• Home
  • Audio/Podcasts
  • Austensites
  • AV/E-Texts
  • History
  • Links
  • Novels
  • Original Sources/19th C. Texts
  • Social Customs During the Regency
  • Teacher/Student
  • Writer/Literature Resources

Jane Austen's World

This Jane Austen blog brings Jane Austen, her novels, and the Regency Period alive through food, dress, social customs, and other 19th C. historical details related to this topic.

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« 18th Century Recipes for a 21st Century Thanksgiving
Book Giveaway: Happy 244th Birthday Jane Austen! »

Sanditon: A Review of Jane Austen’s Novel, published by Oxford World’s Classics

December 12, 2019 by Vic

Sanditon by Jane Austen book coverAs almost all Jane Austen enthusiasts know, her unfinished novel, Sanditon, has been adapted for a limited television series by Andrew Davies. It aired on ITV in Great Britain in the fall and will be shown on PBS Masterpiece Classics starting January 12, 2020. It seems that after the first episode, Mr. Davies deviated from the complex world Jane Austen created to insert his male sensibilities into the plot, but I am getting ahead of myself. (More to come in January.) The intent of this review is a plea for Jane Austen fans to read Sanditon before watching the PBS series. You will be doing yourself a favor.

Oxford World Classics has published a new edition of Sanditon, which was edited by Austen scholar Kathryn Sutherland. This slim volume contains 71 pages of the unfinished manuscript, an introduction and informative note on the text, also by Professor Sutherland, a helpful chronology of Jane Austen’s life and publishing history, and explanatory notes.

Austen began the novel fragment in Chawton Cottage, January 27, 1817. On March 18, when she reached Chapter 12, she laid the manuscript aside, too ill to continue. She died in Winchester on July 18, 1817. As she wrote Sanditon, she must have known that she had little time left, for in her haste to set her ideas on paper, her words tumbled over the pages. She failed to divide her sentences into paragraphs and scratched out words and added phrases as she went along. Her dashes and mid-sentence capitalizations are telling, as are her misspellings. As I read the facsimile of the manuscript online, I was in awe to view a master writer at work at the height of her power.

Page 1-Sanditon

Page of a digitized version of the novel fragment of Sanditon, Jane Austen’s Fiction Manuscripts, Downloaded December 11, 2019

Sutherland edited Sanditon using Cassandra Austen’s copy of her sister’s handwritten manuscript. Cassandra had proofed her sister’s writing to some extent, inserting paragraphs, correcting the spelling (not all, for spelling rules were still fluid in the early 19th century), and generally cleaning the words up here and there. Sutherland kept much of Cassandra’s changes, but reversed a few of them. She describes this process in detail in her Notes to the Text, which I found utterly fascinating.

More fascinating is that Jane’s working title for the manuscript was The Brothers. There were three: Tom Parker, the eldest and an enthusiastic Sanditon sales promoter – to use a modern term – of the new seaside resort (based on Worthing, as some surmise); Sidney, the possible hero of the piece (the reader does not meet him until Chapter 12); and Arthur, the youngest brother and a confirmed but questionable hypochondriac who lives with his two sisters, Diana and Susan.

The reader meets Tom Parker first and he his the most fully fleshed brother of the three. While Sidney is described extensively by Tom and sister Diana, Austen does not provide the reader with a detailed description of the man, for she stopped writing her novel shortly after introducing him. The brothers are so different in character that it would have been fascinating to know how Austen intended to weave their story lines into her plot, or what her plot would have been, for that matter.

At the start of the novel we meet Tom and his wife, Mary. Tom is the dreamer who conceives of great prospects for Sanditon, a new and developing seaside resort. Mary is more sensible, but unable to temper her husband’s fanciful ideas and grandiose hopes for the future. When their carriage breaks down in the middle of nowhere on their way to Sanditon, Mr. Parker twists his ankle. They encounter Mr. Heywood, a gentleman farmer, who helps the Parkers out of their dilemma by providing hospitality under his roof until Mr. Parker’s injury mends. During the Parkers’ stay at the Heywood’s farm, Austen nimbly contrasts the traditional, settled way of life that the Heywoods represent with the progressive, more modern, and speculative future that Mr. Parker envisions,.

To thank the Heywoods for their hospitality, the Parkers invite one of their daughters, Charlotte, to return with them to Sanditon. Her early role in the novel is as an observer. Her sensible estimations echo our thoughts as we learn about Mr. Parker’s fulsome, at times unrealistic ideas about Sanditon’s bright future and of the people she encounters, such as Lady Denham, an imperious and self-important woman in the vein of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I guffawed every time this rich woman, who owned a few asses, mentioned selling their milch for profit to new visitors to Sanditon.

