Welcome to my weekly post where I look back at some of my four and five star reads before I started Nicole’s Nook.

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Publication Date: May 29, 2007

Date Read: September 14, 2012

Favorite Quote: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a thirty-something woman in possession of a satisfying career and fabulous hairdo must be in want of very little”
― Shannon Hale, Austenland

Goodreads Synopsis:

Jane is a young New York woman who can never seem to find the right man-perhaps because of her secret obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of “Pride and Predjudice.” When a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-obsessed women, however, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become more real than she ever could have imagined. Is this total immersion in a fake Austenland enough to make Jane kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

My Thoughts

This is my favorite Jane Austen fan fiction that isn’t a retelling. While it pays homage to Austen, it’s really more of a tribute to Janeites. Which of us hasn’t dreamed of living in Austen’s world for just a moment? While this is a dream come true, it also brings in the reality of what it would’ve really been like to live at that time. Part of the reason there are so many busybodies running around is that gossip is the main form of entertainment. Since most of the characters in the book are actors catering to women’s Austen fantasies, the line between fantasy and reality is blurry, and keeps you on your toes throughout the book.

If you’ve seen the movie, it strays from the book, and I didn’t like it nearly as much.