I finished reading Persuasion today, a novel by Jane Austen published in 1817. I had high hopes for it, and as I was reading some at work, a customer commented quietly as I put the book down to serve her, ‘Oh an amazing book that one is’. As I was near the start of the book still it raised my curiosity, in fact, I’ve heard and read of it to be quite popular (it’s even one I’m due to study soon). I’m definitely curious to see which aspects of the book my course will broach, my best guess is a focus on the letters in the novel; such as the popular letter written to Anna from Captain Wentworth. In all honestly, that was the only part I thoroughly enjoyed. I understand the rest of the story is required to get up to that point: to build the characters and their lives, the tension and turmoil, to allow other relationship attempts to solidify their love for one another. It was all needed to bring Captain Wentworth to his desperate position, where he sneakily writes this breathtaking letter.

But the rest of the book often bored me, I had a hard time getting through it at times, I even turned to an audiobook to read alongside at some point. 

Maybe it’s just the genre, as I can see that the book is well-written. For sure Austen was an incredible and topical writer and somewhat influential (not as much as the Bronte sisters, however), but having not yet studied the novel Persuasion thoroughly, and having only read through it once, I currently view it to be overrated. 

I can’t wait to see how my opinions change!