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A Modern Day Persuasion: An Adaptation of Jane Austen's Novel
Nearly eight years ago, Anne’s family, specifically her father, convinced her that she was too young to wed and insinuated that her fiancé Rick was solely interested in her wealth and status. Against her better judgment, Anne agreed to postpone the marriage, only to watch the love of her life walk away, never to be heard from again. Almost a decade later, still single and no longer wealthy, Anne struggles to make a name for herself designing greeting cards. Unable to move on with her life, she finds herself still emotionally bound to the man who disappeared the moment things didn’t go his way. Through a series of serendipitous events, however, Anne is reunited with her old love—just as a new beau enters the scene. Only time will tell if her heart can finally be set free to love again, or if Rick’s initial betrayal will leave her single…forever.
“Full of charm, wit, and intelligence, Kaitlin Saunders’ re-imagining of Jane Austen’s posthumous classic Persuasion is nothing short of magical. Superb in its straightforward plotting and wonderfully paced, Saunders’ strengths in adapting and updating this delightful tale are the hallmarks of Austen herself, deepening the pleasure of the experience. Focusing on the universal and putting its characterizations front and center, this modern update succeeds where many fail, relying on the underlying material to serve as a foundation to take an old classic and make it new. And though capturing the aesthetic of a modern romantic comedy while retaining the depth of Austen’s turn-of-the-century social commentary is no small feat, A Modern Day Persuasion accomplishes this task with ease and aplomb, consistently delivering laughs while forever staying loyal to the themes and situations that made it such a rich story over one hundred years ago.”
“Full of charm, wit, and intelligence, Kaitlin Saunders’ re-imagining of Jane Austen’s posthumous classic Persuasion is nothing short of magical. Superb in its straightforward plotting and wonderfully paced, Saunders’ strengths in adapting and updating this delightful tale are the hallmarks of Austen herself, deepening the pleasure of the experience. Focusing on the universal and putting its characterizations front and center, this modern update succeeds where many fail, relying on the underlying material to serve as a foundation to take an old classic and make it new. And though capturing the aesthetic of a modern romantic comedy while retaining the depth of Austen’s turn-of-the-century social commentary is no small feat, A Modern Day Persuasion accomplishes this task with ease and aplomb, consistently delivering laughs while forever staying loyal to the themes and situations that made it such a rich story over one hundred years ago.”
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 23, 2011
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March 9, 2014
I must begin by expressing my gratitude to Kaitlin Saunders for penning modern adaptations to some of Jane Austen’s other novels!!! Don’t get me wrong, I love Pride and Prejudice, it is probably one of top five favorite reads, but I also adore and cherish Jane Austen’s other novels! I love traveling to Highbury and dropping in on Mr. Woodhouse, spending some time with “clever, well-informed people” like Anne Elliot and Elinor Dashwood, and going on gothic adventures with Catherine Morland! I’m so glad Kaitlin Saunders has published modern adaptations for both Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion!
In this adaptation of Persuasion, twenty-five year old Anne Elliot creates and designs greeting cards; an occupation that fulfills her creatively and artistically, but doesn’t quite enable her to move out and live independently. More than seven years have passed since she turned down Rick Wentworth – his love, his offer of marriage, his unplanned adventure of a life together – Anne still wonders if she made the right choice. Was what they felt for each other really love? Would she have been happier if she married him?
When Rick Wentworth – who is now a celebrated and wealthy author – comes back into Anne’s life, Anne holds onto the ridiculous hope that what she shared with Rick was real, and that his promises to love her forever were unbroken. But after witnessing his cold and resentful demeanor towards herself and his flirtatious and affable manner towards Louise Musgrove, Anne realizes that his feelings had indeed changed and that it is long past time for her to move on. Easier said than done...
My favorite aspect of this book was seeing Anne’s private thoughts and feelings. Since the story is from Anne’s perspective, the reader experiences what she does. We feel Anne’s pain with every uncomfortable exchange with Rick. We feel Anne’s heartache with every bit of interest and attention paid to Louise. I enjoyed this empathetic and sensitive portrayal of Anne Elliot, it deftly illustrates the inner turmoil and anguish Anne experiences throughout the story.
I also enjoyed witnessing the relationship between Anne and Carol Russell. (Confession: I’m usually not a Lady Russell fan.) I find her overly concerned with status and wealth, high-handed, and self-serving. But in this adaptation though, Ms. Saunders portrays her more as a surrogate mother who strives to see Anne happy and safe. She may, at first, have the wrong idea about what would make Anne happy, but her heart is truly in the right place. Similar to the lovely mother-daughter relationships in A Modern Day Sense and Sensibility, this relationship gave me some warm fuzzies. :)
One aspect of the story I would have loved to have seen explored more is Rick’s novels. After finding out that Rick is a famous novelist, Anne rushes out to a book store to purchase his three published releases, but…we don’t know if she ever reads them! I was dying to see some excerpts from Rick’s novels after hearing that one of the stories bared a strong resemblance to his relationship with Anne. I would have loved to seen how Rick resolved his characters’ conflicts in the story, perhaps it would have revealed his true feelings for Anne…
Similar to A Modern Day Sense and Sensibility, this update closely mirrors Jane Austen’s original work. I may, at times, have wished for more deviation or exploration, but overall I found myself quite charmed and engaged by this faithful rendition.
In this adaptation of Persuasion, twenty-five year old Anne Elliot creates and designs greeting cards; an occupation that fulfills her creatively and artistically, but doesn’t quite enable her to move out and live independently. More than seven years have passed since she turned down Rick Wentworth – his love, his offer of marriage, his unplanned adventure of a life together – Anne still wonders if she made the right choice. Was what they felt for each other really love? Would she have been happier if she married him?
When Rick Wentworth – who is now a celebrated and wealthy author – comes back into Anne’s life, Anne holds onto the ridiculous hope that what she shared with Rick was real, and that his promises to love her forever were unbroken. But after witnessing his cold and resentful demeanor towards herself and his flirtatious and affable manner towards Louise Musgrove, Anne realizes that his feelings had indeed changed and that it is long past time for her to move on. Easier said than done...
