How does one read, understand and remember hard books? Is there any secondary literature on this?
>>24684951>How does one read, understand and remember hard books? Is there any secondary literature on this?>there is a secret, it goes like this: >1.you take bloody notes>2.read again but with notes>3.take another layer of notes>4.and so forth? ?? ???>5.profityou also might want to join a reading circle to exchange your bloody notes>>24684958tits or gtfo
>>24684951My advice is to start with someone smarter making an explanation of the book historical context, the themes the book explores.By example, learning the context of frankestein, and how it relates to 19 century scientific obsession, and the work serving as a reminder of science breaking ethical boundaries for no other reason it can do, and the game being a methaphor of adan and eve and a pursuit of rebellion againts their creator.That context clearly helps to me enjoy much more the book.Try to see first if there's an analisis of the book in youtube from a literature professor.Sometimes being told what to put attention by someone smarter or more well read, helps with the experience of literature.
>>24684951>start with easy books, gradually move on to harder and harder books>if available, read annotated editions>read introductions, essays, scholarship>read slowly, reread passages you didn't quite grasp>look up references>read Homer, Ovid and the Bible (the 3 most commonly cited authors/works, from my experience)
In France, where I go to école du Français le monde des plumes we call them «le durre» and there is a particular something about them which it is you must know, that is that where in the method we simply sit with the book «le durre» and penetrate it by giving it a more minutes than a book «la façile». It is understood that there is a mesmerisme which the book «le durre» affects unto the reader in a matter of time.
>>24685436I found How to Read a Book to be long winded and not very good on explaining how to practice, simply devolving to a "just do it" answer
>>24686342You must not have read the prequel: How to Read How to Read a Book
Understanding provides the framework for remembering.
ask chattygpt or some other llm to explain the parts you dont understandor just google if you're a hipster
don't be afraid to spoil books before reading them. get overall/chapter summaries from grok et al.write in the margins at minimum, don't be afraid to 'ruin' the book by writing in it. i find writing in books with pencil enhances them, i like my collection of beat up paperbacks full of my writing.when you highlight lines, write what you thought about it. if you need more space to write use sticky notes.try to write down your thoughts after reading the entire book, i also keep a OneNote with thoughts on books I've read, trying to write from memory everything i took away
>>24684951it sounds like a meme, but unrionically just read it, don't stop to take notes or look shit up, just keep reading. If you don't get something, ignore it and keep going. You will understand maybe 10 or even 20% of the book after you finish it, which is better than understanding nothing. Now read it again, but this time take your time, look up things you don't understand, and maybe get secondary literature for your second reading. This is literally the best way to work through hard (non-fiction) books
>>24686350
>>24686550Best place to get these summaries?
>>24689089grok chatgpt notebooklm deepseek etc.
>>24689089Cliff/Spark notes. The fan made ones and AI are mostly terrible and tend to fail to identify what is important and provide summaries based on what they found interesting or felt was important. Not that Cliff/Spark notes are great, but they are far less likely to lead you astray.
