How to Read Literature Like a Professor

I took a break from reading W&P to read Thomas C. Foster's How to Read Like a Professor (perhaps hoping that it would improve my reading of W&P - that remains to be seen).

I actually have very little to say about this book, other than I loved it. Of the books I've read so far, of the books that I will read for the List, this is definitely one of the most enjoyable.

The chapter list is fairly comprehensive. While, as he notes, the topics covered aren't exhaustive, they would give anyone a good start into the realm of literary understanding and criticism. Each is accessible, providing thought-provoking but recognizable examples to learn from and digest. I haven't read most of the books he discusses but he has made me look forward to reading them (although, really, it's not hard to do that).

The chapters are self-contained units, but Foster takes care to use the same sources through several chapters, and reference previous themes he has discussed to build a more complete picture of the work.

At the end of the book, he includes an exercise for practice (A Test Case), but participation is obviously optional, and since I read it at 11 last night, I didn't bother, and still learned a lot.

My one quibble is I don't agree with him at all about Song of Solomon. The imagery he discusses are there, but I think the novel's character development is sufficiently flawed to negate its potential.

Foster is engaging and helpful, and is definitely one of my favorite English professors I've never had. This book is the best of English class with none of the worst (like homework, or even really reading the numerous texts he references). I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone attempting a project like the List, or even just anyone wanting to get the most from their reading, and pop culture more broadly.


- M