Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined. Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen―or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?
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Jane Hayes is a graphic designer for a NYC lifestyle magazine. Obsessed with all things Jane Austen, and especially Colin Firth's portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the BBC miniseries adaptation, Hayes feels she's been ruined for any real chance at love with REAL men. A conversation one night with her great-aunt Carolyn, where Carolyn, in so many words, tries to convey the idea that living life to the fullest is the truest fantasy life, leaves Jane wondering if she is maybe missing out on something.
Not one to leave the girl wondering forever, when Carolyn passes away she leaves Jane something special in her will: an all expenses paid trip the uber-exclusive, eye-poppingly expensive Austenland, a theme park (of sorts) catering to those who wish to fully immerse themselves in Austen's era.
Upon arrival, Jane is immediately greeted by the park's proprietor, Mrs. Wattlesbrook. There is a bit of a snubbing on Jane right off the bat. Since her trip was pre-paid for, Wattlesbrook underhandedly treats Jane a bit like the child attending an exclusive boarding school on scholarship. Wattlesbrook proves to be a stickler for historical accuracy and loathes deviations from her rules. Still, there are a few modern conveniences allowed in Pembrook Park, the estate that makes up much of the "theme park" {in all honesty, the characters never veer very far from the front door other than strolls around the gardens.... kind of a lame theme park IMO, but moving on... }: flame shaped bulbs in the lamps versus more historically accurate kerosene ... because modern people are clumsy and Regency folk never had to worry about liability insurance on businesses lol ... and indoor plumbing, for the sake of the housekeeping staff.
On her first full day at Pembrook, Jane meets Martin, aka "Theodore" the estate's cute gardener, and at dinner, Mr. Nobley, who serves as the resident quietly salty Mr. Darcy. Jane develops what she thinks is a taboo friendship with Martin, as he provides elements of the 21st century right when she needs it the most. Nobley tries to warn Jane that there might be a side to Martin she should be wary of, but she laughs off his words as just a speech he makes in character. As the story progresses, both men become important to Jane in different ways and she finds herself struggling to make out what is real and what is scripted... leaving her to wonder if this cookie tin lid kind of world is really what she wants after all.
Pembrook Park had done its job -- it allowed her to live through her romantic purgatory. She believed now in earnest that fantasy is not practice for what is real --- fantasy is the opiate of women.
Each chapter in Austenland starts with a profile of one of Jane's "exes" as she thinks of them, though the reader will note that most of these men would hardly qualify as any sort of meaningful relationship in most peoples' book. Even so, the men are presented in chronological order from Jane's earliest experiences in childhood on through, noting what went wrong in each situation that possibly left a little chink in her self-esteem to the point of obsessing over seemingly perfect, chivalrous, Regency era men.
There is quite good humor in this novel, a lighthearted wit which only gets more pronounced as the story progresses. The ending might strike some as a little syrupy sweet, but in this instance, with these particular characters, there was something about it that was just... kinda perfect.
If you've ever seen the reality series Regency House Party, this story very much reminded me of that setup, especially the whole "what is real, what isn't" experience cast members went through on that show. So if you were / are a fan of that program, this is one I would recommend for you.
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