Persuasion was Jane Austen's sixth and final novel before her death in 1817. By this time, Austen had already achieved popular success for her previous novels, though her name was relatively unknown as they had been published anonymously. In her time, Austen's work was largely ignored by critics. In the 20th and 21st centuries, however, Austen gained a renewed celebrity status as her work became popular among scholars, and popular again among readers. The success of the books is increased by the success of several film and TV adaptations of the stories. Students may wish to look at Austen's other work, such as Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Northanger Abbey.
Austen's...