The fourth Jane Austen book that I have read this year, Persuasion, left me irritable and dismissive of the Regency Era heroines. Anne breaks off her engagement because a friend persuades her that the fiancé is not good enough. She stays single and pines for him for a decade. When he returns a successful military man, she kicks herself for her folly. We come to find out he’s still in love with her and they live happily ever after.
Am I missing something? Was there some nuance that escaped my reading that makes this a book that is on “the 100 books you must read in life” list? The story seemed more of the same from the previous 3 books: females are trapped in their societal place and they can only hope to marry into a better position. Family dynamics play an important role in shaping the girls’ prospects but one they have reached 25, they have lost their bloom.
There are some things that don’t change in 2 centuries: men can still be vain, fathers can bankrupt their families, family members can still be irritating.
My next Austen novel, Emma, is wildly popular so I’m hoping that one will engage me more.