My favorite aspect of this book was seeing Anne’s private thoughts and feelings. Since the story is from Anne’s perspective, the reader experiences what she does. We feel Anne’s pain with every uncomfortable exchange with Rick. We feel Anne’s heartache with every bit of interest and attention paid to Louise. I enjoyed this empathetic and sensitive portrayal of Anne Elliot, it deftly illustrates the inner turmoil and anguish Anne experiences throughout the story.
I also enjoyed witnessing the relationship between Anne and Carol Russell. (Confession: I’m usually not a Lady Russell fan.) I find her overly concerned with status and wealth, high-handed, and self-serving. But in this adaptation though, Ms. Saunders portrays her more as a surrogate mother who strives to see Anne happy and safe. She may, at first, have the wrong idea about what would make Anne happy, but her heart is truly in the right place. Similar to the lovely mother-daughter relationships in A Modern Day Sense and Sensibility, this relationship gave me some warm fuzzies. :)
One aspect of the story I would have loved to have seen explored more is Rick’s novels. After finding out that Rick is a famous novelist, Anne rushes out to a book store to purchase his three published releases, but…we don’t know if she ever reads them! I was dying to see some excerpts from Rick’s novels after hearing that one of the stories bared a strong resemblance to his relationship with Anne. I would have loved to seen how Rick resolved his characters’ conflicts in the story, perhaps it would have revealed his true feelings for Anne…
Similar to A Modern Day Sense and Sensibility, this update closely mirrors Jane Austen’s original work. I may, at times, have wished for more deviation or exploration, but overall I found myself quite charmed and engaged by this faithful rendition.
August 24, 2016
I think this was a good example how if you make a modern adaption then do change things.
First Anne met Wentworth at 17 (or 16) and wanted to marry him before even having finished HS. Yes her dad said no cos Rick had no money, but omg, hello! She had not even finished HS!
He was actually given an ultimatum, wait for her to finish college and then get married and he just walked away. What an effing ahole. That did not make me like him.
In the book her sis married that Charles guy even though he was in love with Anne. We never got an explanation why someone today would feel the need do do that. Why did he? Why did she? Also she must have married very young since she had 2 kids and were under 25. I am not saying people can not marry young but these two did not even like each other.
The Musgroves at once thought that Rick could marry one of their daughters. That worked great back then, now the whole eligible bachelor was just really? Bad parenting.
Anne was fond of reading. Rick was a really famous author. She had never heard of him. He went into the navy 8 years ago, became a writer and was now rich.
What else...oh her sister dated their Elliott cousin, like euwww. Modern days, maybe not do that.
These two had almost no interaction before the letter, fine I believed it in those days, but now, I can not even see why you two like each other?!
Poor Anne, not married at 25. Omg how tragic.
The Lyme couple got engaged as in the real version too...too fast now.
All these people are idiots.
First Anne met Wentworth at 17 (or 16) and wanted to marry him before even having finished HS. Yes her dad said no cos Rick had no money, but omg, hello! She had not even finished HS!
He was actually given an ultimatum, wait for her to finish college and then get married and he just walked away. What an effing ahole. That did not make me like him.
In the book her sis married that Charles guy even though he was in love with Anne. We never got an explanation why someone today would feel the need do do that. Why did he? Why did she? Also she must have married very young since she had 2 kids and were under 25. I am not saying people can not marry young but these two did not even like each other.
The Musgroves at once thought that Rick could marry one of their daughters. That worked great back then, now the whole eligible bachelor was just really? Bad parenting.
Anne was fond of reading. Rick was a really famous author. She had never heard of him. He went into the navy 8 years ago, became a writer and was now rich.
What else...oh her sister dated their Elliott cousin, like euwww. Modern days, maybe not do that.
These two had almost no interaction before the letter, fine I believed it in those days, but now, I can not even see why you two like each other?!
Poor Anne, not married at 25. Omg how tragic.
The Lyme couple got engaged as in the real version too...too fast now.
All these people are idiots.
July 16, 2011
This is a modern day interpretation of Jane Austen's Persuasion and for me it was a big disappointment. The writing is forced, the dialogue is unnatural and the book follows Austen's story too closely. It's well and good to keep the general plot and stay true to the characters in the original, but this book's Anne seemed like she had been plucked from Austen's time and dropped into today's society with little adaptation to the modern world. It just didn't ring true.
May 23, 2012
Persuasion is my favorite Austen & I rarely see retellings of the story. Sense & Sensibility & Emma are streaks ahead in popularity, it seems. So when I ran across this book, I had to read it. It was sweet & bittersweet & a very solid version of the story set in modern time. I was interested to see how it would translate over time & was surprised that a lot of it fit quite well. There's a scene with Anne & her nephews reenacting a Star Wars: Clone Wars episode that just tickled me & spoke to my SW fangirl heart.
The family Elliot is just as insufferable as they are in the original work & while I was glad of that, I did have a difficult time accepting that Anne would be just as reluctant to challenge them. Her sisters freely treat her horridly in private & public but she always defers & capitulates, not wanting to upset them. I didn't need a warrior woman but I felt like she needed to say or do something to assert herself when being mistreated, if for no other reason than to stop the mistreatment. I think though, that's me imposing my own idea of modern western womanhood interfering, not the author's failing in the telling. I did find the issue of cousin, Will Elliot a little odd in the modern rendition. He's dated Elizabeth at Dartmouth & is now seemingly courting Anne, though Elizabeth is still quite keen. It felt strange that in this modern setting, cousin Will (I don't care that he's twice removed) would not have been courting outside of the family, chance of inheritance or no. This is also true for Elizabeth. The other characters all rolled with this happenstance as though it were usual which added another odd factor. It came off as arcane here but I do applaud the author for trying to work with it.
Rick was phenom & his letter to Anne at the end gave me chills, just like the originals does for me. From that point on, I root & hope & need a tissue. I still think that Rick shouldn't need to concern himself with trying to prove to the Elliot clan that he was worthy, those people are twits. Even so, they mattered to Anne, so it was gallant of him to care. No matter the little quirks in this retelling, I still felt for these characters & wanted they to work it all out.
All in all, I liked this & would recommend it to anyone who happens to be a Persuasion fan. It's a very easy read & perfect to take along on vacation or to while away some airport hours. 3.5 stars because it's an adaptation & while quite good, I can't give real points for sheer creativity & newness.
The family Elliot is just as insufferable as they are in the original work & while I was glad of that, I did have a difficult time accepting that Anne would be just as reluctant to challenge them. Her sisters freely treat her horridly in private & public but she always defers & capitulates, not wanting to upset them. I didn't need a warrior woman but I felt like she needed to say or do something to assert herself when being mistreated, if for no other reason than to stop the mistreatment. I think though, that's me imposing my own idea of modern western womanhood interfering, not the author's failing in the telling. I did find the issue of cousin, Will Elliot a little odd in the modern rendition. He's dated Elizabeth at Dartmouth & is now seemingly courting Anne, though Elizabeth is still quite keen. It felt strange that in this modern setting, cousin Will (I don't care that he's twice removed) would not have been courting outside of the family, chance of inheritance or no. This is also true for Elizabeth. The other characters all rolled with this happenstance as though it were usual which added another odd factor. It came off as arcane here but I do applaud the author for trying to work with it.
Rick was phenom & his letter to Anne at the end gave me chills, just like the originals does for me. From that point on, I root & hope & need a tissue. I still think that Rick shouldn't need to concern himself with trying to prove to the Elliot clan that he was worthy, those people are twits. Even so, they mattered to Anne, so it was gallant of him to care. No matter the little quirks in this retelling, I still felt for these characters & wanted they to work it all out.
All in all, I liked this & would recommend it to anyone who happens to be a Persuasion fan. It's a very easy read & perfect to take along on vacation or to while away some airport hours. 3.5 stars because it's an adaptation & while quite good, I can't give real points for sheer creativity & newness.
December 19, 2012
A Modern Day Persuasion is just that - a modern retelling of the original (which, in a chuckle-inducing moment, happens to be a favorite read of our heroine). Everything has been repositioned and `translated' into a believable modern tale of thwarted love and incredibly bizarre family relations. There are laughs and cringes and heart-wrenchingly-sad-smiles.
The characters are well-drawn and dimensional, with the result of people whom I've always been "meh" about now are either loved or hated. Quick examples: Mr. Elliot and Elizabeth are just as they ever were, but there's actually some hint of what Mr. Elliot used to be, before his wife died - suggesting that maybe, just maybe, his obnoxious-ism is a result of grieving and not wholly his lack of a soul. Mary, who has always been comical to me, is painted in a light that really shows her shallow selfishness - a different kind than her father and sister, but shallow and selfish all the same. This "Lady Russell" seems to have a truer affection for our Anne, and their relationship is much more give-and-take than the original. I didn't want to strangle her, rather, I recognized in Carol Russell traits that I see in the "older women" of my acquaintance.
Now, for the two main stars: "Rick" Wentworth is a bit of a jerk. And this is a good thing. Saunders has taken the "injured hero" and created a believable man. He's human, he's capable of being rude and jerk-y, but we know he'll turn out okay in the end (and he does). Additionally, Anne is more dimensional and realistic; a young lady whose first - and so far, only - love stormed away in a fury years ago. Where Anne's lack of spirit and uber-passivity has always annoyed me in the original, this Anne? Well, her hero left a legitimate compromise on the table and stormed off. Anne was 17, and anyone who remembers being 17, will acknowledge the power of the attachments we form then - no matter how "wrong". This twist to the storyline really made things stronger for me, and much more readable. Watching Anne work through her own ghosts and come to terms with herself as a person of worth was a rewarding journey that I could relate to, and it made the inevitable ending so much stronger.
The writing is strong, the characters and story are recreated faithfully - but with adaptions and updates that make it both more relevant and (to me) a generally better story. In short, this is my favorite version of Persuasion yet!
The characters are well-drawn and dimensional, with the result of people whom I've always been "meh" about now are either loved or hated. Quick examples: Mr. Elliot and Elizabeth are just as they ever were, but there's actually some hint of what Mr. Elliot used to be, before his wife died - suggesting that maybe, just maybe, his obnoxious-ism is a result of grieving and not wholly his lack of a soul. Mary, who has always been comical to me, is painted in a light that really shows her shallow selfishness - a different kind than her father and sister, but shallow and selfish all the same. This "Lady Russell" seems to have a truer affection for our Anne, and their relationship is much more give-and-take than the original. I didn't want to strangle her, rather, I recognized in Carol Russell traits that I see in the "older women" of my acquaintance.
Now, for the two main stars: "Rick" Wentworth is a bit of a jerk. And this is a good thing. Saunders has taken the "injured hero" and created a believable man. He's human, he's capable of being rude and jerk-y, but we know he'll turn out okay in the end (and he does). Additionally, Anne is more dimensional and realistic; a young lady whose first - and so far, only - love stormed away in a fury years ago. Where Anne's lack of spirit and uber-passivity has always annoyed me in the original, this Anne? Well, her hero left a legitimate compromise on the table and stormed off. Anne was 17, and anyone who remembers being 17, will acknowledge the power of the attachments we form then - no matter how "wrong". This twist to the storyline really made things stronger for me, and much more readable. Watching Anne work through her own ghosts and come to terms with herself as a person of worth was a rewarding journey that I could relate to, and it made the inevitable ending so much stronger.
The writing is strong, the characters and story are recreated faithfully - but with adaptions and updates that make it both more relevant and (to me) a generally better story. In short, this is my favorite version of Persuasion yet!
August 26, 2016
I don't usually like Austen Rip-Offs and I am not a fan of Saunders' writing style, which made the book difficult for me to read (confession: I skimmed most of it). I'm not sure if this is Saunders' first novel (although, since she completely lifted the story from Jane Austen, I don't know if you can even call it her novel), but it certainly reads like one. Definitely too much telling and not enough showing. And there are also weird shifts between character PoVs that lost me when I did try to read a full chapter.
There is nothing new about A Modern Day Persuasion. In fact, Saunders managed to take my favorite Austen novel, rearrange it to fit modern times, and strip it of all the charm and emotion that the original is full of. Rick is a very boring, pale shadow of Captain Wentworth. He's so dull I could barely remember his first name and the relationship between the H/h is pretty much non-existent. I felt like they were in love just because the story requires that they be. Skip this and read the original. And...note to self...suggest ban of further Austen Rip-Offs to book club.
