Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Austenland could almost work. This very readable offering from a hitherto trusted author explores vital issues that need resolution in more lives than the fictional Jane's. I anticipated real resolution. Instead, we got to watch Jane set herself up for yet another unreal relationship, only this time, with a man who's given evidence of profound capacity for real commitment. It is almost tragedy. I'll try to explain without giving too much away. Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy gets the blame for Jane's lengthy history of failed relationships, but the little vignettes about them reveal the real problem -- Jane's overeagerness to fall in love and to idealize her beloved rather than come to really know him and relate to him as a living, breathing, fallible but lovable individual. Prime example is the boyfriend of 5 months that Jane "experiences" without "trading psychological profiles", only to drop him cold when she hears him snort while laughing. That's not a relationship, but a failed fantasy. And yes, she collects creeps, but how could she avoid doing so when she persistently throws herself into a romance without first solidifying a friendship? She doesn't give herself time to discern whether he's a creep or not, or to discover the mixture of quirks and strengths that form the basis for a real, loving relationship. Austenland is supposed to be therapy for Jane's penchant for fantasy. And it almost is, with a few twists and turns through layers of self-deception. At last, the moment of truth comes, Jane discovers that she's been deceived yet again and walks away. (Good for her)! And the potential of a genuine, committed relationship follows her onto the plane. She is astounded. She is disbelieving. She says "you don't know me." He says he thinks he does and he wants a chance at forever. He is seatbelted next to her for a transatlantic flight. A perfect opportunity for the best and lengthiest conversation of her life -- a conversation that could lay the foundation for forever. They don't have it. Instead, she pulls him close and kisses him... for the entire flight, only to continue romancing in her apartment once the plane touches down. Reality has gone on a holiday. We're back in fantasyland, and dreading what's going to happen to this already wounded hero when Jane finally wakes up and discovers that he snorts, or does something else equally irritating. A different ending could have made this a worthwhile read, although it might not overcome the improbabilities of finding a good man in a high-class-almost-brothel like Austenland. I expected better of Hale.