British mobile phone company Dot mobile a service has announced a new service that will condense classic works of literature into text messages as a resource to help its target audience of students study for exams or choose books to read.

The product, which will be available beginning in January, offers the company’s subscribers concise summaries of classic works directly on their cell phone screens.

Make that very concise. The company claims that with the help of a professor and his students, they have succeeded in translating complex plots and quotes into easy-to-digest messages or little more than three or four lines of text.

The textbooks service is launching with versions of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Charles Dickens’s Bleak House, Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre and William Golding’s classic Lord Of The Flies. Dot mobile is also planning to make The Complete Works of Shakespeare and Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales available in text form by April 2006.

The dot mobile text book service also offers key quotes from classic works of literature, designed to aid students in their revision process. These range from the classic quotes of Shakespeare to lengthy passages from key works including The Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby. Key quotes include:

Quote: “To be or not to be, that is the question” (William Shakespeare, Hamlet)

Text message: 2b? Nt2b? = ??? 

Quote: “A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse. (William Shakespeare, Richard III)

Text message: Ahors,, m'kndgdom 4 

Quote: “In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. 'Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone,' he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.'” (F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby)

Text message: InMyYungr&^vulnrblYrsMyFthrGavMeSumAdvysDatIvBnTrninOvaInMyMindEvaSync.

'WenevaUFeelLykDissinNe1,jstMembaDatAlDaPplnDaWrldHvntHdDaVantgsUvAd'.

The dot mobile team that devised the scheme argues that text messaging is one of the key forms of communication among students, making it an ideal medium to use for educational purposes. The company says their new product will help thousands of students remember key plots and quotes, and will increase educational standards rather than decrease levels of literacy.'

Compare the plain English summaries of major works with the text message summaries.

Text message summary: FeudTween2hses--Montague&Capulet. RomeoM falls_<3w/_JulietC@mary Secretly Bt R kils J's Coz&isbanishd. J fakes Death. As Part of Plan2b-w/R Bt_leter Bt It Nvr Reachs Him. Evry1confuzd---bothLuvrs kil Emselves.

Plain English summary: Nuclear War – two boys, Ralph and Piggy form a group to revive the old culture. Jack – the leader of an opposing group – takes Ralph’s supporters away. A mystery beast on the island causes panic but Simon finds out it is only a parachute. Jack tries to kill Ralph but Ralph is saved by a ship that has seen the emergency smoke.

Text message summary: NuclearWar-2boysRalph&PigyFormGrup2reviveOldCultr.Jack-oposnLeadrTaksR'sSuportersAway. MystryBeastOnIslandCauzsPanicBtSimonFindsOutTisOnlyAParachute.Jtries2kilRbtR's savd ByShipDat c's emergncySmoke.

Plain English summary: The devil is kicked out of heaven because he is jealous of Jesus and starts a war. He is angry with God and so corrupts man (who is made by God) with an apple. The devil remains as a serpent for the whole of his life and man is ruined. Woe unto mankind.

Text message summary: devl kikd outa hevn coz jelus of jesus&strts war. pd'off wiv god so corupts man(md by god) wiv apel. devl stays serpnt 4hole life&man ruind. Woe un2mnkind.

Plain English summary: Five sisters wanting husbands. There are two new men in town - Bingley and Darcy. They are handsome and wealthy. Big sister Jane falls for Bingley but second sister Elizabeth hates Darcy because of his proud. Slimy soldier Wickham says that Darcy has a shady past. It turns out that he's actually a really nice guy and really fancies Elizabeth. She decides that she likes him. Everyone gets married.

Text message summary: 5SistrsWntngHsbnds.NwMenInTwn-Bingly&Darcy Fit&Loadd. BigSisJaneFals4B,2ndSisLizH8sDCozHesProud.SlimySoljrWikamSysDHsShadyPast. TrnsOutHesActulyARlyNysGuy&RlyFancysLiz.SheDecydsSheLyksHim.Evry1GtsMaryd.

Plain English summary: Lockwood arrives at Wuthering Heights and learns about its history. Cathy and Heathcliffe grew up there before Cathy married Edgar and moved to Thrushcross Grange and rejected Heathcliffe who loved her. Cathy dies but her daughter later marries Heathcliffe's son Linton. Before Heathcliffe's death Cathy's ghost haunts him.

Text message summary: LockwoodArives"WuthHites&lernsBowtItsHistry.Cathy&HeathclifGrewUpTherB4CmarydEdgar,movd2 ThrushXGrange& rejectd H,who<3?dHer.Cdies but hr daughtrL8rMarrysH'sSon-Linton.b4 H's deth C's ghost haunts hm.