A ver, le pongo dos estrellas porque, no sé. No me ha gustado ni me ha disgustado. Ha sido... No sé cómo describirlo. ¿MEH?



Las historias de cada protagonista hasta llegar al momento de la historia presente me han gustado bastante y me han resultado interesantes, pero la historia "presente" es una soberana mierda, hablando mal y pronto. Son seis personas que forman un club de lectura de Jane Austen y es lo que menos peso tiene en la trama, sólo para comentar si les gusta la prota o si se casarían con tal o cual personaje. Yo creo que si se hubiese llamado "The Dickens Book Club" o "The J.K. Rowling Book Club" habría tenido el mismo efecto en la historia: ninguno.

He leído por ahí que ésta no es la primera novela de la autora. No quiero ni imaginarme lo mal hiladas que tienen que estar sus primeras novelas después de haber leído ésta.

Creo que la película tiene un guión más elaborado (aunque de repente casi todos los personajes sean más jóvenes que en el libro y algunos cambien hasta de orígenes latinos), y le da un cierre más digno a la historia (sobre todo a la historia de Prudie y a la de Allegra).

En fin, que meh.

Readers usually don't like the films being made after the literary adaptions. Well, in this case-and I never thought I'd say it- the movie was so much better than the book. As I got into the second part of the plot, the author seemed to have lost all ideas where to go with the story line, the characters etc. And to top it all, at the end of the book, after the epilogue, the reader gets a short summary of each of the six Austen novels, plus questions for the discussion. A different approach to be sure, but an approach I strongly dislike. If it were not for the movie, my rating would be even lower than it actually is...

The first and only thing you should know before reading this book - Read all of Jane Austen's novels !

I haven't read 3 of her books yet, so reading this book was only half the fun for me.

The book does celebrate reading, so it leaves you feeling warm inside. Also, it made me want to join a book club !

I really didn't get into the book. In fact, by about the middle of the book, I felt that the only reason "Jane Austen" shows up in the title--or the book--at all, was because the author knew people like Jane Austen, therefore will buy the book. The book really could've been about any author--Dickens, the Brontes, Hemmingway, Fitzgerald--with the same results. The ties to the Austen books, in my opinion, are tenuous at best. If the title and the book club were not tied to Jane Austen, the references to the books would be a bit more subtle, and I'd consider the book as having more genius, but as it stands, it just seemed like a cheap attempt to get Austen into the book. I adore Jane Austen as much as the next "Janeite", but this felt cheap to me.

Beyond that, I always felt like the author created her characters, and was trying to keep them from us, much the way Jocelyn tried to keep details of who Grigg was from the others when the book club was formed. Most authors are proud parents of their characters, and want us to know everything about them. To me, Fowler came off as a selfish friend, who doesn't really want to share her friends with others; the only reason she's sharing them here is because she'll be the center of attention for a bit. Sadly, the characters I felt closest to were minor ones--Dean, Daniel, and Grigg's sisters.

The writing style wasn't bad, and I'd consider reading other books by Fowler, but I was disappointed in this particular book.

n  BLURBn
The Extraordinary New York Times Bestseller
In California's central valley, five women and one man join to discuss Jane Austen's novels. Over the six months they get together, marriages are tested, affairs begin, unsuitable arrangements become suitable, and love happens. With her eye for the frailties of human behavior and her ear for the absurdities of social intercourse, Karen Joy Fowler has never been wittier nor her characters more appealing. The result is a delicious dissection of modern relationships.

Dedicated Austenites will delight in unearthing the echoes of Austen that run through the novel, but most readers will simply enjoy the vision and voice that, despite two centuries of separation, unite two great writers of brilliant social comedy.


COMMENTS
This was a good read. The author brought Jane Austen into the lives of five women and one man. The lives of Jane Austen's characters and plots are woven into the lives of these 6 members of the Jane Austen Book Club. It brings a new perception of Jane Austen to the reader, but also cause a renaissance of love and commitment into the 6 members' lives.

