This was my first Jane Austen novel, and it unfortunately left me a little underwhelmed. I was drawn in by the concept of the book, which is that Anne Elliot is still in love with Captain Wentworth, a man who proposed to her years ago, but she turned him down. Not because she didn’t want to be with him, but because she was told she could do better. He re-enters her life, and stirs those old feelings back up. Sadly, Persuasion didn’t fulfill my expectations.
It’s a slow novel, and the majority of it is centered around her friends and family, and the renting out of her family home. I probably shouldn’t have gone in with high hopes, but I was expecting a romance that would tug at my heartstrings. The writing style also felt bland to me, and I didn’t really care for the characters. There are certainly some moments that piqued my interest, but the execution sadly didn’t live up to the concept for me. I’m still willing to give Jane Austen another try, though.
VERDICT: 3/5
I haven’t read this book yet, but hope to fit it in this year. I think Emma is the most readable and even funny of Austen’s books that I have read. However, as cliche as it sounds, Pride & Prejudice is still my fave.
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