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pilateschick's review
2.0
I didn't care for the book, but I loved the author's dedication: "For Colin Firth -- You're a really great guy, but I'm married, so I think we should just be friends.
jestareader's review against another edition
4.0
I decided to read this because I loved the movie. Very quickly, let's go over this book.
- It jumped right into the story fairly quickly. Good.
- Movie Mr.Nobly seems very reserved and quiet due to his dislike of his situation. Book Mr. Nobly seems reserved based off his distaste for women (at the beginning of the story). Of course this may be that when reading you get more details and in films you have to sometimes fill in blanks but I still believe Movie Mr. Nobly wins this round.
- HOWEVER, I did like Book Martin more than Movie Martin (at least for the first half, by the second half they are pretty much the same). This could also be based off that one scene in the movie, when Jane and Martin dance and he sings really badly. I just ... that seems to awkward to me and Book Martin didn't do it so for that reason only he seems more suave.
The book was a perfect fluff read. It was quick, entertaining and humorous. HOWEVER the movie still wins this round. Gasp. I know, rare occurrence but ...
- It jumped right into the story fairly quickly. Good.
- Movie Mr.Nobly seems very reserved and quiet due to his dislike of his situation. Book Mr. Nobly seems reserved based off his distaste for women (at the beginning of the story). Of course this may be that when reading you get more details and in films you have to sometimes fill in blanks but I still believe Movie Mr. Nobly wins this round.
- HOWEVER, I did like Book Martin more than Movie Martin (at least for the first half, by the second half they are pretty much the same). This could also be based off that one scene in the movie, when Jane and Martin dance and he sings really badly. I just ... that seems to awkward to me and Book Martin didn't do it so for that reason only he seems more suave.
The book was a perfect fluff read. It was quick, entertaining and humorous. HOWEVER the movie still wins this round. Gasp. I know, rare occurrence but ...
roxnn2000's review against another edition
5.0
I loved it book! The story was solid, the heroine was interesting, and the hero was very Darcy-like. Just an all around good time.
enoughread's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
moruyle's review
3.0
Fun and sweet, but I can't help but think how much more restrictive Regency England would actually BE to a modern woman. Aside from mild boredom, there is little chafing at the restrictions. Then again, it's a vacation, so I guess it can't be too restrictive or the guests would revolt.
Still. I finished the book and said, "that was nice!" and it was. Nice and funny and sweet. A lovely cupcake of a book.
Still. I finished the book and said, "that was nice!" and it was. Nice and funny and sweet. A lovely cupcake of a book.
graham_greene_lantern's review against another edition
Incredibly boring, I could not have been less invested in the emotional life of the main character or any of her romantic prospects.
kathydavie's review
3.0
A psychological exploration of romance via Jane Austen.
My Take
As I began reading, I felt a bit ho-hum. Sure, it was a fun fantasy to think about going back to a "gentler" time when manners were important and one could play at being a lady. And Hale set us up for the shame that Jane feels in her role as a player, but the trip and her own inner searching provides a sweet revelation. And only goes to prove that if you give up your search, the object you desire will appear.
I wouldn't have lasted. Too many rules and those rules which pushed Jane down the line of precedence would have irked me too far. What kind of vacation is it that dumps on you like that? I didn't see the point of changing Jane's name or her age. I felt this contributed to Jane's feeling as though she were playing; if she had kept her name but under the strictures of 1816, I think the experience would have meant more. And if Mrs. Wattlesbrooke's rules were so strict, I don't understand how Miss Charming got away with her stupid "tally-hos" and "what, whats".
Although, to be fair, Austenland does provide for a full immersion from clothing to makeup, food to the company and a strict adherence to the etiquette and language of the time. I suspect I'd've gotten a headache trying to keep my language straight (and clean!).
There's a point in the story when Jane realizes that she's wasting Great-Aunt Carolyn's gift and Jane finally begins to consider the Austen heroine and not just her men.
It's an interesting mix of disdain and consideration. The paints with which Jane was gifted provide her with another type of vacation, a revisit to a time in her life when she was freer, wilder, fearless. Yet, because Jane's financial background isn't likely to see her return for another visit, the players don't put as much effort into her vacation as they do the others.
In some ways, Pembrook Park seemed more of a whorehouse which ladies visit.
I enjoyed the story. In spite of the gaps. Hale had fun with her fantasy of Austenland and I appreciated how she had Jane analyzing herself throughout with comparisons to her beloved Jane Austen, her characters, and her world. I've already mentioned what I saw as drawbacks to the "land", what I haven't noted was the vagueness of the romances that rose up. One felt very real while another was too confusing. There weren't any indications that Nobley was not playing his role and his sudden leap at the end, while sweet, was somewhat out of the blue. Oh, I knew Hale was tending that way, but she never developed it. I think this was a missed opportunity for a better bit of drama and tension. What I don't understand at all is Martin at the end. His about face at the ball was so real and then Hale's final twist. Nope, I just don't get it. I don't see the point of it. Unless Hale was simply looking for an easy way to create a bit more tension. If so, shame on you, work at it next time. Your story didn't deserve this slacking off. I did enjoy Jane's parting shot to Mrs. Wattlesbrook...the old cow!
Ah well...
The Story
Jane's mother Shirley brought Great-Aunt Carolyn along one day to lunch and it's the sight of the not-so-well-hidden Pride and Prejudice DVD that encourages Carolyn to ensure Jane's immersion.
Three weeks completely immersed in Austenland, a.k.a., Pembrook Park in Kent, England. And it starts before one steps foot on the property.
