It's on the Blackboard - How to Read Great Literature - and Gain an Education!

Notes and summation from:

The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had by Susan Wise Bauer

Use notebook for Summation, etc.

Read as stages:
 First at Grammar Level - title, cover, Table of Contents as well as biograhical sketch.  Do NOT read Preface unless written by author (or you'll get an interpretation by someone other than author before developing your own.)

• "Underneath - note any facts learned from cover, or introduction that will help read book as author intended.
• "Keep a list of characters as I read.
• "Note main event of each chapter.... 1 event per chapter. [One or 2 sentences.]
• "Make initial notes on passages that seem interesting  ...  Distinguish from summations (ink? or margin notes?)
• "Give the Book your own title and subtitle.  Go back and read chapter summaries.  If they give good idea of what the book is, write title - if not - then go back and re-write summations.  
• Determine who is the central character in the book
• Determine what is the most important event in the book

Logic Level

• Once you have the story - go back and read bookmarked sections.
• If non-fiction:
• Of what is the author trying to convince you?  
• What evidence is he using to convince you?
• If Fiction
• Am I transported to the novel's world?
• Do I feel/hear/see this world?
• Am I in sympathy with the people?
• Do I understand their wants and wishes?
• Is the novel a "fable" or a "chronicle"? Fables transport us to different worlds/times where different laws of nature apply.  Chronicles have cause/effect relationships that tie to this world.
• If Novel is set in our world - HOW does the writer show us that reality?
• If the Novel is in a fantastic world - What is the intent?
• Is the novel primarily realistic so that I can relate to what is going on?
• What does the central character want?  
• What obstacles are there?  
• Is it a person who is the obstacle?
• What strategy will the central character use to overcome the obstacles?
• Who is telling the story?
• First person point of view
• Second person
• third-person limited
• Third person objective (narrative)
• Omniscent (writer is in the place of God - can see and hear EVERYTHING)
• Where is the story set?
• Natural? - friendly/unfriendly?/indifferent?
• Human-built surroundings