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The Family Fortune

3.29 of 5 stars 3.29 · rating details · 455 ratings · 116 reviews

Jane Fortune's fortunes have taken a downturn. Thanks to the profligate habits of her father and older sister, the family's money has evaporated and Jane has to move out of the only home she's ever known: a stately brick town house on Boston's prestigious Beacon Hill. Thirty-eight and terminally single, Jane has never pursued idle pleasures like her sibling and father. Ins...more

Paperback, 320 pages

Published February 27th 2007 by William Morrow Paperbacks (first published May 2nd 2006)

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Jul 30, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: boston-janeites, reviewed, 2012, books-about-books, empowerment-by-bikini-wax, hem-steppers-and-bodice-rippers, in-by-of-the-americas, the-knights-who-say-meh, jane-austen-made-me-do-it

Meh.

That is about all I can muster for this book. I've given up my anger and frustration that once again the adaptation of one of my favorite Jane Austen novels is not as good as the original novel. I shouldn't expect that from these things, really. What I should expect is mediocre chick lit with characters that are caricatures of the originals, with their worst traits exaggerated, and all of the kindness of Jane's humor lost. It's as if modern writers don't understand (or appreciate) the subtle...more Meh.

That is about all I can muster for this book. I've given up my anger and frustration that once again the adaptation of one of my favorite Jane Austen novels is not as good as the original novel. I shouldn't expect that from these things, really. What I should expect is mediocre chick lit with characters that are caricatures of the originals, with their worst traits exaggerated, and all of the kindness of Jane's humor lost. It's as if modern writers don't understand (or appreciate) the subtlety of the original characters or how to lampoon the absurd without making themselves seem cold and spiteful. It's that or they believe that modern readers don't appreciate it. Maybe we should blame it on modern romantic comedies, where there is always a BIG blow up before the happy ending. The result, though, is that I feel like we're all treating each other as if we're stupid. Readers are stupid for wanting that big emotional wrench, writers are stupid for writing to it, and we all secretly miss the inner turmoil of the characters, the struggle that isn't a reaction to events in the story but the reaction to emotions, to feelings. I wonder if we don't know how to reflect on our feeling, empathetically, with a reserved character? She has to be exaggerated now or we won't recognize her feelings at all.

I just hate this type of book. It's not Horowitz's fault. She wrote a perfectly competent book for what it is supposed to be but I hate what these books are supposed to be. They are all shallow stupidness and the churn of events and nothingness; there's no inner life to these characters at all. And in this one, Horowitz made one of the unforgivable sins of Austen-adapters; she used scenes from the movie that weren't in the book. I hate that because it suggests to me that her research was more about watching the film(s) a few dozen times rather than reading the book a few dozen.

The other problem with the research is that the book is set in Boston. I live in Cambridge. Cambridge (for those who aren't from here) is across the Charles river from Boston. I used to live in Boston (Dorchester actually) and Brookline. I've got a pretty good handle on the local landmarks and some of the history. Even though the bio at the back of the book says Horowitz lived in the Boston suburbs, somehow she either (1) doesn't know (or has forgotten) the local geography or (2) she didn't care for accuracy because it would be more "exotic" to the tourists reading the book if she moved things around a little. Stupid. Kind of insulting too. She mentions a steaming kettle that hangs above a doorway of an office building. Everyone here knows that's at Government Center. She put it in Kenmore Square. Why bother doing something like that?

She also doesn't seem to know the history of the upper levels of society that she's writing about (something she admits in the extended biography in the reader's guide edition of this book). She has the Fortune family (seriously, "Fortune?" Why?) live on Beacon Hill because they are "old" money but she says that they made that money in textiles in the nineteenth century. Well, that's actually "new" money by Boston standards and they should have been living in the Back Bay. Take any historical walking tour of this town (or read a history of the city) and they'll tell you that. I first learned it from a tour of the Boston Athenaeum, which I recommend to any booknerd planning a visit. The place is amazing.

So, the book is meh, the research is not great, the feeling of being dumber for having read it lingers, and I'm still grumpy about her using the movie scenes, but it is definitely better than The Three Weissmanns of Westport. I feel better for having said something nice about it.(less)

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May 21, 2010 Steph Su rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, comfort-read

Laurie Horowitz’s brilliant debut novel began as an exercise, as Horowitz, a Jane Austen enthusiast, thought she needed more practice writing the dialogue of mean people. The result is a witty social commentary on the old rich, interwoven with a love story that will make readers sigh.

