All Roads Lead to Austen by Amy Elizabeth Smith

The Grade: B+

Why I Picked It: Jane Austen plus Latin America

Quick Take: English professor Amy Elizabeth Smith takes a sabbatical to spend the year traveling to six countries in Latin America, holding a book group (in Spanish) to discuss one of Jane Austen’s novels in each country.

Makes Me Want To: Take Spanish classes in Guatemala and go to Buenos Aires, learn more Latin American history, and read Latin American authors.

Favorite quote: Thank god for feisty women, rich or poor. Thank god for anyone who’ll fight for the right to sit down with a good book—and then, the right to sit down with some good friends and that good book (164).

My Thoughts: I read this in a couple of days, mostly while riding on the metro in D.C. during a business trip. It’s an interesting premise, though I would have appreciated a bit more depth from Smith and her book groups. In her preface, she says Azar Nafisi’s Reading Lolita in Tehran, a personal favorite of mine, inspired her to write this book. The discussions she chronicles lack the insight and meat of Nafisi’s work, and the reference increased my expectations. Smith, a self-described feminist, touches upon gender relations in some of her book groups, and I would have liked to have heard more of those discussions. For example, while discussing Pride and Prejudice in Ecuador, one of the participants says, “If you don’t fight for space in your life for art and conversation, so much will pass you by—for anybody, but especially for women, since we’re always taking care of others” (164). Smith noted that her couples in Mexico and women participants in Guatemala have stronger demands on their time, which makes it difficult to read and participate in a book group. I wanted to hear more.

In each country, Smith followed the same basic blueprint: settle in, get recommendations for books written by native authors, buy lots of books, provide a little history of country and chronicle major tourist excursions, hold book discussion. In short, if my Spanish were better, she’s living a dream of mine.

Smith further enhanced my desire to visit Buenos Aires. I’ve heard it called the Paris of Latin America, and I love the Argentine Tango. Buenos Aires is also a literary capital and one of the stereotypes about Argentineans is that they love to read. Clearly, I must visit.

One pet peeve and one delight I have to mention: Smith is fond of writing “I couldn’t help but wonder.” By Mexico (the second country), I was already tired of this phrase and wished she’d had an editor to remove it. I was literally wincing when it appeared again and again. Am I overly sensitive to this? Does anyone else find that wording as annoying as I do?

Each chapter opens with a beautiful illustration. I adored these! Smith references some of the Jane Austen merchandise now available, and I would love to have these drawings as bookplates. See the image for Guatemala below.

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

The Grade: B

Why I Picked It: My adoration of Jane Austen, and the good reviews for this novel

Quick Take: Six years after Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth and Darcy’s familial bliss is disturbed when Elizabeth’s wayward sister Lydia shows up at Pemberley screaming that her husband, Wickham, has been murdered.

My Thoughts: First, this novel is definitely more P.D. James than Jane Austen. That said, if you enjoy a good murder mystery/historical fiction mystery, this is an enjoyable read. Austen created wonderful characters and it’s only natural others seek to employ them in their own tales.

James is a renowned mystery writer, and she’s written a decent yarn. There are suitable twists and turns, villainous rogues and well-intentioned bystanders. I would have done better to read this novel as a mystery novel that happens to feature people with the same names as the beloved characters of one of my favorite books, Pride and Prejudice, than as a further adventure of Darcy and Elizabeth. This my approach to the 1999 film version of Mansfield Park, and viewed from that perspective, a nice period piece.

Jane Austen’s novels are about women, and  their lives. Her novels depict interesting, fully realized women worthy of their own stories. Death Comes to Pemberley is Darcy’s story; Elizabeth is a minor character who fulfills the traditional role of supportive woman to her protagonist husband. I was disappointed. The Lizzie I know and love would not have dutifully waited at Pemberley and functioned primarily as a comfort to Darcy. She had her own thoughts and opinions, and while she may have jumped to conclusions, been prejudiced, her flaws make her human and lovable. My Lizzie has spirit and spunk. James’ Mrs. Darcy is none of these things.

 

The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

The Grade: B-

Why I Picked It: I’d come across the series through Peggy Orenstein’s Cinderella Ate My Daughter recommendations.

