For September, the Jane Austen Reading Challenge had us reading Persuasion. This has not been my favorite Austen in the past, although I {weirdly} enjoy Persuasion retellings. This is the third time reading, actually, with my previous reread being an audio version in 2020 that left me feeling lackluster. With this kind of history, and after keeping a Reading Log for Mansfield Park, I decided to do the same for Persuasion. Especially since it took me 3 weeks to finally pick up the book and start {oops}.

Chapters 1-6:
You can tell this one wasn’t revised and rewritten as often as some of the other novels, it feels like it’s missing the final polishing. There’s such a massive amount of family drama loading, so early in the book, that you know it’s going to turn into a hot mess before things progress much further. Having read this before, but many moons ago, it’s interesting to pick up on little things – descriptions and asides – that age and familiarity bring forward.

Chapters 7-10:
Everyone always raves about Wentworth being this super swoony hero, and I’m not feeling the vibes. He’s not even been Darcy-ish grumpy, he’s just acting insulted and petty. And Anne over here getting all emotional because he arranged her a ride home with his sister… Eesh. I don’t see it.
**Edited to Add: In searching for something else, I found my initial reviews of the two movie versions, and apparently I loved Wentworth on the screen – both Hines and Penry-Jones. Maybe it’s my age and life experiences since then, but to “Today Me” his current on-page character is not swoony. I maintain he is acting moody and even sulky.

Chapter 11- Vol 2, Chapter 3:
Oh, the entrance of Cousin Elliot. And the {literal} fall of Louisa. This section is so busy, with all the things done and said at Lyme and then Lady Russell coming back and then Anne moving to Bath. Lots of things happening and going on. Lots of things.

Chapters 4-6:
I always forget how fast things move once we get to Bath. The Dalrymples! The oh so smooth Cousin Elliot. And Louisa engaged?!

Chapters 7-12:
With Wentworth on the scene, things move even faster. What a whirlwind! Also, touching back on my thoughts from earlier, when Anne is getting all emotional about Wentworth arranging her ride home – at the concert, she takes his recounting of Lousia’s engagement and concludes: He. Loves. Me. Now … I’m willing to grant she knew his character deeply once upon a time, but still. She was ultimately right, of course, but in that moment I think she was grasping at hopeful straws.

While this is a better reading than Mansfield Park, it will never be a favorite. Though Jane’s snark comes out more in this one {a perk of not being as revised?}, and I’m there for it. I even gave a whole extra star for the snark.

As mentioned, I do tend to like Persuasion retellings, though they are somewhat harder to find than P&P or Emma. And I am very excited about the upcoming release of Anne of Avenue A! This rereading has made me want to pick back up For Darkness Shows the Stars, which I read and loved ages ago {July 2012}, see how it reads now. I also need to finally get around to watching the Netflix adaptation, and maybe even revisit the other two as well. See if I still *love* Wentworth on screen or not.

Have you read Persuasion? Or watched any of the movie adaptations?
If so, do you love it – like it – hate it – have no feelings whatsoever?
I confess to being glad the tough ones are over and now I get to delight in Northanger Abbey {October’s prompt} and Emma {December’s prompt} to finish off the Jane novels. I anticipate these rereads being a great deal of fun.