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Le manuscrit perdu de Jane Austen
Samantha McDonough mène la vie sans surprise d’une bibliothécaire sans histoire. Un jour, elle fait une surprenante découverte. Un livre, déniché dans une petite librairie, qui va changer sa vie. Car entre ses pages se cache une lettre vieille de deux cents ans. Une lettre signée par l’une des plus grandes romancières anglaises : Jane Austen. Voilà Samantha lancée sur la piste d’un manuscrit perdu, dans une course contre le temps, qui va la guider tout droit entre les murs d’un manoir magnifique, et entre les bras de son séduisant propriétaire…
401 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 2012
40 people are currently reading
3206 people want to read
About the author
Syrie James
21 books986 followersSyrie James writes about bold, smart women who defy the odds and overcome daunting obstacles to achieve a cherished creative dream, find truth and justice, or help people in need, often finding love along the way. She is the international, USA TODAY, and Amazon bestselling author of many novels of historical fiction, mystery, romance, and YA which have been published in 21 languages.
Syrie's Historical Murder Mystery series, The Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke & Fire, is set in Victorian England and features sister sleuths who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. The series includes the Amazon bestseller "The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall," "The Secrets of Thorndale Manor" and the upcoming "Danger at Darkmoor Park."
Los Angeles Magazine dubbed Syrie the “queen of nineteenth century re-imaginings.” Her novel “The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen” sold at auction to HarperCollins and became an international bestseller, and was named Best New Fiction by Regency World Magazine. Her passion for love stories and the paranormal led to her critically acclaimed “Dracula, My Love,” “Nocturne,” and the YA series “Forbidden.” Her enduring love of all things English and 19th century led to her Amazon bestselling Dare to Defy Historical Romance series.
Syrie’s books have received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, hit many Best of the Year lists, been designated as Library Journal Editor’s Picks of the Year, and won numerous awards including the national Audiobook Audie Award for Romance and the Women’s National Book Association Great Group Read (“The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte”), and Barnes and Noble’s Romantic Read of the Week and Bookbub’s Best Snowbound Romance (“Nocturne”).
Syrie is also a WGA member with numerous scripts sold to film and television, and a published playwright, actress, and stage director.
Find Syrie at:
syriejames.com,
Facebook,
Instagram
Syrie's Historical Murder Mystery series, The Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke & Fire, is set in Victorian England and features sister sleuths who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. The series includes the Amazon bestseller "The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall," "The Secrets of Thorndale Manor" and the upcoming "Danger at Darkmoor Park."
Los Angeles Magazine dubbed Syrie the “queen of nineteenth century re-imaginings.” Her novel “The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen” sold at auction to HarperCollins and became an international bestseller, and was named Best New Fiction by Regency World Magazine. Her passion for love stories and the paranormal led to her critically acclaimed “Dracula, My Love,” “Nocturne,” and the YA series “Forbidden.” Her enduring love of all things English and 19th century led to her Amazon bestselling Dare to Defy Historical Romance series.
Syrie’s books have received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, hit many Best of the Year lists, been designated as Library Journal Editor’s Picks of the Year, and won numerous awards including the national Audiobook Audie Award for Romance and the Women’s National Book Association Great Group Read (“The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte”), and Barnes and Noble’s Romantic Read of the Week and Bookbub’s Best Snowbound Romance (“Nocturne”).
Syrie is also a WGA member with numerous scripts sold to film and television, and a published playwright, actress, and stage director.
Find Syrie at:
syriejames.com,
Facebook,
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 413 reviews
July 11, 2018
The book weaves two stories set in late 18th century and present time.
The present time story is of a young woman, who comes across a letter suggesting a possibility of a missing manuscript of Jane Austen. This story in the first chapter has a slow start. However, it picks up in the following chapter, when she meets a young man whose father’s house could be a place where the lost manuscript was written. The search for it begins.
The second story is of the lost manuscript written by Jane Austen; her seventh undiscovered book. It is about a father and his daughter, who find themselves in a situation where they have to leave the house they got to know as home and move to live with the relatives.
This reads like a story written by Jane Austen. It transports the reader to the world of Jane Austen; the language, the well-mannered people, the world of the balls and engagements…
The character of Jane Austen's story is presented as a smart caring woman, who lives during a time, when women depend on men or have an option of being a governess. Not necessarily a desirable position. During a time, when only men study at schools. But she receives some education through her father's schooling. She goes through high and lows of love, but at the end she is capable of picking an admirable character.
This is a quick read beautifully written.
@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
https://bestinhistoricalfiction.blogs...
The present time story is of a young woman, who comes across a letter suggesting a possibility of a missing manuscript of Jane Austen. This story in the first chapter has a slow start. However, it picks up in the following chapter, when she meets a young man whose father’s house could be a place where the lost manuscript was written. The search for it begins.
The second story is of the lost manuscript written by Jane Austen; her seventh undiscovered book. It is about a father and his daughter, who find themselves in a situation where they have to leave the house they got to know as home and move to live with the relatives.
This reads like a story written by Jane Austen. It transports the reader to the world of Jane Austen; the language, the well-mannered people, the world of the balls and engagements…
The character of Jane Austen's story is presented as a smart caring woman, who lives during a time, when women depend on men or have an option of being a governess. Not necessarily a desirable position. During a time, when only men study at schools. But she receives some education through her father's schooling. She goes through high and lows of love, but at the end she is capable of picking an admirable character.
This is a quick read beautifully written.
@FB/BestHistoricalFiction
https://bestinhistoricalfiction.blogs...
April 5, 2013
Eh. There wasn't much to this book, so there won't be much to this review.
Basically: modern day woman buys old book, finds what might be a letter from Jane Austen referencing a lost manuscript, engages in lots of awkward exposition with various other characters, goes searching for said manuscript, meets fine-looking gentleman, finds manuscript, reads manuscript, small drama to justify modern-day framework, neatly wrapped-up bad-rom-com ending.
The only reason this book got more than one star out of me is that the "missing manuscript" was halfway decent. No Jane, mind you, but since the modern day framework sets up the manuscript as an early try, before any of her actual published works, the less polished and over dramatic storyline almost works.
Instead of reading a poor imitation of Jane Austen, see, you're just reading Jane Austen before she was the real Jane Austen.
Except for the return to the modern day framework, which ruins the illusion and reminds you that you really are just reading a poor imitation of Jane Austen.
Basically: modern day woman buys old book, finds what might be a letter from Jane Austen referencing a lost manuscript, engages in lots of awkward exposition with various other characters, goes searching for said manuscript, meets fine-looking gentleman, finds manuscript, reads manuscript, small drama to justify modern-day framework, neatly wrapped-up bad-rom-com ending.
The only reason this book got more than one star out of me is that the "missing manuscript" was halfway decent. No Jane, mind you, but since the modern day framework sets up the manuscript as an early try, before any of her actual published works, the less polished and over dramatic storyline almost works.
Instead of reading a poor imitation of Jane Austen, see, you're just reading Jane Austen before she was the real Jane Austen.
Except for the return to the modern day framework, which ruins the illusion and reminds you that you really are just reading a poor imitation of Jane Austen.
January 5, 2013
Why did this book have to end? Rather, why did the book within the book have to end? Could have read these forever. Perhaps, if we are all very lucky,they will find another manuscript hidden within the walls of Greenbrier. I will be ready to read it.
July 6, 2019
I love this author's books and I thought I'd read all her Austen-related ones, but lo and behold, I missed one. Had to remedy that, of course. It all started with an American woman who was a former Oxford literature scholar making a visit to England, buying an old book of poetry that caught her eye and finding a portion of a lost Jane Austen letter to her sister stating there had been another manuscript that went missing. How intriguing is that!
When I read the title, I had this little wish that while the character is on the hunt for this missing manuscript that I'd get a peek at the contents of the manuscript. That way, it would feel a little like if that happened in real life and a newly found complete Austen story were to come out after all this time. It turned out that I got my wish. The book was a regency story within a contemporary story since Samantha and Anthony read aloud the manuscript, The Stanhopes, and that full story is part of the book.
I was delighted by both stories. The balance of enjoyment was mostly toward the Regency story (Austen's lost manuscript) until the end when there was a big decision to be made about the manuscript.
It was gently-paced on both counts and I would say it was more chick lit around a historical romance that had a nice strong flavoring of Austen to it. The Stanhopes was fun to read and pick out Austenesque Easter eggs that were part of Austen's novels and her real life. The author carefully crafted The Stanhopes to give more than a passing nod toward Austen's style and toward the historical backdrop of the novel.
The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen was a breezy read that was nice to curl up with in my comfy chair and enjoy a literary lover's treasure hunt and the dreamy feel of finding such a fabulous lost gem. I think Austen lovers will delight in it and chick lit or women's fiction fans who like the focus on literary greats will get the most enjoyment from it.
COYER Summer Scavenger Hunt clue- cover with only words 3 pts
When I read the title, I had this little wish that while the character is on the hunt for this missing manuscript that I'd get a peek at the contents of the manuscript. That way, it would feel a little like if that happened in real life and a newly found complete Austen story were to come out after all this time. It turned out that I got my wish. The book was a regency story within a contemporary story since Samantha and Anthony read aloud the manuscript, The Stanhopes, and that full story is part of the book.
I was delighted by both stories. The balance of enjoyment was mostly toward the Regency story (Austen's lost manuscript) until the end when there was a big decision to be made about the manuscript.
It was gently-paced on both counts and I would say it was more chick lit around a historical romance that had a nice strong flavoring of Austen to it. The Stanhopes was fun to read and pick out Austenesque Easter eggs that were part of Austen's novels and her real life. The author carefully crafted The Stanhopes to give more than a passing nod toward Austen's style and toward the historical backdrop of the novel.
The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen was a breezy read that was nice to curl up with in my comfy chair and enjoy a literary lover's treasure hunt and the dreamy feel of finding such a fabulous lost gem. I think Austen lovers will delight in it and chick lit or women's fiction fans who like the focus on literary greats will get the most enjoyment from it.
COYER Summer Scavenger Hunt clue- cover with only words 3 pts
January 10, 2013
4.5 stars really =) lol
BUT .. awesome read for Austen fans!
I had not read any of Syrie James' work before, but after reading her newest novel she has me sold on her writing skills. This novel comprises of a novel within a novel as we are treated to the contemporary story of Samantha who hunts down and discovers that there is an unpublished story written by Jane Austen. She then has to beg the sexy owner to do the right thing and allow the work to be published. (While fighting her attraction to him, she has to struggle to remember that she has a boyfriend, so it turns into an interesting romance story). But.. we are also treated to the (astutely imagined) unpublished work of the epic authoress herself, Jane Austen, called The Stanhopes. All the prerequisites of an Austen novel are there.. from the whimsical heroine to the doting father, and misconceptions of characters and a quaint mix of everything we love about Austen. I was quite impressed with the Austenesque prose, and it has me wondering what I missed with a previous novel of Syrie James, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen. The author has done her Austen homework, and I recognized a character from the novel immediately, as she named a friend in the story Laurel Ann in honor of Laurel Ann Nattress of Austenprose.com as she gave her expert advice to the author. I loved the plot line and how the present day plot sort of mirrored our own emotions as the characters read through the story the same time as we did. Very clever, and I can really imagine all of the story actually being true since the clues and facts (however imagined) seemed to really sell the mystery of the lost manuscript. Very well done! Check Historical Fiction Connection on 1/9/2013 for a guest post and GIVEAWAY!
Original from: http://www.burtonbookreview.com/
Copyright BurtonBookReview.com - All Rights Reserved
BUT .. awesome read for Austen fans!
I had not read any of Syrie James' work before, but after reading her newest novel she has me sold on her writing skills. This novel comprises of a novel within a novel as we are treated to the contemporary story of Samantha who hunts down and discovers that there is an unpublished story written by Jane Austen. She then has to beg the sexy owner to do the right thing and allow the work to be published. (While fighting her attraction to him, she has to struggle to remember that she has a boyfriend, so it turns into an interesting romance story). But.. we are also treated to the (astutely imagined) unpublished work of the epic authoress herself, Jane Austen, called The Stanhopes. All the prerequisites of an Austen novel are there.. from the whimsical heroine to the doting father, and misconceptions of characters and a quaint mix of everything we love about Austen. I was quite impressed with the Austenesque prose, and it has me wondering what I missed with a previous novel of Syrie James, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen. The author has done her Austen homework, and I recognized a character from the novel immediately, as she named a friend in the story Laurel Ann in honor of Laurel Ann Nattress of Austenprose.com as she gave her expert advice to the author. I loved the plot line and how the present day plot sort of mirrored our own emotions as the characters read through the story the same time as we did. Very clever, and I can really imagine all of the story actually being true since the clues and facts (however imagined) seemed to really sell the mystery of the lost manuscript. Very well done! Check Historical Fiction Connection on 1/9/2013 for a guest post and GIVEAWAY!
Original from: http://www.burtonbookreview.com/
Copyright BurtonBookReview.com - All Rights Reserved
February 1, 2013
I received a copy of The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James in exchange for an honest review.
The book begins as Samantha McDonough stumbles upon a letter tucked away in an uncut page of a two-hundred-year old poetry book. She instantly recognizes the salutation, the handwriting, and the content as an old piece from the infamous Jane Austen. Although the discovery is quite amazing, Samantha finally reads the letter and the content is even better – it claims that there is a missing manuscript that went missing at Greenbriar. Samantha racks her brain and can’t believe what she has just found, so she takes it upon herself and goes on a hunt for the missing MS. Afterall, it could be worth millions. Will she find it? And will it be all that she imagined?
The second I received the review request for this book, I instantly knew that I was going to love it – and I was right! A book about a missing Jane Austen manuscript? I was hooked instantly. This book was written really well and I loved the mystery and the suspense element that the author provides. I was fully invested in the hunt right along with Samantha and was so excited to see how the story unfolded. Overall, this book is a really fun ride with a great twist once you throw Anthony into the mix. I highly recommend this fun tale!
The book begins as Samantha McDonough stumbles upon a letter tucked away in an uncut page of a two-hundred-year old poetry book. She instantly recognizes the salutation, the handwriting, and the content as an old piece from the infamous Jane Austen. Although the discovery is quite amazing, Samantha finally reads the letter and the content is even better – it claims that there is a missing manuscript that went missing at Greenbriar. Samantha racks her brain and can’t believe what she has just found, so she takes it upon herself and goes on a hunt for the missing MS. Afterall, it could be worth millions. Will she find it? And will it be all that she imagined?
The second I received the review request for this book, I instantly knew that I was going to love it – and I was right! A book about a missing Jane Austen manuscript? I was hooked instantly. This book was written really well and I loved the mystery and the suspense element that the author provides. I was fully invested in the hunt right along with Samantha and was so excited to see how the story unfolded. Overall, this book is a really fun ride with a great twist once you throw Anthony into the mix. I highly recommend this fun tale!
January 17, 2013
Jane Austen must have had some secrets. With information about her life being “famously scarce”1 and a large majority of her correspondence being destroyed and censored, one can understandably make the conjecture that there are some things the Austen family did not want the world to know about dear Jane. But the unanswered question remains: what did they not want the world to know? Love affairs? Painful hardships? Illness? What are the secrets of Jane Austen's life?
Critically acclaimed and best-selling author, Syrie James has once again fictitiously uncovered the hidden mysteries of Jane Austen's life. In her outstanding 2007 release, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, Ms. James pens a memoir that illustrates the “secret” love affair between Jane Austen and an unknown man she meets by the seaside. In her latest release, The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, she brings to light a seventh novel written by Jane Austen in 1802. A manuscript that no one except Cassandra knew about. A manuscript that was lamentably lost from Jane Austen's possession and never rewritten or discovered...until now.
Another impressive and ingenious release from Syrie James! I love how adeptly and thoughtfully Syrie James blends together actual events and circumstances in Jane Austen's life with her own clever imaginings. Ms. James creates a story so authentic and credible that this reader often forgets she is reading a work of fiction! On more than one occasion I found myself desperately hoping this novel was reality and that this story would come true! (Who knows, maybe it will...)
To continue reading, go to: http://janeaustenreviews.blogspot.com...
Critically acclaimed and best-selling author, Syrie James has once again fictitiously uncovered the hidden mysteries of Jane Austen's life. In her outstanding 2007 release, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, Ms. James pens a memoir that illustrates the “secret” love affair between Jane Austen and an unknown man she meets by the seaside. In her latest release, The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, she brings to light a seventh novel written by Jane Austen in 1802. A manuscript that no one except Cassandra knew about. A manuscript that was lamentably lost from Jane Austen's possession and never rewritten or discovered...until now.
Another impressive and ingenious release from Syrie James! I love how adeptly and thoughtfully Syrie James blends together actual events and circumstances in Jane Austen's life with her own clever imaginings. Ms. James creates a story so authentic and credible that this reader often forgets she is reading a work of fiction! On more than one occasion I found myself desperately hoping this novel was reality and that this story would come true! (Who knows, maybe it will...)
To continue reading, go to: http://janeaustenreviews.blogspot.com...
July 25, 2016
This is a typical "book-within-a-book" novel, and as such I found myself liking one section of the story far more than the other. In this case, I really enjoyed the missing/stollen story of Rebecca Stanhope far more than I liked the telling of how modern day Austen schooler Samantha discovered it.
I think the novel would have been much stronger if the author had committed fully to the manuscript angle and added a forward/afterward via a fictional character explaining the novels discovery and subsequent publication.
Samantha was a promising PHD candidate, and ardent Austen expert when she's forced to leave England and her school to take care of her dying mother. When the story opens she's working as a college librarian and dating a promising heart surgeon. When the opportunity arises for her to accompany him back to England for a medical conference she jumps at the chance to go back to where she was once so happy.
It seemed a bit too far fetched to me that someone who knows so much about Jane would be the one to find the hidden letter that led to the long lost manuscript. Everything fell to easily in place. There was also a limp love triangle that manipulated most of this modern day plot, which bored me.
Now, to the manuscript:
I know it wasn't Austen, but it had that wonderful Austen feeling to it. I loved the story of Jane-inspired Rebecca Stanhope, and all of the fascinating dimensional characters that orbit in and out of her story, including another addition to Austen's "W-Club" for misunderstood bad boys.
This section, unlike the other, was very satisfying.
