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Lady Susan
Beautiful, flirtatious, and recently widowed, Lady Susan Vernon seeks a new and advantageous marriage for herself, and at the same time attempts to push her daughter into marriage with a man she detests. Through a series of crafty maneuvers, she fills her calendar with invitations for extended visits with unsuspecting relatives and acquaintances in pursuit of her grand plan.
As the plot unfolds, characters are revealed and the suspense builds -- all through letters exchanged among Lady Susan, her family, friends, and enemies. Described by her rivals as the "most accomplished coquette in England," amply endowed with "captivating deceit," Susan proves to be a remarkable figure, devoid of any redeeming qualities, whose intrigues and devious machinations ultimately lead to disastrous results.
The inspiration for the 2016 film Love & Friendship starring Chloë Sevigny and Kate Beckinsale, Lady Susan is a magnificently crafted (and frequently provocative) novel of Regency customs and manners, which has become a readers' favorite among the author's shorter works. Austen enthusiasts and students of English literature will delight in its wit and elegant expression.
As the plot unfolds, characters are revealed and the suspense builds -- all through letters exchanged among Lady Susan, her family, friends, and enemies. Described by her rivals as the "most accomplished coquette in England," amply endowed with "captivating deceit," Susan proves to be a remarkable figure, devoid of any redeeming qualities, whose intrigues and devious machinations ultimately lead to disastrous results.
The inspiration for the 2016 film Love & Friendship starring Chloë Sevigny and Kate Beckinsale, Lady Susan is a magnificently crafted (and frequently provocative) novel of Regency customs and manners, which has become a readers' favorite among the author's shorter works. Austen enthusiasts and students of English literature will delight in its wit and elegant expression.
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Community Reviews
As witty and eloquent as you'd expect from Jane Austin. I didn't enjoy it much because the characters were all awful, but their awfulness is basically the point to illustrate the social commentary and humor.
This novella by Jane Austen features a unique main character. Lady Susan isn’t a typical Austen heroine. She’s vain and completely self-absorbed. She’s a twisted mother who only sees her daughter as an inconvenience. Lady Susan only thinks of her self and how to collect lovers. This story entirely is captured in letters between characters. The dialogue is witty and biting and humorous. This is Jane Austen at her best.
This novel is a very different style than the other Jane Austen novels. It's a set of letters between various people in the novel. It's also just a light comedy. I didn't love it because it's difficult to develop the characters when the perspective is so limited even if the letters reveal the duplicity of Lady Susan. There's no depth to the characters because the letter writers wouldn't account for subtle actions or conversation. I saw the movie with Sarah T. and I think the movie was a little better.
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