Book Review: Persuasion
Aug. 13th, 2024 08:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
osprey_archerI read Persuasion in my early twenties, decided that it was my least favorite of Austen’s novels, and haven’t reread it since. I was therefore very curious to reread it now, and am thrilled to report… it is still my least favorite of Austen’s novels.
Now, even a least favorite Austen is a much better read than a lot of other things. The prose is fantastic, the character work precise and nuanced (I particularly enjoyed Anne’s whiny sister Mary, for the quality of enjoyed that is “I’m glad she is in the pages of a book and not my vicinity”), and the book somewhat unusual in Austen’s oeuvre in having a fair amount of beautiful landscape description, particularly of Lyme. I’d love to visit Lyme someday.
But (and I apologize for the forthcoming blasphemy) I find Anne Elliot and Captain Frederick Wentworth ever so slightly boring. Anne is the most muted of Austen’s heroines, lacking the snap and spark of a Marianne or a Lizzie, the endearing goofiness of a Catherine, even the weird raptures of a Fanny Price. (I love the bit where Fanny just goes off on a lengthy tangent about how wonderful memory is and Mary Crawford responds with something that shows she has not been listening even slightly.) Anne is pleasant. She’s accommodating. She plays the piano for other people to dance while tears fill her eyes. Captain Wentworth spends most of his time in her presence (and therefore our presence) more or less tongue-tied, but he too is pleasant enough.
But I struggled to understand why two such bland people would remain so stuck on each other for nearly a decade. Or rather, I could understand why Anne can’t move on from Frederick Wentworth - not because he’s particularly interesting, but because she never goes anywhere, does anything, or meets anyone, and so circumstanced, how could anyone hope to move on?
Captain Wentworth, however, has spent the past eight years or so traveling the globe, fighting the Napoleonic Wars. In all that time, he’s never been interested in anyone but Anne Elliot? I could believe it of Marianne Dashwood, or Mary Crawford, even, but Anne— Sir. Live a little. Fall in love with a Frenchwoman. Fall in love with a cabin boy. Fall in love with Louisa Musgrove if you must.
Or at least have a chat with your sister Mrs. Croft about the whole Anne Elliot situation years ago! It’s Mrs. Croft’s comments that young people are very foolish to get engaged “without knowing that at such a time there will be the means of marrying” that finally pierces Captain Wentworth’s stubborn pride. That was exactly his situation with Anne: she took Lady Russell’s advice to turn him down because it was entirely unclear if he would ever have the means to marry.
The title of the book refers to them both: Anne may be too susceptible to persuasion, but stiff-necked Captain Wentworth is too stubbornly resistant. As he finally admits to Anne, they could have married six years ago, when he had taken his first prize ship, could he have brought himself to write to Anne and ask for her hand now that he had enough money that they could wed.
***
My intention upon finishing the Jane Austen reread was to read the 2024 Newbery honorees, then move on John Le Carre’s Smiley books.
However, I find myself on fire with a yet older plan, viz., rereading all of Charlotte Bronte’s novels. (I waffled a bit about including The Professor but (a) it is short!, and (b) it’s such an interesting compare and contrast with Villette!) Well, it is best to follow one’s impulses in reading, so Charlotte Bronte here we come! Sorry, John Le Carre. I’ll swing back around to Smiley later.
Now, even a least favorite Austen is a much better read than a lot of other things. The prose is fantastic, the character work precise and nuanced (I particularly enjoyed Anne’s whiny sister Mary, for the quality of enjoyed that is “I’m glad she is in the pages of a book and not my vicinity”), and the book somewhat unusual in Austen’s oeuvre in having a fair amount of beautiful landscape description, particularly of Lyme. I’d love to visit Lyme someday.
But (and I apologize for the forthcoming blasphemy) I find Anne Elliot and Captain Frederick Wentworth ever so slightly boring. Anne is the most muted of Austen’s heroines, lacking the snap and spark of a Marianne or a Lizzie, the endearing goofiness of a Catherine, even the weird raptures of a Fanny Price. (I love the bit where Fanny just goes off on a lengthy tangent about how wonderful memory is and Mary Crawford responds with something that shows she has not been listening even slightly.) Anne is pleasant. She’s accommodating. She plays the piano for other people to dance while tears fill her eyes. Captain Wentworth spends most of his time in her presence (and therefore our presence) more or less tongue-tied, but he too is pleasant enough.
But I struggled to understand why two such bland people would remain so stuck on each other for nearly a decade. Or rather, I could understand why Anne can’t move on from Frederick Wentworth - not because he’s particularly interesting, but because she never goes anywhere, does anything, or meets anyone, and so circumstanced, how could anyone hope to move on?
Captain Wentworth, however, has spent the past eight years or so traveling the globe, fighting the Napoleonic Wars. In all that time, he’s never been interested in anyone but Anne Elliot? I could believe it of Marianne Dashwood, or Mary Crawford, even, but Anne— Sir. Live a little. Fall in love with a Frenchwoman. Fall in love with a cabin boy. Fall in love with Louisa Musgrove if you must.
Or at least have a chat with your sister Mrs. Croft about the whole Anne Elliot situation years ago! It’s Mrs. Croft’s comments that young people are very foolish to get engaged “without knowing that at such a time there will be the means of marrying” that finally pierces Captain Wentworth’s stubborn pride. That was exactly his situation with Anne: she took Lady Russell’s advice to turn him down because it was entirely unclear if he would ever have the means to marry.
The title of the book refers to them both: Anne may be too susceptible to persuasion, but stiff-necked Captain Wentworth is too stubbornly resistant. As he finally admits to Anne, they could have married six years ago, when he had taken his first prize ship, could he have brought himself to write to Anne and ask for her hand now that he had enough money that they could wed.
***
My intention upon finishing the Jane Austen reread was to read the 2024 Newbery honorees, then move on John Le Carre’s Smiley books.
However, I find myself on fire with a yet older plan, viz., rereading all of Charlotte Bronte’s novels. (I waffled a bit about including The Professor but (a) it is short!, and (b) it’s such an interesting compare and contrast with Villette!) Well, it is best to follow one’s impulses in reading, so Charlotte Bronte here we come! Sorry, John Le Carre. I’ll swing back around to Smiley later.
