Reviews

The Watsons/Sanditon by Anna Bentinck, Jane Austen

sherriebear's review

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funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The Watsons was interesting and I wanted more of the difficult family/societal dynamics in the world.

Sanditon is a cynical critique of the rich/upper class. Many funny and ridiculous moments (e.g. man goes on long speech/rant about worthy books and then a character responds “I do not think we have the same taste in books at all.”). Interesting musings on medicine lurk in the background (doctors vs creating home remedies and drinking ass’s milk…).

Miss Lamb who is a rich “half mulatto” from the West Indies is the first mention of a non-white character in a Jane Austen novel that I have read (other than slaves mentioned in Mansfield Park). I wish Austen had been able to finish Sanditon.

starsandgutters's review

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

hollsfriday's review

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

2.0

soniapage's review

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3.0

Of these two unfinished novels by Jane Austen I think I preferred Sanditon which was her last. Interesting ideas and different from her other work. The Watsons is a much earlier work and I get the impression it was more of an outline than a novel.

liamlaurence's review

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adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

So sad that Sanditon was never finished it really is a very good introduction to a promising story! I shall definitely watch the adaptation. I would also like to say it starts of very confusing. I had a hard time understanding what was really happening and therefor the summaries I found online of the chapters were so very helpful. 

beata's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

beckymmoe's review

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3.0

(A quick re-read, of course, in honor of Pemberley Digital's newly begun "Welcome to Sanditon" vlogs :))

It's hard to rate these, as they're not completed...and of course the reasons for them not being completed (Jane Austen's illness and death) tinge the whole with melancholy for her fans. Still, her voice is evident throughout, and Sanditon, at least, had me chuckling at quite a few points. I'm not sure if I'd read The Watsons before, but I had read Sanditon several times, especially the version that was completed years later by "Another Lady"--I remember getting that one out of the library several times before finding it at a used book store while on vacation many years back. I'll have to add it to my summer "to read" list, just to see if it's still as well done as I remembered it....