Reviews - Sanditon and Other Tales

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It’s kind of devastating that this my final experience with the fiction of Jane Austen’s. She’s so impressively consistent and I dare say if I’d read the completed versions of The Watsons and Sanditon I might have enjoyed them more.

LADY SUSAN

I’m so glad this was completed. It’s unlike her other works because the style is so different with it being an epistolary novel. In truth I missed her prose but Lady Susan as a character is so funny I forgive her. It’s odd that this probably has my favourite friendship in an Austen novel, though Colonel Brandon and Elinor are definitely up there. Mrs Johnson and Lady Susan are just so willing to confide in each other, so capable of ruining each other and their exchanges are just so entertaining they just cannot be compared.

THE WATSONS

This definitely felt like the most classically Austen of the three. We’re back to her trademark prose and we have a larger family situation in a sort of cross between Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion in terms of what the sisters are like. Emma herself reminds me of a combination of Jane and Elizabeth and she’s very likable. She’s the only in her family who’s been brought up in high society so she’s set apart from them in that sense, this reminded me of Jane, and she’s quite willing to share her opinions and dismiss partners which reminded me of Elizabeth.

I’m grateful that a brief summary of the intended ending was included so you aren’t left completely in suspense.

SANDITON

I loved her other satire Northanger Abbey and was certain I’d enjoy this one as well but I found it quite unbearable. Certain parts were amusing but on the whole I was bored and found myself skim reading sizable chunks.