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Day 1: Your Favourite Book
Right now I’d say my favourite book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. However, if you asked me later I might say Deathly Hallows.
Day 20- Favourite Romance Book
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Day 16- Favourite Female Character
Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Book Review: Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a modern lover of Jane Austen’s novels fantasizes about living in the world she reads about. Courtney Stone is no exception, and after a stressful day she sits down to read her favourite book, Pride and Prejudice. When she wakes up, she finds herself in someone else’s body. Jane Mansfield is a thirty-year old woman in Regency England and unless Courtney wants to be sent to an asylum, she will have to play the part of Jane. That means dealing with over bearing mothers, gossiping cousins, unsanitary conditions, class issues and potential spinsterhood. When Courtney starts to remember some of Jane’s memories, she begins having difficulty differentiating between herself and Jane. Will she ever be able to get back to her own life?
As the book begins, we are thrown into the world of Jane Mansfield, just like Courtney Stone is. Starting this book kind of felt like reading a story from the middle, since so much is going on in Jane’s life as the story begins. I know a lot of movies that were like this book; they’re entertaining and fun, but they have many flaws. I think my main problem with this book was the main character. She was selfish and clueless about Regency England, despite the fact that she is apparently a Jane Austen addict. When Courtney connected Jane’s life to Jane Austen’s novels or the transitioned into memories of her own life, it did not flow very well. The scene in which Courtney encounters her hero Jane Austen was cringe-worthy and strange; I know she was intimidated, but why would she bring up films? Although all those things bothered me, the premise was interesting and I read this book very quickly and found it difficult to put down. Seeing a realistic portrayal of Regency England was interesting, especially since so many people have a very romanticized view of that time period. I kept reading because I had so many questions, although in the end I was left feeling unsatisfied. Overall, this book was just fun. I’m going to (eventually) read the sequel, which is from Jane’s perspective. I’ve heard that it’s better than the original, and I think seeing things from Jane’s point of view would be refreshing, especially since one of the main things I didn’t like about this book was Courtney. If you like chick lit, then you might like this book. Is it a must read for Jane Austen fans? Definitely not. It doesn’t offer any new insights on her books or time period. But it is a quick, light read that I did have fun reading.
3/5
“I cannot imagine a world in which one can read Jane Austen only once.”
Book Review: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
When England is stricken by a zombie plague, Mr. Bennet puts all of his energy into training his five daughters in the deadly arts so that they can fight the Unmentionables. His wife, however, is only concerned with finding suitable husbands for the girls. When Netherfield Park is let by the handsome Mr. Bingley, she hopes that he will marry one of the Bennet girls. While Bingley takes to Jane Bennet at once, his friend Mr. Darcy slights Elizabeth. Since the Bennet estate is entailed to the closest male heir, a distant cousin, it is important that the girls marry well. But how will the ever be able to find suitable husbands when they are can’t leave their house without being attacked by zombies?
I should start by saying that Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite books of all time. My Mom is a huge Jane Austen fan and I don’t remember not loving P&P. I was obsessed with the BBC Pride and Prejudice when I was about five or so and used to act out the wedding scene with my dolls. I first actually read the book about ten years ago, and I pretty much grew up with Pride and Prejudice. Despite that, I was surprisingly open minded about mixing Jane Austen’s classic with zombies. It’s definitely an original idea, and I thought it could be quite funny. Although there were funny parts, it was usually because everything was just so ridiculous. You would assume that a book about zombies would be exciting, but this book became boring a few chapters in. It wasn’t scary or suspenseful, and the zombies just felt like an annoyance rather than something life threatening. The zombies were added to the story with few changes to the plot, and I think it would have worked better if more alterations to the original story were made. Some of the changes didn’t make sense to me. Considering the circumstances, why would Charlotte Lucas choose to marry Mr. Collins and leave her family and friends? Although there were very few differences in the actual plot, Elizabeth was a completely different character. Instead of the witty and charming Elizabeth I love, Grahame-Smith’s heroine is bloodthirsty and often rude and cruel hearted. I don’t think that the writer did a good job of imitating Austen, and he often over explained things. Although this was a dumb-downed version of the original, I somehow found it harder to get through. It only made me want to re-read Pride and Prejudice.
Overall, not sure I’d recommend this one. If you have already read and loved Pride and Prejudice, I’d say you would be smart to skip its zombie parody. It would have been better if more changes were made to the plot. However, the idea was very clever and I’d have to give Grahame-Smith 5/5 for originality. But as a whole, I was disappointed.
2/5
“The business of Mr. Bennett’s life was to keep his daughters alive. The business of Mrs. Bennett’s was to get them married.”
Book Review: The Jane Austen Handbook by Margaret C. Sullivan
If you’ve ever read a Jane Austen novel and were curious about why Mr. Collins inherited Longbourn or why everyone assumed Marianne and Mr. Willoughby were engaged, then The Jane Austen Handbook is for you. This is a straightforward look at Regency England, focusing mainly on topics that are relevant to Jane Austen’s novels. The Jane Austen Handbook is a simple guide that tells you everything you need to know. While focusing on topics that are relevant to the novels, such as how to marry off your daughters, secretly elope or politely turn down a marriage proposal, the author also focuses on the daily life of men and women and what kind of jobs they had. The ending includes a good (but brief) biography of Jane Austen, and then summaries of each book and a list of the film adaptations and resources. I’m used to reading my history textbooks, which can be longwinded and slightly tedious, so this was a refreshing change for me. This book was fun and informative, and perfect for anyone with a casual interest in history. I loved how the author described some topics with wit and sarcasm, and that combined with the illustrations livened each page. If you are interested in the background behind Jane Austen’s six novels, then I would recommend checking out The Jane Austen Handbook. And if you do not usually like non-fiction or history books, then this might be a good choice, since it’s frank and interesting. Overall, this is a cute little book that’s filled with a lot of information. If I ever travel back in time, I would like to have this book on my person.
