This is the only edition of these four Jane Austen titles in one volume. "Northanger Abbey" is the earliest comedy, making fun of the excesses of the Gothic novel.

It combines literary burlesque with a tale of female enlightenment. "Lady Susan" and "The Watsons" were early compositions, reflecting many of the qualities of "Northanger Abbey". "Sanditon" too is an incomplete novel written late in Austen's life, and indicating a new depth of comic insight.