Lady Denham’s nephew-in-law, Sir Edward Denham, is a vain, silly man who imagines he has exquisite literary taste, but Charlotte, the observer, concludes that the handsome Sir Edward does not by nature have a very strong head.  He does, however, consider himself a seducer and pursues Lady Denham’s comely companion, Miss Clara Brereton, a single woman of no means who must take care to preserve her reputation. Add to the mix Miss Lambe, a young West Indian heiress, who Jane introduces with tantalizing hints just before she laid the manuscript aside.

Finally, I was struck by Jane’s invention of Susan, Diana, and Arthur Parker, three hypochondriacs with the most ridiculous symptoms and “cures.” The satire in these passages is biting and without mercy. Diana, while suffering a variety of ailments, takes charge of situations, insinuates herself in other peoples’ concerns, and walks long distances vigorously in order to do both. One can only guess what went through Jane’s mind as she developed characters with imagined or exaggerated illnesses when her own medical situation was so dire. While writing these scenes, did she have her condition in mind, or her mother’s chronic ailments and physical complaints, a mother who ironically survived her by a decade?

This edition of Sanditon by Oxford University Press is a perfect gift for the Janeite in your life (or for yourself) this holiday season and I highly recommend it.

Look for more Sanditon posts in the near future!

Order the book:

Oxford University Press:

Sanditon, Jane Austen, Edited by Kathryn Sutherland, 2019 $5.95

Amazon: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback

Sanditon, Jane Austen, Edited by Kathryn Sutherland

Kathryn Sutherland is the editor of Austen-Leigh’s Memoir of Jane Austen and Other Family Recollections and Jane Austen’s Teenage Writings for the Oxford World’s Classics. She has created a digital edition of Jane Austen’s Fiction Manuscripts (2012), the print edition published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in 2017. She is the author of Jane Austen’s Textual Lives: from Aeschylus to Bollywood (OUP, 2005).

PBS Masterpiece Theater: Sanditon. Click here for details.

First airing January 12, 2020

Also:

Jane Austen’s Satire on Hypochondria, Jocelyn Harris, Corpus: conversation about medicine and life, November 21, 2016

 

Share with others:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posted in Book review, Jane Austen Novels, Jane Austen's World | Tagged Kathryn Sutherland, PBS Masterpiece, Sanditon | 10 Comments

10 Responses

  1. on December 12, 2019 at 02:47 robhban

    I have the DVD on order.


    • on December 12, 2019 at 10:16 Vic

      I’m impressed. I have a wait and see attitude. :)


  2. on December 12, 2019 at 03:08 dholcomb1

    I look forward to your posts in January

    denise


    • on December 12, 2019 at 10:15 Vic

      Thank you! I’ll be curious to know your thoughts on this mini series.


  3. on December 12, 2019 at 04:19 generalgtony

    All I can say is you have a treat to come Vic. Jane Austen, if she was able to watch it,would be surprised. I liked it, in the end. All the best, Tony


    • on December 12, 2019 at 10:14 Vic

      Can’t wait to see it, Tony.


    • on December 15, 2019 at 01:57 Lynne Hess

      I feel better that you liked it, Tony. I suspect an Englishman would have strong opinions on the matter. Like Vic, I can’t wait to see it – one way or another.


  4. on December 12, 2019 at 09:28 Kevin Lindsey

    Thanks for the review of the latest edition of Sandition. I was wondering also when Sandition would be shown here. I’ve added it to my calendar. Based on your comment I will try to reread it before the airing.


    • on December 12, 2019 at 10:13 Vic

      Thank you, Kevin. I forgot to add that this edition of Sanditon with Kathryn Sutherland’s notes is outstanding. She places so much in context that I reread Sanditon with new know,edge.


  5. on December 13, 2019 at 14:43 Polly

    I can’t recommend the ITV series as an adaptation of a Jane Austen novel. It seems that as long as Andrew Davies has good material to work with he comes up trumps, but when left to his own devices he turns into Barbara Cartland. The TV series is beautifully produced, and watchable, but it ain’t Austen.



Comments are closed.

  • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 6,696 other followers

  • Follow Jane Austen's World on WordPress.com
  • Blog Stats

    • 14,703,082 hits
  • Editing Constancy: A Jane Austen Story

    Book cover of Editing Constancy

    Click on this link to read an excerpt of Gerard Charles Wilson’s most recent book. You can download the Kindle version of the book from Amazon.com

  • The Obituary of Charlotte Collins by Andrew Capes

    Click on image to read the story.

  • Comments

    “My idea of good company…is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation.” – Jane Austen, Persuasion

     

    Gentle readers: Please feel free to post your comments and continue the conversation!

