jane austen wannabe...crikey!!!!!

Bought a new book yesterday; " Me and Mr.Darcy". The title and the blurb were quite attractive plus since the first time I watched the-dashing Mr.Darcy played by Colin Firth, I was smitten by his charming demeanor. But this book is rather a disappointment. I felt like I was reading a lame adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. The here and there quotations from the original novel were really disturbing and to certain a extend, annoyed me a lot. If you're thinking of buying this book, I hope the comments from another readers below could change your mind. Please save your $35 for anything else or perhaps other book- A Sophie Kinsella's would do...


-nothing compared to this one-

he very worst ,

July 31, 2007

By	Machinist (Fresno CA)

I read all the Austen prequels, sequels, variations, and based-upons that I come across. I read those set in the past, the present, and even one really odd one set in the future. I know going in that some will be good and some not so good, but even the not so good are generally at least mildly entertaining. Not this one. This is, hands down, the worst. The writing is poor, the plotting is non-existent, and the characters unlikeable and unbelievable. The lead female thinks that the unkempt and pot-bellied "hero" is arrogant and crass. He thinks she is unattractive and b itchy. I think they are both right.

The author spends 3 pages detailing how well the lead female character can "hold her water" midstream as she tries to listen to the lead male talk about her while she is in the restroom. Seriously. The lead female is supposed to be an educated woman approaching 30. She talks like a particularly obnoxious and ignorant teenager. And her totally classless behavior, especially on a picnic with Darcy, was actually painful. And Darcy!! OMG, the author has managed to take one of the most romantic characters in literature and absolutely ruin him. She manages to turn him into a huge bore and a craven jerk! He bears no resemblance whatsoever to Elizabeth's Mr Darcy. My sympathy to the poor trees that were needlessly sacrificed for this waste of paper.


Jane would be aghast!,

July 21, 2007

By	M. Beth Thomas (Central Texas)

Though I believe Jane Austen would be flattered and gracious about receiving such tribute from authors of modern day literature, I also believe she would be quite shocked and embarrassed at just how crass this particular work is. I would even go so far as saying she might call it 'vulgar'. Though it's mild by modern standards I still feel it was unnecessarily excessive in it's harsh language, drinking, bars and 'sassy woman with attitude' injections. It was almost forcing itself to be more 'hip' than those 'old days'. The main character is hardly even a Jane Austen fan. She's simply lusting over a guy in a book who has a sexy lake scene. She doesn't care about the history and the subtleties that Austen used to create amazing characters and why and what they were depicting -- just sexy, brooding Darcy, but not even Mr. Darcy for that matter.

The depiction of Mr. Darcy is merely some strange hunk of a man who is fascinated with the main character, follows her from town to town just to throw pebbles at her window (I can't really picture Darcy doing that), listen to her foul-mouthed, drunken ramblings and eventually bore her. He just stands by giving her only quizzical looks as she cusses and rants but then finally shows disapproval when she mentions she has a job?? And, this is so modern-day, political correctness. From this point Mr. Darcy becomes some tiresome male-chauvinist and from there on out we resign ourselves that the obvious love interest is a beer-bellied, foul-mouthed compadre of a reporter who is as uninteresting as the female lead.

I didn't read this book expecting great literature. I didn't read the book because I thought it would be a modern-day Pride and Prejudice. I didn't expect it to be written in Jane Austen style or be filled with butterflies and bumblebees, but I did hope it would be in the spirit and heart of how Jane saw the world through a modern (yet gentle) way. Elizabeth Bennett was intelligent and admirable, earning our affection for her character -- the lead in this story is silly, self-absorbed and crude, one could care less about her "I can't find a good man because I want a Mr. Darcy look-a-like" self-pity trip. And, did the author have to put a reference to every pop-culture icon there is known to man throughout the book!!?? What does American Idol have to do with Mr. Darcy?? Also, you can tell she's British (which is wonderful - nothing at all against that). However, although the main character is impressed with herself when she uses British terms instead of American, she still keeps referring to the tour bus as a 'coach', and also responds in conversation with the word "rubbish" without notice. I don't know too many young American women who go around saying "rubbish". This is trivial I know, but it bugged me -- sorry. This book is a light and crass read. It might be good for early 20-something, party-goers who want a tiny touch of romance(except when they find out that the main character doesn't like to party, but her friend does) -- other than that it's not worth the expense. If it's a tribute then it's an angry one.

The author almost seems mad at Austen for creating some guy who looks good in wet clothing. I think it belittles the detailed and complicated structures Austen had created with both Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth's characters. How can a true Austen fan separate those two? Darcy without Elizabeth? They are inseparable in my mind. One positive thing in the book was the description of the places the main character visits. Possibly the closest I'll get to seeing them myself. That was nice to have.

CRIKEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!