Why did it take me two months to read Jane Austen's Persuasion? That is the question indeed. It took me a little while to get into it. I tried reading it in the pool in Costa Rica, but I don't think such classic literature is a good choice for lounging in the pool. I needed a trashier novel, like Klein's Straight Up and Dirty, to quench that vacation thirst for some juicy reading. But I did finally get into the book, and sped through the second half of it, crazy to know which male suitor was the decoy and which one was the gem for Anne Elliot. It is always a mystery, although I knew for a while who she was going to end up with. The end of the book was more about the build-up to the reckoning, when all feelings are made known and everything gets tidied up.I really enjoyed this book, but I found it hard to really like Anne, the female heroine. Quiet, reserved, and happier to be reflecting on her thoughts alone than among company, she is an interesting choice on Austen's part. I will probably read all the other Jane Austen novels, just to see what the other heroines are like. These characters are the first chick lit characters, precursors to the Bridget Jones' of the current chick lit world. Personally, I prefer Austen's austere creations to today's annoying slew of feminine catastrophes.
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