Austenland: A Novel (edició 2007)

I decidedly needed a break from the usual fantasy books that I tend to read most of, since the last few I had picked up were not up to snuff, so I decided to go in a completely opposite direction with some adult contemporary with a romance angle. I watched the film version of Austenland a few years ago, so I figured that the book would be equally entertaining and light, which it definitely was. The premise is pretty ridiculous, with our protagonist Jane going on a vacation to Austenland in an attempt to cure herself of her obsession with Mr. Darcy that is ruining all of her chances at a realistic relationship. The whole concept of a Regency-based vacation sounds dreadfully tedious (especially when you think about the fact that the male actors are hired to “fall in love” with you), but it was highly amusing to see Jane go back and forth between her modern cynicism and her innate Austenian obsession. Did Jane really learn anything about herself and “cure” her Darcy obsession - debatable, considering that in the final pages of the book she goes along with the unexpected romance she finds with one of the actors, but I guess this is how a romance should end. Definitely not one I’ll be keeping for my collection or reading again, but a fun little read to get out of a reading slump. ( )

Could have been better, could have been much worse.... ( )

This was an incredibly fluffy, fun chick lit selection. I was already a Shannon Hale fan after reading Book of a Thousand Days, and though this was quite different (and adult), it was still great. I loved the fantasy aspect and the idea of a modern woman stepping into Regency England (even if it's just for a vacation). The protagonist's reactions were exactly how most of us would feel if we were plunked down in a Jane Austen novel. The love story was fun if predictable. But that was kind of the point - this is an Austen-esque novel so fans will appreciate the parallels and certainty that love will prevail in the end. ( )

I really like chick flicks.
I really don't like chick lit.

I wasn't feeling so hot one evening, so I watched the movie of this, and it was enjoyable brain candy. A ridiculous premise and a more ridiculous ending, but that's fine when there are pretty actors and settings and costumes to watch. And, alrightfine, I like a little romance now and then (*cough[b:Outlander|10964|Outlander (Outlander, #1)|Diana Gabaldon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402600310s/10964.jpg|2489796]cough*). What I don't like is entirely two-dimensional characters, predictable plot developments, and overly-stereotypically pathetic past experience for our "heroine" to overcome. The number of issues I had with Jane on page 5 alone were absurd:

-She hides her BBC P&P DVDs in a houseplant. What? It may be problematic to be holding out for Darcy in real life, but I've never met anyone who had a problem with admitting to owning that. Insecure much?
-She only owns season one of Arrested Development. That also would never happen. And Yoga for Dummies? Who is this girl??
-She picks the arugula out of her salad. The best greenery out there? I think not, Jane.
-Somewhere else, Jane thinks something about only reading [b:Northanger Abbey|50398|Northanger Abbey|Jane Austen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388201718s/50398.jpg|4039699] once, obviously. Someone at her level of Austen devotion would have to realize how funny and awesome that book is, right?

My biggest issue, of course, is the ending - if rando actor guy that I had known for three weeks and exchanged NO real personal information with followed me onto a plane and said he was ready for Forever with me, I'd want to find out what was wrong with him, not make out with him for a five hour flight. The fact that this is the happy ending and not major alarm bells is the real fantasy here. ( )

Jane believes all her relationships have been ruined in part because no man will ever live up to her ideal of Colin Firth playing Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. Then a wealthy relative leaves Jane an unusual inheritance -- an all-expenses paid trip to visit an exclusive manor house that has become an attraction where women can play at Regency romance. With so much falsehood put into the premise, can Jane trust her feelings when she develops attractions to the men who work there? Or should she just give up her dream of Mr. Darcy once and for all?

There's a lot of Jane Austen fan fiction out there but this one has a particularly clever premise -- rather than simply re-telling Pride and Prejudice for the umpteenth time, it's set in the modern day with folks just play-acting at being Austen-inspired characters. However, I felt that it didn't quite live up to its promise. For starters, I didn't really have connection/interest with any of the characters, including Jane who seemed to lack a personality beyond 'likes Jane Austen.' In the end, the romantic plotline is still essentially Pride and Prejudice, so it was fairly predictable, although Hale managed to throw in a few twists and turns that made me doubt where it was going at times.

The audiobook narrator certainly threw herself into making varied and distinct voices, but it almost seemed overdone. The characters felt far too much caricatures with some of the voices she gave them. That being said, it was nice to have something light and entertaining read as a break from a lot of the heavier stuff that I usually tend to read.

However, I ended up watching the film version just hours after finishing the book and it was one of those rare examples where the movie was actually better than the book. I'd recommend that to folks over reading this. ( )