I find that, when it comes to Jane Austen, there is this love/hate relationship. You love her for her writing – she wrote with humor, irony, and realism; you love and can relate to her characters and their quest for love and social standing. But, then you also hate her for her writing – long, very long sentences that you (okay, me) have to go back and read, at least twice, before you understand what she’s saying.
One summer I decided I was going to read Mansfield Park.
Holy cow! It took me all summer to finish the book!
And, if you ask me what it was about? I wouldn’t be able to tell you. I could tell you a name – Fanny Brice – and that’s it.
But I am fascinated with the time period she lived and wrote about and I read any fictional books that have her name in the title. The latest one I just finished is The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner.
A little background to set the stage: Just outside of Chawton, Hampshire, England was the estate of Edward Knight, brother of Jane. In about 1809, Edward offered Jane, her mother, and her sister a permanent place to live – a cottage that belonged to the estate within the village of Chawton. Jane lived there until her death in 1817.
The Jane Austen Society sets its story in the small village of Chawton just after WWII. Distant relatives of Jane still live on the estate. But when the preservation of the estate is threatened, the villagers form a society – The Jane Austen Society – to try and keep the estate intact for generations to come.
This is a sleeper of a novel – in a good way. The setting is charming and the feeling of village life, where everyone knows everyone else’s business, is easily evoked. The characters are likeable and you find yourself cheering for their success.
Go ahead – give it a try.
You should also give these a shot: Austenland by Shannon Hale, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler, Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laura Viera Rigler, The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn
-Kelley