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elizlizabeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Might be that the open-end quality grows with me overtime, I'm already delighted by the possibility of Mrs. Clay and Mr. Elliot grifter spinoff so we'll see.
Moderate: Chronic illness
smallmac's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Medical content, and Misogyny
anjasshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Fatphobia, Death, Misogyny, Chronic illness, Grief, Sexism, Classism, and Death of parent
Minor: War
clevermird's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Anne Elliot is the middle child of minor British nobility and still unmarried in her late 20s. Her whiny younger sister has been married for years, but calls on her whenever she feels short on attention, while her father and older sister are both too concerned with their own shallow flaunting of their petty title to pay much attention to her. Her only companion is her late mother's closest friend, who many years ago talked her out of an engagement due to fears that the man's dangerous profession and lack of familial wealth would leave her a penniless widow. But now the Elliots are in dire financial straits, their estate is being rented out, and who should come to visit the new tenants than her ex-fiance, still single and looking?
As I mentioned in the intro, the prose is typically nice, with witty commentary and really amusing characterization. I really enjoyed seeing a romantic story with an older (relatively speaking) protagonist and the premise was great. Anne was a nice girl and I found myself genuinely rooting for her to succeed.
However, the book is quite slow and definitely drags in places. Not that I was expecting the end of the world, but even compared to Pride and Prejudice, there's relatively little that happens. I feel like for as much as the relationship between Anne and her ex-fiance is the focus of the book, we see comparatively little of them together until (spoiler alert) they decide that they are okay with each other again at the end - there was buildup there, for sure, but it would have been more satisfying if we'd seen more of them together. Similarly, the antagonist is solved by a sudden revelation from a character introduced in the third act, and while again, it all makes sense and fits with what we know, it would have worked better if we'd seen more of said character before that moment.
I don't know, this one just didn't quite work for me despite me really wanting it to.
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Chronic illness
paigeinabook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Gaslighting, Body horror, Physical abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Stalking
annamania99's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Persuasion was the last book Austen wrote before she died, and was published by her sister after her death, making the themes of loss, regret, and lost time even more poignant.
This book doesn't hold the same place in my heart as Pride and Prejudice, but then it is for a very different mood. I think Anne's belief in and integrity to her own morals and her determination to find joy in small things during some of the most depressing times of her life make her an incredibly strong character; though, like in the book, I don't think these are things many people might notice.
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Ableism, Death of parent, Grief, Toxic friendship, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
uranaishi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Chronic illness, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent, Terminal illness, Animal death, Death, War, Ableism, Alcohol, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
kirame's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Misogyny, Chronic illness, and Toxic relationship
Minor: War, Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
sparky_young_upstart's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Chronic illness
A character slips and injures their head for a portion of the novel.