AUSTENLAND: Shannon Hale: Bloomsbury: 197 pagesJane Hayes LOVES the BBC film version of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth (who doesn’t, really?), and nothing in real life is quite as perfect. In fact, Mr. Darcy has become an obsession and all the real men in Jane’s life fail to measure up to him. When her great-aunt dies and leaves her a vacation at Pembrook Park, an Austen-themed resort, Jane decides to indulge her fantasies one last time before kicking her Pride and Prejudice addiction for good.
This is a fun, quick, romantic read with plenty of references to Austen’s books and films. Unfortunately, the beginning and ending are weak, and the whole thing feels a little thin. The overall story idea is clever and Jane’s time at Pembrook Park is engaging, so Austen fans (and Shannon Hale fans) will probably still eat this up.
MBC
1 comment:
Austenland was exactly what I predicted it would be. When I saw the film I laughed and laughed at the witty one-liners and preposterous characters, so I naturally wanted to compare the book. The book is better! But it doesn't hurt to imagine Keri Russell, JJ Feild, and Jennifer Coolidge as you read. I am one of those avid Austen and Hale fans and I devoured this novel in a matter of days. I would agree the beginning is 'thin' but the ending wraps things up in a satisfying way. With the clever references to Jane Austen books and films and the unfolding of a love story, I was pleasantly entertained throughout. I could relate to Jane and her desire to find a Mr. Darcy-type man, which made her struggles finding him that much more approachable and humorous.
-LP
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