Sanditon: Lady Susan • The Watsons and the Complete Juvenilia

by Jane Austen, Marjolein Bastin (illustrator)

Gems of literature in a luxurious and unique design by Marjolein Bastin.

The Marjolein Bastin Classics Series is a chance to rediscover classic literature in collectible, luxuriously illustrated volumes. For the first time ever, the internationally celebrated artwork of Marjolein Bastin graces the pages of not just one, but three of Jane Austen’s unfinished works—Sanditon, Lady Susan, and The Watsons—making it an absolute must-have for every Austen fan. Beyond bringing these stories to life, Bastin’s series adds elaborately designed ephemera, such as four-color maps, letters, family trees, and sheet music. 
 
Three unfinished novels, three very different While the young Emma in The Watsons has to return to her impoverished family and come to terms with completely new life circumstances, Lady Susan is already a seasoned woman. In this sharp-tongued epistolary novel, the widow seems to achieve every amorous goal with as much charm as guile. The outline for Sanditon presents numerous endearing and quirky characters who make the picturesque coastal town in Sussex an interesting vacation destination and the setting for all kinds of romantic entanglements. The stories are complemented by Jane Austen’s juvenilia, consisting of stage plays, stories and ideas that the author wrote down between the ages of 11 and 17. They bear witness to great creativity, imagination, wit and the desire to surprise and provoke her readers.
 
In this decorative edition, the unfinished novels and youthful works of the world-famous author appear together for the first time—in a new translation and lavishly illustrated by Marjolein Bastin. Whether an ideal gift for a Jane Austen devotee or a treat for yourself, the Marjolein Bastin Classics Series—as a set or individually purchased—is perfect for anyone who feels a connection to enduring literary gems.

384 pages, Hardcover

Published November 11, 2025

About the author

Jane Austen was an English novelist known primarily for her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment upon the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage for the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security. Her works are an implicit critique of the novels of sensibility of the second half of the 18th century and are part of the transition to 19th-century literary realism. Her deft use of social commentary, realism and biting irony have earned her acclaim among critics and scholars.

The anonymously published Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1816), were a modest success but brought her little fame in her lifetime. She wrote two other novels—Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1817—and began another, eventually titled Sanditon, but died before its completion. She also left behind three volumes of juvenile writings in manuscript, the short epistolary novel Lady Susan, and the unfinished novel The Watsons.
Since her death Austen's novels have rarely been out of print. A significant transition in her reputation occurred in 1833, when they were republished in Richard Bentley's Standard Novels series (illustrated by Ferdinand Pickering and sold as a set). They gradually gained wide acclaim and popular readership. In 1869, fifty-two years after her death, her nephew's publication of A Memoir of Jane Austen introduced a compelling version of her writing career and supposedly uneventful life to an eager audience. Her work has inspired a large number of critical essays and has been included in many literary anthologies. Her novels have also inspired many films, including 1940's Pride and Prejudice, 1995's Sense and Sensibility and 2016's Love & Friendship.

Reviews

[Marilyn]

I placed an order for this book on the Barnes & Noble website on 24 October 2025. It said it would arrive on 15 November. Then Mom died and I was flying to the Cape with Charlie to attend her graveside service. I was worried that the book would be stolen before I got back. So I asked Paul Benton, a neighbor, to watch for it. He checked twice a day - bless his heart - but it didn’t arrive.

Then on Thursday 19 Nov, it arrived. It’s just as beautiful as I imagined.

[Stephanie Miceli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Besides this book being one of the most beautiful in my Jane Austen collection, the works (which include Sandition, The Watson, Lady Susan and Jane’s complete juvenilia collection) are all fabulous. If you haven’t yet read any of these stories, then you are truly missing out.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a stunningly beautiful edition.