“All Roads Lead To Austen” by Amy Elizabeth Smith.Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks Inc, 2012. 364pp.
Smith, a
literature professor at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California,
traveled to six different Latin American countries to find out if people from
different countries and cultures could relate their lives to the lives of the
characters in Austen’s novels. So,
after five weeks of Spanish lessons, Smith traveled to six Latin American
countries and set-up reading groups to determine if these Spanish speaking men
and women (most who knew very little about Jane Austen and her works) could
easily transition between their own lives to Austen’s fictional world.
A
hard-core Austen fan would love this book although, people who have read and
enjoyed Jane Austen’s novels will like the golden nuggets of wisdom thrown in
throughout the discussions.
I
enjoyed traveling throughout Latin America with Amy Elizabeth Smith. She made me want to
re-read Austen’s novels, to pick a part her characters, and see where I fit in.
I
would encourage anyone who wants to read this book to first re-visit Jane
Austen’s Novels (Pride and Prejudice,
Sense and Sensibility, and Emma).
It will make the journey that much more enjoyable.