 |
| * |
1pm and 5:30pm
Join us to discuss the novel:
Persuasion (1818)
by Jane Austen
(2025 marks her 250th birthday!)
Of all Jane Austen’s great and delightful novels, Persuasion—the story of a second chance at true love—is widely regarded as the most moving.
Anne Elliot, daughter of the snobbish Sir Walter Elliot, is woman of
quiet charm and deep feelings. When she was nineteen she fell in love
with—and was engaged to—a naval officer, the fearless and headstrong
Captain Wentworth. But the young man had no fortune, and Anne allowed
herself to be persuaded to give him up.
Now, eight years later,
Wentworth has returned to the neighborhood, a rich man and still unwed.
Anne’s never-diminished love is muffled by her pride, and he seems
cold and unforgiving. What happens as the two are thrown
together in the social world of Bath—and as an eager new suitor appears
for Anne—is touchingly and wittily told in Persuasion.
Copies available to borrow at the library, or for purchase at a discount from Gibson's and MainStreet BookEnds.
Resources for the text:
- Several audio versions, free online at Librivox (Libby has two, I think)
- Read the complete e-book on Wikisource or at JaneAusten.org
- Short biography of Jane Austen: www.janeausten.org/jane-austen-biography.php
- Simple character list
- Short analysis of Persuasion from The Jane Austen Centre (spoilers)
- Virginia Woolf on JA and Persuasion: Woolf's review of a new edition of JA's novels, 1924
- Visit Bath for Austen's big birthday celebrations: visitbath.co.uk
- Visit Lyme Regis, at least online. www.visit-dorset.com/lyme-regis/
- Modern Mrs. Darcy obviously has a lot to say about Austen.
- Jane Austen's House official website and a video tour and commentary by History Hit on YouTube. (Includes spoilers for other Austen books)
- A short video about the book Sir Walter is reading from at the start of Persuasion. The Baronetage (thanks MBC!)
- A video discussing and showing Austen's original manuscripts at the British Library.
- An online exhibit from the Morgan Library
- Short interview with an historian at the British Library about Austen's social commentary.
- Fun fact: New Hampshire was named after Hampshire county on the southern coast of
England. Austen lived most of her life in Hampshire, which is where she
was born and died.
- The rest of Austen (she wrote 6 novels): bookriot.com/best-jane-austen-books/
- Austen-inspired or retold: from Modern Mrs. Darcy
- Another Austen-inspired book list: from Booklist Online
- Essay on walking...with and within Austen's stories.
Discussion prompts:
1. (Why) does this still resonate?
2. Interesting that we don't meet Anne right away. How/does the first line and opening chapter work to introduce the book?
[more to come]
*There
are so many editions of Persuasion that I didn't choose any published covers. Instead, I created my own image for this
blog and our promo materials using an AI image creator in Canva. I have very mixed feelings on using AI. Happy to chat about it. If you want to learn how I did it (it took all of three minutes), come
on in to the library and ask me for a demonstration. I do think it's important to know how it works and what's out there as it's not likely to go away and knowledge is power.
No comments:
Post a Comment