Product Description

Out of print for more than 20 years, this novel--an 11-chapter fragment at Austen's death completed with seamless artistry by an Austen aficionado and novelist--is a wonderful addition to Austen's beloved books.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #233431 in Books
• Published on: 1998-10-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780684843421
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Customer Reviews

A Pleasant Journey created from an unfinished novel of Jane Austen!!!
It is a shame that Jane Austen did not live to finish this novel, but lucky for us that someone has made a great attempt to complete the fragment. It is very well done. If you are worried about the consistency of switching authors mid-book, need not worry, I assure you. I found it very hard to decipher where Jane left off and where 'another lady' begins. I think she followed the style of Jane's writing and predicted the correct outcome. I found nothing wanting with this novel. It was in no way disappointing. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves Jane Austen.

To entice those of you who are still undecided:
The Scenario:

A couple from the seaside resort of Sandition get into a carriage accident near the home of Charlotte, our heroine. Charlotte's family helps them and nurses Mr. Parker who sprains his ankle. In return they take Charlotte back with them to Sandition to give her a nice holiday. Charlotte is the most sensible and observant character. Everyone around her seems to have their head full of something other then sense and practicality. She meets all sorts of people, a wide variety of personalities and demeanors. Charlotte prides herself in being a good observer. But when Sidney Parker, brother of Mr. Parker comes to town, Charlotte finds it difficult to keep her head on straight and her level headedness disipates. This book brought me so much pleasure. If you don't read it, how will you ever find out: If Clara Brereton will elope with Sir Edward? Or if Henry Brudenall will get over his cousin whom he was jilted by? Or why Sidney really came back to Sandition the night of the ball?

Quite Satisfying
As a major Jane Austen fan needing more, more, more I bought this book. With much trepidation, I practically circled it twice before opening it. By time I closed it at the end, I was amazed at how well the "other lady" finished Ms. Austen's last novel. It's obvious in the first 11 chapters that Jane Austen's illness made it impossible not only to finish the novel, but to polish and re-write it as was her wont. It's a little sad to read her rough beginning and I thought the "other lady" did very well at picking up the thread and saving this novel. Absolute purists may claim the novel was better left unfinished, but I think it was an enjoyable read. Unfortunately I accidentally left the book on an airplane, with only a few pages left to go, but suffice it to say that I immediately went out and bought it again because it was such a good novel. Only a very few words and scenes were not true to Austen form, but since there can never be another Jane Austen, this shouldn't come as a surprise. The Other Lady carefully developed the characters in Austen form, and the plot was very good. She introduced more twists in the plot than Austen would have, but they served to make the novel even better. Read the Apology at the end of the book before embarking upon reading, and you will understand how graciously the Other Lady bows to the fact that she knows she's no Jane Austen, but a loving Jane Austen fan. I enjoyed Sanditon more than Letters from Pemberely, which I felt left the reader rather cold and didn't capture Elizabeth Bennet at all. Sanditon is by far the best of the "spin off" genre.

Gallant effort
I'm giving this book 4 stars in salute to the "Another Lady", who's done a better job of imitating Jane Austen's language at many points in this book than any other JA fragment-completer I've encountered. After looking at Coates' version of "The Watsons", which was awful, I appreciated all the more the restraint and skill needed to sustain the thread of Miss Austen's delicate style of literary weaving.

That said, "Sanditon" is far from perfect. Although the Lady carries on the language and plot in a convincing way for some time, one sees it break down after the sensible Charlotte Heywood, a la Bronte, falls dizzyingly and mind-numbingly under the spell of Sydney Parker. I was disappointed, as it seemed that JA had designed Charlotte to be a refreshingly strong-minded character. In the fragment she left, Charlotte says what she thinks, and observes with a great deal of keen good humor. Little by little this gets lost, and she turns to mush.

The whole abduction incident, too, while alluded to in the fragment, seems foreign to JA's style.

I rather like the Parker family, though, and think Lady Denham pretty well sustained.

In spite of its flaws, I did very much enjoy this novel for what it was, and felt that the Lady sincerely tried to respect JA's vision and tone. It would be interesting to see "Sanditon" dramatized. It has the marks of a labor of love.

So, don't expect the complete Austen experience here. But it's probably the best completion of the fragment done to date.