amusedHer first novel for adults which is quite unlike her previous works - and every bit as enjoyable. Austenland is the story of Jane, a twenty-nine-year-old New Yorker whose day job is successful but rather unsatisfying. Jane is secretly obsessed with Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice and has watched the BBC miniseries countless times.
Jane is snatched out of her humdrum life when a family tragedy leads her to visit a very special resort in England. There, everyone and everything is straight out of the Regency period. She must dress, speak, and act accordingly. The three-week trip could be the time of her life -- or her wake-up call to actually get a life.
Jane Austen fans will lap up Austenland like a happy kitten with a saucer of cream. Both the wit and pacing are quick, with no words or time wasted. This romantic comedy is sure to make readers laugh one page and smirk the next. Not only is it a fast read, but it's also a fairly clean read, allowing her teen fans to share that saucer and enjoy Jane's sauciness.
The audio edition is literally suits the story's tone. The characters sound as they should, with Jane's words and the narration delivered in an American accent while the English characters have their lovely lilts.
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Check out the May 2008 issue of readergirlz, which featured Book of a Thousand Days, one of Shannon's novels for teens.