Sanditon

Jane Austen would roll over in her grave...What a sorry portrayal this is... And that's being kind....Not gonna ruin the ending for those who are unfortunate enough to get this book, but it is not at all what Austen would have written

Austen's Sanditon, though unfinished, has long been a favorite text of mine. I was very excited to find a new completion of it. Unfortunately, I was VERY disappointed in this adaptation. It is utterly superficial, sentimental, and sensational (in the negative sense of the word). Riordan has made Charlotte Heywood into another Elizabeth Bennett, rather than developed her into the character Austen began. Things began well when Riordan has Sidney Parker confront Charlotte on her propensity for evaluating others around her; but then Riordan sheds Charlotte's prickly personality and makes her all eager to help everyone. She should have stuck with the prickly character instead of giving that to the other minor female characters: Esther Denham and Clara Brereton. Charlotte, after all, is Lady Catherine De Bourgh in the making...or the doppelganger to Lady Denham herself.

The Parker brothers, Charlotte's competition for attention in the novel, have some charming qualities to them in Riordan's novel, but nothing compelling. Sidney's ending only is interesting.

As for the Denham storyline, it reminds one of Lord Byron's scandalous affair with his sibling. But that's it. Edward Denham is one of Austen's strangest characters. Riordan runs with that, but to little effect. Esther Denham and Clara Brereton are basically interchangeable in terms of how unlikeable they are. The overt sexuality of the ladies is harlequin more than Austen. Lady Denham herself is just a prop.

Georgiana Lamb's storyline is too hackneyed. What did Austen intend with her first woman of color anyway? And why did Riordan make Sidney Parker Miss Lamb's guardian? Surely, Miss Lamb, Charlotte, and Sidney would have been the primary love triangle of the story. For all her money, the white males of Riordan's adaptation virtually ignore Miss Lamb's existence.

And there are too many minor characters in this story. Mrs. Griffiths, the Beaufort sisters, Mary Parker, Arthur Parker, Rev. Hankins, Diana Parker, Old Stringer, Mr. Crowe, Lord Babington, Lady Susan, Lady Worchester... Austen could be at fault for this, since she created much of the cast that Riordan uses. The novel would need to be quite long...along the lines of Dickens' Bleak House...to develop these characters satisfactorily.

But much of the plot of this adaptation is rushed and superficial. Scenes and situations are thrown at readers at a bracing pace. However, this book utterly lacks the psychological sophistication of Austen's books, and focuses on the marriage plot, reducing Sanditon to yet another romance fantasy. The storyline about the town's development and Tom Parker's desperate investment in it is ultimately flat given the reader never really witnesses any of the commerce in any meaningful way.

Besides this, Riordan makes little use of Charlotte's homebase in Willingden. Austen was a fan of correspondence, but Riordan gives one or two short letters between Charlotte and her sister Alison. A missed opportunity to delve into Charlotte's family context and her reflections on the very strange cast of characters around her.

Although better developed than other completions of the novel, Riordan's is a Hollywood amateurish bastardization of Austen if I ever saw it.

Yesterday, I finished reading Sandition by Jane Austen and Kate Riordan. Written in 1817, shortly before her death, this unfinished novel tells the story of a provincial young lady who visits one of the first seaside resort towns in England. Austen completed only eleven chapter before she grew too ill to write. The book was completed by many authors; this version was completed by Kate Riordan and was recently adapted for a PBS Masterpiece Theater series. The best description I can give is Jane Austen on steroids. Yes, all of the Austen elements are there: an extremely intelligent heroine whose family is genteel but without much money; a dashing yet snobby gentlemen of society who sadly underestimates the brilliance of the heroine; the love triangle of heroine, snobby gentleman, and extremely wealthy widow who jilted gentleman in his youth. If you take an 1817 Austen novel and finish it in the 21st century, you will get ribald drawing room intrigues; a young lady who excels at sports and banter; along with explicit sex! The fifth star is reserved for a hoped-for sequel to remedy a rather unsatisfactory ending.

I'm confused. Is this the unfinished Jane Austen novel, as she wrote it, plus an ending written by Kate Riordan? Or is it a novelization of the TV series? Is it all a Riordan rewrite of Austen's work? That would be presumptuous. I have given it one star because it is not clear just what is included here.

