Persuasion (Modern Library Classics)

Persuasion is a very good book. It's slower than the contemporary novel, which is to be expected (it is nearly 200 years old, after all). Like all of Austen's other novels, it is of course a social commentary. It's a story of delayed love and patience. It's been called her 'most romantic.' The idea of the old love, Captain Wentworth, coming back after years apart and both parties still being in love IS very romantic, but I disagree with it being her most romantic. It's a very sweet story, and also pretty straightforward. It was a lot of fun to read, and a good story.

As an avid fan of Jane Austen, I began reading "Persuasion" with great expectations. Although I cannot say I am dissapointed, I must admit I did not like Persuasion as much as Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility.

First of all, although I sympathized with Anne when he was slighted by her own family and she was taken no notice of in the company of foolish women just because she is not as pretty and "fragile" as them, maybe because she is not as strong and passionate a character as Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, I could not particularly attach myself to her. Still, I read the novel from beginning to the end in a very short time because it has more than enough to keep our interest. Especially the character of Mrs. Croft, the sister of Captain Wentworth is worth notice; because among the "ailing" and "fatigued" women of the higher classes of that time, this woman who walks long distances with her husband, who accompanies him on long sea journeys and takes the reins of their carriage to manoeuvre out of the way of a post is very interesting. In this novel, Jane Austen says quiet a lot of things which can be thought quiet feministic. Well she says similar things in P&P, for example she makes Darcy say that Elizabeth's complexion is greatly improved after a long walk, when Bingley's sisters criticize her for such an unlady-like behaviour.

Another thing about the novel is that we don't really know the feelings of Captain Wentworth. It is true that the letter he writes to Anne at the end is full of love but I didn't feel his passion as I did Darcy's when he proposed to Elizabeth the first time.

All in all, I recommend the book to readers who have read Austen's other novels. But as a first read it may not be so enjoyable as Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility.

"Persuasion" is a great literary work, and, to my mind, Jane Austen's finest book. This was her final completed novel before her death, and was published posthumously. As is often the case with Ms. Austen's fiction, "Persuasion" deals with the social issues of the times and paints a fascinating portrait of Regency England, especially when dealing with the class system. Rigid social barriers existed - and everyone wanted to marry "up" to a higher station - and, of course, into wealth. This is also a very poignant and passionate story of love, disappointment, loss and redemption. The point Austen makes here, is that one should not ever be persuaded to abandon core values and beliefs, especially for ignoble goals. There are consequences, always.

Sir Walter Elliot, Lord of Kellynch Hall, is an extravagant, self-aggrandizing snob, and a bit of a dandy to boot. He has been a widower for many years and spends money beyond his means to increase his social stature. His eldest daughter, who he dotes on, is as conceited and spoiled as he is. The youngest daughter, Anne, is an intelligent, sensitive, capable and unassuming woman in her late twenties when the story opens. She had been quite pretty at one time, but life's disappointments have taken their toll and her looks are fading. She and her sister are both spinsters. Anne had once been very much in love with a young, and as yet untried, navel officer. A woman who had been a close friend to Anne's mother, persuaded Anne to "break the connection," convincing her that she could make a much better match. After much consideration, Anne did not follow her heart or her better instincts, and she and her young officer, Frederick Wentworth, separated. She has never again found the mutual love or companionship that she had with him. Anne's older sister never married either, because she hadn't found anyone good enough! She still hopes, however, for an earl or a viscount.

The Elliot family is forced to financially retrench because of their extravagance. They lease Kellynch Hall to...of all people...Wentworth's sister and her husband. Elliot, his oldest daughter and her companion, move to a smaller lodging in Bath for the season, leaving Anne to pack up their belongings before joining them. She gets the Cinderella treatment throughout the book. Anne decides to first visit with her middle sister, an abominably spoiled, whiny hypochondriac, Mrs. Musgrove. She has made a good, but not brilliant match to a local squire. Her husband, Charles Muskgrove, his parents, and their two younger, eligible daughters, Louisa and Henrietta, are delightful. They all tolerate Mrs. Muskgrove, barely, and adore Anne. It is at the Muskgrove estate that Anne meets Frederick Wentworth again, after his absence of seven years. He is in the neighborhood, because his sister is now in the area, residing at Kellynch, of course. Wentworth is now a Captain in the Royal Navy and quite wealthy. When their eyes meet for the first time, you can absolutely feel Anne's longing and remorse. He is aloof with Anne, although civil. The man was hurtfully rejected once before and it appears that he still feels her snub. Now Wentworth is on the marriage market and Louisa sets her cap for him. Accidents and various adventures ensue, from the resorts of Lyme and Bath to the Muskgrove estate, bringing Anne and Wentworth closer together. The passion between the two is sooo palpable, although Very understated, (this is Regency England after all). I think this is Ms. Austen at her most passionate. Some scholars say that she modeled Anne Elliot after herself.

