Time, even eight and a half years, cannot alter the affection of one’s true love. Anne Elliot may have lost her bloom. She may have withered somewhat, unlike her elder sister. But Anne’s heart remains constant and her love for, now Captain, Wentworth, is undiminished, though she has no real hope that he might still hold out hope for her. When she broke off their engagement at the urging of Lady Russell, she felt duty bound to obey the wishes of her dead mother’s dearest friend. When events bring about a fresh encounter with Captain Wentworth after so many years, she only hopes that he may have ceased to despise her susceptibility to persuasion. But more, much more, is in store for Anne. A man’s heart once pierced, she’ll find, may be as true and constant as her own.

Austen’s late novel lacks some of the charm of her first successes, but it is filled with warm familial feelings and friendship, despite there being no small amount of silliness in the vanity and pride of Anne’s father and sisters. The obstacles to Anne and Captain Wentworth renewing their affections are, ultimately, minimal. There are no great intrigues, though some are feared, and no real villain, though her cousin was certainly villainous in the past. We have instead a close study of Anne’s inner anguish as she seeks to interpret Wentworth’s motives and his behaviour toward her. There are highs and lows for both of them, but it all ends well in a rushed last couple of chapters.

For me, it remains a lesser Austen work. Yet I still find myself returning to it years later and finding that absence has neither reduced nor augmented its charms. I do rather wish, however, that Lady Russell had trusted Anne’s discernment and good sense from the start, as Anne and Wentworth would surely have been as happy in married life as their older models in Admiral Croft and his wife.

Recommended, as with all of Austen’s works. ( )

I think this might make the 9th time I've read this book. I have never really read an annotated Jane Austen before, and I have to say I enjoyed it. Probably because I've read the book so many times that I was less inclined to view the notes as distracting. Still find myself getting stressed out about the ending, even though (and here's a real shocker!) it never changes. ( )

Interesting notes and illustrations, and a wide range of interpretive comments, (from the 1820's onwards) which really add to the appreciation of the novel. Persuasion is more open to sensible annotation than Emma because of its wider canvas. ( )

It's been many years since I first read Persuasion and I enjoyed it just as much, maybe more, this time around. I have the Belknap Press illustrated and annotated edition that not only has beautiful illustrations but annotations that provide interesting reading on their own merit. An appendix provides the original two concluding chapters that her nephew said she thought "tame and flat". In any case, it was interesting to read and compare both, which provided some insight of her writing and revision style. Austen died soon after finishing Persuasion. The book was published posthumously together with Northanger Abbey. Also included as an appendix, is a short biography written by her favourite brother Henry Austen.

A first for me, I read this while simultaneously listening to Nadia May's audiobook narration, a pairing that was particularly enjoyable. However it is Austen's captivating story in combination with this beautiful volume edited by Robert Morrison that gets a solid five stars. ( )

Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion gets a royal treatment in Robert Morrison’s annotated edition. This review deals with the annotation, not Austen’s novel.
The illustrations and notes – for almost every page! – turn the book a historical lesson. The footnotes themselves are well written, highlighting notable events, locations, and details in the story. There are also literary and linguistic notes, for example when a word is used oddly from our (modern) point of view. The appropriately selected illustrations bring Austen’s world to life through the eyes of her contemporaries or near-contemporaries. Austen’s original ending, printed at the end of the novel, offers a very enlightening contrast to the final three chapters of the published novel.
A beautiful, enjoyable, and informative book. Austen’s story is greatly enhanced by the preface and annotations. Recommended for fans of Jane Austen and/or female writers of the Regency/romantic period.
EJ 11/2012