Sunday, November 8, 2015

Persuasion.

Recently, I reread what I would consider to be my second favorite Jane Austen novel: Persuasion. (Actually, it's probably tied with Emma as my second favorite, though the two are completely different.)


I think a lot of us have given thought as to which Austen character we're most like. I've always felt like a combination of Elinor Dashwood (of Sense and Sensibility) and Anne Elliot (of Persuasion). I'm a quiet introvert who usually does more listening than talking, and I feel uncomfortable being the center of attention. But the older I get, the more I feel the connection to Anne Elliot. I last read the book five years ago, so of course I can relate to Anne more at twenty-four than I did at nineteen.

Anne is basically a much better version of myself...so I want to be like her when I grow up, ha. She's a lot more patient and kind than I am. She's good, but she's not perfect (a complaint that a lot of people have with, say, Fanny Price of Mansfield Park). She has to put up with so much, and she handles everything so well. Who else could deal with her dad and sisters? Seriously...the Elliots have to be one of the most obnoxious families in Austen's novels. (Not one of the things I share with her, thankfully!) One of the main themes of the novel is Anne regretting a past mistake, but she learns from that and lets it shape her into a better person.

Also, while Elinor Dashwood is a very practical person, Anne isn't always, and I get that. She is still hopeful after all of those years, though she tries to appear practical and sensible and talk herself out of what she's feeling at times. One of my favorite things about Persuasion is how introspective it is. Because I can relate to her so much, I love getting a glimpse of how Anne is thinking and guessing and trying to sort things out.

Another thing that I love about this book is that it feels a lot more realistic than some of Jane Austen's other novels. Don't get me wrong...I love Pride and Prejudice as much as anyone. It's one of my favorite books. But how many of us are as sparkling and witty as Elizabeth Bennet? And how many of us are going to have three men interested in marrying us, one of them being incredibly wealthy? (Though come to think of it, Anne has also received proposals from three different guys. This is one aspect of novels that I don't understand. The female characters always have multiple guys in love with them...surely that's not realistic! It even happens with unstable and sometimes unlikable characters like Katniss.) Though I've never been in Anne's exact situation, the circumstances in Persuasion feel a lot more relatable.

As usual, there's a great cast of memorable supporting characters. I really like the settings, too: Bath and the seaside town of Lyme feel different than the usual country settings. There's also some typical Austen humor, though the story has more of a bittersweet feel. I don't even need to say how sweet the romance is or mention Captain Wentworth's letter. :) Overall, it's just a lovely, satisfying story.

After finishing the book, I decided to watch the two adaptations that I own again. I settled in with my knitting and had one big Persuasion marathon. :)


First I watched the 1995 film. I've only seen this adaptation once before, several years ago. Watching it immediately after finishing the book, I have to say that it is a very accurate adaptation. It follows the book closely and there are bits of dialogue that are word-for-word from the book.

It's enjoyable overall but...it's not my favorite. Right from the beginning, I was like, who is that girl lazing about, looking sloppy? Mrs. Clay? No. It's Elizabeth Elliot, supposedly a very prideful person. I do love Sophie Thompson as Mary, though. (If she looks familiar, it's because she played Miss Bates in the 1996 Emma, and she's Emma Thompson's sister.)


Then there's Anne. I'm sorry, but Amanda Root as Anne spends most of the film either looking wide-eyed and terrified, or extremely sad and depressed. It's so distracting. Ciaran Hinds is okay as Captain Wentworth, but I really can't see him as anyone other than Dumbledore's brother now, so there's that.

One interesting thing is that both adaptations feel the need to make Mr. Elliot worse. In this one, they make him poor, so he's desperate to maintain the family connection. In the newer adaptation, he's going to marry Anne and keep Mrs. Clay as a mistress. That doesn't feel necessary to me. He's enough of a selfish slimeball in the book, especially when you find out how he treated Mrs. Smith and her husband.

I can't explain it...while this film is a close adaptation, it's lacking charm and chemistry.


You can probably see where this is going, but I much prefer the 2007 adaptation. :) I like the casting a lot, not only in the supporting cast, but especially with Anne and Captain Wentworth. (Mr. Elliot is also perfectly sneaky looking.) The music is gorgeous (courtesy of Martin Phipps, who also did the music for North and South). I like the narration from Anne when she's writing in her journal, because it brings in the introspective aspect of the novel.

