Two hundred years after her death, Jane Austen is still surrounded by the literature she loves—but now it's because she's the owner of Flylea...
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Aug 28, 2010
Unlike the sea monsters and zombie and Darcy Vampyre books, I found entertainment in this cash-in on Austen, and evidence that the author was at least familiar with Austen's period and writing, even if the supposed lost Austen novel showed no hint of either period flavor or Austen's style or wit. Maybe it was supposed to be leaden and cliche, which is why it had been rejected over a hundred times. Not quite sure where the writer was going there, unless a commentary on the bad taste of the popula
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(3 people liked it)
Jan 15, 2010
Shannon
rated it: 
If Queen Victoria and Lizzy Bennet can be zombie hunters, and Darcy a vampyre, why not add Jane Austen herself to the ranks of the undead? (Seems like everyone's fair game these days.)
The premise is simple enough. Jane Austen isn't dead. She is in fact a vampire, currently living in a small town in New York state where she owns a bookshop. Her biggest concerns are the sweet attentions of Walter, a local carpenter - she likes him but you can't really have a relationship with someone More...
The premise is simple enough. Jane Austen isn't dead. She is in fact a vampire, currently living in a small town in New York state where she owns a bookshop. Her biggest concerns are the sweet attentions of Walter, a local carpenter - she likes him but you can't really have a relationship with someone More...
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Mar 08, 2010
Heather
rated it: 
Rating: 2.5/5
Another book in the austen-inspired fiction world I absolutely wanted to love...but didn't. Don't get me wrong it was on the witty side, but I hated the way the author portrayed Austen. Yes, she's a vampire and has been for a couple hundred years, but in all that time she's done nothing with herself except pine away after Lord Byron and open a book shop and has learned nothing about herself or the world so she has to rely on Byron to teach her and thus abuse her and mani More...
Another book in the austen-inspired fiction world I absolutely wanted to love...but didn't. Don't get me wrong it was on the witty side, but I hated the way the author portrayed Austen. Yes, she's a vampire and has been for a couple hundred years, but in all that time she's done nothing with herself except pine away after Lord Byron and open a book shop and has learned nothing about herself or the world so she has to rely on Byron to teach her and thus abuse her and mani More...
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Aug 19, 2011
Arlene
rated it: 
This should not have worked -- I mean, come on, Jane Austen as a vampire. But it did work, and it was engaging and well written. Jane is not the typical urban fantasy, Mary Sue type, who kicks butt, takes names and sleeps her way through the entire paranormal community (thank goodness!!). She is lonely and vulnerable but also determined and spirited. She runs a bookstore in New England, and has a crush on the local contractor. When her maker shows up in town, she does what it takes to prote
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Nov 12, 2010
Yvensong
rated it:
I won this book through First Reads and am glad I gave it a shot.
This is a light read about Jane Austen as a vampire running a small bookstore in a small New York town. We follow Jane as she tries to maneuver around men who are interested in her, getting a novel published and a rival who wants to destroy her.
Ford pokes fun at the current Austen craze, the current vampire craze, and fandom in this charming, doesn't-take-itself-too-serious tale.
The pacing was pre More...
This is a light read about Jane Austen as a vampire running a small bookstore in a small New York town. We follow Jane as she tries to maneuver around men who are interested in her, getting a novel published and a rival who wants to destroy her.
Ford pokes fun at the current Austen craze, the current vampire craze, and fandom in this charming, doesn't-take-itself-too-serious tale.
The pacing was pre More...
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Nov 26, 2011
Jennifer
rated it: 
Jane Austen gets naked with Lord Byron on page 19 of this opus, which tells you everything you need to know about its verisimilitude. And, yes, I know that my mentioning lack of realism in a novel where the lead character is the vampirized icon of 19th century chick lit made anyone reading this snort soda out of their nose, but just because you're an author brilliantly cashing in on two of the biggest fads to hit publishing in the last ten years doesn't mean you can't take a minute to honor you
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Jan 17, 2012
Lyss
rated it:
Normally, I avoid books that turn our literary figureheads, or other famous people, into vampires, werewolves, vampire hunters, etc. However, I kept seeing this book and finally just picked it up and started reading it.
I have to say that I really really really enjoyed it. Ford's depiction of Jane's character is superb. He does a great job of creating her reactions to things that people say she would or wouldn't do. Lord Byron is terrific in his mysterious, snarky kind of way. It's a lo More...
I have to say that I really really really enjoyed it. Ford's depiction of Jane's character is superb. He does a great job of creating her reactions to things that people say she would or wouldn't do. Lord Byron is terrific in his mysterious, snarky kind of way. It's a lo More...
