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captainali57's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
serenaac's review against another edition
3.0
Janet Mullany‘s Jane and the Damned follows Jane Austen’s transformation into Nosferatu shortly after the rejection of her first novel in 1797. Jane is as brash and outspoken as Elizabeth Bennet, and her sister Cassandra is as beautiful and demure as Jane Bennet in Mullany’s novel. Attending country assemblies bores Jane, but she takes out her frustration by writing, but disappointments lead her to take chances she might not have otherwise.
While her sister and their friend are off playing cards and dancing, Jane is charmed by Mrs. Smith who comes to her aid and later her brother, Mr. Smith. Jane knows about their affliction and confidently challenges them with her wit, but her openness about her negative experiences leads to her transformation.
Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2010/10/jane-and-the-damned-by-janet-mullany.html
While her sister and their friend are off playing cards and dancing, Jane is charmed by Mrs. Smith who comes to her aid and later her brother, Mr. Smith. Jane knows about their affliction and confidently challenges them with her wit, but her openness about her negative experiences leads to her transformation.
Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2010/10/jane-and-the-damned-by-janet-mullany.html
middle_name_joy's review against another edition
2.0
Jane and the Damned paired up two of my favorite things: Jane Austen and vampires. The first few dates were okay, if a little boring and slow-moving. Then the relationship took off a bit, and things started to gel, though all was not bliss; wasn’t there supposed to be more of a connection, a palpable intimacy, by now? And alas, when it really mattered, there just wasn’t enough of a spark to kindle the fire of love and devotion. Courtship over.
I thought the premise was jaunty enough to enjoy, but I found myself irked by its execution. The writing was choppy. The characters were flat. The dialogue often had no flow. There were bright moments, many courtesy of George Prince of Wales. But overall, I think the problem was Jane herself. I didn’t buy her ho-hum reaction to being Damned. She was the daughter of a minister! The only thing that resonated was her ache to write, and the ironic notion that her books—not being a vampire—was her true ticket to immortality.
I thought the premise was jaunty enough to enjoy, but I found myself irked by its execution. The writing was choppy. The characters were flat. The dialogue often had no flow. There were bright moments, many courtesy of George Prince of Wales. But overall, I think the problem was Jane herself. I didn’t buy her ho-hum reaction to being Damned. She was the daughter of a minister! The only thing that resonated was her ache to write, and the ironic notion that her books—not being a vampire—was her true ticket to immortality.
dtaylorbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I was a little apprehensive to read JANE AND THE DAMNED after my failed attempt at EMMA AND THE VAMPIRES. One, I hadn't read the blurb in a while so I was under the impression that it was a JANE EYRE remake and two, I haven't been thrilled with the writing style of books set in this era so it was setting itself up to fail for me. It ultimately didn't and I enjoyed the plot but it had its faults and a lot of that hinged on the writing itself.
I didn't know why this story was about Jane Austen. You'd think there'd be some kind of relevance to it but it rightly could have been some made-up character created strictly for the book and it wouldn't have made a bit of different. So I was haunted by the question, "Why the hell is this Jane Austen?" throughout, making it a touch distracting.
That's not to say I didn't like Jane. I did. She was a very strong woman that, although reluctantly, embraced her vampirism and used it to fight the French when they invaded (a point to be dealt with in a moment). She stood her own as a fighter and even as her fellow Damned looked down upon her as not only a fledgling but an orphaned one (her maker having abandoned her and she was adopted by another) she stood tall, pulling off feats that eventually made them proud.
The writing didn't really lend itself to telling the story well, though. I felt the progression was jerky and I often found myself shoved out of the story due to a ragged transition from one scene to the next. The language was trying a bit too hard and while I never found it stilted it lent to the crappy transitions that kept pulling me out of the story.
That's not to mention that as I was reading I had a niggling feeling that Napoleon's army invading Britain just didn't sound right. Did it make for some good drama? Of course. Jane wouldn't have been able to become the fighter she did without someone to fight so steadfastly against. But it didn't seem right. Love the interwebs as it verified my unsettled thoughts: Napoleon was never actually able to get past the Royal Navy to fight on British land. Talk about taking gross liberties with history to serve the plot. It only puffs up the question as to why it had to be Jane Austen as the lead in this story. I have a big problem with that. Adding vampires to Jane Austen's life is one thing. I was entertained by all of that. But why bastardize history so much? I don't get it. Wait, I do get it: it served the plot. And yes, this book is a work of fiction. But holy crap Napoleon's army never invaded Bath nor took London. It's a contrivance of epic proportions that I still just don't understand. Too many questions and not enough answers.
