Lady Susan

Very much NOT her usual thing. ( )

Although not vintage Austen, this early epistolary novella does not outstay its welcome, enlivened as it is by the author's characteristically incisive wit. Les Liaisons Dangereuses for lovers of tea and crumpets... ( )

Really - Lady Susan is a horrible person! The storyline reminded me a bit of "Les liasons dangereuses" in terms of both the format (epistolary) and in the subject of manipulation. Of course Austen's novel reflects her age and experience - it is a bit of fluff in comparison to the novel by Laclos. In the end the characters we are sympathetic to are spared Lady Susan's worst schemes, but she manages to come out alright. ( )

This book was just okay. Just okay is how I have described every Jane Austen novel I’ve ever read. I did find Lady Susan to be a compelling and interesting character. I love a good flawed MC. She was an awful mother which is just about the worse thing a female character can be. I felt bad for Frederick the whole book. I didn’t care for the letter format. The story would have been better if it were written in regular novel format like her other books. It was also pretty anticlimactic. The plot needs some help. This could have withstood another rewrite or two to iron out the plotbeats and pacing and give the story a more definitive structure. This reads like a first draft. Still, it was entertaining and I didn’t hate it. Basically what I would say about every Jane Austen novel. ( )

made into a film in 2000s