What do you think?
Rate this book
Sanditon, Lady Susan, & The History of England
This rare collection is a must for all Jane-ites. It represents what Richard Church regarded as Jane Austen’s literary work-basket and contains some of Austen’s earliest work—her hilarious brief History of England, illustrated by her favorite sister, which is a worthy forerunner of 1066 & All That to the unfinished Sanditon, the novel of her maturity on which she was writing at her death at age forty-two. Also included are the two epistolary novels, Lady Susan and Love and Friendship, and The Watsons, Catharine, Lesley Castle, Evelyn, Frederic and Elfrida, Jack and Alice, Edgar and Emma, Henry and Eliza, and The Three Sisters.
504 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
102 people are currently reading
462 people want to read
About the author
Jane Austen
3,881 books74.3k followersJane 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
July 5, 2020
Enjoyable as always.
July 26, 2025
Sandtion is definitely one of my favs by Jane Austen
December 14, 2017
Oh, Jane! it breaks my heart that you died before you could finish Sanditon. Such a promising start to a novel! And your other juvenalia? Well, I'd pay hard cash to read your laundry list, so of course all these bits and pieces were heaven. You are just the BEST.
December 27, 2024
If you want "another" Jane Austen, be satisfied with reading Lady Susan. You do not need the other short, unseasoned or unfinished works included in this volume. But if you are curious about how Miss Austen managed to sharpen her mettle, there is apt material here to study. Not to mention her "History of England" was actually Tumblr-post-worthy hilarious.
May 7, 2021
Jane mocking her genre - great. Over and over again- not so good.
December 29, 2021
I just re-read the 'Lady Susan' part of this book, and it was delicious. So much snark, for the time. A wonderful epistolary read.
August 11, 2021
Lady Susan
If one never knew anyone of this sort, one would think the character is entirely invented. At that it is not that uncommon to come across men who deal with their own children, especially daughters, this cruelly or worse, but they are excused or even pressured to be this cruel and admired for it in various cultures (not excepting west or US for that matter) while women are usually this cruel with children of other women, say a lover's wife or a sister in law. But the character therefore is entirely possible, especially in an era when a woman could only obtain wealth and consequence by marriages her own and her relatives'; and the only area she could use her mind however sharp was in fields related to intrigues of social sort, marriages, love affaires, and so on, especially gossip and vile gossip about other women. This unfortunately is what far too many women and even men use their minds for, even now, for sport and not for want of subjects that could use the sharp minds. Sometimes it is the heart of such a gossiper and mud thrower that is at fault seriously in that destroying another person is the pleasure, and use of mind and other facilities is merely a means.
Lady Susan comes as a surprise therefore not because of the subject but the author who chose to write it, since Jane Austen usually is as clear as a sunny day in desert about virtues and vices, and condemning not only the latter but even faults of character that might seem only human today but do lead to follies or tragedies even today often enough unquestionably.
Here Austen chooses the letter form prevalent in her time, and avoids commentary, except in letters of another character, giving equal voice to two opposite characters as it were. The story ends well as all Austen tales do to reward virtue, protect innocent and punish vice or folly only in measure.
A window as always to her time, and informative in that as well.
***
Watsons
One wishes she had had time to write it up as she did others; here is an outline written in her green years.
******
Sandition:-
this barely begins before it ends. One wishes Austen had lived long enough to finish these few, and write some more books as well of course.
***
Austen is delightful as ever, quite succinctly judging characters she writes about.
"Upon the whole, Mr. Parker was evidently an amiable family man, fond of wife, children, brothers and sisters, and generally kind-hearted; liberal, gentlemanlike, easy to please; of a sanguine turn of mind, with more imagination than judgement. And Mrs. Parker was as evidently a gentle, amiable, sweet-tempered woman, the properest wife in the world for a man of strong understanding but not of a capacity to supply the cooler reflection which her own husband sometimes needed; and so entirely waiting to be guided on every occasion that whether he was risking his fortune or spraining his ankle, she remained equally useless."
What with Mr. Parker promoting Sandition with a faith in sea air and bathing as remedy for every ailment, and necessary to health - and his siblings swearing their ill heath is too far gone for them to visit, the latter being quite hilarious, this is already promising entertainment and more.
Later, it's the young Sir Edward Denham, handsome, and flattering in his attentions to Miss Charlotte Haywood, who is subject of the author's scrutiny.
"Charlotte’s first glance told her that Sir Edward’s air was that of a lover. There could be no doubt of his devotion to Clara. How Clara received it was less obvious, but she was inclined to think not very favourably; for though sitting thus apart with him (which probably she might not have been able to prevent, her air was calm and grave."
Austen is clear about her contempt for behaviour slightly reminiscent of Mary Bennett of Pride And Prejudice.
"He surprised her by quitting Clara immediately on their all joining and agreeing to walk, and by addressing his attentions entirely to herself. Stationing himself close by her, he seemed to mean to detach her as much as possible from the rest of the party and to give her the whole of his conversation. He began, in a tone of great taste and feeling, to talk of the sea and the sea shore; and ran with energy through all the usual phrases employed in praise of their sublimity and descriptive of the undescribable emotions they excite in the mind of sensibility. The terrific grandeur of the ocean in a storm, its glass surface in a calm, its gulls and its samphire and the deep fathoms of its abysses, its quick vicissitudes, its direful deceptions, its mariners tempting it in sunshine and overwhelmed by the sudden tempest—all were eagerly and fluently touched; rather commonplace perhaps, but doing very well from the lips of a handsome Sir Edward, and she could not but think him a man of feeling, till he began to stagger her by the number of his quotations and the bewilderment of some of his sentences.
And she has Charlotte, with intelligence and common sense of Elizabeth Bennett, rather than self absorption of Emma.
"His choosing to walk with her, she had learnt to understand. It was done to pique Miss Brereton. She had read it, in an anxious glance or two on his side; but why he should talk so much nonsense, unless he could do no better, was unintelligible. He seemed very sentimental, very full of some feeling or other, and very much addicted to all the newest-fashioned hard words, had not a very clear brain, she presumed, and talked a good deal by rote. ... "
Charlotte chooses to stay with Lady Denham on the Terrace, instead of going with others to library.
"Nobody could live happier together than us—and he was a very honourable man, quite the gentleman of ancient family. And when he died, I gave Sir Edward his gold watch.” She said this with a look at her companion which implied its right to produce a great impression; and seeing no rapturous astonishment in Charlotte’s countenance, added quickly, “He did not bequeath it to his nephew, my dear. It was no bequest. It was not in the will. He only told me, and that but once, that he should wish his nephew to have his watch; but it need not have been binding if l had not chose it.”
"“Very kind indeed! Very handsome!” said Charlotte, absolutely forced to affect admiration.
"“Yes, my dear, and it is not the only kind thing I have done by him. I have been a very liberal friend to Sir Edward. And poor young man, he needs it bad enough. For though I am only the dowager, my dear, and he is the heir, things do not stand between us in the way they commonly do between those two parties. Not a shilling do I receive from the Denham estate. Sir Edward has no payments to make me. He doesn’t stand uppermost, believe me. It is I that help him.”
"“Indeed! He is a very fine young man, particularly elegant in his address.” This was said chiefly for the sake of saying something, but Charlotte directly saw that it was laying her open to suspicion by Lady Denham’s giving a shrewd glance at her and replying,
"“Yes, yes, he is very well to look at. And it is to be hoped that some lady of large fortune will think so, for Sir Edward must marry for money. He and I often talk that matter over. A handsome young fellow like him will go smirking and smiling about and paying girls compliments, but he knows he must marry for money. And Sir Edward is a very steady young man in the main and has got very good notions.”"
