According to Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren in How to Read a Book, much of what we read--newspapers, magazines, reports--increases our store of information but not our understanding (9).

Adler and Van Doren say that the main purpose in reading novels is to gain increased understanding (3).

The other goal of reading is, of course, entertainment.

Whenever you read a novel, you should always begin your analysis of that novel with your reaction to it. Did you understand it? Did you enjoy it? What sorts of emotions did it arouse in you? Which characters did you like? Which characters did you dislike. Why?

Adler and Van Doren point out that we neither agree nor disagree with fiction. We either like it or we do not (213). They also note that it is much easier to be pleased than to be taught but that it is often harder to know why we are pleased (204).

Active readers question as they read. Adler and Van Doren suggest the following questions for the active reader:

• What is the book about as a whole?
  • Summarize the plot.
• What is being said in detail, and how is it being said?
  • Identify the characters
  • Identify the point of view
  • Describe the setting
• Is the book true in whole or in part?
  • Does the book seem to be true in its portrayal of human emotions and motivations?
  • Given its premises, is the book internally consistent?
  • Does the story satisfy you?
  • Do you appreciate the beauty in the story?
• What of the story?
  • What is the larger issue or theme--the comment about the human condition? (215)

Adler and Van Doren state some maxims to adhere to:

• Before you express your likes and dislikes you must make an honest effort to understand and appreciate the work.
  • If you have trouble understanding the plot or the language of the work, reread the work more slowly. Consult a dictionary when you come across unfamiliar vocabulary.
  • Do not let your beliefs and prejudices affect your understanding of how these characters behave.
• Your first judgment will be one of taste. You will say not only that you like or dislike the book, but also why you have your reaction. Your reasons will have some critical relevance, a belief that some element or elements of the fiction do not work as well as they might have.
• Finally, to complete the task of criticism you must objectify your reactions by pointing to those things in the book that caused those reactions. You must advance from saying what you like or dislike about the book to what is good or bad about the book and why (213-14).

Sources

Adler, Mortimer J., and Charles Van Doren. How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading. Rev. and updated. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1972.