Thursday, February 26, 2015

Persuasion Read-Along: Chapter 23


I LOVE THIS CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!

From Mrs. Musgrove and Mrs. Croft at the beginning on through Anne and Captain Harville and then…yes, I can’t say anymore. It’s my favorite chapter in all of Austen!


Lord willing, I’ll be discussing this chapter quite a bit in a summary post next week, so I really am refraining from saying much at present. More to come soon!

And…my apologies, but I gave up on favorite lines. :) I’ve read and listened to this chapter so many times I quite truly and literally have it memorized. After starting off with the first three I promptly realized it was hopeless!!! So here you have those first three and CW’s letter (which has to be transcribed no matter what, whatever else happens).


Favorite lines/quotes:

“Her faith was plighted, and Mr Elliot's character, like the Sultaness Scheherazade's head, must live another day.” pg. 225

“…There was no delay, no waste of time. She was deep in the happiness of such misery, or the misery of such happiness, instantly.” pg. 225

“Mrs Musgrove was giving Mrs Croft the history of her eldest daughter's engagement, and just in that inconvenient tone of voice which was perfectly audible while it pretended to be a whisper.” pg. 226


“I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in F. W.

“I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your father's house this evening or never.” pg. 233

~ ....THE ENTIRE CHAPTER!!!!!! ~


Possible discussion question/s:

~ What is your favorite moment in this grand, marvelous, splendid, beautiful chapter? Your favorite line?


8 comments:

  1. HIS LETTER.

    His letter is just soooo perfect. I just can't stop reading it!!!! I agree - this is my favourite chapter too.

    ~ Naomi

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    1. Naomi,
      His. letter. is. absolute. perfection. End of discussion. ;D

      But seriously, I truly consider it one of the best-written and most romantic in all of literature. I love it and I'm SO glad you do, too!!!!! ;)

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  2. I love how you are doing books chapter by chapter. Makes me feel like I'm part of a literary club. I read Persuasion a few years back and really enjoyed it.
    Grace & Peace, Betsy
    princesstatters.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. Betsy,
      Thank you! It's definitely been an adventure and a wonderful experience. :) I do hope to do more sometime! Thanks so much for commenting!

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  3. I read this chapter twice, and I wrote and underlined all over it. And I find I love it too much to pick and choose things to say.

    Best. Letter. Ever.

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    1. Hamlette,
      !?!?!?!? Isn't it just delicious? And tingly? And.... I'm sorry, words fail me. It's one of my absolute favorite-est chapters of all time. ;)

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  4. Yes. I have finally finished and I'm sooo glad I persisted to the end. After all the build up, this chapter blew me away to another universe. Well what can I say. That LETTER. " You pierce my soul" " I have loved none but you"; how does JA come up with these words? And Anne's internal rapture of joy and the way JA describes it was so worth my time reading this classic.

    My teenage daughter was curious as to why I was reading an old classic, especially one of JA novels not very known, convinced that such as book would be boring without the fast-paced, kill-and-blow up-everything type of "actions" as in the Hunger Games series, which teenagers tend to mass to. I told her that it's not the "actions" but the characters that are so interesting and a build up of a aching love story around those characters. These characters, I swear, are people just like those around all of us: the chronic complainer, whiner (Mary); good warm-hearted couples (The Crofts); cold-hearted, status-seeking people; cruel, manipulative, devious people (Mr. Elliot); true and honest friends (Mrs. Smith); giddy and light-hearted friends (Louisa and Henrietta); lost and suffering friends (Mr. Benwick). I told her the "actions" are a different type of "actions", one of yearning for a happy ending between two people. When I gave her a brief summary, surprisingly she pushed me to read faster; she couldn't wait to hear about what happens in the end to Anne and CW ...and Mr. Elliot. I told her everything turned out beautifully. And she promised to read this book too. What girl isn't attracted to a good LOVE story.

    Thank you for holding this read-a-thon. I would have never even attempted this and finished it without your encouragement, Heidi's and all the other readers'. It's amazing that people halfway across the world could connect through the sentiments of one book.
    Really hope you will be hosting another read-a-thon soon. Until then...take care^^

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    1. Kim,
      Congratulations!!! :) *I'm laughing* Isn't this chapter absolutely beautiful? It's probably my favorite in all of Austen. Simply breathtaking and so romantic.

      You're right. I think a primary reason JA's works are still read and loved so much is in how well she delineated character -- times change, cultures are each different, but people everywhere still have similar struggles and decisions and trials and joys -- and Austen was such a master at capturing all of it. I'm so glad your daughter is now interested, too!

      And you're welcome! I'm so truly happy to have had you along, Kim. :) When/if I do another read-along, I'd be delighted to have you and I hope all continues well with you, too!

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