Persuasion is my second Jane Austen book after Pride and Prejudice. Stylistically, there are some major differences that I can assume make these books appeal to different groups. If I had to sum it up simply, it would be that while Pride and Prejudice excels in wittiness and character development, Persuasion embraces more of a mature, intimate approach, with most of the narration describing the highs and lows of emotion within, to a large extent, mostly static settings and our outwardly composed and beloved character, Anne.
Anne Elliot realizes the love of her life. That is, after she is persuaded by her friends and family to reject him due to his lack of fortune and rank. When Captain Wentworth returns home from the Navy more than seven years later, she’s forced to realize her strong feelings for him, yet he’s determined to stay distant, appearing to pursue a friend of Anne’s instead.
“More than seven years were gone since this little history of sorrowful interest had reached its close; and time had softened down much, perhaps nearly all of peculiar attachment to him — but she had been too dependant on time alone.”
Anne’s character is the embodiment of delicacy and tenderness, without the aspects of being a pushover. It almost felt like she was too good for Captain Wentworth. The problem in this novel was that there was a lot of telling rather than showing. Anne and Captain Wentworth’s relationship was mostly described as an afterthought of what took place seven years before, and present-him was ofttimes too fickle to establish any sort of lasting mutual affection before the (rather letter-induced) finale.
I’ve got to give it to him, though—his letter was gorgeous, so unfalteringly filled with pained affection, longing, and love. His character had so much potential.
“I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever.”
~4 stars
