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Writing Jane Austen
Critically acclaimed and award-winning—but hardly bestselling—author Georgina Jackson can’t get past the first chapter of her second book. When she receives an urgent email from her agent, Georgina is certain it’s bad news. Shockingly, she’s offered a commission to complete a newly discovered manuscript by a major nineteenth-century author. Skeptical at first about her ability to complete the manuscript, Georgina is horrified to know that the author in question is Jane Austen.
Torn between pushing through or fleeing home to America, Georgina relies on the support of her banker-turned-science student roommate, Henry, and his quirky teenage sister, Maud—a serious Janeite. With a sudden financial crisis looming, the only way Georgina can get by is to sign the hugely lucrative contract and finish the book.
Torn between pushing through or fleeing home to America, Georgina relies on the support of her banker-turned-science student roommate, Henry, and his quirky teenage sister, Maud—a serious Janeite. With a sudden financial crisis looming, the only way Georgina can get by is to sign the hugely lucrative contract and finish the book.
298 pages, Paperback
First published March 27, 2010
13 people are currently reading
580 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Aston
53 books229 followersI’m the daughter of two Jane Austen addicts, who decided to call me after a character from one of Jane Austen’s novels. So it’s no wonder that I also became a passionate Jane Austen fan.
Elizabeth Aston is a pen name (it's actually my married name). I first wrote under the name Elizabeth Pewsey, and now Attica Books are reissuing those novels as ebooks under my Aston name.
I've also published several books under my own name Elizabeth Edmondson. They're historicals, but set in the 20th century.
from http://www.elizabeth-aston.com/catego...
Elizabeth Aston is a pen name (it's actually my married name). I first wrote under the name Elizabeth Pewsey, and now Attica Books are reissuing those novels as ebooks under my Aston name.
I've also published several books under my own name Elizabeth Edmondson. They're historicals, but set in the 20th century.
from http://www.elizabeth-aston.com/catego...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
March 21, 2011
Hmm.
I liked that this was not a sequel to an Austen book. That isn't a criticism of the author's other books, which are Austen "sequels" - I haven't read any of her other books - but, as much as I love Austen, people who try to copy her style usually... fail. Badly.
Which brings us to Georgina.
It took her half the book to even get around to trying to read Pride and Prejudice. Half the book. She spends most of the rest of the book moping around and making excuses not to write.
Honestly? I get having trouble motivating oneself to write, but I wish she hadn't been so whiny about it. The sheer amount of Austen coincidences - Austen tour bus! Regency-themed party! Everyone she's ever met has read and loved Austen's books! Her former roommate runs an Austen-themed shop! - is faintly ridiculous.
Basically... I think I would have enjoyed this more if the first half of the book had been cut by - yes - half and Georgina had whined less, which would have given the author more room to play with some of the more interesting characters (Maud, for example).
I liked that this was not a sequel to an Austen book. That isn't a criticism of the author's other books, which are Austen "sequels" - I haven't read any of her other books - but, as much as I love Austen, people who try to copy her style usually... fail. Badly.
Which brings us to Georgina.
It took her half the book to even get around to trying to read Pride and Prejudice. Half the book. She spends most of the rest of the book moping around and making excuses not to write.
Honestly? I get having trouble motivating oneself to write, but I wish she hadn't been so whiny about it. The sheer amount of Austen coincidences - Austen tour bus! Regency-themed party! Everyone she's ever met has read and loved Austen's books! Her former roommate runs an Austen-themed shop! - is faintly ridiculous.
Basically... I think I would have enjoyed this more if the first half of the book had been cut by - yes - half and Georgina had whined less, which would have given the author more room to play with some of the more interesting characters (Maud, for example).
January 8, 2011
This book is just not right. The pacing and plot development are terrible.
We learn pretty much right away that Georgina's supposed to finish a Jane Austen book. She says nononono, even literally running away like a child, until page 140!! Then suddenly she agrees to it. She then spends the next hundred pages NOT writing, whining about how stupid Jane Austen is (and lying about not having read any of it), having writer's block, and panicking. Also having visions of people from that time period--why is the author slapping the reader upside the head with this while the character remains completely oblivious and really rather unsympathetic?
Then, all of a sudden, in one line, "something clicked" and she was ready. What? What kind of character development is that? You don't move a plot forward by just suddenly saying there it is. It has to come from somewhere! Oh, and it's not from those visions, which clearly present interesting story bits.
But she starts writing, she's in a groove, la di da. She hurts herself from typing too much, okay sure. Then she falls in love with someone out of the damn blue (Author, please. It's not hard to drop hints, do some lingering gazing, have unsettling questioning thoughts--just sprinkle it in there). She writes a big chunk of the book, but oh no, it doesn't work.
(This should be the halfway point of the book, not 2/3 or 3/4 to the end.)
From who knows where, she gets a new story. She writes a whole damn book in about a page and a half. But oh no, something else is wrong! Don't worry, everything is resolved in another page and a half, tied up with a cliche little bow.
Seriously??
The main character doesn't grow as a person. She doesn't seem to learn anything about herself or the world. At least she randomly falls in love one day.
The other characters, Henry, Anna and especially Maud, are more thoughtful, interesting and developed characters.
I think there's some fascinating potential in this storyline, and I don't understand why an editor didn't rip it apart and put it together again in a more pleasing way. Especially what with all the talk of Austen's brilliance--the lack in this book stands out even more.
We learn pretty much right away that Georgina's supposed to finish a Jane Austen book. She says nononono, even literally running away like a child, until page 140!! Then suddenly she agrees to it. She then spends the next hundred pages NOT writing, whining about how stupid Jane Austen is (and lying about not having read any of it), having writer's block, and panicking. Also having visions of people from that time period--why is the author slapping the reader upside the head with this while the character remains completely oblivious and really rather unsympathetic?
Then, all of a sudden, in one line, "something clicked" and she was ready. What? What kind of character development is that? You don't move a plot forward by just suddenly saying there it is. It has to come from somewhere! Oh, and it's not from those visions, which clearly present interesting story bits.
But she starts writing, she's in a groove, la di da. She hurts herself from typing too much, okay sure. Then she falls in love with someone out of the damn blue (Author, please. It's not hard to drop hints, do some lingering gazing, have unsettling questioning thoughts--just sprinkle it in there). She writes a big chunk of the book, but oh no, it doesn't work.
(This should be the halfway point of the book, not 2/3 or 3/4 to the end.)
From who knows where, she gets a new story. She writes a whole damn book in about a page and a half. But oh no, something else is wrong! Don't worry, everything is resolved in another page and a half, tied up with a cliche little bow.
Seriously??
The main character doesn't grow as a person. She doesn't seem to learn anything about herself or the world. At least she randomly falls in love one day.
The other characters, Henry, Anna and especially Maud, are more thoughtful, interesting and developed characters.
I think there's some fascinating potential in this storyline, and I don't understand why an editor didn't rip it apart and put it together again in a more pleasing way. Especially what with all the talk of Austen's brilliance--the lack in this book stands out even more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2010
Having loved almost all books written by Elizabeth Aston, I thought that this book would make a nice addition to my Austen bookshelf. However, I was left wanting with this book. It truly had great potential, but it was not realized, unfortunately.
Georgina Jackson, a PhD in late 19th century history, has to be one of the dumbest PhD's in literature! Not only had she not read Jane Austen, she was completely resistant to the fact for more than half of the book. There were many times that I wanted to smack her, tell her to grow up and act like a professional.
Ms. Jackson was given a task of completing a manuscript that was believed to have been written by Jane herself. She was given a very short time line in which to finish, and just barely made it. Along the way, I was sure that the author meant for Georgina to come to some self-discovery, but that fell short as well. The main character, Georgina, needed to be slapped and told to grow up. My favorite character in the book was Maud, and we didn't see enough of her, and I thought she was under-utilized as well. Maud was very sophisticated for a 16 year old, and I was really hoping that she would have stepped in more to help with the book project.
