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A review by mynameismarines
Persuasion by Jane Austen
5.0
[June 12, 2013] There are many reactions that an Austen fan gets when they confess themselves as such. Perhaps a shared fangirl squee. Maybe an "of course you are." Plenty of times it's the admission of not getting Austen. Of not enjoying "romance novels." Of being confused or bored by her prose.
I carefully say that I am a fan, as I haven't yet made my way through all her works. More than anything, I love [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320399351l/1885._SY75_.jpg|3060926] with a deep, nostalgic, I've-read-it-a-million-times love.
A friend of mine recently picked this up for a reread, and her reading updates inspired me to give Persuasion a try. It took about three or four chapters before I liked Anne Elliot immensely and reading through the rest of the book was surprisingly easy. What Austen writes is more nuanced than just a romance novel. Her books, Persuasion included, are full of humor and smart commentary and little treats throughout the narration.
I think it's all the better that my first time reading Persuasion has happened in my mid-twenties. Where while reading Pride and Prejudice I am all giggles and swoons, Persuasion had me relating and nodding sagely. Anne Elliot is the Austen character I've found so far the easiest to relate to. We've all had our opinions persuaded, we've all felt overlooked, we've all questioned the decisions of our family, we've all questioned our own past decisions. There we find Anne as she finds herself once again moving in the same social circle as Captain Wentworth, "the one that got away," to put it tritely.
Anne is to be appreciated as a more mature Austen character. She has many admirable traits and many quirks that made me like her. I loved that at 27, and sort of lost in the shuffle of her life, losing consequence and being overlooked, her happiest moments are when she feels useful. Yes, girlfriend. I also loved that often times, she had to retreat, and sit in silence and consider her own thoughts.
Though I didn't feel the relationship between Wentworth and Anne quite as much as Darcy and Elizabeth, I loved the themes the plot set up let Austen explore. I loved the relationship between Admiral and Mrs. Croft. It is not often that Austen gives us peeks of long lasting, happy marriages, and in the Crofts she comments on what she thought it ought to be. Sharing the reigns while driving sort of thing. A second favorite moment came when Anne was discussing the differences in feeling between women and men. More than agreeing with anything that was said, I loved it in context. And, of course, that conversation led the way for THE romantic moment in the book, Wentworth's letter to Anne.
At the end, I can't really compare this to Pride and Prejudice. I loved that one longer and better. That said, I also can't give Persuasion anything less than five stars. For any faults you might find in Austen, she was not a one hit wonder. Here she provides another book to fall in love with, and I have no doubt that I will visit Anne again. And again, and again.
[May 10, 2014] Marked for a reread.
There is so much to be said about how much I love Austen and how I much I love rereading. I love sinking into a story and both knowing how it will play out, expecting all my favorite parts, waiting for all my favorite lines, and yet not knowing what new details or elements will stand out.
At a time in my life when I've recently switched jobs and other big decisions loom on the horizon, I just felt really connected with Anne's desire to be useful, appreciated and with the best company. I love how even tempered she is and how smart and how gracious.
Also, this time around I was so taken with how well Anne knows Wentworth. She sees his actions and she very clearly can deduce what he's thinking. She realizes when there is hope and acts accordingly and there only seems to be a steady progression and not a back and forth and a will they won't they. It's a mature progression and I love how even in the uncertainty of this relationship, we see Anne's smarts and even temper. Even as she suffers, she's gracious.
Definitely a favorite and one I will continue to revisit every year or two.
[July 20, 2016] Marked for reread.
[July 28, 2017] Marking for reread. Apparently I'm making reading this for booktubeathon a THING. I love this so very much. Many reasons why above.
[July 21, 2018] Without even realizing, and even though I'm not participating in booktubeathon this year, I've read this again in July. Marking for my yearly reread. This time, I was really very emotional about Anne and all of her suffering gracefully. No one in this story deserves Anne Elliot.
[2019] I reread Persuasion 3-4 times in 2019, at least. Reviews above but worth repeating the Anne Elliot is the best of them.
[2020] I'm laughing at my earlier assertions that I will read this book once every year or so, as Persuasion has become a book I read for comfort, multiple times a year. 2020 was real bad, so I lost count how many times I cracked this open, or put this on play, just to get a little joy. And so, I'll mark it one time for the year. In 2020, I certainly read this thing and it certainly soothed my soul.
[2022] My most notable reread of this book in 2022 was prior to the Netflix adaptation. I particularly paid attention to the humor in this one, best known for being Austen's most "mature" work with one of her most sober heroines. There is plenty of humor to be found in Persuasion, courtesy mostly of the narrator but also the ridiculousness of the Elliot's. Anne is often held up as the introverted character and while she is more quiet and serious, I never particularly read her as introverted. She might be but that's not her leading characteristic to me. She's often read that way and relegated to the corners because she's single and heartbroken. Everyone who takes a chance to speak to her, though, finds her lovely and warm and engaging. I love Anne with my whole heart.
