Is Sparknotes Really Easier to Read than the Novel?

Sparknotes: Sure it Saves Time, but is it Really Easier to Read than the Novel?

Sparknotes have been around for a countless number of middle school, high school, and even college students. It functions as an easy summary/analysis of just about every book that has some literary importance and is used in school assignments. This works well for students who want to do the bare minimum, but are they aware what they are missing? In some cases, Sparknotes is actually more difficult to read than the original novel.

In this article, I am going to analyze and compare the first four chapter summaries of Jane Austen’s famous novel, Pride and Prejudice. This is a novel widely assigned in high school English classes. Naturally students are going to “not have time” or just plain don’t want to read the book. This is where Sparknotes comes in. It provides summaries and analyses of each chapter, gives a plot overview, character analyses, and even explains some of the important quotes in the novel. With this free website being accessible to all students anywhere, it makes it very easy not to read the assigned book and just skim over the chapter summaries. Sparknotes target audience are students (in particular those who want to do the bare minimum to pass the class), and since the level of the student ranges, they put their explanations and summaries in “simple” terms and uses the plain style in its summaries, omitting and/or rephrasing complicated words and providing basic important events of each chapter.

It’s easy to understand Sparknotes main objective is to provide the student with a fast and understandable summary and analysis of the book. This website provides students with an easy way out of reading it entirely as well. However, my argument is that although Sparknotes does provide a decent summary and analysis (and of course saves time), but it isn’t always easier to read than the original novel. These chapters of Pride and Prejudice will help me make my case.

This is chapter one and two Sparknotes style:

The news that a wealthy young gentleman named Charles Bingley has rented the manor known as Netherfield Park causes a great stir in the neighboring village of Longbourn, especially in the Bennet household. The Bennets have five unmarried daughters, and Mrs. Bennet, a foolish and fussy gossip, is the sort who agrees with the novel’s opening words: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” She sees Bingley’s arrival as an opportunity for one of the girls to obtain a wealthy spouse, and she therefore insists that her husband call on the new arrival immediately. Mr. Bennet torments his family by pretending to have no interest in doing so, but he eventually meets with Mr. Bingley without their knowing. When he reveals to Mrs. Bennet and his daughters that he has made their new neighbor’s acquaintance, they are overjoyed and excited.
Eager to learn more, Mrs. Bennet and the girls question Mr. Bennet incessantly. A few days later, Mr. Bingley returns the visit, though he does not meet Mr. Bennet’s daughters. The Bennets invite him to dinner shortly afterward, but he is called away to London. Soon, however, he returns to Netherfield Park with his two sisters, his brother-in-law, and a friend named Darcy.

And this is the original first chapter of the novel:

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.

"My dear Mr. Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?"

Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.

"But it is," returned she; "for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it."

Mr. Bennet made no answer.

"Do not you want to know who has taken it?" cried his wife impatiently.

"You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it."

This was invitation enough.

"Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it, that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week."

"What is his name?"

"Bingley."

"Is he married or single?"

"Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!"

"How so? how can it affect them?"

"My dear Mr. Bennet," replied his wife, "how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them."

"Is that his design in settling here?"

"Design! nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes."

"I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better, for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party."

"My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be any thing extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown-up daughters she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty."

"In such cases a woman has not often much beauty to think of."

"But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood."

"It is more than I engage for, I assure you."

"But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go, merely on that account, for in general, you know, they visit no new-comers. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him if you do not."

"You are over-scrupulous surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chuses of the girls: though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy."

"I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good-humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving her the preference."

"They have none of them much to recommend them," replied he; "they are all silly and ignorant, like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters."

"Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way! You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves."

"You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least."

"Ah! you do not know what I suffer."

"But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood."

"It will be no use to us if twenty such should come, since you will not visit them."

"Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty, I will visit them all."

Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three-and-twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develope. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.

Yes, the first chapter is longer than the condensed, two chapters into one paragraph Sparknotes version, but take a moment to see everything that was cut out:

·         All the dialogue (Sparknotes offers no idea who says what or what is being discussed, proves useful for determining “who said this important quote” on a test.)

·         Little insight into the character’s personalities (There is no indication of who we as a reader should like/dislike. We should like Darcy, but since we do not know his personality well enough we are led to believe that we as a reader shouldn’t like him.)

·         No mention of any of the daughters names (They are important characters, it should be mentioned in the summaries.)

·         All emotion is stripped from the novel (We as a reader don’t know how this literature should be effecting us. If we don’t have a good insight into how the novel is supposed to make us feel, then how are we to write a good short answer or essay on a test? Furthermore, Pride and Prejudice is considered the original love story, influcing hundreds of love story plot lines in future books and movies. Sparking emotion was a vital part of this book.)

If you continue on with the next two chapters (or paragraphs on Sparknotes), this is what else you’re missing:

·         More dialogue ( Again, not getting insight who says what, missing out on the personalities of each of the characters.)

·         Darcy’s secret love for Elizabeth (A VERY important thing to be left out, since this a major plotline in the novel.)

·         Darcy’s refusal to dance at the ball (An important action, since this further develops his personality and his interactions with Elizabeth.)

·         No mention of Darcy’s extremely attractive appearance and effect on the ball’s crowd (If we didn’t know he was attractive, why would we as a reader even bother to think twice about him? Appearance was a big deal during this era, and still is today. It’s one of the basic laws of attraction.)

·         A more thorough description of Darcy’s and Bingley’s character ( This helps the reader make inferences in the novel and further understand the plotline as conflicts begin to arise later in the novel.)

·         No mention of the other three daughter’s names (Again, these are important characters in the novel who should be noticed.)

What is more interesting is this: the readability (ease of reading) is actually lower than that of the original novel’s chapter. More simply put, it’s easier to read and understand the novel versus the Sparknotes summary. This may come with a bit of resistance for students who actively use Sparknotes. However, in response to that, I would like to state that Sparknotes markets itself to be “easier” and “less the consuming” than reading some novels. That’s the whole objective; they market this idea to students, and in effect they make a lot of money selling the paper versions of novels as well as other learning “cheat sheets”, or guides. You can see this marketing strategy on the sidebars of the Sparknotes website:

 I was always led to believe Sparknotes was easier than reading the novel. But when I started comparing readability and structure (official style vs. plain style) the results started to prove differently. This begins with the reading grade levels. Sparknotes grade level is 8.5, whereas the novel’s version is only grade level 5.7.

With this new and interesting data, this is why Sparknotes is more difficult to read than this Victorian era novel:

Even though Sparknotes is written in the plain style, there are still some elements of the official style still seen within it. This is why it becomes a higher grade level and a lower readability than that of the original novel. For example, in the Sparknotes version the sentence “Eager to learn more, Mrs. Bennet and the girls question Mr. Bennet incessantly” appears. Not everyone knows what the word incessant means, especially not those in high school. If instead you read the chapter from the novel, you would be able to make the inference based on the dialogue and demeanor of the characters that incessantly means constant, or nonstop. To prevent ambiguity and also make the readability higher, Sparknotes should have used a more commonly known word.

Another word that Sparknotes could have made less ambiguous was “manor” in “Charles Bingley has rented the manor known as Netherfield Park.” It could have easily been translated into “large estate.”

These “official style” phrases and words show up in just about every chapter in the Sparknotes summaries. If Sparknotes wanted to make their readability higher and in effect easier to understand instead of just “saving students time,” they would make more of their ambiguous words “plain style,” or at least offer a distincto after the word is presented to prevent ambiguity.

Another reason Sparknotes has a lower readability is its complex sentence structure. This sentence “She sees Bingley’s arrival as an opportunity for one of the girls to obtain a wealthy spouse, and she therefore insists that her husband call on the new arrival immediately” comes off pretty ambiguous. I mean, the word “therefore” is included. If that’s not a clear case of the “official style,” then I might as well be a zebra. This sentene could have easily been both made simpler and less official if it has been made into two sentences starting at “and she therefore,” change obtain to potentially marry, and change “call on the new arrival” to go meet him.

Now read the same passage from the novel that was “simplified” in the one sentence by Sparknotes:

"Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!"

"How so? how can it affect them?"

"My dear Mr. Bennet," replied his wife, "how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them."

"Is that his design in settling here?"

"Design! nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes."

 

It’s actually a lot less ambiguous reading this passage than that one sentence from Sparknotes.  Yes, “therefore” is included, but aside from that there are no “official” words, and instead of using “call on them” the passage says “you must visit him.” Also, instead of “obtain” it is less “ambiguous and vague” in the novel: “is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them.” To me, falling in love with a spouse sounds more applicable than “obtaining” a spouse.

Reading Pride and Prejudice tends to be a reading challenge to some students because of the era it was written. I went into this hypothesis thinking that Sparknotes was a straight up example of turning the “official style” (Pride and Prejudice) into “plain style”. However, after plugging in chapter selections/ summaries from both sides, the readability is easier for Pride and Prejudice than its Sparknotes counterpart.  Reading the novel can immediately build prejudice (pardon the pun) that it is going to be difficult to read because it’s not written in modern English. Technically speaking, the Modern Language as we know it has been around since 1470. Even from 1470 to 1650 was considered “Early Modern English”. Pride and Prejudice was published in 1813. The choice of words from then and now has changed a little, but really it’s not worth giving up and resorting to Sparknotes for.

Sparknotes should not be used as a crutch, or as the only way of “reading” the novel. Chapters are literally condensed to a paragraph, with the entire magic of the novel cut out. As proved, Sparknotes includes more complex and official sentences, ambiguous words and official elements than that of the original novel. Yes, reading the summaries is a time saver, but Pride and Prejudice is a quick read, and as I’ve pointed out, an easier read as well.  

--Annalise Falck-Pedersen