“Like clog dancing, the art of analyzing works of literature is almost dead on its feet.” So starts Terry Eagleton’s How to Read Literature. And Eagleton is right. Analyzing literature–and even reading literature–is no longer fashionable. Most of my students aspire to writing an app for iPhones or Droid devices that will make them millionaires. Trying to figure out what’s going on in a Jane Austen novel or a Henry James short story holds little interest for this generation of students. Those of us who love literature will find insights and provocations in Terry Eagleton’s slim volume. I really enjoyed Eagleton’s comparison of Pip (from Great Expectatons) with Harry Potter. And Eagleton’s analysis of the famous shooting scene in Lolita is very insightful. This book reminds the reader about the aspects of literature that makes it so great. GRADE: B+
Table of Contents
Preface……………….. ix
1 Openings……………….. 1
2 Character……………….. 45
3 Narrative……………….. 80
4 Interpretation……………….. 117
5 Value……………….. 175
Index……………….. 207
My dad was of a mechanical bent and whenever he saw a machine of any sort he had to look at it, understand it, and figure out how it works. I explained to him once that I’m that way with books.
Dan, you will really like HOW TO READ LITERATURE. Terry Eagleton explains how all the parts work.
In this vein, I would also strongly recommend Jane Smiley’s book, 13 Ways of Looking at a Novel.
Deb, I’ve read 13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT A NOVEL. Eagleton’s book is much shorter (200 pages) and provides different literary examples. Both Jane Smiley and Terry Eagleton work the same side of the Street.
For thirty years or more, we have been telling students that reading novels is not important. That an education is only about making money. Part of the Reagan Revolution, I think.
Patti, I would go even further: students think reading is a waste of time–unless it’s tweets and Facebook pages.
Sometimes I like reading about books as much as reading the books themselves. Will check this one out.
How was day one of school?
Jeff, you will enjoy HOW TO READ LITERATURE. And, it’s a quick read. Day One at the College was the typical chaos: students trying to register for closed classes, students sitting in the wrong classes (many students thought yesterday was Monday), and phone calls and emails giving me a million reasons why they couldn’t show up for the ORIENTATION sessions for my online classes.
Sounds interesting, and likely to make one want to reread some of those books.
Re: Patti’s comment and your reply to it, I think it’s not so much the Reagan Revolution but instead is the bean counters taking control of big business – starting in the early to mid 1960s – and relegating the customer to the single role of profit source through product purchases, as embodied by the philosophy of “give ’em what we want to sell ’em, not what they want or need”.
As far as reading being a waste of time, those who think so likely have little imagination other than the kind needed to take item A and rework it into item B. Very few have a storyteller inside them, and I blame their parents for that.
All good points, Rick. Tomorrow’s post will expand on what you’ve asserted.
I love literature but it’s been ages since I read what one might term a guide to comprehension – thanks for that George, just might pick this up to get a sense of the state of play – I love the sound of some of those examples (though I’ve not read the Potter books so might be a bit in the dark there, movies notwithstanding).
Sergio, you’ll enjoy HOW TO READ LITERATURE. It makes you want to drop everything and READ!