Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Persuasion

Whatalotofstuff commented on my recent television post that her favorite Jane Austen film is Sense and Sensibility. As I mentioned before, I watch Pride and Prejudice while folding laundry, but it hasn't always been that way.

While I do love the all of the Austen works I've read, my personal favorite is Persuasion. That was the one I watched until I broke the DVD. I haven't replaced it yet, although I think I'll need to get it soon. I miss it.

Persuasion is not as well known as some of the books, but it's hands-down my favorite. The themes of the book are very similar to her more widely read works, but the characters are more physically and emotionally mature.

Persuasion feels more like a true love story rather than the first blush of romance. These more mature characters have made mistakes, and they have come to terms with the result of those mistakes. It feels so much more realistic than Austen's other novels. I often think that Anne is a deeper, more complete study of Elizabeth Bennet's friend Charlotte, although I don't know that I could defend that position from a literary view.

At any rate, check out this lesser known little gem. The book can be read in its entirety online at this site. If you find the language of the book a little too stuffy, the film is still well worth watching.

4 comments:

piper said...

d'jew ever figure out the rockin' girl blogger button thing??

PEZmama said...

Oh, this must stop!

I am not a movie watcher. But I get on kicks where I'll watch the same one ten times or something like that. Well, someone gave me Pride and Prejudice and I've been watching it, uh... too much. It completed the Austen trifecta for me, as I'd already seen Emma and Sense and Sensibility. I loved all of them.

You always see things you didn't see the first time when you watch a movie again (and again, and again.) I watched again, each time reading a bit into Darcy's mannerisms, but I was still scratching my head a bit over his profession of love that seemed to come out of nowhere. So I actually tried to get the book at the library, hoping that his part of the story would be more developed. Your comments, however, make me wonder if I will get what I am looking for.

The book was checked out, so I got Sense and Sensibility instead. But only because Emma was 400+ pages! We'll see if I can finish it, given my terrible track record of finishing books and the fact that the language may frustrate me enough to put it down anyway.

But all this to say that I read the short Bio of Austen in the front of the book and now have it in mind to read Persuasion as well. Or watch it.

Oh, who are we kidding? I'm going to watch it. And I'll let you know what I think.

Mika said...

OK, I'm into Jane Austen too, but Noodle girl...I love reading your posts like this, your intelligence and love of reading just shine through. I was going to say "I saw your brain" but that sounded like I was making fun of you instead of complimenting your style! It's late, I don't think that made any sense.

PEZmama said...

Indeed, I'd have thought it quite impossible, were it not for having done so myself, and never having imagined the degree of enjoyment it unfailingly afforded me, that the literature procured from the library this Tuesday past be returned this very morning, having been fully apprehended (though not completely rendered in all its particulars) by myself.

I am certain that subsequent forays into related volumes will be rewarded with the same degree of felicity, despite their postponement by the library's current want of them. I am, however, disinclined to forbear such vexation and fancy myself, if the volumes are not delivered in due time, surrendering to caprice by calling on the nearest video rental establishment.

I felt it only proper to share my sentiments as further confirmation of our solidarity in spirit, manner, and sensibility.