***
Austen writes candidly about - whether consciously aware, and deliberately writing, or simply taking them as facts of life - arranged marriage and caste systems of England in particular, Europe in general; things that since have been, falsely, identified exclusively with India, in line with Macaulay policy to break spirit of India.
"“Sir Edward Denham,” said Charlotte, “with such personal advantages may be almost sure of getting a woman of fortune, if he chooses it.”
"This glorious sentiment seemed quite to remove suspicion. “Aye my dear, that’s very sensibly said,” cried Lady Denham. “And if we could but get a young heiress to Sanditon! But heiresses are monstrous scarce! I do not think we have had an heiress here—or even a Co. since Sanditon has been a public place. Families come after families but, as far as I can learn, it is not one in a hundred of them that have any real property, landed or funded. An income perhaps, but no property. Clergymen maybe, or lawyers from town, or half-pay officers, or widows with only a jointure. And what good can such people do anybody? Except just as they take our empty houses and, between ourselves, I think they are great fools for not staying at home. Now if we could get a young heiress to be sent here for her health—and if she was ordered to drink asses’ milk I could supply her—and, as soon as she got well, have her fall in love with Sir Edward!”"
***
And again, as the two parties unite -
"Sir Edward, approaching Charlotte, said, “You may perceive what has been our occupation. My sister wanted my counsel in the selection of some books. We have many leisure hours and read a great deal. I am no indiscriminate novel reader. The mere trash of the common circulating library I hold in the highest contempt. You will never hear me advocating those puerile emanations which detail nothing but discordant principles incapable of amalgamation, or those vapid tissues of ordinary occurrences from which no useful deductions can be drawn. In vain may we put them into a literary alembic; we distil nothing which can add to science. You understand me, I am sure?”
"“I am not quite certain that I do. But if you will describe the sort of novels which you do approve, l dare say it will give me a clearer idea.”
"“Most willingly, fair questioner. The novels which I approve are such as display human nature with grandeur; such as show her in the sublimities of intense feeling; such as exhibit the progress of strong passion from the first germ of incipient susceptibility to the utmost energies of reason half-dethroned; where we see the strong spark of woman’s captivations elicit such fire in the soul of man as leads him—though at the risk of some aberration from the strict line of primitive obligations—to hazard all, dare all, achieve all to obtain her. Such are the works which I peruse with delight and, I hope I may say, with amelioration. They hold forth the most splendid portraitures of high conceptions, unbounded views, illimitable ardour, indomitable decision. And even when the event is mainly anti-prosperous to the high-toned machinations of the prime character—the potent, pervading hero of the story—it leaves us full of generous emotions for him; our hearts are paralysed. It would be pseudo-philosophy to assert that we do not feel more enwrapped by the brilliancy of his career than by the tranquil and morbid virtues of any opposing character. Our approbation of the latter is but eleemosynary. These are the novels which enlarge the primitive capabilities to the heart; and it cannot impugn the sense or be any dereliction of the character of the most anti-puerile man, to be conversant with them.”"
***
"He read all the essays, letters, tours and criticisms of the day; and with the same ill-luck which made him derive only false principles from lessons of morality, and incentives to vice from the history of its overthrow, he gathered only hard words and involved sentences from the style of our most approved writers. Sir Edward’s great object in life was to be seductive. With such personal advantages as he knew himself to possess, and such talents as he did also give himself credit for, he regarded it as his duty. He felt that he was formed to be a dangerous man, quite in the line of the Lovelaces. The very name of Sir Edward, he thought, carried some degree of fascination with it. To be generally gallant and assiduous about the fair, to make fine speeches to every pretty girl, was but the inferior part of the character he had to play. Miss Heywood, or any other young woman with any pretensions to beauty, he was entitled (according to his own views of society) to approach with high compliment and rhapsody on the slightest acquaintance. But it was Clara alone on whom he had serious designs; it was Clara whom he meant to seduce—her seduction was quite determined on. Her situation in every way called for it. She was his rival in Lady Denham’s favour; she was young, lovely and dependent. He had very early seen the necessity of the case, and had now been long trying with cautious assiduity to make an impression on her heart and to undermine her principles.
"Clara saw through him and had not the least intention of being seduced; but she bore with him patiently enough to confirm the sort of attachment which her personal charms had raised. A greater degree of discouragement indeed would not have affected Sir Edward. He was armed against the highest pitch of disdain or aversion. If she could not be won by affection, he must carry her off. He knew his business. Already had he had many musings on the subject. If he were constrained so to act, he must naturally wish to strike out something new, to exceed those who had gone before him; and he felt a strong curiosity to ascertain whether the neighbourhood of Timbuctu might not afford some solitary house adapted for Clara’s reception. But the expense, alas! of measures in that masterly style was ill-suited to his purse; and prudence obliged him to prefer the quietest sort of ruin and disgrace for the object of his affections to the more renowned."
***
Diana Parker had written to describe inability to travel, but they arrived.
" ... You see how it was all managed. I had the pleasure of hearing soon afterwards by the same simple link of connection that Sanditon had been recommended by Mrs. Darling, and that the West Indians were very much disposed to go thither. This was the state of the case when I wrote to you. But two days ago—yes, the day before yesterday—I heard again from Fanny Noyce, saying that she had heard from Miss Capper, who by a letter from Mrs. Darling understood that Mrs. Griffiths had expressed herself in a letter to Mrs. Darling more doubtingly on the subject of Sanditon. Am I clear? I would be anything rather than not clear.”
"“Oh, perfectly, perfectly. Well? “
"“The reason of this hesitation was her having no connections in the place, and no means of ascertaining that she should have good accommodations on arriving there; and she was particularly careful and scrupulous on all those matters more on account of a certain Miss Lambe, a young lady—probably a niece—under her care than on her own account or her daughters’. Miss Lambe has an immense fortune—richer than all the rest—and very delicate health. One sees clearly enough by all this the sort of woman Mrs. Griffiths must be: as helpless and indolent as wealth and a hot climate are apt to make us. But we are not born to equal energy. What was to be done? I had a few moments’ indecision, whether to offer to write to you or to Mrs. Whitby to secure them a house; but neither pleased me. I hate to employ others when I am equal to act myself; and my conscience told me that this was an occasion which called for me. Here was a family of helpless invalids whom I might essentially serve. I sounded Susan. The same thought had occurred to her. Arthur made no difficulties. Our plan was arranged immediately, we were off yesterday morning at six, left Chichester at the same hour today—and here we are.”"
" ... I am very sure that the largest house at Sanditon cannot be too large. They are more likely to want a second. I shall take only one, however, and that but for a week certain. Miss Heywood, I astonish you. You hardly know what to make of me. I see by your looks that you are not used to such quick measures.”
"The words “unaccountable officiousness!” “activity run mad!” had just passed through Charlotte’s mind, but a civil answer was easy. “I dare say I do look surprised,” said she, “because these are very great exertions, and I know what invalids both you and your sister are.”
"“Invalids indeed. I trust there are not three people in England who have so sad a right to that appellation! But my dear Miss Heywood, we are sent into this world to be as extensively useful as possible, and where some degree of strength of mind is given, it is not a feeble body which will excuse us—or incline us to excuse ourselves. ... "
" ... Lady Denham had other motives for calling on Mrs. Griffiths besides attention to the Parkers. In Miss Lambe, here was the very young lady, sickly and rich, whom she had been asking for; and she made the acquaintance for Sir Edward’s sake and the sake of her milch asses. ... "
"The corner house of the Terrace was the one in which Miss Diana Parker had the pleasure of settling her new friends; and considering that it commanded in front the favourite lounge of all the visitors at Sanditon, and on one side whatever might be going on at the hotel, there could not have been a more favourable spot for the seclusion of the Miss Beauforts. And accordingly, long before they had suited themselves with an instrument or with drawing paper, they had, by the frequency of their appearance at the low windows upstairs in order to close the blinds, or open the blinds, to arrange a flower pot on the balcony, or look at nothing through a telescope, attracted many an eye upwards and made many a gazer gaze again. A little novelty has a great effect in so small a place. The Miss Beauforts, who would have been nothing at Brighton, could not move here without notice. And even Mr. Arthur Parker, though little disposed for supernumerary exertion, always quitted the Terrace in his way to his brother’s by this corner house for the sake of a glimpse of the Miss Beauforts—though it was half a quarter of a mile round about and added two steps to the ascent of the hill."
***
" ... Charlotte, as soon as they entered the enclosure, caught a glimpse over the pales of something white and womanish in the field on the other side. It was something which immediately brought Miss Brereton into her head; and stepping to the pales, she saw indeed—and very decidedly, in spite of the mist—Miss Brereton seated not far before her at the foot of the bank which sloped down from the outside of the paling and which a narrow path seemed to skirt along—Miss Brereton seated, apparently very composedly, and Sir Edward Denham by her side.
"They were sitting so near each other and appeared so closely engaged in gentle conversation that Charlotte instantly felt she had nothing to do but to step back again and say not a word; privacy was certainly their object. ... Yet here she had seen them. They were really ill-used."
"The house was large and handsome.
If one never knew anyone of this sort, one would think the character is entirely invented. At that it is not that uncommon to come across men who deal with their own children, especially daughters, this cruelly or worse, but they are excused or even pressured to be this cruel and admired for it in various cultures (not excepting west or US for that matter) while women are usually this cruel with children of other women, say a lover's wife or a sister in law. But the character therefore is entirely possible, especially in an era when a woman could only obtain wealth and consequence by marriages her own and her relatives'; and the only area she could use her mind however sharp was in fields related to intrigues of social sort, marriages, love affaires, and so on, especially gossip and vile gossip about other women. This unfortunately is what far too many women and even men use their minds for, even now, for sport and not for want of subjects that could use the sharp minds. Sometimes it is the heart of such a gossiper and mud thrower that is at fault seriously in that destroying another person is the pleasure, and use of mind and other facilities is merely a means.
Lady Susan comes as a surprise therefore not because of the subject but the author who chose to write it, since Jane Austen usually is as clear as a sunny day in desert about virtues and vices, and condemning not only the latter but even faults of character that might seem only human today but do lead to follies or tragedies even today often enough unquestionably.
Here Austen chooses the letter form prevalent in her time, and avoids commentary, except in letters of another character, giving equal voice to two opposite characters as it were. The story ends well as all Austen tales do to reward virtue, protect innocent and punish vice or folly only in measure.
A window as always to her time, and informative in that as well.
***
Watsons
One wishes she had had time to write it up as she did others; here is an outline written in her green years.
******
Sandition:-
this barely begins before it ends. One wishes Austen had lived long enough to finish these few, and write some more books as well of course.
***
Austen is delightful as ever, quite succinctly judging characters she writes about.
"Upon the whole, Mr. Parker was evidently an amiable family man, fond of wife, children, brothers and sisters, and generally kind-hearted; liberal, gentlemanlike, easy to please; of a sanguine turn of mind, with more imagination than judgement. And Mrs. Parker was as evidently a gentle, amiable, sweet-tempered woman, the properest wife in the world for a man of strong understanding but not of a capacity to supply the cooler reflection which her own husband sometimes needed; and so entirely waiting to be guided on every occasion that whether he was risking his fortune or spraining his ankle, she remained equally useless."
What with Mr. Parker promoting Sandition with a faith in sea air and bathing as remedy for every ailment, and necessary to health - and his siblings swearing their ill heath is too far gone for them to visit, the latter being quite hilarious, this is already promising entertainment and more.
Later, it's the young Sir Edward Denham, handsome, and flattering in his attentions to Miss Charlotte Haywood, who is subject of the author's scrutiny.
"Charlotte’s first glance told her that Sir Edward’s air was that of a lover. There could be no doubt of his devotion to Clara. How Clara received it was less obvious, but she was inclined to think not very favourably; for though sitting thus apart with him (which probably she might not have been able to prevent, her air was calm and grave."
Austen is clear about her contempt for behaviour slightly reminiscent of Mary Bennett of Pride And Prejudice.
"He surprised her by quitting Clara immediately on their all joining and agreeing to walk, and by addressing his attentions entirely to herself. Stationing himself close by her, he seemed to mean to detach her as much as possible from the rest of the party and to give her the whole of his conversation. He began, in a tone of great taste and feeling, to talk of the sea and the sea shore; and ran with energy through all the usual phrases employed in praise of their sublimity and descriptive of the undescribable emotions they excite in the mind of sensibility. The terrific grandeur of the ocean in a storm, its glass surface in a calm, its gulls and its samphire and the deep fathoms of its abysses, its quick vicissitudes, its direful deceptions, its mariners tempting it in sunshine and overwhelmed by the sudden tempest—all were eagerly and fluently touched; rather commonplace perhaps, but doing very well from the lips of a handsome Sir Edward, and she could not but think him a man of feeling, till he began to stagger her by the number of his quotations and the bewilderment of some of his sentences.
And she has Charlotte, with intelligence and common sense of Elizabeth Bennett, rather than self absorption of Emma.
"His choosing to walk with her, she had learnt to understand. It was done to pique Miss Brereton. She had read it, in an anxious glance or two on his side; but why he should talk so much nonsense, unless he could do no better, was unintelligible. He seemed very sentimental, very full of some feeling or other, and very much addicted to all the newest-fashioned hard words, had not a very clear brain, she presumed, and talked a good deal by rote. ... "
Charlotte chooses to stay with Lady Denham on the Terrace, instead of going with others to library.
"Nobody could live happier together than us—and he was a very honourable man, quite the gentleman of ancient family. And when he died, I gave Sir Edward his gold watch.” She said this with a look at her companion which implied its right to produce a great impression; and seeing no rapturous astonishment in Charlotte’s countenance, added quickly, “He did not bequeath it to his nephew, my dear. It was no bequest. It was not in the will. He only told me, and that but once, that he should wish his nephew to have his watch; but it need not have been binding if l had not chose it.”
"“Very kind indeed! Very handsome!” said Charlotte, absolutely forced to affect admiration.
"“Yes, my dear, and it is not the only kind thing I have done by him. I have been a very liberal friend to Sir Edward. And poor young man, he needs it bad enough. For though I am only the dowager, my dear, and he is the heir, things do not stand between us in the way they commonly do between those two parties. Not a shilling do I receive from the Denham estate. Sir Edward has no payments to make me. He doesn’t stand uppermost, believe me. It is I that help him.”
"“Indeed! He is a very fine young man, particularly elegant in his address.” This was said chiefly for the sake of saying something, but Charlotte directly saw that it was laying her open to suspicion by Lady Denham’s giving a shrewd glance at her and replying,
"“Yes, yes, he is very well to look at. And it is to be hoped that some lady of large fortune will think so, for Sir Edward must marry for money. He and I often talk that matter over. A handsome young fellow like him will go smirking and smiling about and paying girls compliments, but he knows he must marry for money. And Sir Edward is a very steady young man in the main and has got very good notions.”"
