OK, I finally finished both books! Neither one really captured me, and I can’t say I liked one over the other. I read almost exclusively on my Kindle, and I have to say that was a good thing for these books, especially “A Civil Contract,” since there were SO many words I didn’t know – almost like reading a foreign language!
I found the cast of characters in “Persuasion” a bit confusing and hard to keep straight. When this happens in other books I can usually just keep reading and things seem to sort themselves out, but with this one I remained confused for a large portion of it. Wait, who is this Captain and where did he come from? And what’s the story with Mr. Elliott again? (Admittedly it didn’t help that I kept putting down the book and walking away.)
Looking at all the characters in both books, there were quite a few I didn’t like – perhaps more than I did like. (I realize this is partly due to my 2025 perspective on the whole class thing.) I liked Jenny and her father; both had spunk. Speaking of Mr. Chawleigh – I did wonder at his losing money while Adam made so much. Mr. Chawleigh is supposed to be a shrewd businessman who amassed a fortune, while Adam has had no experience in that arena. Clearly it fit the storyline, though.
As always, even with books I didn’t necessarily enjoy that much, I can say I’m glad I read both selections. Just don’t expect me to join the fan club for either one! 