| Title | : | Enthusiasm |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0399243895 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780399243899 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 198 |
| Publication | : | First published February 16, 2006 |
Julie knows from bitter experience: her best friend, Ashleigh, is an Enthusiast. Ashleigh's current fancy is also Julie's own passion, Pride and Prejudice, and the heroine's quest for True Love. And so Julie finds herself swept along with Ashleigh, dressed in vintage frocks and sneaking into a dance at the local all-boys' prep school. There they discover several likely candidates for True Love, including the handsome and sensitive Parr. And Julie begins to wonder if maybe this obsession of Ashleigh's isn't so bad after all...
Enthusiasm Reviews
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This is a sweet YA romance, an homage to Jane Austen. The characters are delightful, and the salutes to Austen a great deal of fun.
Julie, the first person narrator, has been best friends with Ashleigh since early childhood. Ashleigh gets Enthusiasms, and when she does, she goes whole hog. Her latest is Austen, and of course she is determined to meet a Darcy. She sweeps shy Julie along in crashing a dance at a snazzy prep school, where they meet a couple of cute guys, one of whom is Julie's secret crush.
Ashleigh also thinks him cute, only what happens when both girls feel they are Lizzie Bennet and are attracted to the same Darcy?
This could have turned into one of those deadly rival triangles, but Schulman expertly guides the story into much more interesting waters: self-discovery, discovery about boys, creativity, dealing with parents, and thinking ahead to college, as well as that all-important First Kiss. Lovely writing, a fun summer afternoon read. -
Ha! This proves I like light, fluffy books. Although rather predictable this book was thoroughly enjoyable. Right on the cover was a recommendation of praise from Stephanie Myers which made me roll my eyes, and consider not reading the book. I'm glad I did though, I loved the two friends, Ashleigh's loyalty was refreshing. Though her "Enthusiasm" didn't seem so very Enthusiastic after the first 50 pages or so. Not when compared to the crazy things she's done in the past. The love interest of both girls, Parr, was slightly bothersome to me at first but Julie's adoration bent my will and I was quite smitten with him at the end. (though I still would have gone after Zach, he's more my type) Overall I would recommend this book right along with, (dare I say it,) Stephanie Myers.
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This book is so sugary sweet you could say maybe it almost too sweet. But as it is it's just what I needed. I was in the greatest mood while I was reading it and after I finished. This is probably the reason why I don't read as much deep sad books. You know how you sometimes keep the feel of the book while you're reading it for a while? If I'm having a hard time then there is no way I'm going to read a sad book. I have to be in the right state of mind.
Julie has a friend name Ashleigh, who is an Enthusiast who does things to the extreme. For a few weeks it's a band, then the next it's Jane Austen. Through a series of mildly awkward but usually surprisingly fun encounters Julie finally finds a guy who she likes and who just might be into her too.
The family life was done pretty well I think. Julie has a few issues but is doesn't completely fall into the same clichés of divorced parents.
I think the best part of the book was Julie being such a good friend and Ashleigh is so loyal too. She and Ashleigh are just so loyal and good to each other even though Julie has to fight so many emotions. The second best part was the romance. It's all just right there. It could all work so perfectly if just one person would open up and make the right move.
But back to the book, I think this was supposed to be a loosely based on one of Austen's books, or maybe a few of them? I'm not sure really but it doesn't really matter. It didn't have as much Austen as I thought it would. I honestly didn't look for any Austen references after a while.
So yeah it's predictable and fluffy but I liked it a lot. I might just check it out again to get myself in a good mood. It's just so funny. -
I love Jane Austen. I have read all of her completed novels at least twice. I've read quite a few JA para-lit novels, and this is by far the best of the bunch. It includes allusions to not only P&P, but Emma, Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, and even a little Mansfield Park, too. Although she borrows from Austen's characters, Shulman does a great job of making them (and the story) fresh and unique. There was never a doubt in my mind as to the ending (it is, after all, a romance, and a YA one at that), but getting there was so much fun! I wanted to read it all over again after I finished, and I probably will at some point in the future. I'm loathe to give out any details of the book, because I want everyone to discover it for themselves, but I will say that musical theater (more specifically, a musical version of A Midsummer Night's Dream) comes into play. There are also sonnets, chocolate turkeys, fun new words (like "igsome" - "ig" for short - which is used to describe something/someone bad), romantic mix-ups, and all the usual high school drama.