There is nothing new about A Modern Day Persuasion. In fact, Saunders managed to take my favorite Austen novel, rearrange it to fit modern times, and strip it of all the charm and emotion that the original is full of. Rick is a very boring, pale shadow of Captain Wentworth. He's so dull I could barely remember his first name and the relationship between the H/h is pretty much non-existent. I felt like they were in love just because the story requires that they be. Skip this and read the original. And...note to self...suggest ban of further Austen Rip-Offs to book club.
July 15, 2014
Before I read this book, I read the reviews and I was hesitant to buy this book. Persuasion by Jane Austen is my second favorite novel (Pride and Prejudice being my fav of course LOL) and the reviews made it seem like it was not going to be good. Finally after much debate I bought it and I have to say it was amazing. Maybe there are some things that will not appeal to others and everyone is entitled to voice his/her opinion, but to me it was really good. I absolutely loved it!! Especially at the end with his letter! *sigh :)* It was clean,funny at times, and romantic, and I am a hopeless romantic. Overall, I say please give this book a chance with an open mind and you will probably enjoy it as much as I did. Hope the auther writes a modern day adaptation of Jane Austens other novels. Happy reading to everyone. :)
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January 11, 2012I wanted to like this book, and I persevered through a quarter of it, but the writing left too much to be desired. Attempts at eloquent turns of phrase felt artificial and contrived. It felt like a book that desperately wanted to be literary, as opposed to one that actually is.
November 6, 2011
Persuasion is one of those novels that are timeless. A tale of second chances for the love of a lifetime, which has the power to completely disarm you and something you never recover from. Persuasion is one of Jane Austen’s most emotional novels for this very reason.
It was with great delight that I read Kaitlin Saunders modern take on Persuasion. A Modern Day Persuasion packs an emotional wallop and there were moments where I found myself tearing up, having a lot to do with Miss Saunders impeccable writing.
Anne is a greeting card designer, which given her emotional and compassionate heart is a great career. I always knew that her family walked all over her, but in the modern adaptation it was much more apparent. I found myself gritting my teeth about how uncompassionate her sisters, and even her father, were. Anne has always been the adult of the family and the weariness, coupled with her heartbreak, shows how vulnerable she really is.
Mary, Elizabeth and Mr. Elliot all have the characteristics of their original counterparts, but they are more developed. Mr. Elliot comes across as a bit softer, yet he still is careless in his concern or Anne. Mary and Elizabeth are only concerned with themselves and they were well-developed ‘villainous’ characters. You just want to wonk them over the head with a nice, fat, leather bound book.
Now, dashing Wentworth still get’s to don a naval uniform, but he makes his money as an author. His actions when he and Anne meet again after so long are not so nice. He’s a prat who redeems himself in the end, of course. He does soften toward Anne as time proceeds and then there is that letter. Oh, that letter!
I really liked this modern interpretation of Persuasion, especially since this is only my second time reading a modern Austenesque novel. It kept all the themes and main plot points of the original so that you knew you were reading Persuasion, but there were some surprises in the pages. I really felt Anne’s pain when Wentworth reentered her life and I also felt how suffocating it must have been to have a family like hers. Captivating, engaging and delightful are all that my final words can convey.
A Modern Day Persuasion is a must if you enjoy Austen inspired novels. Miss Saunders has done a fantastic job and I look forward to her next publication.
Final recommendation: A modern Persuasion worth reading.
It was with great delight that I read Kaitlin Saunders modern take on Persuasion. A Modern Day Persuasion packs an emotional wallop and there were moments where I found myself tearing up, having a lot to do with Miss Saunders impeccable writing.
Anne is a greeting card designer, which given her emotional and compassionate heart is a great career. I always knew that her family walked all over her, but in the modern adaptation it was much more apparent. I found myself gritting my teeth about how uncompassionate her sisters, and even her father, were. Anne has always been the adult of the family and the weariness, coupled with her heartbreak, shows how vulnerable she really is.
Mary, Elizabeth and Mr. Elliot all have the characteristics of their original counterparts, but they are more developed. Mr. Elliot comes across as a bit softer, yet he still is careless in his concern or Anne. Mary and Elizabeth are only concerned with themselves and they were well-developed ‘villainous’ characters. You just want to wonk them over the head with a nice, fat, leather bound book.
Now, dashing Wentworth still get’s to don a naval uniform, but he makes his money as an author. His actions when he and Anne meet again after so long are not so nice. He’s a prat who redeems himself in the end, of course. He does soften toward Anne as time proceeds and then there is that letter. Oh, that letter!
I really liked this modern interpretation of Persuasion, especially since this is only my second time reading a modern Austenesque novel. It kept all the themes and main plot points of the original so that you knew you were reading Persuasion, but there were some surprises in the pages. I really felt Anne’s pain when Wentworth reentered her life and I also felt how suffocating it must have been to have a family like hers. Captivating, engaging and delightful are all that my final words can convey.
A Modern Day Persuasion is a must if you enjoy Austen inspired novels. Miss Saunders has done a fantastic job and I look forward to her next publication.
Final recommendation: A modern Persuasion worth reading.
August 21, 2016
No... No no no... No
More another time but... No
----
There are so many problems I had with this book. Honestly, I decided to read it as an author. My own first novel is a modernization of Persuasion and I wanted to read what others had done. I wanted to like it. What did I like? I love the cover. Additionally, Saunders does seem to know her Oregon geography.
The rest I either didn't think about or was annoyed by. I am not an Austen purist when it comes to modernizations. I want the story to be modern. I want the characters to be present in our world and reflect modern identities. That is where this story fell apart- none of these characters really seemed like modern versions of themselves nor reflections of people in the real world. Read all the other reviews about this book for the reasons why, but here is my list:
1- Marriage at 18 is never an objection
2- Nobody every talks about why Charles wanted to marry Mary when Anne was who he wanted.
3- Anne and Rick have no connection other than her worship on him.
4- Anne doesn't keep track of Rick? When she realizes he wrote a book, basically about her, and she doesn't show interest beyond buying some books?
5- Does anyone work? Anne is developing a line of greeting cards, but she only seems to tinker with it.
6- Wouldn't a small house in Napa be more expensive than a large house in Portland? Like, significantly more...
