n  ‘you pierce my soul. i am half agony, half hope. i have loved none but you.’n

get yourself a man who understands the swoon-worthiness of a well-written love letter, amirite ladiesss??

this is my first jane austen novel and the reading experience was exactly how i imagined it would be.

as with the majority of classic novels i have read, i found the writing to be sooo dense. maybe my brain just isnt equipped to process that kind of writing, but this definitely took me much longer to read than im used to. i also found it quite heavy in the narration - so much telling and not enough showing through dialogue and action. but i get that was the style of writing for the time period, so its not JAs fault.

i do appreciate the commentary this story provides not only on love, but on womens position in society, duty to family, and the handling of regret. i found anne to be very likeable and a character worth rooting for.

overall, not a bad experience and i am definitely open to trying more of JAs other novels.

↠ 3.5 stars

لجين أوستن مكانة خاصة بقلبي خاصة روايتها هوى وكبرياء و حين ابدأ في قراءة رواية لها تكون بداخلى ثقة انها ستنال إعجابي .
كنت متشوقة لقراءة هذه الرواية والحمد لله لم تخذلني جين أوستن . وكالعادة تصحبنا جين أوستن في رحلة مابين الحب والغيرة والصداقة والعلاقات الأسرية ، مابين الشخصيات الطيبة والخبيثة وداخل افكار الشخصية الرئيسية ومشاعرها .

مثلما كانت بطلة هوى وكبرياء هى الابنة الثانية للعائلة نجد هنا ايضا ان آن آليوت هى ايضا الإبنة الثانية و البطلة الأساسية. اما الإبنة الكبرى هى إليزابيت وهى الأجمل ايضا لكنها هنا هى الأقرب لوالدها وكانت آن أشبه بأمها فكانت هى الأعقل والأكثر عاطفة والأقل اهتماما بالمظاهر من اختها الكبرى اليزابيت أو اختها الصغرى مارى .
n  n

تقع آن فى حب القبطان فريدريك وينتوورث لكنها تضطر تحت ضغط أبيها واختها وصديقة امها وصديقتها ايضا المقربة الليدى راسيل اضطرت ان تفسخ الخطبة وتفترق عن وينتوورث لفقره ولانهم يجدونه غير مناسب لعائلتهم
n  n

وبسبب طريقة حياة السير والتر وابنته اليزابيث واهتمامهم بالمظاهر كانت حالتهم المادية سيئة مما اضطرهم للقبول بتأجير قصر كيلينتش للادميرال كروفت وزوجته التى كانت اخت وينتوورث .

كما اننا سنتعرف على مارى اختها وزوجها تشارلز ماسجروف وعائلته واختيه عندما تذهب آن لتقضى بعض الوقت مع أختها وهناك ستلتقي بوينتورث مرة اخرى

" كانا من قبل يعنيان الكثير لبعضهما. والآن لم يعد أحدهما يعني شئ للآخر ! كان هناك وقت من قبل لم يكونا ليستطيعا فيه التوقف عن تبادل الحديث معا ، بالرغم من كل الآخرين الذين كانت تزدحم بهم غرفة الاستقبال .
.......
لم يكن هناك قلبان آخران منفتحان أحدهما على الآخر، ولا أى أذواق متقاربة أو مشاعر قد اتحدت ، و لا حتي ملامح وجوه محببة بعضها لبعض ، كما كانا هما من قبل . وهاقد صارا الآن كالغرباء . بل أسوأ من غرباء ، إذ بات من المستحيل أن يعرف أحدهما الآخر "

‏فماذا سيحدث عندما تلتقي آن بعد ثمان سنوات مع وينتوورث وقد تغيرت حالته ونجح نجاحا مبهر وأصبحت حالته المادية أيضا أفضل بكثير ؟
‏وكيف سيتعامل هو معها ؟؟ وكيف ستكون علاقته مع عائلة ماسجروف ؟
و هل سيعود الحب بينهما مرة اخرى ام أن فراقهم سيكون أبديا ؟
" وحده الزمن كان كفيلا بإثبات ماذا كان من الممكن إتقاد المشاعر القديمة مرة أخرى أم لا ."

رواية جميلة استمتعت بصحبتها ❤❤
١٣ / ٢/ ٢٠٢١

I liked Persuasion because it deals with a bittersweet theme close to all our hearts: second chances. Who did not at one point suffer a love disappointment? Doesn’t it follow that we deserve to dream that one day what was lost could be reconquered? Anne and Frederick meet again. Will Frederick change his opinion of Anne’s character? “A man does not recover from such devotion of the heart to such a woman! He ought not; he does not.” Will Anne take her right to happiness into her own hands? “She hoped to be wise and reasonable in time; but alas! Alas! She must confess to herself that she was not wise yet.”