Technically, THE FAMILY FORTUNE is a retelling of Jane Austen’s PERSUASION. However, it’s interesting to see how Horowitz places the story in modern times. Practical Jane Fortune is 38 years old and perpetually sing...more Laurie Horowitz’s brilliant debut novel began as an exercise, as Horowitz, a Jane Austen enthusiast, thought she needed more practice writing the dialogue of mean people. The result is a witty social commentary on the old rich, interwoven with a love story that will make readers sigh.

Technically, THE FAMILY FORTUNE is a retelling of Jane Austen’s PERSUASION. However, it’s interesting to see how Horowitz places the story in modern times. Practical Jane Fortune is 38 years old and perpetually single. She lives in the Fortunes’ old family home with her father, Teddy, and older sister Miranda, neither of whom know the meaning of the word “budget.” Jane spends most of her time either reading books or working for her family’s philanthropic organization, which publishes the literary magazine the Euphemia Review and, every year, grants a promising new writer a place to stay to write his or her novel.

When their family is forced to move due to their financial crisis, Jane stays with her sister Winnie’s family for a while. Unfortunately—or luckily, whatever you call it—this means she crosses paths again with Max Wellman, the first recipient of the Fortune Foundation’s literary grant. Max was her first love, but their relationship was stopped by Jane’s disapproving family, who didn’t want her to be with a struggling artiste. Fifteen years later, Max is successful writer with a womanizing reputation, and Jane is still the same as ever. Go figure.

Circumstances seem to make it impossible for Max to fall in love with the still-besotted Jane again. Meanwhile, Jane struggles to make an identity for herself, separate from the one her ridiculous family gives her. Maybe it’s only after she learns to love herself that Jane can be open to making her own decisions about her life, and her love.

THE FAMILY FORTUNE is a wonderfully told story of the absurdities of high society and the growth of a sensible woman. The romance part of the story left me a bit disappointed, but I appreciated this remarkably successful Austenian-type novel.
(less)

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Mar 20, 2009 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars

A modern day version of Persuasion taking place in Boston and Cape Cod. I can't praise this book enough. I loved the modern adaptation to Austen. A good read!

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Dec 16, 2011 Lauren rated it 1 of 5 stars

It's not something I'm overly proud of, but it's a fact of life for an Austenite: we buy anything published with the name "Jane Austen" on it, regardless of whether it be good or bad, and especially if it's fanfiction (for that's exactly what it is). Excitement heightens if it's a continuation of one of her existing novels (imaginary glances into a life at Pemberley after the Darcy wedding bells have ceased to clang, for example), a continuation of one of her unfinished fragments, or a modern re...more

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Jul 29, 2010 jenn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

More like 3.5 stars. This one was really cute. I especially appreciated the fact that the heroine worked (even though she didn't have to) in the literary world, and that her love object was an author. Giving two people shared passions instead of having them fall breathlessly in love for no frakkin' reason can't be that difficult to do, so why don't more people write that way?

The setting was wonderful, but I'm biased - at one point, the heroine moves into an apartment two blocks from mine :)

A cou...more

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May 03, 2010 Emilyandherlittlepinknotes rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, romance

I am a huge Jane Austen fan and I loved Persuasion, The Familt Fortune is loosely based on it.

Jane Fortune is The 38-year-old founder and editor of a prominent literary journal, Euphemia Review, Jane pines for true love while devouring novels and dealing with the financial crisis of her once wealthy family, which force them out of their Beacon Hill home. Beacon Hill is rented by The Goldmans, who are related to Max Wellman, Jane’s first and true love. When an enigmatic writer named Jack Reilly s...more

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Jan 25, 2010 Cindi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

An adequate modern retelling of Persuasion (one of my favorite Austens). When Jane Fortune's family finances take a downturn, Jane must leave the Beacon Hill manor she's always lived in. Separated from her shallow father and sister, Jane discovers her value as a person and of the contributions she has made through the philanthropic institution she runs which helps new writers. She also reconnects with Max Wellman, the first writer to receive a fellowship, and her only love. I liked the way Horow...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Bry rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, kindle, jane-austen-esque, bookclub, contemporary, romance

There are so many great Jane Austen fan fiction books out there like Pemberley by the Sea, Captain Wentworth's Persuasion, The Pemberley Chronicles. I had really hoped this book would make that list, but sadly it does not.