This one isn't perfect, though. It's quite short, so it feels rushed. There are some shaky, "modern" bits of filming and camera angles, particularly at the beginning and the end. I also didn't like how they kept having Anne look into the camera. It was usually when she was narrating, so I guess they were trying to emphasize that, but it just felt weird.

The biggest flaw with this adaptation, though, is all of the awkward running at the end. I mean, I get that they're trying to show you the urgency. I'm no runner, but even I'd probably run for Captain Wentworth in that situation. :) Still, it's almost laughable, and it feels distracting at a point in the story that is supposed to be very dramatic and swoon-worthy. If the ending were done differently, this would be nearly a perfect adaptation. It's still my favorite, though I'm hoping at some point Persuasion will earn a beautiful mini-series or something. :)

12 comments:

  1. I have not read all of Jane's work, but I think I am a lot like Emma--nosy and very very talkative and type A :P

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't think I've read Persuasion yet, but you may have just convinced me to pick it up! Possibly after watching the 2007 film, because I understood Pride and Prejudice much better after watching the movie (I know, I'm a terrible little bookworm...). And that is such a lovely cover!

    P.S. I bought a pair of Aurora Shoe Co. boots and I love them, even though they're still in the awkward breaking in phase and I haven't worn them outside of the house yet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you'll enjoy Persuasion if you give it a try! :) I definitely know how that is. I read Austen's novels before seeing the adaptations, but the films definitely helped me understand things more.

      That's awesome that you're pleased with your Aurora Co. shoes!

      Delete
  3. I think Mr. Elliot was supposed to be fairly dreadful; he did at least plan on making Mrs. Clay his mistress, that is what was meant in the book by setting her up in a separate establishment. But I think the movie drew out the scandal.

    The one "villain" that I think it truly beslimed is Frank Churchill. Because he was not a villain (well, none of them are really). I do not know why people class him with the immoral rakes the other books have. He was deceitful and a bit manipulative . . . but so was Emma really. I do not think Emma really had quite the right to be overly angry with him. But anyway, jerk and rake are not in the same class of bad.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't remember any mention in the book of him making Mrs. Clay his mistress until he does just that after Anne is married. I just feel like the movies tried to make him even worse than he already is.

      Yes, I agree that Frank Churchill isn't really a villain. He didn't always make the best choices, but as you say, neither did Emma. :)

      Delete
  4. This might seem blasphemous...but I have never read any of Jane Austen's books (and I have an MA in literary studies!!) I do love me a BBC film adaptation though. I just might pick up a copy of Persuasion now and actually read it, you make it sound so worth it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love BBC adaptations, too. :) I definitely think that all of Jane Austen's novels are worth reading, and Persuasion is a great place to start! It's rather short compared to some of her others, but there's still lots of classic Austen stuff there. Pride and Prejudice is also a great place to start...of course I have to say that since it's my favorite of her books. :) {Personally I always find Sense and Sensibility a little difficult to get through, for some reason. I still love the story and characters, though!}

      Delete
  5. I've been told that my next Austen read should be this. I'd love to love it because I adore this story. The 2007 adaptation is by far the better in my opinion (and judging only from a cinematic perspective). I have never warmed to the cast in the 90s version. Great to read your thoughts, Kristin! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It should be! :) It's a pretty short book, too, so it doesn't take up too much time. I seem to always be partial to the newer adaptations, probably because as you say, they're a lot prettier and more cinematic. I know that's shallow, but it's true! I adore old movies, so I usually don't have a problem with "dated" films, but for some reason, older period dramas often have such a faded, outdated look to me...(And, as you mentioned, the cast is much better in the 2007 one.)

      Delete
  6. I feel like this book is very underrated! It used to be my least favorite of Austen's novels (possibly because my younger self couldn't appreciate Persuasion's quieter tone when compared to P&P, Emma, or S&S :), but when I read it again earlier this year, I fell in love.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is! It's sad that it's so underrated because it's such a sweet, lovely story. :)

      Delete

Please feel free to leave a comment, I love to read them! :) I reply to each one, so be sure to check back, especially if you asked a question.