I had read Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Predjudice, and Mansfield Park before I started on Persuasion. Pride and Predjudice was, and probably always will be, my favorite of the Jane Austen novels, but I think Persuasion is my next favorite. It is rather slow at times (see above review), but so are all of the Jane Austen novels, I think. All of Austen's books are written in a satirical style, this one even more so than the others, especially the earlier chapters. Overall, I thought the storyline was good and the supporting characters developed well enough, although they sounded slightly familiar - Anne's sister-in-laws reminded me of Maria and Julia Bertram (Mansfield Park). I thought it looked a little hypocritical for Anne to refuse to marry Wentworth when he was poor, then agree to when he became rich, but since the book explains so clearly the way she was feeling and what caused her to act the way she did, you can forgive the weakness. Altogether a good read. B+/A-
Reply With Quote
