"The story of Pride and Prejudice Continues..."

We all want to be Jane Austen.

Don't try to deny it; your dream was her dream and it is my dream, too. All women wish to do something so lasting on the world - so meaningful to so many - that hundreds of years after our deaths people can still see tangible proof of our genius and of our souls.

Jane Austen, with her six novels of love and misunderstanding and redemption, has fueled a genre of literature, filled the hearts of her readers and provided hope for every woman "scorned in love," as Mr. Bennet would say.

Those of us who don't necessarily aspire to literary greatness wish to be Lizzie Bennet - full of love and pride and everything spunky and fun. Mix in a handsome and rich suitor and a mansion full of family and friends and you have the perfect life - oh to adore and be adored.

So perhaps it isn't surprising that authors are tacking their names along behind Jane Austen's on book covers everywhere. "The story of Pride and Prejudice Continues..." the shiny soft covers proclaim.

But who, I wonder, are these authors? Why do they feel the privilege of Austen's genius? How comfortable are they with kidnapping the most beloved characters of all time and bottling them up for resale?

So I stand in the middle of the road - somewhere in between Longbourn and Pemberley - and I challenge these authors to dazzle me. I am no literary scholar. I am not even an author myself. I am just a girl who loves six perfect novels and takes the word - and world - of Jane Austen seriously.

In The Pemberly Project, I will strive to read as many Jane Austen "companion novels" as I can - and review them. Do they capture Jane Austen's sparkling wit? Are they true to the characters of Jane Austen's creation? Given what we know of Jane Austen's actual work, are they plausible in plot?We shall see.

So begins The Pemberley Project. I invite readers to read along with me - to comment on my notes, observations and criticisms. Feel free to suggest books for this blog - I'll read them all. I may even throw in some remarks about television and film adaptations. Yes, I admit, I am a woman obsessed. Come and be obsessed with me.