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Sanditon
A novelisation of ITV's lavish period drama, Sanditon, adapted for television by Emmy and BAFTA-Award winning writer Andrew Davies and based on Jane Austen’s unfinished novel.
When a chance accident transports Charlotte Heywood to the seaside town of Sanditon, her life changes forever. And when she meets the charming and slightly wild Sidney Parker, she finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of romance, betrayal and changing alliances – nobody in Sanditon is quite as they seem.
Discover the world Jane Austen left behind and meet the characters brought to the page by Kate Riordan. Every coastal town has its secrets – but Sanditon has more than most!
When a chance accident transports Charlotte Heywood to the seaside town of Sanditon, her life changes forever. And when she meets the charming and slightly wild Sidney Parker, she finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of romance, betrayal and changing alliances – nobody in Sanditon is quite as they seem.
Discover the world Jane Austen left behind and meet the characters brought to the page by Kate Riordan. Every coastal town has its secrets – but Sanditon has more than most!
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2019
387 people are currently reading
3067 people want to read
About the author
Kate Riordan
11 books572 followersKate Riordan is a writer and journalist from England. Her first job was as an editorial assistant at the Guardian newspaper, followed by a stint as deputy editor for the lifestyle section of London bible, Time Out magazine.
After becoming a freelancer, she left London behind and moved to the beautiful Cotswolds in order to write her first novel, 'Birdcage Walk'. Her second novel, a haunting dual narrative story set in the 1930s and 1890s will be published by Penguin in January 2015 as 'The Girl in the Photograph'. In February, HarperCollins will publish the same book as 'Fiercombe Manor' in the US and Canada. She is now at work on her third novel, another dual narrative story full of intrigue and secrets, but this time set in the 1870s and 1920s, and about the lives of two very different governesses.
After becoming a freelancer, she left London behind and moved to the beautiful Cotswolds in order to write her first novel, 'Birdcage Walk'. Her second novel, a haunting dual narrative story set in the 1930s and 1890s will be published by Penguin in January 2015 as 'The Girl in the Photograph'. In February, HarperCollins will publish the same book as 'Fiercombe Manor' in the US and Canada. She is now at work on her third novel, another dual narrative story full of intrigue and secrets, but this time set in the 1870s and 1920s, and about the lives of two very different governesses.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 359 reviews
December 8, 2019
Sanditon was Jane Austen’s last book, started just before she passed away. Kate Riordan completed the work, and it was a pleasure to have a taste of an Austen book. I cannot wait for the TV adaptation! It’s going to be so good.
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy. Many of my reviews can also be found on instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy. Many of my reviews can also be found on instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
March 27, 2020
An Incomplete Continuation?
This completion of Sanditon by Jane Austen and Kate Riordan is a tie-in novel based on the Andrew Davies’ TV adaptation. Having watched many of the episodes soon after the correlating chapters of this book, I can confirm that they follow the same series of events and most of the same dialogue exchanges.
Jane Austen’s unfinished fragment doesn’t provide a lot of clues about the directions she was intending to take with Charlotte Heywood, the Parkers, and Sanditon. In fact, many scholars look at the manuscript and believe that Jane Austen was about to embark upon a story with a style quite divergent from its predecessors. And as many of you might already be aware (or have heard), Mr. Andrew Davies’ adaptation/continuation tends to aim more towards captivating and entertaining modern-day audiences than completing the unfinished manuscript in a manner Jane Austen would have intended.
WHAT I LOVED:
- Exploring Themes Jane Austen Introduced: Especially the gamble of speculation with Sanditon and Thomas Parker (Gah! So much tension and drama in that storyline!)
A Cut-Throat Battle for Inheritance: Another theme Jane Austen introduced between Clara Brereton and the Denhams reaches new levels in this adaptation. I loathed Sir Edward Denham (which I think we were supposed to), but initially felt a lot of sympathy for and interest in Clara.
- Lady Denham: She is spirited and sharp, and not afraid to bluntly speak her mind. She kind of reminds me of a super cynical Lady Violet Crawley. I especially enjoyed her developing relationship with Esther Denham.
- Lord Babbington, Arthur Parker, and Mr. (Young) Stringer: Definitely some of the most likable characters in this series! I was completely endeared to Lord Babbington’s indefatigable pursuit of Esther, Arthur’s adorable overtures of friendship to Miss Lambe, and Mr. Stringer’s sweet interactions with Charlotte.
- Eventful: Balls, a cricket match, and a regatta – such delightful bustle and comings and goings! Not to mention more than one forbidden romance, several love triangles, and the rising tension accompanying the development of Sanditon. It kept me riveted and turning pages!
WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:
- Sidney and Charlotte Relationship: Sadly, I could not get behind this relationship. In some ways it felt a little like a pale imitation of a Darcy/Elizabeth hate-to-love trope. He was unlikable and a brute to her, she was naive and outspoken. And then their animosity changed and tender feelings of regard developed quickly without much cause. Sidney felt changeable and incomplete, and I thought Charlotte, who I typically adore in every other adaptation I’ve read, was a little one dimensional. I guess it felt too manufactured for my tastes.
- Secondary Characters: Similar to Mansfield Park, there ended up being a lot of characters that are hard to like in this series (aside from the ones we aren’t supposed to like), such as: Georgiana Lambe and Clara Brereton because of their selfishness and sour/spiteful qualities. (I initially had Esther Denham on this list, but she proved a pleasant surprise!) In addition, where was Susan Parker? And what a missed opportunity with Diana…she could have been hilarious.
- In the Foreground: We all know that Jane Austen’s novels have scandals and seductions, but her style was for those events to happen off-page. Andrew Davies placed all the scandals and seductions front and center with this miniseries. Which may coincide well with much of our modern-day programming and culture, but at the same time still felt a little jarring and malapropos for Jane Austen.
- It Might Remain Unfinished: According to @MasterpiecePBS on Twitter, currently “there are no plans for another season” of Sanditon. POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT! Season One of Sanditon ends with a lot unresolved. Which at first, I didn’t mind…I liked the idea of more (especially since I wasn’t satisfied with some developments anyway). But if there is to be no more, then this book and miniseries will forever feel incomplete! It would seem that like Thomas Parker, the creators of this series were engaging in a bit of dangerous speculation with this first season… 😉
CONCLUSION:
I am grateful to see dear Sanditon in the spotlight, it is an unfinished work worthy of attention and development. As a completion to Jane Austen’s fragment, this miniseries and tie-in novel sadly do not fully satisfy. But as a period drama production in the style of Downton Abbey, this miniseries and tie-in novel is one that entertains and intrigues! I am exceedingly glad to have watched/read Sanditon, even with my list of quibbles. After all, how often do we get a new multi-part series of a Jane Austen work to enjoy?