Oct 18, 2011
Marina
rated it:
This book was on the list of books recommended by Toronto Library staff (they rock!), so after reading (and liking) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies I just had to give this book a try.
The good: it kept me up till 3AM. It was a fun and funny read.
The bad: it's to much of a genre mash to be enjoyed thoroughly. A satire-vampire-suspense-romance plot is just too much for this little volume.
And now with spoilers: I've found all the main characters under-developed. Jane? You More...
The good: it kept me up till 3AM. It was a fun and funny read.
The bad: it's to much of a genre mash to be enjoyed thoroughly. A satire-vampire-suspense-romance plot is just too much for this little volume.
And now with spoilers: I've found all the main characters under-developed. Jane? You More...
Jul 22, 2011
Friends of
rated it: 
If Queen Victoria and Elizabeth Bennett can be zombie hunters, and Mr. Darcy a vampire then why not include Jane Austen among ranks of the undead? I found endless entertainment in this cash-in on Austen novel and certainly appreciated that the author was familiar with Austen's period and writing, even though Constance, the supposed "lost" Austen novel showed no hint of either period or Austen's style. Perhaps that is why it had been rejected over a hundred times? Not quite sure.
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Jun 21, 2011
Steffi
rated it:
Reviewed by Sonja B for Bookworldtravels
*MINOR spoilers*
I do not recommend this book to Charlotte Bronte hardcore fans!! :)
Jane Bites Back is somewhat slow at the beginning. I kept reading because the story seemed to be good and, well, I am an Austen fan and wanted to see how it ends... :D
Other than Jane, there is Lucy, her assistant, who was my favorite character! She is very funny and refreshing, most funny scenes happen when Lucy is a More...
*MINOR spoilers*
I do not recommend this book to Charlotte Bronte hardcore fans!! :)
Jane Bites Back is somewhat slow at the beginning. I kept reading because the story seemed to be good and, well, I am an Austen fan and wanted to see how it ends... :D
Other than Jane, there is Lucy, her assistant, who was my favorite character! She is very funny and refreshing, most funny scenes happen when Lucy is a More...
May 24, 2011
Vivian
rated it:
What can I say that hasn't already been said? Jane Bites Back is a very well-written and well developed story about Jane Austen as a vampire bookstore owner residing in upstate New York in the 21st century. That alone gets us off to a pretty good start and then we learn that this Jane has received 116 rejection letters for her latest manuscript (well it was written when she was still alive but still...). Just when she begins to despair that she'll never be able to write again, she receives an em
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Jan 09, 2011
Wendy
rated it:
This book was a gift from my Aunt and she was 'dead' on with this choice. We regularly trade 'Austen' books anytime they come out, and this was a very clever and, I thought, and original take on all the Jane books out there. The idea that Jane owned/ran a bookshop was lovely. I loved the appearance of other 'dead' literary characters and their stories and absolutely thought the take on the Austen-Bronte feud was wonderful. When I picked up the book I was worried it would be like all the vamp
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Jul 20, 2010
Wendi
rated it:
My review: Well, it's not Austen, but it's not a bad summer read. I rather liked it. I had no expectations going in. Sometimes that's a good thing. I will have to say it's one of the better Austen spin offs I've read. However, more non-evil vampires? *yawn* getting tired of sparkly happy go lucky vampires. Jane in this novel at least does hunt for human blood but never actually kills anyone.
It's fun. It's light. It's entertaining. Get it from your library. Apparently, it's a series More...
It's fun. It's light. It's entertaining. Get it from your library. Apparently, it's a series More...
May 30, 2010
Tracy
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Apr 30, 2010
Eve
rated it:
Instead of giving yet another Jane Austen book the supernatural treatment, Ford gives Jane herself the makeover this time: making her a vampire, putting her in a small town in modern times, giving a revived literary career under a new name, and dropping problems into her lap, which have resurfaced from her past both as a person and as a figure in literary history. There's suspense, romance, and wit. Ford writes Austen as amused at the recent zombie and sea monster takes on her books, in scorn of
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Mar 28, 2010
Robin
rated it:
Not a bad book. I found this by accident. It was in my "Amazon recommends...", which I should probably publish. The list is probably more interesting than anything I actually have to say. :-)
Anyway, our adventure begins in a bookstore in New York, which is run by Jane Austen. Actual Jane Austen, not the Jane Austen marketing empire we've all come to know and love. Which, coincidentally, our Jane is not profiting from by a single cent. Not that she's angry...much. Sh More...