I did finish JANE AND THE DAMNED, much to my surprise. I enjoyed it and I ultimately came to like Jane and Luke together but Jane is a little too bi-polar for me. She changed her mind about accepting her vampirism as often as she changed dresses and it was rough going trying to keep track of where her brain was in terms of not only her vampirism but her love of Luke. It wavered too much for my liking. She turned out to be a really strong heroine in terms of fighting capabilities and standing on her own but she ultimately had too much negative about her that, for the most part, cancelled it out.
I was entertained so the book served its purpose in that regard but it's incredibly historically inaccurate, I still have no idea why Jane Austen was the focusing character and the writing leaves a bit to be desired. If you're looking for a light, entertaining read reminiscent of Austenian works with a bit more fangs and blood and don't have much else to read JANE AND THE DAMNED will probably whet your appetite. Just don't expect it to do much else.
I didn't know why this story was about Jane Austen. You'd think there'd be some kind of relevance to it but it rightly could have been some made-up character created strictly for the book and it wouldn't have made a bit of different. So I was haunted by the question, "Why the hell is this Jane Austen?" throughout, making it a touch distracting.
That's not to say I didn't like Jane. I did. She was a very strong woman that, although reluctantly, embraced her vampirism and used it to fight the French when they invaded (a point to be dealt with in a moment). She stood her own as a fighter and even as her fellow Damned looked down upon her as not only a fledgling but an orphaned one (her maker having abandoned her and she was adopted by another) she stood tall, pulling off feats that eventually made them proud.
The writing didn't really lend itself to telling the story well, though. I felt the progression was jerky and I often found myself shoved out of the story due to a ragged transition from one scene to the next. The language was trying a bit too hard and while I never found it stilted it lent to the crappy transitions that kept pulling me out of the story.
That's not to mention that as I was reading I had a niggling feeling that Napoleon's army invading Britain just didn't sound right. Did it make for some good drama? Of course. Jane wouldn't have been able to become the fighter she did without someone to fight so steadfastly against. But it didn't seem right. Love the interwebs as it verified my unsettled thoughts: Napoleon was never actually able to get past the Royal Navy to fight on British land. Talk about taking gross liberties with history to serve the plot. It only puffs up the question as to why it had to be Jane Austen as the lead in this story. I have a big problem with that. Adding vampires to Jane Austen's life is one thing. I was entertained by all of that. But why bastardize history so much? I don't get it. Wait, I do get it: it served the plot. And yes, this book is a work of fiction. But holy crap Napoleon's army never invaded Bath nor took London. It's a contrivance of epic proportions that I still just don't understand. Too many questions and not enough answers.
I did finish JANE AND THE DAMNED, much to my surprise. I enjoyed it and I ultimately came to like Jane and Luke together but Jane is a little too bi-polar for me. She changed her mind about accepting her vampirism as often as she changed dresses and it was rough going trying to keep track of where her brain was in terms of not only her vampirism but her love of Luke. It wavered too much for my liking. She turned out to be a really strong heroine in terms of fighting capabilities and standing on her own but she ultimately had too much negative about her that, for the most part, cancelled it out.
I was entertained so the book served its purpose in that regard but it's incredibly historically inaccurate, I still have no idea why Jane Austen was the focusing character and the writing leaves a bit to be desired. If you're looking for a light, entertaining read reminiscent of Austenian works with a bit more fangs and blood and don't have much else to read JANE AND THE DAMNED will probably whet your appetite. Just don't expect it to do much else.
nicreadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Jane as a vampire is not entirely unoriginal, Ford did it with Jane Bites Back (and the sequel that followed); however his possessed more of Austen's biting wit and humour. On the other hand, Jane and the Danned was slightly more sentimental but still retained Austen's wit and humour. I thoroughly enjoyed it, wonderful really.
allison_on_a_book_break's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
wealhtheow's review against another edition
3.0
From the title, and the cute black-and-pink cameo cover, one might assume that this is yet another Austen-rip-off. However, from the very first chapter, it's clear that Mullany knows her Austen and the period in which she wrote. From her muslin-choices to her religion, Jane Austen is written in a way that fits perfectly with what we know of her life. But her Britain is not precisely like ours. Vampires exist, and humanity not only knows about them, they even accept them at the fringe of Society (as they too rich, connected and beautiful to be outcast, but too bloody and sexual to be proper). Austen becomes one of the Damned after a chance flirtation, and her adventures begin.