It is my opinion that this book could have focused less on whining and more on character development. I finished the novel, in hopes of seeing how the final project turned out. There were a few points along the way that I would have liked to have read what Georgina had written, but with the little description of Georgina's book, I would not have purchased it even if it were published.
I do hope that Ms. Aston goes back to the style of books that she wrote previously. One thing that I have loved about this author is that she has taken the genre and each book seems to be slightly different than the others in the focus - meaning mystery, human interest, adventure (except for Mr. Darcy's Dream... too short and not enough substance. Could have been better IMHO).
I would not recommend this book, unless you don't mind whining and angst over Jane Austen. I was hoping for more of what JA has given to the world of literature (which could have been better developed). The ending was rushed, but at least it wrapped up the book.
Georgina Jackson, a PhD in late 19th century history, has to be one of the dumbest PhD's in literature! Not only had she not read Jane Austen, she was completely resistant to the fact for more than half of the book. There were many times that I wanted to smack her, tell her to grow up and act like a professional.
Ms. Jackson was given a task of completing a manuscript that was believed to have been written by Jane herself. She was given a very short time line in which to finish, and just barely made it. Along the way, I was sure that the author meant for Georgina to come to some self-discovery, but that fell short as well. The main character, Georgina, needed to be slapped and told to grow up. My favorite character in the book was Maud, and we didn't see enough of her, and I thought she was under-utilized as well. Maud was very sophisticated for a 16 year old, and I was really hoping that she would have stepped in more to help with the book project.
It is my opinion that this book could have focused less on whining and more on character development. I finished the novel, in hopes of seeing how the final project turned out. There were a few points along the way that I would have liked to have read what Georgina had written, but with the little description of Georgina's book, I would not have purchased it even if it were published.
I do hope that Ms. Aston goes back to the style of books that she wrote previously. One thing that I have loved about this author is that she has taken the genre and each book seems to be slightly different than the others in the focus - meaning mystery, human interest, adventure (except for Mr. Darcy's Dream... too short and not enough substance. Could have been better IMHO).
I would not recommend this book, unless you don't mind whining and angst over Jane Austen. I was hoping for more of what JA has given to the world of literature (which could have been better developed). The ending was rushed, but at least it wrapped up the book.
February 17, 2014
If you were an author how would you feel about being asked to complete a previously unknown and newly discovered Jane Austen manuscript? Georgina Jackson - an American academic living in London - is asked to do just that in three months. She has previously had a prize winning literary novel published and has been selected by her fearsome agent, Livia, as the ideal author to complete the book.
But there is one problem that Gina can see straight away - she has never read any of Jane Austen's novels and has no intention of doing so. Her particular historical period is the late nineteenth century and she prefers misery and hardship to romantic comedy. But Gina needs money otherwise she will have to return to America so she signs the contract and then spends longer than she should putting off the unwelcome task. Her landlord - banker turned student, Henry, and his sister Maud who has run away from her boarding school - try to help Gina with all sorts of strategies.
Fans of Jane Austen spin offs will love this book. Those who have yet to read Jane Austen can read it just for the story. Writers can read it for the excellent description of writer's block. Anyone who wants a feel good story with a literary background will also enjoy it. I read it in a day and loved it. The characters are believable and there's the extra interest of spotting people and names from Austen's novels especially when Gina starts thinking she is seeing flashes from the past. I loved the section set in Bath with its examples of fanatical Janeites. I thoroughly recommend this book but most especially to those who have read Elizabeth Aston's previous `Pride and Prejudice' sequels.
But there is one problem that Gina can see straight away - she has never read any of Jane Austen's novels and has no intention of doing so. Her particular historical period is the late nineteenth century and she prefers misery and hardship to romantic comedy. But Gina needs money otherwise she will have to return to America so she signs the contract and then spends longer than she should putting off the unwelcome task. Her landlord - banker turned student, Henry, and his sister Maud who has run away from her boarding school - try to help Gina with all sorts of strategies.
Fans of Jane Austen spin offs will love this book. Those who have yet to read Jane Austen can read it just for the story. Writers can read it for the excellent description of writer's block. Anyone who wants a feel good story with a literary background will also enjoy it. I read it in a day and loved it. The characters are believable and there's the extra interest of spotting people and names from Austen's novels especially when Gina starts thinking she is seeing flashes from the past. I loved the section set in Bath with its examples of fanatical Janeites. I thoroughly recommend this book but most especially to those who have read Elizabeth Aston's previous `Pride and Prejudice' sequels.
June 7, 2010
I’ve been sitting here for the last fifteen minutes trying to find a pretty & poetic way of saying: I didn’t like it. At. ALL.
Aston’s Writing Jane Austen has the potential to be a lovely tribute to the subject and her work, but with undeveloped characters, rushed plotlines and lack of conflict, this story falls flat.
The protagonist herself spends nearly the entire first half of the book whining about how she can’t accomplish the task she’s been given because she’s not familiar with Austen’s work and has no desire to be. After a few pages of her finally reading and falling in love with the books, she spends nearly the entire second half whining about how she can’t recreate Austen’s voice and that she’s suffering from writer’s block. She suffers from no particular conflict. There are no obstacles in her way. She just doesn’t want to do it.
Oy.
The cast of characters surrounding Georgina make the story a bit more interesting and that may be a slight exaggeration. They each have their own problems. Her landlord, Henry, has a cheating girlfriend referenced to, but never confronted. (We actually never meet this character at all.) His little sister has runaway from boarding school because she’s ‘different’…how exactly, we don’t know. Throw in the cook & her sudden romance and you have a bunch of story lines never fully explored.
All in all, this book dragged and dragged until the last fifteen pages, where it seems Aston realized she’d better wrap it up. At this point, everything is tied in a messy little bow. Nothing explained, nothing given.
Aston’s Writing Jane Austen has the potential to be a lovely tribute to the subject and her work, but with undeveloped characters, rushed plotlines and lack of conflict, this story falls flat.
The protagonist herself spends nearly the entire first half of the book whining about how she can’t accomplish the task she’s been given because she’s not familiar with Austen’s work and has no desire to be. After a few pages of her finally reading and falling in love with the books, she spends nearly the entire second half whining about how she can’t recreate Austen’s voice and that she’s suffering from writer’s block. She suffers from no particular conflict. There are no obstacles in her way. She just doesn’t want to do it.
Oy.
The cast of characters surrounding Georgina make the story a bit more interesting and that may be a slight exaggeration. They each have their own problems. Her landlord, Henry, has a cheating girlfriend referenced to, but never confronted. (We actually never meet this character at all.) His little sister has runaway from boarding school because she’s ‘different’…how exactly, we don’t know. Throw in the cook & her sudden romance and you have a bunch of story lines never fully explored.
All in all, this book dragged and dragged until the last fifteen pages, where it seems Aston realized she’d better wrap it up. At this point, everything is tied in a messy little bow. Nothing explained, nothing given.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2015
This is NOT an attempt at a Jane Austen sequel! After a series of books chronicling the continuing saga of the Darcy family, this is a huge departure with a contemporary story about writing.
I had not realized before that there was such a backlash against Austen in the literary community -- but you can understand it with the sheer number of bad rip-offs of characters and plot lines -- and just crazy stuff. With great humor, Aston tackles the whole question of the relevance of Austen in the contemporary world and her standing as a world class writer in the persona of Georgina. Georgina is a critically-acclaimed writer -- an artiste -- who can not sell her books, and finds herself at a crossroads. She is given the opportunity to do something unthinkable and her struggle between conscience and her snobbery is absolutely hilarious! Plus there is her great secret!
Throughout, Aston shows a great understanding of each of the main characters and their relationships and interactions as well as the struggle for artistry in writing.