***
Austen writes candidly about - whether consciously aware, and deliberately writing, or simply taking them as facts of life - arranged marriage and caste systems of England in particular, Europe in general; things that since have been, falsely, identified exclusively with India, in line with Macaulay policy to break spirit of India.
"“Sir Edward Denham,” said Charlotte, “with such personal advantages may be almost sure of getting a woman of fortune, if he chooses it.”
"This glorious sentiment seemed quite to remove suspicion. “Aye my dear, that’s very sensibly said,” cried Lady Denham. “And if we could but get a young heiress to Sanditon! But heiresses are monstrous scarce! I do not think we have had an heiress here—or even a Co. since Sanditon has been a public place. Families come after families but, as far as I can learn, it is not one in a hundred of them that have any real property, landed or funded. An income perhaps, but no property. Clergymen maybe, or lawyers from town, or half-pay officers, or widows with only a jointure. And what good can such people do anybody? Except just as they take our empty houses and, between ourselves, I think they are great fools for not staying at home. Now if we could get a young heiress to be sent here for her health—and if she was ordered to drink asses’ milk I could supply her—and, as soon as she got well, have her fall in love with Sir Edward!”"
***
And again, as the two parties unite -
"Sir Edward, approaching Charlotte, said, “You may perceive what has been our occupation. My sister wanted my counsel in the selection of some books. We have many leisure hours and read a great deal. I am no indiscriminate novel reader. The mere trash of the common circulating library I hold in the highest contempt. You will never hear me advocating those puerile emanations which detail nothing but discordant principles incapable of amalgamation, or those vapid tissues of ordinary occurrences from which no useful deductions can be drawn. In vain may we put them into a literary alembic; we distil nothing which can add to science. You understand me, I am sure?”
"“I am not quite certain that I do. But if you will describe the sort of novels which you do approve, l dare say it will give me a clearer idea.”
"“Most willingly, fair questioner. The novels which I approve are such as display human nature with grandeur; such as show her in the sublimities of intense feeling; such as exhibit the progress of strong passion from the first germ of incipient susceptibility to the utmost energies of reason half-dethroned; where we see the strong spark of woman’s captivations elicit such fire in the soul of man as leads him—though at the risk of some aberration from the strict line of primitive obligations—to hazard all, dare all, achieve all to obtain her. Such are the works which I peruse with delight and, I hope I may say, with amelioration. They hold forth the most splendid portraitures of high conceptions, unbounded views, illimitable ardour, indomitable decision. And even when the event is mainly anti-prosperous to the high-toned machinations of the prime character—the potent, pervading hero of the story—it leaves us full of generous emotions for him; our hearts are paralysed. It would be pseudo-philosophy to assert that we do not feel more enwrapped by the brilliancy of his career than by the tranquil and morbid virtues of any opposing character. Our approbation of the latter is but eleemosynary. These are the novels which enlarge the primitive capabilities to the heart; and it cannot impugn the sense or be any dereliction of the character of the most anti-puerile man, to be conversant with them.”"
***
"He read all the essays, letters, tours and criticisms of the day; and with the same ill-luck which made him derive only false principles from lessons of morality, and incentives to vice from the history of its overthrow, he gathered only hard words and involved sentences from the style of our most approved writers. Sir Edward’s great object in life was to be seductive. With such personal advantages as he knew himself to possess, and such talents as he did also give himself credit for, he regarded it as his duty. He felt that he was formed to be a dangerous man, quite in the line of the Lovelaces. The very name of Sir Edward, he thought, carried some degree of fascination with it. To be generally gallant and assiduous about the fair, to make fine speeches to every pretty girl, was but the inferior part of the character he had to play. Miss Heywood, or any other young woman with any pretensions to beauty, he was entitled (according to his own views of society) to approach with high compliment and rhapsody on the slightest acquaintance. But it was Clara alone on whom he had serious designs; it was Clara whom he meant to seduce—her seduction was quite determined on. Her situation in every way called for it. She was his rival in Lady Denham’s favour; she was young, lovely and dependent. He had very early seen the necessity of the case, and had now been long trying with cautious assiduity to make an impression on her heart and to undermine her principles.
"Clara saw through him and had not the least intention of being seduced; but she bore with him patiently enough to confirm the sort of attachment which her personal charms had raised. A greater degree of discouragement indeed would not have affected Sir Edward. He was armed against the highest pitch of disdain or aversion. If she could not be won by affection, he must carry her off. He knew his business. Already had he had many musings on the subject. If he were constrained so to act, he must naturally wish to strike out something new, to exceed those who had gone before him; and he felt a strong curiosity to ascertain whether the neighbourhood of Timbuctu might not afford some solitary house adapted for Clara’s reception. But the expense, alas! of measures in that masterly style was ill-suited to his purse; and prudence obliged him to prefer the quietest sort of ruin and disgrace for the object of his affections to the more renowned."
***
Diana Parker had written to describe inability to travel, but they arrived.
" ... You see how it was all managed. I had the pleasure of hearing soon afterwards by the same simple link of connection that Sanditon had been recommended by Mrs. Darling, and that the West Indians were very much disposed to go thither. This was the state of the case when I wrote to you. But two days ago—yes, the day before yesterday—I heard again from Fanny Noyce, saying that she had heard from Miss Capper, who by a letter from Mrs. Darling understood that Mrs. Griffiths had expressed herself in a letter to Mrs. Darling more doubtingly on the subject of Sanditon. Am I clear? I would be anything rather than not clear.”
"“Oh, perfectly, perfectly. Well? “
"“The reason of this hesitation was her having no connections in the place, and no means of ascertaining that she should have good accommodations on arriving there; and she was particularly careful and scrupulous on all those matters more on account of a certain Miss Lambe, a young lady—probably a niece—under her care than on her own account or her daughters’. Miss Lambe has an immense fortune—richer than all the rest—and very delicate health. One sees clearly enough by all this the sort of woman Mrs. Griffiths must be: as helpless and indolent as wealth and a hot climate are apt to make us. But we are not born to equal energy. What was to be done? I had a few moments’ indecision, whether to offer to write to you or to Mrs. Whitby to secure them a house; but neither pleased me. I hate to employ others when I am equal to act myself; and my conscience told me that this was an occasion which called for me. Here was a family of helpless invalids whom I might essentially serve. I sounded Susan. The same thought had occurred to her. Arthur made no difficulties. Our plan was arranged immediately, we were off yesterday morning at six, left Chichester at the same hour today—and here we are.”"
" ... I am very sure that the largest house at Sanditon cannot be too large. They are more likely to want a second. I shall take only one, however, and that but for a week certain. Miss Heywood, I astonish you. You hardly know what to make of me. I see by your looks that you are not used to such quick measures.”
"The words “unaccountable officiousness!” “activity run mad!” had just passed through Charlotte’s mind, but a civil answer was easy. “I dare say I do look surprised,” said she, “because these are very great exertions, and I know what invalids both you and your sister are.”
