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Austenland

(Austenland #1)

Shannon Hale (Goodreads Author)

3.55 · Rating details · 85,223 ratings · 11,223 reviews

Another Cover for this ASIN can be found here

Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women,

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Kindle Edition, 208 pages

Published August 10th 2010 by Bloomsbury USA (first published May 29th 2007)

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· 85,223 ratings · 11,223 reviews

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Feb 27, 2008 Lucy rated it liked it · review of another edition

I am a Pride and Prejudice snob. I only like the BBC version, with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennett. While there are parts of the newer, shorter, harried, and nuance free Hollywood version I enjoy, like the supposed-to-be-prettiest-sister Jane, who is actually much prettier than the actress in the BBC version, every time I've watched it (which, I grant, is only twice), I feel angry afterwards. First, Kiera Knightly is NOT Elizabeth Bennett. Elizabeth Bennett does n I am a Pride and Prejudice snob. I only like the BBC version, with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennett. While there are parts of the newer, shorter, harried, and nuance free Hollywood version I enjoy, like the supposed-to-be-prettiest-sister Jane, who is actually much prettier than the actress in the BBC version, every time I've watched it (which, I grant, is only twice), I feel angry afterwards. First, Kiera Knightly is NOT Elizabeth Bennett. Elizabeth Bennett does not smile a ridiculous smile showing her bottom teeth all the time. And she is not flat chested. I mean, come on....we're talking about the girl who woos Mr. Darcy. With those low-cut gowns in style, I'm guessing there was a little bit of oomph necessary to catch his eye. That and a pair of "fine eyes". Mostly, though, the entire movie is rushed. The actors spit out their lines in Gilmore Girls fashion, important scenes are entirely cut out, and then two minutes are devoted to watching Kiera Knightly spin on a swing. Frustrating.

Anyways, my point is (and I do have one), that there is only one good movie adaptation...and it's six hours long and only strays (and not really even strays, just leaves out a few minor details) slightly from the book. So, when the main character in Austenland, Jane, loved this movie as much as me, I knew I could appreciate her.

32 year-old Jane, single and relationship challenged, is obsessed with Mr. Darcy...the dreamy Colin Firth who walks across his magnificent grounds in a wet shirt after diving into a pond (you know the scene). The Colin Firth...I mean Mr. Darcy, who beams at Elizabeth while she's turning pages for his sister, Georgiana, at the piano (you know this scene too). After her rich great aunt comes to visit her, and subsequently finds her two-disc DVDs hidden behind a houseplant, Jane is surprised when she receives a call following her aunt's death from the probate attorney. Instead of money, her aunt leaves her an all expense paid for trip to an exclusive British resort, where Jane will spend three weeks living the Regency period lifestyle in an attempt to fulfill, and also hopefully expunge, her Darcy obsession.

I found the beginning of this book to be annoying. Jane is too nervous and melodramatic and not all that likable. For starters, I have no idea why anyone would be ashamed of owning Pride and Prejudice. Houseplants? Please. I'm thinking of fashioning my set up with a chain and wearing it around my neck. See? I'm a true fan.

However, the three weeks she spends at Pembrook Park, a Netherfield/Pemberly-esque manor with servants who can't speak to her, empire wasted gowns, gentleman that are actors (or are they?), turns about the room, walks on the grounds and a ball are simply fantastic. The situations are entertaining, the plot pleasantly twisty and the ending satisfying.

Shannon Hale writes a light-hearted fantasy romance that is sure to please even the snobbiest Jane Austen fans. As a warning, do not expect a Jane Austen book. While Hale does a fair job mimicking some of the dialogue, the novel is thoroughly modern and much less subtle. It is a romance...therefore extremely unlikely to be true. Regardless, when I turned the last page, I had a smile on my face and said, out loud, "That was fun!" ...more

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Dec 10, 2017 Zoë rated it liked it · review of another edition

The movie is one of my favorites, so I was so excited to learn that it was based on a book! Unfortunately, this is one of the rare cases where I enjoy the movie more than the book. Movie Jane was a raging Austen fangirl and just a tad pitiful, which was totally relatable and made me root for her. Book Jane seemed to have her life more or less together, so it wasn't as satisfying an experience. Still a pleasant read and I totally want to visit Austenland, but I think I would have enjoyed it more ...more