Ultimately, the moral of the story is that one must stay true to oneself.
It's a great introduction to someone who is too intimidated to read Austen or having flashbacks to an unliked English Lit class.
I had not realized before that there was such a backlash against Austen in the literary community -- but you can understand it with the sheer number of bad rip-offs of characters and plot lines -- and just crazy stuff. With great humor, Aston tackles the whole question of the relevance of Austen in the contemporary world and her standing as a world class writer in the persona of Georgina. Georgina is a critically-acclaimed writer -- an artiste -- who can not sell her books, and finds herself at a crossroads. She is given the opportunity to do something unthinkable and her struggle between conscience and her snobbery is absolutely hilarious! Plus there is her great secret!
Throughout, Aston shows a great understanding of each of the main characters and their relationships and interactions as well as the struggle for artistry in writing.
Ultimately, the moral of the story is that one must stay true to oneself.
It's a great introduction to someone who is too intimidated to read Austen or having flashbacks to an unliked English Lit class.
September 4, 2012
In Writing Jane Austen, the protagonist has a plum, yet quite terrifying, project dropped into her lap: a fragment of a heretofor unknown Jane Austen novel has been discovered, and she has been handpicked to complete the manuscript.
I find myself at a loss as to how to review this book. I almost quit after page seven, finally got interested, then lost interest again, then found something enjoyable... and so on and so forth. The premise is more than faintly unbelievable: the writer of one, less than popular (but scholarly! We're told that over and over again!)novel is chosen to complete what would be considered somewhat of a holy grail of Anglo literature? On the strength of holding a doctorate in history--and that in an era subsequent to that of Austen, no less? Then we're treated to over 200 pages of hemming and hawing, procrastination, insults to Austen and her 'Janeites', yadda-yadda-yadda. The end is pretty ridiculous, too, and where did the pseudo-romance come from? Right out of the blue, and in the last few pages.
This looks like a one star review, right? I wish there was an option to have 1.5 stars, because this book would fit there for a few reasons: first, I did really enjoy the bits where she discusses the writing process (Henry and Maud's breakdown of the structure of a Jane Austen Novel is particularly delightful), and cringed and nodded my way through her expose of the publication and marketing process. It's a soul-stealer, particularly for women. The sly references to Jane Austen's life and connections made me smile more than once (Henry's last name being Lefroy? HAHA!) I've not read any of Aston's other books; the attempts by other authors to copy Jane Austen's style have been nothing less than painfully bad, so I avoid them. I do enjoy Austen's books though. She definitely has a particular style and wit that would be very hard to copy. Perhaps that's why I was left unsatisfied by this book--WHY would anyone less than an Austen scholar, or at the very least a decent writer, be given those pages to complete? I just can't buy it at all, and the unlikeability of the protagonist wasn't likely to change my mind.
I just can't recommend this book at all, except to those souls who will read anything with "Austen" or "Darcy" in the title.
I find myself at a loss as to how to review this book. I almost quit after page seven, finally got interested, then lost interest again, then found something enjoyable... and so on and so forth. The premise is more than faintly unbelievable: the writer of one, less than popular (but scholarly! We're told that over and over again!)novel is chosen to complete what would be considered somewhat of a holy grail of Anglo literature? On the strength of holding a doctorate in history--and that in an era subsequent to that of Austen, no less? Then we're treated to over 200 pages of hemming and hawing, procrastination, insults to Austen and her 'Janeites', yadda-yadda-yadda. The end is pretty ridiculous, too, and where did the pseudo-romance come from? Right out of the blue, and in the last few pages.
This looks like a one star review, right? I wish there was an option to have 1.5 stars, because this book would fit there for a few reasons: first, I did really enjoy the bits where she discusses the writing process (Henry and Maud's breakdown of the structure of a Jane Austen Novel is particularly delightful), and cringed and nodded my way through her expose of the publication and marketing process. It's a soul-stealer, particularly for women. The sly references to Jane Austen's life and connections made me smile more than once (Henry's last name being Lefroy? HAHA!) I've not read any of Aston's other books; the attempts by other authors to copy Jane Austen's style have been nothing less than painfully bad, so I avoid them. I do enjoy Austen's books though. She definitely has a particular style and wit that would be very hard to copy. Perhaps that's why I was left unsatisfied by this book--WHY would anyone less than an Austen scholar, or at the very least a decent writer, be given those pages to complete? I just can't buy it at all, and the unlikeability of the protagonist wasn't likely to change my mind.
I just can't recommend this book at all, except to those souls who will read anything with "Austen" or "Darcy" in the title.
January 23, 2013
This book is terrible. The only reason I even finished it is because I suffer from MustReadWholeThingBecauseItFeelsLikeIShould.
The first 200 pages go like this: A whiny girl gets commissioned to write a book as if she were Jane Austen and says "I can't" a zillion times, using words like "flummoxed" and "gormless" so the reader knows FOR SURE that she's smarter than they are.
The last 100 pages go like this: whiny girl finally reads a Jane Austen novel after vehemently hating Jane Austen for 200 pages, and discovers that she has to "devour" all six Jane Austen books without sleeping - they're that amazing. Still whining, the girl writes a book, sees some ghosts that are never explained, ends up writing a best seller and marries her landlord. The END.
Throughout: The author, Elizabeth Aston (who probably is like, "Yes! My name is ALMOST like 'Austen'!") writes in way that feels condescending and is 100% annoying. She's like, "harhar, I know everything about Jane Austen and the "Regency Era" [which, side note, most people who read this book based on the cover art I'm guessing do not know much or ANYTHING about Austen and the Regency Era] and I'm going to pepper in as many inside jokes about literature and the UK as possible. I'm an ACADEMIC!" Maybe she meant to give the reader a false sense of intelligence? So they read the other thirty books she's written about Mr. Darcy?
Surprise at the end: There's a reading guide! Which answers my above question to myself: No, she clearly wrote the book to give herself a pat on the back, not give the readers a false sense of intelligence after reading the word "gormless". And she wrote it so she could shout to the world that it's HARD to write a novel, ya'll. And Jane Austen rules. And maybe by writing all these novels about Mr. Darcy people will think I'm Jane Austen. I AM Jane Austen!!
Do not read.
The first 200 pages go like this: A whiny girl gets commissioned to write a book as if she were Jane Austen and says "I can't" a zillion times, using words like "flummoxed" and "gormless" so the reader knows FOR SURE that she's smarter than they are.
The last 100 pages go like this: whiny girl finally reads a Jane Austen novel after vehemently hating Jane Austen for 200 pages, and discovers that she has to "devour" all six Jane Austen books without sleeping - they're that amazing. Still whining, the girl writes a book, sees some ghosts that are never explained, ends up writing a best seller and marries her landlord. The END.
Throughout: The author, Elizabeth Aston (who probably is like, "Yes! My name is ALMOST like 'Austen'!") writes in way that feels condescending and is 100% annoying. She's like, "harhar, I know everything about Jane Austen and the "Regency Era" [which, side note, most people who read this book based on the cover art I'm guessing do not know much or ANYTHING about Austen and the Regency Era] and I'm going to pepper in as many inside jokes about literature and the UK as possible. I'm an ACADEMIC!" Maybe she meant to give the reader a false sense of intelligence? So they read the other thirty books she's written about Mr. Darcy?
Surprise at the end: There's a reading guide! Which answers my above question to myself: No, she clearly wrote the book to give herself a pat on the back, not give the readers a false sense of intelligence after reading the word "gormless". And she wrote it so she could shout to the world that it's HARD to write a novel, ya'll. And Jane Austen rules. And maybe by writing all these novels about Mr. Darcy people will think I'm Jane Austen. I AM Jane Austen!!
Do not read.
