Jane
Austen
in Boca
by
Paula Cohen
Hardcover - 288 pages (2002)
St. Martin's Press; ISBN: 0312290888
Written by
Marlene
(11/26/2002 9:26 a.m.)
I had a wonderful time reading the new novel JANE AUSTEN IN BOCA by
Paula Marantz Cohen. Set in a Jewish retirement community in Boca
Raton,
Florida, the novel re-tells PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, with the two heroines,
both in their seventies, Flo Kliman and May Newman
representing Elizabeth and Jane Bennet. There are Darcy, Wickham, and
Bingley counterparts, not to mention a matchmaking daughter-in-law
filling
the role of Mrs. Bennet! Not only does Cohen (also a Distinguished
Professor
of English at Drexel University) get the P&P parody right, but she
also creates characters that have a life of their own within the
confines
of the wealthy Jewish Boca Raton milieu. A great read! I highly
recommend
it.
Written by
Southern
Jenn (12/4/2002 7:54 p.m.)
I literally read it in one day. It's too funny! Bennets, Darcy and
Bingleys as elderly Jews living in Boca Raton?! It's hysterical! Of
course,
it has minor flaws: rushed ending, etc... but it's all forgivable
because
it is just too too funny! A MUST for Jane-ites! Especially the shiksas!
Written by Marlene (12/5/2002 9:29 a.m.)
I posted on this a couple weeks ago. It was a great read--the kind
of book I hated to finish. I especially loved the Elizabeth character
being
portrayed as a retired librarian. A really positive depiction of a
librarian,
in contrast to the "old lady with her hair in a bun" image.
Written by Lizzy M (2/11/2003 7:40 p.m.)
I finished it last night and I have to say I'm of two minds about it.
It is entertaining enough, but I never rolled on the floor laughing. My
favorite part is the penultimate chapter where all the residents attend
the class on JA. That reminded me of the very lively debates we
had
in the JA seminar I took last semester--and I must say many of
the
undergrads in my class were very sharp and gave as good as they got, so
I had to chuckle at the not very flattering depiction of
undergrads
in the book. The "Lizzy" character never appealed to me; she had the
bite
of Lizzy Bennet, but, IMO, not the charm. Overall, it was an enjoyable
enough light read, fun to figure out who represented who, but no threat
to the original (needless to say!). And what a way to deal with
the
Mr. Collins character!
Review by Linda Waldemar, April 6, 2003
This is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice that is set in a retirement
community where the residents are predominantly Jewish. I guess this
just
proves that Jane Austen's story is applicable to almost any ethnicity
or
nationality; it is universal!
The Elizabeth and Jane Bennet and Charlotte Lucas characters are
friends.
The Mrs. Bennet character is the daughter-in-law of the Jane character.
She is much less obnoxious and very much smarter than Mrs. Bennet,
though.
The Mr. Darcy and Charles Bingley characters are friends who share a
grandchild
(one's daughter married the other's son). The Mr. Bingley here relies a
bit less on his friend's advice and approbation, however. We also have
a Wickham and a Mr. Collins. The major misjudgements and
misunderstandings
are here and the resolution is much the same.
Although there are a lot of Jewish phrases and in-jokes that I did
not
completely understand, I found the story to be very amusing, sometimes
LOL funny. A really fun read.
Written by Mary Frances 2
(9/29/2003 10:19 a.m.)
This was my quick weekend read. Cute, but fairly predictable. I did
really
like the chapter
at the end where the Boca Festa residents are discussing P&P. All
of
the women
sympathize with Mrs. Bennet for having the responsibility of marrying
off
five daughters
while having a husband who only hides in the library with a book. Also,
they think that Mr.Collins is so nice for trying to do right by the
family and marry a daughter.
I think the book would have been funnier
if they had been discussing P&P all along as the events paralleled
the book. JMO.
Written by Lisa EBK
(10/30/2003 2:37 p.m.)
I read most of this book but ended up skimming the last
third. Really lost my interest. But it had it moments. Hope
you enjoy it more.
Written by Martha Ellen Mary
(10/30/2003 3:32 p.m.)
I was given this book as a Christmas gift by my mother last year and
absolutely loved it! I haven't read it since then, but
its definately a book that I have to reread at somepoint when
my life isn't as hectic.
Written by Tara O'Donnell
(10/30/2003 8:25 p.m.)
It's cute-sort of The Golden Girls meet P&P:)
I would say that it's a nice light read.
Written by Julie P.
(10/31/2003 10:08 a.m.)
I read it in a day or so, and liked it a lot. It could be because I'm
from the NYC area and know people
who are just like Cohen's characters.
Written by AmandaC
(8/2/2004 5:37 p.m.)
I just finished Jane
Austen in Boca by Paula Marantz Cohen. And I was very
unimpressed. The
first half of the book I was trying to figure out which character was
which and where in the world the author got that from! It was like
P&P in circumstances only. Pretty pathetic.
Also, the
attitudes of "Lizzie" and "Darcy" were way off mark. "Lizzie" was
cruel, digging into what we are told is "profound grief," with a
relish.
"Darcy" was not a villain in this book. Thus, "Lizzie" was the rude,
cruel, heartless, prejudiced person. Not him.
It was disappointing at best. :(
Written by JaneGS (8/2/2004
7:35 p.m.)
[I] thought it quite
funny and an enjoyable read.