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Jane Austen Book Club
 
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Jane Austen Book Club (Hardcover)

by Karen Fowler (Author)
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)

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4 new from CDN$ 27.68 48 used from CDN$ 0.01

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Fowler's fifth novel (after PEN/Faulkner award finalist Sister Noon) features her trademark sly wit, quirky characters and digressive storytelling, but with a difference: this one is book clubâ€"ready, complete with mock-serious "questions for discussion" posed by the characters themselves. The plot here is deceptively slim: five women and one enigmatic man meet on a monthly basis to discuss the novels of Jane Austen, one at a time. As they debate Marianne's marriage to Brandon and whether or not Charlotte Lucas is gay, they reveal nothing so much as their own "private Austen(s)": to Jocelyn, an unmarried "control freak," the author is the consummate matchmaker; to solitary Prudie, she's the supreme ironist; to the lesbian Allegra, she's the disingenuous defender of the social caste system, etc. The book club's conversation is variously astute, petty, obvious and funny, but no one stays with it: the characters nibble high-calorie desserts, sip margaritas and drift off into personal reveries. Like Austen, Fowler is a subversive wit and a wise observer of human interaction of all stripes ("All parents wanted an impossible life for their childrenâ€"happy beginning, happy middle, happy ending. No plot of any kind"). She's also an enthusiastic consumer of popular culture, offsetting the heady literary chat with references to Sex and the City, Linux and "a rug that many of us recognized from the Sundance catalog." Though the 21 pages of quotations from Austen's family, friends and critics seems excessive, the novelty of Fowler's package should attract significant numbers of book club members, not to mention the legions of Janeites craving good company and happy endings.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From AudioFile

A California book club forms to discuss the novels of Jane Austen--what a promising literary device. As the five women and one man meet to discuss Austen's novels, they inevitably end up revealing intimacies about their own lives. Alas, with its overabundance of detail, the book becomes very like a heavy Celebration cake--so overstuffed with detail that it sags under its own weight. Kimberly Schraf reads with precision and grace, and Fowler's shrewd observations are provocative. But, ultimately, there's just too much to carry the story. L.C. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
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Customer Reviews

60 Reviews
5 star:
 (28)
4 star:
 (11)
3 star:
 (6)
2 star:
 (7)
1 star:
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Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (60 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars You Will Love It, May 9 2005
By Derek Leonardi (Steamboat Springs, CO (80488)) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Jane Austen Book Club (Paperback)
I am a big fan of this book. So if you are looking for a negative review, you can stop reading now. "Jane Austen Book Club" is artistic and creative, one of the best books I have read in recent years. So if you enjoy well written, easily absorbed fiction like "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," "About a Boy," "Wicked," "The Curious Incident of Dog in Night-Time," "The Time Traveler's Wife," and "My Fractured Life," then you will love this book.
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3.0 out of 5 stars It's always risky..., Feb 27 2009
By Schmadrian - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Jane Austen Book Club (Paperback)
...to read the novel before seeing the film adaptation. Because usually, the comparison does the movie no favours. However, as I've learned here, sometimes there's a greater risk to seeing the film first.

As much as this is meant to be a review of the novel, the truth is that having seen the film, my view of the book is informed in so very starkly a way that I fear I cannot offer up as objective opinion as I otherwise might have.

As a screenwriter/novelist, I'm always fascinated to see how the migration from one medium to the other is achieved, and to what extent it's successful. In the case of 'The Jane Austen Book Club', one thing was consistently apparent: the adaptation succeeded marvellously. In fact, in many ways, the film is a far more satisfying experience.

But allow me to clarify.

Firstly, I have no history, no relationship with Austen's novels. I've read not a one. So clearly, what Fowler waves through her story Austen-wise, was lost on me. Not that I couldn't appreciate that she was clearly a lover of Austen's works and had fashioned a tale as an homage to the writer. I'm sure that a fan of Austen's books would have added many a satisfaction-point onto their final score. But I suppose what struck me most in this sense was the fact that the movie seemed to do a far better job of utilizing the themes and characters than the novel does.

Secondly, while the film is focused, the novel is...well, a lot more of a riff. And perhaps this can be chalked up mostly to the narrator's voice. In the film, it's a typical 'third-person omniscient'. In the book- Well, I still can't figure out why Fowler decided to tell it in first-person omniscient...and then, never really declare that it's being told by Bernadette. In fact, I don't know why she chose to use the narrative voice she did, at all. It makes no sense...first-person cannot be omniscient when we're talking about the narrator having access to information they'd not have access to...and in the end, came off as contrived. In fact, to a certain extent, it ruined the book for me.

Finally, the film, while not utilizing much of the novel's narrative, uses what it does explore much better than the book. In fact, maybe this was what surprised me most, that the movie is much more cohesive, does a far better job at delving into characters...it makes more sense. These criticisms are usually made about the film, not the source material, hence my surprise.

The novel is lovely. A little scattered, a little idiosyncratic, but with some enchanting touches. (Having read the book, I can attest to the fact that the movie missed some opportunities...but the writer/director should be proud of what she accomplished.) I wouldn't glow about it the way some of the jacket blurbs did...but then I'm not an Austen-ite...and I'm not a woman.

I'd like to think that Jane would forgive me both.
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4.0 out of 5 stars It's not actually ABOUT Jane Austen, folks, Jan 10 2005
Anything with an unusual premise grabs my attention--you know, something that not only has a good idea going for it but a great author to carry thought with the exectution? Enter JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB. If you go into this little romp thinking that it's going to be all JANE with various tangents thereof, think again. The book is really about the members of the book club, and many of them are fascinating. The title is really not misleading when you think about it--the same way Jackson McCrae's "Bark of the Dogwood--A tour of southern homes and gardens" isn't really about a "tour." But all that's for another discussion. Bottomline is this: JANE AUSTEN is a great read and will probably be enjoyed all the more by REAL book clubs.
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 		 Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!
While seemingly simple on the surface, THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB is not. Five women and one man make up the main characters in this riveting and cleverly plotted gem. Read more
Published on Jul 24 2004

1.0 out of 5 stars Warning to Jane Austen fans
WARNING TO ALL JANE AUSTEN FANS! WARNING TO ALL JANE AUSTEN FANS! DO NOT--I REPEAT--DO NOT BUY THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB. It is a ruse. Read more
Published on Jul 19 2004

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Waste Your Time
This may well have been the worst book I ever read. The premise is interesting, and it could have been a great book, but Fowler's writing style is obnoxious. Read more
Published on Jul 19 2004 by C. Hagen

2.0 out of 5 stars The Jane Austen WASP club
I've had some extra time this summer to catch up on some reading. I've even been able to explore some of the newer books that are out and with all the reviews I've read here and... Read more
Published on Jul 18 2004 by Virginia C.

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable for Austen Fans but...
I have to admit: I enjoyed this book tremendously and I went back and reread favorite sections. However, I am a Jane Austen devotee and I am always interested in the opinion of... Read more
Published on Jul 13 2004 by crazyforgems

5.0 out of 5 stars Alice Sebold got it right
Alice Sebold states that if she could "eat this book," she would. I found the concept of the book, the manner in which it was told (snapshots of characters' pasts that... Read more
Published on Jul 13 2004 by Kathleen Davis

5.0 out of 5 stars "We" is "I"
When, on page 5 of this delightful, ironic homage to Jane Austen, the narrator lists the "six of us" -- the six members of "The Jane Austen Book Club" -- the reader should... Read more
Published on Jul 10 2004 by rctnyc

4.0 out of 5 stars A recommendation
My sister-in-law recently recommended two books and I found both to be superb novels. The first was a book by the title "The Bark of the Dogwood" (funny, horrifying,... Read more
Published on Jul 8 2004

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your time
If you want to read Austen buy Pride and Prejudice not this book. TJABC is long on slapstick and short on things Austen. It pales in comparison to Austen's razor wit.
Published on Jul 7 2004 by Kimberly Gardner

1.0 out of 5 stars Hook, line, and sinker
Yes, I too was lured in by the many sterling reveiws on the cover of this book. The old adage of not judging a book by its cover holds true for this one. Read more
Published on Jul 6 2004 by Eulogia

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