The first issue I had with this book was the setting. Jane Fortune was from Boston, Massachusetts and areas, people, and specific places were often referenced, yet not adequately explained in my opinion. So I could see those people who are from Boston experienceing a whole oth...more

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Jul 22, 2008 Jessica rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit

The cover of this book says "Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion," so I thought, well, "Clueless" was fun, maybe this will be, too. Not so much. It's a very heavy-handed update of Persuasion - so subtlety, wit, or charm. I cannot motivate myself to finish it - too many good books out there that I'd rather spend the time on. Take a pass on this one.

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Jul 27, 2009 Christina (Boupie) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, chick-lit, nestie-subc-2009, 2009-books, austen, romance

"romance"

I actually really enjoyed this. Horowitz does a very good job adapting Persuasion to a more modern retelling. The setting of Boston was perfect... in fact it made me miss the city a little bit. Even though I did not afgree with all of her changes I found it to be both a light and quick read. I guess I am somewhat of a snark because I love Jane (Anne updated)and her snarkiness... she was a little jaded at parts but that was easy to skip beyond. Her family is obnoxious but in such an outr...more

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Aug 23, 2007 Maryll rated it 2 of 5 stars

Claims to be "a radiant retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion" which should make old Jane spin in her grave. But it beats watching Oprah on a rainy afternoon

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Nov 05, 2012 Duckpondwithoutducks rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels-austenalia

This novel retells the story of Jane Austen's Persusasion but in modern-day Boston.
Anne Elliot becomes Jane Fortune, who runs a literary review and charitable foundation.
Captain Wentworth becomes Max Wellman, a famous author.
Louisa Musgrove's fall from the steps in Lyme Regis becomes a skiing accident.
The title is somewhat clever, it could refer either to the fact that the family's last name is Fortune, or the fact the the family has a fortune!
I loved the characterization of Anne/Jane's hypoc...more

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Mar 14, 2008 Allyn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cute story but the storyline towards the end of the book wasn't developed very well.

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Aug 08, 2011 Natalie rated it 3 of 5 stars

A solid re-telling of Austen's Persuasion. If you're familiar at all with the original work, then nothing in this retelling will come as a surprise. That said, Anne Elliott is a much more endearing character than Jane Fortune. Something about putting all the Regency-era values on a modern, American woman made the character feel dis-jointed and uncomfortable in her own skin. I'm a sucker for a romance, but even the ending wasn't quite as fulfilling as Austen's work. Overall, it was enjoyable, but...more

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Nov 04, 2010 Holly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

You’ll often find Jane Fortune – a member of one of Boston’s most prestigious long-standing moneyed families at home on a Saturday night, curled up with a book. Although her vain father Teddy and pretentious sister Miranda are happiest attending parties and being seen among society’s elite, Jane is perfectly content to stay out of the limelight. She’s of the literary variety and works hard to run the family’s foundation and publish the Euphemia Review, which has launched the career of several au...more You’ll often find Jane Fortune – a member of one of Boston’s most prestigious long-standing moneyed families at home on a Saturday night, curled up with a book. Although her vain father Teddy and pretentious sister Miranda are happiest attending parties and being seen among society’s elite, Jane is perfectly content to stay out of the limelight. She’s of the literary variety and works hard to run the family’s foundation and publish the Euphemia Review, which has launched the career of several authors.

After reading only a few entries of this year’s granting round, Jane’s found “the one”, the winner who seems more promising than most. But writer Jack Reilly is nowhere to be found. While this apparently homeless writer is a surprise, Jane is unsurprised when the family lawyer delivers the news that their fortune is dwindling, forcing the Fortunes to vacate and rent out their historic home. Compounding Jane’s situation further is the news that Max Wellman, the first recipient of the foundation and Jane’s first love is back in Boston. Now a successful bestselling novelist and ladies man, Jane is sure she will wilt in Max’s presence. But perhaps he’s all she needed to see her self-worth as a single, thirty-something woman and regain her luster for life.