I bought my copy through Scholastic's Book Club, and if it's ever made available again I'll probably buy a few more. Even if you're not a fan of Austen, I'm pretty sure you'd enjoy this book - it's just that wonderful. -
Enthusiasm is a fluffy, comfy book filled with references to Jane Austen and some of her works, most notably Pride & Prejudice.
A YA book, it was recommended to me by my teen daughter, so of course I had to read it. A quick, fun read, with a cast of cute and quirky (though unrealistic at times) characters, Enthusiasm is definitely marketed to capitalize on the teen fascination with boys, crushes, first kisses and clueless parents.
Very sweet and light fare, although as a mom I do take issue with the current trend in having male characters enter the heroine's bedroom at night to *just cuddle*. Sure, it might sound romantic and squee-worthy when you read it in a book, but girls, please trust me on this one: if a boy climbs into your bedroom at night, he's got more on his mind then a cuddle and a good night's sleep.
Otherwise, Shulman has penned a lighthearted teen tale that's worth a few hours reading time. Just remember to keep your windows bolted.... -
Text to Self
This book is definately for the light of heart, teenage girl. Which is exactly what I happen to be. I found a lot of connections between this book and my self. I am a lot like the main character Julia. We both have an extreme love of the Jane Austen novel Pride and Prejudice, we both love, even though we might not show it all the time, our very best friend more than anything, and would do almost anything for them, and we both hold on dearly to the dream that we will one day find our very own Mr. Darcy.
Text to Text
Though this book makes a lot of refrences to Pride and Prejudice it remindes me more of Austen's Emma. Ashleigh, Julia's best friend, reminds me a lot of Emma Woodhouse. Just like in the novel, there is much confusion about who loves who, and how to go about making those you love, fall in love with you. Ashleigh, like Emma, takes it upon herself, through certain schemes, to help her best friend find love, while along the way, finding love herself.
Text to World
It took me a while to figure out how to connect this book to the world, and then it hit me, drama. The world is full of drama, espically teenage drama. Being a teenager, I've seen my fair share of it. This book does cotain a good bit. You can find drama, like that of this story, everywhere you look. T.V., magazines, real life, movies, like I said it's every where! -
It's been around five years since I first ran across ENTHUSIASM by
Polly Shulman. And, honestly, when I think about it, I'm fairly certain I got this recommendation from Stephenie Meyer's website way back in the day. I believe she had it on her list of recommended reads and I picked it up based on that and the fact that it had a
Jane Austen angle. It seems like there are so many of those these days, but at the time I hadn't read many. I'm very glad I did pick it up, as this is a perfectly delightful, perfectly quick read that entertains and leaves a grin on your face. I still don't see it around very much, but I'm happy to see Ms. Shulman has a new book that came out last year. Definitely need to go check that one out since I read this one in a single sitting. As far as the covers go, what do you think? I'm always interested to see where they go when they change it between hardback and paperback releases. I think it's interesting the slight shift they took on the paperback, lightening the background and adding the Austen figures to highlight that aspect of the story. Probably a good idea, but I do find myself sort of preferring the bright, simple colorblock of the hardback.
This sweet, smart little novel follows 15-year-old Julia Lefkowitz who loves Jane Austen. Enter her best friend Ashleigh the Enthusiast."There is little more likely to exasperate a person of sense than finding herself tied by affection and habit to an Enthusiast."
Ashleigh moves from one obsession to another like they're going out of style. But she always, always devotes her whole self, heart and soul, to whatever the obsession of the day is. And most recently, rather unexpectedly, Ashleigh has decided to follow her less enthusiastic friend Julie's lead and adopt Austen as her latest obsession. Specifically
Pride and Prejudice. In short order, she's talking like Elizabeth Bennet, dressing like Elizabeth Bennet, and dragging poor Julia off to crash an all boys school cotillion in search of a Darcy and a Bingley apiece. Suitable young men are found (naturally), the charming Ned and Parr, but which one is which and just who is actually in love with who?