"“Invalids indeed. I trust there are not three people in England who have so sad a right to that appellation! But my dear Miss Heywood, we are sent into this world to be as extensively useful as possible, and where some degree of strength of mind is given, it is not a feeble body which will excuse us—or incline us to excuse ourselves. ... "
" ... Lady Denham had other motives for calling on Mrs. Griffiths besides attention to the Parkers. In Miss Lambe, here was the very young lady, sickly and rich, whom she had been asking for; and she made the acquaintance for Sir Edward’s sake and the sake of her milch asses. ... "
"The corner house of the Terrace was the one in which Miss Diana Parker had the pleasure of settling her new friends; and considering that it commanded in front the favourite lounge of all the visitors at Sanditon, and on one side whatever might be going on at the hotel, there could not have been a more favourable spot for the seclusion of the Miss Beauforts. And accordingly, long before they had suited themselves with an instrument or with drawing paper, they had, by the frequency of their appearance at the low windows upstairs in order to close the blinds, or open the blinds, to arrange a flower pot on the balcony, or look at nothing through a telescope, attracted many an eye upwards and made many a gazer gaze again. A little novelty has a great effect in so small a place. The Miss Beauforts, who would have been nothing at Brighton, could not move here without notice. And even Mr. Arthur Parker, though little disposed for supernumerary exertion, always quitted the Terrace in his way to his brother’s by this corner house for the sake of a glimpse of the Miss Beauforts—though it was half a quarter of a mile round about and added two steps to the ascent of the hill."
***
" ... Charlotte, as soon as they entered the enclosure, caught a glimpse over the pales of something white and womanish in the field on the other side. It was something which immediately brought Miss Brereton into her head; and stepping to the pales, she saw indeed—and very decidedly, in spite of the mist—Miss Brereton seated not far before her at the foot of the bank which sloped down from the outside of the paling and which a narrow path seemed to skirt along—Miss Brereton seated, apparently very composedly, and Sir Edward Denham by her side.
"They were sitting so near each other and appeared so closely engaged in gentle conversation that Charlotte instantly felt she had nothing to do but to step back again and say not a word; privacy was certainly their object. ... Yet here she had seen them. They were really ill-used."
"The house was large and handsome.
April 27, 2022
This was a fun read. Jane Austen can be very funny. But it's also a sad read becuase of her last, unfinished novel, Sanditon. It held great potential and took place in a whole different setting.
The stories she made in her youth are very juvenile. It's fun to see her grow from her writings.
The stories without chapters were quite difficult to follow. I like chapters because I need to pause every now and then.
Although it's hard to rate the unfinished stories, this is my attempt.
Frederic and Elfrida - 2.5 stars
Jack and Alice - 3 stars
Edgar and Emma - 4 stars
Henry and Eliza - 2 stars
Love and Friendship - 2 stars
A History of England - 2.5 stars
The Three Sisters - 4 stars
Lesley Castle - 3 stars
Evelyn - 2.5 stars
Catherine or The Bower - 2.5 stars
Lady Susan - 2.5 stars
The Watsons - 3.5 stars
Sanditon - 4 stars
The stories she made in her youth are very juvenile. It's fun to see her grow from her writings.
The stories without chapters were quite difficult to follow. I like chapters because I need to pause every now and then.
Although it's hard to rate the unfinished stories, this is my attempt.
Frederic and Elfrida - 2.5 stars
Jack and Alice - 3 stars
Edgar and Emma - 4 stars
Henry and Eliza - 2 stars
Love and Friendship - 2 stars
A History of England - 2.5 stars
The Three Sisters - 4 stars
Lesley Castle - 3 stars
Evelyn - 2.5 stars
Catherine or The Bower - 2.5 stars
Lady Susan - 2.5 stars
The Watsons - 3.5 stars
Sanditon - 4 stars
August 4, 2016
Note: All of these ratings are scaled from 1-10, 10 being the best.
Writing Quality: 4
You can't expect much of a 12-year-old. There were a lot of typos and confusing run-ons, but overall the writing still had that Austen flair. It was quite poignant, even for a young writer.
Setting: 7
One thing I will say is that I remember the settings of almost every story. They were so down-to-earth, normal, everyday places but made special by the fact that heroes and heroines were living there. I even could follow the many places in Lady Susan. Kudos there.
Characters: 8
Austen has a knack for creating memorable caricatures. Her satire is spot-on, even by today's standards. Those invalids in Sandition remind me of gluten-free, vegan, all-natural junkies. The one problem is that sometimes her heroines are bland in the mix of all these wild types, and that they wild types are re-used often enough that it's noticeable.
Plot: 3
I mean, Lady Susan and Love and Friendship are the only ones that are finished. The very short early juvenilia don't really have plots at all. It's just a bunch of fun people out for a romp on Austen's page.
Enjoyment: 9
This is the last time I'll read fiction by Austen for the first time. Of course I savored every bit.
Structure: 3
I actually read this book backwards to see how Austen grew (I started with the youngest juvenilia and ended with Lady Susan). To me, that would be a better way to structure the book. As for Austen's structuring herself, she seemed to struggle a lot with pacing. She would write a bunch of lead up, and then nothing would quite happen. The story either ended or she tied it up very quickly. Granted, these were works in progress, but still.
Emotional Story: 7
Lady Susan is especially to account for this. I felt like I was reading a family's dirty laundry. One could see the growth, especially in Reginald. She gets inside the heads of different characters from multiple perspectives, taking the reader on many different emotional journeys. The other stories weren't quite as good (probably because they weren't finished), but I still felt an attachment for the endearing characters that would have taken me somewhere had the work been finished.
Hook: 6
I want to read this because it's Austen, but it's hard to keep a hook going on short stories. Once I've finished one story, I feel like I'm done. That's not Austen's fault, but it's a fact of the book.
All of this averages out to a 5.88/10, which is a 2.9/5, hence the 3-star rating.
Writing Quality: 4
You can't expect much of a 12-year-old. There were a lot of typos and confusing run-ons, but overall the writing still had that Austen flair. It was quite poignant, even for a young writer.
Setting: 7
One thing I will say is that I remember the settings of almost every story. They were so down-to-earth, normal, everyday places but made special by the fact that heroes and heroines were living there. I even could follow the many places in Lady Susan. Kudos there.
Characters: 8
Austen has a knack for creating memorable caricatures. Her satire is spot-on, even by today's standards. Those invalids in Sandition remind me of gluten-free, vegan, all-natural junkies. The one problem is that sometimes her heroines are bland in the mix of all these wild types, and that they wild types are re-used often enough that it's noticeable.
Plot: 3
I mean, Lady Susan and Love and Friendship are the only ones that are finished. The very short early juvenilia don't really have plots at all. It's just a bunch of fun people out for a romp on Austen's page.
Enjoyment: 9
This is the last time I'll read fiction by Austen for the first time. Of course I savored every bit.
Structure: 3
I actually read this book backwards to see how Austen grew (I started with the youngest juvenilia and ended with Lady Susan). To me, that would be a better way to structure the book. As for Austen's structuring herself, she seemed to struggle a lot with pacing. She would write a bunch of lead up, and then nothing would quite happen. The story either ended or she tied it up very quickly. Granted, these were works in progress, but still.
Emotional Story: 7
Lady Susan is especially to account for this. I felt like I was reading a family's dirty laundry. One could see the growth, especially in Reginald. She gets inside the heads of different characters from multiple perspectives, taking the reader on many different emotional journeys. The other stories weren't quite as good (probably because they weren't finished), but I still felt an attachment for the endearing characters that would have taken me somewhere had the work been finished.
Hook: 6
I want to read this because it's Austen, but it's hard to keep a hook going on short stories. Once I've finished one story, I feel like I'm done. That's not Austen's fault, but it's a fact of the book.
All of this averages out to a 5.88/10, which is a 2.9/5, hence the 3-star rating.
March 1, 2015
I have to confess that it is rather difficult to write a review about this book because it is not only one story but thirteen short stories by a favourite author whose novels I've all read. They are very fascinating short stories that are a sample of Austen's future witty writing style.
