Emma and Elizabeth: A story based on 'The Watsons' by Jane Austen

The Watson Novels #1

by Ann Mychal

Voted 'Best Debut Novel 2014' by Austenprose.com

'When a young woman, on whom every comfort in life is bestowed, has the misfortune to inhabit a neighbourhood in which peace and harmony reign, her ability to perceive and understand the world must be diminished and, consequently, in need of adjustment.'

Based on 'The Watsons', a novel fragment by Jane Austen, 'Emma and Elizabeth' contrasts the fortunes of the Watsons sisters in a world where the alternative to marriage is poverty. Emma returns to her family home penniless when her widowed guardian remarries. At a local assembly, she is admired by more than one suitor, but her lack of fortune has the potential to ruin her happiness. Elizabeth, a woman on the verge of spinsterhood, has little hope of love. But when duty to the family is tested, one sister is obliged to sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of the other.

Set in Surrey in 1795, 'Emma and Elizabeth' blends passages from the original fragment into the narrative, creating a unique story which is faithful to Jane Austen's style and subject matter.

Genres: Historical Fiction

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2014

Reviews

[Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upon seeing the title of this book you might first assume that it is a fascinating and brilliant mash-up of Emma and Pride and Prejudice, and while you are correct about the story being both fascinating and brilliant, the heroines of this tale are not Emma Woodhouse and Elizabeth Bennet; they are the youngest and eldest Watson sisters, Emma and Elizabeth – characters from Jane Austen’s unfinished and abandoned fragment known as The Watsons. Instead of writing about any Bennets, Elliots, or Austens, author Ann Mychal makes her Austenesque debut with a novel that tells the story of the recently reunited Watson sisters and their lives in Stanton, a quiet village in Surrey.

I applaud and admire Ann Mychal’s approach to The Watsons, I love how she started the story with her own words and perspective rather than utilize Jane Austen’s 17000 word fragment in its entirety. Ms. Mychal does use quotes and bits of dialogue from Jane Austen’s manuscript, and she also begins with the same premise and most of the characters Jane Austen created, but she makes this story her own by not following what, according to Cassandra Austen, was Jane Austen’s intent with these characters. And by doing so, Emma and Elizabeth is different from all the other continuations for The Watsons in outcome – one I found infinitely more satisfying!

What I loved most about this novel was the wonderfully drawn, comedic, and lovable characters! I adored our heroine, Emma Watson, with her high morals and very decided opinions – who, perhaps, shares her judgmental opinions a little too freely (reminded me a little of a cross between Elizabeth Bennet and Emma Woodhouse). I loved sweet, selfless Elizabeth and her unquenchable thirst for town gossip; young, irrepressible Charles Blake with his boundless enthusiasm for just about everything (so adorable, loved his speeches); and the “great and grand,” Lady Osbourne, who believes herself to be a superior authority on everything, but is more gentle and resigned than overbearing.

The gentlemen of this tale did not disappoint either! I enjoyed Ms. Mychal’s portrayals of Tom Musgrave, who is well-known for being an insincere flirt; the charming, well-mannered, and proper, Mr. Howard; and Lord Osbourne, who is socially awkward, reserved, and a little reminiscent of another well-loved Austen hero, (especially when he unintentionally offends Emma at the local assembly). I love the depth, complexity, and personality Ms. Mychal gave to all of these men, and I loved witnessing their interactions with the Watson women. This entertaining and exemplary cast of characters continues (yes, there’s more!) with a fussy father, a flighty friend obsessed with redcoats, and many more charming and dynamic inhabitants of Stanton!

In addition to such a splendid cast of characters, Ms. Mychal crafted a story that is enthralling and entertaining. With surprise engagements, sudden marriages, a failed elopement, a grand ball, and the disappearance of Emma’s aunt there is much to excite and delight, and I found myself entirely engrossed by these characters and their world. If I were to quibble about anything for this novel, it would be the brevity and sparing descriptions of the long-awaited proposal scenes, but, as we know, that is very much Jane Austen’s way, and no one can fault Ann Mychal for wanting to remain true the author’s style.

Brava, to Ann Mychal for creating an outstanding and praiseworthy rendition of The Watsons! Written with an astute knowledge of the time period and an unmistakable devotion to Jane Austen and her world, Emma and Elizabeth is a deeply satisfying read that I receives my highest recommendation!

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My curiosity was roused when I learned that an author had taken on Jane Austen's novel fragment, The Watsons, as her choice for Austenesque variation novel. I have speculated happily about where the author could have take this story so it was fun to see where the speculation led when the author tweaked a few things and set a new tale on its path.

The book is the story of sisters. There are four in the Watson family, but the focus is on the oldest, Elizabeth, and the youngest, Emma. Their lives took very different roads when Emma was removed from her childhood home at the age of five to be the child to her wealthy childless aunt and uncle and Elizabeth was forced to drudge for three indifferent siblings and a father who was more concerned about his own creature comforts.

The author smoothed out the differences between the sisters reared in two different classes and the awkwardness that would have come from being separated most of Emma's life. The story shone and sparkled with hope and romance. It defied what would usually be the lot in life for women with no dowries or connections and gave a much happier conclusion. And, I was all for it. There was conflict enough as Emma must learn the difference between worthiness and the appearance of and Elizabeth must learn her own value for more than how she can serve.

The story was engaging and I was riveted from first to last. Young Charles Blake stole the show. I loved the scene when this impressionable young man is rescued at the Assembly by Emma Watson and then later, at another dance, it is her turn to be rescued by an unlikely hero (at least in her eyes).

I was taken with plot, characters, setting, attention to historical details, and of course romance. I look forward to pressing on with the next book in the series.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

When her widowed aunt decides to marry a young captain and leave her penniless, Emma Watson goes back home. A home that she has not seen for fourteen years and where she finds no friends, except for her eldest sister Elizabeth who has taken care of their family for years. Soon Emma’s beauty and attitude get Lord Osbourne, Mr. Howard and Tom Musgrave intrigued, but only one of them is her perfect match. A man that will love and accept her despite her lack of fortune. Will Elizabeth find her true love as well? Will the Watson sisters find true happiness and be content with their lives?

Unfortunately, Jane Austen only wrote a short fragment of “The Watsons”. But this misfortune makes every author who decides to write a continuation of this story thoroughly lucky, since they can definitely be more creative than ever. We know that probably, Jane was thinking of giving her characters a different future that I am sure we would all have appreciated a lot. But I have to confess that I was not disappointed in the least with this novel!

“Emma and Elizabeth” has certainly become one of my favourite Austen inspired books. At first, I had some trouble at being completely involved (maybe because I was not particularly familiar with the characters, though I had read Jane Austen’s manuscript). But that sensation was quickly forgotten as the story progressed. I was totally hooked and there were times where I knew I had to stop reading, but I simply could not! It has been a while since an Austenesque book has done something like that to me, and I am so happy I picked this one up!

“Aspiring heroines are often great readers. They apprehend the necessity of spending a substantial portion of their education reading novels.”

Ms. Mychal depicted such delightful characters! So similar to Jane Austen’s typical ones that I had the feeling I was reading one of my dear Jane’s stories! The banter, the way of speaking, the attitude, all was in perfect Regency style, and I savoured every page. I truly appreciated the author’s writing style because it flowed very well and the more I read, the more I wanted to keep reading.

I think that Lord Osbourne was my favourite character because he reminded me of Darcy. He was as haughty and disagreeable as the master of Pemberley. And though that does not sound promising (who would fall for a man like that!?), believe me when I say that he was utterly charming and a true knight in shining armour!! To think that I did not like him at all when I read “The Watsons”! I wonder what Jane Austen would have written about him, if she had had the chance to finish her story. Emma was a lovely heroine. She had all the qualities that make a woman a perfect protagonist. Good-natured, intelligent, always ready to help her family and very patient. And with sisters like Margaret and Penelope she really had to be patient! They both drove me crazy, but I admit I liked Penelope quite a bit. Some of her lines were hilarious, and when she was present I knew I was going to laugh a lot. Probably the sister I liked the most was Elizabeth. I found that she was very similar to Elinor Dashwood, and since I have many things in common with the eldest Dashwood sister, I felt I could relate to her somehow, and it was a lovely experience.

If you love Jane Austen and the Regency era this is the book for you. A sweet, captivating and well-written novel that will enthrall every Janeite. I highly recommend it!

[Sheila Majczan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful story. As noted by Meredith it is a mash up of several of Jane Austen's novels as well as an expansion and completion of her book, The Watsons. I have read that fragment as well as several books which do the same in their own fashion. Jane's sister, Cassandra, was informed as to the ending Jane had intended so others have tried to use that conclusion in their writing. I prefer what this author did with the little she had to work with.

I found echoes of P&P, Emma, Persuasion and S&S, i.e., a family with four sisters & one brothers, a member of the peerage whose silence and disdain disappoint more than one lady without a partner at the local assembly, a Caroline/Miss Carr who glowers at all who seem to attract that Lord’s attention as he stares and only joins in conversation in a certain lady’s presence, an insult coming back to one’s ears after others of both their acquaintances have heard such and formed opinions on its meaning, a bachelor of some warmth and distinction of whom all think an engagement imminent deciding to remove to town to cool the speculations, another bachelor widely known as a flirt, officers in red coats, hints of an elopement, a father who retreats to his bed chamber rather than stay in company, etc. There are more but I will leave that to other readers to discover.

As the book description tell us or as you may know from reading JA's unfinished novel, Emma is sent home by her aunt's second husband, a Captain O'Brian, a man half Aunt Turner's age. Emma has lived with her aunt and uncle from age 5 when her mother died and her family allowed her removal to their house. She was reared as an heiress but that has all fallen away. Her oldest sister, Elizabeth, has stepped in out of necessity acting in the stead of a mother. Upon returning home Emma and Elizabeth form a close and supportive role. Emma is not afraid of housekeeping chores, or of playing nurse maid and companion to a father who isolates himself in his parsonage bedchamber, even taking meals there.

Emma meets by way of an accident Lord Osborne, when struck by a rock upon her arrival in town where her sister is to meet her. Shortly thereafter she meets many of the others in the local society when an assembly dance is held. There she endears herself to many as she overhears Lord Osborne’s sister make excuses for not dancing with the young lad, Charles Blake, and offers herself as partner. She has won not only a friend for life in him but also in his mother, a widow, in his uncle, a Mr. Howard, who also has the distinction as having been Lord Osborne’s tutor and many others.

We are drawn in interest to the ongoing “friendship” between a Tom Musgrave and first one then another of the Watson sisters. We read of marriages forged as society would dictate and then others out of desperation. Does this not remind you of another conversation between two sisters we all know and love: “I could never marry a man I did not love.” Said Emma” ”Great people revel in romance and intrigue, but they hardly ever marry for love.”

Then there are card games to be played…this reminds me of Persuasion. The game of speculation whether it be in cards or in the parlors of society is an ironic part of the goings-on. Gossip plays a large part in this story. Eavesdropping causes certain moves to be made in error. When one man decides to learn how to dance I laughed at reminders of Mr. Collins’ and how his remarks were to be made with an unstudied air “…Your lordship may wish to prepare, prior to a particularly desirable pairing, one or two expressions to entertain the young lady.”

There is a lot of maneuvering and jockeying for position with visiting back and forth, by invitations to dinner, by walks, by letters, etc. You must pay attention to who is who and where they stand in the order of company. Again we read of a person’s worth and connections. But for me it all concluded happily. I would have liked to have read more of the engagement of both our primary couples but there is a passage several years later which gives some idea of life after the climax and a Postscript in which the author explains much of her ideas and research. Then there is a sequel, Brinshore, a copy of which I won on Meredith’s blog so I can now delve further into the relationships and events in this rural community.

[Abigail Bok · Rating 4 out of 5]

On rereading in June 2025:
I wouldn’t change a lot about my initial review. I read it this time in a newer edition, which did at least add a note at the beginning about the pesky italics. I still would have left them out, largely because they distracted me from the story that was under way and sidetracked me into thinking about their original context.

In my original review I praised the story for its character evolution. On the second reading, some of those evolutions felt like a stretch, especially Tom Musgrave’s. And I found the new Miss Edwards more tiresome than the original. The change in Mr. Howard’s character is one I don’t endorse but I know several authors of Watsons continuations do go down that track, so it’s a matter of personal preference. I feel it favors a Cinderella narrative over a more difficult one based on the integrity of the characters—but enough on that subject!

Original review:
It’s very encouraging to see how many skilled and well-informed writers are taking on the Austenesque genre, and Ann Mychal certainly falls into that category. On starting this book—based on Jane Austen's unfinished novel known as The Watsons—I was initially charmed by Mychal’s gift for imitating Jane Austen's style. There were a few anachronisms, but on the whole she has the lingo down, and her prose is a pleasure to read.

Early on in the story I was bothered by the changes to the storyline (e.g., I missed Sam, my favorite character) and felt the portrayal of Miss Carr and a few others to be a bit heavy-handed. But as I read on, I was drawn into the world Mychal created, and found the arc of the story and its outcome to be very satisfying, the characters believable and interesting. I liked how, in a relatively short novel, she was able to show evolution in so many of the characters. My suspicion is that if Jane Austen had written the book, more of them would have been eccentric, but who can say?

Dividing the point of view between the two sisters, instead of telling the story solely from Emma’s perspective, was an excellent choice. And on reading the Postscript, I was impressed by how thoroughly Mychal had researched certain aspects of the story and integrated real-world circumstances into it. Often writers of historical fiction will often make a parade of their research to instruct the reader or show off, and Mychal admirably resisted this impulse.

Nitpick: The use of italics to set off phrases and passages drawn from the original was irritating to me, especially as it wasn’t explained until the Postscript. This could have been handled with a footnote at first use, or better yet, the italics omitted so that Jane Austen fanatics could tease out the threads for themselves.

This one goes on the shelf with my favorites of Jane Austen fan fiction!

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rant warning about another "The Watson" sequel and mild spoilers ahead!

This is a really more of 3.5 than 4 star book in my view.....

One of my all time favorite scenes in Jane Austen is Emma Watson's rescue of Charles Blake. Indeed, when asked to name my three favorite Austen Secondary Characters at my non-Austen in Book Austen bookclub(what a mouthful, sorry!).....I named Emma Watson and Charles Blake 3rd(Jane Bennet/Adm Croft #1, John Knightley #2). Given my horrid experience with Joan Aiken's Emma Watson: The Watsons Completed.....

(RANT: In my view, what Aiken did in that book was disgraceful, unthinkable, and should NEVER EVER happen in a sequel to a character created by the original author, especially Jane...and I was a big fan of Aiken's Jane Fairfax, yet I don't think I'll ever read another Joan Aiken book because of that action....yes, channeling my inner Marianne Dashwood!!!!!)

....I was fearful about Charles Blake's welfare doing the entire reading of Emma and Elizabeth. He was very well handled and I really enjoyed his role in the somewhat complex, yet delightful wrapping up of this book. Perhaps because of fear about Charles Blake, I didn't find the middle of the book as interesting as I would hope. Still, an enjoyable read. As others have said, I enjoyed that the named sisters had almost equal time. Quick Andrew Davies....adapt this for a mini-series....and cast Emma Watson as.....Emma Watson!!!(I "wrote" a short story about that 4 yrs ago when Emma Watson was at Brown)

[Franzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this continuation doesn't fellow Austen's plan for the story but this was so nice!!😊

[Jaylia3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published on the wonderful AustenProse website:
http://austenprose.com/2014/09/29/emm...

For those who love Jane Austen’s novels her early death is a tragedy we feel anew each time we contemplate the scant space she takes up on our bookshelves. What Austen fan doesn’t long for more than six completed novels, especially since she left behind several tantalizing story fragments? Of these Sanditon is the most polished, Austen was working on it as a mature author shortly before she died, but it’s an earlier fragment, The Watsons, that has one of my favorite scenes in all of Austen’s work. Emma Watson’s exuberant dance with 10 year old Charles Blake caught the eye of every man at the winter assembly and won my heart. Though Austen never finished Emma’s story her sister Cassandra knew what she planned, and several authors, including Austen’s niece, have written endings. Ann Mychal’s version titled Emma and Elizabeth intrigued me because Elizabeth is Emma’s older sister. I was eager to read an adaptation featuring both sisters.

Mychal’s opening is wonderfully Austenesque: “When a young woman, on whom every comfort in life is bestowed has the misfortune to inhabit a neighborhood in which peace and harmony reign, her ability to perceive and understand the world must be diminished and, consequently, in need of adjustment.” (Kindle 1%) Emma’s adjustments start as the book begins. After years of living with her wealthy uncle and aunt she is returning to the family of her birth whom she hasn’t seen since her mother died when she was five. Though their father was ever dutiful to his parishioners, the other Watson children lived like orphans, with eldest sister Elizabeth shouldering the drudgery of caring for them all.

Emma however was raised with the undivided loving attention of her guardians and every advantage their wealth could offer her. She learned to ride, draw, sew, speak French, and play the pianoforte well enough to be considered accomplished, but tragedy struck again when her uncle dies. Grief rushed Emma’s aunt into a second marriage, and Emma was sent to join her siblings.

Before arriving home Emma’s coach is waylaid by rock throwing rioters and she faints into the arms of Lord Osborne. In spite of his gallantry Emma is unimpressed because Osborne has stiff speech and awkward manners. Emma is equally unmoved by popular Tom Musgrave’s charms, though her sister Elizabeth enjoys bantering with him. But Emma is smitten when she meets upright Mr. Howard, known for his long sermons. When Howard’s widowed sister invites Emma to stay at their house, Elizabeth is as thrilled as Emma. Though the sisters were raised in very different circumstances, Emma and Elizabeth are truly fond of each other.

The visit brings Emma into frequent contact with Lord Osborne, but Emma’s low assessment of him doesn’t change, in spite of his obvious interest in her and his kind attentions to young Charles Blake. Emma longs for a match with serious Mr. Howard, so when teased about Osborne by Tom Musgrave she gives her unguarded negative opinion with all the blunt confidence her privileged background has afforded her. Emma cares deeply about doing what’s right. She’s adjusting to her new circumstances and helping Elizabeth with chores, but her upbringing has given her the appearance of an heiress and everyone in the neighborhood assumes she will inherit her late uncle’s fortune. How will Lord Osborne and Mr. Howard react when they discover she’s penniless?

It surprised me at first that Mychal doesn’t start with Austen’s fragment, which is interspersed throughout the text in italics. Mychal writes scenes that precede Austen’s events, and though initially unsure about that, I ended up appreciating the rich, layered story Mychal creates, especially the way she develops characters and backstories Austen could only touch on. There is Miss Carr, a highly entertaining young woman with a Caroline Bingley determination to marry Lord Osborne, and Tom Musgrave with a rakish charm that’s hard to resist. Also fleshed out are Emma’s ever quarreling sisters Margaret and Penelope, her self-important brother Robert, and her needy invalid father, but as befits the title it is Emma’s cheerful, spirited, devoted sister Elizabeth who, though she had none of Emma’s advantages, almost steals the show.

I love that the story incorporates current events, but felt mildly cheated that the ending cut away before all the lovers fully declared their passions--readers learn how the relationships resolve in a somewhat confusing last chapter that takes place years in the future. But that’s a minor quibble, and Mychal’s book has some final, ultimately delightful, surprises because her ending is unlike the one Cassandra Austen said her sister had imagined. Mychal discusses her choices in an interesting afterward, and this reader ended up enjoying her book immensely.

I received a free ebook copy of Emma and Elizabeth through the website AustenProse. Review opinions are mine.

[twentyventi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75* (slight spoiler, explanation at the bottom of my review)

Thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this adaptation/continuation of Jane Austen’s unfinished story The Watsons. Ann Mychal captured the spirit of Austen’s novels so beautifully, though slightly more modernized language (it doesn’t take away from the story however).

When I read the unfinished portion of Austen’s The Watsons, it reminded me of a combination of Emma (Jane Fairfax’s storyline) and Pride and Prejudice combined — and Mychal captures that in her adaptation very well. I read that it felt like a mashup of a Austen’s works, and that describes it very well. There was elements of Sense & Sensibility in there as well (I felt Charles Blake’s character resembled Marianne Dashwood in the 1995 Sense and Sensibility film adaptation, which was great fun).

I was fully engrossed in the character’s stories and could picture a movie or tv adaptation fitting right in with the rest of the beloved Austen classics.

*My one critique is that I felt the writing of the ending was lacklustre compared to the rest of the novel. It ended with all the right pairing of couples, but we didn’t really get to witness the couples uniting as it happened, instead learning of it through a conversation with a child of one of the couples years later — which left me feeling a bit robbed, like cutting away just as a couple is about to kiss for the first time. It just wasn’t as satisfying as it could have been after such a wonderful build up.

