Jane Austen demonstrated her mastery of the epistolary novel genre in &quot;Lady Susan&quot;, which she wrote in 1795 but never published. Finally published in 1871, this early complete work describes the schemes of the title character.<br /><br />&quot;Lady Susan&quot; tells the story of an unscrupulous widow who manipulates her family and acquaintances for her own social survival. The novel takes place in Victorian England over the course of several months.