book was perhaps my favourite—I liked Fowler's inversion of things so that his sisters were the heroes and he the heroine.

However ("...more Brace yourself, Trin: I actually did not hate this. I expected, especially given the terribly pastel cover, that reading this would induce a facial tic—however, there was just enough dry humour and nicely observed character interaction to win me over. There was even one point—about The Mysteries of Udolpho—which made me grin. Grigg's section of the book was perhaps my favourite—I liked Fowler's inversion of things so that his sisters were the heroes and he the heroine.

However ("Ha!", I can hear Trin cry, "of course there's a however!") I thought Fowler was very inconsistent in her characterisation. Some characters were drawn out more than others; even by the end, there were some names which I struggled to place. Fowler seemed to be more fond of some—Jocelyn in particular—than of others, and it showed in her pacing and in the sharpness of her writing. The biggest failure for me (shockingly) was the Austen connection. Each of the six members of the book club was connected thematically to one of Austen's six major works, forming the conceit around which the whole book is structured—and a conceit which felt rather contrived at times. The 'analysis' of the novels in which the members engaged was also very facile—I've seen fifteen year olds manage the same or better—and I did find myself rolling my eyes at times. Overall, a quick, light read, though I wasn't bowled over by it. ( )

'The Jane Austen Book Club' is one of those novels that might be dismissed as 'chick lit' but actually turns out to be a sharp, witty, intelligent and well-written book that, whilst certainly a light read, is also one to be deliciously savoured.

The premise is simple but original. A group of friends start a book club. Not just any book club, but, in light of their collective issues with modern life, an 'All-Jane-Austen-All-The-Time' book club. Six people, six books, with each of the group hosting the meeting for their chosen novel. The chapters are structured around these meetings, so the first chapter is 'MARCH, CHAPTER 1... in which we gather at Jocelyn's to discuss Emma', and so on. In each chapter the host's history and personality is more fully explored, the month's novel is discussed (but never so much that it bores or alienates the reader), and at the same time the other characters are lightly threaded through the background to keep the overall plot evolving.

As well as showcasing Austen's novels, this is very much a character piece. Each of the six book club members are entirely individual and it makes for much more interesting and amusing reading. Bernadette is a serial wife, rather eccentric and flamboyant, with a liking for yoga and Pride and Prejudice. Loyal Sylvia works at the library and has just had her life shattered by her husband Daniel's confession that he is leaving her for another woman. Her beautiful daughter Allegra is constantly doing daring things - not always without paying the price - and is getting over a devastating betrayal by her ex-girlfriend Corinne. Jocelyn is a dominant terminal singleton, afraid of being hurt and making up for it by matchmaking everyone else. Prudie is a rather artificial, self-conscious young French teacher who doesn't quite know how to interact with other people without coming across all wrong. And Grigg, poor Grigg, a sci-fi fan and Austen virgin brought into the group by Jocelyn as a distraction for Sylvia, entirely out of his depth and trying not to make an idiot of himself. The novel is narrated by a kind of all-seeing other, one who describes each character in the third person but frequently mentions 'us' and 'we'; part of the fun of the reading is trying to work out which of the six, if any, might be telling the story.

Thus characters are deepened, love blossoms and dies and blooms again, and the story goes on. Of course it ends with optimism, hope and a well-timed bit of Austen wisdom. To my surprise, at the end of the book Fowler has also added some little extras which add to the reading experience - some contemporary and modern literary criticism of Austen and her novels, a brief summary of each of the books (handy for those not familiar with all of the works, or those who might want a quick refresher on characters and plots), and at the VERY end, a funny set of 'Questions for Discussion' on Austen AND Fowler presented by each of the six book club members.

Clearly a liking for Jane Austen helps when reading this novel, but ultimately there is nothing in here that should put off a less knowledgeable reader, particularly given the handy summaries at the back (which I wish I'd noticed earlier, I must admit). It is a scrumptious book - funny, romantic, inspiring and positive - and definitely one I'll be keeping to read again.

I'd also highly recommend the recent movie of the book (starring Maria Bello, Maggie Grace and Hugh Dancy), which is surprisingly faithful to the book in spite of its challenging structure, and just as sparkling! ( )

I found this story trite and was bored with this book. I don't even remember why I didn't like it; maybe it was just a visceral reaction. I wanted to like it. And I will admit it made me want to revisit Austen. But overall not an enjoyable read. ( )