How to Read Novels Like a Professor: A Jaunty Exploration of the World's Favorite Literary Form

This book was a real pleasure to read. Thomas C. Foster takes you behind the literary scenes and asks you to consider the stylistic and structural decisions made by authors. What if the story was told from a different point of view or with a different tone? Presentation is dissected here. How a story is told is examined and the more you learn, the more you want to go on to the next book and enjoy it more deeply with your newfound tools and techniques. I would imagine that the target audience for this book would probably be booklovers- but I think this book could engage any casual reader and get them excited as well. For most people it will probably be like throwing gasoline on a flame. This book has helped to broaden my appreciation of other books, amplified the pleasure I get from reading, intensified the meaning, value and effect of many books for me. A must read for people who like to read and want to get greater joy out of a habit that is already a great joy. A great book, gleefully informative and fun.

This very readable, witty book helps novices and oldtimers like me tackle the most obscure novel. I may even try a little James Joyce again. I bought the book for my grandson who is majoring in English in college, but ended up reading and enjoying it myself. I had to buy a second copy for him. My book club will benefit from all the insight I have gained from reading this book. Also I have a new list of suggested reading.

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.

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.

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.