But Persuasion was lacking the thing that made Pride & Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, and Emma so delightful: humor.

The story left few surprises while of course there are the usual misunderstandings, false 'entanglements,' misapprehensions about who's in love with whom and who's going to get married, etc., these are all very obvious red herrings to the reader, as Austen practically spells out everyone's true motive from the beginning. This was Austen's final work, and many Austen fans cite it as their favorite. Then, Frederick Wentworth comes back as Captain Wentworth, a rich, eligible bachelor now being pursued by half the ladies in Bath.Īnne, of course, is still in love with F.W. Her father, a vain, spendthrift snob, ignores her wise advice about cutting back on expenses, even though she's clearly the most sensible member of the family.

Her sisters treat her like furniture, assuming that as an unmarried and probably never-to-be married woman, she has nothing better to do than watch their kids while they go off to parties. Wentworth went off heartbroken and joined the navy.Īnne, at the highly perishable age of 27, is now facing imminent spinsterhood. Despite their being very much in love, Anne was persuaded against the marriage by Lady Russell, a family friend.

Seven years ago, Anne Elliot received an offer of marriage from a young man named Frederick Wentworth. But events conspire to unravel the knots of deceit and misunderstanding in this beguiling and gently comic story of love and fidelity. Available for free on Project Gutenberg.Īnne Elliot has grieved for seven years over the loss of her first love, Captain Frederick Wentworth.

Persuasion jane austen book