Read e-mail, take your daily dose of lit

With all the time spent staring at monitors of various size and shape, it's surprising how many people balk at the idea of reading something "substantial" from a computer screen.

In many cases we are trading small bits of information, in concert with the generally short attention span brought about by the Internet age.

But as we prepare long documents and read deep articles about culture, the idea of serious reading off of a computer screen doesn't seem so weird.

Which is why DailyLit, a service that delivers books through e-mail one portion at a time, is a viable way to expose yourself to literature.

At the same time, "Moby-Dick" in 252 timed installments may be the only way some modern people can digest one of literature's most complicated works.

Considering the clutter present on the average social-networking site, DailyLit is almost too simple for words.

You select a book from the library and determine the frequency (daily, on weekdays or Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and the time you want it to arrive.

If you miscalculate, you can always play catch-up or request the next installment be sent right away.

The available selection is mostly public-domain works that often fall under the "classics" rubric. The aforementioned white-whale tale. Brontë, Dickens, Shakespeare, Shaw and Sophocles.

No Steinbeck or Hemingway, but there are a few from Fitzgerald. No "Great Gatsby," though. "Tom Sawyer" but no "Huck Finn." Lots of Edgar Allen Poe.

This is just another way to experience the great books. While a book may be a natural way to learn about Heathcliff or Ahab, the medium isn't the point.

Some people will enjoy the serialization (which, incidentally, is how some of these novels were published in the first place).

You could print them out, but that indicates a lack of commitment. If you want to read these books on real paper, the books themselves are cheap enough.

These excerpts don't correspond with the book's actual chapters, and in some cases the service adds extra line breaks to make it a little easier to read.

The dispatches are in segments of about 1,000 words — a standard screenful of text — so it fits the Internet lifestyle to receive one per day.

The idea that you will be reading "Moby-Dick" through next April is a bit too much of a commitment. On the other hand, a daily slice of H.G. Wells may be just as useful as those stale CNN dispatches.

Taking a regular literature break is one way to revitalize your day, clear your head and improve efficiency. So if DailyLit wasn't free, you could probably get the boss to pay for it.

I've signed onto DailyLit for a few short books, just for the mental exercise. While I probably won't tackle "Moby-Dick" in this format, it's nice to see how it's possible to bring old art and new technology together.

If you have questions or suggestions for Charles Bermant, you can contact him by e-mail at cbermant@seattletimes.com. Type Inbox in the subject field. More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists.