The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion

Pride and Prejudice - Reading Schedule


The following will be our Reading Schedule for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Week 1 (Nov 02 - 08): Volume I, Chapters 1-14
Week 2 (Nov 09 - 15): Volume I, Chapters 15 - 23
Week 3 (Nov 16 - 22): Volume II, Chapters 1 - 8
Week 4 (Nov 23 - 29): Volume II, Chapter 9 - 19
Week 5 (Nov 30 - Dec 06): Volume III, Chapters 1 - 8
Week 6 (Dec 07 - 13): Volume III, Chapters 9 - 19

Please note: I had to rely on AI to create this schedule because the only copy of this book my library has is an e-book. My ebook has over 1000 pages, which I know is not correct. So if there is a glaring error, please do let me know.

My copy doesn't split into volumes, but it has the same number of chapters.

Anne wrote: "My copy doesn't split into volumes, but it has the same number of chapters."

Great, thank you, Anne.

I must ask, why does the reading schedule overlap two weeks of the book that we are currently reading? are there time constraints or something?

This is a beautiful FREE edition. Wonderful illustrations by Hugh Thompson. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/...

Ginny wrote: "This is a beautiful FREE edition. Wonderful illustrations by Hugh Thompson. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/...

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Thanks so much, Ginny! Even if we are reading in other formats, it's worth looking at those illustrations.

Neil wrote: "I must ask, why does the reading schedule overlap two weeks of the book that we are currently reading? are there time constraints or something?"

It's pretty normal here. We often have three books going in the group at once!

The Hugh Thompson illustrations were discussed as a cultural artifact by Andrew Maunder in an essay excerpted in the Fourth (!) Norton Critical Edition of Pride and Prejudice. I suggest trying a library or inexpensive used copy if you can find one, unless you really want and are willing to pay for a poorly executed Kindle edition, or can afford it new.

Maunder contends that the illustrations restored attention to the humor of the book, which was in danger of being overlooked (compare Mark Twain’s obliviousness to its satire), especially, I would think, by the “Dear Aunt Jane” approach.

Despite the enticingly tactile and sumptuously leatherette bound copy of Pride and Prejudice sitting alluringly on one of my bookshelves, delicately embossed with golden ‘flounces’ not unlike the adornments on one of Jane’s Regency ballgowns, I will be using Ginny’s book suggestion displayed on my super-duper Kobo Libra II.

The PG version will allow me to read the novel in the same frivolous and irreverent way that Jane wrote it. I will be scribbling notes, underlining/highlighting phrases and drawing my own illustrations across the pages as I see fit, whilst at the same time switching to read the remnants of Jane’s letters to Cassandra as she teases her with ‘First Impressions.’

Doodling a disgruntled Darcy, for example, can be so satisfying and can help me to empathise a little with his pride.

I will also be enlarging the text and changing the font to suit my mood and level of eye weariness. Hopefully such an approach will enable me to contribute to the group discussion in a fun and frolicsome way.

Trev wrote: "Despite the enticingly tactile and sumptuously leatherette bound copy of Pride and Prejudice sitting alluringly on one of my bookshelves, delicately embossed with golden ‘flounces’..."

My book dilemma exactly-while in theory I love reading the beautifully bound and illustrated books, there is something satisfying about being able to underline and comment in situ (although you must have a better e-reader than me if you can doodle too!).