Frederic and Elfrida, Jack and Alice, Edgar and Emma, Henry and Eliza, The Three Sisters, Evelyn: Her shortest juvenilia writings. They are very absurd and all irrational events happen. For example in "Evelyn" a lot of weddings happen and when their daughter dies they do not lament her death in the least but, on the contrary, they congratulate their son-in-law for his new marriage.
Love and Friendship: The first novel in epistolary form that I 've ever read. Laura narrates her "afflicted" life as she has been "deceived in Friendship & betrayed in Love"
The other bigger and more mature stories such as Lesley Castle, Catharine or the Bower, Lady Susan etc were far more enjoyable than her earlier juvenilia writings as in them her witty writing style was fully developped. Lady Susan was my favourite one as the letters were sent by a whole bunch of characters and par consequence a lot of different views are revealed to the reader.
In general, a wonderful collection of stories by a favourite author that is very worth to read.
Frederic and Elfrida, Jack and Alice, Edgar and Emma, Henry and Eliza, The Three Sisters, Evelyn: Her shortest juvenilia writings. They are very absurd and all irrational events happen. For example in "Evelyn" a lot of weddings happen and when their daughter dies they do not lament her death in the least but, on the contrary, they congratulate their son-in-law for his new marriage.
Love and Friendship: The first novel in epistolary form that I 've ever read. Laura narrates her "afflicted" life as she has been "deceived in Friendship & betrayed in Love"
The other bigger and more mature stories such as Lesley Castle, Catharine or the Bower, Lady Susan etc were far more enjoyable than her earlier juvenilia writings as in them her witty writing style was fully developped. Lady Susan was my favourite one as the letters were sent by a whole bunch of characters and par consequence a lot of different views are revealed to the reader.
In general, a wonderful collection of stories by a favourite author that is very worth to read.
August 16, 2017
As an Austen fan it is an interesting trip through the autor's maturity, a wonderful walk through her sentimental revolution. It is sad that the most wonderful stories in my opinion were unfinished...
unfinished
September 10, 2020Love the super early juvenilia here which I haven't seen in my other editions of her early works. It's got so much more scandal than even Lady Susan -- murder! Much more fainting! Much more silliness.
December 30, 2023
DNF - Progress made: 128 of 504 pages
Another book I was inspired to read after listening to The History Chicks podcast and their Jane Austen episodes. It was the fact that they had mentioned a work I'd not heard of before, 'The History of England', that piqued my interest and, as it was supposedly funny, I thought I'd give it a try.
My library service only had this book available which included it, and even though I've never been a huge fan of classic literature, I wanted to try and be good and read the whole thing. However, it quickly became evident that I was never going to get through it. I struggled through the first few stories to get to The History of England and just couldn't bear it any more.
This collection is apparently printed in approximate chronological order, with the works Jane wrote as a young teenager first. And boy can you tell. They are completely nonsensical, over the top melodramatics, devoid of any depth, characterisation and plot structure. I can only compare it to a young child writing a one page story that makes perfect sense in their own head, but is gibberish to everyone else. I can appreciate that this is a young person trying to hone her craft, and that her experiences are far removed from my own, but ultimately being so far removed from the author just makes that confusion even more pronounced.
As for The History of England... Well, the upside is I know enough about that subject that I could follow it more easily. For that alone, it now stands as my favourite Jane austen work. However, while I can see that it probably is meant to be funny, lighthearted and a mickey-take (and can even appreciate some of the jokes!), it's a very odd little piece. In some ways, this is the type of overview you want of the rulers of England; short, snappy and along the lines of 'I couldn't tell you what dates they were around if you paid me, but they were brilliant/bad/boring while they did it!'. There's an undying love for Mary Queen of Scots and a hatred of Elizabeth I which I'm not entirely sure isn't sincere, and some rather random illustrations provided by Jane's sister Cassandra which bear no resemblance to known portraits. But equally it seems like a pretty pointless exercise - it's neither serious nor satire, and definitely not what I was expecting.
I've always struggled with Jane's writing anyway, so I knew that, even if I continued, I would derive no real pleasure from reading the rest. I tried but, even with the lowest of expectations, feel incredibly disappointed.
Another book I was inspired to read after listening to The History Chicks podcast and their Jane Austen episodes. It was the fact that they had mentioned a work I'd not heard of before, 'The History of England', that piqued my interest and, as it was supposedly funny, I thought I'd give it a try.
My library service only had this book available which included it, and even though I've never been a huge fan of classic literature, I wanted to try and be good and read the whole thing. However, it quickly became evident that I was never going to get through it. I struggled through the first few stories to get to The History of England and just couldn't bear it any more.
This collection is apparently printed in approximate chronological order, with the works Jane wrote as a young teenager first. And boy can you tell. They are completely nonsensical, over the top melodramatics, devoid of any depth, characterisation and plot structure. I can only compare it to a young child writing a one page story that makes perfect sense in their own head, but is gibberish to everyone else. I can appreciate that this is a young person trying to hone her craft, and that her experiences are far removed from my own, but ultimately being so far removed from the author just makes that confusion even more pronounced.
As for The History of England... Well, the upside is I know enough about that subject that I could follow it more easily. For that alone, it now stands as my favourite Jane austen work. However, while I can see that it probably is meant to be funny, lighthearted and a mickey-take (and can even appreciate some of the jokes!), it's a very odd little piece. In some ways, this is the type of overview you want of the rulers of England; short, snappy and along the lines of 'I couldn't tell you what dates they were around if you paid me, but they were brilliant/bad/boring while they did it!'. There's an undying love for Mary Queen of Scots and a hatred of Elizabeth I which I'm not entirely sure isn't sincere, and some rather random illustrations provided by Jane's sister Cassandra which bear no resemblance to known portraits. But equally it seems like a pretty pointless exercise - it's neither serious nor satire, and definitely not what I was expecting.
I've always struggled with Jane's writing anyway, so I knew that, even if I continued, I would derive no real pleasure from reading the rest. I tried but, even with the lowest of expectations, feel incredibly disappointed.
Read
August 19, 2023❤Este es el último libro que leí de mi maratón y recopila tres obras cortas de la autora.
Lady Susan, Los Watson y Sanditon.
🖤" Lady Susan" es una novela epistolar, escrita probablemente en 1794, narra los planes de Lafu Susan, la recientemente viuda, encontrar un nuevo marido y a la vez que intenta casar a su hija de 16 años.
🖤Es una novela breve de casi 200 páginas, dividida en 41 cartas, escritas parte por la protagonista de la historia. Hay otros personajes que también intervienen en el intercambio de cartas.
🖤Ella es una antiheroína, es una mujer atractiva que sabe usar sus encantos para seducir tanto hombres como mujeres, sobre todo si le son de utilidad y solo cuando ella consiga su propósito, quizá se den cuenta de su juego.
💜"Los Watson" obra inconclusa de Jane Austen.
💜La novela retrata a Emma Watson que asiste a su primer baile. Su belleza e ingenuidad harán que todas las miradas se centren en ella. Jane Austen nos habla de nuevo de la condición de la mujer de su época, de su limitado papel en la sociedad y de su falta de recursos propios.
💜Como en las otras obras de Austen, hay pretendientes, bailes, miradas y señales sutiles de enamoramiento. No se sabe el final de la novela, sino por un epílogo de la edición que hace referencia a lo que le contó Austen a su hermana Cassandra.
💚"Sanditon también novela inconclusade de la autora.
En enero de 1817, Austen comenzó a trabajar en una nueva novela titulada Sanditon. Dejó de trabajar a mediados de marzo de 1817, probablemente debido a su enfermedad.
