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jjburroughs t1_j1xp1dd wrote

No, its your book.

Annotating a book is a normal practice for those who study literature and literary criticism.

It isnt enough to just underline words and use highlighter. Over time, you might not remember the context for drawing attention to that word or phrase. It becomes a mark on a page.

Instead, you should really engage with the text. Look at it as if you are looking through a microscope. Ask yourself questions. What genre is this book? This forecasts what you should expect. Who is the author? Do you know anything about them and if so, does that knowing tell you anything about the work itself? Look at the front cover and ask yourself, what sorts of impressions do you get from it? Is it making a specific statement? What do you think of the title? How does that compliment or juxtapose any other impressions you get from the work? Feel the paper. What does the texture of the paper tell you? Is it really thin and wispy, is it smooth and glossy, or is it kind of rough and sturdy? These things might give you an idea as to the decisions made by the publisher and the author.

Now look at the typography and the shape of the sentences. Fan through the pages without looking at any particular sentence. Does it look breezy, breathy, or intimidatingly dense?

Now at the text itself: read it on first impression. How does the story speak to you? Note any parts that you find interesting. If you notice parts that are slow to you, maybe parts that irritate you, mark it down and continue. Think about how the story might end and predict (it is okay to be dead wrong) how the events will turn.

Once you get through the story the first time, now you really can start looking at it as if it were under the microscope. You will want to start asking questions. What connotations come up with an author's choice of diction? Does the author employ any poetic or rhetorical devices, and how, if any, does that impact the meaning? Does the author use symbolism, and if so, where and how? Do you pick up on any patterns?

Write in the margins. Highlight in one color and take notes. Impressions that you have, questions, surprises, confusing parts, these you make note. Think about the author's point: is he or she trying to make an argument/to demonstrate something/to provide critique on something particular?

You will not notice everything on the first or second read. You might not even notice it on the third. But you will find more meaning, and you will end up asking more questions.

If you want to build onto that, you can start applying literary theories. These are bodies of thought that center around certain kinds of ideas, beliefs, themes and attitudes. With it, the reader asks specific kinds of questions to engage the text in this way. This would be the equivalent of changing one lens for another in a camera. You would then start reading the work through the lens of that chosen literary theory. Your notes will continue to build, your interpretations may change, and you may have other kinds of highlights.

Just some thoughts for you.

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