January 31, 2016
This was the second book I have read to date by Syrie James, and it will definitely not be my last. James's Nocturne is one of my favorites, and although a completely different type of book, The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen did not disappoint. This was exceptionally good, and solidified this author as one for me to read all of her works.
The title both intrigued me and made me hesitate, because taking on a story actually involving Jane Austen and her newly discovered manuscript is a great idea full of potential pitfalls. This ended up being a fabulous idea that was perfectly executed. One of my favorite things about this book was the incredible text of the "manuscript" itself. It was a work of art in itself. The fact that it was only part of this novel and incorporated with the modern-day storyline is perfection.
The title both intrigued me and made me hesitate, because taking on a story actually involving Jane Austen and her newly discovered manuscript is a great idea full of potential pitfalls. This ended up being a fabulous idea that was perfectly executed. One of my favorite things about this book was the incredible text of the "manuscript" itself. It was a work of art in itself. The fact that it was only part of this novel and incorporated with the modern-day storyline is perfection.
January 1, 2013
I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I loved The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen. I am a huge Jane Austen fan so I was just hoping that this would be an enjoyable book. What I did not expect was a captivating story that I had trouble putting down!
Samantha is revisiting England while her boyfriend is in medical conferences all day. As an American librarian who once attended Oxford it is no wonder she went shopping in a bookstore where she came across an old book of poetry. As she looks at her purchase she finds a letter that had been placed inside a long time ago. After reading the partial letter she starts to believe it was written by Jane Austen herself.
Following the clues in the letter she goes to a house called Grennbriar where she believes Jane may have lost a book she had written. After finally convincing Anthony, the new owner of the house, they start their search and they do discover more proof that the Austen family did in fact visit the house on several occasions. That discovery helps them to continue until they do find an old manuscript called The Stanhopes.
Samantha and Anthony start to read the book together in order figure out if it is a real Jane Austen novel. Samantha is of course excited about the discovery and wants to make sure it becomes available to everyone. Anthony though wants it to be real so that he can sell it to make money.
The Stanhopes manuscript really did sound like something Jane would have written and it was such an engaging story. I loved how the author let us ‘hear’ the story and how well it added to the plot between Samantha and Anthony. I recommend this book to any Jane Austen fan who is looking for a wonderful and lovely story to read!
Samantha is revisiting England while her boyfriend is in medical conferences all day. As an American librarian who once attended Oxford it is no wonder she went shopping in a bookstore where she came across an old book of poetry. As she looks at her purchase she finds a letter that had been placed inside a long time ago. After reading the partial letter she starts to believe it was written by Jane Austen herself.
Following the clues in the letter she goes to a house called Grennbriar where she believes Jane may have lost a book she had written. After finally convincing Anthony, the new owner of the house, they start their search and they do discover more proof that the Austen family did in fact visit the house on several occasions. That discovery helps them to continue until they do find an old manuscript called The Stanhopes.
Samantha and Anthony start to read the book together in order figure out if it is a real Jane Austen novel. Samantha is of course excited about the discovery and wants to make sure it becomes available to everyone. Anthony though wants it to be real so that he can sell it to make money.
The Stanhopes manuscript really did sound like something Jane would have written and it was such an engaging story. I loved how the author let us ‘hear’ the story and how well it added to the plot between Samantha and Anthony. I recommend this book to any Jane Austen fan who is looking for a wonderful and lovely story to read!
February 1, 2016
This book is a fantastic read-a real page turner.
Initially, we have the modern story based on the lady who realises there may be a lost Austen manuscript who then enlists the owner of the manor to help her look for it.
However, for me, the story that unfolds in that manuscript is what kept me hooked!! I loved it!! It kept me up late at night, in anticipation of what would happen next.
This love story, within the story was beautifully written and took precedence over the modern version as I really cared about Rebecca,Mr Clifton and her father.
All Austen fans, treat yourself to his book and enjoy.
Initially, we have the modern story based on the lady who realises there may be a lost Austen manuscript who then enlists the owner of the manor to help her look for it.
However, for me, the story that unfolds in that manuscript is what kept me hooked!! I loved it!! It kept me up late at night, in anticipation of what would happen next.
This love story, within the story was beautifully written and took precedence over the modern version as I really cared about Rebecca,Mr Clifton and her father.
All Austen fans, treat yourself to his book and enjoy.
September 19, 2015
15 SEP 2015 - What would you do if you discovered a missing manuscript authored by Jane Austen? I would pee! Anyway, it will be fun to read about Samantha's "discovery."
December 30, 2012
In such days as this, of on-line Jane Austen fan fiction, self-publishing, and perusing the stacks in traditional brick and mortar bookstores, it is incomprehensible to neglect reading the manifold of Jane Austen spin-offs, what-ifs and other such Austen inspired musings. Those of us Austen addicts simply cannot get enough of her—and oftentimes inhale all we can in self-indulgent reading binges… in search of that same rush, that wonderful, satisfying moment we experienced upon discovering her for the first time. We all partake in the lamentation that she left this world but a handful of completed novels. And we all share in the unreserved, unrequited whimsical dream to discover some misplaced work from our dear Jane. However, best-selling authoress, Syrie James has done just that! She has discovered the mythical, missing manuscript in James’ soon to be released novel inside her novel, The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen.
Samantha McDonough, an American librarian and Austen scholar, is on an English holiday with her cardiologist boyfriend. Well actually, he is at a medical conference and she busies herself with sight seeing and visiting the shops. She purchases a 200-year-old poetry book during her wanderings and later discovers a letter tucked inside—that leads her to believe that it is in fact a letter from Jane Austen… “The minute I saw the letter, I knew it was hers. There was no mistaking it: the salutation, the tiny, precise handwriting, the date, the content itself, all confirmed its ancient status and authorship…” And now for the pudding-- in it, this treasure refers to a missing manuscript Austen lost while visiting a country manor in Dorset! “Even at a distance of fourteen years, I cannot help but think of it with a pang of fondness, sorrow and regret, as one would a lost child. Do you recall my theory as to how it came to be lost? I still maintain that it was all vanity, nonsense, and wounded pride. I should never have read it out loud to you that night during our stay but kept it safe with all the others- although we did have a good laugh!”
What Austen addict could resist such a temptation? Hence Samantha, after a phone call to her dear bookseller friend and fellow Austenite, Laurel Ann (yes! our very own Laurel Ann!!) follows the clues to said estate and meets the handsome yet frosty, Anthony Whitaker, Greenbriar’s present day owner. After he realizes the monetary windfall such a discovery could bring him, he thaws and the two embark on a search of the mansion. “ ‘Let me try.’ Anthony wedged himself into the small, confined space beside me, until our faces were inches apart, and his lean muscled arm and the length of his torso were pressed against mine. My heart began pumping loudly in my ears – an effect, I told myself, that had nothing to do with his proximity but was due entirely to the excitement of the search and the anticipation of what we might find.” It is this very cozy scene they discover the 340-page manuscript, a collection of 42 hand-sewn booklets! Lucky girl indeed, on all counts. Almost immediately they commence reading aloud The Stanhopes—the novel about a young woman whose vicar father has fallen quite low under the specter of gambling parish monies. Cast out from all Rebecca Stanhope has ever known, they survive on wits and the charity of family amidst attempts to redeem her father. “Mr. Stanhope was the picture of patience and delight through the many introductions, while Rebecca, although grateful, found more overwhelming than anything. While the gentleman talked over the politics of the day and compared the accounts of the newspapers, the women gossiped about who had said and worn what at which party.” Like Austen’s canon, these Stanhopes are very much like people she would have known (or been,) encountering friendemies, scoundrels, and even a handsome hero. Meanwhile back in her real life, Samantha finds herself in unfamiliar terrain vis-à-vis her attraction to Anthony and what he might actually do with this secret Austen cache.
Ever since I heard the author of The Lost Memoir of Jane Austen, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte, Nocturne,Forbidden as well as a short story in Jane Austen Made Me Do It, had another novel in the works, I have been all anticipation. Syrie James’ luminously weaves an Austen-style plot within a charming contemporary love story. The real genius of this astonishing work is her use of Austen’s “Plan of a Novel,” the authentic notes for a book Jane Austen never wrote (that anyone knows about, of course... says this ever hopeful fan girl.) By using Austen’s notes, Syrie James brought to life a tale that true Austen romantics and proficients (ie. Austen addicts) can only daydream but might pacify that gnawing want for more Austen-- until a real missing manuscript is discovered. As expected, Syrie James’ latest offering, The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen is nothing short of masterful. This is a must buy—and should catapult to the top of your Must Read List for 2013.
Samantha McDonough, an American librarian and Austen scholar, is on an English holiday with her cardiologist boyfriend. Well actually, he is at a medical conference and she busies herself with sight seeing and visiting the shops. She purchases a 200-year-old poetry book during her wanderings and later discovers a letter tucked inside—that leads her to believe that it is in fact a letter from Jane Austen… “The minute I saw the letter, I knew it was hers. There was no mistaking it: the salutation, the tiny, precise handwriting, the date, the content itself, all confirmed its ancient status and authorship…” And now for the pudding-- in it, this treasure refers to a missing manuscript Austen lost while visiting a country manor in Dorset! “Even at a distance of fourteen years, I cannot help but think of it with a pang of fondness, sorrow and regret, as one would a lost child. Do you recall my theory as to how it came to be lost? I still maintain that it was all vanity, nonsense, and wounded pride. I should never have read it out loud to you that night during our stay but kept it safe with all the others- although we did have a good laugh!”
