03 March 2008

This Is Not An Overreaction

I think I'm dying. I may sound like I only have the sniffles or slight congestion, but I'm dying. Seriously, walking from my bed to the kitchen wipes me out. I'm not coughing, how could I hurt this much? Anyway, I had mentally composed a book review of Austenland by Shannon Hale, but it has drowned in the mucus that is currently residing where my brain should be. Suffice it to say, I suggest you read the book, it is fun and the first "chick lit" (I hate that term.) that I have actively enjoyed. Sure it treads the same ground as those that have come before it and sure the main character is Bridget Jones's American cousin, but there are some fresh and new things about it AND nothing to warn about if you should recommend it to your mother. Despite what one reviewer on Amazon.com wrote:
1.0 out of 5 stars I find nothing to recommend it., August 20, 2007
By Mountain Mama "MM" - See all my reviews

I bought Austenland to read with my teenage daughter. It sounded so promising! But the writing wasn't consistent and I felt that the references to male genitalia were in very poor taste.
I could find only one reference to "male genitalia" and that is when the main character, out of necessity due to being drunkenly accosted, knees a man in the groin. IN THOSE EXACT WORDS. I cannot for the life of me figure out why the term 'groin' is any more obscene or indelicate, than, say, 'genitalia' but it appears that to Mountain Mama, it is. So consider yourselves warned. This book could be the ruin of your maidenly innocence.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

So its a novel then? Not a where to go type book? That is what I thought at first glance. That is sooo funny about that lady's review! Her use of genetalia is worse than groin! How funny. I like reading people's reviews on Amazon though, just to see what they say about things. Seems there is always one or two spoil-sports on my favorite books!

Scully said...

Yes, it is a novel. Think of the title as 'Disneyland' or 'Legoland' only for the Austen-obsessed. It isn't deep or anything, but it is fun. Kind of like fashion magazines or popscicles. Not exactly nutritious, but enjoyable. Plus, I read it in just a few hours, so it isn't that time-consuming either.

Katie said...

One of my students did a book report on this one and I've been wanting to give it a try. I think your stamp of approval is more promising, so I probably will now. Plus, Shannon Hale has written some great adolescent lit, so I'd like to try this one.

Katie said...

P.S. I'd put money on "Mountain Mamma" being from Utah. Her comment is just too funny. There are a lot of ultra-conservative readers here. In my parents' ward, my mom and I sat through a Relief Society lesson on the evils of DaVinci Code. I seriously think we would have been burned at the stake right there if we'd said that we had read it. Then there were all kinds of emails circulating about the evils of The Golden Compass down here, too. It's just crazy. I want to join a book club, but I'm frightened it would be all LDS lit.

Scully said...

Katie, I'm in my RS book club, but luckily only one woman likes LDS books and the others do not, so we are safe on that front. Although A LOT of them thought Jane Eyre could have done better than Mr. Rochester and that he didn't deserve her, which while I have to concede that if it happened to one of my friends I might see the logic in it, but with in regards to the book, it was like blasphemy! I don't want to overhype Austenland, as it does have flaws, but no more than any other book of its genre that came after Bridget Jones's Diary. I think I gave it three stars on GoodReads.

Scully said...

Actually, I gave it four stars.

Unknown said...

Jane Eyre has to end up with Mr. Rochester! How impudent to think she could have anyone else?!!?!?!

blackjazz said...

If groin means male genitalia, I wonder what the common football injury "groin strain" means. I think Mountain Mama needs to come down from the mountains and mix with the rest of society a bit more.