Austenland

A Novel

By: Shannon Hale

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Jane is a young New York woman who never seems 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 Prejudice. 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?

©2007 Shannon Hale (P)2007 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC

Critic reviews

"Endlessly charming." ( Publishers Weekly)
"A clever confection for fans of contemporary Austen knockoffs." ( Booklist)

Really enjoyable mental vacation!

I thoroughly enjoyed this one start to finish! Just the right amount of romance and cynicism. This read makes for a great mental break!

Light, fun & happy ending

I read the "okay" reviews and wondered if I was making a mistake. No, this won't win any nobel peace prizes, but it was exactly what I was looking for. It was light, a bit silly, and a corny happy ending. Fun.

Delightful

Would you consider the audio edition of Austenland to be better than the print version?

No, I enjoyed both the print and audio version of this story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Austenland?

Any moment that contained Mr. Nobley.

Any additional comments?

A delightful, light listen for a Pride & Prejudice fan. The story is entertaining, funny and sweetly romantic. Well read by the narrator

Never hide your Pride in a plant!

Book is about a modern girl living in the past or more specificaly with Colin Firth in the A&E version of Pride. (who can blame her)
The first time I listened to this book, the first part was a bit to extreeme (I don't hide my version in a plant after all!) but as you go get to the arival at Austenland the book makes you laugh. I have listened to the book a few times now and I laugh even at the beginning. If you enjoy Jane Austen you will enjoy this book, especialy if you have ever dreamed of finding your own Mr. Darcy.

Addicting

This is definatly a MUST listen/read. Although I wouldn't consider it to be a great, deep piece of litrature, it really doesn't need or try to be. It's a feel good book that will most certainly make you do just that down to the very last minute. Jane Austen fan or not, Austenland is a book that every woman can identify with. If you're looking for a fun, addicting book I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

LOVE this book

If you could sum up Austenland in three words, what would they be?

for Austen lovers

What other book might you compare Austenland to and why?

it's pretty unique

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

the film was good too - the book's still way better though

Any additional comments?

I've listened to this book several times…that's how good it is

Loved it!!

If you could sum up Austenland in three words, what would they be?

Favourite for Austen lovers.... I know that's 4

What other book might you compare Austenland to and why?

Pride and Prejudice

Any additional comments?

A great read.... I've read the novel but listening to the voices and how the novel was read really made it come alive.. You'll love it!

A Bon-Bon Read for Long Commutes

The story is a cute idea, with plenty of Austen references, and performed well by Katherine Kellgren. It's not a terribly deep plot, and got sort of redundant in a few places. Still, I have a long commute, and it was light and fun to listen to on the way home after a stressful day.

Love the book, narrator not so much

Great book, but the narration was dramatic. Everything seemed too intense all of the time.

Cute and light

This was cute and light. Like Bridget Jones' Diary -- but even more so. Great job by the narrator.