Jane Austen with Persuasion gifts the reader with a bold and beautiful prose filled with intelligent satire. It abounds with common sense (maybe too much, for our romantic ideals?). In a world of painful social realities, Austen’s heroine learns to navigate within these constricting times so as to try at last to reach for happiness.

As she let herself be persuaded by those supposedly wiser and who should have known better, she set herself for years of suffering and an almost nothingness.
n  

"Her eye half met Captain Wentworth's, a bow, a curtsey passed; she heard his voice; he said all that was right; the room seemed full, full of persons and voices, but a few minutes ended it. ...their visitor had bowed and was gone... "It is over! it is over!" she repeated to herself again and again, in nervous gratitude. "The worst is over!" ...She had seen him. They had met. They had been once more in the same room."

n
As far as reunions go, it was not easy at that, "[h]is cold politeness, his ceremonious grace, were worse than anything." But Anne has not forgotten, far from it, but tries to discipline her feelings:
n  

“Soon, however, she began to reason with herself, and try to be feeling less. Eight years, almost eight years had passed, since all had been given up. How absurd to be resuming the agitation which such an interval had banished into distance and indistinctness! What might not eight years do? Events of every description, changes, alienations, removals,--all, all must be comprised in it; and oblivion of the past--how natural, how certain too! It included nearly a third part of her own life.”

n
What I most enjoyed about Persuasion is Austen’s witty irony when treating with the moral of the times. She is sarcastic, subtle and superbly witty. She writes in such a matter of fact way that the absurdity of her characters is in plain sight. She builds caricatures and sarcasm so plainly exposing Anne’s vain father and frivolous sisters. Indeed, Sir Walter Elliot is a complete fool.

n  "Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot's character, vanity of person and of situation. He had been remarkably handsome in his youth; and, at fifty -four, was still a very fine man. Few women could think more of their personal appearance than he did, nor could the valet of any new made lord be more delighted with the place he held in society. He considered the blessing of beauty as inferior only to the blessing of a baronetcy; and the Sir Walter Elliot, who united those gifts, was the constant object of his warmest respect and devotion"n

The man is completely bankrupt but simply refuses to cut down on his ridiculously high expenditure or sell any of his assets. He is so obsessed with his outer image that he risks all to keep it in a state of what he perceives as perfection.

Austen’s prose is subtle and often veiled as we once again witness:

n  “I do not think I ever opened a book in my life which had not something to say upon woman's inconstancy. Songs and proverbs, all talk of woman's fickleness. But perhaps you will say, these were all written by men."

"Perhaps I shall. Yes, yes, if you please, no reference to examples in books. Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands. I will not allow books to prove anything.”n

Austen was ahead of her time; she could be considered a feminist. For her women should be allowed to strive for happiness, a novel idea in her times. Women should be allowed to marry for love and not only to increase their social standing or for money. Austen suggests that happiness lies in a woman’s courage to act on her passion.

However, Persuasion did not enthrall or mesmerize me. Even though Anne may be considered by many as one of Austen’s most sympathetic heroines, I could not totally identify with her. First, she may be in grave peril of ceasing to exist, not physically but rather socially. That was the bane of women who did not marry in Austen’s time. So, when we meet her, she is almost not there. We find her overlooked and ignored by virtually all around her. Indeed, the individual doesn’t truly exist if not for his or her social connections. Finally, she comes thru to me as not that noteworthy, "Anne an extremely pretty girl, with gentleness, sense and feeling". She lacks the vivacity of Emma Woodhouse and the assuredness of Elizabeth Bennet. In fact, I felt for Anne but liked Elizabeth so much better. “She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older: the natural sequel of an unnatural beginning.”

Despite all Persuasion qualities, I expected more from Anne. Nevertheless, not to be missed.
________

I just upgraded Persuasion to 4 stars!

After comment from my dear friend Jean-Paul, I started to doubt myself. Was I too hard with Anne? Can I judge her with 21st century standards? Certainly not. I could not imagine myself living in her time. Perhaps this out-of-time feeling is what led to my disillusionment. Could any woman facing such opposition not been persuaded? Difficult to tell, but I am starting to understand.

One of the primary achievements in life comes through the recognition that your family holds certain beliefs it might be best not to acquire. The field of psychology is rooted in this struggle; untangling the many generational assertions that give rise to negative experience. We are driven, as human beings, not only to surpass the accomplishments of those who went before us but, all too often, to vanquish their internal demons as well. Jane Austen, in her bright and stylishly deceptive manner, takes on this dilemma in Persuasion - a tale as charming as Pride and Prejudice but with a decidedly piquant bite.

