My Rating: 5 stars
I read Persuasion for the first time back in high school and it quickly became my second favorite of Jane Austen's novels. In my past reviews, I've talked about my love for Pride and Prejudice and while that has been (and continues to be) my favorite Austen novel, Persuasion is not too far behind it. That being said, I have actually not re-read Persuasion as often over the years as I have P&P (which I will explain why a in a bit), so when I found out I would get a chance to re-read the novel again for one of the classes I'm taking, I was ecstatic (though the "literature nerd" in me would force me to admit that part of the excitement had to do with getting to deep dive into a classic again — something I hadn't done in a long time). While I relished the opportunity to get reacquainted with all the characters in here (I've always liked the supporting characters in this story more than the ones in P&P), I was especially looking forward to experiencing Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth's love story again.
For me, Persuasion has always been the most moving and most emotionally resonant of Austen's novels, and this most recent re-read only served to reinforce that fact. Out of all of Austen's heroines, Anne Elliot is the one I find most relatable in terms of personality, comportment, feelings, thoughts, actions, and overall experiences she goes through. Unlike the other Austen heroines, Anne is the loneliest and most isolated in that she doesn't have anyone around her who truly understands her, or who she can confide in or talk through her feelings with. Her family (specifically her useless and vain father Sir Walter and her older sister Elizabeth) take her for granted — they never listen to what she has to say, her opinions are never regarded for anything (even though she is the most sensible one in her family), and she is pretty much treated as invisible (most of the time, Anne's father and sister don't even remember that she is in the room). Even though she has a close relationship with Lady Russell, who is like a mother to her and advises/mentors her on all matters in a way that (usually) has her best interests in mind, at the end of the day, Lady Russell does not truly understand Anne's heart (a fact that Anne thankfully is not blind to). While the Musgroves (her sister Mary's in-laws and family) are kind to Anne and it can even be said that they adore her (they definitely like her more than Mary), they also don't really "know" her; in a way, Anne's relationship with the Musgroves can be viewed in her "usefulness" to them — as a patient listener to their problems, as a fixer when issues arise, as a companion for her sister Mary when she gets in one of her exasperatingly whiny moods, as a caretaker for her sister's children, and as a friend who is always willing to be of help (though they are definitely more of a "family" to her than her own father and older sister). Anne's internal suffering, regret, longing, and whatever feelings she has overall about anything (especially her feelings about Wentworth) are mostly overlooked by those around her. I resonate so deeply with Anne because so many of my experiences mirror hers (i.e.: not having anyone around who truly understands me, the feelings of loneliness and isolation, the feelings of regret and being resigned to fading into the background and finding ways to make myself useful to others, etc). Because of this personal connection that I feel to Anne, I'm constantly rooting for her throughout the story and of course, rejoicing with her when she finally gets her wish and is united with the man she loves in the end.
Even though I'm already familiar with the story and characters to the point that I already know what's coming, I can't help feeling a little emotional each time I re-read Persuasion — though in a way, I guess this is to be expected given that this is the most melancholic of Austen's novels as well as the one with the least amount of her signature wit and humor. This is actually one of the reasons why I don't re-read this one as often, as it admittedly leaves me feeling a bit melancholic myself afterwards (though another reason is because this was the last novel that Austen completed before she died, which always makes me a little sad when I think about it). With that said, I also feel that this is the most beautifully written of Austen's novels — whether in its prose and language, story and character development, pacing, artistry, etc., there seems to be a level of maturity with this book that we don't see in her previous works.
Those who've never read Austen before often ask which of her novels they should start with — the most popular answer, of course, is usually Pride and Prejudice (and yes, I actually would recommend that one too). But Persuasion is also a great choice (and it also has the advantage of being much shorter than P&P, so probably a quicker read). Ideally though, if you are able to read both, that would be my ultimate recommendation!
P.S.: Please don't get me started on the recent Netflix adaptation of Persuasion. All I'm going to say is that I lean more toward the "purist" camp when it comes to book adaptations, which should tell you all you need to know regarding how I felt about that particular adaptation…
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