7- The religion... now, I get people in this world are religious and often thank God and pray. The way it was done in this book is unnecessary and awkward. Either jump feet first into a story that includes Anne's faith or avoid it. I mean, Austen didn't include faith beyond the Church as employer.
8- Changing POV mid-paragraph and then changing it back almost right away. Pick a narrator and stick with it. If you are going to change, warn the reader in some way.
9- The language oscillated between something modern and something outdated.
10- The book was published in 2011... everyone is writing letters?
11- Almost everything is kept true to the original story in ways it probably shouldn't have been. Yet, the one thing cut out was Austen's most well known line (Half hope, half agony) is cut out.
12- Is it wrong that I disliked or was beyond annoyed with every single character?
I wish I liked it more.
More another time but... No
----
There are so many problems I had with this book. Honestly, I decided to read it as an author. My own first novel is a modernization of Persuasion and I wanted to read what others had done. I wanted to like it. What did I like? I love the cover. Additionally, Saunders does seem to know her Oregon geography.
The rest I either didn't think about or was annoyed by. I am not an Austen purist when it comes to modernizations. I want the story to be modern. I want the characters to be present in our world and reflect modern identities. That is where this story fell apart- none of these characters really seemed like modern versions of themselves nor reflections of people in the real world. Read all the other reviews about this book for the reasons why, but here is my list:
1- Marriage at 18 is never an objection
2- Nobody every talks about why Charles wanted to marry Mary when Anne was who he wanted.
3- Anne and Rick have no connection other than her worship on him.
4- Anne doesn't keep track of Rick? When she realizes he wrote a book, basically about her, and she doesn't show interest beyond buying some books?
5- Does anyone work? Anne is developing a line of greeting cards, but she only seems to tinker with it.
6- Wouldn't a small house in Napa be more expensive than a large house in Portland? Like, significantly more...
7- The religion... now, I get people in this world are religious and often thank God and pray. The way it was done in this book is unnecessary and awkward. Either jump feet first into a story that includes Anne's faith or avoid it. I mean, Austen didn't include faith beyond the Church as employer.
8- Changing POV mid-paragraph and then changing it back almost right away. Pick a narrator and stick with it. If you are going to change, warn the reader in some way.
9- The language oscillated between something modern and something outdated.
10- The book was published in 2011... everyone is writing letters?
11- Almost everything is kept true to the original story in ways it probably shouldn't have been. Yet, the one thing cut out was Austen's most well known line (Half hope, half agony) is cut out.
12- Is it wrong that I disliked or was beyond annoyed with every single character?
I wish I liked it more.
January 22, 2012
I admit to being disappointed. I love that this version was being set on the west coast in the US, but the logistics from Oregon to CA were not believable to me and there wasn't anything too original in the story except that Rick was a writer--who just also happened to be in the Navy-shocking! There were several religious references that personally I found annoying. Rick wasn't developed at all as a character, while Mary and Elizabeth were pretty well done. Don't get why snooty Elizabeth would ever have dated her own cousin in a modern version of Persuasion--totally made sense in the original. Nothing suggested to me that Anne and Rick ever shared any bond or chemistry--it was pretty short, so maybe a few 100 more pages would've helped.
June 6, 2013
I found this book so disappointing. 'Persuasion' is my favorite Jane Austen novel, and this adaptation was poor at best. The characters were clumsy and not very faithful to the characters of the original; the emotion was trite and lacked a true depth of feeling (it reminded me of a 14-year-old who's MADLY in love... for the week); and the writing made me think that someone had written it, then gone through it with a thesaurus to make it sound more 'intelligent' and give it an 'old world' feel. Maybe it's just that my expectations were so high, but this was difficult to slog through, and I was relieved when it was over.
August 24, 2012
This book is very badly written. Anne is nothing like the Anne Elliot Austen created. This character is silly, annoying and quite a doormat. Rick- the Frederick Wentworth- is a cardboard character- a lifeguard turned writer (how very lame!)- he shot to fame with a book based on his experience with Anne, the first time over.
The writing is terrible too- very poor grammar and sentence construction. I have read unpublished fanfiction that is a million times better. This book is a waste of money. I wish I had read an excerpt before purchasing it. It isn't worth a cent!
The writing is terrible too- very poor grammar and sentence construction. I have read unpublished fanfiction that is a million times better. This book is a waste of money. I wish I had read an excerpt before purchasing it. It isn't worth a cent!
July 16, 2012
I was disappointed with this adaptation of Persuasion. The author kept the exact storyline, and tried to transpose it into modern day by adding cell phones, cars, and e-mails (and updating the setting), but it didn't quite work for me. If I had wanted to read the same story, I would've rather read Austen's version, because her writing style is much more enjoyable. I was hoping for a modern twist on a classic, not an almost exact replica.
January 8, 2013
This book is exactly as the title says - a retelling of Persusasion by Jane Austen but in the modern day. It was alright, but I actually preferred Juliet Archer's modern-day retelling of Persuasion much better. It is called Persuade Me, and had more verve and romantic tension. Also, I saw another book the other day (Ready Or Not by Chautona Havig) that had exactly the same cover picture as this one - why is that?
January 5, 2024
Been meaning to read this for a while, but you know how it goes.
This is a modern take on the Austen classic 'Persuasion'. Anne was convinced she was too young and that Rick was not the right man for her. He didn't have money or status of any sort. Her family convinced her to at least postpone getting married, but Rick walked away to never be heard from again. 8 years later, Anne hasn't forgotten Rick, but she has a lot more problems to deal with. Her family's wealth is all but gone and she is struggling to make a name for herself. Through a series of events, Rick is back and is this a chance at love again?
Okay - I did read a lot of reviews and I'm not alone in my feelings here. I should listen to Blodeuedd. She was right when she said avoid it ;)
1) Yes Anne and Rick you are TOO young to marry. You are 17 years old.........she hasn't even finished High School yet.
2) Her family didn't tell her to say NO necessarily...just wait a year or two. Let Anne go to college at least. Have a long engagement. But NOOOO Rick walked away like an ass.
3) We discover that one of Anne's favorite books is 'Persuasion' by Jane Austen. Isn't this like breaking the 4th wall or whatever? Names, events, and situations are precisely the same (just different year). So that was weird for me.
