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Austenland: A Novel by Shannon Hale
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Austenland: A Novel (edition 2008)

by Shannon Hale

Series: Austenland (1)

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2,8132525,043 (3.43)210
Fiction. Literature. Romance. HTML:

Jane is a young New York woman who never seems to find the right man-perhaps because of her secret obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. When a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-obsessed women, however, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become more real than she ever could have imagined. Is this total immersion in a fake Austenland enough to make Jane kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

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Member:sagustocox
Title:Austenland: A Novel
Authors:Shannon Hale
Info:Bloomsbury USA (2008), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 208 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:*****
Tags:None

Work Information

Austenland by Shannon Hale

  1. 30
    Jane Austen in Scarsdale: Or Love, Death, and the SATs by Paula Marantz Cohen (elbakerone)
  2. 30
    Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler (writemeg)
    writemeg: Another modern woman's look at life in Jane Austen's era -- with entertaining and surprising results.
  3. 42
    Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding (elbakerone)
  4. 10
    Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter (Alliebadger)
    Alliebadger: Definitely check this out if you liked the other. Both chick lit, both very fast, light, and amusing reads for any Austen fan.
  5. 11
    Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure by Emma Campbell Webster (nicole_a_davis)
  6. 00
    Both Sides of Time / Out of Time by Caroline B. Cooney (rosylibrarian)
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» See also 210 mentions

English (248)  Italian (1)  All languages (249)
Showing 1-5 of 248 (next | show all)
'Austenland' had been gathering virtual dust in my TBR pile since 2014. I rescued it as part of 2024 TBR Challenge, half expecting to set it aside fairly quickly. To my surprise, it was an amusing, energetic read that went in directions that I didn't expect. It was more subtle and more engaging than the movie version, which went for laughs without being too concerned about Jane's interior turmoil.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbHr8YyjSlg

The humour in the book worked for me because it didn't try to hard too be funny. The humour felt natural, not forced.

Interspersing the Austenland narrative with a chronological reprise of Jane's (depressingly unsuccessful) relationships with men gave the story more depth and helped me to understand why she had retreated into an obsession with finding a man who could be her Colin Firth / Mr Darcy as opposed to the various incarnations of Mr Collins or Captain Wickham that she'd encountered along the way.

What made the book come alive for me was Jane's inability to immerse herself fully in the Austen roleplay. It wasn't that she lacked the background knowledge to play her part. It was the 'playing' that she couldn't reconcile herself to. She could see the appeal of giving herself up to the fantasy and letting one of the faux Regency gentlemen woo her and tell her how wonderful she was but she slowly came to realise that doing not only wouldn't kill off her Darcy obsession but it wouldn't feed it either. The more opportunity she had to immerse herself in Austenland, the more she understood that what she was really hungry for was something real.

The ending was clever. It managed to keep the tension high, tighten up the humour and develop Jane as a person.

I listened to the audiobook version of 'Austenland', perfectly narrated by the inimitable and much missed Katherine Kellgren. ( )
  MikeFinnFiction | Feb 27, 2024 |
My audiobook version of this was damaged and tended to skip at important parts. Blast! But I still had a fun time listening to this (despite the ridiculous premise). ( )
  LibrarianDest | Jan 3, 2024 |
Like many people, I came across Austenland after watching the exceptionally beautiful, funny, and romantic film of the same name with Kerri Russell and J.J. Field. I know! It's a cardinal sin to watch the movie before reading the book, but I couldn't help it! Even if you're like me, and you already know how it ends when you pick up this book, there's still plenty to explore and love with this little story.

The biggest difference between the film and the book is with Jane herself. In the film, Jane Hayes doesn't just worship Mr. Darcy. She is obsessed with everything Austen: she knows all of the social rules, the plots, the characters, the historical milieu. Everything. And she throws herself into Austenland with wild abandon. Meanwhile, book Jane Hayes only cares about Colin Firth's interpretation of Mr. Darcy, and she knows next to nothing about the world he inhabits. As a result, her growth looked different, but it was no less sweet or rewarding.

