Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Claudia Kim]

As a student majoring in English Literature,
I personally think that all literary works are rather interesting
and fun to read, except in cases where those literary works are
part of the lecture.

Before taking literature classes, I liked reading English literature
and going out to find books of the old classics.
However, once a professor assigned literary works, I began
hating them.

Because the main purpose of reading the book becomes
analyzing, reading, and thinking for getting good grades,
reading the book does not become fun anymore.

What do other people think about this?

[Anuradha Chepur]

Human nature, I suppose. When something is considered as work, it is less enjoyable than when it is done just for fun.
But literature is intense reading, and also emotionally exhausting. It is about analysing, understanding etc.
I would suggest you continue reading for fun.
Grades will fall in place per se.

[Anuradha Chepur]

Hi again,

Your natural way of reading a literary text is a well-recognized approach to literature. It is called the 'Reader-response theory', mainly propagated by Wolgang Iser and others. This approach allows you to freely and spontaneously react to a text without being dictated by the traditional approach of preconceived ideas as to how you are supposed to react to it. You can use this approach (if you university allows it) to interpret work, and this way it won't cut into the fun . Here is the Wikipedia link, and you can google out lot more on it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reader_Response

[asterix]

When I was at school I hated Shakespeare for exactly the same reason as Claudia gives.
I can appreciate Shakespeare's talent now, but I'm still not falling over myself to readhis stuff.
Mind you, I guess I'm fairly well versed in the plays we had to study.

[Anuradha Chepur]

Shakespeare's drama in school?
Over here we do it only in college. If at all in school, only simplified prose versions.

[Anuradha Chepur]

Reading literature takes a lot of energies.
And teaching it - even more.
I remember our lecturers used to be totally involved with the work they speacialized in and with those characters. I suspect, they are living with those characters all the time, even when they are driving or cooking.
The lecturer who taught us Hamlet got us all so involved, that all of us fell in love with Hamlet.

Teaching literature is beyond me.
I'm better off teaching language.

[asterix]

We did Macbeth at prep school. I was 10, but I can still remember large amounts of it.

[Anuradha Chepur]

At 10, I wasn't aware of Shakespeare.

[Anuradha Chepur]

It is said that veterinary doctors and students of literature make better human beings.
Logic?
Vets have learnt to understand and be kind to animals, so being kind to humans is no big deal for them. I found it to be true of a couple of vets I know.
And those who study literature have learnt to understand literary characters, so understanding real humans is easy for them.

[Cristi]

Hi!!

Anuradha, you're right...

Umm...well I think that when you read stuff for school it's a bit boring because you know that later you'll have to respond questions and even later take a test about it, though you have to see that like something extra and not something that will alter your reading. In other words, just enjoy the book or whatever you're reading and don't think that it is for a school asignment, that way you'll achieve the core of reading, which is pleasure and inspiration.

Anyway, have fun reading and NEVER hate books.

Bye!
_________________
�PURA VIDA! Carpe Diem

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear--not absence of fear."
Mark Twain.

[pugachevV]

You have to remember that at school they are teaching you to pass exams. Is not necessarily the same thing as educating you.