Writing Jane Austen

By: Elizabeth Aston

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's Summary

Critically acclaimed and award-winning - but hardly best-selling - author Georgina Jackson can’t get past the first chapter of her second book. When she receives an urgent email from her agent, Georgina is certain it’s bad news. Shockingly, she’s offered a commission to complete a newly discovered unfinished manuscript by a major 19th-century author. Skeptical at first about her ability to complete the manuscript, Georgina is horrified to learn that the author in question is Jane Austen.

Torn between pushing through or fleeing home to America, Georgina relies on the support of her banker-turned-science-student roommate, Henry, and his quirky teenage sister, Maud - a serious Janeite. With a sudden financial crisis looming, the only way Georgina can get by is to sign the hugely lucrative contract and finish the book.

©2010 Elizabeth Aston (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"Aston writes with appreciation and respect for Austen and great affection for her own characters. Austen derivatives have become their own genre, but Aston is doing something different. She's written a witty page-turning love letter to Austen's work." ( Publishers Weekly)

A whole lot of whining

Any additional comments?

This book is just ok from a chick lit stand point. My main issue was that the main character spent 75% of the book complaining about how she couldn't possibly write anything that matched the caliber of Jane Austen. After a while any mention of how much better Jane Austen is at writing stories just made me wonder what I was doing reading this silly piece of fluff when I could actually be reading Jane Austen. It's like the book just tells you over and over again that you could be reading something really good, but instead you are wasting your time with this book. Tell me enough times and yeah, I walk away feeling like I didn't really like your book.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Cute, but a bit rushed

Despite the horrible reviews I saw on the web I did enjoy the book, and I related with the main character and her struggle to write a book she's not sure she can write because I'm in the same situation right now, and the best part of this book is that I actually read it while I was in Bath Spa, UK so I got visit the places Georgina went to and I related to her so much, she felt like a friend to me .. so I would say I enjoyed the book, it wasn't the best thing i've read as I did have many issues with the book but it was a cute read nonetheless
The performance of Julia Whelan never disappoints and always brings life to the story .. I would recommend this book to new writers to feel like they are not alone in their struggle but I wouldn't recommend it to Jane Austen's fans because I do find the title a bit misleading

Funny

This is not great literature, obviously, just easy fun when you choose to ignore the unrealistic aspects. What the publisher's summary does not mention is the main character's attitude towards Jane Austen and all the fandom: she hasn't read any of Jane Austen's books, knows little about her life and sort of despises the fandom. So it's fun listening about her forced acquaintance with Jane Austen's world and her 6 novels. It's a bit slow to start and the final part, where Georgina has to actually continue the manuscript, is disappointing and unrealistic, but the effect of the whole book (generally well written) is pleasant, it's just light amusement.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful