REVIEW: Austenland

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Page Count: 202 pages

Release Date: May 29, 2007

My Rating: 5/5 stars

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?

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My Review:

To start with: in my opinion, the book is 100% better than the movie! Ever wished you could dive into Pride & Prejudice and live there amongst the Bennets and Darcys and Bingleys? Like, for real? YEAH, ME TOO.

Enter: Austenland. This book was hilarious from the get-go, and completely sucked me in. It truly was a "nose-stuck-in-your-book" sort of book; I couldn't stop reading! Jane is such a funny and relatable character and I was rooting for her from the start. She is obsessed with Jane Austen's works and the worlds within them, and because of that can never seem to find real-life love. After all, who can compare to Mr. Darcy?

(answer: no one can) So when Jane's wealthy relative bequeaths to her a trip to Pembrook Park in England - a sort of theme park for Austen fans where you role play a Regency romance - Jane is skeptical (and embarrassed) but finally decides to go on the hope it might "cure" her of her Austen obsession. So at first she's like:

And then she arrives to a world of Regency rules where no phones are allowed, conversation is carefully curated, and everyone seems to be playing a fictional role and she's like:

I absolutely loved reading about the crazy, semi-fictional world Jane was thrust into, and Pembrook Park was filled with hilarity, misadventure, and of course, romance. The book even had a few twists and revelations that I wasn't expecting at all! Overall, this is a great, fun book full of witty, sharp characters and an entertaining plot. It's a must read for Austen fans, but also for anyone at all who enjoys an engaging read!