4) This was written very old school. It sounded like maybe 1920s not 2000s. The dialogue was off and not very modern sounding.
5) Mr Elliot is literally their 2nd cousin and Elizabeth dated him?! And now Mr Elliot wants Anne? I'm sure that is illegal in a lot of places. Too closely related for my liking....*shudders*
SOOO those are my main complaints.
Yeah - sadly this wasn't for me in the end, but I forced myself to finish. I wanted that credit for my reading challenge and I had hoped this would get better.
All-in-all, I'll give this 1 star. Again...only finished to get the credit and it wasn't very long.
This is a modern take on the Austen classic 'Persuasion'. Anne was convinced she was too young and that Rick was not the right man for her. He didn't have money or status of any sort. Her family convinced her to at least postpone getting married, but Rick walked away to never be heard from again. 8 years later, Anne hasn't forgotten Rick, but she has a lot more problems to deal with. Her family's wealth is all but gone and she is struggling to make a name for herself. Through a series of events, Rick is back and is this a chance at love again?
Okay - I did read a lot of reviews and I'm not alone in my feelings here. I should listen to Blodeuedd. She was right when she said avoid it ;)
1) Yes Anne and Rick you are TOO young to marry. You are 17 years old.........she hasn't even finished High School yet.
2) Her family didn't tell her to say NO necessarily...just wait a year or two. Let Anne go to college at least. Have a long engagement. But NOOOO Rick walked away like an ass.
3) We discover that one of Anne's favorite books is 'Persuasion' by Jane Austen. Isn't this like breaking the 4th wall or whatever? Names, events, and situations are precisely the same (just different year). So that was weird for me.
4) This was written very old school. It sounded like maybe 1920s not 2000s. The dialogue was off and not very modern sounding.
5) Mr Elliot is literally their 2nd cousin and Elizabeth dated him?! And now Mr Elliot wants Anne? I'm sure that is illegal in a lot of places. Too closely related for my liking....*shudders*
SOOO those are my main complaints.
Yeah - sadly this wasn't for me in the end, but I forced myself to finish. I wanted that credit for my reading challenge and I had hoped this would get better.
All-in-all, I'll give this 1 star. Again...only finished to get the credit and it wasn't very long.
January 7, 2021
Terrible — just terrible. I read 35 pages and had to stop. Why? Because the writing to soooo bad. It lacks character development and the story is not moved forward through dialogue but rather long instead relying on long descriptive passages.
December 18, 2022
I love Persuasion so I had high hopes. I didn’t make it past page one before I was wondering how this got published. This was all “tell” and no “show.” Probably one of the biggest downfall for inexperienced writers. I gave it one chapter but it was painful.
August 1, 2022
It was ok.
January 4, 2017
When I discovered a modern telling of Persuasion, I was over the moon. Then I started reading and was quickly disappointed. When I picture an adaptation of a novel, I imagine similar themes and characters, but the author making it her own. That was not the case with this novel. In fact, this novel felt like a modern day plagiarism of Jane Austen's Persuasion.
Maybe this wouldn't have felt so offensive if I didn't just finish reading the original a week ago, but just about every single scene from the Austen's story was featured in this book. I knew exactly what was going to happen next - give or take a change of scenery. Even conversations felt copy and pasted from the original. Sticking so close to the original made the whole thing feel forced and unrealistic. As timeless as Austen's writing is, there are a number or elements that do not work with modern storytelling conventions. The characters were not believable in today's day. Certain secondary characters felt completely useless in the modern story - like the celebrity cousin Missy who did absolutely nothing to further the story. Also, what sane woman is going to be okay dating a Second Cousin -regardless of how many times removed he is? Maybe in Jane Austen's time, but not likely today.
On top of the flaws in the story telling, the writing felt stilted and awkward. Someone else had commented that at times she goes from a modern voice to sounding old fashioned, which I completely second. I think this novel is self-published (my copy says Copyright by Kaitlin Saunders the author). While I congratulate the author for going out there and getting it published, it makes me wonder if a number of these issues would have been caught had someone else had a hand in publishing it. The story was not justly adapted or modernized. Changing the setting and time period isn't enough. Maybe if I wasn't so familiar with the original it wouldn't be so bad, but then there are so many unrealistic elements for today's day that I think the book would still be frustrating. I didn't even particularly like any of the characters, so that doesn't help either. I love the original story, which is why I gave it two stars, but overall this novel wasn't successful on its own considering Jane Austen did all of the plotting.
Maybe this wouldn't have felt so offensive if I didn't just finish reading the original a week ago, but just about every single scene from the Austen's story was featured in this book. I knew exactly what was going to happen next - give or take a change of scenery. Even conversations felt copy and pasted from the original. Sticking so close to the original made the whole thing feel forced and unrealistic. As timeless as Austen's writing is, there are a number or elements that do not work with modern storytelling conventions. The characters were not believable in today's day. Certain secondary characters felt completely useless in the modern story - like the celebrity cousin Missy who did absolutely nothing to further the story. Also, what sane woman is going to be okay dating a Second Cousin -regardless of how many times removed he is? Maybe in Jane Austen's time, but not likely today.
On top of the flaws in the story telling, the writing felt stilted and awkward. Someone else had commented that at times she goes from a modern voice to sounding old fashioned, which I completely second. I think this novel is self-published (my copy says Copyright by Kaitlin Saunders the author). While I congratulate the author for going out there and getting it published, it makes me wonder if a number of these issues would have been caught had someone else had a hand in publishing it. The story was not justly adapted or modernized. Changing the setting and time period isn't enough. Maybe if I wasn't so familiar with the original it wouldn't be so bad, but then there are so many unrealistic elements for today's day that I think the book would still be frustrating. I didn't even particularly like any of the characters, so that doesn't help either. I love the original story, which is why I gave it two stars, but overall this novel wasn't successful on its own considering Jane Austen did all of the plotting.
September 15, 2020
This was... not good.
There was no innovation whatsoever, just taking the original story and plopping it in modern day Oregon. It doesn't work. And somehow the author made Anne a complete and utter doormat. In the original story, yes, she yields to stronger personalities, but she does speak up for herself - that does not happen here.
