The Art of Persuasion

How quick come the reasons for approving what we like!

-Jane Austen,
Persuasion

Right. I admit it, I read the Twilight series. As I admitted in my last post, I like a little junk food every now and again, and these books so definitely count as junk food. They offer no nutritional value; in fact they are so bad for you.

I devoured them in no time at all, I felt guilty while I was doing it, and darlin’, I craved more.

Today I watched the first movie with Jake. Not nearly as good a guilty pleasure; I hate Bella in the book but I really really hate that cyborg they call Kristen Stewart. And Robert Pattinson doesn’t do it for me, sorry, I think he’s weird-looking.

All the dialogue which comes off as vaguely believable uber-passionate teen angst histrionics in print is beyond ridiculous when spoken aloud.

In short, a fine comedic adventure but not the romantic drama they were aiming for.

Anyway. I bring all this up because some of my very favoritest literary classics are being re-released with a fresh new look… that feels vaguely familiar.

I was sort of upset at first— as if Audrey Hepburn had stepped out in Avril Lavigne’s trashy fashion line for Kohl’s— but then I realized that style is style. It wouldn’t matter what Audrey stepped out in, it would have been brilliant on her.

I also didn’t like the idea of using trickery to entice a girl to read a book. The old bait and switch. But this isn’t really the same, since they are being switched to something of much better quality.

It doesn’t matter what brings them to the books. The stories, the characters, and the grace is still there. Jane Eyre will remain just as powerful and spooky. Persuasion as much of a page-turner. And Sense and Sensibility as much of a razor-sharp commentary on societal nonsense.

And then there’s this:

You pierce my soul.
I am half agony, half hope… I have loved none but you.
-Jane Austen, Persuasion

When he was present she had no eyes for anyone else. Everything he did was right. Everything he said was clever.

If their evenings at the Park were concluded with cards, he cheated himself and all the rest of the party to get her a good hand. If dancing formed the amusement of the night, they were partners for half the time; and when obliged to separate for a couple of dances, were careful to stand together, and scarcely spoke a word to anybody else.
-Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility

I have little left in myself— I must have you. The world may laugh— may call me absurd, selfish— but it does not signify.

My very soul demands you: it will be satisfied, or it will take deadly vengeance on its frame.
-Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

Uber-passionate teen angst histrionics are uber-passionate teen angst histrionics, and they are a universal and timeless (albeit guilty) pleasure.

In fact, I think I may need to reread Persuasion and Jane Eyre… again. And Mansfield Park, a novel I inhaled during the blizzard of 1996, updating my roommates about the plot until they were interested in spite of themselves. And Vanity Fair. And heck, may as well pick up an InStyle magazine while I’m slumming.

Sometimes you just gotta indulge: what are your little indulgences, guilty or no?

Edit: I’ve had two people ask where you can buy these since this post went up. If Twilight-esque covers make people more inclined to randomly buy Austen for their kids I am all for it!!

Found them all on Amazon. These are affiliate links and I will make a small % if you click through to buy, that’s obviously up to you.

Persuasion

Sense and Sensibility

Jane Eyre