What Austen addict could resist such a temptation? Hence Samantha, after a phone call to her dear bookseller friend and fellow Austenite, Laurel Ann (yes! our very own Laurel Ann!!) follows the clues to said estate and meets the handsome yet frosty, Anthony Whitaker, Greenbriar’s present day owner. After he realizes the monetary windfall such a discovery could bring him, he thaws and the two embark on a search of the mansion. “ ‘Let me try.’ Anthony wedged himself into the small, confined space beside me, until our faces were inches apart, and his lean muscled arm and the length of his torso were pressed against mine. My heart began pumping loudly in my ears – an effect, I told myself, that had nothing to do with his proximity but was due entirely to the excitement of the search and the anticipation of what we might find.” It is this very cozy scene they discover the 340-page manuscript, a collection of 42 hand-sewn booklets! Lucky girl indeed, on all counts. Almost immediately they commence reading aloud The Stanhopes—the novel about a young woman whose vicar father has fallen quite low under the specter of gambling parish monies. Cast out from all Rebecca Stanhope has ever known, they survive on wits and the charity of family amidst attempts to redeem her father. “Mr. Stanhope was the picture of patience and delight through the many introductions, while Rebecca, although grateful, found more overwhelming than anything. While the gentleman talked over the politics of the day and compared the accounts of the newspapers, the women gossiped about who had said and worn what at which party.” Like Austen’s canon, these Stanhopes are very much like people she would have known (or been,) encountering friendemies, scoundrels, and even a handsome hero. Meanwhile back in her real life, Samantha finds herself in unfamiliar terrain vis-à-vis her attraction to Anthony and what he might actually do with this secret Austen cache.
Ever since I heard the author of The Lost Memoir of Jane Austen, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte, Nocturne,Forbidden as well as a short story in Jane Austen Made Me Do It, had another novel in the works, I have been all anticipation. Syrie James’ luminously weaves an Austen-style plot within a charming contemporary love story. The real genius of this astonishing work is her use of Austen’s “Plan of a Novel,” the authentic notes for a book Jane Austen never wrote (that anyone knows about, of course... says this ever hopeful fan girl.) By using Austen’s notes, Syrie James brought to life a tale that true Austen romantics and proficients (ie. Austen addicts) can only daydream but might pacify that gnawing want for more Austen-- until a real missing manuscript is discovered. As expected, Syrie James’ latest offering, The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen is nothing short of masterful. This is a must buy—and should catapult to the top of your Must Read List for 2013.
November 26, 2012
I must admit that with this new novel Syrie James has surpassed herself and moved forward even respect to a successful achievement like The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen. She did a brilliant job both at delivering a well-designed plot echoing Jane Austen’s voice - but modernizing it for a present-day audience - and at enclosing it in an intriguing frame of quest and romance.
Samantha is an American librarian who had to give up her Ph D in English Literature while preparing a dissertation on Jane Austen’s work. She was forced to interrupt her studies in Oxford and go back to home in order to take care of her seriously ill mother.
Now she is on a trip in England with her cardiologist boyfriend, Stephen. Since he is engaged in a medical conference in London, she spends her time alone visiting the places of her happy years at Oxford university and while perusing old little bookshops in search for something interesting, she happens to find an ancient book of poetry containing a letter. The book reveals itself as belonging to Jane Austen and inside it there is one of her missing letters. Even more extraordinary is the fact that in that letter Jane refers to a manuscript she lost in 1802 visiting Greenbriar, the Whitakers’ mansion in the countryside, in Dorset.
Samantha can’t resist, she must look for that place, visit it and discover more. She has just a few days but she can’t renounce her quest. Greenbriar belongs now to Anthony Whitaker, who doesn’t actually welcome her and her research at first. But when they start searching the huge library in the house together, they not only find clues of Jane Austen’s presence there in July 1801 and July 1802 but, well hidden in a secret compartment of one of the cabinets, they discover “The Stanhopes”, Jane’s missing 336-page-long manuscript, split up into 42 booklets. They plunge in a long almost non-stop reading session, both caught in Rebecca and her father’s stories, The Stanhopes.
Rebecca’s world is incredibly Jane Austen’s world. So many of the characters there might well have been written by Austen herself.
The story opens with the unfortunate events in the quiet life of a village vicar, Rev. Stanhope. He gets cast out of his parish, home and livelihood on a charge of gambling away church funds by his rich patron who substitutes him with his own nephew, Mr Philip Clifton.
Rebecca, the reverend’s beautiful and musically gifted daughter cannot believe her father may have done something like that and she despises the young clergyman stealing their home and life. Nevertheless, until her father’s innocence can be proven, father and daughter must embark on an exile during which they must rely on the charity of relatives.
False impressions and false friends, handsome rogues and selfish antagonists make “The Stanhopes” an incredible gripping story and when Anthony and Samantha take breaks while reading , you may find yourself longing for them to re-start as soon as possible!
Anyhow, both story-lines are brilliantly coped with and together they give life to an excellent page-turner . I was equally interested in each one of the tales: present-day Samantha dealing with her feelings, aspirations, loyalties and her fondness for everything Austen and Regency heroine, Rebecca Stanhope with her misadventures through difficult times.
In designing “The Stanhopes”, Syrie James used Austen’s “Plan of a Novel”, the notes for a book Jane never came to write and consequently we never came to read. Syrie James gave those notes a chance to become a real story and I especially appreciated her ability in creating the myriad of amazing Austen-inspired characters and so many exciting twists and turns reminding the best Austen tradition.
Watch out for this novel. If you love this genre, it’ll be one of your favourite reads in 2013!
(check the complete review at My Jane Austen Book Club http://thesecretunderstandingofthehea... )
Samantha is an American librarian who had to give up her Ph D in English Literature while preparing a dissertation on Jane Austen’s work. She was forced to interrupt her studies in Oxford and go back to home in order to take care of her seriously ill mother.
Now she is on a trip in England with her cardiologist boyfriend, Stephen. Since he is engaged in a medical conference in London, she spends her time alone visiting the places of her happy years at Oxford university and while perusing old little bookshops in search for something interesting, she happens to find an ancient book of poetry containing a letter. The book reveals itself as belonging to Jane Austen and inside it there is one of her missing letters. Even more extraordinary is the fact that in that letter Jane refers to a manuscript she lost in 1802 visiting Greenbriar, the Whitakers’ mansion in the countryside, in Dorset.
Samantha can’t resist, she must look for that place, visit it and discover more. She has just a few days but she can’t renounce her quest. Greenbriar belongs now to Anthony Whitaker, who doesn’t actually welcome her and her research at first. But when they start searching the huge library in the house together, they not only find clues of Jane Austen’s presence there in July 1801 and July 1802 but, well hidden in a secret compartment of one of the cabinets, they discover “The Stanhopes”, Jane’s missing 336-page-long manuscript, split up into 42 booklets. They plunge in a long almost non-stop reading session, both caught in Rebecca and her father’s stories, The Stanhopes.
Rebecca’s world is incredibly Jane Austen’s world. So many of the characters there might well have been written by Austen herself.
The story opens with the unfortunate events in the quiet life of a village vicar, Rev. Stanhope. He gets cast out of his parish, home and livelihood on a charge of gambling away church funds by his rich patron who substitutes him with his own nephew, Mr Philip Clifton.
Rebecca, the reverend’s beautiful and musically gifted daughter cannot believe her father may have done something like that and she despises the young clergyman stealing their home and life. Nevertheless, until her father’s innocence can be proven, father and daughter must embark on an exile during which they must rely on the charity of relatives.
False impressions and false friends, handsome rogues and selfish antagonists make “The Stanhopes” an incredible gripping story and when Anthony and Samantha take breaks while reading , you may find yourself longing for them to re-start as soon as possible!
Anyhow, both story-lines are brilliantly coped with and together they give life to an excellent page-turner . I was equally interested in each one of the tales: present-day Samantha dealing with her feelings, aspirations, loyalties and her fondness for everything Austen and Regency heroine, Rebecca Stanhope with her misadventures through difficult times.
In designing “The Stanhopes”, Syrie James used Austen’s “Plan of a Novel”, the notes for a book Jane never came to write and consequently we never came to read. Syrie James gave those notes a chance to become a real story and I especially appreciated her ability in creating the myriad of amazing Austen-inspired characters and so many exciting twists and turns reminding the best Austen tradition.
Watch out for this novel. If you love this genre, it’ll be one of your favourite reads in 2013!
(check the complete review at My Jane Austen Book Club http://thesecretunderstandingofthehea... )
June 10, 2019
En visite dans la région d'Oxford, Samantha déniche un recueil de poésie dans une librairie d'occasion d'où s'échappe une lettre... qui proviendrait de la correspondance de Jane Austen ! Intarissable sur le sujet, Samantha comprend que son écrivain préféré aurait égaré un manuscrit au cours d'un séjour dans le Devon et décide de s'y rendre illico pour rencontrer le propriétaire du manoir.