Reading this Austen retelling of Persuasion was an experiment for me. I’ve read books inspired by Austen but not anything approaching a sequel, prequel, or retelling. Call me a coward but each of Austen’s novels are on a pedestal of which I thought nothing, continuation or retelling, could measure up. Jane Eyre also belongs on that shelf and my recent read of Jane, April Linder’s brilliant retelling gave me hope that there are some out there which stand up to their origins as both a successful retelling and an entirely new story.

Fortunately (no pun intended) The Family Fortune is successful on some fronts. It is a commentary on manners and there is wit in many of the dialogues. For the most part the secondary characters translate well. Teddy and Miranda are just as superficial and conceited as you could hope for. Jane’s hypochondriac sister Winnie and her husband Charles are spot on. I loved their scenes with Jane which reminded me, just for a moment, of reading Persuasion for the first time. I also liked Jane, the perfect modern interpretation of quiet, helpful, and practical Anne. Her literary bent was fitting and I loved viewing her as both a reader and a promoter of struggling writers. I missed the degree of introspection and description present in Persuasion but still connected with her. Priscilla (Lady Russell) and Guy (Mr. Elliot) were the least generously characterized and are a lot more worldly in the modern sense but I still didn’t mind their very amoral standards.

Unfortunately when it came to Max (Captain Wentworth) I didn’t feel that way. The first half I read with anticipation for his and Jane’s upcoming encounters and the last half with slight let-down when I read the actual exchanges themselves. Maybe Max was underdeveloped but either way I never really understood Jane’s undying love for him. It may have had something to do with his womanizing reputation, but I know it also had something to do with the lack of subtlety in their short, spaced interactions. Instead of having any grand, epic moment of declaration or realization their feelings for one another were expressed little by little – more gradually and earlier than I expected. As a result their romance felt anti-climatic and the book overall felt like it was missing some spark. Perhaps it’s because Persuasion is not only my favorite Austen novel, but if hard-pressed the answer to the all-time favorite book question as well so I’m a hard fan to please. Although there was an urgency to see how it all ended up compared to the original I ultimately wished that I had just read Persuasion instead. The Family Fortune may have not worked for me but I’d still recommend it to fans of Austen retellings and fans of the original as I appear to be one of the few truly disappointed readers out there.(less)

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Jun 04, 2012 Christie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

Eh. I almost always regret it when I pick up a book because it is based on one of my favorites. So it goes. This book wasn't horrible, it just wasn't good and didn't make me love it quite as much as I love Jane Austen's Persuasion, which inspired the plot and characters of this book. I think in part I didn't like the first person look into Jane's (Anne Elliot's contemporary twin) head--she complains a lot, she thinks negatively, and she just gets annoying, and Max (Captain Wentworth's contempora...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: modern-austen-types, persuasion-related

I enjoyed this modern rendition. I wondered how it would all come about. It had to be hard to come up with a way to do this. I had a hard time envisioning how a more updated version would go but I thought the author had it pretty spot on. No amazing letter however.....I don't imagine that would have been possible. The characters were well filled out. I could feel their anguish. I loved Isabelle. Jane was great as a foundation executive. Jane is our Anne. Winnie the younger sister was just pure f...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Chachic rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: actual-books-owned, retelling

Originally posted here.

I can't remember where I first heard about The Family Fortune by Laurie Horowitz but I do know that I became interested because it's a retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. I was glad to find a bargain copy in a Book Sale branch and when I went to the beach for a vacation, I decided to bring this with me because it seemed like the perfect light read. Also, look at that cover, doesn't that make you want to read this book in a beach setting?

The last time I read Persuasion...more Originally posted here.

I can't remember where I first heard about The Family Fortune by Laurie Horowitz but I do know that I became interested because it's a retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. I was glad to find a bargain copy in a Book Sale branch and when I went to the beach for a vacation, I decided to bring this with me because it seemed like the perfect light read. Also, look at that cover, doesn't that make you want to read this book in a beach setting?

The last time I read Persuasion was in college so the details are a bit fuzzy. So because I can't remember much of the original, I'm going to review The Family Fortune on its own and won't be able to compare it to the classic. It was easy to relate to thirty-eight year old Jane Fortune, who is the quiet one in her family. The Fortunes are members of the Boston elite and while her father and sister make the most out of their social circles, Jane is content to curl up at home with a good book. She also manages a literary paper called the Euphemia Review, which is funded by the family's foundation. Here's a nice quote from the book that I'm sure all book lovers will appreciate:

"Usually when I enter a bookstore, I feel immediately calm. Bookstores are, for me, what churches are for other people. My breath gets slower and deeper as I peruse the shelves. I believe that books contain messages I am meant to receive. I'm not normally superstitious, but I've even had books fall from shelves and land at my feet. Books are my missives from the universe."