[Deborah Camuglia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. . .really I did. I flew through it. But there are just too many things that bothered me about it to give a high rating. (tiny spoiler on #4)

1) Lack of Originality: It felt like so much of it was stolen from Austen’s other published novels. Too many times it was the same as Pride and Prejudice with slight changes; that was annoying.
2) Typos: I often came across a sentence with a missing word.
3) The love story was lacking: Affections seemed too factual and did not hold enough thoughts or emotions. It needed more feeling and less “oh this happened.”
4) I had to try hard to get to know the characters and really use my imagination. I was not deeply invested in them.
5) Conclusion was Stolen from Sight: Let me see the couple say yes to each other and enjoy their moment of happiness. This was robbed away from us with both sisters.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Watsons est l'un des deux romans inachevés de Jane Austen. Si Sanditon a été délaissé à cause de la maladie, personne ne connait les raisons pour lesquelles celui-ci a été abandonné bien que de nombreuses théories aient été avancées. Le neveu de Jane Austen a même laissé quelques notes sur la façon dont le roman était censé se terminer. Il l'aurait su par ses cousines, qui l'auraient appris de leur tante Cassandra, à qui sa soeur Jane l'aurait dit. Vous suivez ? Toujours est-il qu'un roman inachevé, ça laisse la place à l'imagination. Il existe donc différentes fins de ce roman, écrites par différents auteurs au fil des années, et j'étais vraiment curieuse de découvrir l'une d'entre elles.

Emma Watson a perdu sa mère très jeune. Elle a trois grandes soeurs, deux frères et un père pasteur qui peine à nourrir sa famille. Quand son oncle et sa tante, bien plus aisés, proposent d'élever Emma comme leur fille et d'en faire leur héritière, le père n'y réfléchit pas à deux fois. Malheureusement, alors qu'Emma est devenue une belle jeune fille, son oncle meurt à son tour et sa tante se remarie, mettant alors toute sa fortune dans les mains de son nouvel époux et Emma se voit obligée de rentrer chez elle et de vivre, sans un sou, avec sa famille qu'elle ne connait pas.

Dès les premières pages, je suis un peu déçue, Ann Mychal a décidé de ne pas reprendre le fragment laissé par Jane Austen, ce qui est quand même dommage. Quand on a des mots tracé de la plume de ce grand auteur, on ne les laisse pas de côté en général. Je trouve également qu'elle change la perspective du roman en débutant son intrigue dans deux maisons où règne l'opulence quand The Watsons parle plutôt d'une famille modeste justement. Enfin, elle utilise malgré tout quelques phrases originales par-ci, par-là, au sein même de son propre texte, ce qui est pour moi une grave erreur puisque cela accentue le contraste entre les deux styles, qui est assez saisissant.

Ensuite, je me rends compte très rapidement également qu'elle ne respecte même pas le peu d'éléments présentés par Jane Austen. Non seulement cela, mais les éléments qu'elle change ou introduit n'apportent rien, voire nuisent à la cohérence du récit. Quant à la scène de rencontre inventée entre deux des principaux protagonistes, elle est juste ridicule.

Je sais, ça fait déjà beaucoup de points négatifs. Pourtant, c'est vraiment une lecture sympathique, une romance interessante, dans un cadre plaisant. Le problème c'est, comme souvent, d'avoir voulu y accoler le nom de Jane Austen. Ann Mychal aurait été mieux inspirée d'inventer ses propres histoires et ses propres personnages, je l'aurais jugée bien moins sévèrement.

J'aurais sans doute pu vous parler un peu plus longuement des aspects positifs, j'ai aimé par exemple ce qu'elle fait du neveu et de la soeur de Mr Howard, ou la ligne qu'elle a choisi de défendre, mais je suppose que c'est avant tout le côté austenien qui vous intéresse et de ce côté-là, je reste quand même mitigée. Malgré tout, je pense tenter à nouveau l'expérience et je renonce pas à trouver une fin qui me convienne tout autant que celle de Sanditon achevé par une autre dame.


http://janeausten.hautetfort.com/arch...

