Reviews

Persuasion by Jane Austen

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beccabean81's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

padfootlibrary's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

I love Jane Austen's humor. However, Persuasion is not as fun to read as P&P or S&S. It was published posthumously, so I imagine it would have changed if Austen had time to revise. I think there's one scene in the entire book in which Captain Wentworth was nice to Anne. The rest of the time, he ranged from thoughtless to cruel. Outside of our view, his character grew a lot at the very end, but we never saw why they were suited for each other, if they ever interacted pleasantly, what they had in common, etc. It's painful to read about a woman who is mistreated by all those around her, including the man she loves, and keeps coming back for more. There's a depth and loneliness to Anne that is so heartbreakingly real and makes me want to see her develop more. With a little more work, I think Persuasion could have become the best of Austen's work, but it fell short. The constant emotional abuse that is casually inflicted on Anne makes the book difficult to read, especially since the payoff is so short and unclear.

solluna's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

d34nn3_29's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective relaxing tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

tincrumbs's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

ethanhkelly's review against another edition

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For better or for worse, my first Austen is her last novel, which likely lessens the impact of the narrative experiments she introduced - particularly her use of free-indirect speech. That being said, her composition is truly all it is hyped up to be, intersecting class, gender, and etiquette to craft a love story full of subtlety and tension. Fun class read.

I believe you equal to every important exertion, and to every domestic forbearance, so long as—if I may be allowed the expression—so long as you have an object. I mean while the woman you love lives, and lives for you. All the privilege I claim for my own sex (it is not a very enviable one; you need not covet it), is that of loving longest, when existence or when hope is gone.