According to Jane

Overview

In Marilyn Brant's smart, wildly inventive debut, one woman in search of herself receives advice from the ultimate expert in matters of the heart...
It begins one day in sophomore English class, just as Ellie Barnett's teacher is assigning Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. From nowhere comes a quiet "tsk" of displeasure. The target: Sam Blaine, the cute bad boy who's teasing Ellie mercilessly, just as he has since kindergarten. Entirely unbidden, as Jane might say, the author's ghost has taken up residence in Ellie's mind, and seems determined to stay there.

Jane's wise and witty advice guides Ellie through the hell of adolescence and beyond, serving as the voice she trusts, usually far more than her own. Years and boyfriends come and go--sometimes a little too quickly, sometimes not nearly fast enough. But Jane's counsel is constant, and on the subject of Sam, quite insistent. Stay away, Jane demands. He is your Mr. Wickham.

Still, everyone has something to learn about love--perhaps even Jane herself. And lately, the voice in Ellie's head is being drowned out by another, urging her to look beyond everything she thought she knew and seek out her very own, very unexpected, happy ending...


"A warm, witty and charmingly original story." --Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author
"An engaging read for all who have been through the long, dark, dating wars, and still believe there's sunshine, and a Mr. Darcy, at the end of the tunnel." --Cathy Lamb, author of Henry's Sisters

"This is a must-read for Austen lovers as well as for all who believe in the possibility of a happily-ever-after ending." --Holly Chamberlin, author of One Week In December.

Editorial Reviews

Editorial Reviews for this product are not available at this time.

Author Information

Bio of Marilyn Brant

Marilyn Brant has been a classroom teacher, a library staff member, a freelance writer and a national book reviewer. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and son, surrounded by towers of books that often threaten to topple over and crush her. A proud member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, Marilyn's debut novel featuring "Jane" won the Romance Writers of America's prestigious Golden Heart(r) Award. When not working on her next book, she enjoys traveling, listening to music and finding new desserts to taste test. Readers can visit her website at www.marilynbrant.com.

Customer Reviews

• You need to read this book, it is absolutely delightful

  Posted September 24, 2009 by K, -

  Ellie is handed a copy of Pride and Prejudice in school, and behind her Sam is busy teasing her. And suddenly there's a voice in Ellie's head telling her to stay away from him. "He is your Mr. Wickham" says the voice of Jane Austen in her head.
  And there it begins. Ellie's journey through life with Jane Austen as friend and counsellor for the next 20 odd years of her life - through her trials as a teenager, fitting in with her family, school and the years beyond, her hopes and dreams for the future and more importantly in her interactions with the men in her life.
  
  Ellie is a typical geek looking for a happy ending with prince charming. Along the way, you learn life lessons through Ellie's experiences and trial and error. And later through looking at past events with the fresh eyes of an adult
  
  In school, Ellie likes Sam - he's her first love. At the same time she hates Sam for his arrogant ways and confidence. And thus begins the boy trouble. And it continues for quite a while with a motley crew of men with their own issues
  
  Then there's Di - Ellie's elder sister who's a pain in her ass growing up. You want to hate her, and at the same time you want them to be close sisters.
  
  As much as i wanted to hit Ellie on her head when it came to her choices in men specially when some weren't kicked out sooner - the girl is improving when it comes to who she picks. But i still wanted to hit her when it came to Sam. And hit Jane as well. Sam was too hot and too good to be blindsided for being confident.
  
  Sam. I loved him. From the first time he was featured in page two where he called out "Ellieeee"
  
  Whats bestest in this book is the writing. Its simple. Yet it has many layers. And it gives you that warm cosy feeling. The characters are all very well written, you identify with Ellie. You want Sam. And you wish you had someone like Jane to lean on during the horrible times.
  

• Modern variation of Jane Austen

  Posted October 23, 2009 by Kevin Kim, St. Albert

  I really enjoyed this book that was clever, funny, engaging and inventive. It was like a modern variation, or adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, perhaps two of the most beloved creations by Jane Austen. With a distinctive touch and taste of the popular romantic comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral. And of course you can detect here and there all the essential elements of Harlequin romance novels - good-looking hot guy; steamy love-making scenes; endearing love disguised as hatred from misunderstandings that will naturally be solved; jealousy; true love, and so on.
  
  One of the most precious moments of reading this novel comes from Jane Austen, Ellie's mentor-in-ghost-in-her-mind, with her advice based on her era's societal value, which naturally makes readers smile. Her comments are ethical, valuable and out of good-will. However many of them seems outdated, if not archaic.
  
  Despite its clever, inventive narrative, I couldn't help being reminded of a lot of novels, movies, and TV dramas. In other words, reading this novel evoked me a lot of "Déjà vu" feeling - 'hmm, I think I saw a similar storyline from somewhere...'
  
  Nevertheless, I really liked this novel which made me feel warm and happy although it might not be a true reflection of real world. 4.5 out of 5.

Additional Info

Imprint

Kensington Publishing Corporation

Filesize

550.33 KB

Number of Pages

352

eBook ISBN

0758249225