Lady Susan

by Jane Austen

Lady Susan is a short epistolary novel by Jane Austen, possibly written in 1794 but not published until 1871. Although the primary focus of this short novel is the selfish behaviour of Lady Susan as she engages in flirtations and searches for suitable husbands for herself and her young daughter, the actual action shares its importance with Austen's manipulation of her characters' behaviour by means of their reactions to the letters that they receive.