Don't worry, this isn't a post about Austen, per se.
See, I love Austen's characters, particularly her main characters. They are witty and funny and have a flaw, but they also have a journey to overcome and a truth to learn. I love it when people take Austen's foundation to build their stories.
That's what Katherine Reay does in her books. Her characters are modern day versions of Austen's. The first book I read by Ms. Reay was Dear Mr. Knightly, and in that, the main character needed to learn how to deal with the difficult matters in her life head on rather than hiding in her books. That's just an example, because this is not a post about Dear Mr. Knightly. This is a post about The Austen Escape.
Ms. Reay's latest book was only published in early November, and I wish I had found it then! I'm reading it (and writing this post) just over a month after it's publication. I'm really enjoying the book, but I have to admit, this is the first of Ms. Reay's books where I haven't really liked the cover. I can't really say why completely. It might be the colors.In the book, Mary Davies is an engineer who is having some trouble at work. Her new boss doesn't really like Mary's style and shelves a project that she's been working on: virtual reality glasses that Mary has named Golightly. Mary's concerned that the new boss is trying to fire her, or possibly to get her to quit. It works out nicely to give both women a break when Mary's invited on a two week trip by her friend Isabel.
Isabel comes across as your typical poor little rich girl with Daddy issues. I don't like her character much at all. She's fast moving and condescending, and seems to have hijacked some of Mary's familial connections. But Isabel invites Mary on a two week stay at Braithwait Manor to escape into a costumed escape into the world of Jane Austen. Isabel decides to be Emma Woodhouse, although to Mary, and to me, she seems more of an Isabella Thorpe (I've copied some character descriptions from the book so you know who I'm talking about. See the bottom of this post.). Isabel tries to cast Mary as a sidekick, but Mary decides to be Catherine Morland. The choices of character are telling. Mary, it seems, sees herself clearly. She knows that she is in a small world and she doesn't see or understand the big picture most of the time. Isabel wanting so desperately to be Emma, someone that everyone admires and who is happy in the end, is a statement of how alone and isolated that she feels.
When Isabel and Mary get to the Manor, all seems well. Then things get all topsy turvy. Isabel gets unexpected news from her father, and overnight goes into a type of dissociative state. She believes that she really is Emma Woodhouse. Mary is understandably concerned, but she has seen this from Isabel before. When they were younger, the same thing had happened, but that time, Mary had the support of her parents. This time, Mary is on her own.
Mary is struggling to deal with Isabel, who seems to not care for her feelings in either state. To complicate matters, it seems that Isabel has knowingly kept a man that Mary is interested dangling, without telling Mary. The whole situation is uncovered when TCG calls Isabel and Mary answers. How is Mary supposed to get answers when Isabel doesn't know who she is?
A lot of this book is focused on how we see things. Are things what they really appear to be? In most cases, the answer is no. What we see is not necessarily what's real. But that doesn't make what we see any less valuable. However, it takes someone else's eyes sometimes to see the truth. I like that this book manages to get that point across without shoving it in your face. Also, I really liked to see the juxtaposition of hard against soft. Engineering against Regency England. The two don't really mesh well. But I like the idea of using Mary's project of the Golightly virtual reality glasses against Braithwaite Manor's costumed reality. With Golightly, you can place yourself in the world, but it won't interact with you. At Braithwaite, you immerse yourself in the world and it reacts to you.
This also brings up the idea that you can't do anything alone. Mary can't complete Golightly without the help of her team. Mary can't help Isabel without the help of others. Isabel can't get over the damage her father has done without help. Gertrude, the woman who runs Braithwaite and is a member of the family that once owned the manor, isn't able to see an important life choice without Isabel's help. We aren't alone in this world. So be aware of the help that people want to give you.
Go forth and read! I hope your new year is going amazing!
Northanger Abbey
Catherine Morland--Catherine is very intelligent and kind. She is also naieve, as she has little exposure outside of her narrow world, but she learns to think, question, and take ownership for her story throughout this novel.
Isabella Thorpe--Calling Isabella a manipulative gold digger wouldn't be off the mark. It would, however, not tell the whole story. Isabella is a beautiful young woman who relishes adoration and flattery. She also has no clue what she wants in life--besides wealth, of course.
Emma
Emma Woodhouse--Handsome, clever, and rich. Three things everyone must know about Emma Woodhouse. One also needs to know she messes up a lot and gets almost everything wrong. In the end, she sees life more clearly and values friends better, and is rewarded with "perfect happiness" in her marriage.
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