Visually Appealing and Informative

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: Purchased

If you are a long-time reader of this blog then you may already know that I am slowly working my way through reading annotated editions of Jane Austen’s novels. I’ve been alternating between the annotated editions by Harvard University Press and the annotated series by David M. Shapard each year, and have read one annotated edition for each Jane Austen novel so far. Back in 2015 I read and reviewed David Shapard’s An Annotated Persuasion, and this year I decided to read and review the HUP annotated edition – Persuasion: An Annotated Edition edited by Robert Morrison.

With all of my reviews of annotated editions, my rating and comments are based on the annotations and observations made by the editors and not Jane Austen’s magnificent and beloved masterpieces.

I hope you find this breakdown helpful!

THE INTRODUCTION:

My favorite part of this annotated edition was the thought-provoking and insightful Introduction written by scholar and author, Robert Morrison. I enjoyed the overall analysis of Jane Austen’s Persuasion as a whole presented here. It was in this section that Mr. Morrison discussed what makes Persuasion unique amongst Jane Austen’s novels and how it is intensely personal to her. In this section he also posits that both Anne and Wentworth were confused in love, and that both seriously considered other mates. I don’t know if I agree, but that is an interesting theory to explore.

THE ANNOTATIONS AND ILLUSTRATIONS:

The plentiful side annotations inform modern-day readers about Regency life, clothing, customs, modes of transportation, and word usage/meanings. Reading these annotations alongside the text (or even afterwards) can only help readers form a deeper understanding and appreciation for this beloved story. While I found most of the annotations to be edifying and interesting, I did find some to be a little less so. Robert Morrison often cited quotes and comments from Austen scholars and literary critics and I wouldn’t have minded seeing more of his own analyzation and persona commentary.

As always with the Harvard University Press, the number, size, quality, and variety of sketches, renderings, and color illustrations interspersed throughout the edition are greatly enjoyed and appreciated. These coffee-table-sized books are sumptuous and stunning.

SOME THINGS I LEARNED/NOTICED:

• Persuasion is a reflection on Jane Austen. It is the novel she links most strongly to her life, her times, and her experiences. This can be seen with the allusions and repercussions of the war, the strong enthusiasm for the navy, a character with hypochondria, a character with a debilitating illness and in pecuniary circumstances, and a visit to Lyme. Could Anne Elliot be the Austen heroine most like Jane Austen herself?!?

• Everybody contradicts themselves! Sir Walter, Lady Russell, Captain Wentworth, Mary Musgrove – the list goes on. Jane Austen’s gift of irony flexes strongly when Mary Musgrove criticizes Mrs. Harville for being without her children for so long and then angles for an invitation to Bath for 4-6 weeks sans her children, or when Captain Wentworth praises Louisa for being so much more independent and strong-minded than her sister, yet fails to notice that Louisa is completely malleable to him and his opinions.

• The contact between Anne and Wentworth is silent yet intimate. Anne and Wentworth have very little dialogue together for most of the book, yet they have many scenes where they show their strong physical awareness of each other and come into close and unexpected physical contact. It is impressive that Jane Austen conveys such an intense physical intimacy between them that is so covertly and so dramatic at the same time.

COMPARING HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS AND DAVID SHAPARD EDITIONS:

For me, David Shapard wins the Persuasion round. I really enjoyed all his commentary, all the details I learned about the navy and retrenching, and his astute criticism of this work as a whole! Of the two I found the David Shapard edition to be the more informative, interesting, and satisfying.

CONCLUSION:

Reading annotated editions of Jane Austen’s novels is such an incredibly rewarding experience. It is literally rereading Jane Austen with a new set of eyes and a fuller comprehension of her genius. I cannot recommend it enough! Both these annotated editions of Persuasion are worthy of praise and wide readership.

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