Anne Elliot is our centerpiece here, the middle daughter of a widower renowned for his good looks and his penchant for judging everyone by their appearance. Her older sister is a staunch proponent of the regulations of aristocracy, her younger - a more emotional soul - is convinced that if she is not the focal point of all attention she might very well die. This being Austen, we know our Anne will have the level head and the conflict she's smart enough to know needs addressing.

Anne, at a lively and fetching nineteen, fell in love with the dashing Frederick Wentworth. Sadly, he had yet to make his mark in profession or society, and so she allowed herself to be persuaded that his credentials simply weren't up to snuff. (Luckily for her he was a naval man and sailed immediately out of sight.) Eight years pass, eight years in which she succumbs to all the ego around her to become the family's nurse, caretaker, facilitator...and very little else. She is overlooked frequently, though - and this is one of the joys of Austen - considering the shallowness of the waters, that's not always a bad thing.

Of course, of course, life is about to change. A certain handsome man now possessed of a highly-burnished reputation is reportedly returning from sea. And this is where we begin.

At the start, I watched for the moments of persuading - Anne's against her heart, Henrietta's toward her heart, and Captain Benwick from his grief to the delights of literature. More and more, though, I found myself caught in the many ways our Anne was refusing to allow herself to be persuaded of much of anything. Not the lofty character of the heir-presumptive, or the mean character of Mrs. Smith, or even the apparent innocuousness of family friend Mrs. Clay. This was more complex than I imagined, yet with all the trademark yearning-of-heart my author has a tendency to guarantee.

I liked it. And I hear there's been a movie...

Second Chances


Anne Elliot was just nineteen when she ended her engagement with Frederick Wentworth.

Why?

According to her vain father, Mr. Wentworth didn’t have enough class nor money to marry any daughter of his.

Some years later, Fredrick Wentworth will return to Anne’s life. Their interrupted love was claiming for a second chance!...

I believe that in this plot Jane Austen is both an author and a character:
In her youth, Ms. Austen has also been forced to end an engagement with someone she truly loved. Now that her life was drawing to a close, writing Persuasion could be her only chance of living through fiction a real life episode that has been stolen from her...

Life is always showing us how thin is the line between fiction and reality!

3.5/5

Lepsza niż Duma i uprzedzenie, ale odnoszę wrażenie (może mylne), że w książkach Jane Austen przewijają się Ci sami bohaterowie.

Re-read for Jane Austen July 2021.
Still one of my favorite Austen-novels.

My favourite Austen by far. Anne is a heroine after my heart & no matter how many times I've reread this book, I find my heart is still hoping & wishing for things to work out as if I'm new to the story. It sweeps you up & takes you away.

n  Reread 2022n: *sigh* Sublime. Simply sublime and worth the reread every so many years. I usually take it along on vacation but this year, I got it in early because I have other vacation reading plans.

Are second chances possible ? Readers of this marvelous book by Jane Austen her last completed, will find out...Anne Elliot 19, tense and insecure, had broken an engagement to Frederick Wentworth 23, the family objected to the poor sailor with no apparent prospects, her father Sir Walter Elliot, baronet, a proud man with a luxury loving streak, ( his late wife, had kept him in check) living in Kellynch- Hall, Somersetshire, the widower was greatly supported by his eldest daughter, selfish Elizabeth now 29, the two are very much alike, handsome, arrogant, cold, looking down at people they think are beneath them, she is the prettiest of his three children, the youngest Mary frequently claiming illness to get attention, would marry easy going Charles Musgrove, scolding him for his perceived neglect, and be unable to control the children. Even Anne's only friend, intelligent, influential, Lady Russell had not looked kindly to the marriage. Eight years have passed, the then teenager is now 27, much more sure of herself and her emotions Anne is, nevertheless always ignored by others, regrets turning down Wentworth who has become a captain with his own ship, war spoils have made him rich, when peace is finally declared, ( Napoleon in exile ) he is free to come home...Extravagant Sir Walter just can't stop himself from spending all his money, a position to maintain in society, dignity demands living like the superior being he thinks he is, the baronet believes and is entitled to this. But going broke fast, Lady Russell and his lawyer friend Mr. Sheperd, urges something , to fix the problem swiftly or ruined soon, Mr. Elliot; the haughty man refuses at first, however reality finally sets in. Sir Walter has to rent Kellynch -Hall quietly to pay the creditors, the shame must be hidden though. Moving to the elegant resort town of Bath with Elizabeth, the most famous in England, seeing important members of the upper class, more his style and enjoys it immensely. Admiral Croft, Captain Wentworth's wise brother- in - law, his pleasant sister Sophia as bright as her husband, married the now retired naval officer, courageously following him from ship to ship, takes ironically Sir Walter's, (the insolvent baronet) fabulous mansion , with war's end there are a lot of unemployed sailors around . The meetings between Anne, ( she stayed behind, for a few months ) and Frederick, are quite uncomfortable you can imagine but with their families and friends so entangled, it can not be avoided. The former couple are nervous, what can they talk about at dinners and parties, traveling to visit a friend, living by the riveting sea, their eyes pretending not to notice each other, which is silly, both are tongue tied and embarrassed, speak very little between themselves, afraid to make the the first move, but in a room full of noisy, interesting people, many are admirers of Frederick and Anne, still only the two, are important to the duo. Will the Captain and Anne, forget the painful past, and be persuaded to resume their love, can the future bring happiness that has been denied the pair for too many years. Wasted by unperceptive family and friends, who never knew their real feelings ? This brilliant novel, asks that question, and the answer while not a surprise, makes for a splendid reading experience...

