Being the stark raving “Pride and Prejudice” fan that I am, I was thrilled to see “Austenland” reviewed online and placed my hold at the library. When it came in, I literally shrieked, and my enthusiasm was well-rewarded.
Jane Hayes is obsessed with the BBC version of “Pride and Prejudice,” especially with Colin Firth. She compares every man she ever meets to him, and when they can’t live up to her unrealistic expectations, she’s crushed. The trouble is, she doesn’t realize those expectations are unrealistic – she believes that somewhere in the world is a Mr. Darcy just for her.
Now she’s in her early thirties and is still unattached. Her great-aunt Caroline has a heart-to-heart with her one day and she tells Caroline of her secret desire, to marry Mr. Darcy and live happily ever after with him. Shortly thereafter, Caroline dies, and in her will leaves Jane the dream of all dream vacations – to go to England, stay on an estate, and live the life of Jane Austen’s characters for three whole weeks. With any luck, that will cure Jane of her fantasy.
When Jane arrives, she feels as though she’s walked into paradise. Everyone dresses the part, speaks the part – in fact, she’s not really sure who are actors and who are paying guests. The handsome Mr. Nobly, obviously an actor, is the one who most closely resembles Mr. Darcy in appearance and behavior, but Jane hates him more than Elizabeth Bennet ever hated Mr. Darcy. Instead, she finds the gardener more to her liking – especially when he has a TV hidden in his room and they can watch together when she has the chance to sneak away.
The longer Jane spends on the estate, the more she finds herself realizing that her own life isn’t as bad as she thought it was. She wonders what about her vacation is real, and what was all pretend? Mr. Nobly actually seems to have a human side to him, after all, but her attempts to draw him out are rebuffed. She finally decides to play the game to the fullest, and comes away more confused than ever.
In the end, we have a happy ending for our Jane, although I’m not sure how many thousands a year she’ll get.
I love the way Shannon Hale describes Jane’s feelings about “Pride and Prejudice.” We all remember that scene where Darcy and Elizabeth are looking at each other over the piano, and how we feel about Colin Firth in a wet shirt? Hale has taken those emotions and described them so accurately, I almost feel as if I’m watching the movie again.
Jane does spend some time making out with the gardener, but they don’t go very far and we’re not shown anything, if there is such a thing as a clean make-out session. I’m still trying to decide on that. The point being, there are some flirtatious/sensual moments but nothing graphic.
This is one of the most fun books I’ve read in a long time, but it also has a serious, contemplative side I liked as well. I whole-heartedly recommend it.
(This book was published in 2007 by Bloomsbury.)
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