Delightful and quirky, full of sly Austen references, and even a play within a play, ENTHUSIASM is easy to fall for. In fact, I stayed up late in the closet reading this one after a particularly long and trying day. This was back when I lived in a room with a walk-in closet. Don't you love those for reading in late at night, or is that just me? I remember I had one as well when I was around 14 years old and, let me tell you, I spent many a night cozied up in that space, surrounded by hemlines, shoes, and a good book. In this case, I really liked these two girls. The reserved one and the vivacious one, together they are the real deal when it comes to being friends. So much so that when misunderstandings arise, they stick it out, even if it means (as it does here) one of them swallowing a rather hefty helping of disappointment for much of the book. But I loved their friendship and I loved the swoony romance that develops between Julie and one of the young lads (not telling which one). Complete with first kisses, climbing in and out of windows, and sonnets pinned to trees. Be still my heart. Genuine and sweet, ENTHUSIASM has stayed on my shelf over the years, for whenever I need a little modern-day Austen in my life. -
Do you adore Jane Austin? Are you searching for your very own Mr. Darcy? Do you have absolutely no idea what I am talking about? Ok, well Julia Lefkowitz and her next-door neighbor/life long best friend Ashleigh Rossi do: Julia is a huge fan of Austin, especially Pride & Prejudice, and Ashleigh, well she is what you might call an Enthusiast. At least, that is what Julie calls her. You see Ashleigh has a tendency to become deeply, passionately obsessed with something, committing her whole life to it, at least until the next craze comes along. This time, she’s hooked on the prim and proper world of Austin. Julia hopes the craze will pass soon, but before it does they will have to do at least one terribly embarrassing thing- like, maybe crash the formal at the local all guys prep school. And, when the girls meet two prep attendees they must vie for the attentions of the likely Mr. Darcy. If you’re hooked on Austin, have a best friend whom you adore despite their crazy notions, or maybe even just like a good romance, give this one a try.
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This is NOT a modern day retelling of Jane Austen. It's more of an homage to Austen (and also Shakespeare.)
The MC's BFF becomes obsessed with P&P and Jane Austen, and there's a tiny bit of Pride and Prejudice references: A Bingley, a Collins, but the male lead is no Darcy. There's also a play within the book and a play within the play within the book. Which is kind of fun.
I enjoyed reading this book. There were shenanigans.
The MC needs to grow a backbone and become a little more aware of the world around her, but she has good friends and the romances are cute. There are no mean girls and there's no drama and I always appreiciate that in a YA. -
"You love her
But she loves him
And he loves somebody else...
I don't care for any casanova thing
All I can say is
Love stinks! Love stinks!"
-Boston's own J. Geils Band
I think our heroine has elements of Elinor Dashwood and Catherine Morland. -
This was such fun! A really good nod to Jane Austen and her characters. I'm really impressed how well this old YA book is holding up against time.
Jane Austen July 2022: 4. Read a retelling of a Jane Austen book OR a work of historical fiction set in Jane Austen’s time. -
I had a blast reading Polly Shulman’s novel Enthusiasm, her homage to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice! It had been released in 2006 and was on my ‘to read’ list for quite some time until I felt the need for something summerish and light to read. Since it is classified as a young adult novel for grades 7-10, I was prepared to be underwhelmed by a less than sparkling plot and characterizations. My assumptions were so wrong! Totally!
It is quite amazing to think that this is Shulman’s first novel! If you check out her picture on her web site she looks barley old enough to be ‘out’ in society!. Educated at Yale Univeristy as a mathematician, she obviously possesses both left and right brain skills! This writer is pea green with envy and is in total awe of this level of talent in one so young. Like Jane Austen, Shulman is all about language, social observation and characterization. It is easy to see why Austen is one of her favorite authors and how she inspired her writing.
