I really love this Jane Austen book, it is very romantic. Anne & Captain Wentworth were meant to be together and even though there were obstacles and it took many years, they do end up together, no matter how unlikely it seemed in the beginning. It reminds me of a film in that way.

I am torn between whether I actually like Lady Russell or not - she does care for Anne and appreciates her worth, but she is the cause of her being unhappy and rejecting Captain Wentworth the first time. She obviously had what she thought were the best reasons for interfering, but did harm rather than good. I do like the fact that Anne forgives her though, and states that maybe it was for the best that they didn’t marry earlier in life as they now have a greater knowledge of themselves and of each other.

The characters in Anne’s family are interesting. Her father and sister Elizabeth are cruel and don’t appreciate her and exclude her, although Jane Austen describes their vanity and pride with such sarcasm that it is great to read. Her sister Mary is extremely selfish and attention-seeking, and her conviction that she is always being treated unfairly and plotted against is funny to read. I love her speeches and how she turns every situation around to make-believe that someone is treating her thoughtlessly, and yet still manages to justify every act of her own, like leaving her poorly child to go to dinner. She is fascinating!

I love the settings in this book as well, as it features Bath, and Lyme Regis and the Cob. It all adds to the beauty of the book.

I do notice that there isn’t that much conversation in this book; quite a lot of the speeches between people and the situations are just described by Jane Austen rather than done in conversation by the characters. This seems quite different from her other books and, I think, gives it quite a different feeling. I feel a bit more detached from the characters in this book, than I do with her other books; almost like an outsider looking in rather than being a part of it and experiencing the situations as the characters experience them. Even the meeting with Captain Wentworth and Anne, after he has written her the note declaring his love for her, has a lot of descriptive text and not much of their conversation. I still love the book, but it intrigues me why she wrote it in this style, and would love to see how it would be with more conversation.

This is a lovely book full of confusion and misunderstandings between people that almost ruin everything. But I love the fact that all the loose ends are tied up and everything is sorted out, with all the good people happy and all the nasty people receiving their punishment. And I think the message in the book, (that even though you may despair that a situation will not work out the way you want, with a bit of patience and faith it will all come good), is very heartwarming. Even though I have read the book many times and know the plot and what will happen, I still find myself getting anxious about the characters and whether they will sort everything out. It is perfect writing.