Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Chapter-a-Day Read-along, whether you read all five books or limited yourself to just a few of them. In this post I’ll share a few of my reflections on the year, and I would love to know your thoughts about the experience. I invite you to leave a comment on this post to share what reading a chapter a day was like for you.

The Divine Comedy – From my wrap-up post:

There is so much depth to Dante’s poetry and there were so many footnotes that I feel I just scratched the surface of the poem. A daily read-along is probably not the best way to read the poem in the way it deserves to be read, but still I feel like this read-along has given me a good sense of the poem’s overall organization and layout. I believe that a deep reading of a work of literature should always begin with an initial reading of the book all the way through, and I think I now have enough of an understanding of The Divine Comedy that I would be in good shape to study it more thoroughly.

Quo Vadis – From my wrap-up post:

I’ve read Quo Vadis a few times already, and this reading reaffirmed all that I love about the novel. Henryk Sienkiewicz brings the apostolic era alive in a way that stirs up my admiration for the early Christians and encourages me in my own faith journey. Perhaps the best thing I can say about the book is that it makes me want to be a better disciple.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

It was good to finally get this book read after seeing it on my shelves for decades. It was more tragic and sensationalized than I expected, but it was still worth reading.

David Copperfield

It was a relief to find out that this book was as good as I remembered, and even better in some respects. It unfolded beautifully and ended just the way it should have. Not as dramatic as other Dickens novels, which is not a bad thing. I will likely read this novel again, if for no other reason than to once more encounter the compelling cast of characters: Copperfield, Pegotty, Barkis, Tommy Traddles, Agnes, Steerforth, Micawber, and Heep. Even just seeing their names makes me want to read it again!

The Three Musketeers

I don’t know how I can read this book so many times and still be surprised by it. I enjoyed this reading as much as I have ever enjoyed The Three Musketeers before. I can never get enough of D’Artagnan, Athos, Aramis, and Porthos. Just thinking of them brings a smile to my face. And Milady is still one of the most cunning of all literary villains.

The good news is that the adventure is only beginning, as we continue into 2022 with the rest of D’Artagnan’s story.

As you hopefully know already, next year’s chapter-a-day read-along starts tomorrow and consists of all the sequels to The Three Musketeers. The next book finds our musketeer friends twenty years older. Are they wiser? That remains to be seen.

If you haven’t joined up yet, see the announcement post and get ready for more musketeer adventures!

Thanks again for participating, and please leave your comments below.