The Characters
Jane Hayes, a.k.a., Miss Jane Erstwhile, is a Jane Austen-romantic. Totally caught up in the world of Mr. Darcy and no one in her own time period can ever measure up.
Mrs. Wattlesbrook is the mistress of the immersion. The arbiter of who stays and who goes. The characters who make up the household include Aunt Saffronia and Uncle Sir Templeton; Colonel Andrews is chatty and does his best to make each guest feel wanted; Mr. Nobley who is quite snobby; and, Martin is one of the gardeners with a secret passion for root beer and American basketball; Captain George East plays a naval captain and a jilted lover of Miss Heartwright's; and, Mrs. Heartwright plays chaperone since Miss Heartwright insists upon staying in a small cottage on the grounds.
Miss Lizzy Charming is one of the guests---an old broad pretending to be a sweet, young thing. Nothing like reinforcing the faux nature of the event. Miss Amelia Heartwright is one of the recurring guests. A woman Jane just wants to hate...she has the language and the manners down. She's just too damn perfect.
The Cover
The cover is perfect as Jane stands at the start of a gravel path, suitcase in hand, before the glorious Pembrook Park.
This is what it's all about, Austenland, where the fanciers of Jane Austen and the world she created can immerse themselves in the Prince Regent's England.
My Take
As I began reading, I felt a bit ho-hum. Sure, it was a fun fantasy to think about going back to a "gentler" time when manners were important and one could play at being a lady. And Hale set us up for the shame that Jane feels in her role as a player, but the trip and her own inner searching provides a sweet revelation. And only goes to prove that if you give up your search, the object you desire will appear.
I wouldn't have lasted. Too many rules and those rules which pushed Jane down the line of precedence would have irked me too far. What kind of vacation is it that dumps on you like that? I didn't see the point of changing Jane's name or her age. I felt this contributed to Jane's feeling as though she were playing; if she had kept her name but under the strictures of 1816, I think the experience would have meant more. And if Mrs. Wattlesbrooke's rules were so strict, I don't understand how Miss Charming got away with her stupid "tally-hos" and "what, whats".
Although, to be fair, Austenland does provide for a full immersion from clothing to makeup, food to the company and a strict adherence to the etiquette and language of the time. I suspect I'd've gotten a headache trying to keep my language straight (and clean!).
There's a point in the story when Jane realizes that she's wasting Great-Aunt Carolyn's gift and Jane finally begins to consider the Austen heroine and not just her men.
It's an interesting mix of disdain and consideration. The paints with which Jane was gifted provide her with another type of vacation, a revisit to a time in her life when she was freer, wilder, fearless. Yet, because Jane's financial background isn't likely to see her return for another visit, the players don't put as much effort into her vacation as they do the others.
In some ways, Pembrook Park seemed more of a whorehouse which ladies visit.
I enjoyed the story. In spite of the gaps. Hale had fun with her fantasy of Austenland and I appreciated how she had Jane analyzing herself throughout with comparisons to her beloved Jane Austen, her characters, and her world. I've already mentioned what I saw as drawbacks to the "land", what I haven't noted was the vagueness of the romances that rose up. One felt very real while another was too confusing. There weren't any indications that Nobley was not playing his role and his sudden leap at the end, while sweet, was somewhat out of the blue. Oh, I knew Hale was tending that way, but she never developed it. I think this was a missed opportunity for a better bit of drama and tension. What I don't understand at all is Martin at the end. His about face at the ball was so real and then Hale's final twist. Nope, I just don't get it. I don't see the point of it. Unless Hale was simply looking for an easy way to create a bit more tension. If so, shame on you, work at it next time. Your story didn't deserve this slacking off. I did enjoy Jane's parting shot to Mrs. Wattlesbrook...the old cow!
Ah well...
The Story
Jane's mother Shirley brought Great-Aunt Carolyn along one day to lunch and it's the sight of the not-so-well-hidden Pride and Prejudice DVD that encourages Carolyn to ensure Jane's immersion.
Three weeks completely immersed in Austenland, a.k.a., Pembrook Park in Kent, England. And it starts before one steps foot on the property.
The Characters
Jane Hayes, a.k.a., Miss Jane Erstwhile, is a Jane Austen-romantic. Totally caught up in the world of Mr. Darcy and no one in her own time period can ever measure up.
Mrs. Wattlesbrook is the mistress of the immersion. The arbiter of who stays and who goes. The characters who make up the household include Aunt Saffronia and Uncle Sir Templeton; Colonel Andrews is chatty and does his best to make each guest feel wanted; Mr. Nobley who is quite snobby; and, Martin is one of the gardeners with a secret passion for root beer and American basketball; Captain George East plays a naval captain and a jilted lover of Miss Heartwright's; and, Mrs. Heartwright plays chaperone since Miss Heartwright insists upon staying in a small cottage on the grounds.
Miss Lizzy Charming is one of the guests---an old broad pretending to be a sweet, young thing. Nothing like reinforcing the faux nature of the event. Miss Amelia Heartwright is one of the recurring guests. A woman Jane just wants to hate...she has the language and the manners down. She's just too damn perfect.
The Cover
The cover is perfect as Jane stands at the start of a gravel path, suitcase in hand, before the glorious Pembrook Park.
This is what it's all about, Austenland, where the fanciers of Jane Austen and the world she created can immerse themselves in the Prince Regent's England.
rosemwood's review
4.0
A lighthearted fun and quick read. Who doesn't love a story that centers around Mr Darcy and Jane Austen. Told by main POV character. Good character development. I thought the telling at the beginning of each character of each boyfriend of main female character had before she goes on this vacation was interesting. A cute read.
valtherizzle's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0