Quick Take: Sabrina and Daphne Grimm have bounced around orphanages and foster homes since their parents disappeared two years ago. Now they’ve been taken in by a woman claiming to be their grandmother who also tells them they are descendants of the Brothers Grimm and the fairy tales are actually the case files of their ancestors.

My Thoughts: I didn’t love this book. Even though it came first, it reminded me of Once Upon a Time, which I’ve been watching. I also found it annoying the elder sister Sabrina spent half the book disbelieving the premise, and arguing against it. When readers know something protagonists don’t, it can be difficult to sympathize with the character. I wanted Sabrina to quit whining, accept what I already knew to be true, and get on with the story.

I like that the protagonists are two young women, but was disappointed that the boy characters are chauvinist brats. There’s potential for the series, but stereotyping is stereotyping, regardless of which gender is maligned.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Grade: B

Why I Picked It: The hype, quite honestly.

Quick Take: In a dystopian future, North America is divided into 12 districts ruled by the Capital of Panem. As punishment for a rebellion 70+ years ago, each year a boy and a girl are chosen from each district to compete in the Hunger Games, a battle to the death for the entertainment of the Capital. When her 12-year-old sister is selected, our heroine Katniss Everdeen volunteers to go instead.

My Thoughts: Full disclosure, I spoiled myself for the ending of this book. I’d heard all this talk of The Hunger Games series, and didn’t quite understand the appeal, so I went on wikipedia and did a little skimming. Says my mother “you ruined it for yourself!” Maybe, maybe not.

First, Katniss is kickass. I don’t know how you could spoil yourself from loving her. She’s strong and tough and independent and loyal and smart and rebellious, and she takes care of her family–especially her little sister Prim. Personally, part of the appeal of The Hunger Games is that Katniss is the anti-Bella Swan, without being so dark she goes into Lisbeth Salander territory.

My mother read the books first, and said she could see why they were so appealing, since they are such quick reads. I noticed immediately that Collins wrote in the present tense, instead of the past tense, which increases the immersion factor.

I was reluctant to read the book because I wasn’t sure if I could get past the kids killing kids for entertainment premise. My teenage cousins read the books and loved them. One explained to me that while the world is very dark, the story itself is kind of inspiring. Another friend said no it’s completely dark and depressing but the books are so good you have to read them anyway.

The story isn’t finished, and perhaps I’ll be more in love with the trilogy as a whole. I liked the first book, but I haven’t crossed that threshold into obsession that so many of my friends have. I have some thoughts on the violence, but there are spoilers, so look below the jump.

I do love a heroine who has little interest in romance (so refreshing), doesn’t want to get married or have kids. I like that she’s rebellious without being a poser rebel, that she’s a fighter. and that her I-love-you-so-much-I’ll-die-without-you performance is indeed a performance (take note Bella Swan).

In reading, I also found myself thinking about the Harry Potter Alliance’s Hunger is #notagame efforts surrounding the release of the film. Did Collins do any research to write her descriptions of hunger? Are they accurate? Will these books increase our awareness of food insecurity, or make us more likely to help address those issue? Will Oxfam America or Mercy Corps or local food banks see an uptick in their donations? Probably not, which is too bad. Personally, I’ll be dropping off some canned goods when I pick up book #3 at the library. I’ve already started reading book #2. 

Jane Austen, Feminism and Fiction by Margaret Kirkham

The Grade: A-

Quick Take: Kirkham places Austen and her novels in the context of Enlightenment Feminism and argues for Austen’s feminist credentials.

My Thoughts: I found this searching the library catalogue for The Jane Austen Handbook. From the title alone, I needed to request the book and read it. It’s definitely academic analysis, though not overly dry, and since the subjects are Jane Austen and feminism (with some Mary Wollstonecraft context), I totally dug it.

Enlightenment feminism argues that women haven’t been denied the powers of reason, so they ought to have the same moral status appropriate to rational beings (i.e. men). Austen exemplified this in her novels by giving her heroines brains and hearts, and discerning taste in novels (a frequent criticism of women).

