Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict

By: Laurie Viera Rigler

Narrated by: Orlagh Cassidy

Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

After nursing a broken engagement with Jane Austen novels and Absolut, Courtney Stone wakes up and finds herself not in her Los Angeles bedroom, or even in her own body, but inside the bedchamber of a woman in Regency England. Who but an Austen addict like herself could concoct such a fantasy?

Not only is Courtney stuck in another woman's life, she is forced to pretend she actually is that woman. And despite knowing nothing about her, she manages to fool even the most astute observer. But not even her love of Jane Austen has prepared Courtney for the chamber pots and filthy coaching inns of 19th-century England, let alone the realities of being a single woman who must fend off suffocating chaperones, condomless seducers, and marriages of convenience. Enter the enigmatic Mr. Edgeworth, who fills Courtney's borrowed brain with confusing memories that are clearly not her own.

Try as she might to control her mind and find a way home, Courtney cannot deny that she is becoming this other woman - and being this other woman is not without its advantages, especially in a looking-glass Austen world. And especially with a suitor who may not turn out to be a familiar species of philanderer after all.

©2007 Laurie Viera Rigler (P)2007 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc. and Books on Tape. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“This frothy take on literary time travel will appeal most to readers well versed in the celebrated author's memorable characters and themes.” (Booklist)

"Confessions is a novel of manners, but with a nifty twist. Laurie Viera Rigler sets the sensibilities of a 21st century LA woman against the manners of Regency England to watch the sparks fly. By turns funny, thoughtful, romantic and suspenseful, this engaging story is as brisk and delightful as ‘taking a turn in the shrubbery’ in the company of a handsome gentleman. If you’ve ever fantasized about being a Jane Austen heroine, this is your book." (Judith Ryan Hendricks, author of Bread Alone)

“A devotee of all things Austen…discovers the reality of life in Regency England: rampant body odor, sexual and class repression and a style of medical care involving bloodletting.... Despite the smells, little in [her] current lifestyle - including most of the men - can compete with the erotic charge of dancing in a candlelit ballroom.” (USA Today)

Loved it!!!

I wasn't sure about this book when I bought it because of the whole time travel thing, but it was worth it and more. I loved it and was dispointed when it was over. One of the better books I have listened to in a while. The book was entertaining and really fun to read. I laughed out loud in parts and enjoyed the references to Jane Austen and her books. The reader was enjoyable and good with the characters.

How much fun!

If you're just looking for light reading, with no deeper meaning, this is the book for you. I love Jane Austen and it was fabulous to read a book about a modern woman dropped in that time.

Fun escapism

I really enjoyed this book. I read the other reviews before purchasing it, and had braced myself for some kind of unsatisfying ending. However, I loved the ending. And the beginning. And the middle. I listened to it all in one day, while doing yard work. I've read and listened to all of Jane Austen's books, and as a 21st century working woman, I completely related to the main character, and laughed out loud several times during the book. Five stars from me. I loved it. I'll certainly be listening to it again, as one of my favorites.

Fun Listen

I've listened to this book and its sister title, Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, many times. Every time they are enjoyable and breezy listens. The performance here matches the tone of the book very well and the characters are spot on. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable experience worth repeating.

interesting at first

really liked the premise. I enjoyed the beginning and was wondering how it would play out.
About half way through it started to drag. There would be an interesting plot point but it never really went anywhere.
A good listen if you need a little something to read and your an Austen fan.

Okay

This book is okay but not a standout by any means. It was a pretty thin plot and the characters were not very real to me.

Delightful

This one was very well written and contained many entertaining tidbits about life as a young unmarried woman in Jane Austen's England. There's time-travel and enough contrasting detail between modern-day independent women and their Regency counterparts to give the listener food for thought. In addition, the narrator was excellent, using an English accent for "Jane" and an American accent for Courtney, so the listener could not confuse which character's comments were
being spoken.

It only took me a couple of days to finish this one,(normally, I only listen during my work commute, but this one I turned on in the evenings, too, because it was so appealing) and I hope that the author will produce some more.

fun read for Austen fans

A very fun confection for any Austen fan. Good narration, and enjoyable storyline. Don't think too hard about the physics of the time-travel involved, and it's a fun and at times even insightful peek into the good and the bad of Regency England, a la Austen.

At first disappointing, but then nice

The American heroine is, at first glance, a lady that I would not like to meet. For an "Austen addict", she seems to know - or better: understand - nothing; there is no explanation why she would actually be interested in Jane Austen novels besides a general romanticism. Her way to say the most stupid things in her new environment enraged me, not helped by the narrator's way to not really distinguish between characters and reading everything with a disturbing American accent. Not that there are really more than flat characters.
The story gains after a few chapters, though, when "Jane" is getting accustomed to her new environment, and it IS fun to listen to.
I definitely prefer "Austenland", - also not to be taken in any way seriously, but at least one believes that the heroine loves Austen.

A great candy read!

Ok, so I haven't even finished the book and feel compelled to review it already...there have been lots of reviews that are somewhat disparaging of the book and that it just jumps into the plot with very little preamble and background, and then berating the author for cheap tricks for riding on the coat tails of Jane Austen for success. But honestly, I LIKE the book, a lot.

My degree is in English and am quite a snob when it comes to literature of any kind, but this book is fun! Though it somewhat disorienting to just jump into the narrative of time travel without so much as a setup...isn't that partially the point...the protagonist is disoriented as well so i think that Rigler does a good job of giving the listener the same sensation. My favorite part is how well Rigler depicts the main characters freak outs. We have all dreamed of being transported to another more romantic time without considering the negatives. . .her inner monologues and outward missteps seem to accurately mirror exactly how I would feel and what I would do!

I love this book for the whimsy, honestly of the character, and absurdity of the situations. I have laughed out loud several times and can't wait for my next opportunity to be able to have some candy fiction that activates my imagination, makes me laugh, is enjoyable, and doesn't necessarily tax my intellect. A great, fun, "break" book! Highly recommend!