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For Myself Alone: a Jane Austen Inspired Novel
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From the author of "The Darcys of Pemberley" comes a new story, straight out of the world of Jane Austen and told in a style strongly reminiscent of her classic novels.
Set in nineteenth century Hampshire and Bath, "For Myself Alone" is the tale of Josephine Walker, a bright, young woman whose life is turned upside-down by an unexpected inheritance. With a tempting fortune ...more
Set in nineteenth century Hampshire and Bath, "For Myself Alone" is the tale of Josephine Walker, a bright, young woman whose life is turned upside-down by an unexpected inheritance. With a tempting fortune ...more
Nook, 265 pages
Published
April 2nd 2012
by Heather Ridge Arts
(first published March 29th 2012)
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Start your review of For Myself Alone: a Jane Austen Inspired Novel
3.75
For Myself Alone is not a direct Austen retelling or continuation, but is billed as being “in the style of” Jane Austen, and with that, I would definitely agree. That’s not to say that a modern voice or sentiments don’t intrude, because as is the case with most Austenesque works, they certainly do. But it does have a similar feel and makes a really good effort at capturing some of that style and feeling of Austen, which I commend Winslow for. She imitates Austen well in style, tone and subje ...more
For Myself Alone is not a direct Austen retelling or continuation, but is billed as being “in the style of” Jane Austen, and with that, I would definitely agree. That’s not to say that a modern voice or sentiments don’t intrude, because as is the case with most Austenesque works, they certainly do. But it does have a similar feel and makes a really good effort at capturing some of that style and feeling of Austen, which I commend Winslow for. She imitates Austen well in style, tone and subje ...more
This novel is supposed to be a "what if" Jane Austen had lived to complete another novel but is not based on any of the major 6 plots in the Austen canon, however, I did not find this one to be at all in the style of Jane Austen. For one thing, it was too slow. The plot took forever to develop so that the ending was very rushed. The action of the story was largely summarized and lacked Jane Austen's witty dialogue. The ending is largely predictable for readers of the genre, but there are a few t
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I read all the reviews for this before purchasing it when it was listed along with a number of other JA related books on a link on Abigail Reynolds' page (my favorite author for "what if" and modern adaptations). The reviews convinced me to invest in this and it was the second one read among all those bargain books. I found delight in recognizing some of Jane's own lines, although at times I was so caught up in the "page turning" quality that I neglected to be alert for such. I stayed up late an
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Gossip. It has the power to create larger than life reputations, but also has the ability to destroy said reputations. Within Jane Austen’s novels we’ve seen just what gossip can do; Mr. Darcy’s reputation and person are vilified by Wickham, John Thorpe gossips about the true size of Catherine Morland’s dowry to a displeased General Tilney, and Captain Wentworth hears gossip that shares the good tidings of Anne Elliot’s non-existent engagement to her cousin William. It should come as no surprise
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As Shannon Winslow’s latest novel For Myself Alone opens, we discover that two things have recently happened to twenty-one year old Josephine Walker: her uncle has willed her a significant inheritance and there has been some unnamed-but-clearly-scandalous “trouble in Bath.” With this hint of mystery, Winslow sets off on her charming tale.
Upon their beloved uncle’s death, the Walker family seems set for life: Josephine has twenty thousand pounds and her brothers inherit an estate and a good livin ...more
Upon their beloved uncle’s death, the Walker family seems set for life: Josephine has twenty thousand pounds and her brothers inherit an estate and a good livin ...more
The best Austen fanfiction I have yet read by far. This isn't a sequel or a retelling, rather a "Jane Austen inspired novel". The story is completely new, but written, as close as is possible, in Jane Austen's style. While perfection in such an endeavor may be impossible, this one comes pretty darn close.
The heroine is somewhat of a cross between Elinor Dashwood and Elizabeth Bennet. Josephine (the heroine) is a very level-headed person, and can usually (though not always!) see a situation for ...more
The heroine is somewhat of a cross between Elinor Dashwood and Elizabeth Bennet. Josephine (the heroine) is a very level-headed person, and can usually (though not always!) see a situation for ...more
This book was amazing. I enjoyed the Northanger Abbey and Persuasion feel to the storyline. As I progressed, I could find Emma, Sense and Sensibility, and even some Mansfield Park tones. This writing paralleled Jane Austen herself. The storyline was so very well thought out and developed. The characters were rich and deep. You could realize some things were just right to happen, but how could our heroine get through her troubles. She did it famously and heroically. I ultimately felt there was no
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I liked it. It was predictable, but something compels you forward. In the end I found it very charming and a nice substitute for Jane. I appreciated the intricacy of research done for this book, but the characters didn't grab a hold of me as much as I expected them to. I do recommend it to anyone who is interested in Regency Era romance however. Good read.
