How to Read Literature Like a Professor?

I found Thomas Foster’s How to read Literature Like Professor when I looking for an easy and practical reference book on reading for my literature class students. Once I read the Introduction chapter, I knew that’s the one I need to have for my library.

According to this book, three elements separate the general reader from the literature professor s: memory, symbol and pattern. In brief , when reading a novel or a story, readers are easily emotional attached to the characters. The literature professors, of course, have the emotional attach as well; yet they pay more attention to other elements of the story and ask questions such as what did the respond effect come from? Whom do the characters resemble? Where have I seen this situation before? And so on. – it is a very interesting analysis.

This book is full of knowledge yet it is very easy to read. A wonderful book.