Austen Small Bites
Hi! My name is Allison, and I’ve loved reading since I learned how. I remember flying through books when I was younger, but as I’ve gotten older, making myself actually sit down and open a book sometimes feels like climbing a mountain with a refrigerator strapped to my back. I find I can understand and digest classic books, which may require a bit of a mental shift to get into, much better when they’re broken up into small parts. Having a prompt to remind me to get in my reading for the day helps, too.
While I somehow managed to read The Great Gatsby three times in the course of my formal education, I recently realized that I’ve never read a single one of Jane Austen’s novels. So, I’ve decided to read them in little pieces over the next however-long-it-takes, and thought it might be fun to share the journey with anyone else who’s always wanted to read the books, but never found the time. This is, of course, not a new idea— I was inspired by other classic lit newsletters, such as Dracula Daily, Whale Weekly, and Les Mis Letters.
The Details
I’m planning to start with (of course) Pride and Prejudice.
If any significant number of readers have joined in by the time that’s finished, I’ll take some sort of poll to see what we’ll read next.
E-mails will contain one chapter each, and will come twice a week, on Monday and Thursday.
The start date for Pride and Prejudice is January 8, 2024. I’ll update the About page with dates for the next novel as we get there.
I hope that if you choose to read along, we’re able to enjoy the books together… sort of like a distant book club where no one has to talk if they don’t want to. Comments will be open on posts for discussion of the book, jokes, questions, etc., so please use this feature if you’d like!
Hit the subscribe button below to join in on the fun!
