Follow your heart (while you're still pretty)

books:

	• Persuasion (Penguin Classics) Jane Austen Penguin Classics, 2003 - 272 pages average customer review:based on 26 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Another Enjoyable Austen

Persuasion, Jane Austen's last novel, is the story of Anne Elliott and Frederick Wentworth, two young lovers who are persuaded to be separated rather than marrying when they first fall in love around age nineteen because of lack of prospects. The story picks up eight years later when circumstances have changed and the now Captain Wentworth has returned to the area with a successful career and Anne's family is now reduced in financial status. Anne wonders if perhaps Frederick might still harbor feelings for her, but this being Austen, things never go smoothly and there is quite a lot of wondering and subterfuge, and colorful characters to keep things amusing.

This is not my favorite Austen; things started off quite slowly and there is not a great deal of dialogue. I did enjoy the fact that Frederick and Anne rediscovered each other relatively later in their lives, and as always, the build-up to the happy ending kept me smiling. While Persuasion doesn't have quite the emotional zing that Austen's earlier works do, it is still enjoyable. I doubt there's such a thing as an Austen novel that won't capture you in some way, and Persuasion accomplishes just that in its subtle, quiet style.

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Delightful character analysis

This novel, written by the mature Jane Austen and published after her death, reveals the strengths of Austen's art. First, she is a careful and exact observer of human character, as compared to those that base a novel of emotion or behavior. Second, she is totally aware of class distinctions and the determinism that is created by a rigid class structure. She explores how character is independent of class but often mistakenly associated with upper class persons. Third, Austen is also a comedic writer, full of wit and funny portrayals of hypocrites, though many may find fault with my interpretation below since this aspect of Austen's art is rarely discussed. Fourth, Austen carefully portrays the world of 17th century upper class women which could be viewed as oppressive, paternalistic, and deterministic. However she continually portrays women as resilient actors rather than victims.

She was a superb observer and interpreter of human character. This is different from those contemporary authors who are more likely to explore emotion and behavior. Character in the work of Austen is destiny and good character eventually leads to better outcomes and poor character leads to worse outcomes. Whereas at times her characters exhibit emotion, they are more likely to withhold emotion and when this withholding is done carefully and discretely, Austen would see this as signs of good character. Whereas she has high regard for honesty, she seems to see honesty as having both a proper method of presentation and to have proper timing in order to have impact. The letter Captain Wentworth writes to Anne Elliott at the end of the novel is a perfect example of suppressed emotion transformed into carefully strategically timed truth-telling.

Class differences play and huge role in the works of Austen and Persuasion explores this with the romance of a rich girl of noble family in love with a handsome but middle class young man who both have reversal of fortune and 8 years later re-encounter each other. Anne Elliott is surrounded by a father, two sisters, and her deceased mother's best friend; all of whom use social class as a cognitive short hand for who is worthy and who is not. Anne is the character that can penetrate the smoke of social class to see the true strengths of character underneath. Interestingly, when Persuasion was written, the Napoleonic wars were over and many young men who made their fortunes in the British navy returned with fortunes into English society. Here the new rich encounter the old landed rich, a formula for social upheaval. Austen perfectly articulates this as the Elliott family vacates their ancestral home, Kellynch, and rent the mansion to an Admiral and his wife.

Austen was witty and could be considered a comedic writer. Her descriptions of human folly, prejudice, snobbery, and hypocrisy are all skillfully handled. She never preaches. She allows the snob, the fool, the hypocrite to reveal themselves through their speech and interactions. The outburst of Anne's father, Sir Elliott, upon hearing this his daughter is visiting a sickly poor school friend instead of visiting barely know distant rich relatives is priceless.

In summary, Austen's Persuasion is a good example of Austen's considerable skill at character analysis and revelation and development of character in social interactions and social contexts. She is delightful to read.

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Follow your heart (while you're still pretty)

Jane Austen's last novel, posthumously published in 1818, is about the possibility of having a second chance for love after one's made the mistake of following advice contrary to natural inclinations. The story centers on Anne Elliot, descendant of an illustrious family from the nobility of Somerset. Her mother has died and she lives with her father, an insufferably vain and irresponsible character, who has spent most of his fortune in a stupid way. Anne also lives with her elder sister Elizabeth, another unlikable person. They treat Anne with contempt and humiliation. The youngest sister, Mary has been married to a good man with a good social position. Turns out that the Elliot's have run out of money and they must move to a more humble house in order to lease the manor. The new tenant is an Admiral Croft, married to the sister of Captain Frederick Wentworth, a former boyfriend of Anne. Eight years ago, this man had proposed marriage to Anne, but he had been rejected after Anne's family, and in particular a fomer best friend of her mother's, had convinced her that she could find a much better prospect (Wentworth was by that time a beginner in the Navy and didn't have money). Anne has suffered ever since, because she really loved him and the much better prospect seems never to appear. Wentworth himself was deeply hurt by the rejection, but now he has come back from the war rich and with a promising future. The Elliots, the Crofts, and the Musgroves (Mary's husband's family) develop a good social relationship and Captain Wentworth is frequently invited to parties and reunions.

The rest of the novel is centered on Anne's feelings and her ambivalent emotions: on the one hand, she tries to be as little as possible in the company of Wentworth, but on the other she is very anxious about finding out if he still feels something for her. But Wentworth is cold and silent with her, showing respect but also letting her know how offended he feels. Mary's sister in law, Louisa Musgrove, falls for the handsome captain, and it seems like they will get married. That is, until she has an accident in the resort of Lyme, which changes the course of action.

With a conventional and almost predictable plot, Austen manages nonetheless to write an acute psychological portrait, and a wonderful story. Her prose is terse and fluid, with a subdued sense of humor. Anne is a credible and likable character, always a good friend even if her relatives despise and ill-treat her and her beauty has started to fade. She is fully conscious of what a terrible mistake she made when she rejected a good, hardworking man who loved and respected her, and who is now an attractive option for many young women. Sexual tension is ever present in this world of repression and hipocrisy, and the self-affirming and independent Anne stands above the rest of the characters, as a prefiguration of the modern, self-reliant woman. One of the best by Jane Austen.

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For Austen Lovers

This book answered a lot of questions that came up after I saw the movie i.e. what's with Mrs. Clay and the young Mr. Elliot? A must read if you really want to understand the movie.

I am a Jane Austen addict

I have to admit I am a Jane Austen addict. I just can't help but enjoy her witty dialog set in old English times. Sometimes I wish we talked more like they did. I feel like she just takes me back to a time long past, but very much alive and rich. This is the fourth book I have read of hers, and I loved it every bit as much as the others. I highly recommend reading it.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

New chronology and further reading.

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