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Austen may seem to paint on a small canvas, but her characters contain the full range of human passion and moral complexity, and the author’s generous spirit renders them all with understanding, compassion, and humor.
Susan Ostrov Weisser is a professor of English at Adelphi University, where she specializes in nineteenth-century literature and women’s studies. Weisser also wrote the introduction to the Barnes & Noble Classics edition of Jane Eyre.
Known for her cheerful, modest, and witty character, Jane Austen had a busy family and social life, but as far as we know very little direct romantic experience. There were early flirtations, a quickly retracted agreement to marry the wealthy brother of a friend, and a rumored short-lived attachment -- while she was traveling -- that has not been verified. Her last years were quiet and devoted to family, friends, and writing her final novels. In 1817 she had to interrupt work on her last and unfinished novel, Sanditon, because she fell ill. She died on July 18, 1817, in Winchester, where she had been taken for medical treatment. After her death, her novels Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published, together with a biographical notice, due to the efforts of her brother Henry. Austen is buried in Winchester Cathedral.
Author biography courtesy of Barnes & Noble Books.
Just as Jane Austen is the favorite author of many discerning readers, Persuasion is the most highly esteemed novel of many Austenites. It has the deep irony, the scathing wit, the droll and finely drawn characters of Austen's other novels, all attributes long beloved of her readers. But it is conventionally said that as her last novel, the novel of her middle age, it additionally has a greater maturity and wisdom than the "light, bright and sparkling" earlier novels, to use Austen's own famous description of Pride and Prejudice, her most popular work. In other words, Persuasion has often been seen as the thinking reader's Pride and Prejudice.
But Persuasion is less "light" in more than one sense; Anne Elliot, its heroine, is introduced as more unhappy and constrained by her situation than any heroine of Austen's since Fanny Price of Mansfield Park. In contrast to Elizabeth Bennet's or Emma Woodhouse's sparkle and volubility, Anne's "spirits were not high," and remain low for much of the novel. But whereas Fanny Price, like Anne ignored and held in low esteem by family members, is perfectly poised to be rescued by love, in fact Anne is barely a Cinderella figure, and not only because she is wellborn, of a better social rank than even the heroine of Emma. In fact, Anne Elliot has more in common with Charlotte Brontë's Victorian heroine Jane Eyre in that she seems at first distinctly ineligible for the role of a beloved, appearing to the world as apparently unlovable and without much physical charm. Anne, however, has none of Jane Eyre's ready temper, tongue, and fire; she tends to think and feel alone and in silence—except, of course, that we, her readers, share the literary mind she inhabits and see the world with her through her finely discerning eyes. Heroines are always subjected to surveillance in nineteenth-century fiction; here the heroine is invisible but voluble in her mind, as Lucy Snowe is in Charlotte Brontë's Villette.
Anne Elliot is a creature of thought and feeling, not what she seems to others. The same may be said of Jane Austen herself, whose life and writing often appear as one thing in the popular mind, yet turn out to be far more complex than convention allows when closely examined. There is the real Jane Austen, who left little in the way of biographical material (no diary has ever been found, and most of her letters were destroyed by their recipients or their heirs); and then there is the Jane Austen of the contemporary imagination. This latter version has colored the many films and television productions of her work, not to mention the societies and cultish fan enthusiasm, which constitute what the critic Margaret Doody calls "Aunt Jane-ism," a phenomenon she defines as "imposed quaintness."
It is easy to see why Austen's novels have become a kind of cinematic fetish: Film adaptations selectively focus on the clear trajectory of the courtship plot, the fine detail, the enclosed, knowable, seemingly nonpolitical world in which everyone seems to know his place. In fact, for many the novels have come to stand for a nostalgia of pre-Industrial Revolution England, an idyll of country houses, gentrified manners, and clear moral standards, an Old World apart from the chaos of urban, technologized life and the struggle for modern capital. So solidified has this mythical vision become that there is now a popular series of mystery novels by Stephanie Barron that feature Jane Austen as the amateur detective, similar to Agatha Christie's spinster figure Miss Marple, solving fictional mysteries with pert and ingenious wit in her quaint village.
BANCHEE_READS
Posted September 13, 2009
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It is a beautifully-written book, like all her others. In Persuasion, Anne Elliot is persuaded by a family friend to not pursue a relationship with Captain Wentworth because of his inferior place in society. Many years later, she is reacquainted with him and her love for him has not diminished. She is unsure of how he feels about her. He is now a prestigious and admired captain; his station in life completely changed from before.
They find each other in the same social circles, but his pride and her uncertainty of his feelings prevents them from reuniting. At some point, it is believed that each of them is attached to another.
The novel has its funny assortment of characters just like all of Austen's works. And, Austen saves the wonderful union of Anne and Captain Wentworth for the last pages, as in her other books. But, that makes it sweet as you finally read the happy ending. I actually cried as I read the touching letter he writes to Anne at the end.
15 out of 16 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 19, 2010
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I know that a lot of people nowadays believe Pride and Prejudice to be Jane Austen's best novel, and yes it is a great story, but incredibly difficult for the average person to read. Persuasion is just as good in its interesting plot, but... a lot easier to follow. I've reccommended it to a lot of friends who wanted to read Jane Austen but couldn't get through her books. This one is definitely the easiest to get through, and truly a very sweet and romantic story. The main character Anne is very easy to relate to as the ignored and undervalued sister, the people pleaser of the family, who lost her chance of happiness at 19. Or at least, so she thought...Read it! You'll love it!
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book tells the story of Anne Elliot who at 19 chose to deny the hand of a navy officer she loved because she was persuaded by her family that it was not a good choice for her. Anne being the good natured and obedient daughter listens even though her father and sisters could really care less about her well being. Now years later her heart is put to the test as the man in question Capitain Wentworth comes back wealthy and is still as handsome as ever. I once believed Pride and Predjudice was THE Jane Austen book to read. I was wrong. This story is incredible, when I read a Jane Austen book I don't fell like it's hard to read at all considering it was written in a very different time then ours. I feel like Jane and I could easily have a couple laughs chatting it up over drinks. FYI there is a great Perusasion movie made in 2007 that I feel really captures the book.
9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 1, 2008
I absolutely adore this book. Why? It doesn't have the sparkle of Pride and Prejudice or the humor of Emma. But what it has is so much more! Anne is now past the age of marriage and beheld as a spinster. She could not have been an old maid. Her brother-in-law had proposed to her before he asked her sister, but she refused. Captain Wentworth is rich from the war, and is ready to settle down. There are many girls he could choose from, no one would suspect he would care for Anne, who had broken his heart years before. I love this story because to me their love is the most sincere of all Jane Austen's couples. They could not have anyone but each other, despite dooming maidenhood, heartbreak, betrayl, misunderstanding. Over all of this comes forgiveness and hope. Their love to me stands the test of time and is the most true of anything I have ever read.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 11, 2012
Persuasion is a powerful book that strongly impacts the mind of any reader. I read this book for a research paper I had to write this year in high school, and I fell in love with it. Apart from the fact that I experienced the emotions described in this book, Jane Austen presents the material in such a way that the reader can comprehend, and fully grasp, the struggle of Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot. This is truly a tremendous masterpiece. I strongly recommend it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 23, 2011