4/5
Book Review: A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz
William Deresiewicz was twenty-six when he first was introduced to the woman who would change his life. Jane Austen has taught William everything he knows about everything important and has made him the person he is today. But before he was an Austen scholar, William was a guy who looked down on Austen’s ‘chick lit’ and dreaded reading Emma in grad school. He was surprised to find wisdom in Austen’s words, and find a bit of himself in Emma. As he immerses himself in the world of Austen’s six novels, he finds that they share lessons that are relevant to his life. As he reflects on his life as he first discovered Jane Austen and how the books affected him, William explains how the important truths of life are explained between the covers of Jane Austen’s novels.
This is the first non-fiction book I’ve read for fun in a while. I was drawn to the cover as well as the topic. This is probably a book about Jane Austen’s works for people who enjoy them, but are not English majors. The author ties in the books with his life as he was reading them as a grad student at Columbia. As he reads each book, he reflects on a certain area of his life that is relevant to the novel and how it helped him grow as a person. If you’re only interested in reading about Jane Austen and don’t care to hear about the author’s life, then skip this book. I, however, mostly enjoyed the parts about his life. I know a lot of people who are like the author who, as the book begins, is arrogant and confident in his opinions. To be honest, the author still seems to be arrogant but I liked him overall. It was interesting to see Austen from the perspective of someone who was prejudiced against her, and even didn’t like her work at first. Sometimes (especially towards the end) it felt like he was stretching things when tying each book with his life. While this is a simplified literary criticism, I enjoyed some of the author’s insights. The author is a professor, but you could tell that he wrote this book for people who don’t think like English majors. I found some of his ideas interesting, but he doesn’t offer a very broad analysis. He focuses more on the lesson leant rather than going into depth on other aspects. If you haven’t read all of Jane Austen’s novels, then do not fear, for the author writes as if you haven’t. Of course, if you haven’t read any of Jane Austen’s novels, I’m not sure if this book will be of much interest to you. However, it does a good job of explaining what people love about Jane Austen, so it could convince someone to finally pick up her books. All the same, I just don’t think it would be as appealing for people who aren’t Janeites. While sometimes it was nice to have a refresher on some of Austen’s novels, I didn’t like how the author wrote as if the reader was completely clueless, like when he wouldn’t tell right away which man Jane described as “just what a young man ought to be.” While things like this bothered me at times, the writing was very good and the author offered an interesting perspective that made me think. Overall, I’d recommend this to fans of Jane Austen who are interested in a lighter literacy criticism that is part memoir. A Jane Austen Education was entertaining and enjoyable, and reminded me why I love Jane Austen.
3.5/5
Book Review: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Marianne and Elinor Dashwood are two sisters who couldn’t be more different from one another. Elinor is sensible and reserved, while her younger sister Marianne is passionate and spontaneous. The Dashwood sisters’ lives change forever when find themselves guests in their own home after the death of their father. Their half brother and his wife, Fanny, have inherited Norland Park and the girls and their mother struggle to find an affordable place to live. Elinor finds herself drawn to Edward, Fanny’s older brother and thinks that her affection is mutual. After the Dashwood women move to a cottage found by Mrs. Dashwood’s cousin, Marianne is drawn to the romantic Willoughby. While Elinor keeps her true feelings hidden, Marianne makes hers known to everyone. As the Dashwood’s struggle with love and the loss of the life they had, they learn to find the balance between sense and sensibility.
Jane Austen’s 236th birthday is this Friday and I thought it would be fun to review some Austen related books all week. I wish I could have reviewed all of her six novels, but I don’t have time to read them all, and instead I’m only doing one of her books. I couldn’t decide which to read/re-read but ultimately chose Sense and Sensibility. Reviewing a classic is difficult, since they are classics for a reason. I think Jane Austen’s books are for a certain type of reader; someone who appreciates reading about everyday life. I love Austen’s wit and sarcasm, and the tongue and cheek way she describes some of the characters (like Mrs. Jennings.) I love the writing and I find her books easy to be immersed in. Of the five Jane Austen novels I have read (all but Persuasion) I think this is the best one for discussion, since it leaves you with a lot to think about, especially about love. I loved Marianne, but I related most to Elinor. In the end, Marianne and Elinor both find a balance between Elinor’s restraint and Marianne’s passion. While I loved this book, I think that there were some flaws in plotting; without giving too much away, some things happened that were too convenient. The beginning didn’t flow very well and things felt rushed, although the majority of the book was wonderfully paced. And while I was happy with both matches in the end, I had trouble believing that Marianne would fall for Colonel Brandon so easily. This was why I thought that she settled when I was fifteen or so. While I loved Brandon, I felt that Marianne’s change of heart was very abrupt. Of course, the overall charm of this book offset all of these flaws. While I loved Sense and Sensibility and would recommend it, Pride and Prejudice is a good place to start for some who has never read Austen, especially if you are cynical about her books or romance in general. The 1995 film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility is also very good and I especially liked the acting and the changes made to the script (such as Edward and Margaret, Elinor crying in front of Edward, Edward almost telling Elinor about Lucy, and Brandon reading to Marriane.) I am fairly picky about romance novels, and this is exactly how I like mine: with well developed heroines, great writing and a great deal of wit and humour.
4.5/5
“I wish, as well as every body else, to be perfectly happy; but like every body else, it must be in my own way.”
My to read pile. Only The Jane Austen Book Club is a reread. Cannot decide between reading The Thirteenth Tale or I am the Messenger next.