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Austenland  By  cover art

Austenland

By: Shannon Hale
Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
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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)

What listeners say about Austenland

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
    37
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Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

A Book Which Can be Put Down

Katherine Kellgren does such a good job narrating that she almost rescues this book. This is an interesting take on the Austen universe but I have to confess that this book can be put down. I am not certain why my reaction is so lukewarm. I think it because the real parts of the story and play acting are difficult to distinguish. I also couldn't seem to sympathize with the heroine. I really didn't like her and I don't know why. It puzzles me for I tend to suspend my disbelief on command of the author. I am willing to be led where ever the author wants to go. In this case, I think the heroine led a boring life, is bored, wants to be rescued and does nothing for herself: in short, she is boring. What kind of man would want to be around her? To say this in a different way: Miss Elizabeth Bennet wasn't sitting on her hands dreaming of a Darcy coming to her rescue. She lived and took her pleasures and disappointments as she found them. She was never boring. She will never be boring. Dittos for Anne Elliot, Elinor Dashwood, Fanny Price, Catherine Morland and certainly Emma Woodhouse. If woman (or a man) is leading an empty life, it is not Mr. Darcy's fault. Look to the mirror.

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36 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Fun read

I thought this was entertaining, although a bit slow and unbelievable at parts. We read it for our book club and most everyone got some fun out of reading it. It's in no way deep, but it is clean (no sex scenes) and still romantic.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Book my tickets....Im going to Austenland

This book was funny, light hearted and lots of fun. I'm such a Pride & Prejudice fan that this would make a great adventure to take with my friends. I would recommend this to all sappy P&P fans. The narrator did a great job with this book.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Not just another wannabe

I love all things Pride and Prejudice, and this is no exception. I went in with low expectations, because of the numerous attempts to recreate the wheel, but was surprised to find that these were not just Darcy and Elizabeth revisited. The characters were fleshed out to be not just the same retread territory, but with a spin. Definitely worth the book credit.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

For those similarly obsessed...

This very amusing and witty story had me laughing out loud and wishing I could also pay a visit to Austenland to indulge my own rampant Colin Firth/Mr Darcy/Regency period fantasies.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Entertaining book

Both my 17 year old daughter and I (a 46 year old mom) loved this book. We're both Jane Austen fans, and the idea of being able to escape to a Jane Austen-type of world is intriguing. I think all of Shannon Hale's books are great, and always look forward to her next one.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

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.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Light and fun

This book was a quick,easy listen that was light and fun. It made me laugh many times. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Really Enjoyable!

I really enjoyed this book! It is not what I expected; a recreation of a classic. The characters are original. Shannon Hale did a great job showing what it would be like for a present day woman to enter a "Pride and Prejudice" world. I laughed out loud several times.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Boring

Boring, kinda stupid and an irritating narrator. I tried - got thru maybe half and said to myself - why are you forcing yourself to listen to this drivel? I sure hope at 32, I wasn't as big a nitwit as the main character is in this book. Need to get over your obsession of Pride and Prejudice or Mr. Darcy? Give this book a listen, you'll put Jane Austen away in a box up in the attic.

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4 people found this helpful