December 26, 2011
A few of the reviews for this book are immensely harsh, but I wonder if some of those readers actually read the whole book. For example, one complains that they refer to Austen as being a Victorian-era writer. A few characters do so, but those characters are the less educated "villains" of the story. The protagonist, and therefore the author, certain know and state that Austen was of the Regency period.
Here's the thing...the book is a nice little trifle. I never laughed out loud. I never worried about the characters. I was vaguely curious as to how things would turn out and frankly surprised that certain elements were left unexplained. Fairly early in the book, a character contacts the protagonist and schedules a meeting for the following morning. And then it's never mentioned again...that character, plus others, plus the protagonist, later meet for a dinner and no reference was ever made to the missing morning meeting. Secondary characters are worthy of greater examination, but get none; tertiary characters are imbued with potentially meaningful traits...and then nothing happens.
This was not a bad book. It also wasn't much of an Austen-lovers book, though the naming of almost all the characters will likely amuse readers. There's no passion, there's no deep emotion, and nothing to make you care about this book five or ten years from now, but it's a lovely trifle for reading on a rainy day (as I did) or on an airplane. It would be more appreciated by Austen fans, though not likely more beloved. Get it from the library or borrow from a friend, but don't spend your money, honey!
Here's the thing...the book is a nice little trifle. I never laughed out loud. I never worried about the characters. I was vaguely curious as to how things would turn out and frankly surprised that certain elements were left unexplained. Fairly early in the book, a character contacts the protagonist and schedules a meeting for the following morning. And then it's never mentioned again...that character, plus others, plus the protagonist, later meet for a dinner and no reference was ever made to the missing morning meeting. Secondary characters are worthy of greater examination, but get none; tertiary characters are imbued with potentially meaningful traits...and then nothing happens.
This was not a bad book. It also wasn't much of an Austen-lovers book, though the naming of almost all the characters will likely amuse readers. There's no passion, there's no deep emotion, and nothing to make you care about this book five or ten years from now, but it's a lovely trifle for reading on a rainy day (as I did) or on an airplane. It would be more appreciated by Austen fans, though not likely more beloved. Get it from the library or borrow from a friend, but don't spend your money, honey!
September 28, 2018
This novel about an author asked to complete a newly discovered Jane Austen work sounded like it could be fun - and it was at times. However, the balance of navel-gazing to actual writing/Jane Austen/anything but the heroine whining was not favorable throughout the first two-thirds of the book.
Georgina Jackson had a critically acclaimed first novel, but she can't write past chapter 2 of her second. More importantly, her grant is ending and she needs a reason to stay in England. Though she feels vastly unqualified for the job (much is made of her never having read Austen), she ends up contracted to complete a newly discovered work by Jane Austen.
However, instead of reading about Georgina's adventures with Austen, we get page after page of her whining about how she just can't start writing and her avoiding doing what would seem like the obvious thing - reading the works of Jane Austen. There are some fun moments here and there, but mostly all the good stuff gets crammed into the latter part of the book.
Georgina Jackson had a critically acclaimed first novel, but she can't write past chapter 2 of her second. More importantly, her grant is ending and she needs a reason to stay in England. Though she feels vastly unqualified for the job (much is made of her never having read Austen), she ends up contracted to complete a newly discovered work by Jane Austen.
However, instead of reading about Georgina's adventures with Austen, we get page after page of her whining about how she just can't start writing and her avoiding doing what would seem like the obvious thing - reading the works of Jane Austen. There are some fun moments here and there, but mostly all the good stuff gets crammed into the latter part of the book.
August 21, 2011
A 21st-century homage to Jane Austen, or not your mother's traditional Austen sequel
Stepping into the 21st-century, Elizabeth Aston’s new novel Writing Jane Austen offers a completely different vintage of Austen inspired paraliterature than her previous six books based on Pride and Prejudice characters and their families from the early 19th-century. Set in present day London, readers will immediately discover that Austen’s influence of three or four families in a country village, social machinations and romantic entanglements are far removed from this author’s intensions – and our heroine Georgina Jackson is no Lizzy Bennet. One wonders out loud if this change is a good thing. Well, this is definitely not your mother’s traditional Austen sequel. With one eyebrow raised, I am reminded of Mr. Knightley’s comment in Austen’s novel Emma, “surpizes are foolish things”. We shall see if his advice is warranted.
Georgina Jackson is an American writer living in London with one highly acclaimed but not so best-selling book under her belt. Her specialty is grim late Victorian and her second novel is way over deadline. Her high-powered agent Livia Harkness is about to scratch her off her client list when she offers her a literary chance of a life-time to complete a recently discovered unfinished manuscript by Jane Austen. Georgina is not impressed. She does not do early nineteenth-century. She is however, getting nowhere with her present novel, over-drawn at the bank and terrified to be deported back to America with no money and a dead career. With little choice she begrudgingly accepts the job, even though she thinks Austen is only about frivolous romance and has never had a desire to read one of her books.
The pressure is on to complete the novel in three months so she sets off on a research expedition to discover everything she can about Austen in the Bodleian Libray in Oxford. Overhelmed, she heads to Bath to follow in Austen’s footsteps through the beautiful Georgian city. Finding the Jane Austen™ franchise everywhere and seemingly everyone making money off it, Georgina is repulsed and now dislikes Austen and her obsessive fans even more. Next she travels to Lacock, a Regency-era village to experience life as Jane would have known it. There she finds more trinket shops, tour buses and a film shooting of yet another adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Discouraged, Georgina returns to London to her rented room in a terrace house she shares with her landlord Henry Lefroy an unemployed banker, Maude his precocious teenage sister and Anna Bednarska the indefatigable Polish housekeeper. They all know and admire Austen’s works and are ready and willing to coach her through any snags. Still procrastinating and stymied to write a word, Georgina finally opens Pride and Prejudice. Engrossed, she reads all of Austen’s six major novels nonstop for two days. Her life would never be the same.
This fast passed novel is packed full of Austen lore galore, though you do not have to be a Janeite to enjoy all the in-jokes and jabs at the Austen industry. Anyone who has seen the BBC 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice will get half the humor. Janeites will get all of it and laugh and roll their eyes at how Austen fandom is viewed by the uninitiated. Even though this is a new style for Aston, the framework has been around since Helen Fielding introduced us to her angst-ridden and weight obsessive Bridget Jones in 1995. Is this chick-lit you ask? Definitely. Aston’s heroine Georgina Jackson is as ambitious and insecure as her pink covered compatriots but without the main drive to find a man. Instead, Georgina’s objective is to find Austen and learn to write like her. Aston is a master at research and I found her historical references to Austen, her novels and her family quite impressive. By three-quarters into the book I wished the heroine would accept her plight and just get on with writing, but that was the author’s prolonged point. Readers will be entertained by the quirky humor of Georgina’s dilemma, charmed and annoyed by the well-crafted supporting characters and surprised by the eventual outcome. However, if you are expecting a drawing room drama punctuated by romance, Writing Jane Austen is exactly what its title implies.
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
Stepping into the 21st-century, Elizabeth Aston’s new novel Writing Jane Austen offers a completely different vintage of Austen inspired paraliterature than her previous six books based on Pride and Prejudice characters and their families from the early 19th-century. Set in present day London, readers will immediately discover that Austen’s influence of three or four families in a country village, social machinations and romantic entanglements are far removed from this author’s intensions – and our heroine Georgina Jackson is no Lizzy Bennet. One wonders out loud if this change is a good thing. Well, this is definitely not your mother’s traditional Austen sequel. With one eyebrow raised, I am reminded of Mr. Knightley’s comment in Austen’s novel Emma, “surpizes are foolish things”. We shall see if his advice is warranted.
