Austentatious

What a ride for fans of Jane Austen's literary works, aka Austenmaniacs or Janeites.

Austentatious is not standard non-fiction that I am used to. It is a book has been written by scholars as well as fans of Austen but it smells a little academic both in terms of language and content. However, it does not mean that it's dull, on the contrary, it is quite captivating.

Austen's fame has surpassed her life and reached the skies over the last century thanks to the internet and technological developments as it found its way across the world both as a printed work and in other forms of media. She has a vast internet fandom consisting of creative and imaginative people, who create alternate stories based on Austen's works. Thanks to this thrill and expectations, canon materials are turned into fanon as fans crave for more and adaptations are created to quench that thirst both by professionals and fans themselves.

This book examines Austenmania through Austen's canonical literature as well as fanfiction, Austen-related fiction, alternate stories, and their reflections on TV. The authors investigate the microcosmos of Austen fandom and its effects on both literature and other media. It is also possible to find profound analyses of Austen's and Austen-related works with regard to feminism, society, relationships, romance, and erotica.

If you love Austen's novels, if the taste still lingers on your tongue after you read them and want more and wish to keep the story going via fanfiction, other published works, art, films, etc., this the right book for you. As the authors say at the end: "Austen fans push boundaries and shatter ceilings" in order to keep the heritage of the revolutionary author alive.

I liked it more than I thought I would considering that I'm not a die-hard Austen fan but more interested in how the community is formed. I'd buy and offer this book to anyone interested in Austen paraphernalia or in how does an authentic (online) community looks like.

I really enjoyed Austentatious. Holly Luetkenhaus and Zoe Weinstein wrote a well researched and highly readable book about fandom. Jane Austen is an excellent lens to look at fandom through - there is a wealth of fan-created content to consider. The authors did a particularly good job of looking at the various types of gatekeeping in fan communities and in the academic world, as well.
My favorite chapter was Chapter 2, "As If! Clueless and the Modern AU." I found myself nodding along and taking notes.
I will recommend this book widely - it is incredibly appealing and easy to read.

I really loved this much more than I thought I would. I’m a huge Jane Austen fan and have read dozens of books on her world, life and works. This was something different it’s covers how authentic fan communities form and function. Lots of information and Austen anecdotes are included too. all in all this book is great fun and very interesting.
I’d highly recommend it.

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an interesting and original look at the Jane Austen fandom. I've been a Janeite since I was 16 and it totally changed my way to see things and my future prospects. Even if I'm a huge fan of her, this book taught me new things about the fandom and I really appreciated that.
What I really enjoyed was seeing how the fandom evolved during all these years and how all the people involved commemorate and enrich Austen's works.