How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines, Revised Edition by Thomas C. Foster (2014)
Laura’s Rating: 4/5 Stars
My fiancé chose this for a book club and while it wasn’t necessarily popular with the other members, I really enjoyed it.
The Analysis:
Most stories can (and should, in my opinion) be able to be read on a basic level. But in literary fiction, there is often deeper meanings woven throughout a book that can add depth to the story. The aim of this book is to give the reader the tools to be able to think and read like a college professor. Author Thomas Foster explores themes and plot devices including weather, seasons, Shakespearean references, and the hidden meaning of a journey or a meal in literature.
I found this book to be a helpful intro/refresher to literary analysis. A lot of the topics covered may seem obvious or may be familiar from school, but I think they’re still worth exploring. Sometimes the reminder in itself is important for readers to be cognizant of everything going on in a book underneath the surface. My favorite concept that Foster explored was intertextuality, or in other words, how all texts across history relate to one another. Every time a new book or poem is written, it adds to the collective narrative and can provide us with new ways to read and interact with old texts.
Foster uses many references to illustrate the concepts he is talking about, including everything from ancient epics to newer literature to the occasional movie. I found that when I had read the book, his examples were extremely helpful. If I hadn’t read the work he was referencing, the example sometimes resonated, but generally didn’t add as much to my takeaway. My main complaint about the book is that there are a few spoilers for classic works, which as a young but avid reader, I’m still exploring.
Finally, as a writer, I found that this book inspired me to be more intentional with my writing and to work in references that may add depth to the text. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in literary analysis or writing.
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