Lady Susan by Jane Austen: Book Review

You may already know that I am a die-hard Jane AUsten fan, so you cam imagine my surprise whe I discovered a book by her that I hadn't read. I recommend you read the book because its very entertaining with a sharper wit than Austen's other novels except from Northanger Abbey.


Lady Susan is a relatively less well known novel written by Jane Austen,possibly written in 1794 but not published until 1871. The author did submit the completed work for publication in her lifetime. The novel comprises almost entirely of letters between various characters. (Sense and Sensibility was orignally written in epistolary form as well).

The protagonist Lady Susan is like no heroine in 19th century English Literature, in fact, she is unlike any Austen heroine. Lady Susan is beautiful, intelligent, charming and witty as all heroines must be, but she lacks a moral compass, is 'old' has a sixteen year old daughter to boot, and is new widow. 

Lady Susan's attempts to find a suitor for her daughter against her wishes and her own flirtations, affairs  with  a younger man and attempts to snare a suitable partner for herself are rather scandalous for the time. No wonder Jane Austen did not submit the novel for publication, I don't believe 19th century England was ready for cougars in fiction even if they did exist in reality.

The book has happy ending, although I wished the end would have been a bit more drawn out, Lady Susan is given a sort of happy ending not a moral one, unlike Mansfield Park where Jane Austen punished those morally unsound.

All in all, its a good read, I liked the fact you could almost 'hear' each character as  you read their letters. The insights into the behaviour of men and women in their various roles as sister, mother, daughter and friend are so easy to relate to despite the passage of time. The physical decriptions and personality traits of different characters were cleverly included in the correspondence so that you could form a picture in your head, without it being an obvious description as written in a normal novel. You got the delicious feeling of overhearing gossip during a train ride when two friends (usually women) discuss mutual friends, none of whom you know, but by the end you feel as if you know them all quite well.

I will end as usual with some of my favourite quotes, hope they convince you to read the book:


"I cannot easily resolve on anything so serious as marriage, especially as I am not at present in want of money."
Lady Susan to Mrs. Johnson
 
"I have never yet found that the advice of a sister could prevent a young man's being in love if he chose it."
Lady Susan to Mrs. Johnson (as she tries to draw in Mrs. Vernon's brother -- it's all very complicated!)

"Where there is a disposition to dislike, a motive will never be wanting."
Lady Susan, letter 5, Lady Susan to Mrs. Johnson

North and South BBC mini series

When I first read Elizabeth Gaskell's novel North and South I was terribly moved by the book, and loved the passionate character of Margaret Hale, the fiery John Thornton, and even majestic Mrs Thornton commanded awe and respect. I always thought that a movie would not be able to do justice to this well-written work; and I usually find myself unsatisfied with film adaptations as some elements of the plot are left out or the emotions of the characters are not accurately portrayed.

So, when my best friend started raving about the BBC (2004) adaptation, I was at first reluctant to watch it. However, as I read the book a good 8 years ago the plot was hazy in my mind and I decided that if they had butchered I would not feel it as much as if it had been a recent read.

Women all over the internet were swooning over Richard Armitage’s portrayal just like my best friend, which piqued my curiosity. How did a period drama excite so much passion when it had Vampire Diaries and other shows' shirtless and steamy scenes to compete with?

Dear readers, I watched it. It was one of the most well made books to TV adaptations I have ever seen. I like thousands of other women fell in love with the smouldering John Thornton. The character is a perfect mix of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Rochester! Daniella Denby-Ashe's portrayal of the protagonist Margaret Hale was equally enthralling to watch. The chemistry between the characters was so real and engrossing that the time literally flew by when I was watching the 4 episode mini-series. In case you haven't read the book, it is about Margaret Hale and her family's sudden move from the prosperous agricultural society of the South of England to the 'dirty and smoky' industrial town of Milton in Northern England. Issues of class, cultural differences, and love are major themes. Initially Margaret takes offense to the town of Milton, its people, and its ways, and especially to Mr John Thornton, who does not seem to be a gentleman in her eyes. As time goes on and she gets to know the people and ways better, and begins to realise after rejecting him he is not as bad as she thought. The scenes between these two characters are charged with tension, as they clash on their views on how the mills’ workers are treated.

 For the first time I loved the changes made in the TV adaption, especially the last scene, the casting was perfect, the cinematography of cotton mills was beautiful, and was supported by a sweetly melodious musical score.

The last scene is in no doubt the best; both characters convey so much emotion through their eyes, that one feels immersed in their love. The audience is rooting them on with bated breath, fluttering heart, and an all over tingle. Contemporary shows could take a page from this show and realise explicit scenes are not necessary to convey depth of passion. A well written and well acted script does the job very well indeed.

Trust me if you watch the series, it will take you a while to snap out of it.
You can watch it on YouTube or on the BBC website here: