Craft

Persuasion reads as both love story and mystery novel. Somehow, Jane Austen establishes tight suspense throughout even though the final chapters do not surprise and indeed, the ending is entirely predictable. We are seduced by her artistry at many levels: the controlled pace of the writing, the purposeful introduction of characters as if actors being brought on stage, nuances revealed about class and social pretensions, dialogue and accidents and recovery set in precise settings (woodsy, less woodsy), the familiar family drama with crooks and loyalties and childhood ties, all probed patiently, shrewdly, and with much fun.