Your'e reading a classic work of literature and want a guide.Would u read Spark/Cliff notes before or after???

Question

I want to read some classic literature that I never got around to and I'll be reading them for fun. However, I'd like a guide of some sort to go with them......sort of like having a professor helping you pick up things you might otherwise have missed. Pretty much, I'm figuring Cliff or Spark Notes would be helpful with this..........but should I read them before or after reading the actual text? I don't want to spoil the plot or anything, but I want to be able to catch on to things by having a general idea when I start. I've never used such guides in highschool or college so I'm not sure even if they will be useful as guides. Your thoughts? Before? After? Not at all?

Answer 1

I did the same thing as you plan on doing (reading classic novels for fun), and it definitely depends on what you're reading for when to read the guide.

For example, novels like "A Tale of Two Cities," then I would read a chapter from the book, and then read the chapter summary because there would be so many things I missed or didn't really understand. For other books like "Catcher In The Rye" or "The Great Gatsby" I would just read the whole book first because it was interesting enough to hold my attention, and then I would read a guide after to help me on any subtlies or imagery I might have missed. And yet for other books that I didn't know much about, I might read some of the chapter summaries first just to give me an idea of what the book would be about.

Answer 2

I think you should try to read the book without the notes first. If you are having trouble getting into the story or understanding what is going on, then read the notes after each chapter. I personally like Spark Notes better. But I think that if you are not having trouble with a book then you should get out of it what you get out of it...not what others tell you to. I had to read A Passage to India this semester for a class but couldn't really get into it. I read the summaries after I read the chapters for the first few chapters until I could get into the story and understand what was going on and then I read the rest on my own. There's nothing wrong with getting a little helping hand every now and again! Another thing I do that is helpful, especially when there are a lot of characters, is I use an index card as a book mark. I write the names of the characters on the card and something about them to help me remember who they are. That way when I'm reading and I think..."who is this guy again?" I can refer to my card.

Answer 3

I like to read these as well but I always do so after finishing the book. This lets you have your own opinion of the book before finding out someone else's. Also, if you read the notes beforehand there's always the chance your eye will fall on a huge spoiler. The only time you might want to make an exception is when reading a book that's difficult to understand (e.g. A Tale of Two Cities).

Answer 4

If I were you, I'd read the book first. Then I would study the Cliff notes and re-read the book, keeping in mind all the stuff I learned in the Cliff notes. After all, if it's classic literature that you are reading, most people need to and/or enjoy reading it more than one time.

Answer 5

I always wait until after I've finished reading. I've noticed that a lot of those sorts of guides will give away details and refer to the ending and such.

Answer 6

I'd read them at the same time, just to follow the storyline without wrecking the plot.

Answer 7

I would read it first then as I read the real text, I would make notes or highlight.

Answer 8

I'd read the book first.

Answer 9

not at all, isn't the whole purpose for self edification? why not form your own opinions and ideas? it's like that old saying- I may not know art, but I know what I like.