In approaching Persuasion, we have to deal with the last, and, in my opinion, the greatest of Jane Austen’s works, for though Emma usually holds the first place in her writings, and although there are unquestionably one or two weak points in Persuasion from which Emma is free, I cannot but heartily state that “ Persuasion is the most beautiful of all Jane Austen’s stories.” The following excerpt is in the public domain.Īrguably the greatest of Jane Austen’s works The 1889 publication of Malden’s Jane Austen was part of an Eminent Women series published by W.H. Austen Leigh for their kind permission to make use of the Memoir and Letters of their gifted relative, which have been her principal authorities for this work.” Malden said of her sources, “The writer wishes to express her obligations to Lord Brabourne and Mr. Persuasion, the last novel Austen wrote, and Northanger Abbey, her first completed novel, were both published six months after her death in 1817.

The following analysis and plot summary of Persuasion focuses on the novel that many have judged to be Austen’s most mature and accomplished work. I would certainly like to discuss the book further with anyone willing.Jane Austen by Sarah Fanny Malden (1889) offers a detailed 19th-century view of Jane Austen’s life and works. It really is different from the way in which a romantic novel would be written today - it asks more of the reader in a sense, but it gives more too. I am aware that it’s not a minority view to say that Austen was a good stylist, but what strikes me is how beautiful yet easy to read her sentences are. It is impressive how compelling the romance was, considering that the protagonist and her love interest barely talk for most of the novel - something which also reflects gender relations at the time.īut most of all I was really impressed by the the language. I also thought that it was very moving, without being openly emotional or manipulative. For one thing, I feel that it was a very meaningful satire on class and social inequality, written at a time when many people were even more classist than they are today. Personally I was deeply impressed by this book for a number of reasons. I just finished reading Persuasion, and I would be happy to hear opinions and discuss the book.

Persuasion novel