Persuasion

By: Jane Austen

Narrated by: Flo Gibson

Anne Elliott foolishly let true love slip through her fingers when she allowed herself to be persuaded that the man she adored was an unacceptable candidate for marriage. Now, after years of carrying a torch, Anne finds herself confronted by the dashing Wentworth, newly returned from years at sea. In this, her final novel, Jane Austen savagely skewers the rigid social sensibilities of the day with brilliant satire.

Public Domain (P)1984 Recorded Books

A Nice Warm Bath, or Keeping Austen Weird

Baths bookends Austen's writing. Her first novel, Northanger Abbey takes place largely in Bath. Her last novel, Persuasion also spends a bunch of time in Bath. While I wasn't a huge fan of her first novel, I really appreciated Austen's last novel. It was tight, interesting, and possessed a focus that Northanger Abbey lacked. It also seemed to be one of the clearest presentations of Austen's big themes: her explorations of marriage, class, persuasion and responsibility. The ability for Austen to create such a clear narratives that are also seeped in irony, satire, and yes even mild bathos amazes me.

A Difficult Listen

This story won't disappoint fans of Jane Austen's work, but in Format 3 the quality of playback was poor and difficult to listen to without some effort of concentration and frequent rewinding.

One Of Her Best

This book was one of her best, along with Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. Always enjoy it, time after time.

Wonderful

A wonderful story, great narration, would listen to it again and again.

My favorite Jane Austen

Spoiler Alert: The story of Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth is one of the great love stories of all time. Yes, dear reader, they do end up together - but there were times I despaired of it.

I listen to this book every year, as I do Emma, Pride & Prejudice, and Sense & Sensibility. Northanger Abbey is fine, but not to my taste, and I cannot stand that prig Fanny Price so I've read it only a few times (on the other hand, the 1999 production of Mansfield Park with Embeth Davidtz, Alessandro Nivola, Hugh Bonneville, and Frances O'Connor as a less-insipid-than-usual Fanny is well worth watching). I digress.

What I love most about Persuasion is that it's a love story about more mature people of real character who have experienced loss but remained steadfast. The comeuppance of various others is especially satisfying, too (every time I read it I am again happy with the end to Mrs Cole's machinations). Anne is no flighty Emma or Marianne; she's a complex woman. Frederick is an honorable man who loves deeply.

I could go on at length, but you probably already know the story and have your own ideas about it. The question that remains is: which narrator is best?

For me, the answer here, as often happens, is Flo Gibson. I know she's not to everyone's taste, but her clear, no-nonsense voice is a favorite. She doesn't over-emote; she doesn't have a voice for every single character; she doesn't swoop and trill - she just reads the book as if she knows it well and wants to share it with you. For me, that's what a professional reader does.

Rated 5 for story, 5 for performance, 5 overall because it's one of my all-time favorites.

(Also, do look for the 1995 production of Persuasion, starring Amanda Root and Ciarán Hinds, with Susan Fleetwood, Corin Redgrave as the perfect Sir Walter Elliot of Elliot Hall, and Sophie Thompson - who brings Mary Musgrove to hilarious life. I watch it every year, too.)