Georgina Jackson is an American writer living in London with one highly acclaimed but not so best-selling book under her belt. Her specialty is grim late Victorian and her second novel is way over deadline. Her high-powered agent Livia Harkness is about to scratch her off her client list when she offers her a literary chance of a life-time to complete a recently discovered unfinished manuscript by Jane Austen. Georgina is not impressed. She does not do early nineteenth-century. She is however, getting nowhere with her present novel, over-drawn at the bank and terrified to be deported back to America with no money and a dead career. With little choice she begrudgingly accepts the job, even though she thinks Austen is only about frivolous romance and has never had a desire to read one of her books.
The pressure is on to complete the novel in three months so she sets off on a research expedition to discover everything she can about Austen in the Bodleian Libray in Oxford. Overhelmed, she heads to Bath to follow in Austen’s footsteps through the beautiful Georgian city. Finding the Jane Austen™ franchise everywhere and seemingly everyone making money off it, Georgina is repulsed and now dislikes Austen and her obsessive fans even more. Next she travels to Lacock, a Regency-era village to experience life as Jane would have known it. There she finds more trinket shops, tour buses and a film shooting of yet another adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Discouraged, Georgina returns to London to her rented room in a terrace house she shares with her landlord Henry Lefroy an unemployed banker, Maude his precocious teenage sister and Anna Bednarska the indefatigable Polish housekeeper. They all know and admire Austen’s works and are ready and willing to coach her through any snags. Still procrastinating and stymied to write a word, Georgina finally opens Pride and Prejudice. Engrossed, she reads all of Austen’s six major novels nonstop for two days. Her life would never be the same.
This fast passed novel is packed full of Austen lore galore, though you do not have to be a Janeite to enjoy all the in-jokes and jabs at the Austen industry. Anyone who has seen the BBC 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice will get half the humor. Janeites will get all of it and laugh and roll their eyes at how Austen fandom is viewed by the uninitiated. Even though this is a new style for Aston, the framework has been around since Helen Fielding introduced us to her angst-ridden and weight obsessive Bridget Jones in 1995. Is this chick-lit you ask? Definitely. Aston’s heroine Georgina Jackson is as ambitious and insecure as her pink covered compatriots but without the main drive to find a man. Instead, Georgina’s objective is to find Austen and learn to write like her. Aston is a master at research and I found her historical references to Austen, her novels and her family quite impressive. By three-quarters into the book I wished the heroine would accept her plight and just get on with writing, but that was the author’s prolonged point. Readers will be entertained by the quirky humor of Georgina’s dilemma, charmed and annoyed by the well-crafted supporting characters and surprised by the eventual outcome. However, if you are expecting a drawing room drama punctuated by romance, Writing Jane Austen is exactly what its title implies.
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
July 20, 2010
I am reading Writing Jane Austen by Elizabeth Aston. I have read five of the six books previously published by Ms. Aston and they are delightful. Those, starting with Mr. Darcy's Daughters, are romances about the relations of Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, starting with their children. Elizabeth and Darcy are not in them except for possibly the last one, Mr. Darcy's Dream, which I have not had a chance to read yet.
WJA is a contemporary comedy about Georgina Jackson, a very serious writer who has published one rather gloomy book set in the late 19th Century. It was a critical success, but it did not sell well. Her agent and publisher demand that she tackle a project that she seems totally unsuited for. The publisher has discovered the first chapter of a previously unknown book Jane Austen started but never finished. He intends to auction this document off for a ton of money but he also wants to bring out a book written in JA's style that starts with the chapter and goes on. He wants this book completed in 12 weeks.
Her agent is unremittingly mercenary. She says Jane Austen "couldn't be better, couldn't be bigger. What a writer, bankable all the way, in print for two hundred years and now a superstar. That my kind of client. Not much sex and violence, of course, with is a pity, but that Andrew Whosit guy will put the sex back in when he does the TV adaptation."
There are many problems with Georgina taking this project on, not the least of which is that she has never read a single word written by Jane Austen and doesn't want to. She thinks JA's books are romantic nonsense and that they are worthless as literature. She believes fascination with JA is "damaging, people harking back to a time when people were seriously oppressed, and pretending it was some kind of golden age." In other words, Georgina is a bit of an intellectual self-righteous snob.
For the first half of the book I wanted to reach into the book and first strangle and then slap Georgina silly. I don't think this is an accident. Ms. Aston wrote her as a procrastinating coward. Unable to admit that she never read JA and can't imagine writing a book in her style, she runs and hides from her agent and publisher, seeking refuge in London, Oxford and Bath. She is constantly harassed by her agent but it is JA she can't hide from. She runs into her everywhere. And I think that there is more to Georgina that her initial cowardice indicates.
****** SPOILER ********
Finally she reads JA and only then realizes how impossible her task is. Her landlord suggests she tell her publisher she can't do it and sue him for mental distress or loss of artistic integrity. His sister agrees and suggests that she, "Be a victim. . . . That's the modern way."
I am having lots of fun reading this book and I can hardly wait to see what happens next.
WJA is a contemporary comedy about Georgina Jackson, a very serious writer who has published one rather gloomy book set in the late 19th Century. It was a critical success, but it did not sell well. Her agent and publisher demand that she tackle a project that she seems totally unsuited for. The publisher has discovered the first chapter of a previously unknown book Jane Austen started but never finished. He intends to auction this document off for a ton of money but he also wants to bring out a book written in JA's style that starts with the chapter and goes on. He wants this book completed in 12 weeks.
Her agent is unremittingly mercenary. She says Jane Austen "couldn't be better, couldn't be bigger. What a writer, bankable all the way, in print for two hundred years and now a superstar. That my kind of client. Not much sex and violence, of course, with is a pity, but that Andrew Whosit guy will put the sex back in when he does the TV adaptation."
There are many problems with Georgina taking this project on, not the least of which is that she has never read a single word written by Jane Austen and doesn't want to. She thinks JA's books are romantic nonsense and that they are worthless as literature. She believes fascination with JA is "damaging, people harking back to a time when people were seriously oppressed, and pretending it was some kind of golden age." In other words, Georgina is a bit of an intellectual self-righteous snob.
For the first half of the book I wanted to reach into the book and first strangle and then slap Georgina silly. I don't think this is an accident. Ms. Aston wrote her as a procrastinating coward. Unable to admit that she never read JA and can't imagine writing a book in her style, she runs and hides from her agent and publisher, seeking refuge in London, Oxford and Bath. She is constantly harassed by her agent but it is JA she can't hide from. She runs into her everywhere. And I think that there is more to Georgina that her initial cowardice indicates.
****** SPOILER ********
Finally she reads JA and only then realizes how impossible her task is. Her landlord suggests she tell her publisher she can't do it and sue him for mental distress or loss of artistic integrity. His sister agrees and suggests that she, "Be a victim. . . . That's the modern way."
I am having lots of fun reading this book and I can hardly wait to see what happens next.
April 12, 2010
Elizabeth Aston has written six novels set within Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy universe. Her latest novel, Writing Jane Austen is set in 21st century Britain and features a young female protagonist who is an award winning and critically acclaimed author named Georgina Jackson. Georgina's debut novel while celebrated in literary circles did not sell very well at all. She is also in a writing slump and cannot get past the first chapter of her second novel. Forty eight different versions of chapter one to be exact.
It is at this point she is presented with the opportunity of a lifetime: to finish a recently discovered uncompleted novel by Jane Austen.
Georgina is horrified because she has never read anything by Jane Austen and has never wanted to. She also is intimidated because she knows that Jane Austen has fervent, rabid fans. How could anyone try and imitate the literary style of Jane Austen? That would be impossible. It certainly could not be done in three months time which is what her shrew/harpy of an agent and her publisher give her.
Georgina hesitates, but a financial crisis forces her to take up this Literary Call to Adventure.
I found the novel to be a light, breezy read that is laugh out loud funny. Georgina's literary agent, Livia Harkness, explodes off the page as someone I would never want to meet in real life.