I found the overall plot a bit messy, terribly confusing at times. Yet I enjoyed the author's excellent wordsmithery. She is a true artist in her craft and I will certainly make time to read more of her books. The detail is amazing. It's a good as well as bad thing, since it enhances the reading experience, while causing an avalanche of word-dumping here and there. It was, however, a wonderful, enriching experience. My next read is her book We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.

PS. The author added comprehensive notes on the life and work of Jane Austen at the end if the book. Reading them, particularly first timers, will make dedicated Austenites out of anyone. It certainly inspired me to reread all her books for the umpteenth time! :-)

I think it is an absolute shame that Jane Austen's name is associated with this book. This book was boring!! What was the point? I remember when this book came out I thought about reading it but figured I probably would not like it. I was right and now only wish I had kept that in mind when I picked this book up at the library. If I was not in need of something to occupy my time while I was nursing my baby I never would have read past the first chapter.

“I think we should be all women,” Bernadette suggested next. “The dynamic changes with men. They pontificate rather than communicate. They talk more than their share.”

Jocelyn opened her mouth.

“No one can get a word in,” Bernadette warned her. “Women are too tentative to interrupt, no matter how long someone has gone on.”

Jocelyn cleared her throat.

“Besides, men don’t do book clubs,” Bernadette said. “They see reading as a solitary pleasure. When they read at all.”

Jocelyn closed her mouth.

Two members of the Jane Austen Book Club. (Page 3)

What! Does this author think I am going to leave a good review. I am subtracting stars for that comment.

My wife and I recently watched the movie based on this book. After the movie I mentioned that it might be an interesting book to read. In a short time she found it in her bookcase and laid it on my reading table. When I asked her about it she said “I think you should read it.”

Now as is my habit with any new book I checked GoodReads. It was not pretty. The book has a low rating and lots of negative reviews. Now I had a dilemma. Do I listen to my wife or rely on GoodReads, which has rarely failed me.

I decided to read the book. Domestic Tranquility is priceless.

Whenever Prudie was mentioned I pictured Emily Blunt, and whenever Jocelyn was mentioned I pictured Maria Bello. These were the actresses portraying these characters. This is the problem with watching movies. While reading books you get to imagine what the characters look like and sound like. While watching a movie your brain goes into sponge mode as you soak up the images and sounds. I prefer to use my imagination. Or as the author states “A good book was surprising the first time through … The Movies, as everyone knew, had no respect for this.” (Page 82)

The book was interesting whenever the book club met to discuss a book. Prior to the club having its first meeting one of the members was involved with a divorce. In deciding which book to start with Jocelyn suggested Emma “Because no one has ever read it and wished to be married.” (Page 2) When the club meets to discuss Sense and Sensibility Bernadette says “But let's not focus on the negative. I don’t think there’s anything better in all of Austen than those pages where Fanny Dashwood persuades her husband, step by step by step, not to give his stepmother and sisters any money.” (Pages 43-44) Who doesn’t remember that?

I am sure a Jane Austen scholar could find parallels between the book being discussed and the club member hosting the discussion. For instance, Emma is hosted by Jocelyn who has done some matchmaking similar to the title character.

However, I doubt there are any parallels to the back stories here. The author may have been trying to parallel Austen’s descriptions of early nineteenth century society in England and the members of the book club, but I didn’t see them. Except perhaps for Sylvia and her daughter Allegra, it is difficult to think of any parallels with Austen’s books similar to the sexual escapades of Jocelyn, the religious cult experience of Bernadette, or the nude party involving Griggs.

It pains me to say this but the movie was better than the book.

Underdeveloped plot, and underdeveloped characters - it seemed as though she just threw things in the story line as she wrote it. However there were some good bits - the Jane Austen Magic 8 ball was an original idea for one. I'd buy one.

It was a good plot idea, I'll give her that, but I thought it was poorly executed. I think the thing that put off the most was how it was written - for the most part - in third person, yet there was an annoying constant use of 'we'.

