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emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Grief, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
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
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Ableism, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Chronic illness, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War
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
2025 Reread:
This is a book I've read many times, and with each reread I have a different experience.
This time I read along with Rosalyn Landor's audiobook version and what an absolute delight. I found that this may have been my favorite read of the book. I've always enjoyed it, but I really took my time with it this time and had a more immersive experience with the audio.
For those of you who don't know what this book is about, it takes place in 1800 England and follows our main protagonist Anne Elliot, who ended her engagement with Captain Wentworth 8 years prior and now they're meeting again after all that time. It's a story about second chances and deep love. There's so much more to it than that, but that's the smallest nutshell version.
It's my favorite Austen (though Darcy may be my favorite hero from her works)
I had a fantastic time rereading this and definitely plan on doing so again in the future.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A high 4.5. There was just a bit of some extra slowness in the middle that annoyed me but didn't detract from my overall enjoyment.
This is a book I've read many times, and with each reread I have a different experience.
This time I read along with Rosalyn Landor's audiobook version and what an absolute delight. I found that this may have been my favorite read of the book. I've always enjoyed it, but I really took my time with it this time and had a more immersive experience with the audio.
For those of you who don't know what this book is about, it takes place in 1800 England and follows our main protagonist Anne Elliot, who ended her engagement with Captain Wentworth 8 years prior and now they're meeting again after all that time. It's a story about second chances and deep love. There's so much more to it than that, but that's the smallest nutshell version.
It's my favorite Austen (though Darcy may be my favorite hero from her works)
I had a fantastic time rereading this and definitely plan on doing so again in the future.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A high 4.5. There was just a bit of some extra slowness in the middle that annoyed me but didn't detract from my overall enjoyment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Classism
Moderate: Fatphobia, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Grief, War
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest, Misogyny, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
Upon reread this was an compelling and nuanced and well done. I appreciated her coming into herself. And I adored the Crofts as secondary characters.
Read First: January 2018
Second: May 2021
Read First: January 2018
Second: May 2021
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Body shaming, Medical content