💚"Sanditon", se detiene bruscamente en el capítulo 12. Lo que indica que fueron problemas de salud, más que recelos artísticos, lo que la llevaron a abandonar la obra. La novelista británica moriría 4 meses después.
💚En una carta escrita cinco días después de haber dejado de escribir "Sanditon", Jane Austen decía que se encontraba "muy mal".
❤Fue una agradable experiencia hacer esta maratón de Jane Austen. Me gusta mucho Lady Susan.
Los Watson y sanditon iban muy encaminados pero quedaron sin terminar.
Me felicito a mi misma por lograr este maraton de lectura 🥰🤭
.
#ladysusan #Loswatson #sanditon #janeausten #novelas #agosto #2023 #books
Lady Susan, Los Watson y Sanditon.
🖤" Lady Susan" es una novela epistolar, escrita probablemente en 1794, narra los planes de Lafu Susan, la recientemente viuda, encontrar un nuevo marido y a la vez que intenta casar a su hija de 16 años.
🖤Es una novela breve de casi 200 páginas, dividida en 41 cartas, escritas parte por la protagonista de la historia. Hay otros personajes que también intervienen en el intercambio de cartas.
🖤Ella es una antiheroína, es una mujer atractiva que sabe usar sus encantos para seducir tanto hombres como mujeres, sobre todo si le son de utilidad y solo cuando ella consiga su propósito, quizá se den cuenta de su juego.
💜"Los Watson" obra inconclusa de Jane Austen.
💜La novela retrata a Emma Watson que asiste a su primer baile. Su belleza e ingenuidad harán que todas las miradas se centren en ella. Jane Austen nos habla de nuevo de la condición de la mujer de su época, de su limitado papel en la sociedad y de su falta de recursos propios.
💜Como en las otras obras de Austen, hay pretendientes, bailes, miradas y señales sutiles de enamoramiento. No se sabe el final de la novela, sino por un epílogo de la edición que hace referencia a lo que le contó Austen a su hermana Cassandra.
💚"Sanditon también novela inconclusade de la autora.
En enero de 1817, Austen comenzó a trabajar en una nueva novela titulada Sanditon. Dejó de trabajar a mediados de marzo de 1817, probablemente debido a su enfermedad.
💚"Sanditon", se detiene bruscamente en el capítulo 12. Lo que indica que fueron problemas de salud, más que recelos artísticos, lo que la llevaron a abandonar la obra. La novelista británica moriría 4 meses después.
💚En una carta escrita cinco días después de haber dejado de escribir "Sanditon", Jane Austen decía que se encontraba "muy mal".
❤Fue una agradable experiencia hacer esta maratón de Jane Austen. Me gusta mucho Lady Susan.
Los Watson y sanditon iban muy encaminados pero quedaron sin terminar.
Me felicito a mi misma por lograr este maraton de lectura 🥰🤭
.
#ladysusan #Loswatson #sanditon #janeausten #novelas #agosto #2023 #books
Currently reading
August 8, 2023Stories read:
Early stories are more in-your-face about snarkiness, with usage of silly made-up location names, irrational actions, melodrama, and overt exaggeration.
Frederic and Eldrida: 2 stars
-messy, poorly organized story that was definitely written by a beginner who was just sort of splatting ideas onto paper. It made my eyes glaze over and then startled me with the random, dramatic things that would happen (I had to reread when someone suddenly ). I was still entertained!
Jack and Alice
-better-organized than the earlier story (easier to follow what is happening).
-I was highly entertained by the image of a masquerade where
History of England: 2.5 stars
-Cassandra's cute doodles really elevated this one.
-I like the satirical idea behind this one more than I like the actual execution, which doesn't actually have much real impact (to me)
The Three Sisters: 3 stars (at least)
-a witty, succinct, and neatly organized epistolary story. It is nowhere near as subtle as her later works are, but I begin to see the kind of Jane Austen story I love take form here.
Early stories are more in-your-face about snarkiness, with usage of silly made-up location names, irrational actions, melodrama, and overt exaggeration.
Frederic and Eldrida: 2 stars
-messy, poorly organized story that was definitely written by a beginner who was just sort of splatting ideas onto paper. It made my eyes glaze over and then startled me with the random, dramatic things that would happen (I had to reread when someone suddenly ). I was still entertained!
Jack and Alice
-better-organized than the earlier story (easier to follow what is happening).
-I was highly entertained by the image of a masquerade where
History of England: 2.5 stars
-Cassandra's cute doodles really elevated this one.
-I like the satirical idea behind this one more than I like the actual execution, which doesn't actually have much real impact (to me)
The Three Sisters: 3 stars (at least)
-a witty, succinct, and neatly organized epistolary story. It is nowhere near as subtle as her later works are, but I begin to see the kind of Jane Austen story I love take form here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2018
This book is a collection of slightly edited stories and novels found in Jane Austen's diary, collected in roughly chronological order. It contains two novels she left unfinished. For one of them, "The Watsons", she told others of her intended outline for the novel, so the reader gets some sense of where the novel would have gone. For the other, "Sanditon", no such notes were given. The stories begin when Jane Austen was probably 11 or 12 years old. While they are obviously not as developed or mature as her later works, her voice is very clear, and it's interesting to see the progression from the child who loved to write to the mature novelist. Some of them are very good -- I particularly liked "Lady Susan". I don't think this book is for everyone, but for Jane Austen fans, it gives some clear insight into the novelist and her craft.
May 16, 2021
This collection is such a treat for the Austen fan. It is organized into three volumes, beginning with Jane's juvenalia and concluding with her unfinished and unpublished novels. There is something very wonderful in seeing the early, rough versions of her work; the parody and one-dimensional characters who still carry the marks of her later prose. She is funny as ever, and clever, and loves Mary Stuart. I particularly enjoyed Sanditon (her unfinished novel, with fun economics asides that particularly charmed me), but I also very much enjoyed her The History of England, Love and Friendship, The Watsons (also unfinished), and her short story Catherine, or The Bower.
July 9, 2022
I'm amazed that Jane Austen's earliest writings, as a teenager, were so full of vim and vigour, polish and prowess!
Lady Susan is a page-turner, as her manipulative, ruthless schemes and innermost thoughts are revealed in letter after letter to and from her acquaintances, and from their families and acquaintances!
The hilarious History of England is written in a rollicking style, designed to press all the laugh-out-loud buttons for her audience at the time - her doting family. How amazed and delighted they must have been at teenage Jane's wit and perspicacity.
As for Sanditon....it is poignant to realize Jane was ill and her health was failing as she wrote this. She died before she could complete it. The story has all her hall-mark skill: a plot-line exploring deeper issues, characters who hold a mirror up to society, reflecting fads, foibles and fissures. As a reader, you can recognize insights still applicable today: our human desire for moving in the right circles, being defined by appearance, brand and association; our tendency for social judgement and exclusion; ignorance vs education and common sense; our hunger for making money and 'developing' our world; the power of inclusion; and that wry humour and self-awareness can help prick our human bubble of self-importance.
Vale Jane! Your life and legacy live on.
Lady Susan is a page-turner, as her manipulative, ruthless schemes and innermost thoughts are revealed in letter after letter to and from her acquaintances, and from their families and acquaintances!
The hilarious History of England is written in a rollicking style, designed to press all the laugh-out-loud buttons for her audience at the time - her doting family. How amazed and delighted they must have been at teenage Jane's wit and perspicacity.
