Finally, we can speak more freely about all of Persuasion, so this week David, Heidi, and Sean are discussing Wentworth’s love letter, Ann’s assessment of her own choices, the melancholy nature of this book, the differences between Eliot and Wentworth, the pantheon of Austen men, and much more.
Oddly, I've thought about this awhile and it turns out all my favorite "declarations" seem to have been in person rather than epistolary.
Also, I'd like everybody's sympathy: I was sure there was something in the Anne of Green Gables series, and in my quest to find one I read the last chapter of Rilla -- and was duly and summarily destroyed.
The letter that came to my mind is not fictional, but the Sullivan Ballou Letter written from the battlefield during the Civil War. Any other historical love letters come to mind?
I can't think of any other fictional love letters that rank anywhere close! And it's not just the letter, I think the whole scene is written so perfectly and builds to the letter so well.
I think Wentworth’s letter is the best love letter in an English novel, but since you expanded it to include translations, my second pick would be the “letters” Levin and Kitty give to each other when they’re playing that game where you put the first letter of every word down for the other person to guess. I don’t know if that technically counts as a letter, but I love how it shows that they understand each other so well. ♥️
Some of the most devastatingly beautiful lines I’ve ever come across were in an otherwise way too sappy YA book called The Fault in Our Stars I read with my daughter when she was just starting high school. It was not a love letter to a girl, but rather one about her that she found after his death. “I am so lucky to love her...You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices. I hope she likes hers.”
It's not exactly a love letter, but in trying to think of something OTHER than Wentworth's beautiful words, I remembered the telegram Joe sent to the Agony Column at the end of Betsy and the Great World (any other Betsy-Tacy fans here?) that said "Betsy, the Great War is on but I hope ours is over. Please come home." And then Betsy sent a telegram back telling Joe when to meet her ship in New York, and signed it, "Love, Betsy." And it was such a simple and satisfying culmination of their many-year, many-book relationship.
I grew up (and still live) less than half an hour away from Mankato, the inspiration for Deep Valley. Betsy-Tacy was my first chapter book, at the age of 5 ❤️
Wentworth's is the only one that comes to mind when considering literary love letters. I guess the others I've read have been very forgettable!
Wentworth is my favorite Austen leading man. I love the combination of his attention-commanding, warm personality and dependable, honorable character. He is such a good friend to his fellow naval officers.
David Kern, you pronounced my name correctly the first time: it's RAH-bia, and "she" is the right pronoun.
I'm dying to know the answers too! I want to know the 2nd and 3rd runners up in Heidi's mind. I'm sure I've read some great ones, but right now I can't think of any as grand as Wentworth's!
I have spent entirely too much time, trying to figure out a different answer, and I have come to the conclusion , as I so often do , that Heidi is right. So Heidi just needs to tell us her number two and number three so we can be put out of our wondering 
I clearly don't read enough. The only piece of literature that I thought of for this category was Heroides by Ovid, in which various women like Penelope and Oenone and Helen write love letters to their lovers. But. It's not a novel, so it doesn't qualify.
Oddly, I've thought about this awhile and it turns out all my favorite "declarations" seem to have been in person rather than epistolary.
Also, I'd like everybody's sympathy: I was sure there was something in the Anne of Green Gables series, and in my quest to find one I read the last chapter of Rilla -- and was duly and summarily destroyed.
I'm with Heidi. I cannot think of another love letter in literature that remotely comes close.
The letter that came to my mind is not fictional, but the Sullivan Ballou Letter written from the battlefield during the Civil War. Any other historical love letters come to mind?
I can't think of any other fictional love letters that rank anywhere close! And it's not just the letter, I think the whole scene is written so perfectly and builds to the letter so well.
I think Wentworth’s letter is the best love letter in an English novel, but since you expanded it to include translations, my second pick would be the “letters” Levin and Kitty give to each other when they’re playing that game where you put the first letter of every word down for the other person to guess. I don’t know if that technically counts as a letter, but I love how it shows that they understand each other so well. ♥️
That scene in AK is what first sprang to my mind too!
Some of the most devastatingly beautiful lines I’ve ever come across were in an otherwise way too sappy YA book called The Fault in Our Stars I read with my daughter when she was just starting high school. It was not a love letter to a girl, but rather one about her that she found after his death. “I am so lucky to love her...You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices. I hope she likes hers.”
It's not exactly a love letter, but in trying to think of something OTHER than Wentworth's beautiful words, I remembered the telegram Joe sent to the Agony Column at the end of Betsy and the Great World (any other Betsy-Tacy fans here?) that said "Betsy, the Great War is on but I hope ours is over. Please come home." And then Betsy sent a telegram back telling Joe when to meet her ship in New York, and signed it, "Love, Betsy." And it was such a simple and satisfying culmination of their many-year, many-book relationship.
I love this!
Oh man, 100%. Joe and Betsy are my OTP.
Oh my GOSH.
This is my vote! I adore that telegram so much. And am I a Betsy-Tacy fan?
“What? You too? I thought I was the only one!”
I grew up (and still live) less than half an hour away from Mankato, the inspiration for Deep Valley. Betsy-Tacy was my first chapter book, at the age of 5 ❤️
That’s pretty neat! My mom gave them to me to read when I was little, too, and I always wanted to go live in Deep Valley.
(My biggest compliment ever was when my daughter said ‘Mama, Betsy kind of reminds me of you.’
I mean… I was pretty much set for life.)
Wentworth's is the only one that comes to mind when considering literary love letters. I guess the others I've read have been very forgettable!
Wentworth is my favorite Austen leading man. I love the combination of his attention-commanding, warm personality and dependable, honorable character. He is such a good friend to his fellow naval officers.
David Kern, you pronounced my name correctly the first time: it's RAH-bia, and "she" is the right pronoun.
I'm dying to know the answers too! I want to know the 2nd and 3rd runners up in Heidi's mind. I'm sure I've read some great ones, but right now I can't think of any as grand as Wentworth's!
I have spent entirely too much time, trying to figure out a different answer, and I have come to the conclusion , as I so often do , that Heidi is right. So Heidi just needs to tell us her number two and number three so we can be put out of our wondering 
I clearly don't read enough. The only piece of literature that I thought of for this category was Heroides by Ovid, in which various women like Penelope and Oenone and Helen write love letters to their lovers. But. It's not a novel, so it doesn't qualify.
But I'm curious what y'all come up with.
I’m here for the answers too!!!!!