Last week I learned about a new book, 'Austenland' by Shannon Hale, when a short description was posted on the Janeites list.
Yes, I'm a fan of Jane Austen. I'm not obsessive, and I'm certainly not a scholar, but I do enjoy reading all of her work and some of the biographies, comments and critiques. I also enjoy reading sequels and other related books, although I don't necessarily like them all and I rely on my local public library for many of them for that reason. But I won't be reading the new book that suggests that Mr. Bennet had autism!
Anyway, Austenland seemed like nice, fun reading. Here is the blurb I saw.
"Diane Hayes seems to be a normal young New Yorker, but her secret obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in "Pride and Prejudice," is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. On a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane' s fantasies of meeting the perfect gentleman suddenly become more real than she imagined. Shannon Hale's bestselling young adult novels (Goose Girl, Princess Academy)portend great fun for readers - Austen fans or not - of her first novel for grown-ups."
At first I was thinking I would rush out and buy it, but a quick look at the Amazon reviews made me think library instead, and sure enough it was in processing and I put it on hold and had it in my hand within 4 days.
To start with, if I had bought it, I wouldn't have been upset. It was a fun read thatI was able to finish in one day (with the usual family interruptions). It was quite funny to read the lines the actors at the resort were given to create the Regency feeling for the visiting women. The author was obviously familiar with Austen's work because many of the characters, scenes and plot stories were based on things from the novels. It was a fun challenge to be able to pick out the Austen novel or character that was the inspiration.
While there were many enjoyable and silly parts to the story, it was also interesting to follow the main character, Diane, as she wrestled with what was real and what was fantasy. As Diane comes to grips with what it might be like to live at the time of Jane Austen and what she wants from her real life, you get the sense of personal growth that Austen's characters actually go through in the novels (Even Fanny Price grows a bit, thought many critics don't agree).
All in all, I would recommend this book if you enjoy Austen sequels or Regency romances. If you don't like the Kiera Knightly P&P, you probably won't like this book.
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Reviews of needlework related books
While I contemplate what to do with the fly stitch (TAST 8) I thought I would share some short book reviews I included in my EGA chapter newsletter. I only own the first of these books, the other two were borrowed from my local library - in fact I found them on the new books shelf! Be sure to check out the great things in your local library.*
Women’s Work, the First 20,000 Years: Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times. By Elizabeth Wayland Barber
Published by Norton, 1994.
My husband learned about this author and book from one of the weavers in Colonial Williamsburg. She was conducting a sheep program that my husband and daughters were attending, and when she mentioned this book, he thought of me and wrote it down.
Women’s Work is an excellent history of cloth, and the social and political place of cloth and the women who wove it, starting with the Paleolithic period. Wayland Barber has had to piece together archaeological evidence from around the world to tell the story of weaving and cloth. Even where written records exist and can be deciphered, women were not often mentioned. It is interesting that embellishment and decoration are seen on the earliest pieces of cloth, as if the need to be artistic is a very early instinct in humans. The book is well written and very interesting, and since cloth is integral to embroidery, it is helpful to see where it all started.
1066: The Hidden History in the Bayeux Tapestry.
By Andrew Bridgeford.
Bridgeford gives a convincing account of an alternative history for the Battle of Hastings found in the subversive stitching of the tapestry—which of course isn’t a tapestry at all, but rather a very long embroidery. The are colour figures of the whole tapestry and close ups of some of the noted sections. Even if you don't agree with the interpretation, it is still interesting to get a closer look at the tapestry.
The Root of Wild Madder: Chasing the History, Mystery, and Lore of the Persian Carpet.
By Brian Murphy.
Murphy is a political reporter who loves carpets, so the story of finding the patterns and dyes used throughout history is woven with the story of the politics of the region right now. You will be glad you are relaxing in your nice clean home when you read this book. But it is very exciting and interesting.
*Yes I'm a librarian plugging for library use. Be sure to check if your local library is on the Internet. I can search for books, renew books and put holds on books while sitting at my desk at home. Very convenient.
Women’s Work, the First 20,000 Years: Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times. By Elizabeth Wayland Barber
Published by Norton, 1994.
My husband learned about this author and book from one of the weavers in Colonial Williamsburg. She was conducting a sheep program that my husband and daughters were attending, and when she mentioned this book, he thought of me and wrote it down.
Women’s Work is an excellent history of cloth, and the social and political place of cloth and the women who wove it, starting with the Paleolithic period. Wayland Barber has had to piece together archaeological evidence from around the world to tell the story of weaving and cloth. Even where written records exist and can be deciphered, women were not often mentioned. It is interesting that embellishment and decoration are seen on the earliest pieces of cloth, as if the need to be artistic is a very early instinct in humans. The book is well written and very interesting, and since cloth is integral to embroidery, it is helpful to see where it all started.
1066: The Hidden History in the Bayeux Tapestry.
By Andrew Bridgeford.