Austenesque Reviews
This completion of Sanditon by Jane Austen and Kate Riordan is a tie-in novel based on the Andrew Davies’ TV adaptation. Having watched many of the episodes soon after the correlating chapters of this book, I can confirm that they follow the same series of events and most of the same dialogue exchanges.
Jane Austen’s unfinished fragment doesn’t provide a lot of clues about the directions she was intending to take with Charlotte Heywood, the Parkers, and Sanditon. In fact, many scholars look at the manuscript and believe that Jane Austen was about to embark upon a story with a style quite divergent from its predecessors. And as many of you might already be aware (or have heard), Mr. Andrew Davies’ adaptation/continuation tends to aim more towards captivating and entertaining modern-day audiences than completing the unfinished manuscript in a manner Jane Austen would have intended.
WHAT I LOVED:
- Exploring Themes Jane Austen Introduced: Especially the gamble of speculation with Sanditon and Thomas Parker (Gah! So much tension and drama in that storyline!)
A Cut-Throat Battle for Inheritance: Another theme Jane Austen introduced between Clara Brereton and the Denhams reaches new levels in this adaptation. I loathed Sir Edward Denham (which I think we were supposed to), but initially felt a lot of sympathy for and interest in Clara.
- Lady Denham: She is spirited and sharp, and not afraid to bluntly speak her mind. She kind of reminds me of a super cynical Lady Violet Crawley. I especially enjoyed her developing relationship with Esther Denham.
- Lord Babbington, Arthur Parker, and Mr. (Young) Stringer: Definitely some of the most likable characters in this series! I was completely endeared to Lord Babbington’s indefatigable pursuit of Esther, Arthur’s adorable overtures of friendship to Miss Lambe, and Mr. Stringer’s sweet interactions with Charlotte.
- Eventful: Balls, a cricket match, and a regatta – such delightful bustle and comings and goings! Not to mention more than one forbidden romance, several love triangles, and the rising tension accompanying the development of Sanditon. It kept me riveted and turning pages!
WHAT I WASN’T TOO FOND OF:
- Sidney and Charlotte Relationship: Sadly, I could not get behind this relationship. In some ways it felt a little like a pale imitation of a Darcy/Elizabeth hate-to-love trope. He was unlikable and a brute to her, she was naive and outspoken. And then their animosity changed and tender feelings of regard developed quickly without much cause. Sidney felt changeable and incomplete, and I thought Charlotte, who I typically adore in every other adaptation I’ve read, was a little one dimensional. I guess it felt too manufactured for my tastes.
- Secondary Characters: Similar to Mansfield Park, there ended up being a lot of characters that are hard to like in this series (aside from the ones we aren’t supposed to like), such as: Georgiana Lambe and Clara Brereton because of their selfishness and sour/spiteful qualities. (I initially had Esther Denham on this list, but she proved a pleasant surprise!) In addition, where was Susan Parker? And what a missed opportunity with Diana…she could have been hilarious.
- In the Foreground: We all know that Jane Austen’s novels have scandals and seductions, but her style was for those events to happen off-page. Andrew Davies placed all the scandals and seductions front and center with this miniseries. Which may coincide well with much of our modern-day programming and culture, but at the same time still felt a little jarring and malapropos for Jane Austen.
- It Might Remain Unfinished: According to @MasterpiecePBS on Twitter, currently “there are no plans for another season” of Sanditon. POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT! Season One of Sanditon ends with a lot unresolved. Which at first, I didn’t mind…I liked the idea of more (especially since I wasn’t satisfied with some developments anyway). But if there is to be no more, then this book and miniseries will forever feel incomplete! It would seem that like Thomas Parker, the creators of this series were engaging in a bit of dangerous speculation with this first season… 😉
CONCLUSION:
I am grateful to see dear Sanditon in the spotlight, it is an unfinished work worthy of attention and development. As a completion to Jane Austen’s fragment, this miniseries and tie-in novel sadly do not fully satisfy. But as a period drama production in the style of Downton Abbey, this miniseries and tie-in novel is one that entertains and intrigues! I am exceedingly glad to have watched/read Sanditon, even with my list of quibbles. After all, how often do we get a new multi-part series of a Jane Austen work to enjoy?
Austenesque Reviews
January 20, 2020
*this review doesn’t reflect my opinion on the actual show, Sanditon, which is well written, well casted, and well acted.
Austen's Sanditon, though unfinished, has long been a favorite text of mine. I was very excited to find a new completion of it. Unfortunately, I was VERY disappointed in this adaptation. It is utterly superficial, sentimental, and sensational (in the negative sense of the word). Riordan has made Charlotte Heywood into another Elizabeth Bennett, rather than developed her into the character Austen began. Things began well when Riordan has Sidney Parker confront Charlotte on her propensity for evaluating others around her; but then Riordan sheds Charlotte's prickly personality and makes her all eager to help everyone. She should have stuck with the prickly character instead of giving that to the other minor female characters: Esther Denham and Clara Brereton. Charlotte, after all, is Lady Catherine De Bourgh in the making...or the doppelganger to Lady Denham herself.
The Parker brothers, Charlotte's competition for attention in the novel, have some charming qualities to them in Riordan's novel, but nothing compelling. Sidney's ending only is interesting.
As for the Denham storyline, it reminds one of Lord Byron's scandalous affair with his sibling. But that's it. Edward Denham is one of Austen's strangest characters. Riordan runs with that, but to little effect. Esther Denham and Clara Brereton are basically interchangeable in terms of how unlikeable they are. The overt sexuality of the ladies is harlequin more than Austen. Lady Denham herself is just a prop.
Georgiana Lamb's storyline is too hackneyed. What did Austen intend with her first woman of color anyway? And why did Riordan make Sidney Parker Miss Lamb's guardian? Surely, Miss Lamb, Charlotte, and Sidney would have been the primary love triangle of the story. For all her money, the white males of Riordan's adaptation virtually ignore Miss Lamb's existence.
And there are too many minor characters in this story. Mrs. Griffiths, the Beaufort sisters, Mary Parker, Arthur Parker, Rev. Hankins, Diana Parker, Old Stringer, Mr. Crowe, Lord Babington, Lady Susan, Lady Worchester... Austen could be at fault for this, since she created much of the cast that Riordan uses. The novel would need to be quite long...along the lines of Dickens' Bleak House...to develop these characters satisfactorily.
But much of the plot of this adaptation is rushed and superficial. Scenes and situations are thrown at readers at a bracing pace. However, this book utterly lacks the psychological sophistication of Austen's books, and focuses on the marriage plot, reducing Sanditon to yet another romance fantasy. The storyline about the town's development and Tom Parker's desperate investment in it is ultimately flat given the reader never really witnesses any of the commerce in any meaningful way.
Besides this, Riordan makes little use of Charlotte's homebase in Willingden. Austen was a fan of correspondence, but Riordan gives one or two short letters between Charlotte and her sister Alison. A missed opportunity to delve into Charlotte's family context and her reflections on the very strange cast of characters around her.
