tales of Suchita

When I was little, I had two books that were the size of a pocket square: Black Beauty and Pride and Prejudice. They were my pride and joy because of their size. They weren’t the same size as mom’s books and neither were they weirdly big like my sister’s children’s books. They were a unique size and solely mine. I read P&P multiple times but I couldn’t bring myself to read Black Beauty. Maybe because at the time, I didn’t see the point of reading a book about a horse.

They were abridged versions, a word I did not understand then. I remember reading so many abridged books – those that Reader’s Digest used to send out with four stories in one book. That’s how I was introduced to Nicholas Sparks. It used to be such a high, reading four stories in one sitting.

But as soon as I understood the meaning of abridged, it was like I had been betrayed by the literary world. How could they summarize and package books like this? I was so angry! So I started looking for the full and adult, thank you very much, version of Pride and Prejudice. 

I have read this book many times since but the first time I read it, I remember reading a dictionary repeatedly, trying but failing to understand what the word prejudice meant. What I most adored about the book was the sisterhood between Jane and Elizabeth since I had a sister of my own. And of course Mr. Darcy. 

It was only as my bent towards writing grew that I realized how well P&P is written – the words, the sentence construction, the wit. It was the first time it occurred to me that language could be beautiful. That words didn’t just convey meaning but they could convey a place, an emotion, a judgement and they could incite in me, a reader, to feel things, to learn things and to escape from my bedroom and roam the roads of Hertfordshire. 

Of course there was the whole debate of why do you like Mr. Darcy when he’s so cruel to Elizabeth and he’s so standoffish, etc. I didn’t engage in these discussions until a friend made her then boyfriend, now husband read Pride and Prejudice because he couldn’t love her until he understood her obsession with Mr. Darcy. 

And then I really started to think about why I liked Mr. Darcy. The reason was simple – I saw myself in him. I’m awkward, arrogant, standoffish and think I’m too clever for my own good. Until someone comes and clonks me on my head and brings me back to earth, reminding me that it is okay to be vulnerable and human and awkward but kind. I also like that he’s so protective of his sister. Yes, I’m the elder sister, I cannot help but be a sucker for younger sisters – they’re annoying but essential.

Let me leave you with my favourite quote, not just of this book but ever, which for me was and perhaps is the height of romance:

I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow.

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Connecting this post to #BlogchatterA2Z. To read other posts, check Theme Reveal 2022: Without Prearrangement.

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PS: If you like how I write and would like to read more, I have 2 ebooks on Kindle – both free if you’re on Kindle Unlimited. You can read more about the ebooks here.