Ok, I can't believe I mentioned those two books in the same title. I like James Patterson, but c'mon, Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice!
Jane Austen's Persuasion was published posthumously in 1818. Mostly likely, it was her brother who gave it the title we have today; records indicate that Jane would have called it The Elliots. I think her brother chose wisely because the central conflict arises when Anne Elliot allows herself to be persuaded away from marrying Captain Wentworth some years before the narrative begins. According to the text, "She was persuaded to believe the engagement a wrong thing -- indiscreet, improper, hardly capable of success, and not deserving it." For the rest of the story, she repents this mistake of her youth. I would go so far as to say that throughout the novel Austen was showing how farcical it is to live a life dictated by such ideals as class rank (read "snobbery"). A list I found on the Internet gave me 27 references from the novel to the words persuasion, persuadable, or persuade. I'm thinking her brother read the text fairly closely, what?
So, a quick plot summary: Anne is the youngest of three daughters of a widowed baronet concerned more about his physical appearance and status among the peerage than about the happiness of his offspring. Sister One is just like Daddy, but is still unmarried. Her one chance to marry her cousin, and heir of the family estate, fails (probably because he sees her for what she is). Daughter Two made a decent marriage to a family with property and money, but is unhappy because no one pays her enough attention (in her view). Anne is the kind, helpful one, forced to cater to the desires of her father and sisters. As a young woman she listened to the advice of Lady Russell, a friend of Anne's deceased mother, who is like is like a second mother to the girls, but also has the unfortunate trait of being a little snobbish. Anne broke off an engagement with a young sailor because he had no title or income to speak of. Now, years later, she meets him again as Captain Wentworth and finds that her feelings for him are still alive. Anne encounters him at Sister Two's in-laws' estate, in Lyme, and again in Bath. Is there someone else in his heart or does he have eyes for Anne?
I enjoy reading Jane Austen. After the initial period of adjustment to 19th-Century prose, I usually settle in for a good, accessible story. I think I've read all of Austen's novel's except Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion is my least favorite so far. (Emma is actually my favorite!) I found the prose exceedingly difficult at times, having to read sentences over and over. I don't think I ever really acclimated to the style this time. The plot was very simple really, which is OK, but it was predictable too. There was never much doubt about the ending, and actually, the conclusion all happened too quickly for my taste. Anne didn't have to anguish enough! I don't mean that in a "mean girl" kind of way -- it's just that in this type of romance, there is usually a lot of angst on the heroine's part before she gets the guy and that was missing her.
Well, we'll see whether my sister-readers agree with me at my next book group.
And now on to Maximum Ride by James Patterson. A friend recommended I read this YA series, thinking it might be something to recommend to my high school students. Thank you, Sheri! She gave me the first six books of the series. I've read the first and plan to continue.
James Patterson has a quick, descriptive writing style. Once you are involved in the plot, the reading moves quickly. Many of his chapters are one- to two-pagers. Though is he known most for his contemporary adult-reader books, he has done a good job capturing teenage dialogue (thankfully cleaner dialogue than many teens I've heard) and has created characters a lot of kids will care about.
Maximum Ride (Max to her "flock") is a genetically altered teenage girl. She looks human, for the most part, but the avian DNA grafted in by the "white coats" at The School gives her light bones and wings. So, yes, she can fly. So can all the members of the flock: Fang, Iggy, Gazzy (the Gasman, for ummm, obvious teenage humor reasons), Nudge, and Angel. Years ago a "white coat" set them free and taught them to survive. Now, they are being hunted. But by whom? As the matriarch, Max leads this group of homeless youth on a flight (haha) from The School's goons, the Erasers (part human and part wolf). Oh yah, and if keeping your friends free and safe isn't enough, Max now has a voice in her head telling her to save the world.
If you are looking for a good book for your middle-school or high-school reader, this might be it.
My next post will be about another YA book out there. It's new, it's fun, and it's written by a really cool new author. Stay tuned.
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