Austenland
September 10th, 2009I’m not a fan of the idea of Jane Austen spin-off fiction, and Austenland isn’t delightful like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, but it was still an entertaining book. I know about Shannon Hale because she is yet another famous “young adult” fiction writer who graduated from BYU. I wonder what they are doing with their English program? Anyway, Shannon Hale is coming to the D.C. Book Festival later this month (along with Lois Lowry and a couple of others) and I am thinking of going, which is why I hunted out Austenland.
My favorite book by Shannon Hale is The Goose Girl, but she has written a handful of other books I have enjoyed as well. Austenland is one of a couple adult novels she has written.
I sort of dislike Jane, the main character, because she is so utterly conquered by her imagination…and yet I can see that happening, so I relate. But I do enjoy Jane’s witticims and sense of humor.
Jane gets a vacation to an estate in Great Britain that caters to women who wish they lived in Jane Austen’s time. The estate even hires actors to play the parts of wealthy young men who must be in want of a wife. I like the layers in the book…I was constantly thrown back and forth: he’s only acting a part, but wait, I think he’s serious there. Or is he? Really a ludicrous plot, but still lots of fun.
We watched Mansfield Park last night! We hadn’t seen that one before. In the last month or two we’ve seen Sense & Sensibility, Emma, Persuasion, and of course we own the new Pride & Prejudice. I enjoyed Mansfield Park so much–I wonder why it isn’t more popular?
Mansfield Park is what a Christian Romance novel should be…
I didn’t like the version of Mansfield Park we saw on PBS last year, though. Not sure which one you saw, of course.
It was “Fanny Price as a bar maid”, I guess. The book was much better. But I bet I always say that.
We saw the 1999 version–it’s not the older BBC version nor the more recent British television version, but very well may have aired on PBS; I don’t know. Not having read the book, I was able to thoroughly enjoy the film. However, from what I’ve read on-line, purists were not happy with it as key elements were changed and real-life letters of Austen’s were added in as though written by Fanny. One of the critics said they took away Fanny’s Augustan nature…and I know you like Augustine…
Oh wait! Is that the one that inserts the slavery debate into the story? And Tom nearly dies because he is so tormented by it? I guess I’ve seen at least two of the three, then.
P&P, Persuasion, and MP are my favorite three of her novels, but their rankings change in my mind…used to be that P&P was my favorite…then Persuasion…for awhile MP was my favorite (I definitely think it is underappreciated). P&P and MP are vying for the number one spot now, I guess.