How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines
by Thomas C. Fosterbook data
603 ratings,
3.68
average rating, 158 reviews
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published
March 1st 2003
by Harper Paperbacks
binding
Paperback, 336 pages
isbn
006000942X
(isbn13: 9780060009427)
description
What does it mean when a fictional hero takes a journey? Shares a meal? Gets drenched in a sudden rain shower? Often, there is much more going on in a...more
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avg 3.68
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
recommends it for:
anyone taking any kind of English class. Anyone.
Awesome. Simply awesome. I'd recommend it for any student who has ever asked the eternal question after being assigned some obscure piece of literature in an English class - "why the HELL DO I HAVE TO READ THIS?!" Trust me. Thomas C. Foster is your friend. He feels your pain. And he's here to help.
As an English major, I have an intense love for books, obviously, even the classic texts that even I find a little hopeless and empty at times. But these essays help you to find t...more
As an English major, I have an intense love for books, obviously, even the classic texts that even I find a little hopeless and empty at times. But these essays help you to find t...more
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
Literature fans wanting to go more in-depth
Ever wonder what it means when a character steps in a puddle? Why an author suddenly goes into great detail about some otherwise unimportant event? Well, why didn't you? If you read this book, you will.
An avid reader (of both pulp and literature, in roughly equal measure) who never took a college literature class, I've always known I was not getting all I could from my reading. After reading this book, I know I am much better equipped. Just finished my second read of Ishiguro's ...more
An avid reader (of both pulp and literature, in roughly equal measure) who never took a college literature class, I've always known I was not getting all I could from my reading. After reading this book, I know I am much better equipped. Just finished my second read of Ishiguro's ...more
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Read in August, 2008
My chief complaint, although more my fault than the “non textbook, with How to Read Literature Like a Professor is that most of the novel, plays, and poems Foster discusses I have not read. In fact, I only recognized three of the works he mentioned; Animal Farm, Hamlet, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Therefore, I found it hard to understand exactly what Foster was trying to say through his examples and his connections from one example to another.
And I feel like, since this w...more
And I feel like, since this w...more
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Read in June, 2008
Wonderful! I wish I had read this book before I embarked on the dreadful critical literary analysis course, which made me wonder why on earth I was getting a degree in literature. (AND I love that Foster feels the same way about the deconstructionist approach as I do). This book is for anyone who loves to read and wants the most from the experience. "Your reading should be fun," Foster exhorts. Yes, Yes, Yes! I can't wait to dig into the reading list included at the end of the boo...more
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Read in March, 2009
For the most part I enjoy Foster's summary of various literary motifs. He provides good examples on a variety of topics.
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Read in June, 2009
Going to the bookstore is dangerous as who knows what book titles may garner enough interest to have one pick up the book, read a few pages and decide to purchase. This is one of those books for me. I hated English in high school and suffered through one semester in college. However, I am in the mode of becoming a more serious and thoughtful reader with a desire to broaden the types of books read, and found this book helpful in this quest.
Three broad questions to ask when readin...more
Three broad questions to ask when readin...more
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Read in January, 2009
“There is only one story- what it means to be human. This takes in just about everything, since we want to know about space and time and things we don’t even know that we want to know about. Pure originality is impossible. You can’t use words no one else has ever used before. The work actually acquires depth and resonance from the accumulated use of certain basic patterns and tendencies. Moreover, works are actually more comforting because we recognize elements in them from our prior readi...more
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09/24/08
Ranelle
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Read in May, 2009
Started reading this book with the hope that it will help me think more about what I am reading. Would love to wrtie something in addition to just rating 1-5. At the moment however, am capable of exciting comments like "I liked it"!!
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I decided to read this unique book because it wasn't your ordinary "how to book". Thomas C. Foster, the author, combines vital instruction with interesting commentary to ultimately educate readers on how to properly read literature. I found it very interesting how Foster says that all books are related and have many connections among them. He also says that there are frequently biblical references or metaphors that the reader must look for. He also talks about the importance of each ch...more
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Read in June, 2009
Hi, my name is Sarah. I am a book nerd. Certified. Let's move on. I really liked this book. It IS lively and entertaining. Each chapter deals with various literary devices which, when noted, heighten the reading experience. Foster's style is easy and playful- I found it engaging:) Sometimes, I felt inundated by the number of examples that he gives per chapter-almost overwhelmed by all of the texts that I have not read. However, he gives these examples to help you understand the symbol or motif h...more
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Read in June, 2009
Foster is an invigorating writer who engages his readers with quirky word choice and explosive voice. The content he brings to the table was really helpful for me as an educator in the literacy dept. Foster brings out the foundational tools writers use in crafting literature - this read really helped me learn how to dissect literature in a more critical manner.
