It is a truth universally acknowledged, that… Wait, wrong book.
(Persuasion by Jane Austen - A Spoiler-Free Review)
There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking about what I’m about to say, but… Jane Austen is pretty good. Before now, I’d only ever read Pride and Prejudice (probably Austen’s most popular work) but recently, I was fortunate enough to find Persuasion the April choice for my little home book club.
Before I share my (most likely very unoriginal) opinions on the book, I thought it would be interesting to share some history and context surrounding Persuasion: Persuasion was Austen’s last book. In a letter to her niece in March 1817, Austen wrote of Persuasion, stating she had a novel “ready for publication.” (https://pemberley.com/janeinfo/brablt15.html#letter84) However, Austen died only four months later - 18th July 1817 - and it is believed by some that, if she had not deteriorated so soon, she would have continued to revise the novel before publication. I personally believe that this must be true.
Persuasion, to me, felt a little like an unfinished and watered-down Pride and Prejudice. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it - I had a great time! It was a joy to be back in the world of Austen and, as always, her use of language and her characters are second-to-none. However, the nature of the two novels felt remarkably similar and comparable and, without a doubt, Pride and Prejudice wins that battle for me. Whilst the story in Persuasion IS different, many of the same themes are present in both. Love, marriage, reasons to get married, reasons not to get married, reasons society says you can’t get married, misunderstandings of intentions and affections, families being annoying, scandalous and vain etc. All good things. But Pride and Prejudice felt like it had more of a point, more of a social commentary and impact. It challenged hierarchy within hierarchy; it made us all feel awful for how we must have surely misjudged countless people we’d come across, deciding too soon who we think they must be; it taught us that the marriage of the minds is as important as any other when it comes to love. Persuasion taught me that family can be difficult and, if you’re really lucky, the dude you once loved might pop back into your life unexpectedly nearly ten years later, still amazingly unwed. Of course, I’m kidding (kind of). Though Persuasion did purposefully have more of a focus on personal and familial relationships, rather than wider social ones, I can’t really be mad at it for not doing what P&P was written to do.
None of this is to say that Persuasion does not say interesting or important things. It has ample discussion concerning independence, knowing your own mind (especially when you’re young), discerning the quality of advice you’re given and measuring one’s duty to family. Plus, there is a truly likable protagonist and a wonderfully classic swoon-worthy moment at the climax of the novel. All-in-all, it was a very pleasant read. It just didn’t deliver the same level of ‘Austen genius’ I so wanted when I picked it up. Hopefully my next Classics read, Emma, can scratch that itch.
In conclusion, if you loved Bridgerton and its P&P ‘vibez’, you should definitely check out some Austen and discover just how phenomenal 19th century literature can be. Now, I’m no expert - like I said, I’ve only read two Austens so far - but I do think Austen is beloved for a reason and, when you read her stuff, it’s not hard to uncover why.
