Pride and Prejudice should be on every Gentleman’s reading list – not just because it is a classic, funny, historically insightful or choked full of great characters.  But as a father, it reinforces the fact that my actions matter.  What I do impacts the trajectory and attitudes of my children more than I imagine.  But it is heartening to know that even two hundred years ago another father was messing up his kids.  We can learn from his errors. 

In my limited experience (and a not at all scientific estimate) I would say that 25% of the time the movie is better than the book.  Admittedly, this is subjective but for one reason or another, the movie’s interpretation or adaptation is simply more enjoyable.  Sometimes the movie’s pacing is better.  Other times, endings changed for the better.  On more than one occasion, movies have combined characters into an amalgamation that simply makes more sense. 

“The bishop went up to him and said quietly, ‘Don’t forget, never forget, you promised to use this money to become an honest man.’  Jean Valjean, who had no recollection of having made any promise, remained dumbfounded.  The bishop had dwelled on these words as he said them.  He went on with a kind of solemnity, “Jean Valjean, my brother, you’re no longer owned by evil but by good.  It’s your soul I’m buying.  I’m redeeming it from dark thoughts and the spirit of perdition, and I’m giving it to God.’

I am forever amazed at how a 1,000 page book on 12th Century cathedral building has lived in my head rent free for this long.

It has something everyone – history, conflict, romance, violence, murder, mystery, religion, politics, philosophy, and yes, even medieval architecture.    

Kids are astute and pick up more than we’ll ever know.  And we’ll never know exactly when they are watching and what they will absorb.     

“There are some men in this world who are born to do our unpleasant jobs for us.  Your father’s one of them.”

 “… but before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself.  The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”

“Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.”

Look long and hard at the reality you believe.  If you dogmatically subscribe to the beliefs of one party or one person, then you may be part of the problem.  Think for yourself.   

“Billy, with all his memories of the future, knew that the city would be smashed to smithereens and then burned – in about 30 more days.  He knew, too, that most of the people watching him would soon be dead.”

If the focus of your life is yourself, the result of your dying will be the indifference of others.