Aston shows how Jane Austen's works are continuing to have an impact: from academic treatises to themed tours of the city of Bath to trinkets. Almost as if her fans are making a pilgrimage to sacred sites and the venerating of saints' relics.
The story is has a delightfully quirky tone and shows the stresses of pressure put on someone to create magic with the written word.
I think fans of Jane Austen will find many Easter Eggs hidden within the text. I recognized a character insertion of Miss Bates from Emma and feel that there are probably more such delights to be discovered by "Janeites." Those who are not big fans of Austen will also enjoy the novel.
Overall, I recommend this book. This would be a good summer beach read.
It is at this point she is presented with the opportunity of a lifetime: to finish a recently discovered uncompleted novel by Jane Austen.
Georgina is horrified because she has never read anything by Jane Austen and has never wanted to. She also is intimidated because she knows that Jane Austen has fervent, rabid fans. How could anyone try and imitate the literary style of Jane Austen? That would be impossible. It certainly could not be done in three months time which is what her shrew/harpy of an agent and her publisher give her.
Georgina hesitates, but a financial crisis forces her to take up this Literary Call to Adventure.
I found the novel to be a light, breezy read that is laugh out loud funny. Georgina's literary agent, Livia Harkness, explodes off the page as someone I would never want to meet in real life.
Aston shows how Jane Austen's works are continuing to have an impact: from academic treatises to themed tours of the city of Bath to trinkets. Almost as if her fans are making a pilgrimage to sacred sites and the venerating of saints' relics.
The story is has a delightfully quirky tone and shows the stresses of pressure put on someone to create magic with the written word.
I think fans of Jane Austen will find many Easter Eggs hidden within the text. I recognized a character insertion of Miss Bates from Emma and feel that there are probably more such delights to be discovered by "Janeites." Those who are not big fans of Austen will also enjoy the novel.
Overall, I recommend this book. This would be a good summer beach read.
February 4, 2016
Technically, this was an audio book listen, but it was the only thing I was able to accomplish in the past week or so. The narrator was amazing, able to capture the different mannerisms and personalities of so many different characters with different accents. I was really impressed by her.
While I immediately warmed to the narrator, no matter how hard I tried, I could not like the protagonist. Georgina Jackson is an American scholar whose first book received modest critical success and has suddenly found herself roped in to finishing a long-lost novel by Jane Austen by her pushy publisher and agent. The only problem? She’s never read a Jane Austen novel in her life, and she doesn’t intend to. She’s the most awful sort of woman, signing a contract to finish the book, accepting payment for it, and then skirting around, avoiding her agent, and refusing to write anything having to do with Jane Austen, who she sees as a silly, fanciful romance author whose writing skills are much less developed than her own. Approximately half the book consists of Georgina complaining about Austen, until she finally sucks it up and reads them, and the rest of the book consists of her being an unbelievable fan, insisting she is unable to compete with Austen’s brilliance and continuing to refuse to write the book. It’s exhausting.
The premise of the book was intriguing, but the characters were unlikable and the execution wasn't good. It was like the author was trying to tie in a story about personal development with a romance with a mystery with some magical features to it... It was a weird combination and a did not come across well.
The ending also felt really rushed. The story took up 8 audio tapes, and the big conclusion took up half a tape. A lot of questions remained unanswered, and a lot of characters' stories were unfinished.
Altogether, the actress impressed me, but the book did not.
While I immediately warmed to the narrator, no matter how hard I tried, I could not like the protagonist. Georgina Jackson is an American scholar whose first book received modest critical success and has suddenly found herself roped in to finishing a long-lost novel by Jane Austen by her pushy publisher and agent. The only problem? She’s never read a Jane Austen novel in her life, and she doesn’t intend to. She’s the most awful sort of woman, signing a contract to finish the book, accepting payment for it, and then skirting around, avoiding her agent, and refusing to write anything having to do with Jane Austen, who she sees as a silly, fanciful romance author whose writing skills are much less developed than her own. Approximately half the book consists of Georgina complaining about Austen, until she finally sucks it up and reads them, and the rest of the book consists of her being an unbelievable fan, insisting she is unable to compete with Austen’s brilliance and continuing to refuse to write the book. It’s exhausting.
The premise of the book was intriguing, but the characters were unlikable and the execution wasn't good. It was like the author was trying to tie in a story about personal development with a romance with a mystery with some magical features to it... It was a weird combination and a did not come across well.
The ending also felt really rushed. The story took up 8 audio tapes, and the big conclusion took up half a tape. A lot of questions remained unanswered, and a lot of characters' stories were unfinished.
Altogether, the actress impressed me, but the book did not.
August 7, 2012
... I don't know why I do this to myself. I knew from the first chapter that this book was only going to go downhill... But I kept on reading!
This book is full of pointless dialog, and random little plots to keep you distracted. There is supposed to be a romance because at the very end of the book the heroine marries her landlord. But there was NO spark at all between them (I truly mean nothing!). Georgina (the main character) spends the majority of the book whining about not wanting to read Jane Austen...and going on useless little trips to places that Jane Austen visited or lived. Oh... and did I mention that Georgina had these totally random (I mean...really random, had nothing to do with the book random) visions of people from the Regency era! It was so bizarre!
Georgina's agent is a total 'you know what', and seems totally unreal. At the end, there is the lame 'surprise' about the manuscript not being real... sigh... need I go on.
Ah...everything about this book was frustrating. I don't even know how to write a coherent review about it.
This book is full of pointless dialog, and random little plots to keep you distracted. There is supposed to be a romance because at the very end of the book the heroine marries her landlord. But there was NO spark at all between them (I truly mean nothing!). Georgina (the main character) spends the majority of the book whining about not wanting to read Jane Austen...and going on useless little trips to places that Jane Austen visited or lived. Oh... and did I mention that Georgina had these totally random (I mean...really random, had nothing to do with the book random) visions of people from the Regency era! It was so bizarre!
Georgina's agent is a total 'you know what', and seems totally unreal. At the end, there is the lame 'surprise' about the manuscript not being real... sigh... need I go on.
Ah...everything about this book was frustrating. I don't even know how to write a coherent review about it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2011
As a Jane Austen fan and wannabe writer, I wanted to like this book. This is the story of a historian/writer given the chance to finish an uncompleted novel started by Jane Austen. However, this smart and sassy academic hates Jane Austen. She hates her even though she has never read a single of Austen's book nor seen any tv/movie adaptions. She spends the fist 100+ pages bashing Austen, Austen fans and running from an amazing career-making opportunity. The reader cannot help but feel insulted as this nincompoop prattles on and on about the frivolity of Austen's novels and her fans, all the while knowing she's talking out of her ass. As I read, I imagined this American girl living in England, living the life I long to have, and I just wanted to reach into the book and slap her. In conclusion, the book sucked.
March 14, 2024
I snatched this book up at a thrift store when I saw "Jane Austen" in the title. It is a cute premise, but I can't say that I "really liked" it. It was good, readable, but just OK. A lot of it focused on writers--imagination, block, etc.
Some lines that I liked:
. Weren't all novelists, at root, purveyors of convincing fibs?
. What's imagination but a form of derangement?
. I don't care for words ending in ism. Isms are trouble. thoughts, opinions, ideas, all stuffed into a bag, not assessed case by case.
. It's surprising what you can do when the alternative is having no bank account. The best way to get anything done is to know that you starve if you don't do it. It concentrates the mind.
. I can't be bothered with these places (schools) where everybody has an opinion, and everybody's feelings and thoughts have to be taken into consideration. No point in giving your opinions about anything, you're bound to offend someone.
Some lines that I liked:
. Weren't all novelists, at root, purveyors of convincing fibs?
. What's imagination but a form of derangement?
