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A Return to Sanditon
For real lovers of Jane Austen’s work, a completion of her unfinished Sanditon as she might possibly have envisaged it herself. No zombies or other anachronistic gimmicks, but a number of interlaced love stories set against a gently satirical picture of the fads and fancies of the times, above all the rising fashion for sea bathing and the greed and folly that accompanied it.
When Charlotte Heywood leaves her large and conservative family of Kentish landowners to stay with the Parkers in the new resort of Sanditon, she expects nothing more than a tranquil seaside holiday. She soon however becomes involved in the life of the little town, and is challenged to measure her own traditional values and tastes against those of financial speculators, affected social climbers, fashionable hypochondriacs, and followers of the new romantic ideas in the arts and human behaviour. Her initial attitude is that of an amused spectator, but soon, to her own surprise, she finds herself falling in love with her host’s younger brother, the witty and fascinating Sidney Parker. Sidney however leaves Sanditon abruptly in the company of Charlotte’s beautiful and enigmatic friend Clara Brereton, with whom Sir Edward Denham, penniless nephew of the town’s patroness and “great lady”, is in love, to his avaricious aunt’s displeasure, and the town buzzes with rumours of an elopement…
Anne Toledo has taught English Literature at university level for many years, specialising in the nineteenth-century novel in general, and in Jane Austen in particular. She is a devoted Janeite, and hopes that this story will appeal to those who share her love and appreciation of Jane Austen’s work at all levels – as romance, as humorous observation, and as moral satire, and also as a fascinating picture of daily life in middle-class England in the years immediately following the Napoleonic wars.
When Charlotte Heywood leaves her large and conservative family of Kentish landowners to stay with the Parkers in the new resort of Sanditon, she expects nothing more than a tranquil seaside holiday. She soon however becomes involved in the life of the little town, and is challenged to measure her own traditional values and tastes against those of financial speculators, affected social climbers, fashionable hypochondriacs, and followers of the new romantic ideas in the arts and human behaviour. Her initial attitude is that of an amused spectator, but soon, to her own surprise, she finds herself falling in love with her host’s younger brother, the witty and fascinating Sidney Parker. Sidney however leaves Sanditon abruptly in the company of Charlotte’s beautiful and enigmatic friend Clara Brereton, with whom Sir Edward Denham, penniless nephew of the town’s patroness and “great lady”, is in love, to his avaricious aunt’s displeasure, and the town buzzes with rumours of an elopement…
Anne Toledo has taught English Literature at university level for many years, specialising in the nineteenth-century novel in general, and in Jane Austen in particular. She is a devoted Janeite, and hopes that this story will appeal to those who share her love and appreciation of Jane Austen’s work at all levels – as romance, as humorous observation, and as moral satire, and also as a fascinating picture of daily life in middle-class England in the years immediately following the Napoleonic wars.
- GenresRomanceJane Austen
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 18, 2022
A regency era romance begun by Jane Austen in 1817, the year she died. She wrote 12 chapters then was forced to stop due to ill-health. This is one of the contemporary attempts to complete Jane Austen’s work. The author was raised in England, before moving to Italy, and lectured in English Literature at university. She uses the original manuscript, then continues the story. Jane’s chapters introduces us to Charlotte Heywood, the daughter of a Willingden farmer who meets Tom Parker and his wife and goes to stay with them at the up-and-coming (fictional) seaside resort of Sanditon in Sussex. Charlotte meets the feisty and frugal Lady Denham and her poor nephew and nieces, Mr Parker’s hypochondriac sisters and younger brother Arthur, and his dashing, handsome brother Sidney, and the West Indian heiress Miss Lambe. Toledo continues the tale with Charlotte beginning to form an attachment to Sidney on the seaside walks and promenades, only to be disappointed when he suddenly leaves town with Lady Denham’s niece Clara Brereton. The story then unfolds the mystery of what has befallen Clara, deals with romantic obstacles and uncertain legacies. It was a pleasant entertaining read but unfortunately was unable to sustain the pithy wit and insights of Jane Austen’s original chapters. Charlotte became far too perfect for my liking and I found the banter between her and Sidney probably too modern for the era. I’m interested to try another version for comparison, possibly the one based on the recent TV series.
November 16, 2016
Jane Austen wrote twelve chapters of a novel before she died. Evidently she at first thought of calling it "The Brothers" but the family decided to call it "Sanditon" since that is the primary setting of the fragment. All who love Austen's writing should read this last unfinished piece as she is still at the peak of her literary powers and one senses that we have here a potential masterpiece.
Still, there is a feeling of disappointment that it ends after those twelve chapters leaving us on the border of an undiscovered country. Hence, there have been some attempts to "complete" the story as Austen might have intended. This has been attempted with an earlier unfinished novel, "The Watsons" In that case, however, Jane simply lost interest in the book and later told one of her nieces how she had planned to complete the story. Thus, those who have completed the book (including one of the descendents of the Austen family) are on fairly firm ground as to the plot. This is not the case with "Sanditon". Any completion is going to be purely the opinion of the author.
I have just finished "A Return To Sanditon" by Anne Toledo. Her completion attempts to recreate the settings, character types, relationships and dialogue style which appear in Jane Austen's works. But she fails to generate the sharp irony that is so much a part of Jane Austen's vision of her world. Her heroine, Charlotte, is nice, gentle, and child-loving--altogether too much so! Some of the scenes don't ring true. Yes, bathing machines existed in the 18th century, but I somehow doubt that Austen would have used one as a setting for the formation of a friendship. There are characters who are thrown in without a great deal of point--Jane Austen was very adroit in making efficient use of even minor characters.
Toledo gives us a rather gentle completion that is pleasant to read but certainly lacking the sharp edge that Jane Austen would have provided.
Still, there is a feeling of disappointment that it ends after those twelve chapters leaving us on the border of an undiscovered country. Hence, there have been some attempts to "complete" the story as Austen might have intended. This has been attempted with an earlier unfinished novel, "The Watsons" In that case, however, Jane simply lost interest in the book and later told one of her nieces how she had planned to complete the story. Thus, those who have completed the book (including one of the descendents of the Austen family) are on fairly firm ground as to the plot. This is not the case with "Sanditon". Any completion is going to be purely the opinion of the author.
I have just finished "A Return To Sanditon" by Anne Toledo. Her completion attempts to recreate the settings, character types, relationships and dialogue style which appear in Jane Austen's works. But she fails to generate the sharp irony that is so much a part of Jane Austen's vision of her world. Her heroine, Charlotte, is nice, gentle, and child-loving--altogether too much so! Some of the scenes don't ring true. Yes, bathing machines existed in the 18th century, but I somehow doubt that Austen would have used one as a setting for the formation of a friendship. There are characters who are thrown in without a great deal of point--Jane Austen was very adroit in making efficient use of even minor characters.
Toledo gives us a rather gentle completion that is pleasant to read but certainly lacking the sharp edge that Jane Austen would have provided.
April 22, 2019
4.25-4.5 Books One and Two are enjoyable to read and interesting. Perhaps lacking a spark of magic. Book Three is at once unnecessary and a delightful goodbye to the story.
March 16, 2025
Probably the best of the retold/completed versions I’ve read.
September 12, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews