Try reading Persuasion, a beautiful story about love reclaimed but with the BEST SIDE CHARACTERS EVER!
Admiral Croft whose favourite hobby is riding around the countryside in his gig and frequently toppling it over so he and his wife are thrown out. Who wants all women to be named Sophie because somehow that would be easier. Who finds it funny when artists paint ships that don’t look seaworthy. And, who listens to and respects his wife…
The amazing, Mrs. Croft! We can only describe her as phenomenal, marvelous, and tough-as-nails. She’s travelled across the world, she advises her husband in money matters, and she attempts to keep herself in the carriage by taking the reins. She scolds her brother for not thinking women are capable of being as awesome as she is. She is one half of the best marriage in Austen.
Captain and Mrs. Harville give the Crofts a run for their money! They are hospitable, kind, and industrious. When Louisa is injured, they do everything imaginable for her care, including packing off their own kids to the Musgroves for Christmas to keep the house quiet. They seem like wonderful parents but…
The Musgroves are also wonderful parents. They support their daughters choices even if the men are a little less wealthy than Mr. Musgrove would have wanted. They appreciate and love Anne. They try to include Mary even though Mary is THE WORST. Because they are genuinely good people who have warm, open hearts.And if you get tired of all that goodness and those stable, happy marriages,
Sir Walter Elliot is there for you to laugh at. He has six mirrors (at least) in his dressing room, he took the time to count 86 plain women in Bath, he forgets his daughters exist if he can’t see them (is he a goldfish?), and he thinks rubbing bleach on your face can really improve your looks!
All of this in a story that has deep themes about the value of people who have not been born into wealth or rank and the value of women who have cultivated minds and strength that men cannot imagine possible. What can I say? Persuasion is a triumph.