Persuasion
Jane Austen's 1817 novel, published posthumously by her brother Henry six months after her death, is Austen's last and quietest book. Anne Elliot is twenty-seven, the middle daughter of a vain, debt-ridden baronet, and she has been gently fading at home in the family's drafty estate of Kellynch Hall. Eight years earlier, when Anne was a glowing nineteen, she had been engaged to a young, unknown naval officer named Frederick Wentworth, until her formidable godmother Lady Russell persuaded her that the match was beneath her and she ended it. Now the family must rent Kellynch to economize, and the new tenant turns out to be Captain Wentworth's brother-in-law. The Captain himself, returned from the Napoleonic Wars wealthy, decorated, and not very forgiving, is suddenly back in Anne's life. Austen's most autumnal, most generous novel is also her best regarded second-chance love story.
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What you might want to know about Persuasion
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Years ago, Anne Elliot was talked out of marrying the young Frederick Wentworth because he was poor. He returns from the Napoleonic Wars rich, well-known, and apparently no longer interested in her.
Yes. Persuasion was published posthumously in 1817 and is in the public domain. Free editions are available legally through Project Gutenberg, Standard Ebooks, and similar archives.
Yes, multiple times. Notable adaptations include the 1995 Roger Michell film with Amanda Root, the 2007 ITV film, and the 2022 Netflix film with Dakota Johnson. The 2022 version received mixed reviews from Austen fans.
Persuasion was written by Jane Austen, published in 1789 by AST.
Persuasion is 268 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Persuasion takes most readers 4 to 6 hours to finish.
Persuasion is a standalone novel by Jane Austen, not part of a series.
Persuasion is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
