Every guy knows that Pride and Prejudice sets a really high standard for love. You have to be rich, handsome, and get in arguments that somehow only deepen her love for you. Sure, that’s all really easy. Right? Obviously not. But that doesn’t mean that the classics of British literature can’t work in your favor. This step by step guide will help you work out a plan to get some play from long dead authors.

Step One: Find your girl’s favorite book

“Search for her favorite book and buy it”

This isn’t a difficult step: ask her. If she says, “Oh, I can’t choose!” then ask for her top three. If she says, “I don’t really read…” then this is not the guide for you.

Step Two: Sparknotes the book she said

Skip to the second on ‘themes’, and just look out for the bolded phrases that say things like ‘star crossed lovers’ and ‘death and rebirth’. These are the broad themes that appeal to your girlfriend.

Step Three: Find a classic book that reflects those themes

We would start with “Pride and Prejudice,” “Jane Eyre,” and “Emma.” If none of those fit, just keep branching out. There is nothing new under the sun, as they say, and you will find some period literature that reflects at least the major themes of your girl’s favorite modern classic.

Step Four: Buy the book, either in eBook format, or paperback

We would recommend paperback, but if you and your girlfriend both have an eReader that allows you to share texts, this would be acceptable. Make sure that you can do this before you buy the book. Otherwise, buy a paperback or hardback edition. While you’re at it, buy some highlighters, fancy pens, and all that kind of good stuff. You’re going to need them.

Step Five: Turn the book into a love letter to her

“Highlight the lines to send her a beautiful message”

OK, this may seem like something strange, but it works like a charm. Take up your highlighters and designate each a color; pink (yes, pink) for passages that remind you of her, blue for phrases that you think she’ll enjoy, etc. Mark the book. Take your pens and write her notes in the margins. Share your reactions to the story, whether certain parts moved you or not, your opinions of characters. Really share with her. Talk about her a lot, what you were thinking about her when you did all this. Take your time. This is not a gift that should be given lightly or casually. Do one chapter a night, or five pages a night, or however much you can stand, but don’t rush. Every page should have at least one highlight or note to her.

Step Six: Gift wrap that in some nice paper and wait for her birthday or Christmas to roll around

Bring it out, put it down, and watch yourself blow her mind with your romantic thoughtfulness.

Now that you know the six steps to making romantic era British literature work for you, there’s nothing stopping you from putting out the most romantic present of all time. Just sit back, read some good old books, and fill them up with affection for your special someone. A girl who reads will definitely appreciate this, and a guy who can do this for her is one she’ll want for a long time to come.