My daughter Theresa and I decided, towards the end of last year, to start a book club: we are four months into 2023 and we have yet to get our book club off the ground. Trust me, we will eventually 😄.
In the meantime, who better to start with than novelist Jane Austen. I will use this blog to keep track of our progress. If you’re an avid reader, I’m sure you’ve heard of the first author/ novelist we’ve chosen – I mean, who doesn’t love Miss Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy of Pride and Prejudice!!
Anyway, as I was searching up Jane Austen on the internet, I came across this quote:
Give a girl an education and introduce her properly into the world, and ten to one but she has the means of settling well, without further expense to anybody.
Jane Austen
Wowww!! Don’t think my dad ever read any Jane Austen books, but for him, making sure I had an education was number one priority. His words (in motu) were:
Natugu, bo he aonegamu, sibomu amu emu bo havaramu – ta enai basio helalokaumu.
Ret. Rev Vavia Kara (dad)
Basically his words are Austen’s, not literally translated but having similar concept. And to this days, I still hear those words ringing in my ears!! Thank you, dad and mum too.
Although I must admit, mum got the tough end of the deal, because reading was all I did!!! Literally, I mean – it was eat! read! sleep! wake up! read! and so on. Bless her heart, my mum, I did get away with a lot of things (like not doing my share of housework etc), thanks to my dad! They had their fair share of arguments over my reading aka ‘laziness’ and she always let him know what she thought!! Spoilt rotten and lazy, that’s what it was, come to think of it 😏😞 May their beautiful souls rest in God’s eternal peace forever 🙏❤️
Back to our book club, so which book are we reading first? It’s none other than ‘Pride and Prejudice’: don’t ask me why or how we came to that decision! We just hope to encourage others, young and old alike, to understand the importance of taking time to pick up an actual book and read it. There’s nothing wrong with online books, though, if that’s what you prefer. Remember – “readers make leaders” 😍
Following are screenshots about our chosen book from a website I came across on Google. Yes, there is a gazillion amount of information already on the internet related to this book and author.
So! Have I read ‘Pride and Prejudice’ before? Yes I have, back in high school – that’s eons of years ago, I lost count 😅 but as Oscar Wilde stated:
If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.
Oscar Wilde
Finally, I’m not sure what we will uncover by re-reading Pride and Prejudice – however, one thing for sure is that this author and all her books have stood the test of time.
And whether you are a believer or not, might I turn your attention to the most important book of all time, the Bible! Here’s a verse to encourage each of us in our reading journey:
Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion; And to You the vow shall be performed. O You who hear prayer, To You all flesh will come. Iniquities prevail against me; As for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them. Blessed is the man You choose, And cause to approach You, That he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Of Your holy temple.
Psalms 65:1-4 NKJV
Idau Hahine 