However, I pretty much was going to dislike this from the very beginning when Wentworth told Anne she had to choose between him and going to university. No. Just no. She can have both, you impatient twit. And his letter didn't have nearly the same depth to it. This just did not work for me. 1/5 Stars; CR, M/F, No sex
There was no innovation whatsoever, just taking the original story and plopping it in modern day Oregon. It doesn't work. And somehow the author made Anne a complete and utter doormat. In the original story, yes, she yields to stronger personalities, but she does speak up for herself - that does not happen here.
However, I pretty much was going to dislike this from the very beginning when Wentworth told Anne she had to choose between him and going to university. No. Just no. She can have both, you impatient twit. And his letter didn't have nearly the same depth to it. This just did not work for me. 1/5 Stars; CR, M/F, No sex
August 31, 2016
In truth, I quite enjoyed reading this story. I thought it was sweet and endearing, but I also found it to be a bit troubling and conflicted.
Anne was such a likable character. She was compassionate, obviously forgiving, accomplished and strong in her own way. Still, she was hesitant and unsure of herself. I found myself wondering why, in this day and age, she tolerated and seemingly accepted the harsh criticisms and behaviors of her loved ones. Really! She was timid, to the point of my utter confusion.
Rick was...ah, a breath of fresh air after having met Anne's family. I liked him as well. He, for me, was a toss up between Ryan Gosling's character in The Notebook and Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables. He was solid, driven, but he was also sensitive to his true love. Yes, he was hurt by her unwillingness to fight for what they had, but his heart knew her in the end.
The rest of the family characters were disturbing. I did not care for them. They were pushy, opinionated, rigid, and shockingly selfish. They had no regard for Anne or her feelings. I was glad that Anne was able to have more meaningful, supportive, and thankfully friendly relationships with other sub-characters.
This book was an easy, fast-flowing read. It was compelling and interesting. I loved how the destined lovers crossed paths in the most unusual ways. What I found to be so so was the language that was used in this book. It was modern mixed with a bit of the classical. It was not totally believable for me. For example, the final professions of love and longing between Anne and Rick. Well, umm...yea, but. I found it to be sweet but seriously corny. Not quite modern. Still, I enjoyed the total package and I got my happily ever after.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would. Would I compare it to Jane Austen's Persuasion? A little yes and a little no. But I would offer that it's rather enjoyable as a love lost-love found story.
Rating: 3.75
Anne was such a likable character. She was compassionate, obviously forgiving, accomplished and strong in her own way. Still, she was hesitant and unsure of herself. I found myself wondering why, in this day and age, she tolerated and seemingly accepted the harsh criticisms and behaviors of her loved ones. Really! She was timid, to the point of my utter confusion.
Rick was...ah, a breath of fresh air after having met Anne's family. I liked him as well. He, for me, was a toss up between Ryan Gosling's character in The Notebook and Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables. He was solid, driven, but he was also sensitive to his true love. Yes, he was hurt by her unwillingness to fight for what they had, but his heart knew her in the end.
The rest of the family characters were disturbing. I did not care for them. They were pushy, opinionated, rigid, and shockingly selfish. They had no regard for Anne or her feelings. I was glad that Anne was able to have more meaningful, supportive, and thankfully friendly relationships with other sub-characters.
This book was an easy, fast-flowing read. It was compelling and interesting. I loved how the destined lovers crossed paths in the most unusual ways. What I found to be so so was the language that was used in this book. It was modern mixed with a bit of the classical. It was not totally believable for me. For example, the final professions of love and longing between Anne and Rick. Well, umm...yea, but. I found it to be sweet but seriously corny. Not quite modern. Still, I enjoyed the total package and I got my happily ever after.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would. Would I compare it to Jane Austen's Persuasion? A little yes and a little no. But I would offer that it's rather enjoyable as a love lost-love found story.
Rating: 3.75
August 10, 2012
First, let me say that I would really give this book 3.5 stars. I think the author faithfully recreated the story of Anne Elliot and Capt. Wenworth. She also stayed pretty true to the various other characters. The story didn't quite stick to the original as I neared the end, though, and that's why I can't quite give this 4 stars.
This author forgot 2 things that I feel are very important in the original Persuasion. First, we are told that Anne and Mary see Will Elliot with Susan Clay. However, that relationship never comes up again in the rest of the book. Instead, we see Will become threatening and unwilling to understand "no means no". The Will/Susan subplot is important in the original as the story wraps up. The other thing that bothered me about this adaptation was that Mr. Elliot and Mrs. Russell are very willing to accept Wentworth in the end, which is not accurate. I think it's important to see Anne step up and disobey these influential adults in her life, and she doesn't quite get to do it in this story.
There were a lot of wonderful modernizations in the story, which is why I would give this a higher score if the previous 2 issues were fixed. For one, the modernization is totally plausible. Also, there were some great scenes, like where Anne plays Star Wars with the Musgrove boys as she tries to escape from Wentworth's gaze when he first arrives. I also think the way the author handled Louisa's accident was well-done--I wasn't sure how she's recreate the scene at Lyme Regis with the book being set in Oregon/California. The characters of Mary and Elizabeth Elliot were spot on, and I had a great time being completely annoyed by them.
Overall, this was nice adaptation of Persuasion and definitely worth a read!
This author forgot 2 things that I feel are very important in the original Persuasion. First, we are told that Anne and Mary see Will Elliot with Susan Clay. However, that relationship never comes up again in the rest of the book. Instead, we see Will become threatening and unwilling to understand "no means no". The Will/Susan subplot is important in the original as the story wraps up. The other thing that bothered me about this adaptation was that Mr. Elliot and Mrs. Russell are very willing to accept Wentworth in the end, which is not accurate. I think it's important to see Anne step up and disobey these influential adults in her life, and she doesn't quite get to do it in this story.
There were a lot of wonderful modernizations in the story, which is why I would give this a higher score if the previous 2 issues were fixed. For one, the modernization is totally plausible. Also, there were some great scenes, like where Anne plays Star Wars with the Musgrove boys as she tries to escape from Wentworth's gaze when he first arrives. I also think the way the author handled Louisa's accident was well-done--I wasn't sure how she's recreate the scene at Lyme Regis with the book being set in Oregon/California. The characters of Mary and Elizabeth Elliot were spot on, and I had a great time being completely annoyed by them.