An amusing note: male clergy were responsible for many of the restrictions imposed upon women, hence the male clergy as buffoons in Austen’s novels, like Mr. Elton in Emma and Mr. Collins and Pride and Prejudice.

Kirkham also notes that in the late 1700′s, being an author was itself a feminist act. Rock on, Jane!

There’s more detail in the book about Mary Wollstonecraft and A Vindication of the Rights of Women, which makes me want to reread A Vindication, and the Gordon biography of Wollstonecraft I read, and perhaps find the Tomalin biography Kirkham references.

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter, read by Angela Dawe

The Grade: B+

Quick Take: Kat and her heist society are back and are going after the cursed Cleopatra Emerald. The appropriate cons and hijinks ensue.

Is the Sequel Better: I preferred Heist Society, which I gave an A- 

My Thoughts: It’s been a few months since the events of Heist Society, and Kat is now working as a sort of Robin Hood con artist, stealing items and returning them to their rightful owners. She’s out on her own—her crew and family are in Paraguay (or Uruguay). Because of her new motives, she agrees to steal back the Cleopatra Emerald, a jewel that’s been cursed since Cleopatra and Marc Antony’s suicide with the help of her best friend/love interest, Hale, and her cousin Gabrielle.

The rest of her crew didn’t come into the plot soon enough for me, which is why I preferred Heist Society. I still really enjoy Kat and her adventures, and having finished A Jane Austen Education prior to this, I found parallels—namely the importance of making mistakes and learning from them, and the idea of community and your group of friends being your family—that I enjoyed. Like Buffy, Kat is better and stronger when she has her friends around her. Hopefully Ally Carter will keep that in mind and future adventures will feature the entire team throughout the story.

A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz

The Grade: B+

Quick Take: English Lit grad student William has made a mess of his life. Fortunately he has the wisdom of the Jane Austen’s six novels to set him straight. He chronicles his time reading each novel and the lesson he takes from them.

Makes Me Want To: Rewatch The Jane Austen Book Club (I did!); reread the novels, particularly Pride & Prejudice, Northanger Abbey and Emma; and read more Austen inspired books

My Thoughts: I started skimming this in the library. I thought, “oh, I’ve read Jane Austen, this book is probably better for someone who hasn’t.” But as I flipped through the first chapter, I really wanted to keep reading. Aside from a lull in the Mansfield Park chapter (I’m still not a fan), I eagerly and quickly read it. One of the things I love about timeless books is that as you grow and change, you can read the same book and take something new from it. Additionally, if you read a book for a class, the professor may emphasize certain aspects of the book while a different teacher would play up different elements. For example, while we didn’t get to it, my British Writers professor assigned Northanger Abbey to show the mockery of gothic literature. Deresiewicz read it as a lesson in learning and growing. A Jane Austen Education has given me another perspective from which to read Austen. Herewith are Deresiewicz’s Austen Lessons:

• Emma–Life is in the details, not the grand events. “To pay attention to the ‘minute particulars’ is to notice your life as it passes, before it passes” (31).
• Pride & Prejudice–Growing up means making mistakes, and feeling those mistakes, “for it is never enough to know that you have done wrong: you also have to feel it” (60).
• Northanger Abbey–Ask questions not for the answer, but for the sake of asking questions. Discard certainty and cynicism for “by waking up to the world…she turned her life into an adventure that would never end” (116).
• Mansfield Park—Being entertained is not the same as being happy. In fact, those who are most entertaining may be least likely to make us happy.
• Persuasion—Being happy and feeling good about yourself are not the same things. A true friend wants you to be happy, and will point out your mistakes, even if it doesn’t feel good.
• Sense & Sensibility—Love is about growing up. We should seek to grow into love, not fall in love. “If your lover is already just like you, then neither of you has anywhere to go” (237).

If you are an Austen fan, or are at all intrigued by this brief list, I urge you to read A Jane Austen Education. As noted from Emma, life is in the details, so please immerse yourself in the details of the book. I downgraded from an A- because I didn’t always relate to Deresiewicz, so his approach and his lessons from the novels didn’t always resonate as strongly as I think he intended. It’s still a good read, especially for Austen fans, and it has inspired me to do a further exploration of my own Jane Austen education.