Persuasion

This last novel written by Jane Austen was published posthumously.  Set in the Victorian era amongst those of society where birth and title dictate proper decorum.  This is the story of Anne Elliot, the often overlooked daughter of Sir Walter Elliot, a man full of self-importance and vanity; and sister to Elizabeth and Mary.

At eight and twenty years (28) Anne is yet unmarried though her heart belongs to Colonel Frederick Wentworth.  Eight years previous they'd been engaged but he was not a man of circumstance and her friend Lady Russell persuaded her to break the engagement.  Broken-hearted, Frederick Wentworth went to sea, becoming a colonel and commander of his own vessel.  He made his "fortune" in the navy before returning to Anne's hometown.  Will they reconcile?  Will he forgive her?  Will she marry Mr.  Elliot?

This novel took me over a month to read.  Never before have I had such difficulty with a book.  Written in the early 1800's, the prose and style is one I am not accustomed to and it seemed so wordy to accomplish so little, dialogues didn't ensue quickly enough for me.  It was only in the final chapters that I found interest in the dilemmas of Anne and Frederick.  The final chapter seemed to pull things together too quickly, especially compared to the pace of the previous 23 chapters, as if the author wanted to be done with it.

My apologies to lovers of Jane Austen,  this must seem brutal.  I've read and love the likes of Agatha Christie, but that is a more recent era, and welcomed the challenge to expand my repertoire, so to speak.  If you have never read Jane Austen or the likes thereof, I highly recommend renting the movie version first, if available.  It was only after seeing the BBC film of Persuasion that I was able to accomplish the final chapters.  Don't let this dissuade you.  Welcome the challenge to broaden your horizons, the love story is beautiful!

Rated 3/5

Up and Running!

It appears my issues with posting have been resolved so check back soon for reviews of what I've been reading!  Coming soon:  Crime Brulee by Nancy Fairbanks, Persuasion by Jane Austen, Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult, to name a few.

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Our local book club read for the month of November is "Persuasion" by Jane Austen.  This novel is Jane Austen's last completed novel and was published posthumously December 1817.  Her works stand the test of time, a tribute to a woman who wrote novels highly valued in the English literary tradition.

Persuasion -  first line, first page "Sir Walter Elliot, of Kellynch Hall, in Somersetshire, was a man who, for his own amusement, never took up any book but the Baronetage, there he found occupation for an idle hour, and consolation in a distressed one, there his faculties were roused into admiration and respect, by contemplating the limited remnant of the earliest patents, there any unwelcome sensations, arising from domestic affairs, changed naturally into pity and contempt."  Possibly the longest written sentence in history, thus begins the story.

Touted the story of Jane's most memorable heroine, Persuasion's lead character is Anne Elliot, "a young woman of breeding, depth of emotion and unswerving integrity." (from the back cover).  Anne is a strong woman who finds freedom from less than ideal familial relations through her relationships with other women of strength.  Personal fulfillment, something every human desires, is hers in this novel where men and women are equals in morality and roles of hero and heroine are reversed.

Thus begins the read of the month.