Persuasion

Persuasion, by Jane Austen

This book is awesome.  It is made even awesomer by the fact that it is the first book I've read digitally.  (New phone, new technology, all Jane Austen works are free...)  You can look forward to more reviews of Jane Austen works soon.

The book tells the story of Anne Elliot, a single woman of 28, who had, years before, been persuaded by family and a close friend, to turn down an engagement to a man she loved.  She did, and regretted it.  Years later, he is back in the picture, and they struggle to reconcile all that happened.

The book is well written, and has intricate plot, with the reader always wondering which character will marry which.  There is some jumping around and mind-changing on the part of the characters, but in the end, everyone is neatly paired off, like an Ancient Greek romantic comedy.

Why does this book attract me?  Last year, my close friend's love story appeared to be that of Pride and Prejudice.  She had found her Mr. Darcy, argued with him, and eventually fell in love and married him.  I loved that story, but feel persuasion is a story I can identify with more in my own life.  I understand what it is to wait years for the right person to come along, or to see people in my life behaving in a somewhat flighty manner, flitting from lover to lover while onlookers wonder when the final match will occur.  I only hope my Captain Wentworth can write love letters quite as well as Jane Austen's Captain Wentworth!

I recommend this book to everyone.  Period.  It is an easy read, fairly short, fun.  Ok, it is sort of a chick-flick type of book so maybe not all guys would enjoy it.  But definitely SOME guys would.