Sur place, elle tombe sur Anthony Whitaker - très beau et d'une allure athlétique - qui se laisse convaincre pour fouiller la bibliothèque de fond en comble. Leurs efforts seront récompensés. D'où Les Stanhope. Place au roman dans le roman !
Une certaine Rebecca et son père pasteur doivent quitter leur maison avec un scandale aux fesses et se réfugient chez la sœur aînée pour se refaire une santé. Notre demoiselle va également rencontrer deux gentilshommes - l'un qu'elle va détester, l'autre qui va la séduire. Le doute n'est plus permis et notre spécialiste en saute au plafond car ce sont tous les thèmes fétiches de Jane Austen. Cette découverte va révolutionner la communauté des fans.
Pour ma part, j'ai nettement préféré l'histoire dans l'histoire - même si on est loin du style de la femme de lettres - par contre l'intrigue est largement plus captivante que la partie contemporaine. J'ai adoré l'histoire des Stanhope, a contrario Samantha et Anthony sont fades, leurs interludes sonnent creux. Bref. Ça m'a fait le même effet que dans le roman de Lucinda Riley - un retour au présent qui est trop frustrant.
Ceci dit, on sent vraiment tout l'amour et la vénération qu'inspire Jane Austen sur cette lecture donc le résultat ne peut pas être foncièrement mauvais. C'est une petite récréation appréciable et coquette. Plutôt sympa.
Sur place, elle tombe sur Anthony Whitaker - très beau et d'une allure athlétique - qui se laisse convaincre pour fouiller la bibliothèque de fond en comble. Leurs efforts seront récompensés. D'où Les Stanhope. Place au roman dans le roman !
Une certaine Rebecca et son père pasteur doivent quitter leur maison avec un scandale aux fesses et se réfugient chez la sœur aînée pour se refaire une santé. Notre demoiselle va également rencontrer deux gentilshommes - l'un qu'elle va détester, l'autre qui va la séduire. Le doute n'est plus permis et notre spécialiste en saute au plafond car ce sont tous les thèmes fétiches de Jane Austen. Cette découverte va révolutionner la communauté des fans.
Pour ma part, j'ai nettement préféré l'histoire dans l'histoire - même si on est loin du style de la femme de lettres - par contre l'intrigue est largement plus captivante que la partie contemporaine. J'ai adoré l'histoire des Stanhope, a contrario Samantha et Anthony sont fades, leurs interludes sonnent creux. Bref. Ça m'a fait le même effet que dans le roman de Lucinda Riley - un retour au présent qui est trop frustrant.
Ceci dit, on sent vraiment tout l'amour et la vénération qu'inspire Jane Austen sur cette lecture donc le résultat ne peut pas être foncièrement mauvais. C'est une petite récréation appréciable et coquette. Plutôt sympa.
April 29, 2015
So not as good as The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, but still pretty good. James decidedly understands the workings of a Jane Austen novel.
Samantha is living in LA, and working as a college librarian after she abandoned her dissertation to get her PhD in English Lit from Oxford to take care of her sick mother. She is now dating one of her mother's doctors, and when he has a medical conference in London she tags along to check out some of her old stomping grounds. While there she buys an old book of poetry, and hidden within the pages is what appears to be a never before seen letter from Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra. The letter indicates that there is another manuscript of hers that was lost at a place called Greenbriar. Well, the hunt is on. The hunt takes her into the path of a beautiful stranger named Anthony, and for reasons of his own he joins in. That's when things get sticky for Sam.
Obviously they find the manuscript, and read it. I have to say I liked the pretend Jane Austen novel better than the story around it. As I said before James understands the make up Jane Austen novel. All the elements are there, and how it is wound together seems like Jane could have written it herself.
I recommend for those who wish there is another undiscovered Jane Austen novel, this almost fulfills it.
Samantha is living in LA, and working as a college librarian after she abandoned her dissertation to get her PhD in English Lit from Oxford to take care of her sick mother. She is now dating one of her mother's doctors, and when he has a medical conference in London she tags along to check out some of her old stomping grounds. While there she buys an old book of poetry, and hidden within the pages is what appears to be a never before seen letter from Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra. The letter indicates that there is another manuscript of hers that was lost at a place called Greenbriar. Well, the hunt is on. The hunt takes her into the path of a beautiful stranger named Anthony, and for reasons of his own he joins in. That's when things get sticky for Sam.
Obviously they find the manuscript, and read it. I have to say I liked the pretend Jane Austen novel better than the story around it. As I said before James understands the make up Jane Austen novel. All the elements are there, and how it is wound together seems like Jane could have written it herself.
I recommend for those who wish there is another undiscovered Jane Austen novel, this almost fulfills it.
February 1, 2013
Complete reversal of opinion, in the midst of this book. The story of a woman who discovers a letter written by Jane Austen that eventually leads to uncovering a missing manuscript, I started out enjoying the modern portion more, even though I thought it was a bit flat. The "story within a story" didn't sound like authentic Austen, to me, at least linguistically.
As I kept reading, though, the plot of the Austen manuscript discovered in this novel sounded more and more like an Austen plot. And, let's face it, I'm no Austen expert. It might have some modernisms or Americanisms but, in the end, the Regency portion of this novel was a terrific story. I ended up feeling like the modern portion was the less interesting bit. It was too predictable, too pat, too easy for the modern heroine -- discovering a letter and then a manuscript in 2 days and . . . well, I won't spoil what happens in the end, which also lacked obstacles. But, fortunately, the modern story was also the lesser portion of the book so who cares. I really enjoyed this story and definitely recommend it to Austen spin-off fans.
As I kept reading, though, the plot of the Austen manuscript discovered in this novel sounded more and more like an Austen plot. And, let's face it, I'm no Austen expert. It might have some modernisms or Americanisms but, in the end, the Regency portion of this novel was a terrific story. I ended up feeling like the modern portion was the less interesting bit. It was too predictable, too pat, too easy for the modern heroine -- discovering a letter and then a manuscript in 2 days and . . . well, I won't spoil what happens in the end, which also lacked obstacles. But, fortunately, the modern story was also the lesser portion of the book so who cares. I really enjoyed this story and definitely recommend it to Austen spin-off fans.
March 21, 2019
I kind of picked this up on a whim, and I had no idea it was a book-in-a-book. I had quite a lot of fun reading this "lost Jane Austen" book. I could almost believe at times that it was actually written by Austen, the themes and characters felt so familiar. Towards the end, I was getting those happy giddy feelings that I usually get at the end of an Austen novel. I really enjoyed it!
The audiobook was narrated by Justine Eyre and I quite enjoyed it.
The audiobook was narrated by Justine Eyre and I quite enjoyed it.
August 31, 2016
*4.5
Another great book by Syrie James! I think I enjoyed the fictional "lost manuscript" of Jane Austen's more than that of the present story. What I wouldn't give to have another book by Jane!
Another great book by Syrie James! I think I enjoyed the fictional "lost manuscript" of Jane Austen's more than that of the present story. What I wouldn't give to have another book by Jane!
July 6, 2016
Fan fiction for Jane Austen fans. It made you think about what would happen if a lost manuscript by Jane Austen was found. Imagine the bidding war for the rights.
Read
November 3, 2017While on a trip to England with her boyfriend, Samantha McDonough buys a poetry book at a used bookstore in Oxford unaware that it will take her on a life-changing journey and give her the opportunity to live out the dream of many Jane Austen fans. Although forced to abandon the PhD program at Oxford four years before to care for her ailing mother, forcing her to give up on her dream of becoming a college English professor, Samantha understands the importance of the unfinished letter she finds in the back of the book. She is certain that the letter was written over 200 hundred years ago by Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, and it makes mention of a manuscript she lost while on vacation at the Greenbriar estate.
Most Austen fans lament the fact that she only wrote six novels during her short life, so the chance that there might be a seventh novel out there somewhere is something Samantha can’t ignore. She travels to the now run-down Greenbriar and convinces its new owner, the handsome (and British!) Anthony Whitaker to search for the missing manuscript. It’s not long before the precious pages are in their hands, and as they delve into the story, they form a bond that will be tested by the decision Anthony must make: sell the manuscript for several million dollars at auction or sell it for a lesser amount to a museum or university, the latter of which ensures that Austen fans across the globe will have a chance to read the precious manuscript.
In The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, Syrie James succeeds in writing a book-within-a-book that is delightful and captivating from the very first page. I could feel Samantha’s excitement upon discovering the letter and the manuscript, and having once dreamed of being a college English professor myself, I could understand her regret at not finishing her degree. I could understand Anthony’s desire to live out his dream and how selling the manuscript could make that possible, and I could understand how Samantha could be tempted by a sexy British man willing to spend hours with her reading aloud the works of Jane Austen. And their discussions about reading, rare books, and of course, Jane Austen were right up my alley.
Even better than the story in the present day was the fictional seventh Austen novel, The Stanhopes, and readers get to enjoy it with Samantha and Anthony. I absolutely adored this book within the book, the tale of Rebecca Stanhope, whose world is turned upside down when her beloved father is forced to retire as rector when his reputation is ruined, leaving them homeless and penniless and forced to rely on the kindness of relatives. Rebecca clashes with the young man who takes her father’s place as rector, befriends a silly young woman, catches the eye of a dashing doctor, and stands by her father through the worst of times.