. I don't care for words ending in ism. Isms are trouble. thoughts, opinions, ideas, all stuffed into a bag, not assessed case by case.
. It's surprising what you can do when the alternative is having no bank account. The best way to get anything done is to know that you starve if you don't do it. It concentrates the mind.
. I can't be bothered with these places (schools) where everybody has an opinion, and everybody's feelings and thoughts have to be taken into consideration. No point in giving your opinions about anything, you're bound to offend someone.
October 3, 2017
We GET IT, you don't like Jane Austen, and then when you finally read her, WE GET IT, you're procrastinating. (Why write Jane Austen fanfic if you're going to hate on her for a third of the book??)
I needed some fluff so it was good for me this week. But it was not good.
I needed some fluff so it was good for me this week. But it was not good.
February 26, 2019
It was a fun read. There is a lot of writer torment in it, some of which got a little overdone, but I enjoyed this.
January 18, 2020
Interesting premise, and the story took a few fun twists and turns, but the plot was largely unbelievable and the main character pretty insufferable. Pity. It could have been a lot better.
May 9, 2024
I deducted one point for distracting me when I should have been studying for my philosophy final but awarded it back for making me giddy this morning
June 15, 2010
Georgina Jackson, feeling a mixture of apprehension and dread, makes her way down to her literary agent's office, wondering what it is her agent wants to see her for. It probably has nothing to do with her first novel from two years ago, which received raved reviews from critics but was not a big seller, and most likely isn't about her second book, in which Georgina is unable to write beyond the first chapter. What could her churlish agent want with her?
Georgina soon learns the reason she has been summoned: she has received a commission to complete a recently discovered fragment of novel for a famous author. While this sounds like a fantastic professional opportunity and an answer to Georgina's financial problems, she cannot accept this assignment. Why? Because the famous author she is suppose to imitate and complete the fragment for is none other than Jane Austen!
The novels of Jane Austen and Georgina Jackson are as different as night and day. Georgina writes dark and tragic novels, filled with misfortunes and misery, and Jane Austen writes (in Georgina's opinion) “about young women falling in love and getting husbands.” Or at least that's what she believes she writes, since Georgina has yet to read a Jane Austen novel. Gasp!
Georgina has been given an insurmountable task. Not only does she need to write a believable pastiche of a Jane Austen novel, but she needs to do it in three months time! It would be a substantial challenge for any writer to complete a one hundred and twenty thousand word novel in twelve weeks time. Let alone a writer who needs to spend time reading and researching an author she knows nothing about. Assisting Georgina in this project is her scientist landlord, Henry, his fourteen year old sister, Maud, and their Polish housekeeper, Anna, who all adore Jane Austen and are very knowledgeable on all things Austen. Furthermore, these characters also help Georgina escape her loathsome agent and publisher who are relentlessly harassing and nearly stalking her.
With such a fantastic premise and intriguing plot, I found myself very excited to read Writing Jane Austen. While I enjoyed many parts of this story such as the minor characters, the references to Jane Austen novels and characters, and the jabs at the Austen industry, there were some aspects of this novel I did not enjoy. The first being our heroine, Georgina Jackson. I understand the author wanting to portray Georgina as very anti-Austen and create conflict with her difficulties writing a Jane Austen novel, but I feel she maybe carried it too far. Georgina spent so much time avoiding her work, running from her agent, and procrastinating that I started to find her a little unlikable and immature. Perhaps if Georgina showed some significant maturation or responsibility, readers would feel a little more sympathetic and endeared towards her.
Another aspect of this novel I wasn't too fond of was how some characters and plots seemed a little superfluous and often disregarded later on in the novel. For example, one time when Georgina is hiding from her publisher, she stays at her ex-boyfriends apartment. The author gives a brief background on this ex-boyfriend and his relationship with Georgina but never alludes to his existence again. Another scenario is when Georgina visits a friend in Bath. There is a couple of chapters devoted to this trip, yet it seems a little isolated and does not connect to the main plot very cohesively.
With six lovely Pride and Prejudice sequels already published, Ms. Aston is becoming a well-known and admired Austenesque author. I am delighted that Ms. Aston decided to deviate from Pride and Prejudice sequels and write an Austen-Inspired/Jane Austen Chick-Lit novel. Whatever the genre is, Ms. Aston's novels always illustrate her great love and veneration for Jane Austen and her world. I dearly hope Elizabeth Aston continues to pen more Austenesque novels!
Georgina soon learns the reason she has been summoned: she has received a commission to complete a recently discovered fragment of novel for a famous author. While this sounds like a fantastic professional opportunity and an answer to Georgina's financial problems, she cannot accept this assignment. Why? Because the famous author she is suppose to imitate and complete the fragment for is none other than Jane Austen!
The novels of Jane Austen and Georgina Jackson are as different as night and day. Georgina writes dark and tragic novels, filled with misfortunes and misery, and Jane Austen writes (in Georgina's opinion) “about young women falling in love and getting husbands.” Or at least that's what she believes she writes, since Georgina has yet to read a Jane Austen novel. Gasp!
Georgina has been given an insurmountable task. Not only does she need to write a believable pastiche of a Jane Austen novel, but she needs to do it in three months time! It would be a substantial challenge for any writer to complete a one hundred and twenty thousand word novel in twelve weeks time. Let alone a writer who needs to spend time reading and researching an author she knows nothing about. Assisting Georgina in this project is her scientist landlord, Henry, his fourteen year old sister, Maud, and their Polish housekeeper, Anna, who all adore Jane Austen and are very knowledgeable on all things Austen. Furthermore, these characters also help Georgina escape her loathsome agent and publisher who are relentlessly harassing and nearly stalking her.
With such a fantastic premise and intriguing plot, I found myself very excited to read Writing Jane Austen. While I enjoyed many parts of this story such as the minor characters, the references to Jane Austen novels and characters, and the jabs at the Austen industry, there were some aspects of this novel I did not enjoy. The first being our heroine, Georgina Jackson. I understand the author wanting to portray Georgina as very anti-Austen and create conflict with her difficulties writing a Jane Austen novel, but I feel she maybe carried it too far. Georgina spent so much time avoiding her work, running from her agent, and procrastinating that I started to find her a little unlikable and immature. Perhaps if Georgina showed some significant maturation or responsibility, readers would feel a little more sympathetic and endeared towards her.
Another aspect of this novel I wasn't too fond of was how some characters and plots seemed a little superfluous and often disregarded later on in the novel. For example, one time when Georgina is hiding from her publisher, she stays at her ex-boyfriends apartment. The author gives a brief background on this ex-boyfriend and his relationship with Georgina but never alludes to his existence again. Another scenario is when Georgina visits a friend in Bath. There is a couple of chapters devoted to this trip, yet it seems a little isolated and does not connect to the main plot very cohesively.
With six lovely Pride and Prejudice sequels already published, Ms. Aston is becoming a well-known and admired Austenesque author. I am delighted that Ms. Aston decided to deviate from Pride and Prejudice sequels and write an Austen-Inspired/Jane Austen Chick-Lit novel. Whatever the genre is, Ms. Aston's novels always illustrate her great love and veneration for Jane Austen and her world. I dearly hope Elizabeth Aston continues to pen more Austenesque novels!
January 19, 2011
"Critically acclaimed and award-winning — but hardly bestselling — author Georgina Jackson can’t get past the first chapter of her second book. When she receives an urgent email from her agent, Georgina is certain it’s bad news. Shockingly, she’s offered a commission to complete a newly discovered unfinished manuscript by a major nineteenth-century author. Skeptical at first about her ability to complete the manuscript, Georgina is horrified to learn that the author in question is Jane Austen.