Overall, this was nice adaptation of Persuasion and definitely worth a read!
December 23, 2011
I thought this was a lovely adaptation of Persuasion. It's very modern and present day, but doesn't lose any of the essential story or characters. This story is very much what I imagine Austen would write for our world today. Seeing it in these newer more updated terms also helped me understand different facets and see the story in a new light. Yes, I'm still romantic and wish no one had persuaded Anne away from Cpt Wentworth when they were young, but if they were 18 and had no education or money, it wouldn't be reasonable for them to marry nowadays. There is more complexity than i would have admitted to before and it's not black and white romantic and tragic...it's also very realistic and practical. And I like when a book gives me something new to chew on.
Also, mid-book I noticed the religious undertones. A lot of praying and thanking God, and at the wedding a reading of a bible passage...normally I don't like religion in my stories (my own issues) but I thought is was done really well and wasn't just thrown in for the sake of being religious or preachy, but came across as subtle and meshed well with what was happening in the story so it in no way detracted from either Saunders or Austen. Kudos.
Also, mid-book I noticed the religious undertones. A lot of praying and thanking God, and at the wedding a reading of a bible passage...normally I don't like religion in my stories (my own issues) but I thought is was done really well and wasn't just thrown in for the sake of being religious or preachy, but came across as subtle and meshed well with what was happening in the story so it in no way detracted from either Saunders or Austen. Kudos.
October 10, 2013
True to the original characters but with realistic modern scenes. Wentworth makes his fortune as a successful novelist and Anne is forced to leave her LA mansion when her fathers home forecloses and is bought by Wenthworths sister and brother in law. Anne is forced to move to what sounds like a beautiful home in Napa Valley.. Doesn't seem as destitute as a rented home in Bath. But Anne is first sent to cheer up her sister Mary where she is thrown into Wentworths company wondering if be will marry one of Charles' sisters or not. I actually preferred the Mr. Elliott in this novel even though he is still about money, social connections and shallow in physical appearances. Anne is still sweet quiet, obedient Anne who has a passion for photography and creating her own greeting cards. My only little hope that was unfulfilled was that Anne would read one of Wentworths novels to gain insight into his feelings on their past relationship... Was it lost love or childish love? Has he moved on or held onto resentment? Questions Anne longs to km know and yet she doesn't read his novels despite spending more than she could afford to purchase them. Sweet ending! Between a 3 & 4 rating..
March 5, 2012
A Modern Day Persuasion is an adaption of Jane Austens story about Anne Elliot and Capt. Wentworth. As this book is my favourite of Jane Austens, I´m always looking for books taking up the story and twisting it to become a new version.
I have had A Modern Day Persuasion on my Kindle for a while now and finally was able to read it.
And I was not dissapointed. It might not be my all time favourite modernizations of Persuasion (up to now that´s Juliet Archers "Persuade Me"), but I really loved reading it.
The characters are well drawn and can be all found in the book (a thing I find really important - Jane Austen wrote wonderful characters and it´s strange to read a book based on Jane Austen and having to search for some characters that are simply not included).
I can imagine Saunders Anne is the kind of Anne Austen would have written had she written her novel now. She´s a faithful, kind and caring woman, more and more knowing what she wants, and always feeling for others.
I have had A Modern Day Persuasion on my Kindle for a while now and finally was able to read it.
And I was not dissapointed. It might not be my all time favourite modernizations of Persuasion (up to now that´s Juliet Archers "Persuade Me"), but I really loved reading it.
The characters are well drawn and can be all found in the book (a thing I find really important - Jane Austen wrote wonderful characters and it´s strange to read a book based on Jane Austen and having to search for some characters that are simply not included).
I can imagine Saunders Anne is the kind of Anne Austen would have written had she written her novel now. She´s a faithful, kind and caring woman, more and more knowing what she wants, and always feeling for others.
August 20, 2012
I enjoyed this version of Persuasion and will have a review up soon.
My review:
It is hard to rate this book or to be fair because I have read some really good retellings of Persuasion recently. I did enjoy this book a lot even though it wasn't my favorite it definitely rates high among the ones I read. This one lacks some of the things that I enjoyed from the others. One of those things was that Ann finally took a stand against her family and fights for Rick. She realises her mistake in the other versions but in this one, her family makes it easy on her because he is rich so they accept him with open arms. Also, in this one the dad in given excuses to be the way he is, instead of being vain and nasty like in the other versions. Over all I would recommend this book and I would love to hear what other people thought about it.
My review:
It is hard to rate this book or to be fair because I have read some really good retellings of Persuasion recently. I did enjoy this book a lot even though it wasn't my favorite it definitely rates high among the ones I read. This one lacks some of the things that I enjoyed from the others. One of those things was that Ann finally took a stand against her family and fights for Rick. She realises her mistake in the other versions but in this one, her family makes it easy on her because he is rich so they accept him with open arms. Also, in this one the dad in given excuses to be the way he is, instead of being vain and nasty like in the other versions. Over all I would recommend this book and I would love to hear what other people thought about it.
April 26, 2013
This is an entertaining and short enough read to finish quickly and I was happy to see a retelling of this particular Austen tale, as it is not one of the more frequently revisited books. While I enjoyed reading the book in its own right, it also made me reflect on the wonderful original work and, unfortunately, that very reflection caused me to find this version less fulfilling. This, for me, is both the curse and the appeal of a retelling. Even as I love to see how another author will handle my favorite moments from a beloved story, I rarely fully embrace the changes, unless I can somehow feel that the spirit of the story is still completely intact. Ultimately, this one fared better than most and it was well done for a modern retelling and I still feel it was worth a read, if one can possibly begin without any unreasonably high expectations of its being just like reading Austen.
March 4, 2023
The author did a great job portraying the characters as their described by Austen in the original Persuasion, which kept it interesting but the Anne that I know from the original novel would not have gone pee out in the woods, especially with her beloved Wentworth walking around lol! But ok. Some of the scenes seemed a little too mundane for a family such as the Elliots. Missy Dee too, for a celebrity, seemed a little too disposable... arriving just in time at a mini mart? Then Rick too?? hmmm...
Overall, it was interesting and a good read.
Overall, it was interesting and a good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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