Although better developed than other completions of the novel, Riordan's is a Hollywood amateurish bastardization of Austen if I ever saw it.
Austen's Sanditon, though unfinished, has long been a favorite text of mine. I was very excited to find a new completion of it. Unfortunately, I was VERY disappointed in this adaptation. It is utterly superficial, sentimental, and sensational (in the negative sense of the word). Riordan has made Charlotte Heywood into another Elizabeth Bennett, rather than developed her into the character Austen began. Things began well when Riordan has Sidney Parker confront Charlotte on her propensity for evaluating others around her; but then Riordan sheds Charlotte's prickly personality and makes her all eager to help everyone. She should have stuck with the prickly character instead of giving that to the other minor female characters: Esther Denham and Clara Brereton. Charlotte, after all, is Lady Catherine De Bourgh in the making...or the doppelganger to Lady Denham herself.
The Parker brothers, Charlotte's competition for attention in the novel, have some charming qualities to them in Riordan's novel, but nothing compelling. Sidney's ending only is interesting.
As for the Denham storyline, it reminds one of Lord Byron's scandalous affair with his sibling. But that's it. Edward Denham is one of Austen's strangest characters. Riordan runs with that, but to little effect. Esther Denham and Clara Brereton are basically interchangeable in terms of how unlikeable they are. The overt sexuality of the ladies is harlequin more than Austen. Lady Denham herself is just a prop.
Georgiana Lamb's storyline is too hackneyed. What did Austen intend with her first woman of color anyway? And why did Riordan make Sidney Parker Miss Lamb's guardian? Surely, Miss Lamb, Charlotte, and Sidney would have been the primary love triangle of the story. For all her money, the white males of Riordan's adaptation virtually ignore Miss Lamb's existence.
And there are too many minor characters in this story. Mrs. Griffiths, the Beaufort sisters, Mary Parker, Arthur Parker, Rev. Hankins, Diana Parker, Old Stringer, Mr. Crowe, Lord Babington, Lady Susan, Lady Worchester... Austen could be at fault for this, since she created much of the cast that Riordan uses. The novel would need to be quite long...along the lines of Dickens' Bleak House...to develop these characters satisfactorily.
But much of the plot of this adaptation is rushed and superficial. Scenes and situations are thrown at readers at a bracing pace. However, this book utterly lacks the psychological sophistication of Austen's books, and focuses on the marriage plot, reducing Sanditon to yet another romance fantasy. The storyline about the town's development and Tom Parker's desperate investment in it is ultimately flat given the reader never really witnesses any of the commerce in any meaningful way.
Besides this, Riordan makes little use of Charlotte's homebase in Willingden. Austen was a fan of correspondence, but Riordan gives one or two short letters between Charlotte and her sister Alison. A missed opportunity to delve into Charlotte's family context and her reflections on the very strange cast of characters around her.
Although better developed than other completions of the novel, Riordan's is a Hollywood amateurish bastardization of Austen if I ever saw it.
Read
March 22, 2020
January 17, 2020
A new Jane Austen adaptation/continuation written by Andrew Davies (Pride and Prejudice 1995) debuted last night in the US on Masterpiece PBS. Inspired by an unfinished novel that Austen began shortly before her death in 1817, Sanditon, the original novel, the television series, and the novelization by Kate Riordan, all share the same title. A tie-in novel based on a screenplay based on an uncompleted novel. That is six degrees of separation that is a challenge to get my mind around. Today we are reviewing the novelization!
The story unfolds from the perspective of Charlotte Heywood, a young lady experiencing her first trip away from her family as a guest of the Parkers of Sanditon, an emerging seaside village on the Sussex coast. Mr. Parker and his business partner Lady Denham are the two entrepreneurs behind its redevelopment from a fishing village into a fashionable watering-place offering the therapeutic and curative benefits of sea-bathing. Mr. Parker has three siblings: Arthur and Diana, a comical pair who are obsessed with their health, and the mysterious Sidney, whose handsome portrait greeted Charlotte when she entered the Parker home. Lady Denham is a widow twice over whose heirs are circling in anticipation of her “ shuffle of this mortal coil,”: Sir Edward Denham and his sister Esther, and Clara Brereton, all young and eager to please their aunt to win her approval, and her fortune.
Every experience in Sanditon is a new adventure for Charlotte—seeing the ocean for the first time and meeting new people. Her first day after her arrival is spent sea-bathing, a bracing experience from the cold temperature of the ocean, and by the view of naked men bathing from an adjoining stretch of the beach. Later, while walking with Mrs. Parker to visit Lady Denham at Sanditon House, she sees Sir Edward and Clara together in the park engaging in an intimate activity that she is uncomfortable with. Inside, Charlotte is in awe of the splendor of the grand manor house. Everything about Sanditon and its residents is so different than her life as the daughter of a gentleman farmer.
Sidney Parker arrives with a party of friends from London to attend Sanditon’s first ball. The assembly room is lively and full of dancers until Miss Georgiana Lambe arrives, a mixed-race heiress from the West Indies who many of the attendees are eager to meet. Charlotte enjoys the evening until she openly shares her decided opinion of Tom Parker with Sidney, which he takes offense to. In reaction, he strongly admonishes her for her quick judgment. Taken aback by his harsh words, Charlotte wonders if anyone or anything in Sanditon is as they appear?
There have been several authors who have finished Austen’s last work with varying degrees of success. What I hoped to find in this new continuation was a complement to her style, humor, and romantic flair. Andrew Davies and his team of writers decided on a different tact. While all the characters and the settings have been incorporated into their story, they forgot about Austen’s delicate touch and sense of cheeky irony. Like Austen, many of Davies’ characters are maneuvering for money, rank, and or marriage, yet they do so with a different mindset. The most obvious is the hero Sidney Parker’s abrasive behavior toward Charlotte. Gone are elegant manners and tempered civility. A Regency gentleman would never repeatedly talk to a lady in a harsh manner, no matter what the offense.
"There was a silence. When Sidney spoke again, his voice had grown cold. ‘Upon my word, Miss Heywood, you are very free with your opinions.’
Charlotte was flustered; she had spoken freely, as was her way. ‘I beg your pardon- I did not mean to…’
‘Upon what experience of the world do you form your judgements?’ he interrupted her.
