Dear Jane Austen: A Heroine's Guide to Life and Love
by Patrice Hannon
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Book Summary Information
Author: Patrice HannonEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-06-26
ISBN: 0452288940
Number of pages: 156
Publisher: Plume
Book Reviews of Dear Jane Austen: A Heroine's Guide to Life and Love
Book Review: I was utterly charmed.
Summary: 5 Stars
It is very obvious that Patrice Hannon has taught English literature, and in particular Jane Austen, because of the idea and execution of this book. I found myself utterly charmed by her Jane Austen "voice".
At first, I was a little hesitant about how I would bridge the time-span gap for Jane Austen giving advice on life and love to twenty-first century heroines. Hannon herself advises readers (in the Author's Notes) to not "dip in" and read sections out of order but to proceed in an orderly fashion so that the framework of the book can be revealed in a very particular way. I had a dilemma. Should I follow my inclinations and read Chapter Five, A Heroine Knows a Hero When She Sees One--Or Does She? first, as I wanted to? Or should I follow the advice of the person who actually put this book together from concept to print? Luckily for me, I decided to follow her advice and I read it all the way through for my first, but surely not my last, "dip". It is sound advice. A reader needs to understand who's who and what is happening to and around "Jane" in order to keep from being confused.
Jane Austen is still living in the early 1800's. The letters are all from would-like-to-be heroines who are living in the twenty-first century. How was this possible? I still can't answer that question. The final page and a half of the book may be an explanation. But then, maybe not. Two friends could have some really good conversation over that. I'm looking forward to it!
Austen gets letters from modern young women asking her very specific questions of how she or her heroines would have dealt with problems they are encountering now. All the answers come from Austen's real life experiences or from her writings and the experiences of her characters in all her books. Once I caught on to the technique used, it was absolutely fascinating for me to read the question and then try to figure out which examples could be used to supply the answer. I wasn't always right but it was fun to try. Ms Hannon has a vast knowlege of the Austen books. She uses passages from those books along with "Jane's" expanding on the subject to give advice to would-be heroines. I don't think she ever used the same example twice. It was phenomenal. The writing is in the style of Jane Austen and rings wonderfully true. If this author had not been able to "sound" like Jane Austen, this would have been a painful book to read. Because she was "being" Jane, I learned historically accurate facts concerning her life. It was as if I was reading a biography only lighter, friendlier, smoother.
There are chapters on character, family, friends, being in the world, knowing a hero when you meet him, s_x, marriage, beauty tips, money and happy endings. The questions asked in the correspondence are very, very real and current for today's woman. The answers are all taken from people and situations which existed almost 200 years ago and yet they are woven together in such a way that the 200 year old answers still can and do apply to now, to today. I hope lots and lots of young women (and even men can benefit from this advice) will read this advice and take it to heart. Obviously Ms Hannon has seen these problems played out before her in modern settings. She just used a rather original way to give out good, sound advice.
Highly, highly recommended. Even if you don't think you need the advice, read it for the total immersion in the life and thoughts and characters of Jane Austen. Two things which I came away with that surprised me very much, I need to go back and re-read Northanger Abbey. And maybe I need to give Fanny Price another chance too!
Summary of Dear Jane Austen: A Heroine's Guide to Life and Love
Advice delivered with sense and sensibility just in time for the major motion picture Becoming Jane
View our feature on Austen-inspired books and special content.
Women have looked to Jane Austen?s heroines as models of appropriate behavior for nearly two centuries. Who better to understand the heart of a heroine than Austen? In this delightful epistolary ?what if,? Austen serves as a ?Dear Abby? of sorts, using examples from her novels and her life to counsel modern-day heroines in trouble, she also shares with readers a compelling drama playing out in her own drawing room. Witty and wise?and perfectly capturing the tone of the author of Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice?Dear Jane Austen is as satisfying as sitting down to tea with the novelist herself.
View our feature on Austen-inspired books and special content.
Women have looked to Jane Austen?s heroines as models of appropriate behavior for nearly two centuries. Who better to understand the heart of a heroine than Austen? In this delightful epistolary ?what if,? Austen serves as a ?Dear Abby? of sorts, using examples from her novels and her life to counsel modern-day heroines in trouble, she also shares with readers a compelling drama playing out in her own drawing room. Witty and wise?and perfectly capturing the tone of the author of Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice?Dear Jane Austen is as satisfying as sitting down to tea with the novelist herself.
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