How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines

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.

This book asks of literature, "What's going on here?" and of authors, "How did you do that?" Then it supplies clear, understandable answers that surprise and enlighten and delight.

An easy read and a nice introduction (or reminder to those who've been out of college a while) what goes into reading and appreciating great literature. People in college or who remember their college English lit classes vividly will find it a bit too beginner-level. I also thought the prose sometimes was a bit too informal and chatty. Still, I liked it.

There comes a time in every honest conversation about literature
between students and professors when the students' willingness to
accept the academic way of looking at things fails. Foster, having
no doubt been on the receiving end of this skepticism, cites it:
"A moment occurs in this exchange between professor and student
when each of us adopts a look," Foster explains. "My look says,
'What, you don't get it?' Theirs says, 'We don't get it. And we
think you're making it up.'"

Fair enough. In fact, there's a legitimate question in the accusation.
Are they making it up? There are two answers to the question.

*Yes. Absolutely. Very few writers begin with symbols and go to
stories. We actually dream our stories or allow them to pop into
our heads while we're walking in the woods or the streets or
pumping the elipto-cycle at the gym. The layers of symbol that
Foster's talking about represent the creativity of readers, not
the creativity of writers.
We should, by the way, be grateful to them for making this stuff
up. Reading in a professorial way requires a great deal of attention.
It actually forces the reader to be aware, and awareness as you
probably know is the basic stuff of life. Read like a professor and
you will have a lot more fun with your reading. Guaranteed.

*The second answer is 'No'. No, they're not making it up. Writers
live in the world of symbols just like everybody else and
when a writer chooses to post (let's say) a dog at the entrance
to a dark lane, it's possible that that author is either
connecting with or just unconsciously replicating the Classical
image of Cerebus guarding the gates of Hell.

Most people intuitively understand both these answers, but
the trouble begins when we pay too much attention to writers'
intentions. What does Murakami mean when Kafka's mentally feeble
guide is able to talk to cats? Wrong question. We'll never
know what he meant (even if he tried to tell us).What we can
'know' is what it means to us and what pieces of the universal
gold mine of meaning it brings to the surface for our attention.

Now it seems like this kind of attention to literature could
be an interesting game to play-you get to participate in a
book, not just read it. In actual fact, most of the writing on
the topic is achingly, profoundly, set-the-house-on-fire-to-
escape-it dull. Gigantic egos praying to our Lady of the
Unwarranted Assumption and offering definitive answers where
what is needed are artful suggestions.

Foster's book is brilliant because he is appropriately humble
in the face of his topic. He seems like a fellow who enjoys
his reading, a helpful waiter who tells you which of tonight's
specials would really go with your favorite wine. He has
certainly made my reading more fun and I have no doubt that
he will do the same for you.


--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the forthcoming novel bang BANG from Kunati Books.ISBN 9781601640005

If only I had had access to HOW TO READ LITERATURE LIKE A PROFESSOR for my Freshman English classes!! Foster provides great insights into those specific points college professors and advanced placement English teachers make concerning classical texts. You may even discover why certain works appeal to you while others don't. Foster clearly explains the literary devices are used to effect mood, attitude, and feelingsto create entertaining tales. Shakespeare may have been original, but he was also a master of understanding what worked for other authors from whom he borrowed much. A number of great works written since Shakespeare use his devices including subtle references to the Bible and the Greek Classics.