12 Replies to “Subversive Heroines”

    1. I really struggled to get into Persuasion when I was younger – again, it’s probably a matter of maturity (mine, this time).
      Fanny isn’t my favourite of Austen’s heroines, but she certainly has admirable qualities.

      1. Persuasion is slow, but by golly Austen’s mature style is gorgeous. I really wish she had lived longer.

        Aye, she’s admirable. I just get frustrated by her indecision, I think. Anne has some of that, too, but it’s not as pronounced. But then again, it’s been a long time since I read Mansfield Park!

        1. For me the frustration is not so much Fanny’s indecision as the extent of her spinelessness. Admittedly, it’s an awkward situation she finds herself in, but she really needs some healthier boundaries!
          And yes, it’s sad to think of all the masterpieces Austen might have written, had she only lived longer…

          1. Heh heh. Now we know why Austen and the Brontës never got on: she thought their men were uncouth and brutal, and they thought hers were prissy and unrealistic.

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