‘I –I …’
His lip curled. ‘Where have you been? Nowhere. What have you learnt? Nothing, it would seem. And yet you take it upon yourself to criticize. Let me put it to you, Miss Heywood: which is the better way to live? To sit in your father’s house with your piano and your embroidery, waiting for someone to come along and take you off your parents’ hands? Or to expend your energy in trying to make a difference—to leave your mark, to leave the world in a better state than you found it? That is what my brother Tom is trying to do, at the expense of a great deal of effort and anxiety, in a good cause in which I do my best to support and help him. And you see fit to amuse yourself at his expense?’" (p 47)
It could be argued that the changes that have been made to the tone, manners, and attitudes of the residents of Sanditon can not be compared to those in Austen’s previous novels. That she was moving in a new direction, and that the writers were embracing that spirit. If taken as a Jane Austen ���what if” variation, Davies and company have created an interesting, dark look at the “intrigues and dalliances” of Regency society. Its joyous, impulsive, and unconventional heroine and it boorish, brash, and cruel hero could be the precursor to Bronte’s Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester. Once I was able to accept that this story was Austen fan fiction, I enjoyed this Brontesque take on her last unfinished work. Writer Kate Riordan did an excellent job turning a television script into a lively excursion through a Regency melodrama that although Austen did not finish herself, she might have found amusing.
Laurel Ann, Austenprose.com
The story unfolds from the perspective of Charlotte Heywood, a young lady experiencing her first trip away from her family as a guest of the Parkers of Sanditon, an emerging seaside village on the Sussex coast. Mr. Parker and his business partner Lady Denham are the two entrepreneurs behind its redevelopment from a fishing village into a fashionable watering-place offering the therapeutic and curative benefits of sea-bathing. Mr. Parker has three siblings: Arthur and Diana, a comical pair who are obsessed with their health, and the mysterious Sidney, whose handsome portrait greeted Charlotte when she entered the Parker home. Lady Denham is a widow twice over whose heirs are circling in anticipation of her “ shuffle of this mortal coil,”: Sir Edward Denham and his sister Esther, and Clara Brereton, all young and eager to please their aunt to win her approval, and her fortune.
Every experience in Sanditon is a new adventure for Charlotte—seeing the ocean for the first time and meeting new people. Her first day after her arrival is spent sea-bathing, a bracing experience from the cold temperature of the ocean, and by the view of naked men bathing from an adjoining stretch of the beach. Later, while walking with Mrs. Parker to visit Lady Denham at Sanditon House, she sees Sir Edward and Clara together in the park engaging in an intimate activity that she is uncomfortable with. Inside, Charlotte is in awe of the splendor of the grand manor house. Everything about Sanditon and its residents is so different than her life as the daughter of a gentleman farmer.
Sidney Parker arrives with a party of friends from London to attend Sanditon’s first ball. The assembly room is lively and full of dancers until Miss Georgiana Lambe arrives, a mixed-race heiress from the West Indies who many of the attendees are eager to meet. Charlotte enjoys the evening until she openly shares her decided opinion of Tom Parker with Sidney, which he takes offense to. In reaction, he strongly admonishes her for her quick judgment. Taken aback by his harsh words, Charlotte wonders if anyone or anything in Sanditon is as they appear?
There have been several authors who have finished Austen’s last work with varying degrees of success. What I hoped to find in this new continuation was a complement to her style, humor, and romantic flair. Andrew Davies and his team of writers decided on a different tact. While all the characters and the settings have been incorporated into their story, they forgot about Austen’s delicate touch and sense of cheeky irony. Like Austen, many of Davies’ characters are maneuvering for money, rank, and or marriage, yet they do so with a different mindset. The most obvious is the hero Sidney Parker’s abrasive behavior toward Charlotte. Gone are elegant manners and tempered civility. A Regency gentleman would never repeatedly talk to a lady in a harsh manner, no matter what the offense.
"There was a silence. When Sidney spoke again, his voice had grown cold. ‘Upon my word, Miss Heywood, you are very free with your opinions.’
Charlotte was flustered; she had spoken freely, as was her way. ‘I beg your pardon- I did not mean to…’
‘Upon what experience of the world do you form your judgements?’ he interrupted her.
‘I –I …’
His lip curled. ‘Where have you been? Nowhere. What have you learnt? Nothing, it would seem. And yet you take it upon yourself to criticize. Let me put it to you, Miss Heywood: which is the better way to live? To sit in your father’s house with your piano and your embroidery, waiting for someone to come along and take you off your parents’ hands? Or to expend your energy in trying to make a difference—to leave your mark, to leave the world in a better state than you found it? That is what my brother Tom is trying to do, at the expense of a great deal of effort and anxiety, in a good cause in which I do my best to support and help him. And you see fit to amuse yourself at his expense?’" (p 47)
It could be argued that the changes that have been made to the tone, manners, and attitudes of the residents of Sanditon can not be compared to those in Austen’s previous novels. That she was moving in a new direction, and that the writers were embracing that spirit. If taken as a Jane Austen ���what if” variation, Davies and company have created an interesting, dark look at the “intrigues and dalliances” of Regency society. Its joyous, impulsive, and unconventional heroine and it boorish, brash, and cruel hero could be the precursor to Bronte’s Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester. Once I was able to accept that this story was Austen fan fiction, I enjoyed this Brontesque take on her last unfinished work. Writer Kate Riordan did an excellent job turning a television script into a lively excursion through a Regency melodrama that although Austen did not finish herself, she might have found amusing.
Laurel Ann, Austenprose.com
February 20, 2021
February for my book club is romance month! We selected the partial story of Sanditon by Jane Austen which has been finished by many others, but this one was completed by Kate Riordan. Jane Austen had only completed 11 chapters of Sanditon at the time of her death. It introduces Charlotte Heywood, a young woman who intervenes in a carriage accident and finds herself taken to the seaside resort, Sanditon. She is invited by Tom Parker, the architect himself. Charlotte finds herself making a few new friends such as Miss Lambe, an heiress from the West Indies who is the ward of Sidney Parker. Charlotte does not know what to do around Sidney. She seems to offend him at every turn. But events take a turn for the dramatic, as others show up at the seaside town with ulterior motives. Add some romance, betrayal, and a little suspense and you have arrived at Sanditon.
I have been staring at this screen for about 15 minutes trying to think about what to say. I love Jane Austen. My pet-peeve? When people refer to Jane Austen’s work as historical fiction. It is not historical fiction. It is contemporary fiction, we are just not in 1817 anymore. My favorites of Jane Austen are Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion. The first 11 chapters of this book definitely set the stage for a beautiful story that I would have adored if Austen had completed it herself. I don’t think anyone but Austen could finish it. It is VERY obvious when Jane Austen’s writing stops and the new author steps in. Kate Riordan is a phenomenal writer and I plan on looking into her work…but it did not have a Jane Austen feel to it. It felt like Downton Abbey. –This is not a bad thing, because I love Downton Abbey but it is not Jane Austen.
While Jane Austen has some dark moments with betrayals, seductions, and ruined reputations but it is behind the scenes. The details are in the gossip and whispers or just insinuated. In this book, those things are out in the open. I did love a few of the plot twists. Esther is a character that I loved to hate but she develops into an amazing character! I would have loved to see more of Arthur and Miss Lambe together, as well. They were absolutely adorable.
However, the main stars Charlotte and Sidney are a little meh. They have an enemies to lovers story that plays out just like Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, right down to their personalities and the misunderstandings. I haven’t seen the BBC show yet, but I intend to watch it soon! Overall, I really enjoyed this…it just wasn’t Jane Austen. 3 out of 5 stars.
