So. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. What can I say? Not exactly my cup of tea? Gritting my teeth to powder?
Courtney, a modern LA woman, falls asleep reading Pride & Prejudice and wakes up in Regency England, in the body of Jane Mansfield. However, Courtney conveniently has access to Jane’s memories and other skills, like an English accent and embroidery.
I was ready to accept the unexplained time-travelling (even if it had strange rules), and enjoy a good Austen-inspired romp, but Courtney force me to give up on the book.
The way I see it, there are only two options: either Courtney is not really a Jane Austen fan, which would put the whole premise of the book in question, or she’s incredibly thick-witted, shallow and self-absorbed. Even if it’s the second, it’s still impossible that Austen is her “choice of drug” or that she read P&P and S&S “more than 20 times”.
It you’re a Janeite, you’d know restricted women were at that time and not go about giving passionate feminist speeches during dinner parties. You would’t ask someone if a certain house was a “retirement center” or think it “odd” to be escorted to dinner. You wouldn’t meet a man-servant unchaperoned in the city park, despite the damages to your reputation. That is not the type of strong-willed woman who Austen wanted Elizabeth Bennett to be, don’t you understand?
At some point Courtney meets Jane Austen (don’t ask) and what does she talk about? How Jane will be so famous and how her books will be made into movies (!), and the great kissing scenes at the end.
Courtney gives other Jane Austen fans a bad reputation.
And the constant whining… Oh dear. About chaperons, corsets, the lack of vodka and make-up (oh how she missed make-up!), the rules of courtship, the horror of marrying for money, women as baby-makers, bad hygiene and chamber pots, doctors using leeches, the smells! A real Austen fan would know and understand about her life and times, even considering the shock of waking up in a different century. Courtney has no idea about Regency England (big no-no with this title), but more than that, she’s condescending about it.
I get that Jane Austen is BIG and understand the temptation to either honor or capitalize on her, but I really do get upset when authors assume that this is what a modern Austen fan is like.
I can just hear you say “Lighten up!” 🙂
Read (at least as far as I could go) for Advent with Austen.
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Other (more gentle) thoughts: Dear Author, Stephanie’s Written Word, An Adventure in Reading, Alita.Reads, Rhapsody in Books, Proud Book Nerd, write meg, At Pemberley, Dot Scribbles, Iris on Books, My Books. My Life., Redlady’s Reading Room, Bibliofreakblog, The Infinite Shelf, Book Chatter, Galley Smith, She’s Too Fond of Books, A Few More Pages, I’m Lost in Books (yours?)
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December 7, 2011 at 3:09 pm
Iris
I confess I just read my own review back after reading yours and um.. wow, I was much more positive than I remember being.
Yes, yes, yes, re: all the complaints you had. The feminism and her being surprised at the rules onf conduct was really weird to me, and I wonder if it was done in an attempt to have the reader relate more to the time? I thought “Lost in Austen” (the TV-series) discussed this aspect much better, because it took the angle of someone romanticising the Regency period and then, when she ended up there, feeling confused because of her modern standards. She complains too, but it got on my nerves a lot less.
As for the make-up/alcohol/etc complaints, I really wonder if perhaps the author has tried to introduce “chick lit” tropes into the narrative. I personally loath it when “chick lit” authors feature characters in their stories that the readers is meant to identify with, but not getting it right (for me). Often, I feel that perhaps I am just not the audience these books were meant for, that really, maybe most girls in their 20s and 30s care most of all about make-up, etc. But I hate myself for saying that out loud, and using it as an excuse to think why I did not dislike these books but that it must be me and they’re actually pretty good “for the genre” Ugh, so good you discussed this, I am so prejudioced but also accepted the stereotyped gender roles way too easily in these kinds of books. I am now starting to question that when I feel I cannot switch of my irritation with this superficial view of women in general to get to enjoying the stories, though I try to at times, I may have to actually LET it cloud my judgement of the book, instead of thinking (and thereby assuming girls are actually superficial like this) that I should let the irritation slide. Hmm.. I feel like such a snob. ( also I am sure there is good “chick lit” out there, I just haven’t found it yet,(Except, I did like Bridget Jones) plus: I hate the word “chick lit” )
Sorry for the ramble.
December 7, 2011 at 3:28 pm
Michelle
I just did the same thing as Iris and re-read my review. I was also much more positive than I remember. This book was not one my favorites.
