Persuasion and Prayers Read-Along: Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of the Persuasion and Prayers Read-Along! You can follow along on this three-week discussion of Persuasion and The Prayers of Jane Austen by checking out the read-along tag or by clicking the button in the sidebar.

Today we're going to discuss chapters 3 and 4 of Persuasion. If you came prepared, go ahead and share your thoughts below! Otherwise, feel free to check in later today or tomorrow morning after you've had a chance to read today's chapters. Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

P.S. If you're a blogger, please feel free to put together your own post using the button above and linking back to the Persuasion and Prayers Read-Along tag, if you'd prefer to participate in the discussion that way. :)

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Persuasion Chapters 3 and 4
Discussion Format: One quote to ponder, one observation, and one question for each day's reading.
Quote to Ponder

"She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older: the natural sequel of an unnatural beginning."

[Side note: These two chapters were full of great quotes - it was hard to pick just one! So I'm cheating and sharing my honorable mentions below... Which line from this section was your favorite?]

Honorable Mentions:

"Anne, at seven and twenty, thought very differently from what she had been made to think at nineteen."

"Had she not imagined herself consulting his good, even more than her own, she could hardly have given him up."

"A lady, without a family, was the very best preserver of furniture in the world."

"The navy, I think, who have done so much for us, have at least an equal claim with any other set of men, for all the comforts and all the privileges which any home can give."

"We are not all born to be handsome."

Observation

In these two chapters, we go from the reasons why Admiral Croft and his wife would make great candidates for renting the Elliots' home, to the reason why Anne is still unmarried. I feel like this is almost an extension of the "diamond in the rough" theme from the first two chapters, in that sailors (while sometimes weather-worn and from a different class than the Elliots) sacrifice much in the military and can make for trustworthy men, and sometimes the cast-aside love interest is really the one who would have made you the happiest. Caution and prudence have their place for sure, but this reading reminds me that too-quick or too-harsh judgments can sadly limit our relationships.

Question

Do you believe Anne was unwise in breaking her engagement?

(Going deeper: How much should someone rely on the well-intended advice of family and trusted friends in matters of the heart? Do you believe it's possible for two people to be right for each other while the timing and maturity levels are all wrong?)

Giveaway!

Don't forget to log your giveaway entries this week using the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win a hardcover copy of The Prayers of Jane Austen !

(Giveaway open to US residents only. Prize donated by the book's editor, Terry Glaspey. Thanks, Terry!)

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Which quote to ponder, observation, and question/response would you like to share?

Join us tomorrow to chat about chapters 5 and 6!