I have been staring at this screen for about 15 minutes trying to think about what to say. I love Jane Austen. My pet-peeve? When people refer to Jane Austen’s work as historical fiction. It is not historical fiction. It is contemporary fiction, we are just not in 1817 anymore. My favorites of Jane Austen are Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion. The first 11 chapters of this book definitely set the stage for a beautiful story that I would have adored if Austen had completed it herself. I don’t think anyone but Austen could finish it. It is VERY obvious when Jane Austen’s writing stops and the new author steps in. Kate Riordan is a phenomenal writer and I plan on looking into her work…but it did not have a Jane Austen feel to it. It felt like Downton Abbey. –This is not a bad thing, because I love Downton Abbey but it is not Jane Austen.
While Jane Austen has some dark moments with betrayals, seductions, and ruined reputations but it is behind the scenes. The details are in the gossip and whispers or just insinuated. In this book, those things are out in the open. I did love a few of the plot twists. Esther is a character that I loved to hate but she develops into an amazing character! I would have loved to see more of Arthur and Miss Lambe together, as well. They were absolutely adorable.
However, the main stars Charlotte and Sidney are a little meh. They have an enemies to lovers story that plays out just like Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, right down to their personalities and the misunderstandings. I haven’t seen the BBC show yet, but I intend to watch it soon! Overall, I really enjoyed this…it just wasn’t Jane Austen. 3 out of 5 stars.
January 16, 2020
Ugh. This is NOT Jane Austen. Riordan took an unfinished fragment of Austen’s work and turned it into trash—smutty, full of unpleasant and unfinished characters, and unsavory relationships. Not worth my time. Didn’t finish and wish I could scrub my brain of what I did read
March 31, 2020
JANE WOULD NEVER.
That was a recurring thought I had the entire time I read this book.
If you're looking for a true Jane Austen novel, this isn't it. I understood going in that this was a novelization of a TV series that was based on the unfinished manuscript of Austen's Sanditon, but I thought it would still be close enough to Austen's other novels that it might be hard to tell the difference. I couldn't have been more wrong.
While I would normally not have minded some of the more risqué elements in the story, it just seemed so out of place in a book that was based on something written by Jane Austen.
The story was lackluster, the characters were flat and underdeveloped, the writing was mediocre, and while I usually don't mention editing issues in my reviews, I couldn't help but be put off by the many typos sprinkled throughout.
The pacing is a bit odd at times, and it seems to drag in the middle, while feeling too rushed at the end.
All in all, this was a disappointing tribute to Jane Austen. I've heard that the mini-series is better, so I may still give it a try, but I can't recommend this book.
That was a recurring thought I had the entire time I read this book.
If you're looking for a true Jane Austen novel, this isn't it. I understood going in that this was a novelization of a TV series that was based on the unfinished manuscript of Austen's Sanditon, but I thought it would still be close enough to Austen's other novels that it might be hard to tell the difference. I couldn't have been more wrong.
While I would normally not have minded some of the more risqué elements in the story, it just seemed so out of place in a book that was based on something written by Jane Austen.
The story was lackluster, the characters were flat and underdeveloped, the writing was mediocre, and while I usually don't mention editing issues in my reviews, I couldn't help but be put off by the many typos sprinkled throughout.
The pacing is a bit odd at times, and it seems to drag in the middle, while feeling too rushed at the end.
All in all, this was a disappointing tribute to Jane Austen. I've heard that the mini-series is better, so I may still give it a try, but I can't recommend this book.
December 22, 2019
Meh. Looking forward to the tv show, but this is ridiculously un-Austenlike.
May 20, 2021
Ma alustaks sellest, et ma ei ole seda sarja näinud, aga nüüd on see ka plaanis ette võtta.
Ma nõustun sellega, et seda raamatut lugema hakates ei tohiks endale seada väga kõrgeid ootusi ja muidugi olla avatud kõigele, sest tegemist on siiski Riordani kirjutatud raamatuga, aga mille üld tüvi tuli Austenilt ja keegi ei saagi täpselt ette näha millise loo oleks tema kujundanud lõpuks nendele tegelastele.
Minu jaoks oli Charlotte tegelane meeldiv, aga midagi jäi nagu sügavusest puudu. Sidney aga ei meeldinud mulle üldse. Ma olen lihtsalt nii ära harjunud Austeni teiste mees tegelastega, et siin ma oleks tema lausa kõrval ossa jätnud.
Sündmused iseenesest olid huvitavad ja leidus ka huumorit. Toimus palju ka teiste tegelaste ümber. Kajastatud oli probleeme, mis kahjuks ka tänapäeval aset leiavad, aga nendesse oleks võinud süveneda rohkem.
Lõpus olen ma, aga küll pettunud. See ei olnud küll kurb lõpp, aga siiski jättis halva maigu endast järele.
Kas ma soovitaksin seda lugeda? Jah soovitaksin küll, aga kui Austen on suur lemmik, siis pigem ettevaatlikkusega.
Üsna kerge lugemine ja suveks hea kaaslane.
Ma nõustun sellega, et seda raamatut lugema hakates ei tohiks endale seada väga kõrgeid ootusi ja muidugi olla avatud kõigele, sest tegemist on siiski Riordani kirjutatud raamatuga, aga mille üld tüvi tuli Austenilt ja keegi ei saagi täpselt ette näha millise loo oleks tema kujundanud lõpuks nendele tegelastele.
Minu jaoks oli Charlotte tegelane meeldiv, aga midagi jäi nagu sügavusest puudu. Sidney aga ei meeldinud mulle üldse. Ma olen lihtsalt nii ära harjunud Austeni teiste mees tegelastega, et siin ma oleks tema lausa kõrval ossa jätnud.
Sündmused iseenesest olid huvitavad ja leidus ka huumorit. Toimus palju ka teiste tegelaste ümber. Kajastatud oli probleeme, mis kahjuks ka tänapäeval aset leiavad, aga nendesse oleks võinud süveneda rohkem.
Lõpus olen ma, aga küll pettunud. See ei olnud küll kurb lõpp, aga siiski jättis halva maigu endast järele.
Kas ma soovitaksin seda lugeda? Jah soovitaksin küll, aga kui Austen on suur lemmik, siis pigem ettevaatlikkusega.
Üsna kerge lugemine ja suveks hea kaaslane.
November 1, 2020
I would have much preferred reading the script, rather than this poorly written narrative extension of it. I was hoping for more character insight, but this novelization adds nothing to the TV series, which I genuinely enjoyed.
November 6, 2019
This book is amazing♥️ probably my beat read this year. Might be my fave Austen novel although she never finished it! Sidney Parker and Charlotte Heywoods love story is killing me!
February 7, 2020
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a big Jane Austen fan. I love her novels with my favorite being Persuasion. I have read most of her popular novels but confess I haven’t had a chance to read her unfinished works such as Sandtion.
