The Watsons [Paperback]

Jane Austen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 3, 1977

Jane Austen (1775-1817) was an English novelist. Her novels were all written and set around Regency Era. The theme of her stories centered upon the limited provincial world in which she lived for the first twenty-six years of her life. She never married and died at age 41. She began writing her first novel in 1789. Her family life was conducive to writing; the Austen family often enacted plays, which gave her an opportunity to present her stories. Her close analysis of character displayed both a warm sense of humour and a hardy realism: vanity, selfishness and a lack of self-knowledge are among the faults most severely judged in her novels. Criticized for being repetitive, her plots are nonetheless well structured, and reveal a sincere love of perfection and minutiae of detail that she believed was one of the prerogatives of any potential writer. Amongst her famous works are: Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1816), Northanger Abbey (1818), and Persuasion (1818).

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“To the Austenites who stop this side of idolatry and who thought they had heard the last of Jane's sublime gossip, The Watsons comes like a windfall in a blighted summer.”–Christian Century --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Renowned British novelist, Austen’s work is considered part of the Western canon. No other novelist has so concerned herself or himself with the trivial daily comedy of provincial family life. Her work is famous for its lucid and flowing prose style. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Signet (May 3, 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451075226
• ISBN-13: 978-0451075222
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,378,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Though the domain of Jane Austen's novels was as circumscribed as her life, her caustic wit and keen observation made her the equal of the greatest novelists in any language. Born the seventh child of the rector of Steventon, Hampshire, on December 16, 1775, she was educated mainly at home. At an early age she began writing sketches and satires of popular novels for her family's entertainment. As a clergyman's daughter from a well-connected family, she had an ample opportunity to study the habits of the middle class, the gentry, and the aristocracy. At twenty-one, she began a novel called "The First Impressions" an early version of Pride and Prejudice. In 1801, on her father's retirement, the family moved to the fashionable resort of Bath. Two years later she sold the first version of Northanger Abby to a London publisher, but the first of her novels to appear was Sense and Sensibility, published at her own expense in 1811. It was followed by Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1815). After her father died in 1805, the family first moved to Southampton then to Chawton Cottage in Hampshire. Despite this relative retirement, Jane Austen was still in touch with a wider world, mainly through her brothers; one had become a very rich country gentleman, another a London banker, and two were naval officers. Though her many novels were published anonymously, she had many early and devoted readers, among them the Prince Regent and Sir Walter Scott. In 1816, in declining health, Austen wrote Persuasion and revised Northanger Abby, Her last work, Sandition, was left unfinished at her death on July 18, 1817. She was buried in Winchester Cathedral. Austen's identity as an author was announced to the world posthumously by her brother Henry, who supervised the publication of Northanger Abby and Persuasion in 1818.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Splendid completion by Coates, April 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Watsons: Jane Austen's Fragment Continued and Completed (Hardcover)

Just when you thought there were no more Jane Austin works to read, this splendid book appeared, dog-eared in a used paperback (!) format. Well worth the search. A fourth sister is reunited with her three impoverished sisters, all in need of husbands - each sister is distinctly drawn, as, to a slightly lesser degree, are their swains. If you can forgive the presumption of Mr. Coates, you will welcome his ready wit and eye for detail. There is as always, a sister who is correct and sensible and striving to be well-behaved, but it is the encounters of the badly-behaved sisters which are truly enjoyable. Better than the (also good) completion of Sanditon, by "another lady."

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a completion!, January 21, 2008

By 

GAKDragon (Towson, MD, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Watsons (Hesperus Classics) (Paperback)

The edition of Jane Austen's "The Watsons" that was published with a foreward by Kate Atkinson is merely a published copy of Jane's original fragment!! It is NOT a completion, like the one John Coates wrote! Unfortunately, the "paperback" link on his page redirects you here. Please take note of this before you buy it, and decide for yourself if you want to purchase only half of the story (also, it's a fragment that's available in the public domain for free).

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, July 25, 2006

By 

Cheryl Simmons (KANSAS CITY, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Watsons (Paperback)

Being a Jane Austen fan, I was very excited by the prospect of a new book. Talking about disappointment. First I was disappointed that Amazon would offer this to me at the price I paid since it's thinner than a steno pad. Secondly I felt like I was left hanging. There is nothing worse than to get caught up in a story and have it end with nothing resolved. If you must read this, don't buy it, until you read it. That way if you do decide to buy, you'll know what you're getting. I gave it 2 stars because it is Jane Austen.