The book’s auspicious opening quote, “There is little more likely to exasperate a person of sense than finding herself tied by affection and habit to an Enthusiast” sets the tone of Austen-esque language throughout the novel that is respectful but not mimicy to Austen’s prose. The narrative is told from the perspective of fifteen-year old Julie, whose best friend since grade school is Ashleigh, an ‘enthusiast’. From Harriet the Spy to candy-making to military strategy, Julie never knows what or when the next craze will over-take her friend, but she is certain to be pulled into it. Now, her latest inspiration is also Julie’s passion, Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice. However, Ashleigh’s new possession of Regency manners and decorum mortify her conservative friend. Not only do they include speaking in Austenese, but wearing Regency attire to school, learning to country dance like her idols Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, and ultimately, the ardent pursuit of her own true love. Ashleigh’s latest hair-brain scheme is to find their Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley by crashing a boy’s prep school dance!
Knowing Austen’s world through her novels and movie adaptations was helpful, but not a prerequisite to enjoying this delightful novel. By following Julie’s 21st-century hardships, anxieties, mix-ups, and social blunderings we see that they are interchangeable with any 19th-century Regency Miss’ life; — for what young lady of any era does not wish, hope, and dream that a young gentleman will notice her, and return her affections?
Laurel Ann, Austenprose -
Julie has grown up her whole life with a best friend who is an Enthusiast. Whenever Ashleigh, Julie's best friend, finds a new craze she jumps head first, and rarely comes up for air. Her latest craze is non other than Jane Austen which she found when Julie lent her a copy of
Pride and Prejudice. This craze has Ashleigh speaking in 18th century English, and only wearing long skirts or dresses because it is immodest to reveal the shape of one's legs. Her craze also involves a hairbrained scheme to crash an all boys prep school dance in order to find their Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. However, when the two girls end up falling for the same Mr. Darcy things get little tense.
Loved this book. It was a wonderful ode to Jane Austen, with a bit of Shakespeare thrown in. The characters were fun, and there wasn't one I didn't like. I even liked the characters you were not supposed to. It captured the dramatic world of teenage love and infatuation perfectly. -
Julie and Ashley have been best friends forever. Through Ashley’s King Arthur phase, her Wet Blankets phase, and now . . . Jane Austen. Which involves “no showing of the lower limbs,” learning the quadrille, and crashing the fall dance at the local all-boys school, in search of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley.
Julie is an excellent best friend. She’s prepared to suffer the social criticism, the missteps, and even the total embarrassment of getting turned away from the dance.
But just how well will that friendship survive . . . when it turns out there are two Elizabeth Bennets and only one Mr. Darcy?
Entertaining. I liked the rehearsal scenes with the warped version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Though I must admit, I would have LOVED to see Ashley tackle at least one martial arts lesson! -
This was my second time around reading this book. I just finished my other one and wanted something to read, so I went to my shelf and picked this one up.
Honestly, I forgot how much I loved this book. Its quick read, light, funny and just perfect for a few hour long distraction on a rainy day. As a sucker for rom coms and romance stories in general, I don't care how predictable it is, I love it all the same. Its one of those books that requires me to stop for a minute to relax my face because it hurts from smiling too much. Its cute and I definitely recommend it for a quick pick me up.
Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go read Pride and Prejudice. -
Super cheesy but super cute. I was in the mood for something just like it and i laughed out loud so much throughout the whole book. Julia's friend Ashleigh is so comfortable in her own skin you wish you were just like her but some of her ideas are so embarrassing. Some of the problem in the book seem so unrealistic and cheesy but the sad part is that they are totally true and are a huge deal in a teenaged girl's life . All in all theres no way after you have finished the book that you can help but feel all warm and happy inside.
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It was so FUN to read this book. As dumb as it may sound I felt like a teenager with a "crush". My heart fluttered at the "first kiss" and I laughed out loud in parts of this book (which hardly never happens when reading). I look forward to reading this book again in the near future.
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I give it a 4.5 only because it was a bit too predictable...of course that's because I've read Austen's works. So, it was a bit comforting reading the familiar plots and storylines speckled throughout the book. Overall an enjoyable and quick read.