[Lona Manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Die-hard Austen fans have read and re-read everything the beloved author wrote, including her unfinished novel "The Watsons." The fragment that Austen left behind introduces "three or four families in a country village" but breaks off just as she has everyone arranged in place. The heroine, Emma Watson, has suffered a crushing reversal of fortune. Like all Austen heroines, she is surrounded by a cast of flawed but cleverly portrayed people. Emma has two thoroughly disagreeable sisters and one kindly one, a snobbish brother and sister-in-law, and an ailing father. For romantic interest, there is Mr. Howard, a clergyman, Tom Musgrave, an immature, self-regarding fop, and an actual member of the nobility, Lord Osborne, who is even more socially inept than Mr. Darcy. According to Austen family lore, Emma (though dowerless) was to turn down an offer of marriage from Lord Osborne in favour of Mr. Howard.
Ann Mychal starts with Austen's characters but guides them to a plausible alternate ending. The most charming episode in the original Watsons fragment is when Emma offers to dance with a young boy whose dance partner has abandoned him. In Mychal's version, this boy becomes an important character in the story (although he comes across to me as younger than his reported 12 years of age). I thought she made clever use of a character from the fragment -- a widowed aunt who foolishly gets re-married to a fortune hunter -- to add some drama, but Mychal does not strain the bounds of Regency plausibility. Emma doesn't leap into a carriage to go look for her aunt. She had to anxiously wait at home while men dealt with the problem. In true Austen style, all of the truly scandalous stuff happens off-stage and most of the drama consists of the interactions between the "three or four families." Very Austenian. Also Austenian is the way that every character has their own unique speaking voice and that they reveal themselves, sometimes comically, through their dialogue. Also Austenian: in addition to the first public ball, there is a private ball, and the proposal scenes are understated.
As mentioned, Mychal doesn't follow Austen's intended plot, but I thought her changes made sense, for example, the way she developed and revealed the character of Mr. Watson, the father. I thought Austen bequeathed Mychal with one more disagreeable sister than she needed, because while Margaret and Penelope are both present in the novel, neither one of them, to my recollection, has much effect upon the plot, or rather, the plot-altering interactions with Tom Musgrave all take place before the novel opens.
"Emma and Elizabeth" is the first book of a trilogy. "Brinshore," the second book, takes its name from "Sanditon," another unfinished Austen fragment, and the final book, "Laura Place," links "The Watsons" up with "Persuasion."

[Janeite Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

La continuation d'un récit est un des exercices d'écritures les plus périlleux qui soit, en particulier quand on s'attaque à l'oeuvre d'un monument de la littérature comme Jane Austen. La comparaison entre Mychal et Austen est donc inévitable. Et malheureusement déçoit.

Le roman possède pourtant des qualités. l'intrigue est agréable et facile à suivre. je suis également d'accord avec l'auteur sur le choix du héros.

Mais celle-là où s'arrête le positif pour moi. J'ai trouvé l'oeuvre dans l'ensemble trop superficielle, à l'image de ses personnages. J'ai trouvé que tout était précipité et pas suffisamment approfondi. Certains personnages sont caricaturaux alors que l'on sent que ce n'était pas l'intention de l'auteur. D'autres personnages changent complètement de personnalité par rapport au fragment écrit par Austen et repris au début de ce roman. Mais mon plus gros souci, c'est l'absence totale de suspense. Tous nos est expliqué au fur et à mesure, on apprend les informations avant les personnages, ce qui fait que l'on reste indifférent à leur surprise. Certains personnages sont également sous-développés et nous laissent de marbre.
Il serait plus facile de passer sur ces défauts si le roman ne nous était pas présenté comme une continuation d'un fragment inachevé de Jane Austen, un auteur connu pour la profondeur de ses oeuvres et de ses personnages.

Je suis donc mitigée face à ce roman, qui ne soutient pas la comparaison avec Austen.

[Evita K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read another version of the Watsons just yesterday, I charged right into this book without hesitation and find myself rewarded. This one was quite a bit meatier and the inclusion of Elizabeth as a main character makes it one of my absolute favorite versions of the Watsons to date. The sisters' closeness and solidarity was remarkable and made each incredibly likeable heroines. What sealed it was Lord Osborne and his wingman Tom Musgrave, and how much worthier each man was in this tale. This was pure excellence, although I would have loved to see an extra chapter before the epilogue set years after the proposal scene that immediately preceded it. Well done, all in all.

