Reviews with content warning for Ableism - Persuasion: An Annotated Edition

Friends and relatives encourage Anne Elliot to reject Captain Wentworth's marriage proposal due to his lack of riches and status. When Wentworth returns home from the Navy after more than seven years, Anne realizes she still has deep love for him, but Wentworth only appears to be interested in Anne's friend.

This is my favorite novel by Jane Austen. In so many ways, Anne Elliot is relatable. This novel by Jane Austen stands out among her other works because it is more delicate and honest. Jane Austen truly projected herself through Anne, therefore the characters are much more familiar to me. Anne, like her, is snarky, bright, and energetic. It's a real bad Austen didn't get a man like Wentworth.

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lorriss's review against another edition

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hopeful reflective

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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lindseyhall44's review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

“You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope.”
Persuasion, Jane Austen’s last completed novel, is commonly referred to as her most adult work. While I wholeheartedly agree on this front, I also believe that the beloved nature of Persuasion throughout generations stems not only from the maturity of the protagonist, but the bittersweet love story.
Persuasion follows Anne Elliot, an unmarried woman of 27, as she encounters the man who’s marriage proposal she refused years ago. As there relationship rekindles into a gray area of attachment, Anne is forced to reflect on the choices which led up to her refusal.
I think my favorite part of the novel was the yearning itself. It felt tangible as their relationship digressed, and added essential components to the complexities of Anne’s characters.
Since Austen was battling sickness at the time of her drafting Persuasion, this novel can at some points feel rushed, however I would highly recommend to any Austen fans!

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breadwitchery's review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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atamano's review

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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loveyoulike's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

i would die for this story

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annamania99's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Pride and Prejudice was the first Austen book I read, the first I watched as films, and the first I really loved. Reading Persuasion is not like reading Pride and Prejudice. They have similarities, in that the books focus on the flaws of the main characters, but the approach Austen takes in Persuasion is much different. The tone is much more melancholy, much less "bright and sparkling" as Austen described Pride and Prejudice. Anne, the book's heroine, is not witty and self-confident like Elizabeth, but she has a sureness in knowing herself that Elizabeth lacks. She is older than Elizabeth and has faced a great deal more in terms of loss and disappointment. Mainly, I think, Anne is isolated in a way Elizabeth is not. While Elizabeth has Jane, Charlotte, her father, and her aunt Gardiner to support her, Anne only has a pseudo-aunt in the form of her late mother's friend, and this changes how she interacts with the world a great deal.
Persuasion was the last book Austen wrote before she died, and was published by her sister after her death, making the themes of loss, regret, and lost time even more poignant.
This book doesn't hold the same place in my heart as Pride and Prejudice, but then it is for a very different mood. I think Anne's belief in and integrity to her own morals and her determination to find joy in small things during some of the most depressing times of her life make her an incredibly strong character; though, like in the book, I don't think these are things many people might notice.

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uranaishi's review against another edition

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lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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