With the show being released finally here in the US, I thought this would be prime time for me to check out this unfinished novel by Austen, that Kate Riordan picked up and completed.
The show looks fantastic, plus Theo James need I say more. I haven’t yet watched it (I am so behind on my shows!) but I love period dramas and with an author like Jane Austen you simply can’t go wrong!
I will absolutely have to agree with the summery here—this is Austen’s most modern novel! I also want to take a minute and point out that Riordan had her work cut out for her. Austen is incredibly talented and wildly popular, I commend her for having the courage to undertake this book and complete it. Obviously no one really knows exactly what little nuances and edits Austen herself might have made to the story as she died before it was completed, so Riordan had to take the bare bones of this novel and make it her own while trying to maintain the integrity of the novel and characters. Obviously that wasn’t an easy task but I thought she stepped up to the plate and did a bang up job.
Fans of Austen’s other books will find her hallmark character traits in this book—feisty heroines and rakish but charming heroes. Many other readers felt like this book was basically just a rip off of Pride and Prejudice but I disagree. I think Austen wrote about women characters as she hoped they would be but perhaps couldn’t be in real life. Many of her characters are extremely similar in character as are her heroes. When it comes to this book, I feel like Austen and Riordan stuck with that worked for Austen. I hope that makes sense.
While the characters in Sandition might not have been ‘new and exciting’ but some standards, I thought the fact that Austen incorporated a woman of color in her novel was very forward thinking and progressive. I really enjoyed reading Miss Lambe plot, she wasn’t there as a servant or slave but rather as an educated and rich young woman and I thought that alone made this novel very different from her others even if some of the characters were similar from other novels.
Bottom line, no one knows exactly what Austen had planned for this novel and its characters but Riordan did a great job at trying to give us a conclusion and plot. I enjoyed reading it very much and am really looking forward to watching the show finally. As part of this book tour, I was also provided with a copy of THE WORLD OF SANDTION that gave a lot of background information on not only the period drama but the novel itself. I have that copy proudly displayed on my coffee table because it has excellent pictures and I thought really brought life to the novel that I was reading since I had yet to see the show.
See my full review here
With the show being released finally here in the US, I thought this would be prime time for me to check out this unfinished novel by Austen, that Kate Riordan picked up and completed.
The show looks fantastic, plus Theo James need I say more. I haven’t yet watched it (I am so behind on my shows!) but I love period dramas and with an author like Jane Austen you simply can’t go wrong!
I will absolutely have to agree with the summery here—this is Austen’s most modern novel! I also want to take a minute and point out that Riordan had her work cut out for her. Austen is incredibly talented and wildly popular, I commend her for having the courage to undertake this book and complete it. Obviously no one really knows exactly what little nuances and edits Austen herself might have made to the story as she died before it was completed, so Riordan had to take the bare bones of this novel and make it her own while trying to maintain the integrity of the novel and characters. Obviously that wasn’t an easy task but I thought she stepped up to the plate and did a bang up job.
Fans of Austen’s other books will find her hallmark character traits in this book—feisty heroines and rakish but charming heroes. Many other readers felt like this book was basically just a rip off of Pride and Prejudice but I disagree. I think Austen wrote about women characters as she hoped they would be but perhaps couldn’t be in real life. Many of her characters are extremely similar in character as are her heroes. When it comes to this book, I feel like Austen and Riordan stuck with that worked for Austen. I hope that makes sense.
While the characters in Sandition might not have been ‘new and exciting’ but some standards, I thought the fact that Austen incorporated a woman of color in her novel was very forward thinking and progressive. I really enjoyed reading Miss Lambe plot, she wasn’t there as a servant or slave but rather as an educated and rich young woman and I thought that alone made this novel very different from her others even if some of the characters were similar from other novels.
Bottom line, no one knows exactly what Austen had planned for this novel and its characters but Riordan did a great job at trying to give us a conclusion and plot. I enjoyed reading it very much and am really looking forward to watching the show finally. As part of this book tour, I was also provided with a copy of THE WORLD OF SANDTION that gave a lot of background information on not only the period drama but the novel itself. I have that copy proudly displayed on my coffee table because it has excellent pictures and I thought really brought life to the novel that I was reading since I had yet to see the show.
See my full review here
February 14, 2023
2nd Read: February 2023 (Audio)
*sobs again*
I really enjoyed the audio narrator; I think she was the best one I’ve heard yet. She didn’t overly do it when reading the men’s lines, it sounded natural.
My earlier sentiments remain - even though we did eventually get a season 2 of the show, it wasn’t at all what anyone really wanted. I now wish so badly that someone would write a sequel to the BOOK (not in order to follow season 2 of the show) but to write the sequel as it SHOULD have been, in a world where Sidney didn’t fuck off and disappear on us all - that SoaB I can’t forgive :’)
1st Read: August 2020
*sobs*
The ending, even though I know how it unfolds because I watched the tv series first... I am just as heartbroken as I was when I saw it on tv. I’m literally crying *sobs again*. I am so DESPERATELY UNHAPPY that we never got the ending Sidney and Charlotte deserve. Given that the series was cancelled, I can only hope that someone out there will write a sequel novel and save our hearts once and for all!
*sobs again*
I really enjoyed the audio narrator; I think she was the best one I’ve heard yet. She didn’t overly do it when reading the men’s lines, it sounded natural.
My earlier sentiments remain - even though we did eventually get a season 2 of the show, it wasn’t at all what anyone really wanted. I now wish so badly that someone would write a sequel to the BOOK (not in order to follow season 2 of the show) but to write the sequel as it SHOULD have been, in a world where Sidney didn’t fuck off and disappear on us all - that SoaB I can’t forgive :’)
1st Read: August 2020
*sobs*
The ending, even though I know how it unfolds because I watched the tv series first... I am just as heartbroken as I was when I saw it on tv. I’m literally crying *sobs again*. I am so DESPERATELY UNHAPPY that we never got the ending Sidney and Charlotte deserve. Given that the series was cancelled, I can only hope that someone out there will write a sequel novel and save our hearts once and for all!
February 6, 2020
If you're a Jane Austen fan, I think it's best to approach this as historical fiction. I've never read the novel fragment before, so I'm not sure where Austen ended and Riordan began. However, the overall effect was...underwhelming. The story is intriguing and wild enough to keep you reading, but the characters are somewhat thin.
I've been watching the Andrew Davies adaptation on PBS and really enjoying it. This is an adaptation of that. And I suspect Davies was hoping to spin this into a second season because a lot of threads are left open and things do NOT end happily, which is a bummer in an Austen story.
Overall, this was a fast, fun read, and I would devour an entire novel about Esther Denham.
I've been watching the Andrew Davies adaptation on PBS and really enjoying it. This is an adaptation of that. And I suspect Davies was hoping to spin this into a second season because a lot of threads are left open and things do NOT end happily, which is a bummer in an Austen story.
