The Jane Austen Book Club - My review

[Nancywitt]

I finally finished this novel last week, The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler. This is the third Austen type novel I have read recently. I have been on a kick. I'm still reading Me and Mr. Darcy and should have a review soon.



Synopsis

"In California’s central valley, five women and one man join to discuss Jane Austen’s novels. Over the six months they get together, marriages are tested, affairs begin, unsuitable arrangements become suitable, and love happens. With her eye for the frailties of human behaviour and her ear for the absurdities of social intercourse, Karen Joy Fowler has never been wittier nor her characters more appealing. The result is a delicious dissection of modern relationships."
The New York Times Sunday Book Review - Patricia T. O'Conner

"In her portrait of a California reading group, Karen Joy Fowler turns a mirror on the gawking, voyeuristic presence that lurks in every story: the reader. What results is Fowler's shrewdest, funniest fiction yet, a novel about how we engage with a novel. You don't have to be a student of Jane Austen to enjoy it, either. At the end are plot synopses of all six Austen novels for the benefit of the forgetful, the uninitiated or the nostalgic."


The reviews I read about this book that was turned into a movie seemed promising, but I did not care for this book. It was basically short stories of the women in this book club. When it was their turn to host that months club, the author would give a background story about them and what they were doing in the present. The characters only interacted together at the meetings (and one charity function). I'm not a big short story reader so I couldn't get into this book. The writing was good and I liked when they talked about Austen's books, but other than that, I was not fond of this story. I do want to see the movie though.


Have you read it? Let me know what you think. Maybe I am missing something here.

[stinkerbell]

The movie is better than the book. It's actually a bit more Austen-ish and the characters do interact more with one another.

Prudie's storyline is beefed up a bit more....racy.

The actresses are muuuuch younger than the characters in the book though. So you'll have to suspend some belief there, but overall, I liked the movie more. How often do you say that?

I read the book twice though--once a few years ago and then again this summer before the movie was released.

Me and Mr. Darcy...also have to suspend some belief there. But it's a quick read.

[Nancywitt]

Can't wait till the movie is on DVD. It didn't play too long where I'm at. Thanks for your thoughts stinkerbell.

[Alice's Wonderland]

I haven't read it and was debating if I should or not. Thanks for your review, because now I'll save my time. I still want to read Becoming Jane, by Spence. Have you read that one?

[BFJen]

This would be a first! The movie is better than the book! Wow!

[NeverNeverland]

So if you like short stories you'll like this book?

[Nancywitt]

Originally Posted by Alice's Wonderland

I haven't read it and was debating if I should or not. Thanks for your review, because now I'll save my time. I still want to read Becoming Jane, by Spence. Have you read that one?

I have not read that one yet. I think I will just wait for the movie. I did just finish Me & Mr. Darcy. Didn't really care much for it. Too predictable.

Originally Posted by NeverNeverland

So if you like short stories you'll like this book?

I'm not a big short story reader so I can't really judge if this is a good book for that. I just didn't like that the stories were separate and the characters didn't really mingle with each other. Since not a lot was said about them, I couldn't really care about them.