Lady Susan: Jane Austen's first attempt at writing

Coquette Caper

Author: Jane Austen
Published: 1871 (written much earlier)
Pages: 80 pages

One of Jane Austen's earliest works, this novel, written in an epistolary form, didn't get published as late as 1871.
Austen was trying to find her feet in the literary world and chose a form that was relatively easier to write.

The story has Lady Susan as its central character -- a natural-born coquette who has an easy way with men of all ages. Widowed lately and economically weakened, Lady Susan uses her eloquent charms and grace to entice men, more as amusement and a reiteration of her power over men than anything else.

The fact that Susan manages to entrap the best of men in spite of not being in the bloom of youth surprises everyone around her, except herself.
Three men fall in love with her. One is her sister-in-law's brother, Reginald, a handsome young man, who though initially wary of her reputation, gets so utterly charmed when he meets her that in due course even proposes marriage -much to the dismay and shock of his family.
Her second lover and perhaps the only one for whom she betrays some true feelings is Mr. Manwaring, a married man who is deeply enamoured by lady Susan.
The third one, Sir James is so infatuated by her that he's willing to marry Lady Susan's daughter, Fredrika, on the former's command.

Like all other Austen novels, this one too casts an ironic look at nineteenth century England, with its ingrained hypocrisy. Even though Lady Susan is the author's primary object of satire, all the other characters are satirised in some measure. Catherine Vernon is dead against her brother Reginald marrying Lady Susan but quickly reminds herself that she mustn't antagonize the latter too much amidst the possibility of her becoming her sister-in-law.

Again, Lady Susan's trusted friend, Mrs. Johnson is quick to politely sever ties with her when she sees herself getting into the least bit of trouble.

Though the central character Austen tries to bring out the amorous, illicit, amoral world that lurks beneath the surface respectability and propriety that is projected. For all its charm, the limitations of the form of the writing prevent the story from gaining any real depth and the characters remain far from being well etched. For a lead character, Lady Susan has been portrayed as incredibly unidimensional and flat. Austen is guilty of treating her in a charmless way and it is never quite clear how she manages to trap every man she meets.

While the book is not one of Austen's best, it does not fail to demonstrate her trademark wit, irony and delightful play of sentences.

Sample this:

"Oh, how delightful it was to watch the variations of his countenance while I spoke! to see the struggle between returning tenderness and the remains of displeasure."

"I do not wish to work on your fears, but on your sense and affection."

"But a state of dependence on the caprice of Sir Reginald will not suit the freedom of my spirit"

This should give an indication of why an Austen novel is an irresistible read, in any form

-Sandhya Iyer