2 h 36 minAudiobook13 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 2 h 36 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if the most charming person in the room has no conscience at all?
Lady Susan Vernon needs a comfortable marriage for herself and a rich husband for her daughter. Beautiful, witty, and trailed by scandal, she asks her brother-in-law Charles Vernon for shelter at Churchill. He welcomes her kindly. His wife, Catherine, sees a guest whose charm may threaten the whole family.
In Jane Austen’s short novel, letters reveal what polite conversation conceals. Lady Susan writes openly to her confidante Alicia Johnson, while her relatives exchange their fears. Her daughter Frederica longs for kindness and freedom. Catherine’s brother, Reginald De Courcy, arrives determined to dislike Lady Susan—but she knows how to use words as weapons.
What you’ll discover
- Charm without conscience Meet a widow whose wit makes her fascinating even as her plans inspire distrust.
- Letters that refuse to agree Read competing accounts and weigh the distance between Lady Susan’s claims and her family’s fears.
- A daughter under pressure Follow Frederica’s longing for kindness as her mother pursues a wealthy match for her.
- Power behind polite manners Explore how a woman without a fortune turns charm into a means of control.
- Austen at her sharpest Enjoy a pointed comedy of manners where talk carries both pleasure and danger.
Who will love it
This book suits readers who enjoy sharp wit, a clever heroine who plays by her own rules, and the pleasure of reading other people's private letters.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A widow talks her way into Churchhill
- Lady Susan sets out to charm Reginald
- A father's warning meets a son's defence
- Frederica runs away and Sir James arrives
- A letter, a quarrel, and a reconciliation
- Words are the weapon in every letter
- Mothers, daughters, money, and marriage
- A story told only in letters
Who’s who
- Lady Susan VernonA beautiful, clever widow who uses charm and eloquence to secure comfort, admirers, and a rich husband for her daughter.
- Catherine VernonLady Susan's sister-in-law at Churchhill, who sees through her and tries to protect her brother and her niece.
- Reginald De CourcyCatherine's young brother, who arrives prejudiced against Lady Susan and finds himself drawn to her.
- Frederica VernonLady Susan's shy, sixteen-year-old daughter, who is unhappy at school and desperate to escape her mother's marriage plan.
- Mrs. Alicia JohnsonLady Susan's friend in London, who offers advice, gossip, and loyalty while bound to a husband who dislikes the widow.
- Sir James MartinA rich and foolish young man whom Lady Susan wants as a husband for Frederica.
- Mr. MainwaringThe charming married man at Langford whom Lady Susan prefers to every other admirer.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 13 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
Lady Susan
by Jane Austen · 1871
A widow arrives at her brother-in-law's country house with a daughter to dispose of and a young man to conquer.
Medium levelUnder 2 hours to readEspañol
Aprende un idioma con clásicos de nivel mediumEspañolFrancésAlemánItalianoJaponésPortuguésInglésCómo medimos los niveles
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
- Read or listen
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
In short
What would you do if a guest arrived with a lovely face, a gentle voice, and a plan for everyone under your roof? That is the situation in Lady Susan, a short novel told almost entirely in letters.
Lady Susan de un vistazo
- Tiempo de lectura
- Unas 1 h 30 min1 h 15 min fast, 1 h 50 min slow
- Duración
- 21.800 palabras
- Nivel en la biblioteca
- Mediano longer sentences, everyday words
- Primera publicación
- 1871by Jane Austen
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). Cuánto se tarda en leer los clásicos · Actualizado
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A widow talks her way into Churchhill
The book opens with a polite letter. Lady Susan writes to her brother-in-law Charles Vernon that she can no longer resist his kind invitation. She asks to stay a few weeks at Churchhill, and she adds that she is determined not to be refused. The polite words carry a push.
The second letter shows how much the first one hides. Writing to her friend Alicia Johnson, Lady Susan admits that her months at Langford were delightful. She enjoyed a charming married man named Mainwaring. She also tried to win a rich and foolish young man, Sir James Martin, partly for her daughter Frederica. Now the women of the household are united against her, and she must leave. Her daughter will go to a London school, where Lady Susan hopes an unpleasant stay will make the girl more willing to marry Sir James.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Has visto
¿Qué edición es la adecuada para mí?
- 15-minute summary
- Las ideas clave de todo el libro en unos 13 minutos. Una buena introducción o un repaso.
Detalles
- First published
- 1871
- Language
- Español
- Reading time
- 1 h 40 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cita esta edición
Austen, Jane. Lady Susan. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/lady-susan.
Austen, J. (2026). Lady Susan. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/lady-susan (Original work published 1871)
Austen, Jane. Lady Susan. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/lady-susan.
@book{austen2026lady,
author = {Austen, Jane},
title = {Lady Susan},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/lady-susan},
note = {First published 1871}
}
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Lady Susan
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Lady Susan about?
It follows a charming, calculating widow who visits her in-laws at Churchhill, wins a young man's admiration, and tries to marry off her unwilling daughter, all told through the letters of those involved.
Is Lady Susan written entirely in letters?
Almost entirely. Nearly every chapter is a letter from Lady Susan, her sister-in-law Catherine, her friend Alicia, or others. A short closing section in an ordinary voice gathers the story together.
Who are the main characters in Lady Susan?
Lady Susan Vernon is the clever widow. Catherine Vernon is her wary sister-in-law, Reginald De Courcy is a young admirer, Frederica is her daughter, and Alicia Johnson is her confidante in London.
The author
Jane Austen
1775–1817 · English novelist
Jane Austen was an English novelist born in Steventon, Hampshire, in 1775. She lived in Bath, Southampton and Chawton, and died in Winchester in 1817. Her novels included Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1815). Northanger Abbey and Persuasion appeared after her death.
More by Jane Austen
Ver todos sus librosMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