Overall, this was a fast, fun read, and I would devour an entire novel about Esther Denham.
May 10, 2020
I watched the series on tv before I read this book. I didn't like the series because to me it was NOT Jane Austen. Then I watched it again as 'a period drama', nothing to do with Austen and i enjoyed it. So I read the book the same way and enjoyed that also. It is almost exactly like the script of the series. We get to hear some thoughts of the characters which is not possible in a drama.
I would like to see her write a sequel, even though I believe the series has been cancelled. It would be good to have answers and problems resolved.
Don't approach it as an Austen read and you might find you like it.
I would like to see her write a sequel, even though I believe the series has been cancelled. It would be good to have answers and problems resolved.
Don't approach it as an Austen read and you might find you like it.
May 30, 2021
Oma mõtetest kirjutan blogis: https://midaheliluges.blogspot.com/20...
November 4, 2021
Miałam przeczytać zwykłe "Sanditon", ale ostatecznie sięgnęłam po wydanie serialowe i teraz nie wiem, czy w tym od Jane Austen też mają miejsce takie wydarzenia, czy jednak nie. Na pewno za jakiś czas porównam obie książki, bo jestem ogromnie ciekawa różnic i podobieństw w fabule.
Jeśli chodzi o tę książkę to ona mi się bardzo podobała! Bawiłam się na niej wyśmienicie, polubiłam chyba większość bohaterów a samo zakończenie było dla mnie tak okropne i smutne, że dawno nie doświadczyłam takich uczuć podczas lektury jakiejkolwiek powieści.
Przyznaję, że obejrzałam też serial, który zawrócił w mojej głowie. To wydanie serialowe jest kropka w kropkę z wydarzeniami prezentowanymi w serialu. Obstawiam, że w przypadku innego wydania książki by tak nie było. Jeśli czytaliście inny egzemplarz tej historii oraz oglądaliście serial, to dajcie znać!
Jeśli chodzi o tę książkę to ona mi się bardzo podobała! Bawiłam się na niej wyśmienicie, polubiłam chyba większość bohaterów a samo zakończenie było dla mnie tak okropne i smutne, że dawno nie doświadczyłam takich uczuć podczas lektury jakiejkolwiek powieści.
Przyznaję, że obejrzałam też serial, który zawrócił w mojej głowie. To wydanie serialowe jest kropka w kropkę z wydarzeniami prezentowanymi w serialu. Obstawiam, że w przypadku innego wydania książki by tak nie było. Jeśli czytaliście inny egzemplarz tej historii oraz oglądaliście serial, to dajcie znać!
January 22, 2020
I wish I could give zero stars or even negative stars. I even think I should not shelve this as Jane Austen. I am bothered by the GR reviews that say this book shows Jane Austen going in an entirely different direction. Have they read the 19 or so pages that the Sanditon ms. consists of? Yes, a new direction for Jane Austen as the plot does not center (so far as 19 pages go) on a village/country community, but a town community at the beginning of a new age of commercialism etc. that was coming into being around 1817 (which is when she wrote her ms. before dying a few months later).
KR's extension is based on the first 3 or 4 TV episodes and then she takes over the remaining extension. She does not imitate Austen's style of writing, her irony, or humor, or create characters that have any depth/width? of personality. Instead KR focuses on jerky plotting with sensational events (love-making on a house floor, Miss Lambe kidnapped and taken to a brothel and rescued in time before she is brought to Gretna Green, married, and raped), naked bathing (possibly men did bathe naked in the sea, but not within sight of women), vicious characters (Lady Denham is the best of the "villains", but the young Denhams and Clara Brererton are vicious, immoral, depraved, etc. No redeeming characteristics at all (even Willoughby recognizes the value of what he has lost [if not regretting the pain he caused]). We jump from one event to the other: Charlotte coaching to London to find Miss Lambe's intended (too reckless for a woman in Austen's time), making the winning wickets at the Regatta (allowing her to be a bit of a tomboy, but would she have learned to play cricket? or shoot a rifle in the opening scene?) And though it seems clear enough that Sydney Parker was to be the hero why make him like an unlikable Darcy? Why make him Miss Lambe's guardian?
No, bad plotting, bad characterization. I'm glad I read the library copy and didn't pay for the book. Nor am I buying the video.
KR's extension is based on the first 3 or 4 TV episodes and then she takes over the remaining extension. She does not imitate Austen's style of writing, her irony, or humor, or create characters that have any depth/width? of personality. Instead KR focuses on jerky plotting with sensational events (love-making on a house floor, Miss Lambe kidnapped and taken to a brothel and rescued in time before she is brought to Gretna Green, married, and raped), naked bathing (possibly men did bathe naked in the sea, but not within sight of women), vicious characters (Lady Denham is the best of the "villains", but the young Denhams and Clara Brererton are vicious, immoral, depraved, etc. No redeeming characteristics at all (even Willoughby recognizes the value of what he has lost [if not regretting the pain he caused]). We jump from one event to the other: Charlotte coaching to London to find Miss Lambe's intended (too reckless for a woman in Austen's time), making the winning wickets at the Regatta (allowing her to be a bit of a tomboy, but would she have learned to play cricket? or shoot a rifle in the opening scene?) And though it seems clear enough that Sydney Parker was to be the hero why make him like an unlikable Darcy? Why make him Miss Lambe's guardian?
No, bad plotting, bad characterization. I'm glad I read the library copy and didn't pay for the book. Nor am I buying the video.
June 18, 2022
I liked this book but, I dunno, something is really weird.... Explanation:
Until page 340 it is boring. I had the feeling that it was a copy of "Pride and prejudice" and it was the same scheme: ennemies-to-lovers, the detestable aunt/old woman, the brother and the sister, ...
Buuuuuuuuuuttttttt I really liked the end becausing I wasn't expecting that and it's what I like about books: it can be boring for the major part of the book and still be incredible at the end.
For the characters I really had the feeling that these were an Elizabeth and a Darcy copies: the man detestable and the girl who tries not to be too quite and affirms her opinions.
It was a great book at the end of the end but it was not THE book.
Until page 340 it is boring. I had the feeling that it was a copy of "Pride and prejudice" and it was the same scheme: ennemies-to-lovers, the detestable aunt/old woman, the brother and the sister, ...
Buuuuuuuuuuttttttt I really liked the end becausing I wasn't expecting that and it's what I like about books: it can be boring for the major part of the book and still be incredible at the end.
For the characters I really had the feeling that these were an Elizabeth and a Darcy copies: the man detestable and the girl who tries not to be too quite and affirms her opinions.
It was a great book at the end of the end but it was not THE book.