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Sweet regency romance. 3.5 stars
Wonderful
It's such a pleasure to find a book written by a truly talented storyteller, and a clever one at that. This story about Josephine Walker, a girl who finds herself suddenly bequeathed a fortune, is great fun to read mainly because she has a lot of very fascinating things to say. Written in the first person, she is obviously a very intelligent young lady, but is smart enough to realize that she makes many mistakes.
We meet Jo's family, as well as many other residents of her small village, ...more
It's such a pleasure to find a book written by a truly talented storyteller, and a clever one at that. This story about Josephine Walker, a girl who finds herself suddenly bequeathed a fortune, is great fun to read mainly because she has a lot of very fascinating things to say. Written in the first person, she is obviously a very intelligent young lady, but is smart enough to realize that she makes many mistakes.
We meet Jo's family, as well as many other residents of her small village, ...more
The writing style was very good and I enjoyed the Regency setting. There were lines sprinkled throughout that came straight from Jane Austen's work - nice little Easter eggs.
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*spoilers
While written to imitate Jane Austen's style, this book lacks the satire that distinguishes Ms Austen's novels. She cut through the pretensions and vanities of her society with a razor sharp wit that is inimitable. Many of her characters were larger than life and there was great depth to her writing.
The characters in this book are a little bland and even the villains lacked definition. For me, Arthur was the least successful character because we learn almost nothing about his personalit ...more
While written to imitate Jane Austen's style, this book lacks the satire that distinguishes Ms Austen's novels. She cut through the pretensions and vanities of her society with a razor sharp wit that is inimitable. Many of her characters were larger than life and there was great depth to her writing.
The characters in this book are a little bland and even the villains lacked definition. For me, Arthur was the least successful character because we learn almost nothing about his personalit ...more
I applaud the author's intention of writing the kind of novels that Jane Austen wrote. She re-creates Ms. Austen's style well for the most part.
This story contains all of the elements of a good Austenesque novel - a young woman navigating the shark-infested waters of pre-matrimony, superficially suitable young men, manners, reputation, and money. It was an enjoyable read. Since comparisons with Austen are inevitable given the title of the book, I must point out what is missing. The book does not ...more
This story contains all of the elements of a good Austenesque novel - a young woman navigating the shark-infested waters of pre-matrimony, superficially suitable young men, manners, reputation, and money. It was an enjoyable read. Since comparisons with Austen are inevitable given the title of the book, I must point out what is missing. The book does not ...more
For Myself Alone is simply brilliant and truly lives up to the statement 'A Jane Austen Inspired Novel'. Take a witty, intelligent and independent heroine; an enchantingly charming, too good to be true villain and a misunderstood or temporarily undervalued hero; mix in a little scandal, some local gossip and just the right amount of romance; add a great plot line and you certainly do end up with book worthy of a tribute to Jane Austen.
I loved this book and didn't want to put it down. A fun, ligh ...more
I loved this book and didn't want to put it down. A fun, ligh ...more
This book did sound like something Jane Austen would write herself. Josephine is described as quite average when compared to her friend until she gets an inheritance of 20,000 pounds from her uncle and suddenly she is admired by all for her dowry. Josephine wants to be loved for herself alone and not her money so when she removes with her family to Bath for a few months she doesn't want the society there to know she has come into money. She makes a great friend in Bath and both girls attract a s
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“For Myself Alone” was good. I liked the story; love the Regency time period, and found the characters interesting. I am a big JA fan so this “Jane Austen Inspired Novel” (s it says on the front) was right up my alley. This was the first book I’ve read by Shannon Winslow.
The potential of me wanting to read more might be there, but I almost think Winslow tried too hard to mimic Jane Austen. That bothers me somewhat. I easily picked out the direct phrases from JA’s works and could name the story, ...more
The potential of me wanting to read more might be there, but I almost think Winslow tried too hard to mimic Jane Austen. That bothers me somewhat. I easily picked out the direct phrases from JA’s works and could name the story, ...more
Wow!! Absolutely loved this book. I do believe that Ms Winslow has caught the feeling of Jane Austen when she wrote this book. It starts out letting you know that a young lady of consquence is being gossiped about because of a misstep that happened in bath. From there the story is told from the begining from Josephine Walker's perpective. It is written like a diary where she tell us(the audience) her prepective. The story is about Josephine Walker(Jo)a 21yr old spirited,inteligent,witty and cari
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Delighted with Shannon's ability to create a Jane Austen novel with the accuracy evidenced in 'For Myself Alone: a Jane Austen Inspired Novel'.
Her characters, dialogue, descriptions and influences are all noteworthy. A pleasure to read and add to my Jane Austen bookshelves!
I was immediately swept into the story of Josephine Walker who could as easily have walked off the pages of any JA novel. Teased with some 'trouble in Bath' as the opening, we're taken back to before that trouble begins. Intro ...more
Her characters, dialogue, descriptions and influences are all noteworthy. A pleasure to read and add to my Jane Austen bookshelves!
I was immediately swept into the story of Josephine Walker who could as easily have walked off the pages of any JA novel. Teased with some 'trouble in Bath' as the opening, we're taken back to before that trouble begins. Intro ...more
Sep 07, 2012
Kathy Skipper
added it
There’s a good reason why Jane Austen’s novels have remained popular, though the era she so eloquently described has long since passed into history. She created characters that, with all their flaws, were likeable and the reader became engrossed in their lives and relationships. Shannon Winslow has managed to enter Austen’s England in her imagination and create a new set of characters that are very reminiscent of hers. Josephine Walker is an interesting heroine who speaks her mind and tries, wit
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This was a well-written, enjoyable Austen-inspired novel, with locations, social interactions, and conversations reminiscent of Jane Austen's novels. The author did a great job keeping to the feel of a "Regency" period with the language and the expressions. The main character, Jo, and her family were appealing and kind -- unlike some of the flawed family members from Jane Austen's novels, who can cause havoc and can be cruel, the main character's family were all supportive and engaging when the
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Nicely written; follows Jane's writing style and the characters behave in appropriate Regency ways. The struggles of the main character shows the disadvantages of the genteel poor and the inability to trust others when a large dowry is involved. Josephine trusts that her father and the father of her sweetheart will deal honorably with her and her dowry. When she realizes she cannot trust the man she loves, she has to get out of the betrothal contract on her own terms.
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Shannon Winslow does an excellent job of recreating the voice and atmosphere of Jane Austen's novels. This one introduces us to Josephine Walker, an heiress who wishes to be loved for herself alone, not for her money. It also shows us how far women's rights have advanced since Jane Austen's day (thankfully!). There are several annoying typos: sighting for citing, reign in for rein in, discretely for discreetly and lightening for lightning, but aside from that, it's a very good read!
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The author supposedly wanted to write "Jane Austen's next book" with this book. It is impossible for anyone to recreate Jane Austen's wit and humor so I don't think anyone should try. I did like this book though as I usually do with clean Regency type books. It was fairly predictable and a bit anticlimactic for me but still good.
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I mostly enjoyed this book. I did not like that it started by essentially spoiling the story. Don't read the prologue. I also had a hard time that the second have the book was written in first person present tense. Authors should stay away from this idea.
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This was mildly entertaining but the plot was too predictable. It was obvious from the very first chapter what would happen.
Shannon Winslow is the best current Austen-inspired author I have read. I look forward to more from this talented author.
A good choice for those of us looking for more "Austenesque" reads. Doesn't take the place of Austen, but a nice escape.
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Enjoyable story
Sweet story - not too original as it imitates Jane Austin with a bit of a Pride and Prejudice theme, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Sweet story - not too original as it imitates Jane Austin with a bit of a Pride and Prejudice theme, but enjoyable nonetheless.
I loved this story!
Good deeds end coming around to those that bestow them disinterestedly. A story about almost forgotten true values and integrity.
Good deeds end coming around to those that bestow them disinterestedly. A story about almost forgotten true values and integrity.
I have loved all of Shannon's books
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