As for Sanditon....it is poignant to realize Jane was ill and her health was failing as she wrote this. She died before she could complete it. The story has all her hall-mark skill: a plot-line exploring deeper issues, characters who hold a mirror up to society, reflecting fads, foibles and fissures. As a reader, you can recognize insights still applicable today: our human desire for moving in the right circles, being defined by appearance, brand and association; our tendency for social judgement and exclusion; ignorance vs education and common sense; our hunger for making money and 'developing' our world; the power of inclusion; and that wry humour and self-awareness can help prick our human bubble of self-importance.
Vale Jane! Your life and legacy live on.
July 26, 2017
I heard about the juvenilia before and was curious about it. I am not desappointed after reading it. Some of the short stories or early novels are very good considering that she wrote them at a young age. I liked and dislike lady Susan at the same time not because it is not a good story more because she is a very mean, selfish woman who think only of herself, a terrible mother. I got angry at men to be so easily duped by her. I liked the Watson and Sanditon and think it a shame that she could not finish them before her death.
This collection is different from her major novels but is very interesting and I recommend it.
This collection is different from her major novels but is very interesting and I recommend it.
March 21, 2022
BOOK REVIEW ⭐️⭐️
Well, there’s merit in now having real ALL of Jane Austen, even the works she never submitted for publication. I can now understand why! She never finished “Sanditon” which is a pity. “The History of England” is funny. The others? Well I’m glad I read them.
#bibliophile #book #bookish #booklover #books #books2022 #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #bookworm #homelibrary #instabook #instabooks #reader #readers #reading #readingroom #readersofinstagram #bookreview
2022 📚 16
Well, there’s merit in now having real ALL of Jane Austen, even the works she never submitted for publication. I can now understand why! She never finished “Sanditon” which is a pity. “The History of England” is funny. The others? Well I’m glad I read them.
#bibliophile #book #bookish #booklover #books #books2022 #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #bookworm #homelibrary #instabook #instabooks #reader #readers #reading #readingroom #readersofinstagram #bookreview
2022 📚 16
August 6, 2013
3 stars
While I thought Lady Susan was absolutely great, I would probably only recommend Austen’s juvenilia and her later unfinished novels to people who are really interested in Austen and her development as a writer. Personally (and although a fan I’m not an Austen worshiper like some) I thought the juvenilia was absolutely fascinating and would have loved to see the finished versions of the two abandoned novels. If that sort of thing doesn’t interest you, though, and you want a completed story then just go for Lady Susan or give this book a miss completely and stick with Austen’s published novels.
‘The [. . .] shorter tales in this collection: [. . .] vary in their storytelling skill and characterisation, but in each we can see glimpses of the writer Jane Austen was to become.’ (afterword)
The juvenilia is a mixed bag, some of it is recognisably similar to the Austen we’re all used to but some of the earlier stories are downright batty (but kind of brilliant!). In even the earliest of them, though, Austen is skewering and mocking the manners and socially expected behaviours of her time. And it’s really interesting to see the progression from outright, even absurd, parody of them in her early works to the more subtle social commentary found in her published novels. It cements for me, once again, that Austen’s novels are more concerned with social issues and subtle satire than they are with romance. A very interesting look at Austen’s development as a writer but, to be honest, these stories are only of real interest because of the novels she later went on to write and if you’ve not read Austen before this really isn’t where to start.
The Watsons and Sanditon I don’t have much to say about. They both open strongly, have a great cast of slightly absurd characters, and looked to be going somewhere interesting and a bit different to Austen’s other novels when they are abruptly cut off. I would love to have read the finished versions of both of them – but obviously that will never happen and I’m not much interested in reading somebody else’s continuation of either.
Lady Susan, though, is complete and it’s the main reason I bought this book. I’ve been wanting to read it since I first heard of it and looked up a plot synopsis.
Lady Susan is a deliciously different short story than what one might from expect from Austen. It’s in epistolary form for one – although letters do play a big part in almost all of Austen’s novels and a huge part in her juvenilia – and the title character and primary narrator is actually the villain (or anti-hero), rather than the heroine of the piece. And she’s brilliant.
Recently widowed, impoverished, and widely known for her flirtations, Lady Susan is forced to leave her friend’s house in scandal and settle herself with her brother-in-law, Mr. Vernon and his family. Once there she immediately sets about trying to make Mrs. Vernon’s brother, Reginald, fall in love with her – purely for the sake of keeping herself amused and to get one up on Mrs. Vernon. She also plans to force her daughter, Frederica, to marry a rich but obnoxious man by keeping her utterly miserable and socially ostracised until she agrees.
Lady Susan is nasty, manipulative, self absorbed, deceitful and an absolutely horrid, abusive mother. But she’s also a very compelling character. The epistolary format of the story means that, as well as reading other character’s opinions on her we also get to see how she acts and thinks in her own words. And the story is at it’s best when Lady Susan is writing to her friend and co-conspirator, Mrs Johnson, revealing just how uncaring, and unsympathetic she is. On a Mrs Johnson's husband: ‘… of what a mistake were you guilty of marrying a man of his age! just old enough to be formal, ungovernable, and to have the gout; too old to be agreeable, too young to die.’ on her daughter: ‘She is a stupid girl, and has nothing to recommend her‘ and on her flirtation with Reginald: ‘There is exquiste pleasure in subduing an insolent spirit, in making a person predisposed to dislike acknowledge one’s superiority‘. She's a total bitchface and I absolutely love her.
But the epistolary form is also the story’s undoing. In the end the narrator has to abruptly apologise that the story could not reasonably be told through letters anymore (just as it looked like it might be getting tense for Frederica too) before shifting into a very short and clumsy third-person account to tie up all the lose ends. It’s a really, really, unsatisfactory way of concluding it and it feels like Austen had written herself into a corner and then decided just to give up and move onto something else. But I liked the main body of the story, Frederica and Reginald were both a bit wishy washy but I enjoyed Lady Susan and her self absorbed lack of compassion and utter two faced-ness immensely. ‘Strong female characters’ don’t have to be nice. And a main character who toys with several men for her own amusement whilst having an obviously sexual affair with a married man…that’s pretty ballsy.
All in all a fascinating collection of Austen’s work – but probably only so for those already fans of Austen and interested in her early and unfinished works.
May 13, 2018
This is a terrific volume of Jane Austen's juvenilia. Her writing, from age twelve on, shows that she had the raw talent from the beginning. The afterword by Kathryn White is excellent but probably isn't long enough.
May 24, 2020
Elegant hållen roman, Austens ungdomsverk, i den på 1700-talet populära brevgenren. Cynismen är dock mycket svidande, som en kritk mot sysslolös adel som inte har annat än intriger att syssla med. Som ung fann jag denna alltför kall, med åren har jag dock tagit till mig även detta tidiga verk.
January 13, 2021
Loved this! It was fun to see the evolution of Austen’s writing style and she really displayed her love of wit! Also makes me sad that she never finished some of these novels, as I would have enjoyed more of them.
July 6, 2023
obviously not as good as her finished, published novels, but it shows how talented she was even at a young age. novels like the watsons and sanditon could have really been something had she finished them 3
March 29, 2020
The quality of these stories varied quite a bit. Some were excellent, but most were just good.
Read
May 8, 2020I only read Sanditon now, because I want to watch the series. 3 stars for looooong monologues...
July 16, 2020
That is a re read of Austen Juvenilia and it was like a first read. I enjoyed it much more this time, hilarious and very entertaining.
Read
July 22, 2020Read only Lady Susan for Jane Austen July and I loved it! But I wish Jane had written more, the end is too soon...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews