Persuasion

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it before, but I'm a Jane Austen fanatic. I first read Pride and Prejudice about seven years ago and I fell in love along with Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. I've re-read the book countless times since then, not to mention watched the BBC movie based on the book on a semi-regular basis.

Since then I've paced myself. There are only a finite amount of Austen works in print, you see, and I don't want to have read them all. I want some anticipation, some excitement to remain in the idea of an yet unopened Austen novel. I've managed to limit myself to Emma and Sense and Sensibility but finally, last week, my copy of Persuasion, that had rested on a bookshelf in my home for two years, finally had its way with me and I read it.

Oh, I loved it. Full of Austen wit and nuance, it was delightful. It was a bit darker than Pride and Prejudice. Her heroine, Anne Elliot, is considerably less bubbly and happy than Elizabeth Bennett. Poverty and the realities of the times were not wholly ignored, though most commentary was centered around a wealthy, aristocratic family and their social sphere. But Captain Wentworth is a lovable hero, with none of the reservations that are easy to own regarding Mr. Darcy, the characters are endearing, the storyline involving and interesting and I believe this might be the first Austen novel since Pride and Prejudice that I may re-read.