This remarkable novel, and the issues it tackles, is just as germane today as it was when written. And the romance...well, no one does romance better than Jane Austen.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel because of Jane Austen's lyrical prose, her timeless subjects of family relationships, love (and/or the search for it), her heartwarmingly drawn characters that I think any reader anywhere and at any time can relate to easily, and her usual witty and critical social commentary. I find it amazing to think that she wrote this novel nearly 200 years ago! I can think of several people in my own family and among friends, colleagues, and acquaintances who match her descriptions of Anne Elliot, her father and sisters Walter and Elizabeth Elliot and Mary Musgrove, Lady Russell, Captain Wentworth, etc. Times and mores may have changed in 200 years, but human nature has not changed! Reading her descriptions of these characters and well imagining Anne's reaction to them, whether it is with resignation, amusement, or exasperation mirror my own thoughts on them.
Austen has created a wonderful character in Anne Elliot. I found that I liked her more and more as I read the novel, and, had she been real, would liked to have had her as a sister, friend, or relative. She is such a wonderful character because readers have a chance to see how she has grown up, has changed, and is willing to go for what she wants now that she is older and wiser (much like anyone else).
The story is not like Austen's other novels (Pride and Prejudice, Emma) because it deals with the issue of a true rarity in life--a second chance at love. Anne Elliot met and fell in love with Captain Frederick Wentworth, a naval officer, when she was 19 years old. Against her better judgment, she is "persuaded" by family in the form of family disapproval of her choice. Her mother is dead, her father and her elder sister Elizabeth (who have a very strange, almost-marriage-like relationship themselves) are social snobs and do not consider a mere captain in the British navy good enough to marry into their family because they are ranked above him socially. Anne's feelings, Frederick's feelings, and the possibility that he could earn a great deal of money by capturing privateers and enemy ships, or be rewarded with a title for distinguishing himself in battle does not occur to them. Anne is also strongly influenced by Lady Russell, a close family friend and a particularly close friend to Anne. Lady Russell, since the death of Anne's mother, has become a mother-figure/friend to Anne (since Anne is ignored by her father and sister Elizabeth). Lady Russell also disapproved of Anne marrying Captain Wentworth, and Anne, because she was young and easily influenced by those around her at age 19, breaks off her engagement to Captain Wentworth. She has regretted it ever since, and has not met anyone (her father and sister went out in Society, but did not take Anne with them; her younger sister Mary is married, but spends her time complaining about non-existent ailments and about all the wrongs and hurts she has suffered at the hands of family and friends to take any interest in introducing Anne to eligible young men) she would consider as a husband. Eight years pass, and, by chance, Captain Wentworth (now considerably wealthier though not titled) re-enters her life due to the temporary lull in the Napoleonic Wars. He too was very hurt by Anne's breaking off of their engagement, but, like Anne, he has not met any other women who compare to her. Both are wary of eachother--and Austen handles both their introspection and their gradual establishment of a stronger, more mature love for eachother with sensitivity and passion. I loved this story because it clearly shows an older (though still young) heroine who is offered the rarest of all things--a second chance at love with the love of her life. She is wise enough to reject the opinions of her family and Lady Russell this time, accepts the love offered, and offers her own love in return! Captain Wentworth's letter to Anne at the end of the novel is the kind of love letter every woman would cherish. Wow! What a beautiful letter! It warms your heart, touches your soul, and nourishes your spirit. The story is all the more poignant because Anne and Captain Wentworth appreciate eachother and their relationship because they know what they have and what they could have missed had they followed social conventions.
For the die-hard Austen fans, there is plenty of social commentary, and I thought that Austen illustrated the snobbishness of the upper classes very well in her characterizations of Anne's father and sisters. The criteria they use to accept or reject a person are based on such things as whether the man owns property and how much, how many servants he has, title, family background, connections, and, in her father's case, physical appearance is very important. None of these things have any intrinsic value compared to whether Anne is loved and respected by Captain Wentworth, how he treats people, his ethics, morality, etc. Austen's subtle humor and way of poking fun at these values contribute to the tone of this novel.
Give this novel a try. I do not think that you will be disappointed. I highly recommend it.

Though not as well known as the novels that established the author's name (Pride and Prejudice, Emma), Persuasion is certainly worth your time. It's extremely well-written with superb characterization. The plot isn't too original by today's standards, but is interesting nonetheless. Anne Elliot, the smartest and most pleasant by far of three upper class sisters, is 28 and still single. At 19 she fell in love with and almost married a dashing naval officer named Frederick Wentworth. However, great pressure from her family and relations "persuaded" her to reject Frederick due to his lower station in society. Frederick was greatly hurt and promptly went off to engage his energies in naval action.

Eight and a half years later, Anne still hasn't met another guy she likes as much as Frederick and remains single. But now Frederick returns from war, retired, extremely wealthy from privateering with mercenaries, and more mature. He's ready to settle down and a chance family connection puts him back in the same neighborhood as Anne! He's still upset with Anne. And this time, other women are catching his eye too...

While not up to the standards of Anne Bronte's outstanding The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Persuasion is a good classical romance novel. I think it beats out Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd on plot and characterization, though Hardy's prose is generally more powerful. Nevertheless, Austen can be quite poignant when she wants to be: Wentworth's shocking letter to Anne at the end of the book moved even me, a generally left-brained emotionless creature!

A highlight of the novel is the illuminating social commentary that Austen subtly inserts into the prose. Clearly, she felt that the class system entrenched in British society at the time had its shortcomings. The endnotes in the Penguin edition do a good job of explaining the finer points of Austen's many jabs at class-conscious folks including Anne's self-absorbed father Walter and hopeless sister Elizabeth. Anne's other sister Mary is rendered superbly by Austen as a basically good-natured woman unfortunately marred by a touch of vanity. I personally know a Mary or two.

Recommended to all adult readers!