How to Conduct a Critical Reading of Fiction

In all good fiction, there's the story the author writes and the story he doesn't write. This unwritten story is the one the author wants you to know, but he or she uses the written story to tell it. When you find that unwritten story, you will know the difference between a "good read" and a life-changing literary work. Invite some friends to gather and discuss a piece of fiction together.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Understand that the goal of fiction is to expose you to ideas and get you emotionally involved in the story.
2. Ask yourself whether the story is meant to convey a message "between the lines" or if it is simply light reading.
3. Determine whether the story has verisimilitude--whether it successfully represents the world as you know it even though the events in the story never actually happened.
4. Figure out the moral of the story. All good fiction has one. Does love conquer all? Do all criminals eventually meet with justice? Does persistence pay?
5. Think about how your interpretation of the story is affected by your own experiences and interests. Ask yourself how a person with different experiences and interests would react to the same story.
6. Analyze the figurative language of the story. Is it effective and consistent throughout? What does the author's choice of language say about how he or she wants you to feel about the story?
7. Determine whether the story was successful. Was the ending satisfying? Were you sorry that the story had ended and you had to say goodbye to the characters? Was the ending a surprise?
8. Read the story again after analyzing it in order to enjoy it more fully.

Tips & Warnings

• Read the biography of the author for more insights into the story and why the author wrote it.

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