Everyone at Pembrook Park is
playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn't sure where roles end and
reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds
she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr.
Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment?
Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most
lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of
real-life love?
The follow-up to reader
favorite Austenland provides
the same perfectly plotted pleasures, with a feisty new heroine, plenty of
fresh and frightening twists, and the possibility of a romance that might just
go beyond the proper bounds of Austen's world. How could it not turn out right
in the end? (Book image and summary from goodreads.com)
My Summary: What a fun return to Austenland. Shannon Hale has created a great follow-up to
her original novel, and somehow has done it with a completely fresh voice. One
of the things I love about Hale is her talent for adapting her voice for each
novel—this reads completely differently than her other novels. Her voice in Midnight in Austenland pulls the reader into a camaraderie,
inviting her audience into the slightly ridiculous idea of escaping problems in
such an opulent fashion, and acknowledging the silliness (and the desire to do
exactly that!) of such an indulgence. It
made for a refreshingly light read.
Midnight in Austenland
brings back a few of the fringe characters from the original—the prim
proprietress Mrs. Wattlebrook and her lush of a husband, Southern Belle Miss
Charming (I think she’s even funnier this time around), and flamboyant Col.
Andrews—fleshed them out, and woven a whole new story, complete with a murder
mystery! Our new heroine Charlotte
enters Austenland to escape the
heartbreak of a failed marriage and two very frustrated teenage kids. Her “Inner Thoughts” are hilarious, and
wholly relatable, and I found myself wanting to hang out with her. Like the original, Charlotte's two weeks are full of
self-discovery and revelation, and they are juxtaposed with the
pre-Austenland/pre-divorce Charlotte flashbacks. However, this time around, our heroine has to
realize these things in the midst of mystery – trying to figure out new player
Mr. Mallory…is he really Heathcliff and Mr. Darcy combined, or is there
something more sinister afoot? The
mystery wasn’t Agatha Christie-level, but I didn’t pick up the book for that kind of
story! I wanted Austenland, and Hale
delivered!
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
For the sensitive
reader: There are a few discussions
of extramarital affairs, and a few quick sentences that allude to a possible
one-night stand. But it doesn’t get any
racier than a kiss.
Sum it up: I don’t think either of the Austenland books are written for die hard Janeites, but if you (more casually) enjoy Austen’s novels, this really is a fun read.
4 comments:
Great review! I was on the fence whether to read this or not. I wasn't excited about the mystery aspect of it, but Heathcliff/Darcy together in one person sounds too good to pass up.
I was really excited to go back to Austenland - but I was actually disappointed in this book. There were just too many moments where I thought, "Really? That was kind of lame." Glad others are enjoying it though as I love most of Hale's books.
I'm glad someone likes Shannon Hale's adult fiction...because I sure don't!! :)
@Melissa Mc - I don't think I've ever quite forgiven Shannon for The Actor & The Housewife...
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