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Cute! It is funny for me to read about teenage angst now that I'm way past that age...I just want to say "Girls - communicate! Fight for what you want...".
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I went from "This is so stupid" to stupidly grinning.
Full review to come. -
I really like this book a lot. I encourage everyone to read it. I guess it is a little cheesy, but I like that.
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”Or, personne ne trouvait Ashleigh ennuyeuse”
… Moi, je la trouvais trés, trés ennuyeuse.
Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate Ashleigh. Actually, she is the better friend in this equation. I just found her very hyper and annoying. But sweet, very sweet.
Julie however… at first I really enjoyed this novel, but about 2/3rds through her passivity was driving me mad. She basically ended up dating Seth because she ”didn’t want to hurt his feelings”, yet she didn’t correct her dad and stepmom when they called him her boyfriend, and she didn’t seem to reflect that LEADING HIM ON is hurtful! He could’ve had dinner with some other girl’s family, and spent time courting someone else, stop acting like your inability to say no, is him being a creep.
The last scene with him was horrific and humiliating and Julie really seemed like a bad person, even if Ashleigh instigated.
Anyway, for the most part, this is a really sweet book. I did get tired of Julie and didn’t care about her getting her crush by the end, because at that point she was just causing her own issues by still refusing to communicate with anyone.
Also, she kissed Zach even though he had a girlfriend. What a bitch. Fine, there wasn’t feelings involved, but raise your hand if you would like your boyfriend to ”practice” kiss with 16 year old because she was mopey?
But let’s compare, Julie has feelings for Parr and decides to be noble and back off when she thinks her bedtime Ashleigh likes him. This was fine-ish at the start, understandable at least, but only to a point. Because Ash very clearly wouldn’t have risked their friendship over a guy either, so Julie could’ve solved everything with a conversation.
Compare when Ashleigh realizes she has feelings for Ned, and immediately spills all to Julie and wants to make sure she is ok with it…
… you’re not doing anyone any favors Jules, stop being a martyr.
Then the thing where she thought the tall blonde he danced with was
someone else ! Girl! He was with you all evening and you even overheard girls talking about how he was probably dating YOU!
Finally, I liked Parr until he started leaving flowers and sonnets under her window. That was just creepy to me.
All that said, I still enjoyed this. I skimmed at the end just to get over the final drama, but before that it was very sweet and often relatable to how I felt as a teen, many moons ago. I just wish Julie had grown a back bone at some point. -
4⭐ Uff me gustó muchisimo más de lo que pensaba 🥺❤️ Me pareció muy dulce y tierno. Le habría dado un poco más en su calificacion pero el principio es un poco lento y casi casi me rindo con el (que bueno que no lo hice). Y otra cosa que no me gustó para nada fue el primer beso de Julie, esa situación no me pareció correcta, odio cualquier tipo de infidelidad 😕. Ashleigh me caía super mal al inicio pero digamos que la terminé aceptando al final.
Me gustó y me identifiqué con el personaje de Julia y Grandison en definitiva es un amor 🥰❤️ El soneto es la cosa más hermosa que he visto en un buen tiempo 🥺❤️ Las historias de amor en definitiva van a ser mi ruina 😖😅❤️
Ame todas las referencias al Sr. Darcy y las demás obras de Jane Austen. Odie al papá y su nueva esposa, el karma se las cobró a ambos con el tema de los bebés 😬
El final es muy bonito🥰 I love it!!❤️ -
Let me first of all say that this cover is ridiculous. Now that we've gotten that out of the way...
This is a fun little YA romance about two girls who love Jane Austen. Sweet in places, hokey at times, and happy in the end, this was a fun mashup of several of Austen's plot lines and it worked for me. Very glad Selah put this book on my radar! -
I waited for more than a decade to read this book. A freaking decade! And instead of getting a sweet romance inspired by Pride and Prejudice, I get this garbage.
Ugh! I am so mad right now! -
More like 3.5 stars. I rounded up this time because something about this book captured me with its charm.