Torn between pushing through or fleeing home to America, Georgina relies on the support of her banker-turned-science-student roommate, Henry, and his quirky teenage sister, Maud — a serious Janeite. With a sudden financial crisis looming, the only way Georgina can get by is to sign the hugely lucrative contract and finish the book." (back cover)
At first reading of the side binding title, I was confused. Aston-Austen ...what? Then I pulled out the audio cover and read the synopsis and then it made sense. I know, it doesn't take much to confuse me! Anyway, it sounded interesting and it started off so. But it just dragged on after that. I kept thinking, okay Georgina don't be such a wuss. Make up your mind, either do it or not. I didn't care for her long drawn out evasive decision process. It gave her a childish character. Not pretty for a rising author. So if it wasn't for the last couple of chapters, I would have rated this a solid 2. Plus, I like her sidekicks, Henry and Maud. They rock! They're the interesting ones and pulled me to the end. Oh, Livia the hard-nosed agent livened up the storyline which was a comedic treat.
If you're a serious Jane Austen fan, I don't think this would render a place next to her original books. This just has her name for clout. Though, it does have tidbits about Jane Austen which you might care to investigate.
***Find this review and more at Jinky is Reading
Torn between pushing through or fleeing home to America, Georgina relies on the support of her banker-turned-science-student roommate, Henry, and his quirky teenage sister, Maud — a serious Janeite. With a sudden financial crisis looming, the only way Georgina can get by is to sign the hugely lucrative contract and finish the book." (back cover)
At first reading of the side binding title, I was confused. Aston-Austen ...what? Then I pulled out the audio cover and read the synopsis and then it made sense. I know, it doesn't take much to confuse me! Anyway, it sounded interesting and it started off so. But it just dragged on after that. I kept thinking, okay Georgina don't be such a wuss. Make up your mind, either do it or not. I didn't care for her long drawn out evasive decision process. It gave her a childish character. Not pretty for a rising author. So if it wasn't for the last couple of chapters, I would have rated this a solid 2. Plus, I like her sidekicks, Henry and Maud. They rock! They're the interesting ones and pulled me to the end. Oh, Livia the hard-nosed agent livened up the storyline which was a comedic treat.
If you're a serious Jane Austen fan, I don't think this would render a place next to her original books. This just has her name for clout. Though, it does have tidbits about Jane Austen which you might care to investigate.
***Find this review and more at Jinky is Reading
July 23, 2019
I was quite on the fence about this book. I liked the main plot. It was cute, it was different and very easy to read.
However, the main character was not very likable. At the beginning all I could think of was "how can a PhD recipient be so dumb?", but then I realized that she was mostly shy and insecure.
Throughout the story I found a few contradictions in her character that caused confusion and didn't mesh with the overall main plot. These contradictions were also present in the subplots and supporting characters that broke the flow of the story.
The story also contained a great many red herrings and suggestions for further plot development that were never mentioned again further along in the story nor explained.
The book also ends very abruptly. I never have been of such an opinion before, but I actually thought the story needed to be longer in order to achieve the full impact of the narrative.
Another first is my mentioning of style and editing mistakes. As I said before, this is a very cute story, but I found myself at least every few chapters treading along the narrative and realizing that the last two paragraphs made absolutely no sense. The same can be said for spelling mistakes. The editing was kept to a minimum, which decreased my enjoyment of reading the story.
I have to say, though, overall, I don't want to give it any less than three stars. Yes, the story still had unrealized potential that an experienced author should have utilized. But then again, I appreciated the simplicity of the story, the ease of writing and the relatively light subject matter addressed.
ElliotScribbles
However, the main character was not very likable. At the beginning all I could think of was "how can a PhD recipient be so dumb?", but then I realized that she was mostly shy and insecure.
Throughout the story I found a few contradictions in her character that caused confusion and didn't mesh with the overall main plot. These contradictions were also present in the subplots and supporting characters that broke the flow of the story.
The story also contained a great many red herrings and suggestions for further plot development that were never mentioned again further along in the story nor explained.
The book also ends very abruptly. I never have been of such an opinion before, but I actually thought the story needed to be longer in order to achieve the full impact of the narrative.
Another first is my mentioning of style and editing mistakes. As I said before, this is a very cute story, but I found myself at least every few chapters treading along the narrative and realizing that the last two paragraphs made absolutely no sense. The same can be said for spelling mistakes. The editing was kept to a minimum, which decreased my enjoyment of reading the story.
I have to say, though, overall, I don't want to give it any less than three stars. Yes, the story still had unrealized potential that an experienced author should have utilized. But then again, I appreciated the simplicity of the story, the ease of writing and the relatively light subject matter addressed.
ElliotScribbles
May 4, 2010
Ok so the premise of this book was a good idea. Georgiana has been selected by her publisher to finish writing a novel recently found that was started by Jane Austen. She is so overwhelmed and thinks she isn't up to the challenge. I did not finish this book. Because I read half of it and she was still fighting her publisher and friends about even starting this book. That part of the plot was so drawn out that it killed it for me. At this point I don't care if she writes it or not!
The whole idea of how she went about writing in Austen's voice and how the plot of the fictional novel is developed, is what attracted me to this book. But it was so hard to get through because Georgiana spent the whole time avoiding everybody and not writing the book!! So if you read it, let me know if she does end up writing it, because she became so unlikeable in her avoidance of responsibility that I could not take any longer.
The whole idea of how she went about writing in Austen's voice and how the plot of the fictional novel is developed, is what attracted me to this book. But it was so hard to get through because Georgiana spent the whole time avoiding everybody and not writing the book!! So if you read it, let me know if she does end up writing it, because she became so unlikeable in her avoidance of responsibility that I could not take any longer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2010
I haven't read any of Aston's other novels, picked this up on a whim. In this book Aston describes, unfavorably, the movement to create sequels of Austen's novels. She was foreshadowing the feelings of her own books I bet. Unfortunately a lot of the book was about Georgina, the main character, being simply unreasonable and insufferable. I kept wanting the storyline to go somewhere else, anywhere else. I should have known this wasn't the case, with two chapters left there were many issues unresolved and undeveloped– all of them cleared up in all of three paragraphs at the end. Meh. I have no desire to read her other Jane Austen inspired stories.
May 26, 2015
A humorous novel about an author who tries to write a Jane Austen Knockoff novel, written by an author who's written several Jane Austen Knockoff novels. For an enjoyable and witty read, this is well worth the time. I've read a number of JA Sequels,but I haven't read Aston's Jane Austen novels, and am curious to know if they're as funny as this one. A lot of the humor comes from Janeite Mania, which the protagonist distains, and the horrors of the publishing world. One question I'd love to ask Aston is "How much of this is autobiographical?"
January 2, 2013
This would have been so much better if they had cut out a portion of the middle. The author drew out the middle portion where she hems and haws about writing the book for way too long. And then when she finally got down to writing it, there didn't seem to be anything that got her to that point. It was the same with the romance. Nothing led up to it, it just was. And there was too much pretentious language. Sorry, but the British don't talk that way any more than we do in the US.
July 8, 2018
My mom bought this book out of the $2 bin at Indigo and gave it to me as a fun read. It was surprisingly entertaining and very well written.
As a Janeite, I can't imagine a published author or well-read person who has never, ever read anything by Jane Austen.
The real gem of the novel is Maud. Rebellious, insecure, mature and yet so young. So well meaning but so foolish. What a treasure.
A highly enjoyable read!
As a Janeite, I can't imagine a published author or well-read person who has never, ever read anything by Jane Austen.
The real gem of the novel is Maud. Rebellious, insecure, mature and yet so young. So well meaning but so foolish. What a treasure.
A highly enjoyable read!
September 18, 2012
just awful...the characters were not in the least bit compelling and the plot had a ridiculous amount of holes. I get that she was trying to create a modern Jane Austen novel around the plot of her actually attempting to write a Jane Austen novel. It was just a mess. The only good thing about having read this book is now I can't wait to go & reread a real Jane Austen novel.
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