11.18.2009
One thing i have always struggled with in literature classes is reading for detail, especially when I have to read huge amounts of a book in a few days. Especially in classic british literature. I can barely understand it in the first place, even when i take my time and read it thoroughly. But when i have four other classes’ homework on top of that, i cn really only read and hope that discussion of the past nights reading will bring back any recollection of what is happening. reading for school and remembering it is a lot like a “brown-out” for a drinker. i don’t remember what happened in the morning on my own (even right after i read it), but when other people talk about it, i remember the event happening. This also helps me to understand what was going on as well. even when i take my time and read slowly, it just doesn’t sink in until someone says it outloud. which explains why i fail every quiz i ever have on specifics from reading. I can pick up on general ideas or themes while reading, but that’s about it. it’s not that i don’t read. i just don’t understand it. There is usually too much paper to go through to get any details from it anyway.
ckglidden said,
December 1, 2009 at 6:33 pm
I agree that it is hard to remeber every little detail. I feel as though they are often unimportant, and it would be much more helpful to be quizzed on general ideas.
odegaard said,
December 2, 2009 at 3:11 am
I agree with your drinking analogy, and with the fact that class discussions shed some light on what I read. In the meantime, I rely on Wikipedia summaries to tell me what the plot is, and base everything else off of that.
ashnel said,
December 3, 2009 at 12:24 am
I totally agree. I feel like I always start out on top of the book but by the middle I have completely forgotten what it is that I am reading. My mind usually drifts while I read which makes is really hard to focus…I usually end up reading 50 pages and having no clue what I read so I have to go back and reread. Hang in there though, girl. The semester is almost over!
Kirstyn said,
December 7, 2009 at 2:01 pm
So Avalon, what do you remember from reading? What sticks with you? If not detail, is it organization? Framing? Voices? Characters? There are many different kinds of readers — and unfortunately, since we’re learning these texts we have to focus a bit on detail — and I wonder if you can start to figure out what kind of reader you are.