Persuasion (Oxford World's Classics) by Jane…

Persuasion (Oxford World's Classics) (original 1817; edition 2004)

by Jane Austen (Author)

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Title

Persuasion (Oxford World's Classics)

Author

Jane Austen (Author)

Tags

book-club, fiction

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Rating

Review

This is the first Jane Austen book I’ve managed to finish. And unless I’m very much mistaken, it will be my last. I wanted to finish one, because I refused to accept the stereotype that they’re all about a bunch of worthless, hoity-toity British twits with nothing better to do than sit around whinging and meddling in each others’ relationships. I learned something valuable from finishing this—I learned that sometimes stereotypes are absolutely dead on. Austen spends most of the book subtly mocking this class of people, which I suppose might feel transgressive and radical to some of her readers. But of course she never comes anywhere near mentioning the very existence of the other classes who make this ridiculous existence possible.

My biggest complaint about the book, though, isn’t about class or anything along those lines; it’s a straightforward literary one: the book is entirely populated with detestable characters. Even the very few who are not simple mockery fodder are nevertheless completely disingenuous (even with themselves), and pathetically subservient to the arbitrary pretenses that rule the lives of everyone around them. I can’t see how anyone would have any attachment to them, or concern about the fate they bring entirely upon themselves.

I will grant one thing: Austen is a skilled writer. She does an effective job portraying the very subtlest hints of action or exposure of emotion in her characters. It’s a shame her skill isn’t applied to anything more interesting or substantive than this.

Publication date

2004

Publication

Oxford Univ Pr (2004), Edition: 1ST, 249 pages

ISBN

0192802631 / 9780192802637

Number of copies

Pages

249

Dimensions

7.72 x 5.04 x 0.63 inches

LC Classification