James does a brilliant job with the missing manuscript, so much so that I had to remind myself that it wasn’t really Austen. It sounded much like Austen’s earlier writings, her juvenilia, and it was fun to pick out characters who were (for the sake of the book) precursors to those in her published novels. Rebecca was as feisty as Elizabeth Bennet, as devoted to her father as Emma Woodhouse, and as good a person as Fanny Price or Anne Elliot. I loved this part of the book, and when it shifted back to Samantha and Anthony, I honestly couldn’t wait to get back to the Stanhopes and their tale of woe.
The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, based on Austen’s “Plan of a Novel,” is a must read for Austen fans, providing a few hours in which to dream about what it might be like to have a new Austen novel to read. James also gets you thinking about the importance of reading and sharing literature, the lessons learned from reading Austen’s novels, and whether your life is fulfilling or whether you need to find your bliss.
Review posted on Diary of an Eccentric
Most Austen fans lament the fact that she only wrote six novels during her short life, so the chance that there might be a seventh novel out there somewhere is something Samantha can’t ignore. She travels to the now run-down Greenbriar and convinces its new owner, the handsome (and British!) Anthony Whitaker to search for the missing manuscript. It’s not long before the precious pages are in their hands, and as they delve into the story, they form a bond that will be tested by the decision Anthony must make: sell the manuscript for several million dollars at auction or sell it for a lesser amount to a museum or university, the latter of which ensures that Austen fans across the globe will have a chance to read the precious manuscript.
In The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, Syrie James succeeds in writing a book-within-a-book that is delightful and captivating from the very first page. I could feel Samantha’s excitement upon discovering the letter and the manuscript, and having once dreamed of being a college English professor myself, I could understand her regret at not finishing her degree. I could understand Anthony’s desire to live out his dream and how selling the manuscript could make that possible, and I could understand how Samantha could be tempted by a sexy British man willing to spend hours with her reading aloud the works of Jane Austen. And their discussions about reading, rare books, and of course, Jane Austen were right up my alley.
Even better than the story in the present day was the fictional seventh Austen novel, The Stanhopes, and readers get to enjoy it with Samantha and Anthony. I absolutely adored this book within the book, the tale of Rebecca Stanhope, whose world is turned upside down when her beloved father is forced to retire as rector when his reputation is ruined, leaving them homeless and penniless and forced to rely on the kindness of relatives. Rebecca clashes with the young man who takes her father’s place as rector, befriends a silly young woman, catches the eye of a dashing doctor, and stands by her father through the worst of times.
James does a brilliant job with the missing manuscript, so much so that I had to remind myself that it wasn’t really Austen. It sounded much like Austen’s earlier writings, her juvenilia, and it was fun to pick out characters who were (for the sake of the book) precursors to those in her published novels. Rebecca was as feisty as Elizabeth Bennet, as devoted to her father as Emma Woodhouse, and as good a person as Fanny Price or Anne Elliot. I loved this part of the book, and when it shifted back to Samantha and Anthony, I honestly couldn’t wait to get back to the Stanhopes and their tale of woe.
The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, based on Austen’s “Plan of a Novel,” is a must read for Austen fans, providing a few hours in which to dream about what it might be like to have a new Austen novel to read. James also gets you thinking about the importance of reading and sharing literature, the lessons learned from reading Austen’s novels, and whether your life is fulfilling or whether you need to find your bliss.
Review posted on Diary of an Eccentric
March 21, 2016
Voilà voilà je l’annonce, je n’ai jamais lu de Jane Austen.
Mais le résumé de ce livre, une amoureuse de littérature qui se lance dans la quête d’un manuscrit perdu, je ne pouvais qu’aimer !
Sans vraiment connaitre de détails sur notre héroïne je me suis attachée à elle au court de sa quête. Samantha est à la fois à la recherche des feuillets perdu de Jane Austen mais aussi à la recherche d’elle même.
En lisant le résumé je ne m’attendais pas à ce que nous soyons plongés dans le « manuscrit » de Jane Austen, je m’attendais plus à un livre autour de la recherche, de l’expertise... Cependant le mystère de ce brouillon est vite dévoilé, et nous sommes plongés dans les aventures de Rebecca Stanhoppe. Et si cela m’a un peu perturbé au tout début, et bien j’ai adoré. J’ai adoré les parallèles entre les personnages / lieux que rencontre Rebecca et Greenbriar.
Ce livre ( et Samantha ! ) m’a donné envie de me plonger dans l’oeuvre de Jane Austen et de découvrir la plume de cette auteure.
Petite déception sur les dernières pages de ce roman qui n’étaient pas forcément nécessaires.. Dès le début du roman on se doute de cette fin. J’aurai préféré une fin un peu plus évasive :).
Mais le résumé de ce livre, une amoureuse de littérature qui se lance dans la quête d’un manuscrit perdu, je ne pouvais qu’aimer !
Sans vraiment connaitre de détails sur notre héroïne je me suis attachée à elle au court de sa quête. Samantha est à la fois à la recherche des feuillets perdu de Jane Austen mais aussi à la recherche d’elle même.
En lisant le résumé je ne m’attendais pas à ce que nous soyons plongés dans le « manuscrit » de Jane Austen, je m’attendais plus à un livre autour de la recherche, de l’expertise... Cependant le mystère de ce brouillon est vite dévoilé, et nous sommes plongés dans les aventures de Rebecca Stanhoppe. Et si cela m’a un peu perturbé au tout début, et bien j’ai adoré. J’ai adoré les parallèles entre les personnages / lieux que rencontre Rebecca et Greenbriar.
Ce livre ( et Samantha ! ) m’a donné envie de me plonger dans l’oeuvre de Jane Austen et de découvrir la plume de cette auteure.
Petite déception sur les dernières pages de ce roman qui n’étaient pas forcément nécessaires.. Dès le début du roman on se doute de cette fin. J’aurai préféré une fin un peu plus évasive :).
January 30, 2013
The book was a disaster with both stories (modern day and Austen era) and the novel inside a novel premise didn't work for me. For several reasons.
The story inside a story would never have been written by Austen. There was one disaster (or maybe I should say catastrophe) after another to happen to the Rebecca. I cringed throughout the entire book. Not one of Austen's characters except maybe Sense and Sensibility where she got terribly sick and had the disappointment in love. But even then it was at a certain distance that you felt everything would still come out alright. This was nowhere near a story Jane Austen would ever have written.
I believe we want the feelings associated with reading a Jane Austen for the first time that people would cling to anything.
Austen stories uses character traits to move the plot but it felt like she was just throwing the characters into circumstances and let them react to them.
James focus so much on the Rebecca story that the story with Samantha was a shock. I didn't understand her decision or see it coming. There were no reasons in the story that direction.
The story inside a story would never have been written by Austen. There was one disaster (or maybe I should say catastrophe) after another to happen to the Rebecca. I cringed throughout the entire book. Not one of Austen's characters except maybe Sense and Sensibility where she got terribly sick and had the disappointment in love. But even then it was at a certain distance that you felt everything would still come out alright. This was nowhere near a story Jane Austen would ever have written.
I believe we want the feelings associated with reading a Jane Austen for the first time that people would cling to anything.
Austen stories uses character traits to move the plot but it felt like she was just throwing the characters into circumstances and let them react to them.
James focus so much on the Rebecca story that the story with Samantha was a shock. I didn't understand her decision or see it coming. There were no reasons in the story that direction.
December 31, 2013
Reading this book was like opening a gift and peeling away the tissue paper layer by layer - it just kept getting better and better. And in the same way Sam and Anthony couldn't keep from reading booklet after booklet, I kept turning page after page and found each one better than the one before.
"The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen" is a book within a book, time travel from the current day to Jane Austen's early 1800's. Somehow, Syrie James is able to make the reader comfortable in both centuries with a remarkable ease from one to the next and back again. What a delight to discover characters in the manuacript - "The Stanhopes" - who echo Austen's characters from each of her novels. Bits and pieces of personality, of narrative, of setting, all lovingly drawn and remembered. I especially enjoyed the libraries - in Greenbriar and in the rectory (definitely not in Mr. Spangle's home!).
It was a joy to read this book. Thank you, Ms. James - Jane Austen would definitely approve.
"The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen" is a book within a book, time travel from the current day to Jane Austen's early 1800's. Somehow, Syrie James is able to make the reader comfortable in both centuries with a remarkable ease from one to the next and back again. What a delight to discover characters in the manuacript - "The Stanhopes" - who echo Austen's characters from each of her novels. Bits and pieces of personality, of narrative, of setting, all lovingly drawn and remembered. I especially enjoyed the libraries - in Greenbriar and in the rectory (definitely not in Mr. Spangle's home!).
It was a joy to read this book. Thank you, Ms. James - Jane Austen would definitely approve.
September 11, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed the embedded "missing manuscript," which was, while not perfectly Austen in language, was a very good imitation of Austen as to characters, story and its overall feeling. The book slipped a bit for me in the modern parts, which I found a lot less riveting. No real damage there, however, as the modern part was little more than bookends to The Stanhopes. So, all in all, a darned good read!
September 5, 2017
This was a delightful and entertaining read regarding the discovery of a Jane Austen letter, indicating she had a missing manuscript. The hunt for the manuscript takes them on a trail requiring faith, determination, and unknown possibilities. I was compelled to keep turning pages to discover what might happen.