While I did enjoy reading The Family Fortune, there were several things that kept me from loving it. I liked the flashback scenes where Jane shares how she and Max fell in love with each other years ago but I didn't think there was enough reason for them to break up. Also, I could understand that Jane never really got over Max but it seemed like there wasn't enough of the present Max to fall in love with in the story. Jane and Max didn't have enough scenes together for them to reconnect and realize that there's still something between them. I can't even remember most of their conversations. The other secondary characters, like Jane's colleagues in the Euphemia Review felt more fully fleshed out than Max. The romance wasn't swoon-worthy and that's an important aspect of the novel. I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the second half because it had such a promising start. It's still a good read if you're in the mood for something light or if you're a fan of Austen retellings. Let me know in the comments if there are other Austen retellings that I should check out.

(less)

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Sep 13, 2012 Christina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Laurie Horowitz's Literary Offenses

I'm sure smarter people than I have established rules for When it is a Good Idea to Retell a Story. This is really just my best way of describing why I really hated this book. Yes, the first really jarring moment was when I realized the author had gotten the location of a Boston landmark, the hanging teakettle sign that emits actual steam, wrong by a wide margin (Kenmore Square and Scollay Square/Government Center are about five subway stops away from each othe...more Laurie Horowitz's Literary Offenses

I'm sure smarter people than I have established rules for When it is a Good Idea to Retell a Story. This is really just my best way of describing why I really hated this book. Yes, the first really jarring moment was when I realized the author had gotten the location of a Boston landmark, the hanging teakettle sign that emits actual steam, wrong by a wide margin (Kenmore Square and Scollay Square/Government Center are about five subway stops away from each other and, while both are tourist destinations, they are REALLY DIFFERENT).
So here are the rules I think this author has broken:

1) Make the story accessible to people who haven't read the original
In all fairness, this is a problem I'm assuming. I HAVE read the original. And every time a character appeared, I said to myself "oh, that must be this person. Heather and Lindsay instead of Henrietta and Louisa! I TOTALLY GET IT!" But I could never think of them as their own characters. Every name was in quotation marks in my mind. I couldn't think of them as separate people, and I suspect most of the major characters never came into their own as separate people. I got the distinct impression that someone reading this story and completely unfamiliar with the source material would feel like he or she was missing something important, some in-joke. And frankly, I think accessibility is more important than fidelity, especially because you are trying to add something new if you think a book could use a remake. I know plenty of people who love the movie "Clueless" who have no idea it's based on "Emma." Or they didn't, until I told them.
2) If you are changing the temporal location of the story, make sure it has a point.
I would think that the main reason for updating a Jane Austen novel would be to show that manners and mores that seem really silly to us reading the novels now haven't changed as much as we think. Horowitz wrecked this early on with a sentence about how "Miranda" talked like she was from the 19th century, excusing the stilted language she was shoving into her character's mouths. The language itself didn't improve from there, but that line REALLY highlighted the problem.
3) Women. We're, like, liberated now and stuff.
When you bring your female characters into the 20th/21st century, you do have to make some adjustments. We do have more options now. You don't have to give your heroine a PhD in rocket science, but you have to realize that certain advances have been made.
I always felt that Anne Elliott knew she was a worthwhile human being, and the joke around her family was that they were too self-absorbed - in their various ways - to realize it. "Jane," meanwhile, came across as unspeakably pathetic for the majority of the book. I could go back and count the number of times I saw the word "spinster" or she thought about how she behaved as "the single woman," but I have my health to think of. I cringed as she constructed a fantasy around a man she'd never met, I shuddered when she tried to show off ice skating and fell, and almost vomited when she "oh well maybe I'm not sure"d her way into bed in the most repulsively-described almost-sex scene I've ever read that didn't involve rape. Yes, being a single woman at 38 in upper middle class American society comes with its stigmas. "Jane"'s all seemed self-imposed.
4) Men. They haven't actually gotten worse.
"Max" was not very well developed, and "Guy"'s impositions bordered on psychotic. If your 21st-century male is less believable than an Austen hero - and I'd argue for Captain Wentworth as just as dreamy as Mr. Darcy any day - HOLY CANNOLIS do you have a problem. As for "Guy," I just couldn't believe he would fool anyone for a minute considering how over-the-top his attentions were. Besides, it made me really sad to have our updated Captain turned into a womanizer.

