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Reviews
Selected reviews of the novels RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT, and the web series inspired by the novels, SEX AND THE AUSTEN GIRL. (For more reviews, click on the title of the book on the menu bar above):
Historial Novels Review (Rude Awakenings review)
TIMESLIP
RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN
ADDICT
Laurie Viera Rigler, Dutton, 2009, $25.95/
C$32.50, hb, 336pp, 9780525950769
Regency romance intertwines with modern chick lit in this is the highly anticipated sequel to Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. Previously,
modern-day free spirit Courtney Stone awoke into the social confines of the Jane Austen era. Now, Rude Awakenings continues the story, but
with Jane Mansfield, an English country lass from 1813, who inexplicably awakens in 2009 Los Angeles. Jane has no opportunity to ponder how this transfer could have occurred, as she must quickly learn to interact with the people of this technological world. Strange noises, fewer clothes, and living on her own are just a few things Jane must strive to understand. The one thing she finds in common with Courtney is their mutual passion for Jane Austen, and Jane is thrilled to discover that she can watch tiny figures act out the scenes of her favorite stories inside a small container in her new living quarters.
As Jane begins to relish the privacy and
independence, she remains bewildered by
memories that are not her own. Even more
confusing are the attentions of a friend named
Wes. Jane wonders if she can ever truly fit in
and begins to miss home, where at least the rules
were clear.
Flung into the future, Jane learns the
importance of living in the present. Blending
humor, love, and exploration of identity and
destiny, Rude Awakenings is a colorful look at
this genre. The ultimate question is answered:
can a 19th-century girl survive in a morally
confused world? This bubbly take on literary
time travel will appeal to Jane Austen and chick
lit fans alike. It will be interesting to see what
Rigler comes up with next.
--Rebecca Roberts