Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Persuasion

Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Persuasion by Jane Austen

6 reviews

diana_raquel's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

4.75

"You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope...I have loved none but you."

Persuasion was the last fully completed work by Jane Austen...and it shows! And while this is one of the author's lesser-known novels, it is undoubtedly one of my favorites.

If Northanger Abbey was the odd one, this novel is the most mature. Of the six main novels, this is the only one that features an older protagonist (Anne is 27 years old) and, it's also, the only one where the plot doesn't focus on a love story between the protagonists, but rather on their re-encounter. It isn't a love story, it's a story about lost love and how, over time, people can change in some ways. So, it's a much more mature and refined novel, with more level-headed characters (well, some of them are more mature).

And we have to talk about Anne. Because of her position in society (even if she's the daughter of a baronet, she's single at 27), is a very quiet, shy character that hardly ever speaks her mind. And although she's very intelligent and kind, she's very quiet and rarely speaks up. I usually don't like this type of character, but Anne is the exception that proves the rule. Although she's a quiet character, we never forget that she's in the room (something that happened with Fanny in Mansfield Park). She begins by being presented as a sweet and kind person, incorporating the feminine ideal of the time but little by little she turns out to be a strong and mature character, always remaining faithful to her ideals and morals. Definitely, Anne is one of my favorite heroines created by Austen.

My only problem with the book was the pacing in the early chapters. And while I understand that these chapters introduced some background that the reader needs to know, the pacing is a little slow for my taste.

Overall, I strongly recommend this book. You're not gonna regret it.

Final note: I strongly recommend that you watch the 2007 movie adaptation starring Sally Hawkins and Rupert Penry-Jones. In addition to remaining quite faithful to the original material, this adaptation perfectly captures the melancholic atmosphere of the book. It's perfect in every aspect.

"There could have been no two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison..."

Content Warnings