Anne is the oldest of the Elliot sisters, 27 and unmarried. Due to money problems, the Elliots’ beloved property has to be let as they can’t afford to live there any more, and they will move to a much smaller apartment in Bath. It is an admiral and his wife, the Crofts who are the new tenants at Kellynch Hall, the Elliots’ estate. It turns out that Mrs Croft is the sister of captain Wentworth, whom Anne used to be engaged to. And they are bound to meet sooner or later. How will Anne react? And will she be forever alone?
As all the Austen novels I have read, it is too long in the beginning and then something unexpected happens and I just can’t get enough. Persuasion turned out to be one of the best I have read by Austen so far and Anne should be all unmarried women’s heroine. I like how I always guess who ends up with who when I read Austen.
Why do I like Austen? It is definitely because of the drama and intrigues when it comes to the matters of the heart. She writes so clearly and it is easy to picture the characters and early 19th century English countryside. And the language, of course. There are so many quotable sentences and passages, probably for every aspect of life and emotions. And that is why Austen is still so readable two centuries later. I’m glad I still have Sense and Sensability, Emma and Lady Susan to look forward to.
Persuasion was the first book in Line’s 1001 books reading circle in 2015.