Bridgeford gives a convincing account of an alternative history for the Battle of Hastings found in the subversive stitching of the tapestry—which of course isn’t a tapestry at all, but rather a very long embroidery. The are colour figures of the whole tapestry and close ups of some of the noted sections. Even if you don't agree with the interpretation, it is still interesting to get a closer look at the tapestry.
The Root of Wild Madder: Chasing the History, Mystery, and Lore of the Persian Carpet.
By Brian Murphy.
Murphy is a political reporter who loves carpets, so the story of finding the patterns and dyes used throughout history is woven with the story of the politics of the region right now. You will be glad you are relaxing in your nice clean home when you read this book. But it is very exciting and interesting.
*Yes I'm a librarian plugging for library use. Be sure to check if your local library is on the Internet. I can search for books, renew books and put holds on books while sitting at my desk at home. Very convenient.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Book Reviews - 'Mark of the Lion'
First of all, thank you so much to those who have left comments or sent me comments on the SP list. As a very new blogger it is exciting to know people have actually read something you wrote. I'm not sure what blog etiquette requires, but if it is considered wrong not to respond to every comment I am sorry - I have tried to answer questions when time and memory permit - I admit that sometimes if I don't do something immediately, I forget to do it later because I've moved on to the next task.
As well as being an obsessive embroiderer, I am also an obsessive reader. Luckily for me, I married a wonderful man who is also obsessive about reading. Unluckily, it made packing up and moving a terrible task. I do some reviewing of science books for a couple of publications meant for librarians, and I've included needlework book reviews in the newsletter I edit, but there are so many other books that I want to share it seems a good idea to write about them.
Today I finished 'The Mark of the Lion' by Suzanne Arruda. This is the first book in a new mystery series set in Africa after WWI. The heroine is Jade del Cameron, an American who drove an ambulance during the war. Of course she is slim and beautiful, but at the same time she defies convention and wears her hair short and doesn't worry about fashionable clothing, in fact she wears pants much of the time. She was brought up on a New Mexico ranch, with a Spanish mother and Irish-mix father, so she can ride and shoot with the best of them. Her time in the war taught her to repair cars as well. In general a capable, down-to-earth person. As well as a knee wound, she also has some emotional scars from the war, namely a fear of noises that sound like bombs and hysterical laughter. In this mystery, she has the task of finding the brother of the pilot who wanted to marry her during the war. The pilot died in a plane crash, but now the war is over and she feels she needs to honour his dying wish.
This is a very well written book and really draws you in to the atmosphere of Kenya after WWI. The heroine and the other characters are all interesting, if not lovable, and there is a bit of magic in the plot as well.
As an aside here, I generally don't like mystery and fantasy in the same book. I love both genres but I don't always like the mix. I love the Jane Austen Mysteries by Stephanie Barron but I don't like all the supernatural in Carrie Bebris' series Mr & Mrs Darcy Mysteries because Jane Austen made fun of the gothic so it doesn't seem right. Anyway, back to the book at hand.
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it highly to those who like mysteries. There are enough plot twists to keep you guessing (unless like me you read the back of the book first) and the writing is very good. I am now waiting for the next volume in this new series, Stalking Ivory, to be processed by the library. I am first on the waiting list.
As well as being an obsessive embroiderer, I am also an obsessive reader. Luckily for me, I married a wonderful man who is also obsessive about reading. Unluckily, it made packing up and moving a terrible task. I do some reviewing of science books for a couple of publications meant for librarians, and I've included needlework book reviews in the newsletter I edit, but there are so many other books that I want to share it seems a good idea to write about them.
Today I finished 'The Mark of the Lion' by Suzanne Arruda. This is the first book in a new mystery series set in Africa after WWI. The heroine is Jade del Cameron, an American who drove an ambulance during the war. Of course she is slim and beautiful, but at the same time she defies convention and wears her hair short and doesn't worry about fashionable clothing, in fact she wears pants much of the time. She was brought up on a New Mexico ranch, with a Spanish mother and Irish-mix father, so she can ride and shoot with the best of them. Her time in the war taught her to repair cars as well. In general a capable, down-to-earth person. As well as a knee wound, she also has some emotional scars from the war, namely a fear of noises that sound like bombs and hysterical laughter. In this mystery, she has the task of finding the brother of the pilot who wanted to marry her during the war. The pilot died in a plane crash, but now the war is over and she feels she needs to honour his dying wish.
This is a very well written book and really draws you in to the atmosphere of Kenya after WWI. The heroine and the other characters are all interesting, if not lovable, and there is a bit of magic in the plot as well.
As an aside here, I generally don't like mystery and fantasy in the same book. I love both genres but I don't always like the mix. I love the Jane Austen Mysteries by Stephanie Barron but I don't like all the supernatural in Carrie Bebris' series Mr & Mrs Darcy Mysteries because Jane Austen made fun of the gothic so it doesn't seem right. Anyway, back to the book at hand.
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it highly to those who like mysteries. There are enough plot twists to keep you guessing (unless like me you read the back of the book first) and the writing is very good. I am now waiting for the next volume in this new series, Stalking Ivory, to be processed by the library. I am first on the waiting list.
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