I thought the romance between Grigg and Jocelyn was arbitrary and just thrown in there because Fowler felt the need to include a heterosexual romance. There was nothing to indicate anything between the two of them and I honestly do not feel that they are a good match.

The numerous flashbacks were overdone. I could have skipped over them and not really have missed anything.

The one character story line that I thought was really good was Allegra's. That one was well thought out and well done; the whole stealing her stories and making them stories idea seemed to fit with the theme of the novel somehow. However, I did not like the fact that Allegra and Corrine got back together in the end. If it were me, I would not have forgaven Corrine.

I think I was disappointed because I was expecting it to be more 'book club' than 'flashbacks' - that's how it appeared from the back cover. And the few short paragraphs that were 'book club' scenes were not at all interesting - it appeared that Fowler only included them so she could flaunt the fact that she knows all of Jane Austen's novels rather well.

Which leads me to a parallell in this novel and Pride and Prejudice: In P&P Mary seems like a character that you could simply throw away and nothing would really happen to the other characters or plot. It appears to be the same with Bernadette. She just didn't really do anything.

Meet the Jane Austen Book Club:

Jocelyn


Grigg


Prudie:


Sylvia and Allegra:



Bernadette
(my favorite besides Grigg, love em all though)
----

Embarrassing to admit sort of, but I'd forgotten I had already read this book, but I can't remember when. It must have been after I saw the movie (rented it off Netflix at the time) and I have a vague memory of thinking why they added certain scenes to the movie when the ones in the book worked fine.

It was nice to re-visit this again, it's a low key book and not for everybody...it's one of those books you can just lay on the couch and coast along, sipping your drink and wrapped up in a blanket.

Everyone was well developed, and it was fun listening on their discussions of Austen. Loved watching Grigg fall in love with her novels, reminded me of when I first read 'Pride & Prejudice'

They read one book a month, meeting at a different member's house each time to hold the discussion. Personal conflicts arise, marriages tested, love blooms.... and they support and are there for one another.

Only complaint I have is I wish it that sometimes we had more personal stories of the members and their histories (me being greedy)... sometimes a couple felt a bit rushed but they were never dull at least.

Would recommend, this is one I'll pull out again in a few years and re-visit :) Happy reading!

Non sono rimasta particolarmente entusiasta da questo libro. Jane Austen è solo un pretesto per raccontare la storia dei vari personaggi; la nostra adorata Jane è talmente ininfluente nell’economia della storia che si potrebbe benissimo sostituire con un qualsiasi altro autore, e non si noterebbe alcuna differenza nella trama.
I personaggi sono piatti, ci è dato sapere ben poco di quello che provano e si fa fatica a provare empatia verso di loro. Oltretutto, alcune situazioni risultano parecchio forzate.
L’unica cosa positiva è data dalla lettura scorrevole. Non si può dire che sia un brutto libro; mi ha semplicemente lasciata indifferente.
Mentre leggevo, una domanda ha continuato ad affacciarsi: ma chi è l’io narrante? “Noi sei – Jocelyn, Bernadette, Sylvia, Allegra, Prudie e Grigg – formavano la squadra al completo del club del libro […]”. La persona utilizzata è una curiosa prima plurale, ancora più singolare in quanto abbinata al narratore onnisciente che di tanto in tanto scruta e riferisce i pensieri di tutti i componenti del book club.
P.S. La parte che mi è piaciuta di più è stato l’elenco di pareri su Jane Austen (da parte di scrittori e critici) alla fine del libro.

Este libro se puede resumir en tres palabras: un solemne aburrimiento.

Los libros de Jane Austen son la excusa para contar las historias personales de los miembros del club, un grupo de mujeres remilgadas y un hombre un tanto insulso. Las historias personales, contadas sin gracia ninguna, no son nada sorprendentes: divorcios, decepciones, ... Cada historia personal es presentada por una sesión del club de lectura dedicada a un libro de Jane Austen, en un afán de establecer una relación entre el miembro del club de cuya historia trata con la protagonista del libro comentado, en lo que a mi entender no ha tenido ningún éxito.