Persuasion
By Jane Austen
Published by Barnes and Noble Classics, 2003
Price: $5.95
Anne Elliot was in love once 7 years ago and had even become engaged to the object of that love, a certain Frederick Wentworth. But at that time, her fiancé was just starting his military career, and a family friend and confidante, Lady Russell, had talked her out of the engagement. Russell said that Wentworth had no prospects at the time and no money and that the future was too uncertain pertaining to him. Anne was still young and immature then at the age of 20 and not really strong enough to go with her own thoughts about the matter. So she caved. And has regretted it ever since.
Anne is now on the verge of spinsterhood at the ripe old age of 27 when Frederick, who is now a successful captain in the Royal Navy, comes back into her life.
This happens because of Anne's spendthrift father whose main occupation seems to be squandering the family's wealth. It's gotten so bad that the Elliots have had to move out of their own house, Kellylynch, and rent it out! Their rentee is Admiral Croft, who is married to Frederick Wentworth's sister, which means Anne's lost love is going to be in the vicinity a great bit now. Anne still hasn't gotten over him, but she doesn't know what Frederick is thinking. Does he even still care about or remember her seven years after she broke off their engagement due to persuasion?
I've read three of Austen's other novels but this one has probably been my favorite. It's just so thin and efficient. It's a love story without getting sentimental and sappy with flowery bubblegum prose. It's matter of fact, streamlined, and subtle. I liked that because its all from Anne's viewpoint, we don't really find out what Wentworth thinks about her until the closing chapters. So even though the novel is not in first person the reader feels they ARE Anne, so it was cool to have some mystery and suspense in what is essentially a romance. I also loved how much emotion was conveyed just by situations and small details instead of dialogue. It was great how much power Austen had over her storytelling at the end of her life. I think she would have written some even greater works than those she left us.
I admit I had a bit of prejudice coming into this book because my view is that a lot of the stuff that Austen wrote about really has no significant bearing on the true realities of the life of the common man or woman of that time. That she was writing only about the dramas of the "elites". That's why I didn't like Mansfield Park. I mean, the whole conflict of it was about a group of young people putting on a scandalous play? While the poor were starving and working their fingers to the bone in the city?
So I was pleasantly surprised when one of the main cruxes of Persuasion were reversals of fortune. Anne's family is not as prestigious and rich as it once was due to incompetence. Anne rejects her former self that placed so much value on material wealth. Her family are the ones that are unenlightened scumbags. Her father judges EVERYONE based solely on looks and social status. And it disgusts Anne. She virtually does not exist to her family simply because they think she is plain.
I was really surprised by this and other social commentary that I found in the book. One of Anne's old schoolmates has fallen on hard times and is living in poverty and her family encourages her to not even associate with someone in that low of a state. But Anne stands by her friend. It was truly beautiful. Anne also has some points where she lays down a pre-feminist rant about how women are misperceived in her world.
Like I said, this is now my fave of all Austen's works that I have read. Northanger Abbey and Emma are the two I've yet to read.
My Grade: A
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