How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster

From Amazon.com (unspecified otherwise)
In this practical and amusing guide to literature, Thomas C. Foster shows how easy and gratifying it is to unlock those hidden truths, and to discover a world where a road leads to a quest; a shared meal may signify a communion; and rain, whether cleansing or destructive, is never just rain. Ranging from major themes to literary models, narrative devices, and form, How to Read Literature Like a Professor is the perfect companion for making your reading experience more enriching, satisfying, and fun.

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Plus, he provides me with an awesome reading list! This book was recommended by my friend Lindsay, and was much enjoyed. The language is what really makes it great: one definitely gets the feeling that one is sitting in on a favorite kooky professor's lecture. Thought-provoking, too...I caught myself thinking back on past reads in attempts to decipher things I'd missed the first time. I actually ended up buying a copy of this, as I feel that it'll be more useful in the long run in terms of learning to read more sensitively. Still, it's a fun read, and if you enjoy reading literature I'd suggest it. And man, there's that reading list. He mentions a lot of stuff I've meant to read but never got 'round to, plus a few things I wouldn't ordinarily have considered, but that sound reasonably interesting. As a matter of fact, I've already gone through Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon, which he raves about, and am currently chewing through T.S. Eliot and Joyce's Dubliners. So, stay tuned for those. Reading is fun, kids!