Aside from these constantly violated rules (that I just made up), I was disappointed with how crudely done the supporting characters were. The Miss Musgroves may have been silly, shallow girls in the original but they never came across as complete morons; college students - I repeat, COLLEGE STUDENTS - "Heather" and "Lindsay" had apparently never heard the word "anarchy." There was never anything about "Priscilla" that made it credible that "Jane" would ever listen to her in the first place, and her depiction just got more and more cruel. I will say "Teddy" improved and "Dolores" was reasonably well-developed by the standards of this book. There was also something disturbingly snobby about the skiing business. While a skiing accident is a decent substitute for "the steps where Louisa Musgrove fell," "Jane" seemed to feel the problems around the trip were totally the fault of the two girls for not knowing how to ski and that this was yet another reason to look down on those idiots.

However *deep breath* I'm happy to report this made kind of a fun hate read. I've never hate-read anything before. And the good news is that the original is in no way diminished by this travesty; it's kind of like having a toddler draw in crayon all over your copy of the book. The one copy is a mess now, but there are plenty of others out there.
And on that note, OH MY GOD, THE STEAMING TEAKETTLE! IT WAS SUCH A STUPID THING TO GET WRONG!(less)

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Aug 02, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, contemp, janeish, own, retelling

Oh Jane Fortune! How do I love thee!!

Just so you know I did go into this retelling of Persuasion , my all time favorite Jane Austen novel, with a hefty does of wariness. I mean, nothing could come close to imitating the original on this one, right?

Truth be told, Laurie Horowitz did a fabulous job of updating my belovedPersuasion for the modern world in The Family Fortune .The Fortunes aredecidedlyBoston Old Money with connections and oodles of spare time to devote to their favoritepastime: thems...more Oh Jane Fortune! How do I love thee!!

Just so you know I did go into this retelling of Persuasion , my all time favorite Jane Austen novel, with a hefty does of wariness. I mean, nothing could come close to imitating the original on this one, right?

Truth be told, Laurie Horowitz did a fabulous job of updating my beloved Persuasion for the modern world in The Family Fortune . The Fortunes are decidedly Boston Old Money with connections and oodles of spare time to devote to their favorite pastime: themselves. Of course when financial disaster strikes, the family must retrench* and a whole new world is opened up for Jane. Morphing Anne Elliot into Jane Fortune, an almost-forty year old trustafarian who spends her days editing the Euphemia Review, was pure genius in my book. And once again my heart broke over and over for Jane as I watched the world pass her by. Truly I don't know how such a passive character could ever win me over, but she does. Perhaps it's her eventual determination to take control of her life little by little in order to carve out her own bit of happiness away from her rotten family.

My only complaint with The Family Fortune happens to be a somewhat large sticking point: Max Wellman (the reinvention of Cpt. Wentworth). Throughout most of the book, I ached with Jane as she silently pined for her lost love and then as she was 'reunited' with him only to watch him date other women. To say I was building up their eventual reunion would be a complete understatement -- I was expecting true fireworks people. Sadly, there was no grand moment of love rekindled. Not even an impassioned letter from Max! **cue extreme sobbing** Just simple, no nonsense decisions. Which does go along with Jane's character but I was just hoping for something a teeny bit more swoon-worthy. But honestly? I still love this book for Jane's transformation alone, even if her happily ever after wasn't as blissful as Anne Elliot's. I'm thinking any true lover of Persuasion will think so too.

*I always thought the 'reduced circumstances' bit in Persuasion was hilarious because yes, the Elliots have to retrench, but they still are gentry and have means -- albeit reduced. I mean, they are spending the winter in BATH (a resort town) for goodness sakes! Anyways, Horowitz does a nice job of calling Ms. Austen on this in The Family Fortune.

"From what I hear, he is really crazy about you, Jane."
"That's ridiculous. Does he know about our 'reduced circumstances'?" I asked.
"Honey, the Fortunes in reduced circumstances live better than ninety-nine percent of the population -- but that's not it. He has money. He's not interested in your money."