Jane starts out as incredibly insecure in her own skin. Even when she arrives at Austenland, she's very uncomfortable, but over the course of this short novel, she grows into herself. Sure, she's not completely cured of her minor jealousies (who really can say they're never jealous or insecure anyway?), but she visibly grows. That's very gratifying.

The supporting cast is very similar to how they are in the film: Mrs. Wattlesbrook is a joyless stickler for rules. Lizzy Charming is hilarious and warm. Amelia is the perfect foil to Jane; Captain East is heroic; Colonel Andrews is entertaining; Mr. Nobly starts out cold but then melts deliciously, and Martin is still as much of a dickwad as ever. Everyone adds something to the story, and I can't imagine it without them.

My biggest issue with the book is with the romance between Mr. Nobly and Jane. First of all, unlike in the film, Mr. Nobly is an actor at Austenland. This isn't a spoiler since readers aren't led to believe otherwise, but it certainly ruins the dichotomy. He's not surly because he's out of place. He just is a jerk. Also, any of his changing feelings for Jane feel out of left field. Why is he falling for Jane? The reason he gives is that she's completely different from every other woman who's visited Austenland. That's right, readers. We have a very strong case here of "not like other girls" syndrome. It's not like Jane and Nobly didn't have chemistry. They absolutely did! I swooned every time she caught him looking at her. But the romance was cheapened because Nobly's feelings didn't go any deeper than she just wasn't the usual customer at his place of work. She was poor and didn't pay for the vacation herself! And she didn't molest him! And she wasn't married! What a noble character! If Nobly just left the park on occasion, he'd meet plenty of women who fit his ideal woman. Instead, he thinks it's a miracle there's a woman in the world who would rather talk about potential baby names on the first date instead of having sex (not that there's anything wrong with that, but they don't have to be so high and mighty about it).

If you loved the movie, then you'll enjoy this book. If you like this book, then you'll be enchanted by the film. Both have their merits. However, if I had to choose, I would say the film is better. As much fun as I had reading this, the film is just funnier, and I prefer the dynamic between Jane and Nobly in that one. Please don't sue me! ( )
  readerbug2 | Nov 16, 2023 |
A fun easy read for Jane Austen fans. ( )
  secondhandrose | Oct 31, 2023 |
This was a really good book, I'm looking forward to reading the second one. I love reading Jane Austen's work and stories based upon her work. This was one of my favorites, it is witty and historical and believable. ( )
  CaitlinDaugherty | Aug 28, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 248 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Shannon Haleprimary authorall editionscalculated
Crea, AnnalisaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kellgren, KatherineReadersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
King, AmyCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lind, MonicaCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ratchford, PattiCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Stemen, SaraDesignersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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Information from the German Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
Epigraph
Dedication
For Colin Firth

You're a really great guy, but I'm married,

so I think we should just be friends.
First words
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a thirty-something woman in possession of a satisfying career and fabulous hairdo must be in want of very little, and Jane Hayes, pretty enough and clever enough, was certainly thought to have little to distress her.
Quotations
"I was such a fool, Jane. I couldn't see what was real until time had washed away everything else."
"Figure out what is real for you."
"You know, that book did Austen herself no good—died a spinster."
"I know." The thought had haunted Jane many times, and it was a favorite weapon of anti-Austen enthusiasts.
"Not that there's anything wrong with spinsters," Carolyn said, patting the fragile folds in her neck.
"Of course not. Spinster is just an archaic term for 'career-minded.'"
And Jane was eager to agree. Seriously, a thirty-something woman shouldn't be daydreaming about a fictional character in a two-hundred-year-old world to the point where it interfered with her very real and much more important life and relationships. Of course, she shouldn't.
Is this why women wear heels? thought Jane. We hobble ourselves so we can still be rescued by men?
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
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Information from the German Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
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Information from the German Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
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Wikipedia in English (2)

Fiction. Literature. Romance. HTML:

Jane is a young New York woman who never seems to find the right man-perhaps because of her secret obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. When a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-obsessed women, however, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become more real than she ever could have imagined. Is this total immersion in a fake Austenland enough to make Jane kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

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Book description
From the dust jacket: "Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her life. No real man can compare.
When a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined. Decked out in empire- waist gowns, stripped of her modern appliances, Jane throws herself into mastering Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen - or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them.
It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to vanish. Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?"
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