"Lady Susan" is an epistolary novel, meaning that it is written as a series of letters. It is not the best of Austen's writing. The characters are not as easy to identify with as her others. There's no Mr. Darcy to catch your fancy, and in fact you're left feeling rather blaise about all the characters. The social structure is not as subtly nuanced as in "Sense and Sensibility" or "Emma". it is less mature in handling.
And yet.... There is something captivating about it. I'm not sure what it is that makes you want to keep reading, but you do want to keep reading. It is part of Austen's development as a writer, and shades of this story show up in her better known works.
[I'm afraid that not only can I not take credit for the picture, I don't even know who to give the credit to. I borrowed it from a friend's Facebook post.]
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