Review: Austenland by Shannon Hale

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trephany129
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Review: Austenland by Shannon Hale

Post by trephany129 »

Austenland was not as good as I hoped it would be. I am organizer for a local book club, and we chose this as our September selection out of a few choices of books inspired by Jane Austen. Shannon Hale's premise intrigued me, but the execution fell short. The plot points seemed to be put together haphazardly, rather than being fluid. I would have enjoyed Austenland more, I believe, if it had been longer and had more character development. For the most part, I liked the characters, but wanted to know more about them.

I also watched the movie after finishing the book. The film was so hard to watch that it made me appreciate the book a little more. The film basically scrapped everything that was good about the book, turning the story into an awful caricature of heaven knows what.

Overall, I think it was worth reading. I enjoyed it, and it was a quick, super easy, lighthearted book. But I definitely expected more. I would give it three stars. I am glad I satisfied my curiosity by picking it up, and would recommend it as a quick, fun read to pass the time.
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Post by amybo82 »

I saw the film, but I didn't realize it was based on a book! The movie was pretty bad. I would never choose to watch it again! The book sounds like it was way better, though!
A book is a dream that you hold in your hand. –Neil Gaiman
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