The Jane in the first few chapters is almost startlingly recognizable--but all too soon her opinions and reactions transform into those of a modern paranormal romance heroine. I was particularly disappointed by two things:
1)Her romance doesn't feel authentic or earned in the least. As so often happens, two characters meet, dislike each other, banter, and are then abruptly in love. I could buy affection, attraction, a crush--but not all-consuming love. Luke gives up his lover, and Jane her virtue, so quickly that it strained credulity.
2)The characterizations of historical figures like Brummel and Prinny don't ring true. Prince George was selfish and lazy, but he wasn't stupid--and in this book, he is energetic, more interested in Jane's affairs than his own, and as dumb as a puppy. I dunno why Mullany, who has clearly done her research elsewhere, failed in this regard. I just know that it threw me out of the story.
The beginning of this book is surprisingly good, but Mullany's reliance on paranormal romance tropes drags it down. If this had been more about Jane, and less about her vampire luvah, I'd have enjoyed it a good deal more.
The Jane in the first few chapters is almost startlingly recognizable--but all too soon her opinions and reactions transform into those of a modern paranormal romance heroine. I was particularly disappointed by two things:
1)Her romance doesn't feel authentic or earned in the least. As so often happens, two characters meet, dislike each other, banter, and are then abruptly in love. I could buy affection, attraction, a crush--but not all-consuming love. Luke gives up his lover, and Jane her virtue, so quickly that it strained credulity.
2)The characterizations of historical figures like Brummel and Prinny don't ring true. Prince George was selfish and lazy, but he wasn't stupid--and in this book, he is energetic, more interested in Jane's affairs than his own, and as dumb as a puppy. I dunno why Mullany, who has clearly done her research elsewhere, failed in this regard. I just know that it threw me out of the story.
The beginning of this book is surprisingly good, but Mullany's reliance on paranormal romance tropes drags it down. If this had been more about Jane, and less about her vampire luvah, I'd have enjoyed it a good deal more.
tinavenusreads's review against another edition
5.0
Super, super-cute book about Jane Austen if she became a vampire. I'm over the whole vampire craze but this was so cute and non-vampirey, if that makes sense. It felt like a breath of fresh air from the usual vampire fare. There is a second book to this series, about Jane's niece running into vampires years down the road, but I kind of don't want to spoil this book by reading another.
whimsicalmeerkat's review
4.0
I am more than a tiny bit alarmed by how much I loved [b:Jane and the Damned|6493406|Jane and the Damned (Immortal Jane Austen, #1)|Janet Mullany|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1301576411s/6493406.jpg|6684844]. I almost certainly would not have read it, had it not come up on a randomly generated list created precisely for the purpose of directing me towards books I might otherwise not read. I cannot remember how it ended up on my to be read list in the beginning.
All that aside, I really enjoyed this book. It was better than [b:Pride and Prejudice and Zombies|5899779|Pride and Prejudice and Zombies|Seth Grahame-Smith|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255569929s/5899779.jpg|6072122] in that it was more than just the insertion of a set of key phrases into a pre-existing work. [a:Janet Mullany|441453|Janet Mullany|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1240751141p2/441453.jpg] took the core conceit of Jane Austen becoming a vampire and created a funny tale that appeals to every bit of my adolescent adoration of cheesy Regency romances, tales of the marauding French, and sexy vampires. In other words, it's an absurd and brainless book, but sometimes that's all we want, right?
All that aside, I really enjoyed this book. It was better than [b:Pride and Prejudice and Zombies|5899779|Pride and Prejudice and Zombies|Seth Grahame-Smith|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255569929s/5899779.jpg|6072122] in that it was more than just the insertion of a set of key phrases into a pre-existing work. [a:Janet Mullany|441453|Janet Mullany|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1240751141p2/441453.jpg] took the core conceit of Jane Austen becoming a vampire and created a funny tale that appeals to every bit of my adolescent adoration of cheesy Regency romances, tales of the marauding French, and sexy vampires. In other words, it's an absurd and brainless book, but sometimes that's all we want, right?