HA! My thoughts exactly.(less)

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Mar 12, 2010 Lori rated it 4 of 5 stars

"The Family Fortune" by Laurie Horowitz is a modern retelling of Jane Austen's "Persuasion" but it's a delightful read whether you are an Austen fan or not, or familiar with "Persuasion" or not.

Jane Fortune is a Boston woman in crisis. She's pushing 40 (38, in fact), she's unmarried with little prospects, her family fortune appears to be in serious jeopardy and her first love, author Max Wellman, is back.

Jane edits a literary journal, which she founded, and while she has great satisfaction from...more

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Jun 15, 2009 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this book up off the shelf at the library, something I don't like to do because most of the time the books have things in them that I don't like. This book was no exception; it had some language (a few F bombs) and a scene that I thought was offensive. I almost took it back to the library without finishing it, but I was sucked into the story - a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. I really enjoyed the plot, just wish she could have left out the needless profanity and the sex s...more

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Jan 21, 2011 Rosanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5-An excellent re-telling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion set in contemporary Boston.

My favorite part of this book is that Jane is not a bumbling idiot who, when you read about her ‘adventures’, makes you want to die from second hand embarrassment. That is absolutely one of my biggest pet peeves in women’s fiction, like who are these women and why would any guy want to go near them?

Jane, while not at all perfect, is still accomplished, smart, tactful, and a really great person who gets her HEA in...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The writing was good enough that I would read something else by the author. Unfortunately it was simply an update of Persuasion -- no new ground was broken, just a changing of names and settings and manners. I recommend just reading the original.

Also, I really hate it when surnames are used as characterizations. It's a cheap shortcut. I'd prefer the author to make me believe someone is a "Wellman" rather than just name him and leave it at that.

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Mar 11, 2011 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I LOVED the humor in this book. Things like : the job of the single person at a family party is to be useful and pleasant so you can get invited back, so the next time you can be as miserable as the last. The characters are great updates of the Austen originals. Makes me think maybe Persuasion is really funny and I just didn't get all the 18th century jokes. Plus the setting in Boston is a lot of fun. Except the book must have been written long before it was published since they go shopping at F...more

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Jan 20, 2010 Rebecca Irvine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Love the use of Persuasion; the author does a great job adapting the plot to modern-day society. It was believable, yet true to the Austen's original intent.

There is unnecessary usage of swear words in the book (not a ton, but enough to annoy me), as well as a sexually explicit scene I had to skip over. Without these drawbacks this would have been a four-star book.

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Jan 24, 2012 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-new, chick-lit, 2012-all, library-ebook

This was cute! As far as adaptations go, it was far enough away that it didn't read as a straight retelling and yet it was close enough that you were into it on both levels. Plus, I got a thrill out of not having Anne (Jane's) financial circumstances reduced at the same time as the rest of the families since she had her own money. This is the benefit of modern retellings.

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Dec 23, 2008 Caryn rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Jane Austen lovers

_Persuasion_ by Jane Austen is flawlessly retold in modern upper crust Boston society. Understandably, the story does ask you to suspend some disbelief in order to stay true to the original story. I loved knowing what was going to happen next, but wondering how the author was going to portray the characters in a modern world. I really enjoyed this book.

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Aug 08, 2011 Elizabeth added it

This update of Persuasion features a priggish and self-pitying version of Anne Elliott. For a sharper, more thoughtful, and funnier update, try Paula Marantz Cohen's Jane Austen in Scarsdale. The Family Fortune left me sort of hating Jane Fortune, which is not the appropriate way to feel about a Jane Austen heroines, not even Emma.

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Jan 27, 2010 Patty rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a decent, easy read. It is very nostaglic for me because of all the references to Boston and Dover (the town next to where I grew up). I found her family depictions very amusing. I was mildly annoyed at times with her timidness and low self-esteem but I suppose that is integral to the tale. Good book for the beach or an airplane.

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“Usually when I enter a bookstore, I feel immediately calm. Bookstores are, for me, what churches are for other people. My breath gets slower and deeper as I peruse the shelves. I believe that books contain messages I am meant to receive. I'm not normally superstitious, but I've even had books fall from shelves and land at my feet. Books are my missives from the universe. ” — 13 people liked it

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