Jane Austen & Kate Riordan’s Sanditon

Sanditon is one of Jane Austen’s unfinished works. However, the minds at ITV and PBS decided that we needed a finished Sanditon, and we now have a first season. Sanditon aired in the UK in the fall of 2019, but we North Americans are in the middle of it currently. (Come on, everyone, keep pushing for a second season!!) And lucky for us readers, there is also a novelisation of it. Obviously, I was not going to wait until the show was finished to read it. Note: this review of Kate Riordan’s Sanditon does feature spoilers. (Not a ton, but a few.)

If you are newer to An Historian About Town, Jane Austen is my favourite author. (Like many of you, I presume.) I’ve read her six novels, and then some. I do an annual re-read of Northanger Abbey every summer. And my illustrated version of her History of England is one of my favourite Bath souvenirs. Austen had started working on Sanditon shortly before she died in 1817. There is only a few chapters of it, so Andrew Davies didn’t have much to go off of. Her plot is covered in the first episode of the television show, with Davies carrying on. So, if you aren’t familiar with it at all…

Sanditon (Official ITV Tie-In Edition), Kate Riordan

When a chance accident transports Charlotte Heywood to the seaside town of Sanditon, her life changes forever. And when she meets the charming and slightly wild Sidney Parker, she finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of romance, betrayal and changing alliances – nobody in Sanditon is quite as they seem.

Discover the world Jane Austen left behind and meet the characters brought to the page by Kate Riordan. Every coastal town has its secrets – but Sanditon has more than most!

Sanditon Review (Spoilers)

So, when you read Kate Riordan’s Sanditon, you will know that you are not reading a Jane Austen novel. I find that it is incredibly rare for an author to seamlessly mimic another’s. However, I don’t think that it detracts from Sanditon at all. If you read Austen’s beginnings, it is quite different from her other works. And Riordan (with Davies) has done a fantastic job at carrying on Austen’s themes and tone throughout. There has been a lot of debate on whether or not Austen would have created these characters, but no two authors will ever create the same characters. With any continuation like this, it is not simply about BEING the original author.

Sanditon gives me Northanger Abbey vibes, without a doubt. (Given that it is my favourite book, it is high praise.) It is a busy and entertaining town full of rich (character-wise) and fascinating people. It is meant to be a proper resort town, so obviously, it has a feeling of intrigue and drama. And Riordan’s characters and town certainly keep you hooked. And though I’ve seen a few criticisms of the diversity, I think it is very true to the period.

Miss Georgina Lambe is a an heiress from the West Indies, and the first character of colour for Austen. However, Austen and her contemporaries would certainly have been familiar with the wider world. Ever-expanding trade networks (and British Empire) brought in goods from various places across the globe, which would make their way across the social strata. (That famous pineapple scene in Sanditon? It probably happened more than once.) And people also made their way to Britain from further domains and lands. While they might not have had heiresses from the Indies in every single family, it wouldn’t be unheard of in society. Rightfully so, I think that modern audiences want to see more diverse casts on the small and big screens, and this is a very realistic way to do it. (Plus, Miss Lambe is one of my favourite characters!)

Charlotte Heywood and Sidney Parker have a fascinating relationship, and as you might expect, it dominates the novel (like the show). There is an Elizabeth/Darcy feeling to it, but it is absolutely its own story. They interact quite differently from Austen’s other couples, but given that she was in a very different place as a person and as a writer when she started Sanditon, it feels natural to me. (And is exactly why we need a second novel from Riordan and a second season from PBS/ITV!)

Overall, I thought this was a wonderful read, in comparison to Austen’s other works and as a stand alone novel! Riordan is a talented author, and has given us a rich and engaging story.

Are You Watching Sanditon?

I’ve been watching Sanditon each Sunday on PBS, and I’m really enjoying it. I know that the world rages against spoilers like a limb has been cut off, but even with everything I’ve heard from the UK, it’s good fun. Austen’s universe seems to get more retellings in film format than television, so it’s nice to have a longer build. I’m also enjoying the community of it- I’ve been live-Tweeting during it, and the Sanditon and Masterpiece communities are so welcoming and lovely. (Find me on Sundays to chat Sanditon!)

There is currently a petition on Change to get a second season going, I’m hoping it gets enough moment. Almost 13,000 people have signed, and hopefully the second half of it airing over here in North America can get to the 15,000 mark. I would like to note that the petition is focused on the television show, but I would also love to have Riordan write another novel. (I might even prefer it…) We need more Sanditon, and there is absolutely an audience for it!

What do you think of Kate Riordan’s Sanditon? 

Cheers,
The Historian
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