Lady Susan by Jane Austen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I haven't read an Austen novel that I disliked.

I mean, she's good enough to turn what should be an epistolary slog through social mores into a delightful and spiteful and nearly-tragic romp. Who else can do that?

The voices of each character in each letter evokes such verve and personality and a great sense of persistent presence that I'm frankly quite shocked. The plot was rather simple. It's about making good matches and getting involved in other's love-lives. *shock* *no* *say it isn't so*

But even so, it's done with such reserve and sometimes with such plain nasty cattiness that I can't help but swing this way and that throughout the novel, just trying to get a handle on what the *truth* is.

What is Lady Susan really hiding? What did her daughter do? What the hell with Mrs. Vernon? Jeeze.

For such a short novel, made entirely of letters, it really managed to get under my skin and keep me on my toes. Amazing!


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