This book has a magical premise - what if there were a place like Austenland
where modern romance-starved adults could experience Regency England? A
place where Fashion Bug-attired women could change into empire-waisted
gowns and spend their days in the leisurely style of Jane Austen's characters,
except without all the unmentionable hygiene issues like no modern plumbing?
Well, here is the place, and the heroine of the book, Miss Jane Hayes, gets to go
to Austenland thanks to the perceptive gift of an elderly relative who sees that
Jane needs a little Mr. Darcy in her life.
And yes, Jane does have her romances during her several week stay in
Austenland, finally ending up with the character most like Darcy, called Mr.
Nobley, which is both gratifying and yet predictable at the same time. She is
troubled by the concept of what constitutes reality in that fantastical world, and it
is her angst that makes the book hard to read. Yes, it is bothersome that she can
never tell which of the people she encounters at Pembrook Park are actors, and
which ones are other vacationers, but that confusion does lead to one of the
book's major plot twists. Ultimately, however, it's just a vacation. And just like my
children would probably not be bothered to know that a Cinderella-they see at
Disney is not "the real" Cinderella, why does it matter what's real in Austenland if
everyone is having fun? To paraphrase the Bard, we are all actors in our own
lives, aren't we?
No, this is not the Austen-related book that a true fan will read over and over. But
it is an obvious tribute piece to the great novelist, and as such, will be a pleasant
diversion for other Austen fans, especially those who wish they could build (or at
least visit) a place like Austenland.
Submitted by Gerti
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