I would recommend this book!
I would recommend this book!
November 6, 2018
The book within-a-book had a more engaging plot and characters than the contemporary story surrounding it, but it wasn’t believable in plot, tone, or style as an Austen manuscript. Aside from a love of Austen and a mildly disdainful view of librarianship, there wasn’t much to the main character, and even less to the other contemporary characters. Meh.
January 24, 2015
I was riveted by this book. Syrie James has a gift and made the missing manuscript, The Stanhopes, sound as if it was written by Jane Austen. A villain who turns out not to be and a smooth talking gentleman who's not so good. And the young lady who finds the manuscript learns about herself.
June 7, 2015
I really only liked the "story within a story" in this book, the faux missing Jane Austen story, which reads as acceptable fan fiction (though hard to connect to at first, which I will touch on later). The actual main character, Samantha, was a bit shallowly drawn and hard to relate to, and her relationship with the two men in the story, and the romance that develops, was so frustrating that I almost skipped all that and just stuck with the Austen story (but I made myself read all of it, nonetheless). I have a lot of problems with the parts of the book that aren't the faux Austen novel--the main character, Sam (Samantha) spends two nights alone in the English countryside with an attractive man, reading aloud together til the wee hours of the morning, making food together, bonding, and then is surprised to find she has feelings for him. First off, how naive is that? And it is such a forced scenario--did they HAVE to read aloud together, taking turns like that?! For real. She could have put some professional or personal boundaries in place. She's a professional researcher and scholar: she could have just read the first set of pages silently, passed it to him, and kept going like that if they really had to read in tandem, if Anthony really didn't trust her alone with the manuscript. In fact, when they take the manuscript to have it authenticated, Dr. Mary Jesse does that--reads the manuscript silently to herself and gives them feedback after. They don't sit around together at all hours, past bedtime, and make a big to-do about reading it together then, but when Sam and Anthony find the manuscript, that's just what they do. And then it is so contrived that they lose track of time, she's just so FAR from the local inn and it's just too dark and UNSAFE to drive back, she HAS to spend the night in his mansion. And then she couldn't possibly not let him cook for her and share meals with him in this intimate setting--she can't bring herself to leave the manuscript for even a moment (apparently) and choose to go into town to eat. They spend every waking moment together, sleep in the same place, read a romance out loud to each other and then: surprise! There are feelings of attraction! How could she help herself?! (Eye roll...).
Plus, the scene of Stephen just showing up to check on her the minute he finds out she's staying with another man shows that their relationship had issues to begin with--he clearly didn't trust her to spend one minute alone with another guy (and although she kind of proves his point), a relationship of 3 years should really have been past that kind of instant jealousy. Sam calls him and tells him she's on the hunt for this Austen manuscript, is staying out of town, explains about staying in the mansion that Anthony owns and says she will keep him apprised, but Stephen can't stand the thought that she's by herself with another man and doesn't believe she could possibly keep herself from falling in love with him. He drops everything and takes a crazy expensive taxi ride out there from London just to have a cliche possessive showdown with the other man and prove Sam is "taken" (including another eyeroll-inducing scene where the men have to fight over who pays a restaurant bill). Yes, that happens.
A relationship based solely on attraction and NOT knowing the other person at all is so anti-Austen and so opposite the faux Austen manuscript story-within-the-story, it stands out even more noticeably in this book, and it's like the other missed her own point about why Austen is so popular and why people love her romance books--going on and on through the character Sam about Austen's character-development and how good she was at romances, and then not doing the same herself is strikingly odd.
The most obnoxious part of the book, though, is the self-congratulation that goes on among the first set of characters (Sam and Anthony, who find the Austen story) about the Austen story itself, which we all KNOW is really written by the author of the book and not Austen herself.
But she has Sam and Anthony say things like "Oh look at that scene, it's SO Austen!" (very obviously complimenting her own work instead) and it's just hard to get past. We all know it's NOT Austen's work, we haven't forgotten for a moment that this pretend lost Austen manuscript is really a newly-written piece by a 21st century author trying to emulate Austen's style, and it's just too much to have her own characters compliment her job on that emulation within the story!
Moreover, she has Anthony effuse about her Austen-esque writing, saying after Sam and Anthony read part of the faux novel, "That is my favorite proposal scene ever!"---come on. First of all, he's a British man: they are the masters of the understatement. A real British guy is never going to be so effusive in his praise. He'd be more likely to say "That was rather good" if he loved it. But to have one of her characters say about a scene she wrote herself that it was essentially the "best ever" is heavy-handed and obnoxious.
There are several other instances of this and I wasn't able to get past their blatant intrusion into the text. It's just too obvious that she's complimenting her own handiwork.
Second of all, speaking of that handiwork: it's NOT that great. It's good Austen fan-fiction. But not the best or most authentically-sounding Austen fan fic I've read. And it's really hard to get into the character of Rebecca, partly because she's so far removed from the reader (a character in a story that's within another story), but also because we really don't get to see things directly from her point of view or hear her thoughts for so very long. Other characters, like Mr. Clifton, are better developed, but Rebecca herself is rather flat and stereotypical as an Austen character. Which brings me to another point:
All the characters feel like caricatures of Austen's other works, rather than original characters in their own right. Some of this seems intentional on the author's part, as this missing manuscript is supposedly a precursor to Jane Austen's other works, an early lost draft as it were, and it supposedly influences her later stories. However, it's hard to tell if the author intentionally makes story mistakes in this vein, because the manuscript is supposed to be a rough draft of a novel, or if the story flaws are true flaws on the part of the author. But the story-within-the-story, the missing manuscript, definitely reads a bit rough-draft in places, and as I said before, because the characters are caricatures of later Austen book characters, they often seem unoriginal. It's a bit hard to criticize, because I know what the author was doing (trying to write a precursor Austen novel), but at the same time it's frustratingly disappointing that all her characters are so recognizable as later Austen figures. You can't view them in their own right, and they become all too predictable, because you know exactly how their real Austen counterparts behave in the real Austen novels. It's a major plot problem, because it renders any suspense null, and also makes it hard for experienced Austen fans to see the characters in their own right (basically, you recognize them and think, "Oh, I know what's going to happen, he's [so-and-so], so he's going to do this. I've seen this before."
However, it was a noble attempt at Austen even though she overuses some period words, and uses other phrases that are very un-Austen at other points. If she had just published the missing Jane Austen manuscript as a standalone novel, I would have enjoyed it SO much more, and been happy to read it without all the extraneous backstory and plot she creates with her other set of characters around it. On its own, I think it would have held up better as an homage to Austen.
But the rest of the story drove me crazy....the cliche irresistible but not-well-founded-or-explained attraction to Anthony, whom Sam doesn't really know at all, *SPOILERS HERE!!!*.....the very convenient and contrived end to her and Stephen's relationship because she wants to go back to school and they couldn't possibly date long-distance (even though long-distance relationships clearly do work in Austen's worlds and are often the backbone of her novels! an odd contrast), the one-dimensional foil character of Laurel Ann, who contributes NOTHING to the plot, so many more things than I want to mention here! Essentially, the rest of the book was exactly the kind of chic-lit I DON'T enjoy reading, and very opposite to what Austen herself wrote, which makes it so odd that it is the story that surrounds the fake Austen story.
I'd have been much more forgiving of any and all mistakes in the "missing manuscript" Austen story if it had been published on its own (for no one can write Austen like Austen, after all), if I hadn't had to wade through the banal fluff that was the rest of the book.
Plus, the scene of Stephen just showing up to check on her the minute he finds out she's staying with another man shows that their relationship had issues to begin with--he clearly didn't trust her to spend one minute alone with another guy (and although she kind of proves his point), a relationship of 3 years should really have been past that kind of instant jealousy. Sam calls him and tells him she's on the hunt for this Austen manuscript, is staying out of town, explains about staying in the mansion that Anthony owns and says she will keep him apprised, but Stephen can't stand the thought that she's by herself with another man and doesn't believe she could possibly keep herself from falling in love with him. He drops everything and takes a crazy expensive taxi ride out there from London just to have a cliche possessive showdown with the other man and prove Sam is "taken" (including another eyeroll-inducing scene where the men have to fight over who pays a restaurant bill). Yes, that happens.
A relationship based solely on attraction and NOT knowing the other person at all is so anti-Austen and so opposite the faux Austen manuscript story-within-the-story, it stands out even more noticeably in this book, and it's like the other missed her own point about why Austen is so popular and why people love her romance books--going on and on through the character Sam about Austen's character-development and how good she was at romances, and then not doing the same herself is strikingly odd.
The most obnoxious part of the book, though, is the self-congratulation that goes on among the first set of characters (Sam and Anthony, who find the Austen story) about the Austen story itself, which we all KNOW is really written by the author of the book and not Austen herself.
But she has Sam and Anthony say things like "Oh look at that scene, it's SO Austen!" (very obviously complimenting her own work instead) and it's just hard to get past. We all know it's NOT Austen's work, we haven't forgotten for a moment that this pretend lost Austen manuscript is really a newly-written piece by a 21st century author trying to emulate Austen's style, and it's just too much to have her own characters compliment her job on that emulation within the story!
