This is the first time I've read Persuasion. I found a small Oxford World's Classics hardcover edition of it at a used book store about a year ago, which I purchased for $3. It is about 3 inches by 5, and I can hold it comfortably in one hand. It feels so delicious to sit and read this tiny book. I imagine myself sitting in the middle of a medow with a picnic lunch, reading in the sunshine.

I enjoyed this book, but like most classics I read, I don't feel that it is possible to "rate" or "review" them. I've heard some complain that Austen's stories are all about women chasing husbands. On a certain superficial level, that is true. But the key to these stories is that the only happy marriages in any of her books are those that are based on love and shared intellectual interests. In her stories, smart people who love each other find happiness, and stupid or foolish people who marry for other reasons are not happy -- they aren't necessarily unhappy, but they don't find joy.

This is certainly the case in Persuasion. Anne's sister, Mary, married for money and status and while she isn't unhappy, there is not much joy in her life. Mr. Elliot chose his first wife entirely for her money, and that was not a happy union. In contrast, Admiral Croft and his wife share a love of travel and are very happy together.

When I look around at the couples I know (married or not), the happy ones have some shared interests. The interest can be anything -- raising kids, hiking, technology, reading, bird-watching, or whatever -- the important thing is that they have a shared passion for something outside their relationship.

But beyond that, Austen tells good stories about interesting people. That's why I like her books.

Some related links:

Jane Austen's Pemberley -- images and history of Chatsworth, thought to be the model for Pemberley.

Persuasion mentions -- a list of all the occurances of the words persuasion and persuade in the book. Interesting, since JA most likely didn't choose the title.

Canceled chapters of Persuasion -- JA's brother Henry prepared the book for publication and edited some chapters out.

Geneology chart for Persuasion