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May 15, 2008 Melinda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I crept quietly up the dark stairway, entered my room and tried my very best to shut the door silently behind me. It thudded despite my best efforts and I cringed, but Phil didn’t stir in his 3 o’clock-in-the-morning slumber. I sighed, relieved.
I felt so entirely sneaky. I felt as if I had cheated and there was a sting of guilt as I looked at the distorted red figures on the alarm clock through the empty glass on the night stand. “Please don’t wake up and look at what I see” I silently begged t I crept quietly up the dark stairway, entered my room and tried my very best to shut the door silently behind me. It thudded despite my best efforts and I cringed, but Phil didn’t stir in his 3 o’clock-in-the-morning slumber. I sighed, relieved.
I felt so entirely sneaky. I felt as if I had cheated and there was a sting of guilt as I looked at the distorted red figures on the alarm clock through the empty glass on the night stand. “Please don’t wake up and look at what I see” I silently begged to the shadowy outline that was Phil. He didn’t. I climbed into bed and gave up all caution trying to snag a bit of the blanket so tightly wound around him. He turned over, releasing his tight hold on the blanket, and rested his leg on mine- still asleep. I relaxed and tried to sleep… but after reading for 5 hours on end- my mind was a frenzy of literature and as I closed my eyes, I could see words giving description to my every action.
From the satisfying moment I closed the book that I’d begun only hours prior and ascended to the sleepy second floor of our home- my motions were narrated perfectly in my head. I laughed it off, and enjoyed the silliness of my thoughts. It reminded me of how Phil had once told me about a fishing trip with the guys’. They’d spent so many hours cleaning their vast catch that when he went to bed he continued cleaning fish behind his closed lids. That had to be what was happening to me, luckily it was prose and not smelly fish guts stealing my rest!
Finally, I did sleep, though it was a heavy, dreamless-sleep. It is rare thing, for me, not to dream. It was as though I had traded, for the night, my own colorful, unpredictable imagination for the author’s. I needed no dreams or contemplations tonight.
So, this is my curse. I cannot pick up a good book and put it down, I must read it’s entirety before I can rest. I had gotten the call from the library yesterday afternoon that the book I had requested from a neighboring library had come in. Yes, yes… another Shannon Hale masterpiece, if you must pry! I wasn’t so sure I would like this one. I like Jane Austen, but wouldn’t call myself a fan (yet). I haven’t read any of her books, and while I enjoyed some of the movies based on them, I hesitate to admit I’d felt they were dry and hard to follow at times.
So, I used the excuse that I needed to return a few of the books (which, I had only borrowed last Friday), so I could sneak over to the Library on my way to work. I don’t know why I felt the urge to keep this a secret. Phil doesn’t mind in any way, that I love reading. Perhaps it heightened the appeal and experience of reading it? I knew if I worked quickly I could have time to begin the book before heading home, and how wonderful a thing- to read without any interruptions.
Maybe that’s just what it was. If I am openly preoccupied with something- it’s a trigger. That is when everyone needs some-thing! So, I read the book from start to finish, unburdened by distraction.
And why am I publishing these thoughts to a review? Does anyone actually care? Probably not so much- but I had the urge to type out my own thoughts to cleanse my eyelids so that I might relinquish my own dreams tonight.
...more

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Nov 02, 2007 Lorraine rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Austen fans and Romantics

Shelves: chick-lit, british, american

I was so engrossed in this book I read it in an afternoon. If I were still a teenager, this would be the book I'd read over and over.

I hate this book.

SPOILER ALERT

Why? I mean, if it was so engrossing that I couldn't put it down, why do I hate it? Because Jane Hayes, the main character, is me except that she gets to live out my fantasy and gets the happy ending only found in Austen novels.

Jane is in her early 30s, in a job she likes but does not love, convinced she must embrace her spinsterhood.
I was so engrossed in this book I read it in an afternoon. If I were still a teenager, this would be the book I'd read over and over.

I hate this book.

SPOILER ALERT

Why? I mean, if it was so engrossing that I couldn't put it down, why do I hate it? Because Jane Hayes, the main character, is me except that she gets to live out my fantasy and gets the happy ending only found in Austen novels.

Jane is in her early 30s, in a job she likes but does not love, convinced she must embrace her spinsterhood. So far, so good. I relate completely. Her secret vice is Pride and Prejudice (more the BBC movie than the novel) and she is in love with Mr. Darcy. For me, it's more Rhett Butler, but the implication is there. A great-aunt spots this fantasy and bequeaths to Jane a three-week stay at Austenland, a resort in England where people live like characters in an Austen novel. I have always thought I was born in the wrong century; this vacation would be a dream for me. Jane gets to live out her fantasy and deal with her obsession of Mr. Darcy. I get to read about it.

Okay, differences: Jane is beautiful; she turns heads. At the beginning each chapter, a synopsis is given of each of Jane's ex-boyfriends. There are 13. Plus her "first love" (at age four) and three other "Guys". If I were the main character, there couldn't be so many chapters; only First Love, Boyfriend #6, Guy Between #6 and 7, #7, #10, and maybe Guy After #12 would work in my story (read the book: you'll get how sad that is). Jane makes out with the gardner, attracts the men at Pembroke...it's all very ideal.

Without the same finesse and fine writing of Austen, (this book really qualifies as chicklit, not fine literature) Shannon Hale does echo an Austen-like story. Underlying commentary on the absurdity of relationships and women's fantasy loves are clear. But the end is so inevitable and apparent you hope for a surprise twist. She gets her guy in the end, just like in Pride and Prejudice.

So why do I hate it? Jane Hayes goes to Austenland hoping to rid herself of the dream that one day she'll meet her Mr. Darcy and be swept off her feet. I really hoped this book would put to rest the romantic ideal I and many other women harbour. That finally there would be a book where the heroine found happiness without a man. Instead, this book perpetuates the dream. To a 'tee'.

And I have to return to the real world. ...more

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Aug 11, 2007 Allie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Austen fans who love chick lit

I read this book all the way through only because I love Jane Austen, and because the concept of the book was quirky and irresisistible. It kind of felt like eating an entire bag of cotton candy.
I guess I just don't like chick lit, maybe. But the author of this book seems to have written mostly children's books before, and this struck me as a children's book ... but for women. And not even a well-written children's book. The dialogue in spots was read-out-loud bad and the main character was fla ...more

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May 22, 2011 Brandy Painter rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction, contemporary-fiction

I can't believe I just gave one star to a Shannon Hale book. Never thought that would happen.

Review originally posted here.

I really like Shannon Hale's books. And I love Jane Austen. It has taken me this long to get around to reading Shannon Hale's Austenland because I had a suspicion I might be disappointed. The book is a light quick read perfect for summer reading. If you are fan of romantic comedy, either in chick lit or chick flick form, then you might enjoy it. If you are a Jane Austen fan. I can't believe I just gave one star to a Shannon Hale book. Never thought that would happen.

Review originally posted here.

I really like Shannon Hale's books. And I love Jane Austen. It has taken me this long to get around to reading Shannon Hale's Austenland because I had a suspicion I might be disappointed. The book is a light quick read perfect for summer reading. If you are fan of romantic comedy, either in chick lit or chick flick form, then you might enjoy it. If you are a Jane Austen fan....it is going to depend on what type of Jane Austen fan you are. If you are in the camp that loves her books (and more than the books the period movie adaptations of them) because they are Regency romances that are historical chick lit (or flicks) then you might also enjoy this. Neither of these things being true about me, I didn't. In fact I have some rather major issues with it. I almost feel bad about this because I do really really like Shannon Hale's other books. I almost wasn't going to write a review I felt so bad, but I have been stewing over this for a couple of days and just want to get some of it off my chest.

I had issues with Jane. The same issues I have with all of the similar characters to her that seem to be cropping up more and more in this type of book or movie. Jane is a single successful woman with a career and life (sort of) in New York City. Yet she is a mess because she is a desperate husband hungry crazy girl. Why do women keep getting portrayed like this? We are meant to believe that these girls are savvy enough to graduate from college, secure a job, keep a job, live within their means in a large metropolis and yet they can't wear high heels without (at some point) falling over on their bottoms? (How many times is that shtick going to be used????) I have big problems with the whole idea that a woman can not be content and completely free of desperation if she doesn't have a boyfriend/husband. Each chapter of this book is introduced with a history of one of Jane's failed relationships. These highlight exactly how crazy desperate she is for this kind of relationship. Of course they have all failed. Men tend to run screaming scared from crazy women.

Irony: Jane is exactly the sort of woman Jane Austen was making fun with her books.

Because that is what her books are, not romantic frolics in period gowns, but social satires. At first I thought maybe the irony was intentional. And it may have been, but it fell fall short of its mark if it was. There is one point when Jane has an epiphany and realizes that she is not Elizabeth Bennet, but more like Mrs. Bennet. I expected things to turn around maybe, and that she would become more than she was, but the change that occurred wasn't one that had me believing in its longevity. While the Jane that leaves Austenland has more confidence and has convinced herself she was not looking for a Mr. Darcy duplicate, she never convinced me she was cured. In fact, the end makes it abundantly clear that she's not. More confident, less desperate, but given where she started she still has a long way to go. Except she got her storybook ending, so where is the motivation to grow?

It was so frustrating.

The frustration was probably greater for me because I know Shannon Hale can write strong female characters better than this. The girls in her Books of Bayern: amazing. Same goes for the girls in Princess Academy. Actually, Shannon Hale can just write better than this period. Honestly, if someone gave me this book to read without telling me who wrote it I never would have believed it to be Shannon Hale. ...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, squeaky-clean-romance, all-aboard-the-jane-austen-train

4+ stars for this Austen-inspired romantic comedy.

description

Austenland has an irresistible premise for me: a vacation getaway in England for ladies who can’t get enough of Mr Darcy or other Jane Austen heroes and want to pretend to live in her world for a few weeks. Jane’s great-aunt becomes aware of her Darcy obsession. A while later, when her great-aunt dies, Jane is stunned to find out that she has willed Jane an overseas trip to Austenland, where hired actors do their best to make wealthy ladies’ Reg ...more

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May 19, 2018 Ginger rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018, library-book, romance

I went into Austenland hoping for a fun and lighthearted book. It delivered!
3.5 stars!

Like the main character Jane Hayes, I am also a fan of Pride and Predjudice. I read this book by Jane Austen at an early age and have loved historical romance since then. When I saw friends on this site reading Austenland earlier this year, I had to check it out!

Jane Hayes is 32, single and has problems staying in relationships. She’s obsessed with Mr. Darcy and has unrealistic expectations for men. Her rich, g ...more

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Oct 13, 2009 Tatiana rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommends it for: those who will read anything that has Darcy in it

Shelves: 2009, chick-lit

Seriously, I don't even know why I bother to read any P&P sequels, prequels, re-tellings, or books "inspired" by P&P. They all end up being a complete and utter nonsense (with the exception of "Bridget Jones' Diaries"). "Austenland" is no exception, unfortunately.

The premise of the book is OK. 33-year old Jane Hayes is single and obsessed with "Pride and Prejudice" Mr. Darcy (just like you are, admit it, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this review). She inherits a 3-week vacation to "Austenlan ...more

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Aug 28, 2008 Rachelle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I picked up this book at about 10:30 last night thinking that I would just read the prologue to get the basic idea and then start it tomorrow. Alas... it was not meant to be. After about a half hour I whispered an apology to Aaron and slipped out of bed to go read in the living room. After reading late into the night and a quick nap (okay 5 1/2 hours) I got up this morning and didn't stop until I finished it. This book is so entertaining. I read a lot and I have often had a book bring me to tear ...more

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Mar 02, 2015 ``Laurie Henderson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: pbo, romance-clean, fiction, humor

Austenland was a delight to read and one of the best of the Chick Lit genre that I've read so far.
Plenty of laughs and a happy ending, what more could you ask for? ...more

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Aug 27, 2007 Eviltwinjen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Chick lit fans, Austen fans who don't mind chick lit

Shelves: romance, fiction

Jane Hayes is a single thirty-something with a string of no-good boyfriends and an unhealthy obsession with Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. Didn't someone already write that book, you say? Banish thoughts of Bridget Jones from your mind, because Shannon Hale knows her Austen. A true knowledge and love of the novels that spawned the fantasy lifts Austenland above its chick-lit peers.

