Sanditon

I have a copy of Sanditon that says on the cover, Jane Austen's Last Novel Comleted. She had only completed the first 11 Chapters of the book between January 27 and March 18, 1817 before she died on July 18,1817. This was bequethed to her niece, Anna Austen Lefroy. So has anyone ever read Sanditon before? And if you have what did you think of it compared to her other Novels? The cover of Sanditon says Jane Austen And "Another Lady". In the back of the book it also mentions The Watsons of which no less than than threecompleted versions exist, Lady Susan or Catherine. And goes on to say "there could be no learned theories advanced about when it was written or why it was abandoned". And that "Nobody could suggest it was a forerunner of Emma or Mansfield Park. Nobody could write other articles contradicting them."

beatles1964

I guess I will eventually get around to reading Sanditon when the chance arises and I am caught up with reading all my other books.

beatles1964

I had been wondering why the book Sanditon hadn't been included in the Group Read from The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler. That way the would've had a 7th Jane Austen Novel to read and also had a 7th member to the Book Club too. I am totally unfamiliar with the books, The Watsons, Lady Susan or Catharine. Does anyone out there know anything about these other Austen Novels? And how come they're never discussed or have any movies made about them? I'm just curious about this.

beatles1964

I have Lady Susan, Sanditon and The Watsons. I'll have to check my copy when I get home it has been some years since I read them. I think they are often overlooked because they are in various states of completion. I remember getting involved in one only to have it stop abruptly. I think they also don't show the same polish of her other works.

I'll check and report back.

So if I was go into a Book Store would I be able to find Lady Susan or The Watsons? Or should I try hitting some local Second Hand Book Stores? Are the books even in Print today?

beatles1964

Yes, these books are available in a bookstore. The penguin edition I have includes all three books Lady Susan, The Watsons, Sanditon. It's been awhile since I read them, but I believe Lady Susan was an early book (Juvenilia) and the other two are unfinished novels from later in her writing career. But don't quote me on that! None of the three are very long and the unfinished novels end abruptly and that is disappointing! Given the popularity of Jane Austen, you should be able to find a copy in any good size bookstore. Or certainly on-line.

I tried to read Sanditon and had to stop. It undoubtedly would have benefited from a rewrite. I was excited about reading more Jane, but it just was so uninvolving. i haven't tried Lady Susan or The Watsons yet.

I have read all three (I found the Penguin classic with all three of them in a bookstore in the UK - usually the ones with lots of classic will have them). It was very frustrating to read the two fragments of the Watsons and Sanditon, because just as you get into it, it stops. However, some things are known about how the stories would have evolved, especially in the case of The Watsons so your curiosity in a way still gets satisfied.

The ending of Sanditon is less clear, but I recently read the finished novel (by another lady) and was pleasantly surprised by it. I don't think I even really noticed when Jane stopped and the other lady took over. The other lady also included a notice on how she developed the rest of the book and her choices sound quite plausible (at least for main characters). Jane never told or wrote anybody anything about Sanditon, so we can't really know, but this is a very good try I would say. I would love to own the book (found it in my local library, very surprising!).

Now I only have to read Love & Friendship and the other early stories, though I'm not sure where to find them. Oh, and I have another tiny booklet by Jane, when she was very young: The History of England by a partial, prejudiced & ignorant historian. It's brilliant. I bought it in Chawton, in the museum.

Catharine and Other Writings is published by Oxford Press--it contains all her juvenilia writings

Like celiacardun above I found the transition from J. A.'s Sanditon draft to the pages written by 'Another Lady' smoothly seamless.

Whilst this edition doubtless lacks the sharpness and clarity that a Sanditon entirely written and revised by Jane Austen would have possessed, I find it a pleasant read. One can read it without encountering jarring un-Austenesque writing or, with the exception of Charlotte's lie, behaviour which may fall short of J. A.'s high standard for heroines.

The abduction attempt is entertaining.

This continuation writer seems to have used the names "Anne Telscombe" and "Marie Dobbs" with her writings, but I can't discover whether one of them is her real name. Perhaps someone can settle this point, and outline her qualifications and experience for us.

‘Aurélien Arkadiusz’

I would be curious too to hear about the writer. Has she written anything else?

And I'm trying to remember now what the lie is that Charlotte tells. Hmmm.... this might call for a reread :-)

She lies to Mrs Parker about travelling with Clara to meet Elizabeth Denham ;)

I have just finished Sanditon by 'Another lady' and didn't really enjoy the 'new' direction of the story, or the re-interpretation of the characters. In fact, I came to loathe Charlotte - she turns from a laughing Elizabeth Bennet into a snotty Fanny Price, and I thought she was badly matched with the 'hero'. Also, she is willing to sell her 'sensible' convictions down the river for love of him, which rather jars with my idea of an Austen heroine. But then, she isn't an Austen heroine, is she? 'Another lady' didn't get Austen's irony either - instead of letting the characters make fools of themselves (Sir Edward) she has Charlotte make snide remarks about them for the reader's benefit.

Read (and reviewed here: http://www.librarything.com/work/45705/reviews/71112687 (part of the review anyway)). I actually liked it quite a lot - different from any of the other novels but nice.

I am still gathering courage to read any of the "Completions"...

I have a bunch of continuations that I'm terrified to open... I think mainly I'm afraid I'll like them! :P

I just finished the real, uncompleted Sandition (and the real, uncompleted The Watsons and the absolutely wonderful "Lady Susan"). I wish Austen herself had finished the two novels. The Watsons, especially, sounds like a wonderful P&P type book. My edition has a little paragraph that says how one of Austen's sisters said it would have gone, had she finished it.

I'm on to the earlier stories now, which are also in the same volume (I'm reading the Everyman's library edition).

Do try John Coates' completion of The Watsons - I really enjoyed the story, even if Coates did take a slightly different course than suggested by Austen to her family. Penelope Watson is one of my favourite (non) Austen characters now!

>15 jfetting: Revising this thread. I'm currently reading the same Everyman's Library edition as you have, Jennifer (Sanditon and Other Stories). I've finished Sanditon. On one hand, it's sort of nothing and just stops . . . the story had just got going. On the other hand, there are some fabulous characters, and you can see that Austen was going to have all sorts of fun with them. Too bad that she didn't get to finish and polish this.

I'm really looking forward to Lady Susan-- that one sounds great.

Not sure I'll read everything in this volume.