Book Review: Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laura Viera Rigler

If you read and enjoyed Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler you will be sure put her latest offering, Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, on your list of books to read this summer.

Jane Mansfield had long lamented the confinement and restrictions of her life as a gentleman’s daughter in nineteenth-century England. Practically every facet of her life was controlled by someone other than herself. The clothes she wore, the people and places she visited (properly escorted, of course), the food she ate and her own behavior was under scrutiny lest Jane be deemed “improper” which usually translated into “unmarriageable.” Imagine her surprise and utter confusion to awaken one morning as Courtney Stone, living in a small apartment in suburban Los Angeles in the twenty-first century. Almost everything has changed – even the face in her mirror – except for the love of Jane Austen’s books that Jane and Courtney share.

Of course, the premise is far fetched but the adventures of Jane as Courtney are humorous and well done. Imagine a Rip Van Winkle storyline but instead of a twenty year gap make it an almost 200 year chasm. Jane is obviously befuddled by life in 2009. Most intriguing is the glass box where small figures are performing scenes from her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice. Other machines produce music, wash clothes and heat or cool food. Lighting is achieved without candles; the air in a building is cool and comfortable as opposed to the heat outdoors. Clothing provides a constant source of anxiety for Jane; a lady would never be seen with her arms and ankles exposed, let alone wear trousers or a bathing suit. In between the confusion of modern life is Jane’s love life dilemma. She has confusing memories of her friend Wes and her ex-fiancé Frank, both of whom have purportedly betrayed her. Nineteenth-century staid morality meets twenty-first century sexual freedom; what’s a girl to do?

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict parallels Rigler’s first novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict in which the protagonist finds herself transported to Jane Austen’s world. Both are excellent examples of “chick-lit” novels that are well written and entertaining without being offensive or crude. Rude Awakenings is clever fun and the perfect summer read for all of you Jane Austen addicts. You know who you are… -Linda (Downtown)