内容简介
Calleda'perfectnovel'byHaroldBloom,PersuasionwaswrittenwhileJaneAustenwasinfailinghealth.Shediedsoonafteritscompletion,anditwaspublishedinaneditionwithNorthangerAbbeyin1818.Inthenovel,AnneElliot,theheroineAustencalled'almosttoogoodforme,'hasletherselfbepersuadednottomarryFrederickWentworth,afineandattractivemanwithoutmeans.Eightyearslater,CaptainWentworthreturnsfromtheNapoleonicWarswithatriumphantnavalcareerbehindhim,asubstantialfortunetohisname,andaneagernesstowed.Austenexploresthecomplexitiesofhumanrelationshipsastheychangeovertime.'SheisaproseShakespeare,'ThomasMacaulaywroteofAustenin1842.'Shehasgivenusamultitudeofcharacters,all,inacertainsense,commonplace.Yettheyareallasperfectlydiscriminatedfromeachotherasiftheywerethemosteccentricofhumanbeings.'Persuasionisthelastworkofoneofthegreatestofnovelists,theendofaquietcareerpursuedinanonymityinruralEnglandthatproducednovelswhichcontinuetogivepleasuretomillionsofreadersthroughouttheworld.
作者简介
JaneAustenwasborninSteventon,Hampshire,onDecember16,1775.Herfather,theReverendGeorgeAusten,wasrectorofSteventon,whereshespentherfirsttwenty-fiveyears,alongwithhersixbrothers(twoofthemlaternavalofficersintheNapoleonicwars)andheradoredsister,Cassandra.Shereadvoraciouslyfromanearlyage,countingamongherfavoritesthenovelsofSamuelRichardson,HenryFielding,andFannyBurney,andthepoetryofWilliamCowperandGeorgeCrabbe.Herfamilywaslivelyandaffectionateandtheyencouragedherprecociousliteraryefforts,theearliestdatingfromagetwelve,whichalreadydisplayedthebeginningsofhercomicstyle.Herfirstnovels,ElinorandMarianne(1796)andFirstImpressions(1797),werenotpublished.ThegothicparodyNorthangerAbbeywasacceptedforpublicationin1803butwasultimatelywithheldbythepublisher.In1801thefamilymovedtoBath,whereforfouryearsAustenwasabletoobservethefashionablewateringplacethatwouldlaterfigureprominentlyinherfiction.Austenwassociableinheryouth,andwasbrieflyengagedin1802.TwoyearslatershebeganworkonTheWatsons,anovelthatremainedunfinished.Afterthedeathofherfatherin1805,shelivedwithhermotherandsisterinSouthamptonforafewyearsbeforemovingwiththemtoacottageatChawtoninHampshire.Thiswouldbeherhomefortherestofherlife,andshewrotemanyofhernovelsinitsparlor.Shecontinuedtoreviseherearlierunpublishedwork,andin1811aversionofElinorandMariannewaspublishedasSenseandSensibility,followedtwoyearslaterbyPrideandPrejudice,areworkingofFirstImpressions.InthenextfewyearsshepublishedMansfieldPark(1814)andEmma(1816).Austenbecameillin1815,perhapswithAddison'sdisease,andshediedonJuly18,1817.Persuasion,herlastnovel,andtheearlierNorthangerAbbeyappearedthefollowingyear.Ofherlastdaysherbrotherwrote:'Shewrotewhilstshecouldholdapen,andwithapencilwhenapenwasbecometoolaborious.Thedayprecedingherdeathshecomposedsomestanzasrepletewithfancyandvigour.'AlthoughAustenreceivedsomepraisefromhercontemporaries--notablySirWalterScott,whodiscernedinherwork'theexquisitetouch,whichrendersordinarycommonplacethingsandcharactersinteresting,fromthetruthofthedescriptionandthesentiment'--herdetractorsincludedCharlotteBronte('veryincompleteandratherinsensible')andRalphWaldoEmerson('vulgarintone,sterileinartisticinvention'),andherbooksdidnotimmediatelyfindawidereadership.Theturninherreputationcamelateinthenineteenthcentury,andhasbeensucceededbyanenduringpopularityandwidespreadcriticalpraiseinthetwentieth.FromtheeBookedition.,,,
