The Watsons

MP3 Audio CD. The story follows Emma Watson, the youngest daughter of a widowed clergyman. She has been raised by her wealthy aunt apart from her three sisters and two brothers. Emma was supposed to receive a hefty inheritance from her aunt, but then an unfavorable marriage forces Emma back to her father?s home, where her education and sense of social refinement make it hard for her to relate to her two unsophisticated, simple, and vulgar sisters. Her oldest sister, Elizabeth, is kinder and sweeter and fairer than the others and she and Emma form a loving bond. Emma, like her sisters, now has no financial security, which makes nabbing a good husband seemingly impossible.

Austen also introduces an aristocratic family, the Osbornes, who live close to the Watsons. The majority of what Austen wrote about takes place at a ball, where the young Lord Osborne is taken with Emma, who does return his affection. Austen, for reasons that are unknown, ended the novel, though she had ideas for its plot development. Emma was to continue to rebuff Lord Osborne and marry his former teacher instead.

The novel fragment contains Austen?s social jests, wit, and the development of both likeable and despicable characters. Like so many of her novels, it addresses the unfairness of the rigid English social structure and the inequitable treatment of women.

Title: The Watsons
Author: Jane Austen
ISBN: 9781775420118
Version: Unabridged
Language: English
Reader: Solo Female
Format: MP3 Audio CD
Tracks / Chapters: 6 Chapters
Total running time: 01:39:39