Yes, it's an ode to Jane Austen. But it's also an ode to Shakespeare, poetry, literature, music . . . and high school. But one thing I loved was that the trappings of real life never change the main character's spirit and voice. Her Enthusiasm (ha ha get it?) never dies.
I also loved that this ISN'T a book about two female friends torn apart over a guy. The plot is much more subtle and complex . . . kind of like being a teenager. -
I read ENTHUSIASM shortly after its release in 2006 and, when I went searching for audiobooks for a recent roadtrip, I felt compelled to bring it along. Before I'd even finished the first disc, I remembered just how much I adore Polly Shulman's debut. I was so engrossed that I compeletely missed one of my exits and continued onward for about half an hour before I noticed. In fact, when I realized my error, I didn't even mind... it meant my trip was extended and I would have an entire extra hour before I'd have to give up ENTHUSIASM!
When selecting audiobooks I prefer contemporary YA with laugh-out-loud humor... and, of course, romance. That way, as I'm driving down the highway, I look insane.
In all seriousness, I need a book that will keep me wide-eyed and engaged for hours at time, so I must choose carefully. Sometimes, I'll be so wrapped up in a story that, even after I've reached my destination, I'll sit in the driveway listening... ENTHUSIASM had me sneaking back out to the car when no one was paying attention, just to hear a few more chapters.
Enthusiasts like Ashleigh are high spirited, stubborn, and, sometimes, crazed. When Ashleigh zeros in on the one thing Julie is actually passionate about, in her quiet, reverent way, she knows there's no use trying to dissuade her. Ashleigh plans on finding love. No, not just love, but true love, like Elizabeth Bennett finds in the scowling Mr. Darcy.
I didn't have a friend like Ashleigh in high school, but I imagine my attitude would have been similar to Julie's. Though Julie often complains about Ashleigh's shenanigans, it's clear to the reader that she's fiercely loyal and loves Ashleigh despite her eccentricities. ENTHUSIAM celebrates a healthly relationships between best friends. Hurrah! I definitely don't take issue with the books that showcase dysfuntional friendships, but they do seem to crop up more often than than the former, so I'm always excited to find a relationship like Julie and Ashleigh's.
It's difficult to discuss the romance in ENTHUSIASM with out spoilers, so I'll keep it brief. Swoon. To be back in high school experiencing my first kiss... This aspect of the novel was absolutely adorable.
Julie's enthusiastic adventures are sure to keep readers (or listeners!) of all ages entertained.
Grade: A -
Julie's best friend Ashleigh is an enthusiast. She throws herself into her unusual hobbies so completely, she loses sight of all reason. In her fifteen years she has wanted to be a knight, a candy maker, and now a Jane Austen heroine. Poor Julie, always a loyal friend, gets dragged along into Ashleigh's schemes for better or for worse. Ashleigh decides that in order to find True Love, she and Julie are going to crash a school dance at a local boys' prep school. On the verge of being tossed out of the boys' school for gate-crashing, they are rescued by their very own Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. Unfortunately, the one thing Jane Austen did not write about is what happens when both girls fall in love with Mr. Darcy! Julie decides to be noble and try to ignore her feelings for her Mr. Darcy, but it's not easy when Ashleigh gets them involved in the boys' school musical! To complicate matters further, there's another suitor vying for Julie's attention (Mr. Collins maybe?) and even a high school Mr. Wickham preying on girls. There's a lot of miscommunication, embarrassing situations and angsty moments before the love knot can be untangled and Julie finds her Mr. Darcy. I liked the premise of the book and Ashleigh is an exaggerated version of me. I can totally see myself doing some of the things she does, short of crashing a dance and I absolutely loved the dancing scenes, thanks to my experience at a local Regency dance event. Though Julie is more quiet than Ashleigh, she has normal teenage problems and not so normal teenage problems, which make her more realistic and appealing than her friend. The boys are too good to be true but charming in their own way. There are some cute laugh-out-loud moments and sweet romantic moments that make this a good read for any girl who has ever dreamed of finding her own Mr. Darcy! If you like The Princess Diaries series, by Meg Cabot you will also enjoy this book.