This is one of my all time favorite books. I have read it several times in paperback and after having to sell almost all of my books for a move I was excited to see this free version. The formatting is fairly decent. There are random numbers and letters throughout and some of the line breaks are odd but it's not hard to read and really isn't annoying. Some of the paragraphs run on but that was how my other copy of the book was. I could be coming from a different perspective on the reason the formatting really doesn't bother me. I was a history major and some of the things that I had to read from this time period (and others) were not edited for ease of reading. Good copy if you are interested in reading it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.McKenna96
Posted November 22, 2010
I will not lie; Persuasion is a book that took me a really long time to get into. This book is what we would classify as a "chick flick" but in book form (so for all the real men in the world read this book). The only thing that kept me reading it for the longest time was that I had read the inside cover and was intrigued with what could happen in this book. This book is about two hundred years old so the text used can be somewhat confusing at times. The spelling is definitely different along with the grammar use. During this book the reader will experience drama, sadness, jealousy, happiness, shock, and many more emotions. The story first takes place in what I assumed to be England. The war had just finished and many army personnel were coming home. One part that I had a really hard time understanding was the very beginning, it seemed like the narrator was the father of Anne Elliot. He seems to be trying to write his will or making an autobiography of himself. I could not figure out who the narrator was or what they were trying to tell the reader. After I got past that part I just had to keep telling myself to keep on reading because it would get better. When Anne (the main character) first comes across her long lost love Captain Wentworth the reader wants them to just get back together and for everything to be good. Fortunately, that does not happen and the reader has more to read. Later in the book Anne meets her cousin Mr. Elliot and they soon become acquainted with one another. I did not know if I wanted them to get married or if I still wanted Captain Wentworth to come back and marry Anne. The setting of this book wanted to make me have a English accent and begin telling parts of this story to some of my friends. It is a story that has its ups and downs but it definitely a phenomenal book with a wonderful ending that I will not give away. This book is a book that you could read in book clubs, on rainy days, give as a gift, and should have in a library. Once I got to the end of this book I wanted it to keep going on. The way that Anne now feels about love and about Captain Wentworth may be a tear jerker for some so make sure to keep some tissues handy. The ending will make the reader go back in time and switch places with Anne if the reader is female. Another thing about this book is that it is one of the all time classics and if modified could easily apply to this day in age. This is a book that I am definitely giving a thumbs up and recommending to my friends because of how well if rapped up and did not leave you hanging. I loved this book.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Ms. Austen makes her last novel the most moving one of her short career. I realize that many scholars would disagree with this claim, but it's because "Persausion" seperates itself from the other novels that in part make it so remarkable.
The ending is not that of a fairy tale, but more along the lines of a changing world with many unscruplous people in it and Anne and her love have finally decided to take life on their own terms.
Witty humor, is another ingredient that Ms. Austen finds time to include although this is far more of a sober tale. She makes comentary on the choices a woman had available to her and the life of a military wife.
This is a far more realistic story than the romantic comedy "Emma," although that is great as well, but this is more of a story about lost love and the tribulations, pain, and other endurments that must be faced to reach happiness in ones life. This is a fitting end to a remarkable career.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 3, 2009
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In Jane Austen's last novel, Persuasion, we meet the Elliot family: Sir Walter and his daughters, Elizabeth, Mary and the youngest daughter Anne. Over 8 years ago Anne became engaged to Frederick Wentworth, a man with no one to recommend him. After much persuasion from a family friend, Lady Russell, Anne breaks off the engagement. When the reader meets Anne it is more than 8 years later and circumstances have brought her and the now Captain Frederick Wentworth back into each other's lives. Will they be able to rekindle their relationship or did Anne's initial refusal ruin all hope for them to be together...?
