Persuasion

I had a craving for a Jane Austen book during the holiday season, and so I picked up her last novel, which I hadn't read before. To me, Austen means two things: sparkling writing and interpersonal relationships. Persuasion does not disappoint on either account.

But what really kept me riveted was the tension between Anne and Captain Wentworth. Would they talk civilly after a failed courtship and 8 years of not seeing each other? The significance of glances and spoken words (not to mention touch) at the time was particularly striking, considering the relative ease with which people communicate now (e.g., people breaking up by texting, or by FB).

Yet I can't give the book 5 stars for two reasons. First, Anne Elliot is too perfect. She's smart, kind, down-to-earth. Her only shortcoming is her less-than-average looks. In addition, the book may have suffered from Austen's death soon after the book's completion. There is an awkward transition between chapters 3 and 4, as well as some unexplained uses of quotation marks.

Overall, however, a fantastic read.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Dates: 27-28 Dec 2008