Published 1817 this edition from 1979
Published by Penguin English Library
with introduction by D. W. Harding
270 pages
ISBN: none given
5/5 stars
Read before more than 2 dozen times; will read again.
Genre: classical novel
Keywords: love story, marriage, woman’s place in society at the beginning of the 19th century, England, aristocracy, social ladder, second chances, satire, Bath, Lyme
The last few weeks have brought considerable criticism of a new filmization of this novel. I have not seen the new film and probably will not. But it induced me to find my old book of Persuasion, which I bought in November 1980 (I wrote inside) and have read it to pieces, it is falling apart. All the pages are there, in the right order, but it is difficult to read a book when the pages try to run away. I read it last, I believe, about a decade ago but I have enjoyed it now again as I did then. I should probably buy a new one for my next reading it!
It is basically a book about girl (Anne) and boy (Wentworth) falling in love and get engaged, but her family and friends refuse their marrying. Then they meet 8 years later after he has proved himself in the war (The Napoleon Wars in the beginning of the 19th century) and become rich. She still loves him and has rejected other offers to marry. He is now free from the navy, handsome, rich and wants to get married.
Anne Elliot is the daughter of a very silly Sir Walter Elliot, baron of Kellynch; her sensible mother died when Anne was 14 years old. Since then, Walter has managed to spend all his money and now, he has to rent the estate to admiral Croft and his wife, also back from the war. Mrs. Croft’s brother is none other than Wentworth.
The first sentence continues for 12 lines explaining how ridiculous Sir Walter is.
Anne’s elder sister, Elizabeth and Anne are not on speaking terms, our hero and story teller is Anne who is sensible, intelligent, thoughtful, observant (the author) while Elizabeth is vane, a snob, only think of appearances and what her aristocratic peers think (in the book they actually do not think much). Elizabeth and their father relate to Anne as non existing. Her mother's friend Mrs. Russel lives nearby and supports Anne, including persuading her not to marry Wentworth eight years ago. Their younger sister, Mary is married to Charles Musgrove, they live near his parents, they have several small children. Anne often comes to support Mary and her children, because Mary always feels left out, belittled. Charles has two sisters, Henrietta and Louisa, they are young, beautiful, witty and full of life only waiting to get married.
And that is what the book is about, for women at that time there was only one thing in life: to get married and be provided for. Women cannot inherit, so the heir to Kellynch is a cousin, Mr. Elliot, that Elizabeth thought should have married her, so she could continue as Lady Elliot of Kellynch, but he had other plans and cut off contact.
There are several marriages that are held up as successful: first of all, the Crofts – she has followed him on his travels in the navy and enjoyed just being together even in narrow quarters of a war ship; whenever he is walking about Bath, she is always on his arm. Another successful couple is Charles’s parents, they are very liberal and just want their daughters to be happy, when they chose their life partners. Anne’s friend from school Mrs. Smith apparently had a happy marriage, but they were young and thoughtless, he died leaving her with nothing but debt and sickness. Mr. Elliot, the heir to Kellynch married in order to get rich, she was in love with him, but he was in love with her money; she died unhappy.
Page 208: a man and a woman marrying for money is too common to strike one as it ought.
Elizabeth’s friend Mrs. Clay is a widow with small children, she is very good at praising and sweettalking Sir Walter in the hope he would marry her. When they move to Bath, she inappropriately comes to live with them instead of Anne, whom Elizabeth and her father would rather she did not come.
Instead, Anne goes to stay with Mary who is complaining that she is sick (but in a hypochondrial way) nobody ever relates to her as they should at her aristocratic level. To Mary and Charles’s house Wentworth comes as guest of honor because he had been the officer of Charles’s brother.
So, Anne and Wentworth are thrown together; and after various complications they realize, that they still love each other. A letter has an important role in them realizing their mutual affections. There is a lot of quiet criticism of the aristocracy and higher society that Jane Austen obviously was familiar with to describe so well. Walter Elliot is spectacular in how silly he is described.
There are many funny remarks throughout in the book, here is one that made me laugh out loud (page201):
Describing who were at the concert: “the little Durands were there, with their mouth open to catch the music; like unfledged sparrows to be fed.”
I find the discussion between Anne and Captain Harville, interesting how he mentions that he always read about women’s inconstancy in stories, songs and books (p 237); to that Anne answers that is because they were written by men, so that can not prove how women feel or behave. Nice line, Anne!
So, my thoughts:
This book it is one of those I have read repeatedly and will again. I love the quiet atmosphere; the social norms are described from a distant ironic look by somebody who knew it very well and can laugh at her self and her friends. The story is a love story of second chances having matured to an old spinster at 27 years, Anne knows not to compromise about what she wants from her marriage, a thoughtful, kind man, a real friend who is respectful and admires her.
So, the only thing that the book does not say: they lived happily ever after, I hope they do !
I have read the book to pieces, I need to buy a new one!
Kommentarer