(I apologize if this review is a bit of a mess, I wrote it after 3 hours of sleep making up for the readathon).
Lady Susan – Jane Austen
1794(?)/1871
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I have started reading some of the minor works by Jane Austen. I was hesitant about it at first. There is something about picking up the last novel written by one of your favourite authors, and I guess this is something similar to me. These minor works are the only things I have not read by her yet, except for the letters. Also, I felt that there are bound to be some disappointments while reading her minor works. Maybe some passages or fragments that just do not work for me, or simply the fact that these are written at a time when Jane Austen is still developing her writing skills? I prepared myself as best as I could for all of the above, and I was not disappointed. I would never proclaim Lady Susan or some of the other things I have read her absolute master pieces, but looking at them with the curious eyes of a reader who knows what she will grow up to become makes reading Lady Susan a worthwhile experience. Not that I think it is for everyone, surely those who don’t feel strongly about Austen’s work will skip this epistolary novel and her other minor works.
Lady Susan is a short novel written in the form of letters. The story revolves around Lady Susan, who is scheming to find a husband for herself and her daughter.
And when I say scheming, I do mean in the worst possible sense. In my opinion, what makes Lady Susan so interesting to read is that Lady Susan herself is what would’ve been considered a wicked woman. She is selfish, consciously tries to attach men to her by giving false impressions in hope of acquiring a fortune, she has suitors half her age and she has relations with married men.
I cannot easily resolve on anything so serious as marriage; especially as I am not at present in want of money, and might perhaps, till the old gentleman’s death, be very little benefited by the match. It is true that I am vain enough to believe it within my reach. I have made him sensible of my power, and can now enjoy the pleasure of triumphing over a mind prepared to dislike me, and prejudiced against all my actions.
Her worst flaw, or what was bound to be considered as such at the time, is sure to be her self-assertion, her constant expression of wanting and taking measures into her own hands. Surely, that does not fit the passive woman stereotype of that time?
Her treatment of her daughter is also sure to raise eyebrows throughout the novel. I could not help but feel sorry for the girl, the only person in the whole novel that I could feel sorry for, because even if Lady Susan is the worst of the lot, all of them are gossiping and scheming persons. For example, in the beginning of the novel Lady Susan writes the following about her daughter to her friend:
Upon the whole, I commend my own conduct in this affair extremely, and regard it as a very happy instance of circumspection and tenderness. Some mothers would have insisted on their daughter’s accepting so good an offer on the first overture; but I could not reconcile myself to force Frederica into a marriage from which her heart revolted, and instead of adopting so harsh a measure merely propose to make it her own choice, by rendering her thoroughly uncomfortable till the does accept him–but enough of this tiresome girl.
I am sure Jane Austen had the conduct of various mothers in mind when she wrote this, as she had when she wrote about such mothers on other occasions, but it is all so much less subtle, described in such a grotesque manner, that it becomes invariably funny.
I admit, I was almost as scandalised as I imagine people would have been back then. Imagining how her close relations would have reacted if she read this to them (not sure if she did, but I imagine so) was a big part of the enjoyment in reading Lady Susan for me. I could see them laughing half embarrassed in my mind.
Lady Susan as a novel has more blatant wit than some of Austen’s well-known works, but it also misses a lot of the sophistication of her later novels. There is little to capture the attention of the readers besides the wit and the scandal inherent to the story. That does not mean it is not a worthwhile read. It is simply different from what some people might expect when they pick this up after reading Pride and Prejudice.
I read the Project Gutenberg version of this text.
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Exactly. I had to read a teenage Austen work for my Jane Austen class, and while she’s funny, her humor is very, very broad here (and it’s something she still suffers from in Sense and Sensibility).
I’ve read Austen’s major works but none of her minor ones. Thanks for sharing this with me. I agree her style evolved — in a good way — over time!
I am still only one book into her major works, so I can’t see me getting to her minor works for quite some time. It sounds like an interesting book though.
It must have been fun for Austen to write something like this. In a small way it must have been part of what prepared her to write Emma, a slightly unsympathetic heroine. (Emma’s my favorite really.)
Sanditon is the “do not miss” minor work – minor only because it is unfinished. It has some scenes as good as anything she ever wrote.
I reread Sanditon earlier this year and I agree it is probably the “best” “minor” work by Austen. Whenever I read it I feel so sad that she didn’t get to finish it.
Yes, but it is really not a “minor work” is it. It’s simply an unfinished work. I think there’s a difference and so I wouldn’t class it with the minor works.
