Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm Polly Shulman

2007 * p. 208 * YA Contemporary

Enthusiasm follows best friends Ashleigh and Julia. Julia is the main heroine and told from her point of view. She is referred to as a "stringbean", tall and thin and pretty. She is level-headed and constantly embarassed over her best friend's newest obsessions.

So Julia is mortified when Ashleigh's new obsession is for all things Jane Austen and Pride & Prejudice. She speaks in "Austen" language, wants to wear only empire wasited, period dresses, and determines that they both need to find their own Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. So the two 15 year olds decide to crash the Forfield Boy's Academy's dance. The boys wear uniforms (almost like period suits from Austen's novels). Julia is embarassed but plays along.

They pretend to be on the guest list for the dance and are pleased to find that two gentleman-like boys come to their rescue, Ned and Par.

The novel dances around the doings of the quartet, love triangles, a musical, first kisses, and misunderstandings.

I actually listened to this novel as an audiobook. The audiobook is about 7 hours long. I was actually irritated listening to it because the narrator's voice drove me mad as she attempted to do all of the characters' voices. Shulman also has a hard time relating to the reader and creating characters that are cared about and probable. It was a very silly, syrupy, and almost ridiculous "potato chip" fiction.

-Reading level: grade 8 & up.

-The book does involve quite a bit of the "Austen" language and takes a little more effort to understand with all of the big and seldom-used words that we hear today.

-However, it does make it a good bridge to Austen's classic, Pride & Prejudice. The book should stir interest about why the ain characters love the classic so much that they would want to relive it.

-A reference to condoms and birth control.

-A couple of swear words.

-Potato chip fiction: mindless reading, mere entertainment.

After Enthusiasm, I would suggest reading Shannon Hale's Austenland. It is for a more adult reader but also plays off the idea of finding your Mr. Darcy. Austenland is more realistic and not as silly. Compared with Enthusiasm, Austenland is definitely the favorite.