Jane Austen 
Lady Susan 

Published in 1871, (long after Jane Austens death in 1817) and written in 1794, Lady Susan is told through letters, and is the story of a womans quest to find husbands for herself and her daughter, all while maintaining a relationship with a married man. The heroine is quite different than those from novels of the time, and is treated quite mildly for her adultery (which differs from the majority of Austens heroines). Lady Susan is also a dynamic characterattractive, witty and quite intelligent (if manipulative at times). As with most of Austens other work Lady Susan has been adapted for stage and screen on multiple occasions.