I love reading her minor works, just because they show us Jane Austen in the making. Because these works are so much coarser/so less subtle, you can see exactly what she was about and there’s value in that, isn’t there. Lady Susan, I guess, borders her Juvenilia and her adult novels as she was about 19 when she wrote it BUT because it was not published in her time which means she did not prepare it for publication, I tend to see it as Juvenilia and assess it in those terms.
Actually it is not an unfinished work – it is finished. It is a complete work. In a visit to the Morgan Library early this year, I was able to tour their Austen exhibit where there were many documents written in Austen’s own hand – and her “fair copy” of “Lady Susan” was among them. It was explained to us that “fair copy” meant a fresh recopying of the first draft, with no corrections in it. This was done around 1805 and there is speculation that Austen may have thought about doing something more with it . This was also the year her father died and there were a lot of changes, so maybe it just got put off, or maybe she just recognized at her age which would have been about 30 that it was too outdated in its characters. There is nothing about Lady Susan Vernon that is like any of Austen’s other heroines – although there is something a little “Mary Crawford” about her.
Enjoy “Little Women”! Did you know there was a novel written a few years back called “March” where the central character is Mr. March, the father of the little women.
Sorry Ingrid … I think you misunderstood me. I was replying to Iris on Sanditon which as I’m sure you know is unfinished and which I tend not to group with her “minor works” though I know most people do. That was the point I was making.
I’ve read all her works including her letters … love them. How lucky you were to have got to the Morgan Library exhibit.
I skimmed through the google books version of this novel when I was writing a review of a Jane Austen sequel based on it, Lady Vernon and her Daughter. The sequel covers up the fact that Austen was writing some pretty unsympathetic characters, which is funny if you think about it. (If you’re interested, here’s the review: http://necromancyneverpays.blogspot.com/2009/07/lady-vernon-and-her-daughter.html)
“Lady Vernon and Her Daughter” was not a sequel – it was an adaptation. It doesn’t continue Jane Austen’s “Lady Susan” but adapts the epistolary novella to a novel length work.
When the ladies who wrote the book appeared on a panel at the Morgan Library in New York City earlier this year (which I was fortunate to attend) they gave a very sound and Austen-centered rationale for changing the character of Lady Susan, and even why she became “Lady Vernon”. I have to say I was extremely impressed with their reasoning. And if you want unsympathetic characters, I think Charles Vernon was as bad as Wickham or young Elliott. And I just adored what they did with Sir James.
Being not a huge Austen fan I think I’ll skip this one, but I’m glad you enjoyed it!
It’s interesting to read your thoughts on this one, and how it compares to Austen’s other works. I’ve really only enjoyed Persuasion and loved P&P, I tried Emma and didn’t enjoy Sense and Sensibility. Probably Lady Susan isn’t for me, though I enjoy Austen’s wit.
I have read (and loved) all of Austen’s major works. I definitely want to read this one!
I have read her 6 completed novels but never this one. We got behind in my seminar but at the end, my professor said what you did at the top of your post – maybe it’s nice to not have read EVERYTHING. It means I still have something to look forward too. Also, I don’t seem like a complete nutter when someone asks me if I’ve actually read ALL of Jane Austen, I can honestly say no.
I haven’t read this one yet, but I have read one of her other minor works, Sanditon. Boy, that one had some real potential, and it’s just too bad that she didn’t have time to finish it.
This one sounds interesting. I’d never heard of it — and have added it to my master list. I’m a excited that reading Austen is getting easier for me. I find her writing a bit challenging.
(I hope you’re enjoying Alcott!)
I remember feeling a lot of pity for the daughter here. I seem to remember her running off, though I might have that mixed up with other stories. Lady Susan really is an awful character so it’s good when things don’t go her way. Can’t say I minded much when I finished it, not because it was a bad book but because the character was so horrible.
Enjoyed your review. I like Lady Susan because really she is Austen’s only mature heroine – if you can call her a heroine!
“Some mothers would have insisted on their daughter’s accepting so good an offer on the first overture; but I could not reconcile myself to force Frederica into a marriage from which her heart revolted, and instead of adopting so harsh a measure merely propose to make it her own choice, by rendering her thoroughly uncomfortable till the does accept him…”
This is really different from Mrs. Bennet who did insist Elizabeth accept ‘so good an offer on the first overture’ when Mr Collins proposes! And you have to wonder what Lady Catherine would do if poor Anne ever refused a man that Lady Catherine wanted her to marry (after Darcy chose Elizabeth) – ‘Lady Susan’ is getting a real revival of interest, from ‘Lady Vernon and Her Daughter’ (which i also loved) but from a few stage plays. It was rumored too that the British playwrite Lucy Prebbles was going to do a television movie based on ‘Lady Susan’, but i cant find anything more about that.