Rating: 
Summary: A delightful audio version
Review: My college age daughter and I just finished listening to the unabridged CD version. It was thoroughly enjoyable to both of us.
The reader finds just the right light, witty tone to approach the material. Each character is voiced clearly. I couldn't decide whether I liked her rendition of Bernadette or Allegra better. Although there are times when you wnat to "turn the page back" to check on something that had already happened, this is one of the best audio books I have listened to in years.
Rating: 
Summary: Jane Austen is writhing in her grave...........
Review: This book is trite and shallow (yes, it takes both to fully encompass its "banalness"). In Austen's books you always saw the humanity of the characters and felt for them...these characters are so underdeveloped you do not care what they say or what happens to them. Any allusions to Austen or parallels to her characters are really stretching it. This is rather on the level of Danielle Steel. FLUFF
Rating:
Summary: Warning to Jane Austen fans
Review: WARNING TO ALL JANE AUSTEN FANS! WARNING TO ALL JANE AUSTEN FANS! DO NOT--I REPEAT--DO NOT BUY THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB. It is a ruse. The author is using the popularity of Jane Austen to sell her book but believe me, she is not a true fan. The author obviously understands rudimentary Jane Austen but she lacks the ability to bring Jane's subtle observations into her inane dialog and 2-dimensional characters. The author makes fun of Jane Austen throughout the book in subtle ways. This is evidenced in one way by a scene in which one of the characters defends the fact that Jane Austen does INDEED HAVE GOOD PLOTS! Of course this author thought she could write a book without a plot--as she "sees Jane Austen doing"--and come out with a best-selling book. I am sad to say that is exactly what has happened, thanks to a "glowing" book review in the New York Times and people loving Jane Austen and being duped. It is not clever or funny or witty in any way. It is slow and plodding and so boring, you wonder why you keep on reading it.
The first few chapters have some promise of linking us to Jane Austen--but that is minimal and then in the following chapters, it peters out to nothing. When I read the author's synopsis of each book discussed by the book club, it was clear to me that the author did not like Jane Austen. "One boring character marries another boring character" is typical of her summaries. This author is duplicitous and would not know good writing if it jumped up and bit her on her butt. Not only does the artistry in her writing suck but her ability to accurately use the English language sucks. She uses the word "effect" when she should have used the word "affect". Minor point--but still--how does someone like this get published and given a good review from the New York Times? AMAZING!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing moves in a straight line
Review: What an understatement. The audio version was difficult to follow. The story line is disjointed. I am a fan of Jane Austen, but I did not enjoy this book.
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