My fourth book by Jane Austen, Persuasion, was devoured in a few days and I am thrilled to finally be able to finish it. It is also safe to say that now that I have read five young-adult classic books, I'm getting more used to the writing style this era was famous for hence I just went through a little difficulty compared to my experience with the priors.
Persuasion follows the story of a twenty-seven-year-old Anne Elliot whose family is on the edge of financial ruin. After consulting with some friends, her father decides to let their home, Kellynch Hall, rented. It obviously saddens Anne exceedingly, much more so the fact that her father and elder sister Elizabeth resolve to reside in Bath for a while.
Being considered as no use there, Anne is to live with her friend Lady Russell and her married younger sister Mary for some period of time. But it is not helping that the house's tenant turns out to be Fredrick Wentworth's sister and her husband. Having a history together is one thing, but the fact that eight years ago Anne broke off her engagement with Wentworth after being persuaded by Lady Russell is certainly another. She has been left with regret since then even though her friend insists that such a match is unworthy. Now that Wentworth is back from the sea as a rich and successful captain, Anne has to act like nothing between them has ever happened and that she is okay with not sharing even so much as a greeting.
My first impression about Persuasion was that it had a trope I had been finding interesting these days: lovers-to enemies-to lovers again. I had read a few contemporary books with this theme before but in a classic book it was certainly a first. My curiosity was well fulfilled, I dare say. Persuasion might not be my most favorite from Austen but it certainly was the most romantic in my opinion.
As a character, Anne reminded me a bit of Jane Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. Both were similarly kind and even bore the same gentleness, though, as a bookstagrammer friend of mine had pointed out, Anne overthought much more than Jane in terms of doing deeds. It was not a bad thing of course, but after hearing the opinion, I couldn't help but realize that Jane was way too kind to the point that she was selfless. I still adored them both equally though. However, I couldn't deny that because of this little difference I thought Anne's character was more relatable thus slightly more likable.
It was super easy to be drowned in the vibes of this book. Persuasion started out too slow with a tad too many unnecessary details, but after a while it got much better. One thing I always like about reading Austen's books is how colorful her characters are. Persuasion was no different. I did greatly admire how unique and stand-out the characters were: Elizabeth was a cold sister; Mary was the annoying one in this book; the Musgrove sisters reminded me of the Bingleys but with much better characters; and Frederick Wentworth was quite a romantic. All in all, this book seemed like it consisted of a similar formula to the other Austen’s books but I felt like Persuasion’s pace was the fastest if compared.
In conclusion, I was once again in love with the ambiance Austen's book managed to create during my time reading. Persuasion was an enjoyable read if you didn't mind the almost-boring first few chapters in it. If you like classic or a fan of Austen's other books, you should totally add Persuasion to the list of your to-be-read.
Actual rating: 4★