The fabulous conceit of the novel is that there's a Regency-era mansion in England that hosts an exclusive vaca ...more

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Jun 24, 2008 Kathy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2009, read-more-than-once, read-in-2016

This is such a fun book. I love Jane Austen and got a kick out of Hale's creation of "Austenland". Laugh out loud funny at some points.
I love the movie and after watching a few times decided to do a reread of the book. Love the movie adaptation, it brought the characters to life.

Originally read May of 2009
Reread June of 2016

Content: Mild innuendo and sexual humor ...more

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May 08, 2008 danielle rated it did not like it · review of another edition

This book was horrendous, certainly not worth anyone's time to read it. I loved her children's books, so I was excited to see that she wrote an adult book about Jane Austen (a serious departure from her usual subjects, which turned out to be a serious mistake). This book was basically Bridget Jones, minus any snarkiness, and with a huge dose of sincerity. Horrendous. (I loved Bridget Jones, but it was bearable/lovable BECAUSE of its snarkiness and level of self awareness). Worst of all, it's set ...more

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Jul 16, 2018 belle ✨ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

To start with: The book is 100% better than the movie!

Ever wished you could dive into Pride & Prejudice and live there amongst the Bennets and Darcys and Bingleys? Like, for real? YEAH, ME TOO.

description

Enter: Austenland.

This book was hilarious from the get-go, and completely sucked me in. It truly was a "nose-stuck-in-your-book" sort of book; I couldn't stop reading! Jane is such a funny and relatable character and I was rooting for her from the start. She is obsessed with Jane Austen's works and the w ...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Emer (A Little Haze) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: people I don't like

Recommended to Emer (A Little Haze) by: my own stupidity

Shelves: light-fiction, contemporary, the-hype-lies, trees-died-for-this-crap, 1star, reviewed, adult-fiction, read2014

Yup that we do.. Can't seem to get enough of Austen and all things Darcy.

This simpering piece of banality though?

Do yourself a favour.
Swipe left.

one star ...more

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May 26, 2019 Anne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, cotton-candy-fluff, owned, darling-books-i-want-to-hug, regency, romance, gentleman-like-heroes, books-that-love-books, dear-sir-i-am-in-love-with-you, precious-little-gems

Just like it's hard to resist the wonderful world of Pride and Prejudice (whether we're talking about the actual novel or the swoon-worthy '95 movie version...), likewise is it hard to resist the lure of Austenland.

The relatable and witty commentary of Jane ~~Hayes~~ Erstwhile as well as the fun, perfectly escape-worthy setting are really what make this book a little gem. It's nothing extraordinary, let's not fool ourselves, but there is something incredibly refreshing in its simplicity and direct ...more

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Apr 02, 2015 Duchess Nicole rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: heroine-tstl, humorous, stand-alone, 3-star-read, read-in-2015, genre-chick-lit

I would never label myself as an Austen snob, or more specifically a Pride and Prejudice snob. I've read the original multiple times and I've read a handful of spinoffs, satires, and continuations, and I tend to love them all. I also pretty much love all the movie/TV adaptations, even though I do have my favorites. It all centers around the brooding, aloof, prideful gamma hero Darcy, of course. And I just love getting little glimpses into other P&P lover's ideas of this much-loved couple. I'm ge ...more

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Dec 30, 2009 Kaethe Douglas rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: friendship, uk, books-about-books, theater, adventure, feminism, fiction, etiquette, gender, humor

If you are a fan of the works of Jane Austen, and particularly of the Jennifer Ehle/Colin Firth - starring mini-series of Pride and Prejudice, then an opportunity to spend three weeks vacation in a manor in England, live action role playing as an Austenesque heroine is a dream come true. Since this is an expensive proposition, (the home, the clothes, the food, the staff of actors, the horses even) our heroine Jane Hayes is lucky enough to receive such a trip from a great aunt who wishes to both ...more

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Sep 06, 2008 Kristi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

Jane Hayes is obsessed with Mr. Darcy. More particularly Colin Firth’s portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the film version of Pride and Prejudice. Can you blame her? Really? But, it might have something to do with why the thirty-three yeah old Jane is still unmarried and single. Her obsession for Mr. Darcy keeps any "real" man from measuring up.

