(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters.)

S: I was absolutely floored as I read Chapter 1! A fifty-four year-old widower full of pride and vanity, with contempt for his middle and youngest daughters, and the eldest daughter whose hopes have been dashed to pieces because she has not married the heir apparent to her father’s estate – I was going to say you can’t make this stuff up, but Austen certainly did! This family now finds itself frantic because money is running out.

R: This was a very different opening chapter from the last book! And quite a bit less interesting, at least initially. I’m immediately annoyed with Sir Walter and feel sorry for his children.

S: Indeed. So far, I’m not a fan of either Sir Walter or Elizabeth, although Elizabeth might be excused since she has tried so hard to uphold her father’s ideals without her tempering mother, bless her. The fact that Anne, the middle daughter, is essentially seen as a nobody by her family is distressing, and it is odd to me that the youngest daughter is the only married one, yet Sir Walter seems to have no qualms about that. Of course, since he seems to only care about Elizabeth, I suppose that makes sense.

R: Agreed! Sir Walter is obviously not caring for his family as he should. It is a bit odd that the youngest daughter should be the only one married, but it did happen occasionally. And I could also see that it’s her father’s attachment to Elizabeth that might have curtailed any prospects.

S: I believe we have found our heroine in Anne in Chapter 2, and, I have to say, I’m very pleased (I really didn’t want the heroine to be Elizabeth!). Anne appears to be very pragmatic. It saddens me that her father and sister believe they would be better off moving to Bath and letting Kellynch Hall, rather than living a bit more frugally as Anne suggests.

R: I’m glad that between Anne and Mrs. Russell, they’ve convinced Sir Walter to make at least some economies. While it would have been best to follow Anne’s plan, likely it was Mrs. Russell’s influence in tempering Anne’s rigidness that made it possible for Sir Walter to accept making any reductions.

S: I am unsure how to feel about Mrs. Russell. I appreciate that she loves Anne and respects her opinions, but the fact that she also doesn’t truly see her is unsettling given how much influence she apparently has over her. 

Is Mrs. Clay a bad friend for Elizabeth to have? Austen seems to hint at that. Her father, Mr. Shepherd, the Elliot’s barrister, certainly seems rather eager to let the house and have his daughter be Elizabeth’s close friend. I wonder if they’re up to something. I could be reading them unjustly, but, given what I’ve learned while reading the other Austen novels, I wouldn’t be surprised. 

R: I didn’t see that, but you could be right about Mr. Shepherd and his daughter. They also could just be eager to assist. I suppose there could be some element of self-interest. I imagine that the barrister would have to be paid out of the rents for the estate.

S: I have a feeling that one of the cautions in this novel will be to ‘choose your friends wisely’.

As Chapter 3 gets underway, I’m enjoying Anne’s character more and more. Not only is she pragmatic, she seems to not be swayed by emotion, and gives observational answers to questions. Still, as much as I am enjoying getting to know Anne, I cannot abide Sir Walter’s pride and vanity – it rankles me. Also, who is this Mr. Wentworth? Is this the man of whom Anne speaks when she retreats outside to think about the person who may be walking her father’s grounds one day?

R: Anne reminds me a little of Elinor from Sense and Sensibility with her pragmatism and sense. I am also not a fan of Sir Walter’s attitude.  

S: Yes, she does remind me of Elinor! 

I feel like Chapter 4 came out of nowhere, and I was certainly not expecting it! To know that Anne had a short-lived engagement and broke it off because of bad advice and prejudice (although with no prejudice on her part) makes me really sad. It also makes me sad that no one seems to remember their history. That has to be difficult for Anne to continually feel forgotten. I’m already hoping she and the now Captain Wentworth are able to work things out. This is going to be an interesting story because I had not expected the bulk of it to take place after the misunderstanding, but I’m also glad it does. It would have been painful to read.

R: This is the one part of the story that I remember, or have heard enough about for it to be somewhat familiar. I like how Austen introduces the situation here rather than right at the beginning. The first few chapters make more sense to me now as establishing Anne’s current circumstances before Captain Wentworth is, presumably, introduced again. It did surprise me a little that Lady Russell, who has been such a friend to Anne, would have advised Anne to not marry Frederick Wentworth. Though I suppose this could be seen as looking out for her, as he was penniless at the time and didn’t appear to have any prospects.

S: As I read Chapter 5 I thought of a few character comparisons that make me laugh: Mary Musgrove reminds me of a young Mrs. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, Anne (as we have already mentioned) reminds me of Elinor Dashwood, and Elizabeth reminds me of Mrs. John Dashwood, both from Sense and Sensibility. Anne already seems like the lady of the house rather than Elizabeth as she visits and says goodbye to everyone. I hope that her warning about Mrs. Clay doesn’t go unheard, but I have a feeling it will. Still, sometimes it is important to speak out about something you know is wrong. Even if it doesn’t change the person’s mind, your conscience is clear.

R: I agree with your comparisons between the different characters. The discussion regarding Mrs. Clay was interesting. I wonder if anything will come of it, or if it will be consequential at all. I’m finding this book a little harder to get through so far. I hope it will pick up as we go on. 

S: As of right now, I have really enjoyed this story and am excited to read the rest, even if some of the characters annoy me to no end.