Persuasion is Jane Austen''s last novel, which was published posthumously in
1818. It is a
satire of vanity and pretension, but first and foremost it is a love story touched by the
heartache of missed opportunities.
Anne Elliot, at the age of 19, falls in love with Frederick Wentworth. They get engaged,
however, her friend Lady Russell persuades Anne by to break off the engagement because
he has neither connections nor fortune. A decision that later Anne comes to regret.
Eight years on her father acknowledges his financial difficulties and moves the family to Bath. Kellynch Hall is let to Admiral and Mrs Croft, the brother-in-law and
sister of the now Captain Wentworth, who has subsequently acquired money and rank, and is
looking to settle with a
wife.
Before Anne moves to Bath she spends several months with her sister Mary and
brother-in-law Charles Musgrove, as well as his sisters Louisa and Henrietta. Captain
Wentworth and Anne are forced into each other''s company but it is clear that he has not
forgiven her for the earlier rejection. He becomes the subject of Louisa''s affection while Anne
is pursued by William Elliot, her cousin and heir to Kellynch Hall.
An incident at Lyme Regis rekindles Captain Wentworth''s feelings for Anne but their
relationship soon falters when rumour reaches him of Anne and William Elliot''s impending marriage. Once again, it appears that happiness is out of reach.
This is my first attempt at a "proper
book" since leaving school a few (!) years ago. It sat on
my bookshelf ever since I moved in and I finally picked it up after watching The Lake House
on DVD, a modern day version along the "will they, won''t they" theme.
Persuasion is very different from my usual choice of book, which is typically from the popular fiction genre, and I admit that I struggled with the grammar and language at the beginning. I
also was confused as to who some of the minor characters were because I was
reading it in small chunks.
Overall, it was well worth the effort and I am looking forward to reading more of her work.
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