Persuasion
by, Jane Austen
©1818

This is only the second Jane Austen book I’ve read and it caused me to pull out my soapbox, once again, on the importance of reading a book before watching a movie of the same book. You can read that post here. Sadly, I’ve seen three different versions of Persuasion on dvd in the last couple of years. I wish I had read the book first. There were a number of differences between the book and the movies and, not surprisingly, I like the book best of all! Without question my reading was colored by the producer of the dvd I’ve watched the most.

The book is not unlike Miss Austen’s other writings in that it makes observations about the classes that were prevalent in her day. Of course there is romance and all the trials that go along with that especially when the two involved are from different classes. Writing with keen insight and sly wit, Austen makes for some entertaining reading and some wonderful sentences to savor in the process. One thing I noticed was how often the word “persuasion” or one of it’s forms was used throughout the story. It’s something I’d observed to be missing in the movie versions and that fact always struck me as odd. In the book, persuasion is a key theme. We are persuaded for or against so many things either intentionally or unintentionally throughout our lives and we also persuade those around us in similar fashion. The ramifications of all this persuading can be very significant. Perhaps we would all do well to pause and consider both the counsel we give and the counsel we receive more seriously.

The best place for sound counsel is the Word of God as we are reminded in Psalm 119:24 “Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.” When being persuaded by people, we should consider what type of people are seeking to influence us. Proverbs 12:5 advises “The thoughts of the righteous are just;the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.”

When it comes to influencing those around us it should be with great caution that we open our mouths to speak. We read in 2 Corinthians 5:11 “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.” Remember the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom! Psalm 111:10

I read Persuasion on my Ipod Touch using the Kindle App. I read when I couldn’t sleep. Truth be told, by the end I couldn’t sleep because I was reading! I’d like to read the book a second time, but I probably won’t make that happen any time soon. Persuasion is a wonderful story, a love story – true love! I loved it.

This book was read as part of my participation in the 25:11 Challenge. If you aren’t familiar with the challenge, please read my post about it. I’m really enjoying being intentional about reading. If 25 books seems like too many at this season of life, how about 11 books in 2011? Do what works for you, but do spend some time reading real books!