A review by padfootlibrary
Persuasion by Jane Austen

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.