December 7, 2011 at 3:50 pm
Larissa
Too bad, the premice seemed interesting enough. But you still have lots of Austen related fun ahead this month, so do not despair! 😉
December 7, 2011 at 3:53 pm
Melissa
I’m with you. I haven’t read this one (and won’t) but I got really frustrated and burnt out on Austen fan fiction. Her books are so wonderful and writing bad chick lit under her name is just not ok.
December 7, 2011 at 4:01 pm
Claire (The Captive Reader)
I am always willing to try any Austen-related book but I couldn’t make it past the first couple of chapters with this one.
December 7, 2011 at 4:18 pm
Nymeth
The condescension sounds particularly irritating. I’m looking forward to seeing how the Lost in Austen series handles the same issues!
December 7, 2011 at 4:46 pm
Christina
I haven’t read this one but movies and books where modern characters are interjected into Austen’s life or novels are not my favorite. I can rarely believe that these characters actually love Jane based on how they behave when they are sent into the other world — inappropriate dress, speech, and actions. I certainly will be avoiding this title.
December 7, 2011 at 4:49 pm
Steph
This sounds so dreadful! I studiously avoid anything that might be a spin-off of “proper” Jane Austen stuff because of the fear it will be like this! I understand that people love Austen, I do too, but I find that the stories based on modern women finding themselves in her works OR that are sequels to her original works are just so uninspired and embarrassing. I just stick to the real stuff!
December 7, 2011 at 4:59 pm
Judy
I got the same impression as you did when I read it. I pushed through to the end. You didn’t miss much.
December 7, 2011 at 5:08 pm
Ti
I really didn’t care for the second book. I read them not having read Austen so perhaps I was more tolerant of the first book but by the second one I was soooo over it.
December 7, 2011 at 5:37 pm
Patty
I fully agree with you. There have been some adaptations that provide some “fun” interpretation of the classical novels, but in general the authors have absolutely no idea of the context they get themselves into…
December 8, 2011 at 9:57 pm
bundleofbooks
Hmmm…Think I will give this one a miss. But I’m dreading the fan fiction part of Advent with Austen! Hopefully I’ll find some good ones instead of rubbish chick lit!
December 9, 2011 at 3:11 pm
Shannon (Giraffe Days)
I keep seeing the book around and thinking I might read it, but I’m glad I never got it – it would probably make me want to throw it at the wall, by the sounds of it. Actually this is the second review of it I’ve read, and the other one said pretty much the same thing. She must have been aiming for funny but that’s the trouble with chick-lit: it’s often painful rather than funny.
December 19, 2011 at 2:01 pm
The Sleepless Reader’s Infamous List of 2011 “I Quit”s « The Sleepless Reader
[…] You can read my rant thoughts here. […]
January 4, 2012 at 12:42 pm
Alex
@Iris: as I mentioned on Twitter, I know exactly what you mean. It’s a great point about the “chick lit” elements. I think you’re on to something there. My feeling is that if that was the case (likely), then why the link to Austen? Why Regency at all?!
I usually feel very old(-fashioned) and “square” when things like these annoy me, but I’m learning to embrace my pet-hates 🙂 For instance, it was through reading other book blogs that I started realizing that the Manic Pixie Dream Girl was a such a stereotype. Before, something had bothered me among all the cuteness, but I couldn’t quite pin-point it.
@Michelle: Isn’t it funny how that happens sometimes. For me, it’s usually with books that have been widely reviewed and loved. Unconscious peer pressure? 🙂
@Claire: I think I reached the first 3rd…
@Nymeth: I could have written another post just on that!
@Christina: I know it’s a favorite, but I couldn’t stand the Lost in Austen adaptation. I quit after she snogged Bingley…
@Steph: I think I’ll do the same in the future, or at least be much (MUCH!) stricter in my choices.
@Judy: I can easily believe you!
@Ti: Not having read the canon might indeed have helped! *goes over to your blog to check your review of the second*
@Patty: I truly believe Viera Rigler does her homework, so why have such an ignorant heroine?!
@bundleofbooks: *fingers crossed* hope your choices are wiser than mine!
@Shannon: Bridget Jones is Austen inspired and has elements of chick-lit, but it still managers to be so funny! Plan to re-read it this year, just to try to find out what Helen Fielding did to pull it off.
May 13, 2012 at 7:39 pm
Book Review: #27 – Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler (audio) | Let's eat Grandpa!
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