I’ve been reading Jane Austen since I was 9 and reread all the books every few years. I thought this was the best completion job of all. I particularly looked for the transition between Austen and the Other Lady (who is apparently a man). it was an excellent transition. The character development was also excellent. I recommended this to my fellow Janites.

Don’t be so critical! It’s not Austen. It’s someone finishing her work. I love the characters!

Thank you, Kate for being to total opposite of Jane Austen! I know in our modern time we are no longer allowed to have happy endings, but Jane Austen’s novels were to be that sanctuary of having a happy ending without judgement. I was willing to forgo the fact that you did not sound, nor think like Jane Austen, but to split more than one set of lovers apart and not give the closer of them getting together is too much to bare. I reject this novel and it would have been better left undone!

I watched the first two episodes of Masterpiece Theatre Sanditon and decided I didn’t want to wait for the next episode, so I came on to Audible and downloaded Sanditon. I love the actors who play the characters in the book, so I had fun listening to the audible book. I didn’t find this book very Austenesk, with the smutty content and the language, but because I had watched a few episodes of the Masterpiece theatre I enjoyed the story, except at the end. I predicted that Sidney would come back engaged, but I think he would have gone after Charlotte. Didn’t like the ending, so I am hoping there is another Season and book to follow. Wish Jane Austen would have been able to finish this book ❤️

I really loved the series, so I decided the buy the book and read it. I actually came out liking the book better. It had more details between the romance/hatred of Sidney and Charlotte. You could feel their hatred and passion at the same time. It's a shame it ended the way it did. I didn't want it to end.

Sanditon is Jane Austen’s last fragment of a novel. It leaves delicious possibilities in its brief eleven chapters for where Austen would have taken the story. Tom Parker has made it his life’s mission to make the coastal town of Sanditon into a seaside destination, especially for those looking to improve their health. After an unfortunate accident while looking for a doctor for Sanditon, the Parkers take Charlotte Heywood back to Sanditon with them. As the daughter of a large country family of gentleman, Charlotte has not had much opportunity to travel.

While staying with the Parkers in Sanditon, Charlotte meets a host of interesting people. Lady Denham has the wealth that Tom Parker needs to fund the improvements in Sanditon. Her young cousin Clara lives with her hoping to be her heir. Lady Denham’s niece and nephew by marriage, Sir Edward and Esther Denham also hope to be made heirs. A party of ladies come to visit Sanditon causing excitement, especially when an heiress from the West Indies, Georgiana Lambe is part of the party. Miss Lambe had a white English father, and a black African mother. Tom’s brother, Sidney, comes to town with friends and immediately attracts and annoys Charlotte. She is also intrigued by the building of the community that is going on as well and befriends Young Stringer, the son of the stonemason that is the construction foreman. I enjoyed the delve into architecture.

It’s interesting how books differ compare to movies and TV shows. This novel sticks very closely to the Masterpiece Theatre series, but I loved Young Stringer in the book and wanted Charlotte to end up with him, but in the series, Sydney Parker was my favorite for Charlotte. It’s interesting how acting and the chemistry between the actors can make so much of a difference.

Sanditon was a very enjoyable read to me, but it is not your typical Austen novel. The action jumps around more quickly due to the nature of it being written based on a TV series and there is a lot more sex in the book than you would see in an Austen novel. That being said, while the story showed a different world than other Austen novels, many of the core themes were the same with a headstrong woman in the lead and a tall, dark, and infuriating man as her romantic interest. I enjoyed the side characters as well, especially Georgiana Lambe and Esther Denham. Esther was the Caroline Bingley or character you despise, but in Sanditon, she reforms her ways and I really liked her by the end. Georgiana Lambe was such a unique character in an Austen novel being a black heiress in Regency England. I loved her story and wanted more.

I have previously read Sanditon by Jane Austen and Another Lady and Charlotte by Jane Austen and Julia Barrett over twenty years ago. Reading this new novel, really makes me want to reread these old continuations to see how the story went in different directions.

Overall, Sanditon by Jane Austen and Kate Riordan is an entertaining continuation of Jane Austen’s novel.

Book Source: Review Copy as a part of the Sanditon Review Roundup. Thank-you!