Moreover, she has Anthony effuse about her Austen-esque writing, saying after Sam and Anthony read part of the faux novel, "That is my favorite proposal scene ever!"---come on. First of all, he's a British man: they are the masters of the understatement. A real British guy is never going to be so effusive in his praise. He'd be more likely to say "That was rather good" if he loved it. But to have one of her characters say about a scene she wrote herself that it was essentially the "best ever" is heavy-handed and obnoxious.
There are several other instances of this and I wasn't able to get past their blatant intrusion into the text. It's just too obvious that she's complimenting her own handiwork.
Second of all, speaking of that handiwork: it's NOT that great. It's good Austen fan-fiction. But not the best or most authentically-sounding Austen fan fic I've read. And it's really hard to get into the character of Rebecca, partly because she's so far removed from the reader (a character in a story that's within another story), but also because we really don't get to see things directly from her point of view or hear her thoughts for so very long. Other characters, like Mr. Clifton, are better developed, but Rebecca herself is rather flat and stereotypical as an Austen character. Which brings me to another point:
All the characters feel like caricatures of Austen's other works, rather than original characters in their own right. Some of this seems intentional on the author's part, as this missing manuscript is supposedly a precursor to Jane Austen's other works, an early lost draft as it were, and it supposedly influences her later stories. However, it's hard to tell if the author intentionally makes story mistakes in this vein, because the manuscript is supposed to be a rough draft of a novel, or if the story flaws are true flaws on the part of the author. But the story-within-the-story, the missing manuscript, definitely reads a bit rough-draft in places, and as I said before, because the characters are caricatures of later Austen book characters, they often seem unoriginal. It's a bit hard to criticize, because I know what the author was doing (trying to write a precursor Austen novel), but at the same time it's frustratingly disappointing that all her characters are so recognizable as later Austen figures. You can't view them in their own right, and they become all too predictable, because you know exactly how their real Austen counterparts behave in the real Austen novels. It's a major plot problem, because it renders any suspense null, and also makes it hard for experienced Austen fans to see the characters in their own right (basically, you recognize them and think, "Oh, I know what's going to happen, he's [so-and-so], so he's going to do this. I've seen this before."
However, it was a noble attempt at Austen even though she overuses some period words, and uses other phrases that are very un-Austen at other points. If she had just published the missing Jane Austen manuscript as a standalone novel, I would have enjoyed it SO much more, and been happy to read it without all the extraneous backstory and plot she creates with her other set of characters around it. On its own, I think it would have held up better as an homage to Austen.
But the rest of the story drove me crazy....the cliche irresistible but not-well-founded-or-explained attraction to Anthony, whom Sam doesn't really know at all, *SPOILERS HERE!!!*.....the very convenient and contrived end to her and Stephen's relationship because she wants to go back to school and they couldn't possibly date long-distance (even though long-distance relationships clearly do work in Austen's worlds and are often the backbone of her novels! an odd contrast), the one-dimensional foil character of Laurel Ann, who contributes NOTHING to the plot, so many more things than I want to mention here! Essentially, the rest of the book was exactly the kind of chic-lit I DON'T enjoy reading, and very opposite to what Austen herself wrote, which makes it so odd that it is the story that surrounds the fake Austen story.
I'd have been much more forgiving of any and all mistakes in the "missing manuscript" Austen story if it had been published on its own (for no one can write Austen like Austen, after all), if I hadn't had to wade through the banal fluff that was the rest of the book.
December 13, 2012
Une petite merveille que j'ai eu la chance de lire en avant-première !
Syrie James, grande admiratrice de l’oeuvre de Jane Austen, auteur à succès et qui plus est, excellent écrivain, s’est déjà illustrée dans le genre avec The Lost memories of Jane Austen (2008), où elle nous livrait les mémoires imaginaires de la grande romancière anglaise.
Dans cette nouvelle oeuvre, que l’on peut tout à fait lire indépendamment de la première, même si un lien ténu existe entre elles, par le truchement d’un des personnages, celui de la spécialiste universitaire Mary I. Jesse (anagramme de Syrie James) professeur émérite à Oxford, tout fonctionne.
The Missing manuscript of Jane Austen, c’est avant tout l’histoire d’une jeune américaine, Samantha, à la croisée des chemins dans son parcours personnel. En deuil de sa maman, en couple avec un homme auquel elle ne peut pourtant rien reprocher, elle n’est pas heureuse. Elle a besoin de changement, de nouvelles rencontres, d’aventures...
A l’occasion d’un colloque à Londres où elle accompagne son fiancé, elle décide de retourner sur les traces de ses années d’étudiante à Oxford, qu’elle avait dû abandonner pour s’occuper de sa maman durant sa longue maladie.
Ces retrouvailles avec cette vie libre, insouciante, intellectuelle, après tant d’émotions, n’en est que plus émouvante et même euphorisante. S’abandonnant avec délices dans des balades dans les rues d’Oxford, elle tombe au hasard des ses pérégrinations sur l’étal d’un bouquiniste, où très rapidement un petit manuscrit qui ne paye pas de mine l’interpelle.
Et ce qu’elle va y découvrir va littéralement changer sa vie, et représente sans aucun doute, le rêve de toute fan de Jane Austen ! Syrie James nous entraîne avec elle au coeur de sa passion pour cette romancière anglaise avec le récit palpitant de la découverte d’un manuscrit inédit.
Alternant avec habilité l’histoire de Samantha et celle du manuscrit de Jane, dans un récit enchâssé, Syrie James a su marier humour, romance et érudition littéraire. Il faut avoir étudier les oeuvres de Jane Austen en profondeur pour oser imaginer un roman qui aurait pu être écrit par elle.
Sans fausse modestie, sans pudibonderie aucune, le récit imaginaire qu’elle nous offre se lit avec un réel bonheur. Il reprend sans les dénaturer les grandes lignes des romans de Jane Austen, on s’y croirait, d’autant qu’avec délicatesse, Syrie James en fait un écrit de jeunesse, jugée par Jane immature et rédigé surtout pour faire rire sa soeur Cassandra.
Il y a tout dans cet ouvrage : de l’aventure, du suspense, de l’émotion, de la passion, de l’humour et bien entendu, de l’amour, et même "le grand amour " ! Car, comme dans toute bonne romance qui se respecte, "Monsieur Darcy", l’homme idéal, n’est pas loin !
Un régal de lecture, à découvrir sans hésiter !
Syrie James, grande admiratrice de l’oeuvre de Jane Austen, auteur à succès et qui plus est, excellent écrivain, s’est déjà illustrée dans le genre avec The Lost memories of Jane Austen (2008), où elle nous livrait les mémoires imaginaires de la grande romancière anglaise.
Dans cette nouvelle oeuvre, que l’on peut tout à fait lire indépendamment de la première, même si un lien ténu existe entre elles, par le truchement d’un des personnages, celui de la spécialiste universitaire Mary I. Jesse (anagramme de Syrie James) professeur émérite à Oxford, tout fonctionne.
The Missing manuscript of Jane Austen, c’est avant tout l’histoire d’une jeune américaine, Samantha, à la croisée des chemins dans son parcours personnel. En deuil de sa maman, en couple avec un homme auquel elle ne peut pourtant rien reprocher, elle n’est pas heureuse. Elle a besoin de changement, de nouvelles rencontres, d’aventures...
A l’occasion d’un colloque à Londres où elle accompagne son fiancé, elle décide de retourner sur les traces de ses années d’étudiante à Oxford, qu’elle avait dû abandonner pour s’occuper de sa maman durant sa longue maladie.
Ces retrouvailles avec cette vie libre, insouciante, intellectuelle, après tant d’émotions, n’en est que plus émouvante et même euphorisante. S’abandonnant avec délices dans des balades dans les rues d’Oxford, elle tombe au hasard des ses pérégrinations sur l’étal d’un bouquiniste, où très rapidement un petit manuscrit qui ne paye pas de mine l’interpelle.
Et ce qu’elle va y découvrir va littéralement changer sa vie, et représente sans aucun doute, le rêve de toute fan de Jane Austen ! Syrie James nous entraîne avec elle au coeur de sa passion pour cette romancière anglaise avec le récit palpitant de la découverte d’un manuscrit inédit.
Alternant avec habilité l’histoire de Samantha et celle du manuscrit de Jane, dans un récit enchâssé, Syrie James a su marier humour, romance et érudition littéraire. Il faut avoir étudier les oeuvres de Jane Austen en profondeur pour oser imaginer un roman qui aurait pu être écrit par elle.
Sans fausse modestie, sans pudibonderie aucune, le récit imaginaire qu’elle nous offre se lit avec un réel bonheur. Il reprend sans les dénaturer les grandes lignes des romans de Jane Austen, on s’y croirait, d’autant qu’avec délicatesse, Syrie James en fait un écrit de jeunesse, jugée par Jane immature et rédigé surtout pour faire rire sa soeur Cassandra.
Il y a tout dans cet ouvrage : de l’aventure, du suspense, de l’émotion, de la passion, de l’humour et bien entendu, de l’amour, et même "le grand amour " ! Car, comme dans toute bonne romance qui se respecte, "Monsieur Darcy", l’homme idéal, n’est pas loin !
Un régal de lecture, à découvrir sans hésiter !
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