November 5, 2019
A beautiful accompaniament to a wonderful TV series. An unfinished book by Jane Austen, this gives us a story based on a 'what if' with characters already established. The book itself, like other novelisations, provides extra little scenes not seen on TV and also scenes taking place a little differently to the show as it was based on the original script. We'll worth the read 5*****
June 29, 2023
Sanditon is nothing like what I really thought it would be. You can definitely tell when the writing of Jane Austen ends and Kate Riordan's begins. Not saying that is a bad thing but it definitely is different styles.
Someone else described it as more of a modern day Downton Abbey style and I agree! Perfect description. Lots more darkness, secrets, romances than a typical 1800s Jane Austen novel.
To say all that, I still gave it four stars because I truly devoured this book. Did not forsee that ending though!
Someone else described it as more of a modern day Downton Abbey style and I agree! Perfect description. Lots more darkness, secrets, romances than a typical 1800s Jane Austen novel.
To say all that, I still gave it four stars because I truly devoured this book. Did not forsee that ending though!
November 9, 2025
I don’t think I could ever really categorize this book with other Jane Austen literature. While the characters are hers, and apparently the first 11 chapters are hers, this book has an entirely different writing style and feel than her completed works. The topics covered are much more bold and shocking. The characters were more modern and relaxed, using first names and ignorant of other social norms of the time. And the story’s climax and ending feels much more like BBC drama than Jane Austen.
However, all that said, I really enjoyed this book for what it was. The characters each had complex backstories that motivated their actions. I was confused by the many scattered and seemingly unrelated characters at first, but as the story unfolded it became apparent that Sanditon was the real main character, and thus her inhabitants as a whole were worth knowing. Sweet but saucy Charlotte Hayward is a classic Austen heroine but the story does not revolve around her, nor is it told from only her perspective. The many moving parts and varied characters almost feel more Dickens than Austen to me. I honestly would have enjoyed this book even more if it were more fleshed out, like Dickens. But as it was, it was enjoyable and interesting!
However, all that said, I really enjoyed this book for what it was. The characters each had complex backstories that motivated their actions. I was confused by the many scattered and seemingly unrelated characters at first, but as the story unfolded it became apparent that Sanditon was the real main character, and thus her inhabitants as a whole were worth knowing. Sweet but saucy Charlotte Hayward is a classic Austen heroine but the story does not revolve around her, nor is it told from only her perspective. The many moving parts and varied characters almost feel more Dickens than Austen to me. I honestly would have enjoyed this book even more if it were more fleshed out, like Dickens. But as it was, it was enjoyable and interesting!
Read
May 8, 2021DNF @ 8%. I will rewatch Season 1 at some point and probably watch seasons 2 & 3
January 20, 2020
Charlotte Heywood lives a pretty simple life in the country with her family, that is until one day an accident occurs by her house and in turn, she meets the Parkers who are now indebted to the Heywoods for their hospitality. Mr. Tom Parker invites Charlotte's father to his new seaside community, Sanditon, but her father doesn't enjoy traveling and turns him down. Naturally, Charlotte jumps at the chance to visit Sanditon and spread her wings a bit. So, they agree to let her go, but her father gives her a stern warning that Sanditon is going to be very different than the sleepy hamlet she grew up in where everyone knows everyone. There will be strangers and people from different backgrounds, so she should be careful. While there, she meets Tom Parker's brother, Sidney, who immediately catches her eye. However, based on their first few interactions, things are off to a rocky start. While in Sanditon, there's quite a cast of characters: Lady Denham and her companion, Clara, and there's the rakish Sir Edward and his scheming sister. Lastly, we can't forget Miss Lambe, an heiress, who is also Austen's first African American character. Even though parts of Sanditon didn't entirely feel like Jane Austen herself, it was wholly entertaining novel and very delightful to be back in an Austen inspired world. Fans of the show on PBS won't want to miss Sanditon by Kate Riordan.
Read the rest of my review here:
http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
Read the rest of my review here:
http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
Read
February 20, 2020Alright, so I went into this novel without knowing much about it at all. I knew it took place in a resort town being built and that's all I knew. We have some real characters in this book. We have the hoity-toity Denham step-siblings, the grasping Clara, Ms. Lambe with a chip on her shoulder and the opinionated Lady Denham and Charlotte Heywood. And then we have the Parker family along with the rest of the minor players in this tale.
So this story does take some creative liberties with Jane Austen's original tale as I don't think there was incest in her version but it has made the book interesting. So while Sidney was a good pairing for Charlotte (which went nowhere) I think that young Stringer would have been a better match for her. But he gracefully stepped down when Charlotte showed a preference for Sidney. This book was left open for a sequel and I hope it happens as now I'm invested and I need more.
So this story does take some creative liberties with Jane Austen's original tale as I don't think there was incest in her version but it has made the book interesting. So while Sidney was a good pairing for Charlotte (which went nowhere) I think that young Stringer would have been a better match for her. But he gracefully stepped down when Charlotte showed a preference for Sidney. This book was left open for a sequel and I hope it happens as now I'm invested and I need more.
February 17, 2020
Sandition by Jane Austen and Kate Riordan
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely loved the setting and the complex cast of characters!! However, Austen fans know that the heroine always gets a happy ending after a soul searching and enlightening struggle. With this in mind, the ending of this was a surprise, but not in a bad way. It was rather refreshing, actually.
Given the fact that this book was started by Austen just before her death and left unfinished until Kate Riordan was trusted to finish it much later, it allows me to forgive, and even enjoy, the uncharacteristic plot twists. Although it does not stay truly “Austenesque”, it is still satisfying and oh so good!!
4 stars!!
I can’t wait to see the PBS adaptation!! 🤗🤗🤗🤗
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely loved the setting and the complex cast of characters!! However, Austen fans know that the heroine always gets a happy ending after a soul searching and enlightening struggle. With this in mind, the ending of this was a surprise, but not in a bad way. It was rather refreshing, actually.
Given the fact that this book was started by Austen just before her death and left unfinished until Kate Riordan was trusted to finish it much later, it allows me to forgive, and even enjoy, the uncharacteristic plot twists. Although it does not stay truly “Austenesque”, it is still satisfying and oh so good!!
4 stars!!
I can’t wait to see the PBS adaptation!! 🤗🤗🤗🤗
December 22, 2019
The back of the book instructs us to ‘discover the world Jane Austen left behind’. In reading this book that is exactly what you do.
I first watched the dramatisation on ITV, loved it and wanting more decided to read this tie-in version. Great storylines and characters. There is so much potential for a follow up. I do hope so!
I first watched the dramatisation on ITV, loved it and wanting more decided to read this tie-in version. Great storylines and characters. There is so much potential for a follow up. I do hope so!
April 9, 2020
My mistake was to watch the Sanditon series before I read this book. The book is practically word for word the same as the series so it was quite a boring read. However, if you haven't seen the series I can imagine that you will enjoy this book.
December 20, 2020
IF I COULD GIVE THIS A 0.5 I would !!!!
HOW DARE THEY DO THIS TO ME
HOW DARE THEY DO THIS TO ME
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