Persuasion by Jane Austen


 I watched the PBS version of this story and enjoyed it so I became interested in the book.  

The protagonist of this novel, Anne Elliot, is in her late twenties, still unmarried, and living in a family that takes advantage of her.  Everyone she is supposed to care about (father, sisters, in-laws) only see her as a means of providing something for themselves.  Consequently, what Anne wants out of life (which seems to be genuine connection with others who value that which she values) she has no opportunities to find.  Her condition is, to me, the most interesting thing in the novel.  It appears as if all profitable opportunities have gone by for her and there is no chance that any will return.  

But that doesn't actually come to pass for Anne.  The story that unfolds is full of interesting characters and observations about different types of people you may encounter in life.  The novel seems somewhat abrupt because Jane Austen died before it was finished.  This quality to the novel is it's greatest disappointment.  Otherwise, I felt it worth the read.