Only downfall: sometimes Foster adopts a narrow view of where stories stem from, or the "way to interpret" differe...more
Only downfall: sometimes Foster adopts a narrow view of where stories stem from, or the "way to interpret" differe...more
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Read in December, 2008
I absolutely loved this book. I disagree with the professor on some minor points, but overall I thought his work was brilliant.
First he covers the sources of traditional story patterns. The bible, myth, Shakespeare, folk tales, and more. Then he shows how they are played out in more modern works. Third he works through symbols, like water (though he missed that water is a fertility symbol), caves, sharing a meal, and going on a journey. Finally, he pulls it all together with a...more
First he covers the sources of traditional story patterns. The bible, myth, Shakespeare, folk tales, and more. Then he shows how they are played out in more modern works. Third he works through symbols, like water (though he missed that water is a fertility symbol), caves, sharing a meal, and going on a journey. Finally, he pulls it all together with a...more
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Read in March, 2009
This is a lovely book. If the tone of the book is any indication, Foster must be a great lecturer. He manages to be conversational, yet informative. He simplifies the symbolism of a variety of well-known books without being reductive, which is no small task. He does this by providing context without overwhelming the reader. If he discusses a book I read in high school or college, I learn somehing new or think about it in a different way. What's more is the books he discusses that I haven't ...more
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12/18/08
Lisa
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Read in December, 2008
Thomas Foster says at the end that his reader has put up with his digressions and mannerisms more than he has any right to expect. No she didn’t. She skimmed. A lot.
He writes for a popular audience and very carefully does not condescend, all very well. If I were part of his target audience instead of the condescending one to the side wondering that anyone could fail to sense that rain in a book is not precipitation but a symbol, I might have found him encouraging. As it was, I foun...more
He writes for a popular audience and very carefully does not condescend, all very well. If I were part of his target audience instead of the condescending one to the side wondering that anyone could fail to sense that rain in a book is not precipitation but a symbol, I might have found him encouraging. As it was, I foun...more
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Read in August, 2008
recommends it for:
book lovers
The title is a little to long to put in the subject
How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines by Thomas C. Foster
I thought it would be interesting to get a Professors insight into reading. Being a computer science nerd, I never took literature classes and only took the standard English class that my degree required. Being a huge reader and fan of books, I'm sorry I missed that chance.
Foster is not ha-h...more
How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines by Thomas C. Foster
I thought it would be interesting to get a Professors insight into reading. Being a computer science nerd, I never took literature classes and only took the standard English class that my degree required. Being a huge reader and fan of books, I'm sorry I missed that chance.
Foster is not ha-h...more
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Read in January, 2004
recommends it for:
anyone who wants to understand the deeper levels of books and films
I read this book several years ago. I didn't necessarily agree with everything included, but as time has gone on, I've been won over, simply by seeing, over and over again in many, many works, the specific things described.
I recommend this to every homeschooling mom who tells me that she doesn't know how to teach her children about literature. Until she understands literature herself, she'll have a hard time teaching it. This isn't the only book she should read about literature,...more
I recommend this to every homeschooling mom who tells me that she doesn't know how to teach her children about literature. Until she understands literature herself, she'll have a hard time teaching it. This isn't the only book she should read about literature,...more
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02/28/09
Ufo8mykat
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Great book for anyone: I found this book in a catalog that was sent to me at work. As I researched more about this book, I found out that many teachers across the country have thier students read it. As a high school English teacher and someone who rushed through thier English lit. degree, I was instatnly hooked. During our state testing, I have been reading it and chuckled out loud at it. It is well written and funny. It is hard to believe that you are actually learning as you read.
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Read in July, 2009
I appreciate Foster's sense of humor, and he definitely broke down the reading analysis process very effectively. That said, I think he spent a little too much time mentioning irony before his chapter that covered irony (which he assumed everyone would have the correct definition of - I find a lot of people don't). It's a well written book that's worth reading for upper high school and college students, and it provides a nice reading list at the end as a starting point.
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Read in May, 2008
Regardless of the endeavor, be it playing an instrument, engaging in some physical activity, or practicing some sort of art or craft, its usually good every now and then to go back and concentrate on the basics. That's what this book does for critical reading.
Even without having been an English major, I took enough classes and have just read enough on my own over the years to be pretty familiar with the lessons being provided by Prof. Foster. Still, the reminders of the sorts of sym...more
Even without having been an English major, I took enough classes and have just read enough on my own over the years to be pretty familiar with the lessons being provided by Prof. Foster. Still, the reminders of the sorts of sym...more
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This was an easy read. Its made me search for the symbolism in books I read now. I thought that might ruin the reading experience for me, but its made it more enjoyable and personal. I suggest skipping the chapter on sexual symbolism. I don't really think its necessary to find phallic symbols in every thing you read in order to understand the work better. But I enjoyed the rest of what I learned from this book.
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