Jane’s Aunt Carolyn is aware of her obsession. When Aunt Carolyn passes away she leaves Jane an all expense paid vacation to Pembrook Park, a resort that lets its ...more

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Sep 29, 2013 Fenia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-like-drugs, my-current-book-obsessions, fluffiness

How can i express my love for this book? This book is so much more than i anticipated!! Jane's list of 'boyfriends',her endless list of rejections,her crazy obsession with Mr.Darcy..well these things are me!! This book is one of my soulmate-books!!! <33 I can't even review this properly. I'm just going to tell you that if you love Jane Austen then you definitely should read this!!! A truly enchanting book that i've read in one freaking day!!! LOVED IT!!! ♥

PS: where is my ticket to Austenland??? ...more

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Nov 07, 2016 Colleen Houck added it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, adult, england

I saw the movie first and loved it and the book was just as fun. The ending of the movie is different than the book but no less fulfilling. If you're a fan of one you'll really like the other. ...more

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Mar 13, 2009 Stephanie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Jane Austen fans, Lovers of Light Romance

Recommended to Stephanie by: Leslie O

Some books you read for enlightenment. Some you read to answer a specific question. Some you read to expand your horizons. And some you read simply because they go really well with bonbons, a mug of hot chocolate and a cozy blanket.

Austenland by Shannon Hale resides solidly in that last category. It is the story of Jane Hayes, a New York City graphic artist who, at age 31, is still single and secretly obsessed with the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. You know the one: the one with the del Some books you read for enlightenment. Some you read to answer a specific question. Some you read to expand your horizons. And some you read simply because they go really well with bonbons, a mug of hot chocolate and a cozy blanket.

Austenland by Shannon Hale resides solidly in that last category. It is the story of Jane Hayes, a New York City graphic artist who, at age 31, is still single and secretly obsessed with the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. You know the one: the one with the delectable Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. Wealthy Great-Aunt Carolyn figures out Jane’s dark secret and arranges a three-week vacation for Jane at an exclusive English resort where women get to live out their fantasies as Regency-era ladies of good standing. Jane finds herself torn between her budding feelings for the brooding (and Darcy-like) gentleman, Mr. Nobley, and her forbidden relationship with the gardener, Martin. All the while, she wrestles to overcome her Austen fixation for good.

Hale’s writing is light and witty. The book actually had me chuckling out loud now and then. Jane is the somewhat standard smart yet self-deprecating (and inept where it comes to relationships) heroine that we all know and love. As for the romance…well, I’m as susceptible to the charms of the Regency era as the next gal. Naturally, it warmed my heart and made me sigh happily as I clutched the book to my heaving bosom. And it’s all G-rated (well, maybe PG), as you’d expect from a tribute to Jane Austen.

Throughout the book, Jane learns Important Facts About Life and Relationships™, but those periods of introspection are the only parts of the book that seem a little forced, where the light-hearted flow of the book seems to hesitate or drag just the slightest bit. The book is best when it doesn’t overthink things, and Jane is just allowed to enjoy her Austen-esque adventure without too much philosophizing. This applies to the reader, too: this book is perfect for those times when all you’re looking for is a few hours of mostly mindless diversion, a time to be alone with some bonbons, some chocolate and a little light romance. ...more

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Jan 02, 2008 Danielle rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: beach readers

Shelves: books-i-did-not-like

Let's be realistic here: almost every female goes through their Jane Austen obsession phase. This book explores the "what if" of that obsession, and takes it to a whole new, somewhat unhealthy level.

Jane is your typical thirty-year-old woman that harbors a secret Darcy/Colin Firth obsession, which slowly begins to take over her life. In an attempt to help Jane discover herself, her deceased Aunt sets aside a vacation for Jane in her will- to Austenland.

When we first arrive at Austenland, the r ...more

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Apr 19, 2020 Samuel Wayne Allen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020

Awww, what an enjoyably light read this was! Funny, cute, and ABSOLUTELY adorable!!!

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Feb 19, 2011 AMythicalBeast rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: no one in their right minds and definitely NOT to Austen fans

Recommended to AMythicalBeast by: Amazon

Shelves: reviewed-by-moi, awful-just-awful

I had hopes for this- truly I did.
By the cover and the cryptic jacket blurb I thought this was a paperback Lost in Austen. Hopefully better, because I couldn't stand that series and still can't believe BBC produced it.
So. Girl is obsessed with Colin Firth in his Darcy persona. Old benefactor lady discovers this and (because she is rich and apparently totally understands such obsessions) buys her a three week treat in Austenland- an English 'pretend' resort (disguised as an old manor house) wher ...more

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Sep 17, 2018 Ashley rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, romantical, shop-on-your-own-shelves-2018, cbr-book-exchange, fandom

This was such a mixed bag of a reading experience.