This is my favorite Austen book (actually, it's my favorite book, period). I originally read it in grad school, in an Austen scholarship class. I'd tried reading it before, when I was a bit younger, but couldn't get into it. But you think differently after being made to read every Austen novel. You think differently as you get a little older, and you're a little calmer, I guess.

Most of Austen's novels have the same ingredients -- mysterious strangers, people who aren't what they seem, insensible parents, good and true friends, false friends, clowns and heroes, you name it. Those elements are in pretty much each of her novels, and why not, I guess? It's how she viewed things. But there's something about Persuasion. Perhaps it's best to read this book last, so you can appreciate the differences more. It's my favorite of her books because it's elegant and bittersweet. She's telling us that things don't always mystically come together the way we intend them. But sometimes something nearly as good happens.

It's a slim, perfect little novel, completely readable, and filled with excellent "morality." And there's a finality to it -- wonderful commentary on the difference between women and men, and whether or not books can tell us anything. She wrote this novel in response to a letter from a niece of hers, who was asking for advice about accepting a marriage proposal. Austen spends the whole book telling us about the consequences of "yielding to persuasion." Also the consequences of attempting to persuade. It's still a good lesson.

The whole book takes place in autumn, and has such a sad, sweet quality to it -- the joy that arises in the book is so well-earned. Absolutely gorgeous and perfect.

(Book 933 From 1001 books) - Persuasion, Jane Austen

Persuasion is the last novel fully completed by Jane Austen. It was published at the end of 1817, six months after her death.

The story concerns Anne Elliot, a young Englishwoman of 27 years, whose family is moving to lower their expenses and get out of debt.

They rent their home to an Admiral and his wife. The wife’s brother, Navy Captain Frederick Wentworth, had been engaged to Anne in 1806, and now they meet again, both single and unattached, after no contact in more than seven years.

This sets the scene for many humorous encounters as well as a second, well-considered chance at love and marriage for Anne in her second "bloom".

عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «وسوسه»، «اغوا»؛ «ترغیب»؛ اثر: جین اوستین (آستن)؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز بیست و دوم ماه آوریل سال1989میلادی

عنوان یک: وسوسه، اثر: جین اوستین (آستن)؛ برگردان: شهریار ضرغام، تهران، انتشارت اکباتان، 1368؛ چاپ دیگر سمیر، 1390؛ 312ص؛ موضوع: داستان‌های نویسندگان بریتانیایی - سده 19م

عنوان دوم: اغوا، همراه با سرگذشتی از جین آستین، نویسنده: جین آستن؛ مترجم: سارا برمخشاد؛ تهران، ابر سفید: مهتاب‏‫، 1391، در 310ص، شابک9786009254514؛

عنوان سوم: ترغیب؛ اثر: جین آستن؛ مترجم: رضا رضایی؛ تهران، نشر نی‏‫‬، 1388، در ‏308ص، شابک 9789641850250؛ چاپ دوم 1388؛ چاپ سوم 1389؛ چاپ ششم 1392؛

داستان در باره ی: «آن الیوت»، یک زن بیست و هفت ساله ی «انگلیسی» است، که خانواده اش به خاطر بدهی، تصمیم به نقل مکان، به جای ارزانتری را دارند؛ در همین زمان، جنگ نیز پایان میابد؛ آنها خانه ی خود را، به یک فرد از خانواده «ادمیرال»، و همسرش اجاره میدهند؛ برادر خانم صاحبخانه تازه ی ایشان، کاپیتان نیروی دریایی «فردریک ونت وورث» است، که در سال 1806میلادی، با «آن» نامزد بوده، و حالا آنها باز هم با هم دیدار میکنند؛ هر دو مجرد هستند، و در طول هشت سال بگذشته نیز، هیچگونه رابطه ی دیگری نداشته اند؛ و ...؛

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 31/06/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 30/05/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

As brilliant on a fourth read as on a first. Persuasion is such a beautiful, tender, compelling book, and one I would highly recommend.