The Jane Austen Book Club


The Jane Austen Book Club is a 2004 novel by American author Karen Joy Fowler. The story, which takes place near Sacramento, California, centers on a book club consisting of five women and one man who meet once a month to discuss Jane Austen's six novels. It was a critical success and became a national bestseller.
A film adaptation of the same name was released in autumn of 2007.

Plot introduction

The novel takes place over the course of several months in Davis, California, a university town in California's Central Valley near Sacramento. Each of the six chapters is dedicated to one of the six book club members as well as one of Austen's six works. In turn, each of Austen's novels parallels the individual characters' experiences with relationships and love.

Characters and their corresponding novels

The book was on The New York Times Best Seller list for thirteen weeks. It was also recommended as the sixth best book of 2005 on the television show Richard & Judy

Film adaptation

A film adaptation of the book, written and directed by Robin Swicord, was released in the United States in the fall of 2007. While the character names and some minor details remained the same, the screenplay is for the most part a dramatic departure from the novel. The film stars Maria Bello as Jocelyn, Emily Blunt as Prudie, Kathy Baker as Bernadette, Amy Brenneman as Sylvia, Maggie Grace as Allegra, and Hugh Dancy as Grigg.