Book Review: Austenland

Austenland, Shannon Hale

I really LOVED this book. Jane lives in NYC and is obsessed with Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, and more specifically, the actor Colin Firth from the BBC adaptation. She is 32 (or 33) and has had really bad luck in relationships with men because she compares them all to Mr. Darcy and no one can live up to the high standards. She ends up going to lunch with her dying rich aunt who calls her on it and later dies. When she finds out the aunt left her something in her will she wonders how much money it will be. The lawyer informs her it is not money, but a vacation to England. Pembrook Park. She goes home and can't find anything about in online really, but decides to go anyway. When she gets there she realizes that it is a three week vacation at a place called Pembrook Park where she wears, eats, talks, acts everything like Jane Austen's time. She thinks it's silly at first, and then gets really into it. The men are charming and chivalrous and dote on the women like a Mr. Darcy would, but she realizes they're just actors. Anyway ... to make a long story short, it's really cute, and parts made me laugh out loud, and I will read it again. So all in all, I recommend this book to anyone (well, mostly to women who like Jane Austen). You'll like it ... and it's nice and short so it doesn't take too long to finish (200 pgs)