Guidelines for Study How to Study a Novel…

Pre-reading & initial reading Create notes from the information the teacher gives you Make notes during class discussions, including ideas other students may bring out Respond to the text personally, your reactions will help to formulate your opinions and form the basis of your essays Write down questions during discussions and as you read the text – ask your teacher or answer them yourself as the novel study progresses

Comprehension activities Work through comprehension questions during your initial reading, as well as in class and during subsequent readings Make a note of relevant quotations during the initial reading – expand upon them and explain their relevance during later readings Make a note of repetitive themes, motifs, symbols and language

Questions on Plot How does the novel begin? What conflict is introduced? What are the main events? What is the climax of the novel? How is it resolved? Is the story told in chronological order? Are there foreshadowings or flashbacks? Is the plot realistic or fantasy? Is the ending expected? satisfying? Predictable?

Questions on Setting In what place(s) is the novel set? In what time(s)? What is the background (social or historical or cultural) to the story? What atmosphere does the novelist create? e.g. pessimistic, optimistic, frightening, prophetic, warm, adventurous etc How important is the setting to the story? Is the setting memorable - if so,how does the novelist achieve this?

Questions on Characterisation Who are the main characters? How do the main characters develop in the story? Are the main characters credible, interesting, intriguing, dramatic, likeable etc; How is this achieved? What are their relationships with other characters? What is their importance to the central conflict? Who are the minor or secondary characters? What is their role in the story? How do the minor characters relate to, affect or contrast with the main characters?

Questions on Theme What themes or problems can be identified? Why do you think those themes or problems were important to the author? What is the author's attitude to those themes or problems? How do you know? Are the themes relevant to a modern society? Why/why not? What, as a whole, does the novel explore?

Questions on Style Is the work imaginative, well-crafted, action-packed, fast- moving, prophetic, poetic, demanding, satirical, light- hearted, serious, thought-provoking, disturbing,unsettling, didactic, allegorical etc - How can you describe it and what makes it like that? Is the language of the novel easy or difficult to read? Why? Are there symbols? How important are they? What use does the author make of figurative language? Does the work contain letters, conversation, quotations? Does the author use irony? Why? Is there humour? What is it based on? How effective is it? Is it a "fantasy" work? If so, does it create a world or universe of its own or does it parallel the "real world?"

Questions on Structure What is the relevance of the title? Is there a prologue? Describe the length of the chapters? Is chapter length important to the overall structure? Is the story chronological? If not, how is time dealt with - Flashbacks? Time gaps? Looking ahead? Is the ending succinct or is it protracted? Why? Is there an epilogue or post-script?

Overall Impact What impresses you about the novel? What will stay in your mind? How does it relate to the ‘real’ world?