I carefully say that I am a fan, as I haven't yet made my way through all her works. More than anything, I love [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320399351l/1885._SY75_.jpg|3060926] with a deep, nostalgic, I've-read-it-a-million-times love.
A friend of mine recently picked this up for a reread, and her reading updates inspired me to give Persuasion a try. It took about three or four chapters before I liked Anne Elliot immensely and reading through the rest of the book was surprisingly easy. What Austen writes is more nuanced than just a romance novel. Her books, Persuasion included, are full of humor and smart commentary and little treats throughout the narration.
I think it's all the better that my first time reading Persuasion has happened in my mid-twenties. Where while reading Pride and Prejudice I am all giggles and swoons, Persuasion had me relating and nodding sagely. Anne Elliot is the Austen character I've found so far the easiest to relate to. We've all had our opinions persuaded, we've all felt overlooked, we've all questioned the decisions of our family, we've all questioned our own past decisions. There we find Anne as she finds herself once again moving in the same social circle as Captain Wentworth, "the one that got away," to put it tritely.
Anne is to be appreciated as a more mature Austen character. She has many admirable traits and many quirks that made me like her. I loved that at 27, and sort of lost in the shuffle of her life, losing consequence and being overlooked, her happiest moments are when she feels useful. Yes, girlfriend. I also loved that often times, she had to retreat, and sit in silence and consider her own thoughts.
Though I didn't feel the relationship between Wentworth and Anne quite as much as Darcy and Elizabeth, I loved the themes the plot set up let Austen explore. I loved the relationship between Admiral and Mrs. Croft. It is not often that Austen gives us peeks of long lasting, happy marriages, and in the Crofts she comments on what she thought it ought to be. Sharing the reigns while driving sort of thing. A second favorite moment came when Anne was discussing the differences in feeling between women and men. More than agreeing with anything that was said, I loved it in context. And, of course, that conversation led the way for THE romantic moment in the book, Wentworth's letter to Anne.
At the end, I can't really compare this to Pride and Prejudice. I loved that one longer and better. That said, I also can't give Persuasion anything less than five stars. For any faults you might find in Austen, she was not a one hit wonder. Here she provides another book to fall in love with, and I have no doubt that I will visit Anne again. And again, and again.
[May 10, 2014] Marked for a reread.
There is so much to be said about how much I love Austen and how I much I love rereading. I love sinking into a story and both knowing how it will play out, expecting all my favorite parts, waiting for all my favorite lines, and yet not knowing what new details or elements will stand out.
At a time in my life when I've recently switched jobs and other big decisions loom on the horizon, I just felt really connected with Anne's desire to be useful, appreciated and with the best company. I love how even tempered she is and how smart and how gracious.
Also, this time around I was so taken with how well Anne knows Wentworth. She sees his actions and she very clearly can deduce what he's thinking. She realizes when there is hope and acts accordingly and there only seems to be a steady progression and not a back and forth and a will they won't they. It's a mature progression and I love how even in the uncertainty of this relationship, we see Anne's smarts and even temper. Even as she suffers, she's gracious.
Definitely a favorite and one I will continue to revisit every year or two.
[July 20, 2016] Marked for reread.
[July 28, 2017] Marking for reread. Apparently I'm making reading this for booktubeathon a THING. I love this so very much. Many reasons why above.
[July 21, 2018] Without even realizing, and even though I'm not participating in booktubeathon this year, I've read this again in July. Marking for my yearly reread. This time, I was really very emotional about Anne and all of her suffering gracefully. No one in this story deserves Anne Elliot.
[2019] I reread Persuasion 3-4 times in 2019, at least. Reviews above but worth repeating the Anne Elliot is the best of them.
[2020] I'm laughing at my earlier assertions that I will read this book once every year or so, as Persuasion has become a book I read for comfort, multiple times a year. 2020 was real bad, so I lost count how many times I cracked this open, or put this on play, just to get a little joy. And so, I'll mark it one time for the year. In 2020, I certainly read this thing and it certainly soothed my soul.
[2022] My most notable reread of this book in 2022 was prior to the Netflix adaptation. I particularly paid attention to the humor in this one, best known for being Austen's most "mature" work with one of her most sober heroines. There is plenty of humor to be found in Persuasion, courtesy mostly of the narrator but also the ridiculousness of the Elliot's. Anne is often held up as the introverted character and while she is more quiet and serious, I never particularly read her as introverted. She might be but that's not her leading characteristic to me. She's often read that way and relegated to the corners because she's single and heartbroken. Everyone who takes a chance to speak to her, though, finds her lovely and warm and engaging. I love Anne with my whole heart.