Reading Jane Austen is truly refreshing! The subtleness with which Austen delves into the relationship between Anne and Captain Wentworth among other characters is beautifully done. A great read!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 25, 2009
Praised as Jane Austen's greatest, most mature novel, Persuasion definitely lives up to its reputation. Written in Austen's captivating, witty style, it enhances all the beauty, romance, as well as flaws and negatives of the early nineteenth century England. Anne Elliot, a daughter of a wealthy baronet and Frederick Wentworth, the fortuneless love of her life, find themselves separated by the cruelty of the social rank system of England at that time. Anne, persuaded to end their relationship, lives for eight and a half years regretting the greatest mistake of her life until Captain Wentworth comes back from war, where he has made quite a fortune. Now, revolving in the same social circle and constantly being in each others' presence, both Anne and Frederick face the difficulties of forgetting the mistakes of the past to finally realize that it may be a future together that they truly want. Anne Elliot, a heroine quite unlike Austen's usual witty, beautiful and charming Elizabeth or Emma, portrays the complexity and maturity that Jane Austen's writing has reached. Anne has an aura of kindness and gentleness about her that makes her unique among Austen's heroines. Her character is guaranteed to have every reader sympathize with her as she tries to recover from the past and renew her intimate connection with Captain Wentworth. The Captain, definitely comparable to Mr. Darcy, is the usual dashing, brilliant man that all women adore and want for themselves. All the rest of the characters such as the silly, self-centered Mary and the light-hearted Miss Musgroves make the storyline even more delightful and rich in twists and turns. Once again, Austen gives her readers what she knows they want. There is romance and love, misfortune and jealousies, parties and vanity, and, of course, a happy ending, which the authoress presents is such an amazing style as can only be worthy of a true masterpiece.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 15, 2008
I finally read Persuasion and I have to say it might be tied with Sense and Sensibility as my favorite of the Austen novels. I originally shared my thoughts of Persuasion on the Republic of Pemberley website and felt compelled to share it with my Barnes and Noble friends. I always thought Pride and Prejudice was my beloved first choice but over the years I have flipped flopped and well now I am enchanted by the characters and the story of Persuasion. I have to even admit that I always thought Mr. Darcy's letter to Elizabeth was so heart filled and mesmerizing but now after reading Captain Wentworth's prose to Anne and in a way wearing his heart on his sleeve I am completely sold that his was the most romantic letter ever written! As a woman, you always dream that a love lost will somehow find its way back again so I found myself rooting for Anne and Captain Wentworth to find each other. As for the other characters, I wish someone would have smacked Elizabeth and Sir Walter. They were one and the same and so rude to Anne. Not once did they appear to take her feelings into consideration. I really liked Mr. and Mrs. Musgrove and the Musgrove sisters. They had a complete affection for Anne and were more family to her then her own. Even Admiral and Mrs. Croft treated Anne with more family regard then her own. Mary wasn't too bad to Anne but she was too helpless for my taste. Mrs. Smith (an old friend from Anne's school days) proved to be the perfect allie and dearest long lost friend. Yes, I am truly happy to have read this novel and I think before the end of the summer I will have to read it again!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 17, 2013
I found the book rather sweet. It teaches you to follow your heart and not the decisions of others.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.timtamtummy
Posted April 27, 2013
I love Jane Austen's books and have various titles in several editions. This one is my favorite - it has a beautiful cover, the font is pleasing to the eye, and it is indexed at various points - these correspond to notes which explain the context a little more. This is something I love about the Penguin Classics. I'm sorely tempted to get other titles in the same series now..
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Posted March 26, 2013
The formatting for this book was half hearted at best. Made a great book difficult to get through with odd page breaks and typos.
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Posted January 4, 2013
The story is slow and boring. It took to much time to develop and the end lack of emotion.
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Posted December 3, 2012
Nothing much happened.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.aridite
Posted September 15, 2012
The B&N classic publication has all sorts of useful information wrapped around the story.
Good introduction by Dr Weisser.
Compelling story by Jane Austen.
Anonymous
Posted May 26, 2012
Five stars all around
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Atatem
Posted May 26, 2012
I love anything Austen, but this is possibly my favorite. It is lovely to watch the characters develop and begin to understand the reasons behind their actions. The mixture of humor, romance, and a hint of the tragic makes this a wonderful read on a rainy afternoon.
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Posted April 1, 2012
Once I retired and got a chance to really star reading, I only thought Jane Austen had done Sense and Sensibility plus Pride and Prejudice. I didn't know about the others, but made sure I read them all. I had never heard of Persuasion, nor had I heard of a major motion picture of it like the other two I mentioned, so I was surprised when this became my favorite. I have read it many times now, in the past 20 years, and watched the English version of the story, and when I have trouble getting to sleep at night, I just start telling myself the story over again and it gets my mind off of other things and puts me pleasantly to sleep. It's become like a favorite fairy tale to a child. Love lost, 2nd chance at love, love conquered ... all with the delicious background of a Jane Austen afternoon and evening of reading.
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