    Regretfully, due to SPAMMERS, we will no longer accept comments on posts that were published over 30 days ago. In some instances, links will be removed from comments as well.

  • Administrators and Contributors

    Vic Sanborn, founder of this blog, is supported by a team of talented and knowledgeable writers about Jane Austen and the Regency era. They are:

    • Tony Grant,
    • Brenda Cox, and
    • Rachel Dodge.

    Click on their names to enter their own blogs.

    In addition, we thank the many experts and authors who frequently contribute their posts and opinions, and who continue to do so freely or at our request.

  • The Anne of Green Gables Devotional by Rachel Dodge, one of this blog’s writers!

    Find a book  description and order information on Rachel Dodge’s website. Click on this link.

    Find a review of the book by Brenda Cox, another JAW author, on her website. Click on this link.

  • Podcast Reviews: First Impressions-Why All the Austen Haters Are Wrong

    Image of Victorian woman listening to a podcast with earphonesIn this podcast series First Impressions (59 episodes so far), hosts Kristin and Maggie hilariously discuss the brilliance of Jane Austen and how her novels give us unparalleled insight into our own lives and characters. There’s no shame in loving (and obsessively re-reading) Austen’s novels, which are just as fresh and relevant as they were 200 years ago. Kristin and Maggie are here to give a big [lady] finger to any haters who say otherwise!

    Click here to enter the site.

  • Pin It!

    Follow Me on Pinterest
  • Top Posts

    • The Vyne, The Chute Family & The Austens, by Tony Grant
      The Vyne, The Chute Family & The Austens, by Tony Grant
    • Social Customs During the Regency
      Social Customs During the Regency
    • Highclere Castle Floor Plan: The Real Downton Abbey
      Highclere Castle Floor Plan: The Real Downton Abbey
    • Regency Fashion: Men's Breeches, Pantaloons, and Trousers
      Regency Fashion: Men's Breeches, Pantaloons, and Trousers
    • Ladies Underdrawers in Regency Times: Regency Underwear
      Ladies Underdrawers in Regency Times: Regency Underwear
    • You can watch Persuasion 2007 online
      You can watch Persuasion 2007 online
    • Regency Hygiene: The Bourdaloue
      Regency Hygiene: The Bourdaloue
    • Regency Fashion: Keeping Hems Clean
      Regency Fashion: Keeping Hems Clean
    • Awkward! The Regency Court Gown: Regency Fashion
      Awkward! The Regency Court Gown: Regency Fashion
    • The heaving Regency bosom, or was it? Some facts laid bare.
      The heaving Regency bosom, or was it? Some facts laid bare.
  • Recent Posts

    • The Vyne, The Chute Family & The Austens, by Tony Grant
    • New Beginnings at Chawton Cottage
    • A Day in Catherine Morland’s Bath
    • The Contents of a Lady’s Reticule: Part 2
    • The Contents of a Lady’s Reticule: Part 1
  • Bookmark

    Add to DeliciousAdd to DiggAdd to FaceBookAdd to Google BookmarkAdd to MySpaceAdd to NewsvineAdd to RedditAdd to StumbleUponAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Twitter
  • Links to Jane Austen Blogs

    Click here to enter the page. Topics include Regency fashion, historic foods, Jane Austen societies, British sites, related topics. Click on image.

  • Find Jane Austen on Google

  • This blog has no commercial purpose

    Any ads you see are placed here by Wordpress. I make no profit off my blog. I do receive books and DVDs for review.
  • Hello, my name is Vic and I live in Maryland, USA. I have adored Jane Austen almost all of my life. I am a proud lifetime member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. I do not accept any form of cash advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. However, I do accept and keep books, DVDs and CDs to review.

    If you would like to share a new site, or point out an error, please email me. (Yes, I am fallible. I'll own up to my mistakes and will make the corrections with a polite smile on my face.) Write me at

    gmailbw

    Thank you for visiting my blog. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome.

  • Copyright Statement

    © Vic Sanborn and Jane Austen's World, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Vic Sanborn and Jane Austen's World with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
  • Top Posts & Pages

    • The Vyne, The Chute Family & The Austens, by Tony Grant
    • Social Customs During the Regency
    • Highclere Castle Floor Plan: The Real Downton Abbey
    • Regency Fashion: Men's Breeches, Pantaloons, and Trousers
    • Ladies Underdrawers in Regency Times: Regency Underwear
    • You can watch Persuasion 2007 online
    • Regency Hygiene: The Bourdaloue
    • Regency Fashion: Keeping Hems Clean
    • Awkward! The Regency Court Gown: Regency Fashion
    • The heaving Regency bosom, or was it? Some facts laid bare.
  • Page copy protected against web site content infringement by Copyscape

Blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
%d bloggers like this: