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Of all the literary forms, the novel is arguably the most discussed . . . and fretted over. From Miguel de Cervantes's Don Quixote to the works of Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and today's masters, the novel has grown with and adapted to changing societies and technologies, mixing tradition and innovation in every age throughout history.

Thomas C. Foster—the sage and scholar who ingeniously led readers through the fascinating symbolic codes of great literature in his first book, How to Read Literature Like a Professor—now examines the grammar of the popular novel. Exploring how authors' choices about structure—point of view, narrative voice, first page, chapter construction, character emblems, and narrative (dis)continuity—create meaning and a special literary language, How to Read Novels Like a Professor shares the keys to this language with readers who want to get more insight, more understanding, and more pleasure from their reading.

Average Customer Rating:

A guide for everyone	Customer Rating:
This isn't a book for stuffy academics. It's readable and enjoyable, even if you're not a creative writing or english major. Foster's discussions of literature (mostly 20th century, but he runs the gamut), is lively, entertaining, and ultimately enlightening. I find myself reading and rereading the chapters again and again; each stands on its own as a discussion of a particular topic.

lil bit of help	Customer Rating:
this is a little bit of insite into the world of books. not all of us have lit degrees and are limited in our resources. so this was a little gem for me. I think its a handy little interesting tool for a dedicated reader.

How to Read Novels Like a Professor is a concise, informed and valuable introduction to the world of novels

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"How to Read Novels Like a Professor" is the sequel to "How to Read Literature" by Dr. Thomas C. Foster. Foster is a professor at the University of Michigan-Flint. One can imagine being fortunate enough to sit in his classroom! If we as readers cannot be that fortunate we can relish his informed survey and suggestions on the joy of the novel. The book begins with a short survey on the rise of the novel from Miguel de Cervantes immortal "Don Quixote" to the magical prose of J.K. Rowling in the Harry Potter serial. We learn that in the heydey of the novel in the Victorian era the novels were published monthly or weekly. They were then printed in a three volume cheap edition before a more expensive single volume was published. The greats of the era such as Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, William Makepeace Thackery, the Bronte sisters and George Eliot all appeared in this printed format. Victorian novels were long, episodic and relied heavily on cliff hangers and colorful names to remind readers of who is who in the story. Foster notes that on the very first page of a novel you can see how the author utilizes style, tone, mood, diction and point of view. Foster also introduces us to novelistic themes, mood and how the writer uses narrative to tell his/her story. He sometimes gets a bit too technical for the nonacademic reader though he does seek to explain what the terms mean. We see how writers use symbols and express themselves through metaphors gained through their life's experiences. We see how important place and the historical situation are in novels. The novelist creates his/her own world be it Faulkner's county in Mississipi Joyce's Dublin; Hardy's Wessex or Dickens' nineteenth century London. Foster discusses characters and their motivations as drawn by the novelist. Foster uses countless quotations from novels to show us how the artist crafts a novel. Unlike the Victorian age, today's novelist do not always end their books with all the character's fates clearly explained. Novels are now open-ended. Various narrative methods are being used in the postmoderistic world of modern novels. Stream of consciousness and different kinds of narrative are utilized by the modern writer. Foster uses examples from world literature from Rushdie in India to the Caribbean and Latin America to make his points. His knowledge of African-American and Native American literature is vast. He is, also, an expert on the Western canon. This short book is a popular approach to a fascinating subject. Anyone from high school teacher to student to book lovers will profit from this excellent resource. This book reminds us that as all readers are different so to is each person differently impacted by the words on the pages of the novel being read. Nevertheless, these reading tips from a master teacher are sure to enhance the reading experience. Well done and selling well on Amazon!

Reading Novels like a Professor

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Having learned more from T.C.Foster about reading literature than anyone,(How to Read Literature like a Professor), I find he does not disapoint in his approach to novels as he again points out key elements to look (or listen) for in a text. While some chapters are a little discursive, his urban-folksy skaz dispels any pedantic intimidation one might fear from such a work. Although his many allusions to classic novels may cause guilt for all the novels one should have read but havn't, this book is a must have for any aspiring serious reader.

a clear voice

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As a high school English teacher with two small children, I rarely get a chance to read a book for pleasure--let alone finish one. Amazingly, I read both of Foster's guides this summer. Each was a palatable presentation of issues surrounding literature in general and the novel in particular. He has a clear "voice" allowing me to imagine being back at a university lecture again--one of my favorite places to be! While other texts may seem more "scholaraly" (i.e. "dry"), Foster has a really accessible style for high school students, undergrads, and the interested public at large.