Sunday, January 31, 2010

Guilty Pleasure ~ Jane Austen


I listen to audio books. My I-pod is another organ of my body. Not really, but I do listen to a lot of podcasts and audio books. One book that I recently listed to was Austenland by Shannon Hale. I was a little skeptical, because who can really write like Jane Austen? I recently spent a few weeks listening to many of Jane Austen's novels. I loved it. I know, I'm sick. I realized when I started listening to Austenland, it was a little cheesy. Once I was past the cheesiness factor, I got into it. It is about a single, thirty-something woman who is obsessed with the BBC, Colin Firth (as pictured above), version of Pride and Prejudice. She is bequeathed a fantasy vacation to England to live for three weeks in Austenland. I wonder if such an experience actually exists? She gets romantically attached to two handsome men. Which one will she pick?
To sum up my opinion: lots of fun. It isn't going to win a Pulitzer, but it is fun. I had several good 'laugh out loud' moments. I was throughly diverted.