Anyway, our adventure begins in a bookstore in New York, which is run by Jane Austen. Actual Jane Austen, not the Jane Austen marketing empire we've all come to know and love. Which, coincidentally, our Jane is not profiting from by a single cent. Not that she's angry...much. Sh More...
Mar 15, 2010
Melissa
rated it:
Okay, this was entirely an impulse purchase. I admit to getting sucked in on this one. Totally capitalizing on both the Jane Austen publishing fervor (fever?) and vampire-mania, this book follows the formula you'd expect on both angles. I confess I was way more interested in the idea of Jane Austen being alive and unable to find a publisher, not to mention responding (albeit anonymously) to the current wave of Austen-mania. The author does succeed in creating a Jane with wit and confidence, as y
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Feb 01, 2010
Joanna
rated it:
I freely admit that I only took this book off the shelf because I wanted to have a more informed disdain for it. I've read many badly done Austen related books in my time, and this one - in which Jane Austen is still alive as a vampire - seemed like a trashy and ridiculous addition to the genre. But then, I saw that Stephanie Barron had written a cover blurb. I really like Stephanie Barron. It was enough to make me open it up and read a few pages.
Much to my surprise, the book is More...
Much to my surprise, the book is More...
Jan 19, 2010
Deenbat
rated it:
Really?
Really???
The premise was good, which is why I fooled myself into thinking that I would enjoy this, despite the fact that I usually avoid Austen-knock offs. Now I remember why, and vow to hold to that rule in the future.
This was not fractionally as clever as it thinks it is. It was predictable, full of cliches, and if the descriptions and satire of the Austen knock-off industry were sometimes spot on, Ford seems to genuinely believe that the satire doesn't apply to him be More...
Really???
The premise was good, which is why I fooled myself into thinking that I would enjoy this, despite the fact that I usually avoid Austen-knock offs. Now I remember why, and vow to hold to that rule in the future.
This was not fractionally as clever as it thinks it is. It was predictable, full of cliches, and if the descriptions and satire of the Austen knock-off industry were sometimes spot on, Ford seems to genuinely believe that the satire doesn't apply to him be More...
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Jan 20, 2010
Rachel
rated it:
I was very pleasantly surprised by the fast-paced fun I had while reading this book. I was worried after my previous attempts at reading Jane Austen fan-fic **coughMrDarcyVampyrecough** but fortunately that was not the case here.
Jane is a 234 year old vampire living in a tiny town in upper New York where she runs a bookshop with her Hot Topic-esque assistant and friend and pleasantly flirts with the cute home remodeler down the street. She is also attempting to publish her latest manuscr More...
Jane is a 234 year old vampire living in a tiny town in upper New York where she runs a bookshop with her Hot Topic-esque assistant and friend and pleasantly flirts with the cute home remodeler down the street. She is also attempting to publish her latest manuscr More...
Jan 13, 2010
Marlyn
rated it:
I didn't really know what to expect when I read this book. All I knew was the blurb on the back, and one or two reviews I'd skimmed. But I thought that any book with Jane Austen as the owner of a bookstore wouldn't disappoint, and I was right! I would have finished this book in one day, if I'd been able to keep my eyes open 15 minutes longer.
Jane ... Fairfax, as she calls herself, is undead. Yes, that's right, Jane is a vampire. We soon discover that although she owns Flyleaf Books, More...
Jane ... Fairfax, as she calls herself, is undead. Yes, that's right, Jane is a vampire. We soon discover that although she owns Flyleaf Books, More...
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Jan 07, 2010
Laurel
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A modern Gothic novel full of Janeite lore and paranormal hijinx
Jane Austen's novels brim with irony, witticism, and in the end, a gentle reprove or two. It is why I love her writing. Few authors can deliver this dry, deft and wickedly funny style. Michael Thomas Ford is one of them.
His latest novel Jane Bites Back is more than a gentle joke, it is a sly wink at the Austen and vampire industry. The clever title alone tells us that Ford has more than a keen sense of humor More...
Jane Austen's novels brim with irony, witticism, and in the end, a gentle reprove or two. It is why I love her writing. Few authors can deliver this dry, deft and wickedly funny style. Michael Thomas Ford is one of them.
His latest novel Jane Bites Back is more than a gentle joke, it is a sly wink at the Austen and vampire industry. The clever title alone tells us that Ford has more than a keen sense of humor More...
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Dec 30, 2009
TBML
rated it:
There is an entire cottage industry surrounding the novels of Jane Austen. Dozens of authors have tried their hands at expanding her works, continuing the adventures of beloved characters such as Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. Recently, fiction has turned from traditional takes on her works to more...interesting avenues.
