• Before you read 
• While you're reading 
• After you finish reading 
• Reading boring texts 
• Reading hard texts 
• Reading literature

A few semesters ago I took a class called "The American Novel" in which we read books that are considered Literature.  I enjoyed reading them because they were great novels, but I needed to be in a quiet place where I could really focus on the text, think more about the text, interact with the text.  This might have been because I was reading them for a class in which we were expected to be able to discuss certain aspects of the novels, but I think the same goes for when I'm reading Literature for my own pleasure.  I couldn't just sit in the BMU or a noisy coffee shop like I could if I was reading a Vonnegut novel (if you haven't read any Vonnegut I highly recommend it, the stuff he writes is hilarious).  Some people are different though.  Looking at the other Blogs, I've found that some people can read anything, anywhere.  I think this depends on how effective a reader you are.  I consider myself an effective reader (just because I've read so many novels and I know what works for me), but, depending on the text, I still need to be in a specific environment to read more effectively.

Another thing that helps when reading literary texts is to see what other people have said about the text you are reading.  The Internet is a great resource for this because of the vast number of responses you can find.  Back to my American Novel class; before I actually started reading the texts for that class I did an Internet search  for responses to the novel I was about the read.  I checked out responses by "scholars" of Literature, as well as postings by people like you and me, who just enjoy reading and talking about what we've read.  The responses I read gave me some background knowledge with which I could use to build my own ideas.  Another way to get some background information about the text is to ask your peers.  That was what I always enjoyed about my literature classes; the discussion.  You've got a group of people reading the same text, but, based on different background knowledge and life experiences, they all interpret the text a little differently and when you can listen to what these people have to say about the text it is extremely beneficial.  The same goes for if you're not in a classroom setting.  My roommate and I have read a lot of the same books and we can sit and talk about them.   You can really gain new insight into novels if you just listen to what other people have to say about them. 

As far as helping you comprehend the actual events of the story, there are certain strategies you can use.  One is to identify the main characters early on, unfortunately this isn't always an easy task.  What constitutes a 'main character'?  This takes some intuitive thinking.  What characters do you feel will influence the events of the story the most, based solely on the limited amount of text you've read?  If you notice some foreshadowing in the beginning by a character, you can assume that they will probably be in the story at the end, so they are more than likely! a main character.  Also, if the author spends a lot of time setting up and describing the character (when I say 'time' I mean textual space) then they are probably a main character.  Once you've identified main characters, pay attention to the things they do and say.  If they talk about events that are going to happen in the story, be on the look out for it.  You can use what they say to create an image of what kind of person they are.  For example, in "Othello" by Willialm Shakespeare, Iago gives his soliloquies and based on what he says I know he is the bad guy, so I know he is going to influence the story in a negative way.

Another way to help understand the actual text is to look at the authors style.  The words on the page aren't chosen arbitrarily, the author makes a conscious decision to use certain words in certain places to create a certain effect.  They choose these words and phrases to influence what you, as the reader, take away from the text.  It is important to be aware of this if you are going to better comprehend the text.  Another stylistic element that relates to word choice is punctuation.  Authors use punctuation in the same way they use word choice.  They put commas, colons, semi-colons, parentheses, and periods in well thought out positions in an attempt to influence how you read a text.  They can control the length of pause a reader makes by using a certain punctuation mark.  They might give you a long pause by putting in a period at the end of a long passage to make you think about what they just said.  If they just put in a comma you won't need to pause as long and thus don't think quite as long about the passage.  This is done intentionally because it changes how you interpret the text.

To be an effective reader of literary texts, regardless of what you consider to be "literary", it is important to keep these things in mind as you read.  You don't need to consciously search these things out, but just be aware that they exist in the text.  Effective readers realize this and pay attention to them.

What other effective readers have to say:

• I spend a great deal of time thinking about the theme of the story. What does the story mean? What lesson was the author trying to teach the reader, if any? What can I learn from this? How can I relate the characters' experiences in the book to my own experiences?

• When reading for pleasure... I cuddle up in my bed and read for about half an hour before I go to sleep. I can read a text for pleasure almost anywhere. I can tune out noise, be interrupted and pick back up where I left off no problem.

• I believe all readers could benefit from at least considering where and when they read most effectively.  Even powerful readers say they cannot read at all under certain circumstances. 

• Reading Literature is like learning an instrument, it can be difficult and frustrating at times, but in the long run it will be beneficial to you as a person.

• Reading Literature is like crossing the Mississippi River, there can be pitfalls and obstacles, but if you push on, eventually you will make it.

Scotty B. (yup, all by my lonesome)