Sanditon, The Watsons, and Lady Susan

Collected together here are three of Jane Austen’s posthumously published works; “Sanditon”, “The Watsons”, and “Lady Susan”. These fragmentary tales show Austen experimenting with different literary styles and parodying the popular novels of her day. In “Sanditon,” Austen uses the premise of an idyllic and modern seaside town to examine its inhabitants and their various social circles with her trademark sharp social observations and wit. “The Watsons” is the story of Mr. Watson, a widowed clergyman, and his two sons and four daughters. The heroine of the tale is the spirited daughter Emma, who finds her marriage prospects lessened by both her poverty and, ironically, her sense of refinement. “Lady Susan”, the most complete of the three, is an epistolary novel which focuses on the story of its title character, a beautiful, but petty and unscrupulous woman. Lady Susan engages in constant flirtations and manipulations while she searches for rich husbands for herself and her young daughter. Also included here is a cancelled chapter of “Persuasion” and the short essay “Plan of a Novel” in which Austen sets out her capacity as a novelist and what makes up the ideal novel. This edition includes a biographical afterword.