Jane Austen Project, The
Flynn, Kathleen ARachel Katzman and Liam Finucane are researchers from the future. Their mission? Visit 1815 England, infiltrate Jane Austen's inner circle, 'rescue' an unpublished manuscript and determine what malady Jane is suffering from, all while keeping to their directive not to tamper with history. Of course, easier said than done, and now posing as wealthy West Indian planters, they are challenged not just by the dictates of 19th century society, but by their connection to the very people they are deceiving.
Lavish with authentic period detail and a cast of familiar characters, this engaging and unputdownable story will have you signing up for time travel, before you can say "Jane Austen".
Pages
373
373
Year
2017
2017
Reviews
10-01-2024
Our group enjoyed the context; but struggled with the time travelling aspects. The 1815 setting was entertaining, but thought the ending was disappointing.
24-10-2023
Most of us loved this - even those who aren't Jane Austen fans. Really imaginative read and nice escapism.
03-08-2023
An engaging topic with the concept of going back in time. Most enjoyed the read but found the ending not as they felt it should have been. We liked the idea of being able to time travel.
19-07-2023
Very controversial book but most members enjoyed it. Didn't find Rachel a very convincing character, while Liam probably used his acting skills to the full. Different ways of appreciating the author's work, but overall, not a bad read.
01-10-2022
Our group had a varied response with one not even attempting it and another couple not finishing it. Most who read it found it pretty light and an enjoyable read, lots of laughs at the writing of the one and only 'sex' scene though. General confusion of how the time travel paradox could be avoided. An interesting look at how life would have been for women in the era of Jane Austen's lifetime.
26-08-2022
Mixed review from our Group - some found it hard to get into but enjoyed it once the storyline was established. Not everyone is into time-travel or futuristic stories but it was very cleverly written and interesting to be in the early 1800 era. Several found the end confusing and disappointing.
17-11-2021
Loved being immersed in the reality of early 19th century life.
01-10-2021
Enjoyed by all.
01-10-2021
If you like Austen's novels you'll enjoy this. It's light, frivolous, and the characters lack the communication skills of many of Austen's own. Still relatively unusual to have a female time traveller.
13-07-2021
This was the best book we've read for a while - everyone read it and enjoyed it.
01-06-2021
Everyone really enjoyed this book. Great story.
01-06-2021
We struggled with the time travel aspect. Characters not developed enough, it would be better as a series to develop the storyline and the characters more. Surely there are better things to steal (in History) than a book
14-05-2021
The group rates this as our "best book for a while", as it appealed to everyone.
14-05-2021
Absolutely fabulous! Every group member thoroughly enjoyed this. Quirky, moving and hard to put down. And if you love Austen - this is the read for you!
03-05-2021
A couple of us could not put the book down. Others enjoyed it, and we really appreciated the way it showed us how life was in Jane Austen's day, especially for women.
08-03-2021
We all enjoyed this book, and felt it was well researched. Good discussion.
27-11-2020
All enjoyed this book, some more than others. Generated good discussion about time travel and also about Jane Austen and life in her times. Some were disappointed with the ending.
19-11-2020
This was a really successful read. Nearly all our members enjoyed it once they got past the idea of time travel! Great discussion was had.
28-09-2020
Loved it.
26-08-2020
An interesting book that led to good conversations about ethics and time travel. The glimpse into the time of Jane Austen was interesting and informative. As a group of women, we ended up grateful for the time we live in!
31-07-2020
A mixed reception from: "silly, fluff" to "fabulous and would highly recommend". A great discussion, often at tangents, moral questioning, sometimes polarising.
26-06-2020
As a group we really enjoyed this book. The purist Jane Austen fans were worried about the sci-fi element but were relieved in the end. We enjoyed the details of the time, the shopping for supplies, descriptions of life. Small frustrations felt by the lack of detail of life in the future, but felt it may have detracted from the love story element!
01-11-2019
Our group found this novel thought provoking and extremely readable. It created a lot of discussion about time travel. Some thought although it was engaging, this was unsustained and perhaps the use of the name Jane Austen was a marketing ploy.