Despite its lack of polish, the story is intriguing. Of course it is about rich people finding other rich people to marry (aren't all Austen novels about this?). In this installment of "The Rich and the Lonely" the main character, Anne Elliot is 27 and not married. As a 19 year old, she was engaged to a young man, but her family and a close friend talked her out of the marriage. Enter the two suitors, one a naval officer, and one a widower who happens to be her cousin, and heir to her father's estate, as Anne has no brothers.
I kept feeling like if I turned the page, the genius of Austen would show through, and in a few places it did. The story just wasn't as developed and refined as I had hoped for.
3 comments:
Hmmm. Persuasion is actually one of my favorite Austen novels. It's not as intricate as P&P or S&S, but I loved the simplicity of it.
I thought that the big problem in Persuasion came from the static character. Anne starts the novel having made all the important realizations. She knows she made the wrong choice years ago and there is no question if she had the offer again, she would say yes. She doesn't have to grow or change. I think this is why the spark is missing.
I have a similar problem with Mansfield Park. The interesting characters are all the friends and relatives. The main character just sits around, being shy but good until everyone realizes that she is good and deserves good things.
Tami,
I agree with you. But, I think that had she had the time to fix it, she would have.
I always felt that Mansfield Park was more of a 'modern day' adaptation of Pygmalion. Fannie didn't have to change because Edmund has already molded her into the perfect woman. Edmund didn't change much either. Everyone else around them thought they had life all figured out, but it was really the two of them that did.
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