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

The book seems quite loosely organized, a chatty collection of brief post-class meditations that must have numerous teachers wondering why they didn't come up with the same title and premise themselves. If there's a critical omission, it's the inadequate attention to the role of language. A central problem for many, if not most, beginning readers of literature is the assumption that words are of value only insofar as they refer to meanings "out there." Consequently, they read literary texts in "chunks," looking for broad paraphrases that will be sufficient to point to a connection between the literary work and its underlying archetype, or to a link between the "symbolic" text and "real" life. But an experienced reader of literature finds the "primary" pleasures and meanings of a text to lie in the individual word choices of the author as well as the syntactic structures that engage the reader's consciousness in the dynamic life of the text. Not to attend to these matters first is not merely to invite irresponsible readings but to imply that literature is somehow separate and secondary from its "meanings."

"How to Read Literature Like a Professor" addresses some of the major responses of the literature teacher (one can only hope readers would ever want to read like him). But it never quite locates where, for the professorial reader, the real action takes place. Reaching that place, or nexus between the life in the text and the reader's consciousness, can be a highly demanding task, but for those who profess the rewards of literature there can be no short cuts or substitutes.


id rather read the dictionary...at least it would be entertaining   September 6, 2005
 13 out of 61 found this review helpful

This book blows.

Well, let us start from the beginning. I got this book for a summer AP Lit reading assignment, looked at the cover, and the first thing I thought to myself was, "Hmm, that's strange, I don't recall Huck Finn ever having the phrase 'how to read literature like a professor' on any page." Then I decided I'd stop staring at the cover like a fool and open the book and start reading the pages.

What I discovered was every chapter read like ad-libs. Not just any ad-libs may I add, it was like reading the same penciled in story over and over. Pretty much, it was like reading an essay a gradeschooler wrote. (Thesis, Body Paragraph 1, 2, 3 etc., Conclusion, Repeat on a New Chapter, and every once in a while there would be a few big words you had to look up and some italic words that symbolized your thoughts)

Look, we all know writers are in a class of their own and decide that everything will either be (A) a symbol, (B) somehow sex related, (C) relate to the past or (D) relate to religion. Just because you read this book, it doesn't mean whatsoever that you will become proficient in the art of spotting these things out, or even a proficient reader. All I got out of this book was now I can go to my friends, pull up my suspenders and straighten out my pocket protector as I say with honor, "This summer, I read an entire book on how to read books." So if you're looking to be bored by Mr. Thomas C. Foster, look no further and pick up this book


Helpful but Cutesy....3 1/2 stars   July 29, 2004
 12 out of 12 found this review helpful

I had a specific reason for reading this book: I can't read fiction. I just can't seem to focus on it. Which didn't bother me for a number of years, because I enjoy a steady diet of history, biography, and other non-fiction. But recently, more and more, I feel I've been missing out on something, particularly looking back at some of the classics I've never read. When I came across Foster's book, I thought it would be helpful in overcoming my fict-o-phobia.

It has been. Not only has Foster given ideas for structuring whichever book chosen(or even stories in movies, poetry, or song), but he suggests many titles that actually sound exciting, now that I know of the interesting characters and plots that are developed within them.

However, I found the tone of the book somewhat condescending. This might not be true for a freshman English student, but for a forty-something post professional, the cute, jokey statements aren't appreciated. Not that Kelly EVER puts cute, jokey statements in her reviews (she says, tongue firmly in cheek).

As to the effectiveness of Mr. Foster's method: He aims at teaching his readers to recognize the symbolism in literature, and therefore the layers of story within. At first, this concrete fact-finder despaired of being able to do this. After some practice, however, tonight I wrote a review on a film in which I was able to find a particular type of symbolism throughout; it seemed to jump out at me from every angle. I couldn't figure out why every reviewer before hadn't mentioned it in the past. The story now didn't just have one surface plot, there were many layers. It made what could have been simply an entertaining film multidimensional.

As for *reading*, I still have not been brave enough to pick up Ulysses or the latest Dean Koontz novel (still fearing that huge voice in my head screaming "I bet they made this up!"), but at least the idea seems exciting instead of dull. Thanks, Professer Foster.






Lively and Entertaining? Certainly.   September 9, 2005
 12 out of 15 found this review helpful

Reading for hidden meaning in terms of symbolism, etc., has never been my strong point, which is why this book interested me. And I am certainly glad I read it. I did pick up a few ideas on how to look and what to look for in literature. I'm afraid that I did not delve so deeply or see everything there was in the test case at the end, so I probably will never be cut out to be a professor of literature. But this book definitely brought some things to the front of my mind. I imagine it will pay off in terms of deepened appreciation some day.

The author mentions in the last chapter that he realizes that his book might be a bit rambly and idiosyncratic. I'm glad he and I were on the same page! The chapters had a tendency to wander, and they were, on the whole, a little longer than they needed to be.

I had mixed feelings about his habit of pointing to specific examples. I realize that there was really no other way to go about illustrating his points. And sometimes it worked well, but other times I felt very annoyed and frustrated that I had not read the book and didn't always understand exactly what he was talking about. I couldn't really predict which way my feelings would go about the example texts, so I don't know if it was him or me. But it did seem sort of hit or miss.

I do appreciate the author's effort to keep his guide 'lively and entertaining'. He did a good job, in my opinion. It was a fun book to read. Lively, entertaining, and quite educational. He provided quite a bit of food for thought. My favorite tidbit? Both A Raisin in the Sun and Damn Yankees contain Faustian plot elements. Cool!



Enlightening and entertaining   January 2, 2005
 11 out of 13 found this review helpful

I loved this book! It gave me confidence to trust my own judgment about what things mean in a literary work. The guidelines that Foster provides have been very helpful in deepening my reading experience. I liked reading "The Garden Party" and comparing my insights with his and those of his students. Highly recommended for anyone who loves to read, especially those who belong to book discussion groups. In fact, our group is reading AHAB'S WIFE for our next meeting, and I'm finding Foster's book extremely useful in getting ready for our discussion.