[Clemence · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is the third book I read that finishes Austen’s The Watsons and it is my favourite! Finally, the version that fit with what I always imagined since the first time I read The Watsons more than 20 years ago.
Very well written and there are many moments of suspense and page-turning points. All the characters are so nicely written: they are 3 dimensional and that is refreshing. Nobody is really as they seem to be and that is the center of every Austen’s book.
Well done, I can not wait to read the second volume

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of The Watsons, one of the unfinished novels by Jane Austen.
In this variation it is of Elizabeth (the eldest) and Emma (the youngest) that the story is told. Of Emma's life with her Aunt Turner, and the dire consequences of Aunt Turner's actions, of their interactions with Lord Osborne, Tom Musgrave and Mr Howard.
For me this is a re-read and again an enjoyable and delightful well-written story.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

minor inconsistencies and could have used more character development, but a decent read

[Sarah Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book may have been based on Jane Austen’s unfinished story The Watsons, but in my opinion, it is nowhere near the quality of those six short chapters.  Perhaps if I hadn’t read the chapters Jane Austen wrote right before reading this book, I might have liked it better.  However, I couldn’t help but feel that Mychal took great liberties with the material Austen started, particularly with the characters’ personalities.  Though what Austen wrote of this story wasn’t much more than a fragment – starting in the middle of the action and leaving off well before much happens – the characters’ personalities were already pretty well developed and individualized.  However, I didn’t feel that Mychal really understood those personalities or followed along with them very well.  The main characters didn’t feel very believable or relatable – I wasn’t able to really emotionally connect with them which made it very hard to get into and stay interested in the story. 

I also wasn’t crazy about Mychal’s writing style.  Jane Austen’s style was to “show” as much as possible her characters’ personalities, through their conversations and actions, whereas Mychal’s style is mostly to tell.  Okay, fine, this author isn’t Jane Austen, but it just made for a lackluster read.  I much prefer to experience the characters’ conversations in order to get information and to move the story along – I didn’t like how the author just kept summing up what was being talked about or what was going on.  After reading the Austen chapters of this story with all their clever and witty banter between characters, Mychal’s version was just kind of a letdown for me. 

I also found a lapse of faithfulness to the source material in the vocabulary used by the author.  The characters continually used the word “frock” in reference to what Austen would have called a “gown,” which irked me to no end.  Then of course her characters kept saying, “I have no clue,” which seemed completely anachronistic to me and thoroughly distracted me and took me out of the Regency world.  Did no one review this for historical accuracy?  Not to mention that the author had unengaged characters writing to each other (NOPE), people entering the dining room with a total disregard for social precedence (NOPE), and the heroine fainting into the arms of the hero three chapters into the book (seriously?).   

All of this would have been less upsetting if the story hadn’t actually been pretty decent.  I thought the storyline and the plot twists seemed pretty well put together.  Once I finally managed to get into it, I wanted to know what was going to happen next, even though the where the book was likely to end up was fairly predictable.  I can’t help but feel like this book could have been so much better if Mychal had just been more a little more faithful to the style and content of her source material and the historical time period. 

[Mailee Pyper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Jane Austen's expert of a novel titled, after her death, The Watsons, and fell in love with it. I was so sad that she hadn't finished it. This novel is based on that excerpt and I loved it. It doesn't follow the story line that Jane Austen originally intended according to her niece, but I felt that it stayed very true to the feeling of the original piece. I loved the authors writing style and I also loved the characters. My only complaint is at the end the resolution isn't shown, instead it jumps forward 15 or so years and shows the characters reflections on the resolution. Which feels a tad bit choppy. Other than that it was an absolutely delightful read from start to finish.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Watson's a unfinished work of Jane Austen is the basis for this story.
Emma and Elizabeth of the title are the youngest and eldest of the Watsons. But the author has decided to not include Austen's work but write her own story about these characters.
A very enjoyable read which I look forward to reading again.

[AlegnaB † · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4

[KRISTEN LAWRENCE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice variation

This was an enjoyable story with Austenesque themes and writing style. There were some typos and places where the original text was a little rough.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice story. Wish she had named the characters differently, but I understand the purpose in reusing the names.

[Laurie]

Not a bad attempt at mimicking Austen's tone and character development.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it.

[Bemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I enjoyed the book. It seemed very plausible and Austen-like.