Dancing with Mr. Darcy

Paperback

240+ pages

This is a collection of Austen inspired short stories that I finished this morning. Sometimes it's nice to be able to pick something up, read a very short story, then put it down again. 

It's quite a varied selection - some loosely inspired by author or novels, some which draw more directly.  

It was fine, but not amazing.

Eligible

Ever heard of The Austen Project?

I hadn't until I was looking for a picture for this post.

I read Eligible on a friend's recommendation, and because it's not that hard to get me to read something based on Pride and Prejudice.

As retellings go, it was really successful. Curtis Sittenfeld achieved a good balance of source material and updating. Plot points were different, but recognizable.

It's set in Cincinnati, and Liz & Jane have to fly home from New York to deal with a family health scare. From there, the story progresses more or less as one would expect.

Darcy is an arrogant neurosurgeon, which feels more believable that just a rich do-nothing.

It was fun. But I probably won't read it again.
(I finished reading this on April 18)

Image from the author's website:

Jane and the Damned

By Janet Mullany

Jane Austen, vampire. I didn't get into it at first, but then I was caught up in the charm and exuberance of the story. It didn't feel like Austen to me - the character didn't - but I did enjoy the subtle allusions that were laid throughout the book. I disliked the ending.