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)

okay

I bought this book because I am a huge Jane Austen fan and the storyline seemed intriquing. As it turned out, the plot was a good idea and there are some very intersting parts in the book, but I couldn't really love or even connect with the main character, Jane, as she is drawn by the author. The reader was talented and did a good job with the voices and accents (except for Miss Charming), but I just did not like Jane. Perhaps that is due to my personality and my preferences, and not the character - other listeners or reader may like her. I am not disappointed that I bought the book because I did enjoy parts, but I wished I could have liked it better.

Frothy, Funny, and Smart With a Fantastic Narrator

When I started listening to a lot of audiobooks, one of the weird things that happened is that I started a mental To-Be-Read list of not just authors that I wanted to check out, but narrators too. I started picking up on names that have been recommended by my audio buddies, shown up in reviews, and won awards. Well, I finally got to cross narrator Katherine Kellgren off my audio TBR, and she was just as stellar as I'd hoped she would be!

In Austenland, a wealthy matriarch bequeaths a Mr. Darcy-obsessed woman with an all-expenses-paid trip to a Pride and Prejudice themed retreat where guests and actors spend a month in period costume as Regency era characters. (With bonus smooching for guests on the platinum package.) The story itself is frothy, funny, and smart, but it was Katherine Kellgren’s performance that really made it for me. She’s a super versatile voice actress, and her entire cast of characters was hilarious — the dour Regency hostess, the hot Irish gardener, the rich American trophy wife whose fake accent is more Alabama than England, the standoffish but frustratingly handsome (because of course) nephew, etc. etc. Kellgren's performance of Austenland is entertaining, sweet, and perfect light listening for any season.

Good Beach Fare

This is not heavy literature by any means but still worth listening to. If you are familiar with Jane Austen's work, it adds even more depth. The premise is cute. I like the idea of a relative not leaving money or belongings to others when they die, but leaving them "experiences" the persons may not realize would be beneficial. Regardless, the story is interesting even though the ending gets a bit drawn out. Narration is well done.

in love with this book!!!

such a good read!!! absolutely brilliant, this book was just....i just loved it sooo much can completely relate. i too am waiting for my Mr Darcy.... sigh....must read this book!!!

"Worth forgoing the new car and trip to Florence."

I cringed when I heard the opening line of the novel and feared I was in for a generic steamroller. The first chapter did not make the uneasiness fade. However, once you're past the introduction and the story is rolling, Austenland becomes surprisingly well-plotted and incredibly engaging. Light-hearted for the most part, but heavier in moments of self-reflection and epiphany, Shannon Hale really does weave the protagonist through veils of fantasy and reality both artfully and intelligibly as she becomes more perceptive of the possible double-nature of each character.

The characters are well-constructed and I was (to my own surprise) shocked as personas began to unravel. I am certainly looking forward to the film adaptation.

And of course, a better narrator could not be found. Katherine Kellgren's talents with multi-character/multi-dialect voice acting, as well as inflection and general style is unmatched as far as I am aware.

... As an afterthought, an honest gripe that I did encounter though was that between each chapter is inserted a rundown of the succession of Jane's previous failed relationships, some of which are laughable, and some of which are not. I ended up rolling my eyes at a few of them, particularly the hyper-generic-can't-be-left-out "Boyfriend #7," which I thought showed a disrespectful and flimsy attestation of character for either the protagonist or the author. But, ignoring that, I thought the novel was altogether delightful.

Loved it! Will listen again.

I chose this book because I loved the movie. There were differences, but I was glad to find out that the movie mostly stayed true to the original version. There is just more to love with the book. I will listen to this book again - and I don't do that with many books. Great author, great narrator (loved the voices for each character!), and great story overall.

Very entertaining

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

Back to Darcy

Who was your favorite character and why?

Well, I think Jane was my favorite since I didn't get to know other characters that well

Which character – as performed by Katherine Kellgren – was your favorite?

I have to say it's Mrs.charming .. she was so funny

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

the last scene of the story was good how the love triangle finally got resolved

Any additional comments?

In comparison with the movie I found that the movie was much more entertaining but the story is cute and different .. it's like seeing two versions of the same story

Great read!

I bought this audiobook during the paperback book sale as a distraction because it was cheap. I didn't know too much about it, but I ended up loving it. It's great, somewhere in between contemporary and historical romance. Best of both worlds. It's definitely different, and it surprises you.

fun book

The narrator made this book fun. I enjoyed the story but it was not one I couldn't put down. It is a clean romance and that is what I was looking for. I did not like that she jumped into making out with a total stranger, she was needy. No wonder she had a hard time finding true love in the real world. I liked that it was actually set in present time (somewhat).

Indulgent Sillines

This book is adorable and silly.
The narrator does an excellent job, especially in people taking an accent.