Austenland Themes

Love. These four letters encompass an emotion so complicated, writers have been writing about it for years. From Aphrodite, goddess of love, to Stephenie Meyer's lovelorn vampires and werewolves (c...

When we go to Six Flags Great Adventure, we don't have to put on an alternate identity. Unless you count "crazy tourist screaming our heads off on the highest roller coaster on the east coast." Aus...

We've always wanted to host our own murder mystery. No, don't call the cops. We're talking about one of those house party games, where you invite over all of your friends, dress up in funky clothes...

Jane Austen's novels were often scathing critiques of the social mores of the time. Austenland isn't a scathing critique of anything, but it uses the archaic class structures of Austen's day t...

Some traditions have remained long-standing throughout many years, like having dinner with family on holidays or putting milk in your cereal. Some, however, have faded away. Like wearing wool bathi...

Romance novels today are fraught with daring duels, kidnappings, high-speed chases, and more perilous situations. In Jane Austen's day, things were a little more subdued. Heck, they couldn't have h...

Jane Hayes of Austenland has a decent job, a decent apartment, and a recently dead aunt who just left her with a fabulous vacation. What does she have to be dissatisfied about? Well, she's unhappy...

Jane Austen was good at many things. Believable characters. Social critique. And hilarious comic relief. Shannon Hale has picked up the comic relief part, and runs with it in Austenland. As if the...