Take Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, for example, or its sister-novel, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. (Both of which the library owns- find them in the c More...
Take Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, for example, or its sister-novel, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. (Both of which the library owns- find them in the c More...
Nov 01, 2011
Lori
rated it:
Jane Austin as a vampire... interesting and fun read.
Jane's been living under the radar for the past 280+ years or so, mostly keeping to herself and not interacting with others of her own kind, since she finds most of them dreary.
Jane is annoyed by the fact that she can't collect on the royalties from the sales of her novels and all the spin off material available. She is bothered by some of the authors who use her work to fuel their own money grubbing. She has a manuscr More...
Jane's been living under the radar for the past 280+ years or so, mostly keeping to herself and not interacting with others of her own kind, since she finds most of them dreary.
Jane is annoyed by the fact that she can't collect on the royalties from the sales of her novels and all the spin off material available. She is bothered by some of the authors who use her work to fuel their own money grubbing. She has a manuscr More...
Jun 28, 2011
Alexis
rated it:
Jane Austen is alive (sort of) and the owner of a bookstore in a small town in New York. She's a vampire and generally dismayed and angry about the plethora of books and items capitalizing on her famous name. Jane Austen action figure anyone? Or how about the "Jane Austen Workout Book"? To add insult to injury she's been sending out her manuscript of "Constance", the last book she wrote before her turning, for over 200 years and has collected 116 rejections. It's enough
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Jun 24, 2011
Lizz
rated it:
Who knew that Jane Austen was alive and well as a vampire? Michael Thomas Ford did.
Jane Austen was turned into a vampire over 200 years ago. Not only has she watched all her family die, but she's also watched the only fame she's ever known come to a head after she had died. She now lives in Upstate New York and owns Flyleaf Books, a small book store. Jane is trying to get back in the book business as an author, but is unsure about her long dormant potential.
I don't want More...
Jane Austen was turned into a vampire over 200 years ago. Not only has she watched all her family die, but she's also watched the only fame she's ever known come to a head after she had died. She now lives in Upstate New York and owns Flyleaf Books, a small book store. Jane is trying to get back in the book business as an author, but is unsure about her long dormant potential.
I don't want More...
Jan 08, 2010
Jeanne
rated it:
It is a truth universally acknowledged that if Jane Austen were alive today, she would be quite frustrated with the publishing industry.
Seriously. If Jane Austen were alive, she would be amazed by her popularity, as well as all of the Austen-inspired novels on the shelves. And she would totally want a piece of the royalties.
So, the premise of our novel, dear Reader, is that Jane is alive and well in upstate New York. She owns a bookshop, and she is known to all as Jane More...
Seriously. If Jane Austen were alive, she would be amazed by her popularity, as well as all of the Austen-inspired novels on the shelves. And she would totally want a piece of the royalties.
So, the premise of our novel, dear Reader, is that Jane is alive and well in upstate New York. She owns a bookshop, and she is known to all as Jane More...
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Mar 17, 2011
Lisa
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I love all things inspired by Jane Austen. I actually entered a giveaway here on Goodreads and won a "first reads" contest for the second book in this series. Being the huge book nerd that I am, I couldn't read the second book in a series without reading the first. I'm so happy that I won because I have had the opportunity to read this book. I really enjoyed it! What a fun idea for a book -- a 234 year old Jane Austen, who owns a bookstore in Upstate New York, is a struggling writ
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Feb 06, 2010
Colleen
rated it:
A ridiculously fun book. I've read lots of Austen knock-offs (Bebris, Barron, the zombie & sea monster ones, random and generally pretty gross retellings), and this one leaves them all in the dust. One of the main jokes throughout the book is the Jane Austen industry--cookbooks, self-help, paper dolls, etc.--and how Jane Austen herself (as a exasperated vampire owner of a bookstore in a small NY town) is endlessly annoyed by it.
I've often found it ironic how pretty much all of the J More...
I've often found it ironic how pretty much all of the J More...
Jan 15, 2010
Terry
rated it:
Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford is quite an entertaining possibility of what Jane Austen would have been like if she were a vampire. I found this book charmingly cute and delightfully refreshing. This is not a hot steamy romance and that is a refreshing change of pace in today's world of romance novels.
Jane Fairfax is the Jane Austen but she guards her secret like a cat guards a prize mouse. Having lived two centuries plus, Jane has moved around quite a bit and seen a fair amo More...
Jane Fairfax is the Jane Austen but she guards her secret like a cat guards a prize mouse. Having lived two centuries plus, Jane has moved around quite a bit and seen a fair amo More...
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