Students of English literature will soon be able to revise classic works before exams by turning to text messages on their mobiles.

Some of English literature's greatest masterpieces have been condensed into a few lines of text message to help students revise.

The service condenses classic works such as "Bleak House" by Charles Dickens and Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" into a handy aide memoire.

For example, a famous line from William Shakespeare's "Hamlet": "To be or not to be, that is the question" becomes "2b? Nt2b? ???".

A university professor claims it "amply demonstrates text's ability to fillet out the important elements in a plot".

"Whilst some may argue that Dickens is really too big a morsel to be swallowed by text, the Great Inimitable himself began working life as a short hand writer," John Sutherland of University College London, who is backing the project, told the BBC. "He would, I suspect, have approved of the brevity if nothing else."

The scheme has been developed by a student mobile service.

The professor has compressed entire plots, and believes it offers immense educational opportunities.

"Take for example the ending to (Charlotte Bronte's) 'Jane Eyre' - 'MadwyfSetsFyr2Haus'. Was ever a climax better compressed," he wondered.

For example, "Pride and Prejudice" is compressed into text as: 5Sistrs WntngHsbnds. NwMeninTwn-Bingly&Darcy. Fit&Loadd.BigSis Jane Fals 4B, 2ndSisLiz H8s D Coz Hes Proud. Slimy Soljr Wikam Sys DHs Shady Past. Trns Out Hes Actuly ARlyNysGuy &RlyFancysLiz. She Decyds She Lyks Him. Evry1 Gts Maryd.

And "Romeo Juliet" takes this shape: FeudTween 2hses- Montague&Capulet. RomeoMfalls_<3w/_JulietC@mary Secretly Bt R kils J's Coz &&is banishd. J fakes Death. As Part of Plan2b-w/R Bt_leter Bt It Nvr Reachs Him. Evry1confuzd-bothLuvrs kil Emselves