Honestly, though, I figured it might be. I've read a couple of Shannon Hale's adult novels before this, and neither of them worked for me. And the Goodreads average rating for this book is not great. But I was still hoping! Especially considering the premise.

It wasn't one of those 'meh' reads, either. One second I would be actively hating what was going on, irritated with the main character, the next, something adorable would happen and I would This was such a mixed bag of a reading experience.

Honestly, though, I figured it might be. I've read a couple of Shannon Hale's adult novels before this, and neither of them worked for me. And the Goodreads average rating for this book is not great. But I was still hoping! Especially considering the premise.

It wasn't one of those 'meh' reads, either. One second I would be actively hating what was going on, irritated with the main character, the next, something adorable would happen and I would be happy again.

I have three main complaints: 1) The main character, 2) the wasting of the premise, and 3) the tone.

Let's start with the premise, though, so you'll know what I'm talking about. Our main character is Jane, and her eccentric and very wealthy great aunt (or something) has left her one bequest in her will: a three week stay at a secretive (and expensive) place called Austenland. She does this because she has stumbled upon Jane's secret, which is that she has abandoned dating for a relationship with Mr. Darcy, basically. (The aunt found Jane's copy of the Colin Firth P&P stashed in a potted plant.) The idea, supposedly, is that Jane get Austen out of her system, though how going to a place and immersing yourself in Austen for three weeks is meant to do that escapes me. She wants to get her niece out of her fantasy world by pushing her further into it?

Anyway, so Jane heads off to England, not even the least bit grateful or excited about it. And when she gets there, she's immediately turned off by the whole endeavor. She dislikes the woman whose job it is to introduce her to the world (and who seems to be the owner?) and she refuses to give up her technology, hiding her cell phone when the woman isn't looking. This irked me right away. If you're going to bother going to a place like this, it's probably a good idea to have a good attitude about it going in, which includes playing by the rules. She doesn't. It seems Austenland is designed for immersive roleplay. You go in for three weeks and live like you're in the Regency, with a fake name (and age, if you want, though props to Jane for not letting them change her age, which would have made her an unmarried spinster back then) and everything. And as Jane quickly learns, the clients of this place are all wealthy women looking for a little fake romance. Would you like a Wentworth? A Darcy? Even a Willoughby? But Jane isn't like those other women, those shallow, rich women. She's DIFFERENT. And you definitely know that, being inside her head.

All of my complaints really tie together. Part of the reason I feel the premise is wasted is that Jane is so full of contempt for the whole endeavor, especially at the beginning. She dismisses the other clients, and at first doesn't even want to participate at all, instead sneaking off to the employee housing and making out with a gardener named Martin who she catches watching basketball. She's better by the end, but at the beginning I found it a bit unpleasant being in her head. It doesn't help that the whole tone of the novel is like that, just weirdly cynical and negative, when I wanted something light and fun, maybe poking some fun. There's poking here, but I wouldn't really call it "fun". The bitterness does lighten up towards the end when Jane starts participating in Austenland and making some actual human connections.

Re: the reason Jane has given up on dating, supposedly because she's had such terrible luck with men. Throughout the book, we're treated to snippets from each of her past"boyfriends" (sometimes they don't even go on a date), and while some of the snippets are truly awful and made me feel bad for her, some of them don't make her look very great. (There is a lot of dated language in this book that I did not like. One "joke" about humiliating a former boyfriend using transphobic and sexist language was particularly memorable.)

The last chapter was really good, though, I won't lie. There was some swooning. I enjoyed it; I'm not a monster. All in all, some bad, some bad, equally on both sides of the scale.

I will probably check out the movie, because I love Keri Russell.

