How to Read Literature Like a Professor Revised - Thomas C. Foster

How to Read Literature Like a Professor Revised

By Thomas C. Foster

  • Release Date: 2014-02-25
  • Genre: Literary Criticism
Score: 3.5
3.5
From 101 Ratings

Description

Thoroughly revised and expanded for a new generation of readers, this classic guide to enjoying literature to its fullest—a lively, enlightening, and entertaining introduction to a diverse range of writing and literary devices that enrich these works, including symbols, themes, and contexts—teaches you how to make your everyday reading experience richer and more rewarding.

While books can be enjoyed for their basic stories, there are often deeper literary meanings beneath the surface. How to Read Literature Like a Professor helps us to discover those hidden truths by looking at literature with the practiced analytical eye—and the literary codes—of a college professor.

What does it mean when a protagonist is traveling along a dusty road? When he hands a drink to his companion? When he’s drenched in a sudden rain shower? Thomas C. Foster provides answers to these questions as he explores every aspect of fiction, from major themes to literary models, narrative devices, and form. Offering a broad overview of literature—a world where a road leads to a quest, a shared meal may signify a communion, and rain, whether cleansing or destructive, is never just a shower—he shows us how to make our reading experience more intellectually satisfying and fun.

The world, and curricula, have changed. This third edition has been thoroughly revised to reflect those changes, and features new chapters, a new preface and epilogue, as well as fresh teaching points Foster has developed over the past decade. Foster updates the books he discusses to include more diverse, inclusive, and modern works, such as Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give; Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven; Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere; Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X; Helen Oyeyemi's Mr. Fox and Boy, Snow, Bird; Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street; Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God; Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet; Madeline Miller’s Circe; Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls; and Tahereh Mafi’s A Very Large Expanse of Sea.

Reviews

  • Excellent introduction to reading literature.

    5
    By jrmar2039
    My daughter brought this book home as a summer reading assignment from her high school. She will start 11th grade in the fall. I believe many of the ideas discussed will help her to enjoy reading. I started reading at a very early age. By the time I got to Orwell, for example, I had a background in literature and many of the devices and techniques writers used to convey aspects of the story; even if I didn’t have a name for them. Today’s students need some help to get beyond a page full of words, sentences and paragraphs. This book is helpful making reading informative and enjoyable.
  • I Purchased This Book On Amazon

    1
    By boog_aadi
    This book was one of the most terrible works of literature I have ever read. The Author repeats himself thousands of times and expects us to be interested. The entirety of his book is just quoting scenes from other books. 0/10 would not recommend.
  • AMAZING!!!

    5
    By After_fanatic
    When I first intended to buy this book I had read many of the reviews. They weren’t positive whatsoever and it had frightened me in a way that I would be discouraged to pick up another novel. However, once I’ve read this book I learned about the different ways that past writers have used the very devices that being life to the world of literature. This author encourages readers to read through their own lens. To not judge a book by the reputation of the author but by the quality of the words printed on the pages. It is truly enlightening and a great read. I am speaking from a personal perspective. As the author encourages. I must read, analyze, and delve into a book to make up my own conclusions, therefore, if you as a potential buyer of this book is willing to take a chance on this, I feel it would be quite worth the while.
  • WARNING!!! DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!!!

    1
    By kkenda
    This book ruined reading for me. I used to enjoy reading books so much, I'd buy a three book series and read it all within four days. Now that I read this book, it has been almost FIVE MONTHS since I have been able to read anything and enjoy it without Foster's book ruining it for me. He didn't just ruin plot and story, he ruined characters, setting, character motivations and actions, EVERYTHING!!! I worldbuild, and his Chapter 10: Never Stand Next to the Hero, was very insulting and close-minded. Save your money and save your love of reading, and DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME READING SOMETHING THAT WILL MAKE YOU HATE READING!!!
  • Excellent!

    5
    By Jesus RCJ
    This is a great book! I find literature even more interesting now thanks to this book. The author adds some humor to it which makes it very enjoyable. I read it in nearly one sitting because of how great it was.
  • Examples examples examples

    1
    By Kitty W.
    I am reading this book for summer reading and it is overall not a good book. The author has 2-3 pages worth of good information per chapter, and then the other 70% is superfluous examples that drag on and to prove his point. If you are an English/literature professor or an avid fan of literature, this might be a good read for you. In my opinion the title suggests the book would be a great source for beginning students of literature; however, the book is filled with classical examples from the 1800's that many people have likely not read, and detracts from the purpose of the book. The chapters focus mainly on explaining different works from the 18 and 1900's and how they use different strategies instead of the strategies themselves and how to find them in literature. If you truly want to learn an introduction to literature, I would suggest a different book or online site as they could be much more concise and informative at the same time for a beginner. The book itself is not horrible in my opinion, but is meant for a more well read audience that wouldn't likely be reading a book with such a title.
  • Meme

    1
    By AdelePhenatic
    I didnt like the title
  • I can't believe it

    1
    By Classic20
    I had to read this book for summer reading, and I was very offended. Even though there were only a couple of good points from the book I learned nothing. But I was offended by reading this book as a Christian and being insulted or my views getting change from the world view. The author had a misconception about Christians and portrayed it wrong too!

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