A poignant tale of marital expectation and delayed love, Persuasion tells the story of Anne Elliot who, at the age of 27, is viewed by polite society as a washed-up spinster. Eight years earlier, on the advice of her widowed father, Sir Walter, Anne was persuaded to break off her engagement to a young naval officer on the basis that his low rank and background would have harmed the family’s social standing. Now the Elliots are on the brink of financial ruin due to Sir Walter’s overspending and have been forced to rent out their family home. Meanwhile, the war with France is over and among the returning soldiers is one Frederick Wentworth, Anne’s former fiance, now a well-travelled and wealthy captain.
Once described by Harold Bloom as “the perfect novel”, Persuasion – an adaptation of which comes to Netflix this month, starring Dakota Johnson – was Jane Austen’s final finished work, published six months after her death in 1817. In this audio version, originally created for radio, Juliet Stevenson plays Anne, conveying the pain and resignation of having lost the love of her life and the prospect of a family of her own. As Frederick, Tim Brierley radiates the confidence of a man who, despite being the same age as Anne, has society’s young single women at his feet and a bright future ahead. And Sorcha Cusack is the narrator, providing subtly withering commentary on the machinations of the 19th-century upper classes and the indignities visited on women who dare to think for themselves.
• Persuasion is available via BBC Audio, 2hr 38min
Further listening
Where The Crawdads Sing
Delia Owens, Hachette Audio, 12hr 12min
Cassandra Campbell narrates the US bestseller about a young woman who grows up alone in the wilds of North Carolina and finds herself accused of a terrible crime.
The Islander
Chris Blackwell, Nine Eight Books, 11hr 30min
The memoir from the Island Records boss who helped revolutionise popular music is read by the actor Bill Nighy.