[2.5 stars, rounded up] ...more

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Feb 20, 2008 Claire rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommends it for: fans of chick-lit

Shelves: grown-up

Oh dear. I seem to be in a two- and three-star rut in the last few weeks, and I had really hoped that Austenland would break me out of it. I think Shannon Hale is a really gifted author, and her books for young adults and middle grade readers have been consistently excellent: smart, well-written, engaging, interesting, with strong female characters that I just plain liked. But Austenland felt like a flop, a vapid paean to "chick flicks" and men in tight breeches. Now, I'm not an Austen hater or Oh dear. I seem to be in a two- and three-star rut in the last few weeks, and I had really hoped that Austenland would break me out of it. I think Shannon Hale is a really gifted author, and her books for young adults and middle grade readers have been consistently excellent: smart, well-written, engaging, interesting, with strong female characters that I just plain liked. But Austenland felt like a flop, a vapid paean to "chick flicks" and men in tight breeches. Now, I'm not an Austen hater or a Colin Firth fanatic. A few years ago our Thanksgiving theme was "Fried and Prejudice," which featured all the versions of P&P we could find but was mostly an excuse to spend seven hours with the BBC version. I like the story and the adaptation. But Austenland just couldn't pull me in.

The main character, a straight thirty-something graphic designer from Manhattan, has a dirty little secret: she loves the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, the sideburns, the romance of Eliza and Mr. Darcy. She's been waiting for her own Mr. Darcy through a string of short and disappointing romances (or just dates) and is disgusted with herself for it. When a wealthy great-aunt dies knowing her secret, Jane inherits an all-expenses-paid trip to a Jane Austen fantasy land, an English country estate where electronic devices are confiscated and everyone adopts a Regency facade for three weeks. The ladies are vacationers, and the men are actors paid to woo them. Jane's romantic mishaps move the plot along to an Austenesque ending.

There were some genuinely funny jokes in this book: one of the wealthy American vacationers affects a bad English accent, complete with enthusiastically incongruous expressions (what what) that aspire to Merchant Ivory but land squarely in Monty Python. But all in all it was more tedious than fun. To be fair, I tend to get irritated by most Hollywood movies starring characters like Jane -- thirtysomething yuppies yearning for romance and expensive weddings -- and I know that many people love them. So if you like those movies, this may be the book for you. If you're hoping for another Princess Academy or Book of a Thousand Days, then Austenland is likely to disappoint. ...more

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Oct 25, 2015 Book Riot Community added it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-erotica

Admittedly I’m late to the party with this one. Despite my love of all things Austen (and the 1995 miniseries version of Pride & Prejudice in particular, which, let’s admit, is what this particular book is all about), I had no intention of reading Austenland until I saw the movie. It’s a remarkably faithful adaptation with perfect casting, but I still enjoyed the book more because books. Lonely Jane Hayes receives a bequest from her aunt to spend three weeks in Austenland and live in the Regency ...more

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Feb 07, 2021 My_Strange_Reading rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, 2021-reading-challenge, humor

I don’t know how I never reviewed this! I read it back in 2014 and then picked it back up a couple of weeks ago and I swear I reviewed it 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

This book is funny, witty and I love the overall message of the book—we can’t keep looking for a fantasy—As much as we want to find Mr. Darcy, we also need to remember that he is a character 😆 (I’m saying this for myself, ladies)

Also, the movie adaption is 👌🏼 the men are beautiful and the comedy is on point 🤣

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About Shannon Hale

Shannon Hale

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Shannon Hale is the New York Times best-selling author of six young adult novels: the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy, multiple award winner Book of a Thousand Days, and the highly acclaimed Books of Bayern series. She has written three books for adults, including the upcoming Midnight in Austenland (Jan. 2012), companion book to Austenland. She co-wrote the hit graphic novel Rapunzel's Reveng ...more

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“He had a dashing smile. It nearly dashed right off his face.” — 255 likes

“What are you doing?"
"Ya!" said Jane, whirling around, her hands held up menacingly.
It was Mr. Nobley with coat, hat, and cane, watching her with wide eyes. Jane took several quick (but oh so casual) steps away from Martin's window.
"Um, did I just say, 'Ya'?"
"You just said 'Ya,'" he confirmed. "If I am not mistaken, it was a battle cry, warning that you were about to attack me.
I, uh..." She stopped to laugh. "I wasn't aware until this precise and awkward moment that when startled in a startled in a strange place, my instincts would have me pretend to be a ninja.” — 142 likes

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