December 1, 2006

• The Great Pride and Prejudice Read-a-thon!  
  

  

  Come and join in a fun, group reading of Pride and Prejudice in the month of December!
  

  
  

  
  

  Reading Schedule

  Read Chapters 1 to 15 by December 8.

  Read Chapters 16 to 30 by December 15.

  Read Chapters 31 to 45 by December 22.

  Read Chapters 46 to 60 by December 29.
  

  
  

  Suggestions for Reading 

  
  

  If you have never read the novel–  

              Watch one of the versions of Pride and Prejudice on DVD.  It will get you familiar with the story and it will allow you to better understand the social customs, outfits, and personalities of the characters.

  

  If you are a slow reader—

              Try to read a certain number of pages per day or set an amount of time to read each day. Even ten pages a day or fifteen minutes will have you through the novel in no time flat.

              Consider getting the unabridged book on CD from the library.  You can listen to it instead of reading or use it to give you more time in the book. Folding laundry, driving, washing dishes—all these times could be spent with the Bennets!

   

  If you are a fast reader—

              Consider savoring the novel. Only allow yourself to read a certain number of pages per day.  Also, you might want to try getting the book on CD.  It will slow your pace down, and it will provide a novel way to experience the book.

   

  If you’ve read the book before—

              Instead of simply re-reading, why not become an expert on one of the characters?  Why is Mary such an unimportant person in the book, even though Mr. Collins is just as annoying as she is?  Why does Darcy Senior like Wickham so well?  Why are the Gardiners so different from the Bennets?  Is there anything loveable about Lydia? 

              Read an annotated version of the novel, one with notes explaining the different terms and words. 

              Get a book of literary criticism on Pride and Prejudice. See what others had to say.  Flirting with Pride an Prejudice  is a campy, fun start, but there are so many other books.  Hit up a college library, or go online and start looking. The Jane Austen Society of North America is a great place to start.

              Read a biography of Jane Austen or a book about England during the Regency Era (1800 – 1820 or so).  You’ll learn so much more!  I like Jane Austen: The World of her Novels by Deidre Le Faye because of all the color pictures and all  the information.

   

  How Will This Discussion Work?

  The idea is that we will all read the book mostly on the same schedule and share insights, comments, and questions we have about what we’ve read.  If someone becomes “an expert” on a character, it might be fun for her (or him) to answer the questions asked using the character’s voice.  I hope that I won’t have to make all the comments or ask all the questions!  Please, please share a lot and often!

  If any of us have Regency costumes, interesting websites, or other books to share, be sure to do so.
  

  You don’t have to officially “do” anything to participate. Read, comment when you want, and have lots of fun!
  

  If you have a comment or question or observation, there are two ways to share it. One way is to come to this blog (TeacherPerson) and make your comment here. If you’d like to comment on your own blog, make sure you come to this blog and leave a comment with a link back to your own blog.
  

  How to make a link to your blog entry:

  1.      Type your entry and post it.

  2.      Click on the “Leave a comment” link for that entry.  This will open the entry in its own page.

  3.      Copy the ( web address) in the browser bar.

  4.      Come to my comment section.

  5.      Click on “Add link” at the top of the white comment box.

  6.      When prompted, “Enter URL,” paste the copied address of your blog entry.

  7.      When prompted “Enter title,” type in “Go here” or something like that.

  8.      Copy the URL which appears in the box and click “OK.”

  9.      Paste this URL into the comment box.  You can also type other words.  For example:  I have a lot of questions about social customs in the novel. GO HERE to read them.  (Where “GO HERE” is the active hyperlink.)

  10. To check that you did things correctly, click “preview html” before you submit your entry.  When the box pops up, click on the link you made and see if your blog entry pops up.

   
  

  If you have any questions, great ideas, or comments, please share!  Invite all your Pride and Prejudice loving friends to read along.  Encourage those homeschooling teens to read along!

  

  • 2:11 pm
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